I - 5

Arrival (Thailand in Two Parts)

Part 1:

I really missed Thailand. It has only been a year since my last little excursion but it feels much, much longer. Since my last visit I've nearly killed myself on my bike, lost two important people in my life and a kidney, and switched the working life for the questionably more leisurely life of a student. Strange.

Bangkok is a cacophony of sounds, sights, and smells. Every step is a new sensory experience, from the sickly dogs and cats to the beautifully androgynous kids to the smells of curries, flowers, exhaust, and garbage all stirred together with a humid smile. A city like no other. After my 20+ hours of travel i was greeted (at the wrong gate) by Matt, my cousin Yesca and her boyfriend Peter.A friend of Matt's was kind enough to drive us the 30 minutes back to Banglampoo where Matts new and slightly upgraded apartment is, meaning he has air con and a flush toilet. Thus began the inevitable descent into altered states. We drank and discussed into the wee hours.

The next morning Matt's father arrived early and took me out for coffee while Matt still slumbered. The following lunches, dinners and nights were full of Matt's family and friends, which was more or less a larger entourage that gathered slowly throughout the day culminating around dinnertime segueing into the nighttime in the tiny yet air conditioned 5th floor apartment. The rooftop saw, many, many bare feet and bottles. Good times.... Continued in the the Hellride.....

On the Road Again..

So I’m sitting here in Japan, although my passport would beg to differ, realizing my Japanese is as bad as I thought. I haven’t written anything substantial in quite some time, but seeing as I’m mobile again and not knee deep in articles the time has come again. My last few months in NYC were intense, returning to school after years away tends to numb the “academic mindset” and all the jargon (*cough* bullshit*cough*) associated with it. I managed to push through with better than average grades and actually passed my first semester of Japanese without getting the minimum “C+”. Combined with the numerous outings to K-Town (Work & Pleasure), Central Park loops, cacophonous music, collisions with Hasidic Jews in mini vans in, and a few mild taxi incidents things have been teetering on excellent and they continue to get better. After getting into a costly, and hopefully productive, Japanese Language program I packed my junk, subletting my room and have spent the last few weeks roaming California. Which brings me here, sitting in Narita Airport waiting for my flight to Bangkok to visit Matt, Yesca, Peter and eventually Kelly, all family or something close to it. Chances are in seven hours I’ll be greeted with hugs and shuffled off to some dark smoky bar or room to take the edge off of the 20+ hours of transit. 　じゃ　まった　— Z