As crazy as the title to this post may seem, it is actually quite relevant. Let's rewind a bit.
A few weeks ago at work we held a baby shower for Chau, the Program Officer for Central and Southeast Asia. At some point during this baby shower, the topic of Tom Cruise (or someone of equal unimportance) came up, because he wanted to eat his wife's placenta after she gave birth. Apparently, you can get a lot of nutrients and vitamins from it, and it helps with managing moods, stress levels, etc., and of course in our group there were supporters and opponents for this grossly strange idea. The discussion kept going to the point that Vanessa (the PO for Indonesia) burst out to someone on the proponent team: "Well why don't you just eat a placenta and CALM DOWN!?" You probably had to be there, but her little outburst popped into my head earlier today when I realized how important it is for me to just calm down, relax, eat some weird stuff without worrying about repercussions, and stop stressing about this trip.
Like I said in my last post, this is the first international trip I have ever taken that doesn't involve my family for any part of it. It's kind of scary to think I traveled across the world with people I've known only a few short months, but I can't even begin to describe the connections I've made with them. Yet, I'd been on edge throughout the entire flight and so far while we've been here, always making sure I have everything I need, being careful to not drink tap water, locking up my valuables, etc. because I know I'm solely responsible for looking out for myself - as any adult should be. One other thing that bugs me out is that for once, I'm in a country where I have no clue how to speak or understand the native dialect. When in America, India, Australia, and most European countries, you can bank on someone being able to understand exactly what you're saying without too much difficulty. Just something as simple as being able to say "un minuto" or "ik mint" when someone is knocking on your door and you need a minute is such a blessing. Instead, you need to rely on hand gestures, slow pronunciations, different phrasings, nodding and bowing, and basically doing whatever it takes to get your point across and just hoping that the person on the other side gets it. As much as it might stress me out though, it challenges me, and I love a good challenge. There's something about being in a completely foreign place that really shows you what you're made of. But in any case, even without the international travel context, I still always find it very difficult to relax and put my mind at ease, no matter where I am or what I'm doing, I just can't sit still...my heart is always beating at its resting heart rate of 90bpm/mph and I don't see it slowing down anytime soon, which brings us to today.
Even after going to sleep last night around 3:30am local time here (our flight got in around 10:30pm and by the time we got to the hotel it was around midnight, then showering, unpacking, etc...) I still woke up this morning around 8am without an alarm. That's my problem - even on vacations, all I want to do is wake up, seize the day, make the most of it, and never spend one minute sitting around in the hotel and being dull (unless it's when I'm exhausted in bed and updating my blog in the middle of the night). So I got out of bed, checked my email, responded to a few messages, then got calls from Vanessa and Maya (the PO for South Asia and the Middle East). Maya asked if I wanted to run across the street to 7-11 to get water and a few other things with her, which we did, and then I joined Vanessa at the gym for a morning work-out. The gym is amazing - it has pretty much every machine you would ever need, and it overlooks the outdoor pool and a gorgeous cityscape. It's located on the 9th floor, which is a little odd since there are floors for rooms both above and below (we're on the 29th floor), but it was really nice. I went for quality over quantity today (fat burning over cardio), and ran at a nice steady pace for a good 25 minutes. I'm runnning another 5k the weekend I get back to the states, but this time it's a Mud Rud (ropes course + 5k + mud) with Neetu, so I'm trying to get back in shape. I hadn't run on a tredmill in ages since I prefer running outside, but it wasn't too bad.
After our respective workouts, Vanessa and I went to get breakfast, but not before V promised she would one day do a tumbling routine for me (she used to be a gymnast back in the day and can still do some pretty amazing things, I think). We made our way downstairs to a wide variety of options, everything from American to Indian to Thai to Japanese food...you name it, and it was probably there. I had some fruit and eggs, potato wedges and chole. It was a nice mix of American-ish and Indian cuisines. Tomorrow I think I'll try something more in the Thai realm though. I love this city and the way it embraces so many other cultures - you can find any food you would ever want here, and it's all so good! I completed my meal with pineapple juice that tasted like it was literally squeezed out of a pineapple that morning, and V and I had a nice chat about books we've read and loved, particularly Asian and Asian-American literature. Although Vanessa has a quasi-latina background, her heart belongs to Asia. She's a truly incredible person - having visited over 50 countries, led volunteer projects in third world countries, backpacked around just for the hell of it, etc. We had a great conversation and now I definitely have a lot more books to read, starting with First They Killed My Father, a nonfiction account from a Cambodian girl during their genocide of the 1970s. I love learning about other cultures, particularly Asian ones. I'm so fascinated by their individual histories and cultures. I know oftentimes Asia or Africa are just perceived as these huge masses of third-world, impoverished, non-English-speaking lands, when they are SO much more! Just take India, for example - with the number of unique languages, cultures, clothes, religions, cuisines, etc. that exist in just that ONE country, you've got to realize that there is a whole world out there with hundreds of countries and cultures that are each full of ideas and experiences that we have yet to even identify, let alone understand. Clearly we had a great conversation that I'll be reflecting on throughout the rest of the trip, but this is still my first day and it wasn't even noon yet at this point.
We went up to our own rooms, checked in with Maya who had a meeting with the hotel that morning for our conference rooms, then showered and headed out for our day! Our goal today was to go to Khao Sun Road, the hotbed for tourists and backpackers and anyone who loves bargaining, beautiful clothing, and cheap trinkets. We took a cab to get there, which was safe enough (compared to what we did later) and arrived at the bazaar in about 30 minutes. On the way, we traveled along this massive bridge - on one side, you could see gorgeous, tall, beautiful buildings that highlighted the skyline of the city, and on the other side were the slums. This city has such a stark dichotomy between rich and poor, and it's so difficult for me to bear the thought of people living in houses that literally look as though they are about to tip over. In America, we have rules preventing houses from looking like that, as they're a safety hazard to their residents and others, but in much of Asia and the third world, those kind of rules just don't apply. Everything just...happens. Here's another word I'll be using a lot - seamless - but more on that later. Bangkok reminds me of India in so many ways (it's like a less chaotic version of New Delhi) which is why I'll be comparing the two so much throughout this trip - there's your warning.
Within five minutes of arriving on Khao San Road, I received my first of probably fourteen marriage proposals of the day. According to Vanessa, I'm an "anomaly" because the creepy Indian men who work in these shops hardly have the chance to see a little Indian girl, let alone be within conversation distance with her. Sucks for them, because those were only one way conversations with the back of my head. One of them even told Vanessa that I was his wife, and another asked her why she was friends with me because I'm Indian..? If I have another man ask "mujhe shaadi karoge!?"...it will not be pretty. Luckily, Maya and Vanessa were able to guide me through these crowds of prying hands and we got to explore the shops and normal vendors.
Our first main stop was lunch, where we ate delicious Thai food - I ordered vegetable Pad Thai. The restaurant was really cool in that it was open to the road, so although we sat in a restaurant, it was right off the street so we were able to continue people watching and enjoying the nice, but humid, weather. The portion of food was just perfect, and cost only about $5 for each of us, including tip. We dove into our dishes and I had the opportunity to partake in yet another riveting conversation, this time about boys and their maturity levels throughout their years in addition to how/if guys and girls can be "just friends" - reminded me of a certain high school game night conversation. While we were eating, the first of several sponanteous rain showers started, but just as soon as it hit, it left and we headed back out on the road, this time to get Thai massages.
I guess this is most accurately where the title of this blog post comes into play. I've never had a proper massage in my life (I know, shocking). I just don't like being touched by people like that. It's so awkward, and what are you even supposed to do during it!? The only way I can even get pedicures done is if I have something else I can work on/keep my mind occupied with (i.e. a cell phone) during the awkward 30 minutes it takes to clean my feet and paint my nails. (Manicures? Forget it. Won't happen unless there's a wedding or I'm graduating or something.) Using phones or any other sort of gadgets in these dim-lit, peaceful-music-playing places would be a little on the rude side, I think.
The traditional Thai massage is much different than anything I have ever experienced in my life. First, they put us in these salwaar-like pants that tied in the back - mine were bright pink - and then they asked us to lay on these mats on the floor. It was pretty much just like nap time in kindergarten. Everyone had their own cot and had to be super quiet while they massuse practically killed them. Maya had the mattress next to me, and that girl can so easily fall asleep it's not even funny. Meanwhile, I was thinking about everything I could be doing right then instead of laying still and letting someone bend my arms and legs in directions they are not meant to bend in. I'm pretty sure my massuse thought I was an alien or something. I kept opening my eyes and looking around, just to see what else was going on, but then I realized that was probably really disrespectful to the massuse, so I tried to keep my eyes shut - which just let my mind wander.To preface my insecurity with this escapade, Maya and Vanessa had prepped me with stories about how massuses sometimes give girls "happy endings" when they finish the massage, and therefore the entire time, I was anticipating the worst and how unbelievably awkward it was about to get. Again, I don't like being touched (anywhere), especially by weird people I don't even know and who don't speak my language. Luckily, nothing ended up happening, but that didn't stop my mind from racing in every possible direction during that one hour torture-fest.. And when I mean torture-fest, I actually kind of mean it, because although it feels SO good after the massage is over, the pressure points they pick to throw the entire weight of their bodies on is excruciating and sometimes even painful - but again, feels amazing. If you Google "Thai Massage Poses", you'll have an idea of what my 95-lbs body went through. I don't think I was able to even start to relax until the last ten minutes or so when she was finishing up on my neck and back...and by that point, it was over. The good news though, is that there are probably 100 of these massage parlors on every street if I want to go get another one, and a one-hour long massage only costs the equivalent of $7 USD. We got pedicures next (for about $4 USD) - but I wasn't as impressed with them as I was with my massage. Although it was mad cheap, the quality of it wasn't exactly perfect, but then again, it was $4 compared to the $20something I pay in the states, so no need to complain - I'll just get another one in a few days.
What surprises me most about these little places is how cheap the labor is here. Although the techniques they use for the procedures (eyelash tinting, teeth whitening, other unnecessary but necessary things, etc.) are the same that they use in America, the amount that they cut themselves for a profit is a very slim fraction. To think that a massuse who spent an entire hour working out the kinks in every tense bone of my body was only paid the equivalent of $7 USD, of which she makes maybe $2-3 an hour - that's horrible! That's why I implore all of you who do eventually travel to SE Asia and get these amazing services done, PLEASE TIP THEM WELL! Although giving up $5-6 USD for us isn't too much of a big deal (I can say that now - I have a salary! And that's how much I usually give in the states...?) it means the world to these people who mostly live in such terrible and heart-wrenching conditions. Yet, they still do their job, and they do it for you and for their own families. Please, please be generous - that's all I'm asking.
Another rain storm hit us while we were at the little beauty salon, but again, it came and went. We headed out again to go shopping, but not before stumbling upon these beautiful Buddhist temples. One particular scene that really struck me was how three stray dogs (so many stray animals here...) were sleeping at the foot of the temple, just relaxing, almost as if they too were meditating. It was such a nice moment, reminding me that all living creatures can still find the same solstice, peace, and acceptance in places of worship.
Anyways, SHOPPING. There are so many cute clothes, shoes, bags, earrings, scarves, keychains, necklaces, EVERYTHING...it's so hard to choose what you want! And then on top of that, it seems as though every fourth stand or so is selling the exact same thing, and you want to make sure you get the best bang for you buck (not that anything here is all that expensive anyway). I surprsingly didn't end up buying too much today - just one thing for Neerali that I saw and knew she would love (or at least I hope she does). Vanessa helped me bargain/did the bargaining for me, since I'm not that great with things like that, especially not here. I hate trying to cut someone else's profits - everyone's gotta live, plus these prices are fairly inexpensive as it is - but she's a pro and I let her do her thing. Plus, I'm sure the savings will add up. I've found a bunch of things that stand out to me that certain people would really like, but my dad warned me about checking the quality of fabrics and things and not just buying something because it's cheap - so I've been kind of picky. Plus, it was only our first day, and I know this is the first of many shopping days to come. Nevertheless, we trekked all over Khao San Road, through the little alleyways and along the main "roads". There were so many tourists and backpackers, it was insane! Bangkok is apparently the "jumping point" for people who want to travel/backpack through Southeast Asia since it's so easy to book flights and find cheap deals here. Maya and Vanessa have both experienced such a life...sigh - one day. There were also a lot of couples there too, which I thought was sweet, because you can really learn a lot about someone just by what they decide to pack in their backpack for an entire month-long extravaganza, and of course the way they can live out of it - both mentally, physically, emotionally...etc. I'm so fascinated by people who can go backpacking like that...but that's another story/adventure to look forward to.
After an exciting few hours of shopping, freaking out over fried insects, getting a few more marriage proposals, and watching my feet to make sure I didn't fall on my face or get them run over by some wheel or another, we ended up heading back to the hotel - via tuk-tuk. Tuk-tuks in Thailand are the equivalent of Rikshahs in India - those crazy little three-wheel contraptions that are somehow designed to take you from point A to point B without dying (hopefully). We were warned at our security briefing for Bangkok to NOT go on these things (among other suggestions that we have thus far ignored), but I'm Indian and these ladies are practically Asian too, soooo...we braved it and had such a fun time! It was scary at a few points but having the wind in your hair while weaving in and out of traffic is such a thrill, and I got a few good pictures out of it too. Again, the word seamless comes to mind. The way traffic can move so fluidly here without crazy honking horns, people texting away on their phones, crashing into things, etc...it's incredible. They hardly have traffic lights or even lanes on the roads, and yet the community can function so harmoniously. And yet when I look at the states and think about the traffic signals, yield signs, speed limit postings, construction warnings, etc...HOW much easier can it get for us? Just follow the damn signs, people.
When we thankfully made it back to the hotel, Maya turned in for the night, but Vanessa and I refreshed then headed out for dinner and drinks just down the street from the hotel. We had another great conversation about our lives, things we've been through, and what to look forward to, both in work and otherwise. She's a great person to talk to who's been through a lot, and I can't wait to hear what else she has to share with me. Funny enough, during Vanessa's first week back at the Red Cross (although I interviewed with her twice, she was in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Indonesia when I first started, so I didn't see her until maybe a month into my internship) we went to lunch and I randomly told her about how I really wanted to visit Thailand one day, and of course she told me all about it. She went on and on about Khao San Road, the rooftop bars she hung out at, how she lived in Bangkok for two years, etc. and I knew that if I ever had the chance to go in my life, I would definitely be looking her up for suggestions. To think that I'm actually here WITH HER right now, just two months after that conversation, is incredible. I honestly feel so lucky to be where I am right now, and I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. The people I work with are truly amazing, inspiring, and passionate people, and I'm so thankful for this opportunity. The more I get to know them, the more I learn more about myself - my strengths, my weaknesses, etc. - and evaluate my actions and thoughts on a different level, AND the more comfortable I can feel in my own skin, the closer I am to finally relaxing my mind and being able to get through a Thai massage peacefully.
I should probably head to sleep now considering it's about 3am local time here and I have a wake-up call for 7:30am. The plan for tomorrow is to go to the gym, shower, and then take a train out to the old city, rent bicycles, and check out all the ancient temples there. I'm so excited! Tomorrow evening the other delegates and people start arriving, and after that it's all business...kind of.
New Thai vocabulary: "kab kun ka"
Translation: "Thank you" - always a great phrase to know. :)
Good night, friends. Kab kun ka for reading!
A few weeks ago at work we held a baby shower for Chau, the Program Officer for Central and Southeast Asia. At some point during this baby shower, the topic of Tom Cruise (or someone of equal unimportance) came up, because he wanted to eat his wife's placenta after she gave birth. Apparently, you can get a lot of nutrients and vitamins from it, and it helps with managing moods, stress levels, etc., and of course in our group there were supporters and opponents for this grossly strange idea. The discussion kept going to the point that Vanessa (the PO for Indonesia) burst out to someone on the proponent team: "Well why don't you just eat a placenta and CALM DOWN!?" You probably had to be there, but her little outburst popped into my head earlier today when I realized how important it is for me to just calm down, relax, eat some weird stuff without worrying about repercussions, and stop stressing about this trip.
Like I said in my last post, this is the first international trip I have ever taken that doesn't involve my family for any part of it. It's kind of scary to think I traveled across the world with people I've known only a few short months, but I can't even begin to describe the connections I've made with them. Yet, I'd been on edge throughout the entire flight and so far while we've been here, always making sure I have everything I need, being careful to not drink tap water, locking up my valuables, etc. because I know I'm solely responsible for looking out for myself - as any adult should be. One other thing that bugs me out is that for once, I'm in a country where I have no clue how to speak or understand the native dialect. When in America, India, Australia, and most European countries, you can bank on someone being able to understand exactly what you're saying without too much difficulty. Just something as simple as being able to say "un minuto" or "ik mint" when someone is knocking on your door and you need a minute is such a blessing. Instead, you need to rely on hand gestures, slow pronunciations, different phrasings, nodding and bowing, and basically doing whatever it takes to get your point across and just hoping that the person on the other side gets it. As much as it might stress me out though, it challenges me, and I love a good challenge. There's something about being in a completely foreign place that really shows you what you're made of. But in any case, even without the international travel context, I still always find it very difficult to relax and put my mind at ease, no matter where I am or what I'm doing, I just can't sit still...my heart is always beating at its resting heart rate of 90bpm/mph and I don't see it slowing down anytime soon, which brings us to today.
Even after going to sleep last night around 3:30am local time here (our flight got in around 10:30pm and by the time we got to the hotel it was around midnight, then showering, unpacking, etc...) I still woke up this morning around 8am without an alarm. That's my problem - even on vacations, all I want to do is wake up, seize the day, make the most of it, and never spend one minute sitting around in the hotel and being dull (unless it's when I'm exhausted in bed and updating my blog in the middle of the night). So I got out of bed, checked my email, responded to a few messages, then got calls from Vanessa and Maya (the PO for South Asia and the Middle East). Maya asked if I wanted to run across the street to 7-11 to get water and a few other things with her, which we did, and then I joined Vanessa at the gym for a morning work-out. The gym is amazing - it has pretty much every machine you would ever need, and it overlooks the outdoor pool and a gorgeous cityscape. It's located on the 9th floor, which is a little odd since there are floors for rooms both above and below (we're on the 29th floor), but it was really nice. I went for quality over quantity today (fat burning over cardio), and ran at a nice steady pace for a good 25 minutes. I'm runnning another 5k the weekend I get back to the states, but this time it's a Mud Rud (ropes course + 5k + mud) with Neetu, so I'm trying to get back in shape. I hadn't run on a tredmill in ages since I prefer running outside, but it wasn't too bad.
After our respective workouts, Vanessa and I went to get breakfast, but not before V promised she would one day do a tumbling routine for me (she used to be a gymnast back in the day and can still do some pretty amazing things, I think). We made our way downstairs to a wide variety of options, everything from American to Indian to Thai to Japanese food...you name it, and it was probably there. I had some fruit and eggs, potato wedges and chole. It was a nice mix of American-ish and Indian cuisines. Tomorrow I think I'll try something more in the Thai realm though. I love this city and the way it embraces so many other cultures - you can find any food you would ever want here, and it's all so good! I completed my meal with pineapple juice that tasted like it was literally squeezed out of a pineapple that morning, and V and I had a nice chat about books we've read and loved, particularly Asian and Asian-American literature. Although Vanessa has a quasi-latina background, her heart belongs to Asia. She's a truly incredible person - having visited over 50 countries, led volunteer projects in third world countries, backpacked around just for the hell of it, etc. We had a great conversation and now I definitely have a lot more books to read, starting with First They Killed My Father, a nonfiction account from a Cambodian girl during their genocide of the 1970s. I love learning about other cultures, particularly Asian ones. I'm so fascinated by their individual histories and cultures. I know oftentimes Asia or Africa are just perceived as these huge masses of third-world, impoverished, non-English-speaking lands, when they are SO much more! Just take India, for example - with the number of unique languages, cultures, clothes, religions, cuisines, etc. that exist in just that ONE country, you've got to realize that there is a whole world out there with hundreds of countries and cultures that are each full of ideas and experiences that we have yet to even identify, let alone understand. Clearly we had a great conversation that I'll be reflecting on throughout the rest of the trip, but this is still my first day and it wasn't even noon yet at this point.
We went up to our own rooms, checked in with Maya who had a meeting with the hotel that morning for our conference rooms, then showered and headed out for our day! Our goal today was to go to Khao Sun Road, the hotbed for tourists and backpackers and anyone who loves bargaining, beautiful clothing, and cheap trinkets. We took a cab to get there, which was safe enough (compared to what we did later) and arrived at the bazaar in about 30 minutes. On the way, we traveled along this massive bridge - on one side, you could see gorgeous, tall, beautiful buildings that highlighted the skyline of the city, and on the other side were the slums. This city has such a stark dichotomy between rich and poor, and it's so difficult for me to bear the thought of people living in houses that literally look as though they are about to tip over. In America, we have rules preventing houses from looking like that, as they're a safety hazard to their residents and others, but in much of Asia and the third world, those kind of rules just don't apply. Everything just...happens. Here's another word I'll be using a lot - seamless - but more on that later. Bangkok reminds me of India in so many ways (it's like a less chaotic version of New Delhi) which is why I'll be comparing the two so much throughout this trip - there's your warning.
Within five minutes of arriving on Khao San Road, I received my first of probably fourteen marriage proposals of the day. According to Vanessa, I'm an "anomaly" because the creepy Indian men who work in these shops hardly have the chance to see a little Indian girl, let alone be within conversation distance with her. Sucks for them, because those were only one way conversations with the back of my head. One of them even told Vanessa that I was his wife, and another asked her why she was friends with me because I'm Indian..? If I have another man ask "mujhe shaadi karoge!?"...it will not be pretty. Luckily, Maya and Vanessa were able to guide me through these crowds of prying hands and we got to explore the shops and normal vendors.
Our first main stop was lunch, where we ate delicious Thai food - I ordered vegetable Pad Thai. The restaurant was really cool in that it was open to the road, so although we sat in a restaurant, it was right off the street so we were able to continue people watching and enjoying the nice, but humid, weather. The portion of food was just perfect, and cost only about $5 for each of us, including tip. We dove into our dishes and I had the opportunity to partake in yet another riveting conversation, this time about boys and their maturity levels throughout their years in addition to how/if guys and girls can be "just friends" - reminded me of a certain high school game night conversation. While we were eating, the first of several sponanteous rain showers started, but just as soon as it hit, it left and we headed back out on the road, this time to get Thai massages.
I guess this is most accurately where the title of this blog post comes into play. I've never had a proper massage in my life (I know, shocking). I just don't like being touched by people like that. It's so awkward, and what are you even supposed to do during it!? The only way I can even get pedicures done is if I have something else I can work on/keep my mind occupied with (i.e. a cell phone) during the awkward 30 minutes it takes to clean my feet and paint my nails. (Manicures? Forget it. Won't happen unless there's a wedding or I'm graduating or something.) Using phones or any other sort of gadgets in these dim-lit, peaceful-music-playing places would be a little on the rude side, I think.
The traditional Thai massage is much different than anything I have ever experienced in my life. First, they put us in these salwaar-like pants that tied in the back - mine were bright pink - and then they asked us to lay on these mats on the floor. It was pretty much just like nap time in kindergarten. Everyone had their own cot and had to be super quiet while they massuse practically killed them. Maya had the mattress next to me, and that girl can so easily fall asleep it's not even funny. Meanwhile, I was thinking about everything I could be doing right then instead of laying still and letting someone bend my arms and legs in directions they are not meant to bend in. I'm pretty sure my massuse thought I was an alien or something. I kept opening my eyes and looking around, just to see what else was going on, but then I realized that was probably really disrespectful to the massuse, so I tried to keep my eyes shut - which just let my mind wander.To preface my insecurity with this escapade, Maya and Vanessa had prepped me with stories about how massuses sometimes give girls "happy endings" when they finish the massage, and therefore the entire time, I was anticipating the worst and how unbelievably awkward it was about to get. Again, I don't like being touched (anywhere), especially by weird people I don't even know and who don't speak my language. Luckily, nothing ended up happening, but that didn't stop my mind from racing in every possible direction during that one hour torture-fest.. And when I mean torture-fest, I actually kind of mean it, because although it feels SO good after the massage is over, the pressure points they pick to throw the entire weight of their bodies on is excruciating and sometimes even painful - but again, feels amazing. If you Google "Thai Massage Poses", you'll have an idea of what my 95-lbs body went through. I don't think I was able to even start to relax until the last ten minutes or so when she was finishing up on my neck and back...and by that point, it was over. The good news though, is that there are probably 100 of these massage parlors on every street if I want to go get another one, and a one-hour long massage only costs the equivalent of $7 USD. We got pedicures next (for about $4 USD) - but I wasn't as impressed with them as I was with my massage. Although it was mad cheap, the quality of it wasn't exactly perfect, but then again, it was $4 compared to the $20something I pay in the states, so no need to complain - I'll just get another one in a few days.
What surprises me most about these little places is how cheap the labor is here. Although the techniques they use for the procedures (eyelash tinting, teeth whitening, other unnecessary but necessary things, etc.) are the same that they use in America, the amount that they cut themselves for a profit is a very slim fraction. To think that a massuse who spent an entire hour working out the kinks in every tense bone of my body was only paid the equivalent of $7 USD, of which she makes maybe $2-3 an hour - that's horrible! That's why I implore all of you who do eventually travel to SE Asia and get these amazing services done, PLEASE TIP THEM WELL! Although giving up $5-6 USD for us isn't too much of a big deal (I can say that now - I have a salary! And that's how much I usually give in the states...?) it means the world to these people who mostly live in such terrible and heart-wrenching conditions. Yet, they still do their job, and they do it for you and for their own families. Please, please be generous - that's all I'm asking.
Another rain storm hit us while we were at the little beauty salon, but again, it came and went. We headed out again to go shopping, but not before stumbling upon these beautiful Buddhist temples. One particular scene that really struck me was how three stray dogs (so many stray animals here...) were sleeping at the foot of the temple, just relaxing, almost as if they too were meditating. It was such a nice moment, reminding me that all living creatures can still find the same solstice, peace, and acceptance in places of worship.
Anyways, SHOPPING. There are so many cute clothes, shoes, bags, earrings, scarves, keychains, necklaces, EVERYTHING...it's so hard to choose what you want! And then on top of that, it seems as though every fourth stand or so is selling the exact same thing, and you want to make sure you get the best bang for you buck (not that anything here is all that expensive anyway). I surprsingly didn't end up buying too much today - just one thing for Neerali that I saw and knew she would love (or at least I hope she does). Vanessa helped me bargain/did the bargaining for me, since I'm not that great with things like that, especially not here. I hate trying to cut someone else's profits - everyone's gotta live, plus these prices are fairly inexpensive as it is - but she's a pro and I let her do her thing. Plus, I'm sure the savings will add up. I've found a bunch of things that stand out to me that certain people would really like, but my dad warned me about checking the quality of fabrics and things and not just buying something because it's cheap - so I've been kind of picky. Plus, it was only our first day, and I know this is the first of many shopping days to come. Nevertheless, we trekked all over Khao San Road, through the little alleyways and along the main "roads". There were so many tourists and backpackers, it was insane! Bangkok is apparently the "jumping point" for people who want to travel/backpack through Southeast Asia since it's so easy to book flights and find cheap deals here. Maya and Vanessa have both experienced such a life...sigh - one day. There were also a lot of couples there too, which I thought was sweet, because you can really learn a lot about someone just by what they decide to pack in their backpack for an entire month-long extravaganza, and of course the way they can live out of it - both mentally, physically, emotionally...etc. I'm so fascinated by people who can go backpacking like that...but that's another story/adventure to look forward to.
After an exciting few hours of shopping, freaking out over fried insects, getting a few more marriage proposals, and watching my feet to make sure I didn't fall on my face or get them run over by some wheel or another, we ended up heading back to the hotel - via tuk-tuk. Tuk-tuks in Thailand are the equivalent of Rikshahs in India - those crazy little three-wheel contraptions that are somehow designed to take you from point A to point B without dying (hopefully). We were warned at our security briefing for Bangkok to NOT go on these things (among other suggestions that we have thus far ignored), but I'm Indian and these ladies are practically Asian too, soooo...we braved it and had such a fun time! It was scary at a few points but having the wind in your hair while weaving in and out of traffic is such a thrill, and I got a few good pictures out of it too. Again, the word seamless comes to mind. The way traffic can move so fluidly here without crazy honking horns, people texting away on their phones, crashing into things, etc...it's incredible. They hardly have traffic lights or even lanes on the roads, and yet the community can function so harmoniously. And yet when I look at the states and think about the traffic signals, yield signs, speed limit postings, construction warnings, etc...HOW much easier can it get for us? Just follow the damn signs, people.
When we thankfully made it back to the hotel, Maya turned in for the night, but Vanessa and I refreshed then headed out for dinner and drinks just down the street from the hotel. We had another great conversation about our lives, things we've been through, and what to look forward to, both in work and otherwise. She's a great person to talk to who's been through a lot, and I can't wait to hear what else she has to share with me. Funny enough, during Vanessa's first week back at the Red Cross (although I interviewed with her twice, she was in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Indonesia when I first started, so I didn't see her until maybe a month into my internship) we went to lunch and I randomly told her about how I really wanted to visit Thailand one day, and of course she told me all about it. She went on and on about Khao San Road, the rooftop bars she hung out at, how she lived in Bangkok for two years, etc. and I knew that if I ever had the chance to go in my life, I would definitely be looking her up for suggestions. To think that I'm actually here WITH HER right now, just two months after that conversation, is incredible. I honestly feel so lucky to be where I am right now, and I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. The people I work with are truly amazing, inspiring, and passionate people, and I'm so thankful for this opportunity. The more I get to know them, the more I learn more about myself - my strengths, my weaknesses, etc. - and evaluate my actions and thoughts on a different level, AND the more comfortable I can feel in my own skin, the closer I am to finally relaxing my mind and being able to get through a Thai massage peacefully.
I should probably head to sleep now considering it's about 3am local time here and I have a wake-up call for 7:30am. The plan for tomorrow is to go to the gym, shower, and then take a train out to the old city, rent bicycles, and check out all the ancient temples there. I'm so excited! Tomorrow evening the other delegates and people start arriving, and after that it's all business...kind of.
New Thai vocabulary: "kab kun ka"
Translation: "Thank you" - always a great phrase to know. :)
Good night, friends. Kab kun ka for reading!
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