Bangkok day 15

Ade Cox
5 min readNov 21, 2018

--

Ade & Jos adventure day 15: Ding Dong

Had an odd dream last night about remote control cars and trucks….. Now i’m contemplating getting a remote control car….Hmmmmm

Anyway, up nice and early with Jo… She’s in the shower as I flick through the channels and find a soap opera i’d been watching the other morning, I thought it was chinese.. Turns out it’s Korean subtitled into English, no idea what it’s called but it’s gripping stuff… You’ve got (I think) two rival business families.. One is owned by an old bloke who’s got 3 months to live but seems like a nice enough bloke… The other is run by some ruthless bloke who has forced some poor young girl to marry his dimwit son (his description.. Not mine).. Apparently he’s got some dirt on the girls dad and has threatened her with this to get her to marry him… However (now here’s the kicker!) The young man who’s acting as carer for the nice but dying businessman (I hope you’re keeping up with this) is in love with the girl who’s being forced to marry! Bloody heart breaking… Badly acted.. But gripping stuff!

Anyway, I was dragged away from the screen for breakfast just as the girl who’s married (oh yeah she’s run away from her husband by this point) has been recognised in a shop and ran off down the street.. Falling over (unconvincingly in the process) and is now doing the old “silent phone call to her concerned parents” thing.. Gripping!

Breakfast was breakfast…I think by now breakfast here at the hotel as just become something we do because we have to.. However, Jo by now is greeted every morning by the staff like an old friend (No idea how she does it).. I just sit there trying to look friendly.. Pretty sure i’m aiming for friendly but hitting “unapproachable arsehole” head on… Must work on my people skills… Or acquire people skills… I think you get the drift.

Walked Jo to work again this morning, the morning seemed a little cooler this morning, traffic is still a nightmare tho.. But still a nice walk… On the way back I went via the new apartment to check for mail…. No mail, so went back to the hotel to do some washing…

Watched a few youtube videos and generally relaxed… I had planned to go the BTS station and have an explore , but a message from Jo about meeting for lunch made me change my mind.. Lunch with Jo it is! So a nice walk up to where Jo works, it’s quite hot by now, the sun is beating down and the streets are full of people, cars and motorbikes.. Bangkok once again is chaotic… But it’s a chaos i’ve embraced…

Me and Jo went over to a place called “Chimney” for lunch, we both ordered chicken pad thai…

Now, here’s a negative about Thailand, it’s bothered me since we first visited here, it’s bothered me since i’ve moved here… Sugar in food. The Thais put sugar in everything.. This particular pad thai was (in my opinion) ruined by the sweetness.. I tried to get past it, tried not to focus on it.. Tried to get used to it, but eventually I had to put my fork down and concede defeat.. I just couldn’t eat it… The first Thai meal i’ve not enjoyed.

From now on if I order pad thai? I’ll have to ask for no sugar in it… Or just avoid pad thai full stop. It’s odd because I know i’m a fussy eater.. I was worried when moving here was first discussed that i’d struggle eating ANYTHING.. But I forced myself to be braver when it comes to food, I tried different things.. This sweetness of the pad thai really bothered me.. Or maybe it’s just the place that made it? Ade vs pad thai may continue…. Or not…. Whatever.

After the aborted lunch we walked over to the supemarket to get Jo some crisps… Ended up getting crisps, body scrub and a little bluetooth speaker for the room.. It’s like shopping at Aldi when you visit a shop here… You go for one thing… And walk out with something completely at random.

I left Jo and walked back to the hotel, traffic is insane and I dodge death a few times getting back, tried out the bluetooth speaker.. Not bad actually…. Watched a few Youtube videos (Jo hates me watching wrestling videos so I watch them when she’s not around)..

Ding dong (do you like my door bell impression?) Shit.. It’s the maid. Now… Is it my maid?.. Or is it the imposter maid?…….. I open the door…… I’m greeted with a huge smile.. MY maid is back!

No more hoover related assaults on my senses! Brilliant.. All is good with the world once more….

I go to meet Jo from work, she’s finishing early tonight as she has a web meeting at 8pm… Walking back we go for an early dinner at a Lebanese restaurant just opposite our new apartment… We order a mixed grill for two, fries and a garlic pitta bread….. The food arrives.. WOW! Best kebab ever! Two chicken skewers, two lamb skewers, two lamb kofti, two chicken kofti… Absolutely delicious! Take that pad thai.

Back at the hotel we see a beautiful display of flowers in the foyer, Jo’s friend “Pui” explains that it’s for a festival that’s coming up on November 22nd “Loi Krathong” A festival of light, He told us that there’s a celebration at our local park on November 22nd, I think we’ll definately be going to have a look… Back to our room, a quick call back home, Jo plays the playstation for a bit before falling asleep in the sofa… She wakes up at about 7:30.. Half an hour before her planned web meeting, a meeting that goes on and on… I’ve no idea how she stays awake during these things… No idea at all.

I went out to the local 7eleven while she was having her meeting to pick up a few snacks, it’s really warm outside, another thing about Thailand that I love.. I love it when it’s hot.. No more (Well I don’t think) moaning about being cold for me.. Well, not until I come back to visit England anyway.

Back at the hotel, Jos meeting is still going on…. Another person is now saying their piece.. But i’m pretty sure he’s saying exactly the same thing as the bloke before him.. In fact i’m pretty sure they’re all saying the same thing….

Being quiet in the background is something I struggle with….The urge to do something or say something (that I think is funny) is quite strong… I spend what seems like hours just hovering around.. I was very relieved when the meeting finally came to a close.

Almost bed time… Put the TV on and tried to introduce Jo to the comedy genius of Father Ted…. Did not go well… Turns out Jo is not a fan of Irish Vicar related comedy. Oh well.. At least she liked the IT crowd.

Night night.

--

--

Ade Cox

A working-class man from The Black Country, plucked from the factory and now living the best life in Bangkok