Bangkok
After 10 days–15 if we count the Bangladesh leg of the trip–all our activities in Bangkok are finally over. The day when all the activities are done, when the participants are going back to their homelands, is also the day we from the secretariat can finally sleep in, and later, enjoy an unhurried breakfast. But not for me. While all my colleagues are bound for Manila, I will stay behind.
I extended my stay to go on a trip with a friend. After a series of events, I am not sure if I still have the energy to travel, but I also want to take a break from work. It was too late when I remembered that I should not schedule a trip after a back-to-back work events because my body just usually gives up when all the events are over. Well, this time, I am counting on adrenaline to do its work.
This is the view at and from the deck of the Ambassador Hotel in Sukhumvit Soi 11, my home in Bangkok for the past 10 days. During events, my life usually just revolves inside the hotel. Activities usually start at 8am to 9am and ends at 6pm. By night time, I am too tired to be even thinking of going out, even to eat. We usually just go out at night to purchase stuff needed for the events.
I like the hotel and I think it is better than the hotel where my other colleagues are staying. Ambassador Hotel has a lot of amenities and is a walking distance from the BTS station, which was quite beneficial for me when I went to meet my friend at the airport.
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| Coffee break-ing |
The hotel is located in a red light district. Of course, this wasn't included in the advisory. Good thing I got a heads up from colleagues because one night, I went out at past 11 to look for a convenience store and was somehow surprised at how the street has transformed. During daytime, Soi 11 looks like an ordinary busy city street, but come nighttime, the alleyways become filled with ladies all dolled up, and usually with a white person on their arm.
While making my way to the nearest convenience store, suddenly, some woman standing in a corner poked the man walking ahead of me and she said something, but the men kept walking. I knew things like this happen at night but I wasn't expecting it to be that open and out. 😂
The next night, during our regular meeting, suddenly the topic about ladyboys was brought up and that at night. A colleague was saying that transwomen in Bangkok usually appear to be more beautiful than natural born women. I mentioned that I went out the night before and saw a lot of transwomen in the street. And then I was asked, "Napagkamalan ka ba?" ("Were you mistaken (for a trans)?" That's actually flattering. 😏
And of course, we have to go to a night market, this one is near Mercure Hotel.
While waiting for my companions to buy their dinner, a colleague went up to me and exclaimed, "May nakita ako dun na crickets! Want to try?"
Finally. Yes. I tried all these.
Some of our colleagues were booked/transferred to Mercure Hotel. We were actually comparing which hotel was better. Ambassador Hotel is already old, but is well-maintained. Mercure Hotel on the other hand is quite new. It's for the millennials, as our Indonesian colleague says. On our way to the field visit, a colleague was sharing about this matter with the comfort room in Mercure. The conversation went this way (non-verbatim).
"Nahiya akong magpoops kasi baka pumasok siya."
"Eh di isara mo yung pinto."
"Hindi nga nasasara."
Later...
Me to another colleague: Patambay muna sa room niyo para makita ko kung ano'ng itsura ng room sa "hotel for the millennials".
Pagpasok sa room...
"Ahhhh ganito pala yung CR niyo... very... uhm, modern."
"Wow, thank you for putting it that way. "
