Tai ni ikitai!

A couple of weeks ago, I took a short trip to Thailand.


I stayed with my friend Nok, her wonderful parents and their two friendly cats.

You can't tell by looking at Nok, but her mom is an AMAZING cook!

Thailand is a wonderful place.

Everything about it feels full of life and energy.

Even the guard statues to their temples look like they're alive.

I could have sworn that these ones sing when no one is around.

Hello little friend!

Thailand makes you want to smile nonstop.

I mean, look at how they decorate their temples.

It's all so full of life, that it almost hurt my eyes to look around.

Good thing Nok and I bought some new, fancy sunglasses.

Thailand makes you feel alive

and it makes you feel GOOD about being alive.

Look at this girl. . .

It's safe to say she has a rather substantial backside, but does she look depressed about it?
Not in the slightest. In fact, I might even venture to say she's flaunting it.


Even Ronald McDonald is caught up in the energy of Thailand.

He just can't help himself.

I don't blame him.

What's NOT to love about a place that uses little magic plastic discs for train tokens

so that every time you use one, you feel like you're going for a ride at a carnival or something.

Nok and I did all sorts of fun things.

Like going to an amaaaazing market

Where you can get THE BEST THAI ICED TEA I'VE EVER HAD
in a plastic bag

and refreshing frozen fruity things on a stick

Now, THIS was a serious bookstore

and this was serious bike parking lot.

I tried all kinds of amazing foods that I'd never seen before

But, I have to admit. . . one of the most unique experiences I had was going to the movies.
It wasn't your ordinary theater, it was one the many luxury theaters they have all over Bangkok. For the meager price of about ten dollars (that's half what it costs to see a movie at any regular theater in Japan) you can be treated like royalty.
After buying my ticket, I walked down a red carpet between red velvet ropes and through a pair of glass doors with a big gold star painted on the middle of them. I entered the VIP bar/ lounge, where, had I arrived on time, I could sit in big cushion-y velvet chairs and enjoy my complimentary cocktail and snack, while browsing through magazines and putting my feet up on shiny dark wood tables.

Although I was late, I walked into the theater that had nothing in it but huge red leather recliners, each with their own wooden table, and care package. On each seat, there was a bag that contained a pillow, a soft blanket (better than the one on the plane, that's for sure), and a new pair of socks.

I figured out the remote control for the recliner, before I opened the care package and discovered the socks.

Thank you Thailand for your hospitality. I thoroughly enjoyed you. And thank you Nok for being a fantastic tour guide, you were definitely my favorite thing about Thailand (and that's saying a lot.)