The Answer is Bergamot

I sooo haven't been updating my blog lately. Slack of me. We just moved from the last place south of the downtown area in Bangkok to Ranjene's new apartment which is pretty nice and has a pool and such which is gonna be awesome.

I still have to return the keys from the last place, i'll probably do that tomorrow before class. Speaking of which I only have 2 more classes before I'm all done my thai lessons. 30 hours of lessons since I got here so thats pretty sweet. My Thai has definitely improved a lot but I'm painfully aware of my shortcomings. I still can't follow any conversation as Thais speak way to fast. I can at least get by when it comes to ordering food and so on.

Check the map to the right of this post to see where we are located now. Use the zoom controls to see with more acuracy.

Cell Phones and Thai Lessons

I got a new cell phone! It's what we in the business refer to as a "burner" as in you use and discard it once you are done. Cost me about $30 cad and Ranjene got one too. Now I have 2 phones and 2 phone numbers so I can seperate out the calling from the hi-tech gadgetry. Seeing as my good phone which does gps and maps and all the fun stuff is prone to failure in the humidity at least if it does I still can make and receive calls on the burner.

I had another Thai lesson today and I have homework and a small test on verbs tomorrow. I must study. Ranjene is off to her work for training tomorrow. I've been training her on how to get around on the skytrain and buses so tomorrow she will be off on her own! I will stay at home to work for the morning and then head off to class around 3pm.

I've been taking a look at a CMS (content management system) called silverstripe which I think I shall try using on a couple upcoming projects perhaps, need to look into it little further but it seems really intuitive to build websites with and is supposed to be standards compliant which is great! - If you don't know what the hell I'm talking about, disregard the last paragraph ;)

Map Badge, Phone problems and Chatuchak Market

So firstly Ive switched the map badge back to blogloc and you can now see with much greater detail where I am by zooming into the maps. (I'll never leave you again rainer ;) Secondly my phone is suffering from what i suspect to be humidity problems. Sometimes the keypad works sometimes it doesnt, sometimes the phone is totally ok sometimes I just dials people randomly whenever you turn it on. Its a total pain, leaving it off for a while can help and I have a bag with moisture absorption silcon gel packs in it for storing, such are the problems of.. look I know this is boring for some of you but I like this stuff and years from now when I look back I want to remember that my phone (nokia n95 future Richie if you are reading this) had moisture problems while in Bangkok Thailand, ok? .. technology while travelling, or not travelling, or just technology in general, which brings me to my third point (not sure how it brings me there cos its totally unrelated) that we visited chatuchak market yesterday which was totally nuts. Tonnes of people, food, clothes, watches, glasses and other stuff. I took a bunch of pictures which I will upload in a couple minutes assuming the connection is going full speed. Damn it how did it get to be 11am already? I have class at 4pm and will try and get some work done before then. Really need to start going and looking at some of the places Ranjene has been writing down from her searches on various apartment sites. Finding an apartment in Bangkok is hard work (but totally fun)

Ranjene Has Arrived

I went and got Ron from the airport last night around midnight. I tried to use only public transport to get to the airport but made it only half way before I ran into a hump. No bus 552 showed up to go to the airport at the stop I was waiting at. There was even a sign on the stop sign that said that bus 552 stopped there. In the end after waiting about 40 mins I grabbed a taxi and hoofed it for the airport. Unfortunately the taxi broke gown and glided to the side of the road within sight of the airport. I ended up grabbing another taxi and taking that to the airport, the driver waited and I went and found Ron pretty much right away. 

Today we had a pretty slack day, ate a lot and I went to class and learned more about thai numbers, addresses and phone numbers etc. fun fun

I've decided to play a game called find the most absurd catcall from the thai vendors on the street.

Some of the best I am aware of are:

I haaaave some sing

Cold water 5 baht, fresh oran juuuuuice

and my personal favourite and it should be yours too

Meeeeooowww chicken sandwich (this one comes from Matt and Ana, alas I have never heard this one myself)

I shall be on the look out for more.

Videoblog Entry

Bangkok Apartment

I am now the proud renter of an apartment south of the downtown area in Bangkok for the next 3-4 weeks. It is nice and quiet and has fast internet and air conditioning and even cable tv. Its pretty much a hotel room. Outside on the street it is constant chaos during the day, hot and loud and smelly and awesome. There are lots of places for me to explore and the Thai people around here are so genuine and usually very friendly. I'm really not near any of the tourist spots so I am a bit more out of place and a bit less seen as a walking atm. hehe

Right now its pissing down outside with thunder and lightning. Feels good, such a nice feeling.
Tonight I went down the road and found some kind of small street market where I bought a coconut, some watermelon, some bananas and a tonne of dinner all for a whopping fee of $3 CAD

I have a tonne of work to catch up on but now that I have a place to live and work from that shouldnt be a problem. I spent most of today working away and will do so for the next 2 days solid.

Thai Lessons

I start Thai lessons tomorrow from 4pm - 6pm.  I will be learning 5 days a week for 2 hours a day and I will have homework!

I plan to get a better handle on the buses if at all possible which may require a trip to a tourist info booth and also I plan to investigate more places to work from and some places to live for the next month.

fun in Bangkok!

Bangkok

I'm in Bangkok! It's great to be back. The smells, the chaos, the heat and so on. I got myself a thai cell number and can now use my cell phone to get internet on my laptop anywhere which is what i'm doing right now.

Theres a loud and obnoxious Brit in the room next door, I suspect he may be drunk.

It's 1:30am and I'm having a little trouble getting to sleep as it's only 7:30pm in London where I came from today. 

Tomorrow I shall endeavour to get my bag from the airline seeing as they managed to somehow leave it in London. I shall look forward to getting my toilet bag and cleaning my teeth.

Derby

In Derby chilling with Luke now. Went for a walk in the country this afternoon and will be having a roast this evening. Sunday roast, yum yum.

Going to do a little bit of work tomorrow from Lukes couch and then will be getting a lift in to Heath Row where I will fly to Bangkok. 

Oslo Airport

Sitting at the airport in Oslo at the moment.
Plane is 2 hours delayed. Something to do with the forward entrance door. Oh holy crap... I take that back they just made an announcement... Wont be leaving till 20 after midnight... sigh 7 hours delay.

Opera at the underwaterwater pub

Mik and I are currently in a really cool bar called the underwater
pub. It is themed to look luke it's underwater and tonight and every
tuesday and Thursday night they have opera singers come in and sing up
a storm. The last set involved a duet and was as much acting as it was
singing. Very cool. Oh and we also ate a pizza and drunk some coke and
beer (me and Mik respectively)