How to Survive in Bangkok

1. Don't just look both ways; Look all ways. The general rule of traffic in Bangkok seems to be to go as fast as you can, until someone is in your way, then honk and shift lanes. Cars and motorcycles will definitely not stop for pedestrians. They barely stop for other cars. There aren't even pedestrian crosswalks. Instead, you have to climb a flight of stairs to walk across a little sky bridge in order to cross the street.

2. Rubber Shoes and Umbrellas are a must. It's the rainy season, which means that the shoe-sellers in the markets have rotated their stock to flip flops and rubber flats, which are both stylish and sensible. Every day between 2:00 and 4:00 pm there is a torrential downpour, so it's important to bring your umbrella too. My mom's friend Tom, who I'm staying with, always has his umbrella, as a protection against both rain and sun. Because it's the rainy season, the weather has been mostly overcast, and apparently not as muggy and humid as it normally is, which makes me feel bad for complaining.

3. Bug Spray. I'm being eaten alive, and I look like a leper. It's probably because I'm diabetic and my blood is awesome. 

3a. Keep your finger nails short.  So that you don't scratch all of your skin off. 

4. Stick with Tom! My mom's friend Tom is the most wonderful host, and so cool and collected in the face of frantic Bangkok. Together we road the crazy buses, the subway and the crowded sky-train, and navigated the multi-story Thai shopping centers. We cooked together (salads and buckwheat pancakes), and he happily let me go to bed at the jet-lagged hour of 6pm.


 He taught me key Thai words, specifically those relating to ordering food. He also taught me about some of the Buddhist merit making rules, such as: you can't give an amulet as a gift. The merit belongs to the person who bought it, so after Tom hastily paid for some amulets for me, I had to pay him back. We visited the incredible temple of Wat Pho, where the statue of the reclining Buddha is. It's enormous. 

How cool are his giant feet???

I'm definitely going to be sad to part ways with Tom and be handed off to my study abroad program this afternoon. It's been described as hard, challenging, confusing and the best semester ever. I'm very nervous, but I think I'm ready for challenge. These past few days with Tom have been a breeze. I've been able to just relax and be ferried around town by a local, almost too overwhelmed to take much of it in, and not quite ready to acknowledge that this isn't a vacation, it's my life. But soon there will be no turning back, and bug bites, mosquito nets and downpours will be my new pace of life, along with who knows what else.