11 Days Off...

Well ladies and gents, i've been about the region recently, as well as busy moving into my new place. I have moved into a condo in Upper Bukit Timah Road, which is a quiet and oh so ulu part of the island, but which offers me amenities as well as peace and quiet with which to write my thesis. Aside from that, I just got back from Bangkok yesterday for a brief trip with my aunt, who was in town visiting me here. I think she had a good time, and Bangkok was, as it is, the same as always. We found it a bit challenging to move around the city, although the skytrain added some additional convenience, as well as a free shuttle boat from our hotel (which was, by the way, the Hilton on the Thonburi side of the Chao Praya.... did I mention we stayed for free?)

My big purchases were quite boring, as i'm not really a fan of the vast array of cheap junk that Thai street vendors generally push on farang such as myself, so I settled on buying a few odds and ends that are significantly cheaper in Thailand instead of Singapore, as well as some inhalers that are hard to find in our little garden city. I also went ahead and made use of my time in the Duty Free area, buying some Stella and Heinken as well as a litre of Myer's Dark Rum, which we'll see if I actually drink as I generally abhor liquor (i'm a beer and wine person myself).

I suppose the highlight of my excursion to the north was my meeting with my advisor, who is currently on leave, and having a really intriguing discussion about the state of affairs in Thailand today. One wouldn't get the impression there was martial law, either; it would seem the tourist dollar trumps all else. I also had a really nice massage at the Hilton Spa (completely legit, my friends, sans 'happy endings'), and had a nice convo with the masseuse, who was ethnically khmer (i.e. the Cambodian ethnic group) but who lived in Isaan in the northeast of the country, the former site of U.S. Air Force bases during the Vietnam War.

All in all, even though Bangkok remains Asia's 'City of Sin' I suppose there is still some virtue about the place. There is freedom, exciting news, and, did I mention.....

SINGHA!!!!!