First Impressions of Bangkok

 Greetings from Thailand — I’m still recovering from jet lag (a few more days to go if the time zone rule is correct), and I haven’t attempted any sightseeing yet, but I’ll try and write a bit every few days regardless. I purchased a new phone on Friday, so I should be able to post a few more photos from my daily routine (which is currently anything but routine.) I don’t have my own apartment yet, so these photos are not representative of where I’ll be living, but they are very indicative of the weather here and the city in general.

Bangkok reminds me a lot of Guatemala City — much more crowded, of course, with a huge infusion of cash from Japanese investors, but if you moved Guate down to the coast (or built up a coastal city like Escuintla), you’d end up with something very similar to Bangkok, inclusive of odors.

Although I haven’t found an apartment yet, I have had a chance, thanks to my current hosts, to try out a ton of amazing restaurants. It turns out that authentic Thai food is actually quite like what you’d find at a good Thai restaurant in the States, with the main exception being that the dishes here are a whole lot spicier. Even the spaghetti sauce is spicy here. One of the great things about Bangkok, though, is the availability of a lot of other ethnic cuisines. My boss introduced me to an incredible Lebanese restaurant, and on Saturday, we ordered in some Indian food. There’s a bakery right across the street from where I’m currently staying, which has become my primary source of high-calorie breakfast pastries.

The weather here really has been terrific, averaging around 80-85°F. No, I don’t miss the cold Utah weather at all. Especially when the winter is sans snow.

Granted, I’m not a parent, so I’m just making assumptions here, but I imagine it’s nice not having the kids stuck inside for half of the year.

I’ve got some great hosts, so the transition to life in Bangkok has been pretty gentle so far, but I’ll be sure to keep updating as I experience more of Thailand.