Arrival

After 24 hours of travel I've finally made it to Bangkok. The locals more commonly refer to it as Krung Thep, meaning "the city of angels". I think there is some irony in this name, but I haven't seen the more nefarious side of the city. My boss picked me up from the airport this morning around 1 am and took me to my apartment by Victory Monument.  My room is on the 15th floor and I have a great view of the city from where I'm at.  I woke up around 8 and hit the streets to find a cell phone and grab some breakfast. An iced coffee and pineapple filled pastry is not a bad way to start the day in this stiflingly hot climate.

Walking the streets can be confusing to the senses. One moment you're ambling by food carts where you can smell marinated pork and whole fish skewers cooking on the grill, then you come around the corner and BAM! You're hit by the odor of exhaust mixed with hot garbage. Overall, the city isn't as dirty as I expected, the smog is not nearly as bad as you will find in some Latin American metropolises, but perhaps that's because I don't live in the heart of downtown. I have a park about two blocks away and the sky train is only about a 5 minute walk.

The only people I've been introduced to so far are my boss, the Thai receptionists downstairs who speak impeccable English, and one of my neighbors, Steve. Steve is originally from London, but he has been living here for 35 years, so he was able to recommend some good places to eat and get me hooked up with internet.

Next on the agenda is unpacking and stocking the fridge . After I'm all settled I think I might go check out the central business district where most of the expats live. The people I work with are busy the next couple of days so I'm hoping to link up with some other westerners or English speaking Thais who can show me around.  Wish me luck!

2:10 pm

I just got back from some exploration of the neighborhood. I decided against venturing any further at this point, mostly because there is so much to see around here. I am now back at my apartment and have stocked my refrigerator, "The Mitsubishi Crystal Fresh Lady", with a variety of beers from around here and some fresh mango and papaya. I'm drinking some Leo as I write, the can has a picture of a leopard on it which is pretty bad-ass and they claim it has won a handful of awards at German and American beer festivals, but after tasting it I can't really see that being legit. It tastes like PBR, but not as complex. Next on the agenda for today is going for a swim. I just discovered on the 4th floor there is a terrace with a pool. After that I might go for a Thai massage, at $10 an hr I think I can get used to this...