I've been here long enough that when I step out of the bathroom, a distinct Thai smell wafts out. This is due to Chow-wee our Thai housekeeper who prepares all the food that this household eats. She comes in twice or thrice a week to prepare salads, curries and fried rice. In between her visits, we reheat meals in the microwave, never having to touch pot or pan. This frees up more time for us to consider, which DVD to watch or if it's no longer too hot to go swimming in the pool upstairs. There are enough good books to read lying around the apartment, too.
This idyllic existence only has a shelf-life of 48 hours before any restlessness comes up. I will have to decide what to do with the month I have in Bangkok.
Culture shock came early this visit. My only real peeve with Thai people is how difficult it can be to communicate with them on occasion. Ironically, it can be easier to communicate with a Thai person that speak little-to-no English than those who do speak some English. With the former, one can get along nicely with gestures, drawings, and simple words. On the other hand the latter will insist on speaking full, complex sentences, oblivious to how their accents interfere with the words they are enunciating. It's especially irritating if they feel that your incomprehension is supposedly your own fault. While in the middle of Rama IV avenue looking for an apartment building, I found recourse with some Thai people working in a video store who gave me good directions with hand gestures and a smile. The surly tone of a so-called English speaking tour guide were unhelpful.
[sarc] How opressive of me to speak in such a tone. [/sarc]. Well, I'm only oppressing surly Thai tour guides who think they are comprehensible.
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