The Moral of the Story:
IT'S GOOD TO KNOW EILEEN!!!
Now is the time when I reveal the nature of the side trip in Nai Thon, which sucked the rest of my cash. Before I left Korea I e-mailed Eileen and told her I was coming to Thailand. For those not in the know, Eileen is the lovely wife of my equally lovely (ahem) friend Chris O. Eileen suggested I get in touch with her parents if I were in Bangkok, and gave me her mom's cell-phone number. In Nai Thon I went to a pc room and got the number from my g-mail account (from a dial-up connection, I might add), and made a phone call to Bangkok. I should note that I was gouged for this transaction.
Eileen's mother answered the phone, and I said: "Hello, ma'am. This is Chris Perlow, a friend of Chris and Eileens--", to which she interjected: "Hi Chucky! When are you coming into Bangkok?". She asked me when my flight arrived, and she told me she would come and pick me up. After an intense end to an extremely physically taxing three days, the idea of staying with Eileen's family was very appealing, and their hospitality exceeded any expectation I might have had.
I was in utter shambles when the good parents' picked me up. I told them the story of what I did, and they were somewhat terrified, but also amused. They fed me when I got back to their beautiful home, and I took the most overdue and gratifying shower of all time. After that, I crashed out in a homey, comfortable, climate-controlled bedroom with a queen-sized bed. To think that 24 hours ago I was thinking I might end up sleeping in the airport.
The next day, after breakfast, Mrs. Chris O's-mother-in-law took me around Bangkok while she ran errands. She was kind enough to take me to an international bank, so I could get cash, and then took me to a historical site. At this point, I regret to say that I dropped the ball--I forgot my camera. Don't worry, you didn't miss much. I was dropped off at the Royal Palace, which is a huge compound full of temples. There's nothing here really worth taking a picture of unless you think that enormous, ornate, gilded, exotic looking buildings are interesting. Unless you're into fastidiously detailed, colorful murals painted up and down every wall in astonishing detail, then you're not missing anything. If you think that a Grand Palace constructed in 1782 that is meant to dwarf the aforementioned temples in beauty and stature is something to look at, you might be a little sore for my neglecting to bring my camera along. Otherwise, there really wasn't too much to look at--really. (note: sarcasm) If I were to guess what the Thai word for temple is, I would say: "bling-bling". There is gold everywhere in these places. For better pictures than the ones I might have taken plus info: http//www.palaces.thai.net
After this, we had lunch, which was extremely delicious. The parents' were thrilled that I was willing to try Thai food. They told me about westerners who visit Bangkok on business who insist on eating McDonalds and won't even try Thai food. I feel pity for people who go through their lives in this manner. If Thai food isn't my favorite thing to eat, it's really darn close. After lunch we went back to the house and I had a wonderful nap. I woke up in enough time to watch "Ohn Bak" (I may have butchered the spelling.) with Eileen's dad. This movie had the most spectacular fight scenes and stunts I had ever seen, and is more than worth checking out.
That evening, we went to dinner before they dropped me off at the airport. The picture below is from our dinner together. Their hospitality and warmth was amazing. They made me feel as if I was staying with family, which is how I will always want to treat my friends, family, and friends of family if I ever have the opportunity. My time in Bangkok could have been miserable, and I'm not sure how much more misery I could have handled. Instead it was a time of pleasant fellowship with a dear friend's wonderful parents. When I said farewell at the airport, I stressed that I couldn't thank them enough for their graciousness, to which they replied by smiling and saying: "It was a pleasure, Chucky. Please come back and see us."
Now is the time when I reveal the nature of the side trip in Nai Thon, which sucked the rest of my cash. Before I left Korea I e-mailed Eileen and told her I was coming to Thailand. For those not in the know, Eileen is the lovely wife of my equally lovely (ahem) friend Chris O. Eileen suggested I get in touch with her parents if I were in Bangkok, and gave me her mom's cell-phone number. In Nai Thon I went to a pc room and got the number from my g-mail account (from a dial-up connection, I might add), and made a phone call to Bangkok. I should note that I was gouged for this transaction.
Eileen's mother answered the phone, and I said: "Hello, ma'am. This is Chris Perlow, a friend of Chris and Eileens--", to which she interjected: "Hi Chucky! When are you coming into Bangkok?". She asked me when my flight arrived, and she told me she would come and pick me up. After an intense end to an extremely physically taxing three days, the idea of staying with Eileen's family was very appealing, and their hospitality exceeded any expectation I might have had.
I was in utter shambles when the good parents' picked me up. I told them the story of what I did, and they were somewhat terrified, but also amused. They fed me when I got back to their beautiful home, and I took the most overdue and gratifying shower of all time. After that, I crashed out in a homey, comfortable, climate-controlled bedroom with a queen-sized bed. To think that 24 hours ago I was thinking I might end up sleeping in the airport.
The next day, after breakfast, Mrs. Chris O's-mother-in-law took me around Bangkok while she ran errands. She was kind enough to take me to an international bank, so I could get cash, and then took me to a historical site. At this point, I regret to say that I dropped the ball--I forgot my camera. Don't worry, you didn't miss much. I was dropped off at the Royal Palace, which is a huge compound full of temples. There's nothing here really worth taking a picture of unless you think that enormous, ornate, gilded, exotic looking buildings are interesting. Unless you're into fastidiously detailed, colorful murals painted up and down every wall in astonishing detail, then you're not missing anything. If you think that a Grand Palace constructed in 1782 that is meant to dwarf the aforementioned temples in beauty and stature is something to look at, you might be a little sore for my neglecting to bring my camera along. Otherwise, there really wasn't too much to look at--really. (note: sarcasm) If I were to guess what the Thai word for temple is, I would say: "bling-bling". There is gold everywhere in these places. For better pictures than the ones I might have taken plus info: http//www.palaces.thai.net
After this, we had lunch, which was extremely delicious. The parents' were thrilled that I was willing to try Thai food. They told me about westerners who visit Bangkok on business who insist on eating McDonalds and won't even try Thai food. I feel pity for people who go through their lives in this manner. If Thai food isn't my favorite thing to eat, it's really darn close. After lunch we went back to the house and I had a wonderful nap. I woke up in enough time to watch "Ohn Bak" (I may have butchered the spelling.) with Eileen's dad. This movie had the most spectacular fight scenes and stunts I had ever seen, and is more than worth checking out.
That evening, we went to dinner before they dropped me off at the airport. The picture below is from our dinner together. Their hospitality and warmth was amazing. They made me feel as if I was staying with family, which is how I will always want to treat my friends, family, and friends of family if I ever have the opportunity. My time in Bangkok could have been miserable, and I'm not sure how much more misery I could have handled. Instead it was a time of pleasant fellowship with a dear friend's wonderful parents. When I said farewell at the airport, I stressed that I couldn't thank them enough for their graciousness, to which they replied by smiling and saying: "It was a pleasure, Chucky. Please come back and see us."
posted by Christopher at 3:55 AM
1 Comments:
Holy adventure, Chris! I can't believe you didn't get more pictures of the jungle! What, were you lost or something? J/K. I'm glad you're still alive! What memories you will have!
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