Bangkok Lovin’

Tawandang German Brewery, good food, real beer, beautiful people, and no foreigners.

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Kid in Candy Store:Popagandhi in Bangkok

1. After such a long time in India — almost three months, between April and August — being in Bangkok again gives me the kid in the candy store effect. It’s the my goodness! more choices of beer other than Kingfisher! and the hmm, women are actually looking at me here, and most importantly, the som tam pet pet! tom yam goong pet pet! gai tod, naam plaa, food and more food!

2. Number of airline meals one can eat before crew starts thinking you’re a freak: three

3. Me: “Femmes in Thailand are called dees”
Someone: “Why’s that?”
Me: “Because it sounds like lady.”
Someone: “Why’re they not called a lay then?”
Me: “Aiyo, I’ll remember to ask my dee why she’s not my lay.”

4. One night in Bangkok is clearly not enough. I’m clearly a lucky dee to have a beautiful lady and a very old friend come to see me (or so I like to think) and give me reason to stay another. What was I thinking, thinking I could fit in Le Banyan, Kuppa, unlimited tom yam and som tams, and shopping, into one and a half days?

5. For someone with minimal Thai, it’s amazing that I was able to converse with a taxi driver with minimal English, about how great Isaan music is, how bad Thaksin is for Thailand, how nice Mae Hong Son is, and how I must go to Isaan, for over 45 minutes.

6. Trying to learn two languages at the same time can give rise to very interesting situations, when you begin to confuse the two, while forgetting which country you’re really in. For example, asking for naam plaa and thinking, “Did I just ask for the name of the fish, or for fish sauce?” (naam is ‘water’ in Thai, and ‘name’ in Bengali/Hindi)

7. One realizes that when you’ve out-spiced every Thai and Indian person you’ve met — there is little hope for finding food that is as spicy as you think you need. Except maybe in Mexico.

8. I need to live in Bangkok.

9. Giveaway sign that says you’ve been in India too long: you say a collection of the following things — let me tell you something, is there a problem, you just do one thing, na? Accha accha.