Return to Bangkok

After another eternal three-flight, 27-hour trip, I am back in the City of Angels. Looks like a little Thai stimulus money has hit the streets. I am impressed with the progress on the SkyTrain and the sidewalks beneath the stations which are now walkable, even, and elevated a couple feet against potential street flooding and I think to prevent the not always death-defying jay walker. The new station east from end-of-the-line On Nut station (which is still not open until perhaps early next year?) is one block from my studio apartment. Last year at least two people died skipping the pedestrian overpass and trying to dart through traffic. The empty lot at that corner which looked like a garbage dump 6 months ago, is now cleared out and filled with flowers. Loads of condos are being built in all directions and one wonders how much the market will bear. Roughly $60,000 to $100,000 for some pretty small studios.

This trip will last 6 months during which time I will travel to China perhaps twice, Japan, probably Vietnam and a couple other countries yet to be determined (Burma? Malaysia? Laos? Maybe even Australia if Air Asia throws out an offer to Perth I can’t refuse.)

My first stop, after sleeping off the lag at Peung’s family’s house, was Sukhumvit Soi 22 to my favorite restaurant without a name for a plate of khao krapow mu sap kai dao. (Pardon the spelling there, as if most of us would know one way or the other) That is, rice with fried basil, ground pork and a fried egg on top. My standby. With a bottle of proof that Coca Cola changes its recipe abroad and that it tastes so much better in a glass bottle.