"Hello so much"

...what I overheard someone say as they answered their cell phone. Fabulous.

In the past couple of days I've taken it kinda easy. I've eaten lots of good food (and drank...yay chah yen in a bag!) and finished all of the necessary shopping errands, yipee! I've played with my friend Bay as he's taken me to some spots in the city and I've explored around some myself.
I hadn't really thought about it, but my experience in Thailand this time as compared to last time (well is different in a whole bunch of ways) but the fact that I've just been in a fast-paced city effects things. People aren't as friendly and they don't have time to sit around and talk with you (or in my case, try to understand my Thai speaking.) Last time I was in Thailand, I spent quite a bit of time in the villages and smaller towns. There people were so excited to meet me and were very eager to talk and sit together. Think of the way people interact in New York or SF in comparison to oh...Clovis or Appleton.

Even though everyone is really busy in this city, they still take time out to burn incense, etc. at shrines. And shrines are everywhere! I was sitting at the park and noticed one tucked underneth the table (also at the park, not only are there turtles in the water, there's also these huge 4 foot lizards - i think they're called Monitor Lizards), every building has one out front and you see business people at lunch time going to burn incense. The included picture is of an old wrecked shrine I found amongst some ravaged and graffittied buildings today.

Another peculiar thing about this city is its combination of worlds. On one hand, sometimes it seems like all you see is well dressed people seemingly going from place to place and maybe buying a thing or two. This city has so many huge shopping complexes. But on the other hand, you see little slums tucked away. You see buildings stopped in construction and people just setting up camp to live there. One minute you might be in a department store (or hospital) with marble floors - and the next you might be in a market or restaurant with dirt and construction rubble on the floor.