One Night In Bangkok

So I have arrived in Bangkok. I travelled with Emirates for the first time and though I had previously heard great reviews, for me it was hell – H E double hockey sticks. I have never felt so cramped into a space. Like a cat box. Fuck.  My knees touched the seat in front and there was a box under the chair in front so where the heck was I supposed to put my legs? I am a pretty average 5’9” but the geezer next to me was at least 6’ and it was like an unusual game of twister at some points. Luckily he was about one hundred so we developed a knee share/stretch leg out routine – as you do. Oh it was also about minus twenty degrees so we all had blankets on and were using the plastic wrap as scarves – as you do? Had quite the layover in Dubai. What did I learn in Dubai? I am probably not suited for Vegas. I felt like I just came off the farm. Flashing lights, loads of people, money money money! Not my cup of tea.

First view from first stay in Thailand

So I arrived in Bangkok, no mystery there. But there was a mysterious factor. 12 years ago I spent a fair bit of time in Japan., enough to pick up the basics of the language and like many skills, if not kept in practice it tends to fade away. This past summer in fact the only words I could recall were iikura dessu-ka, which means “how much?” Quelle surprise right? So touch down Bngkok and what do you know the ENTIRE Japanese vocabulary comes back. Explain that one please? Even weirder, when I met the other girl on this volunteer trip she had the same experience. By “same” I mean she also lived in Japan 12 years ago, forgot everything, it all came back. We also both have huge feet. My ride back from the airport was with a guy from the volunteer group who didn’t speak a lick of English but his little girl’s mother is Japanese and there we were, chatting away, in Nihongo. The little girls name? Shalala. And it only gets better from there…

First awesome meal with volunteer coordinators. Bottom right dish my new favourite thing.