Funny things about BKK

OK - so I have been here now nearly a week and have some initial observations.

1) this place can be cheap or ridiculously expensive - If you insist on eating / shopping Western, be prepared to pay NY prices. If you go local, you can buy a dress for $15 or dinner for $2. I paid $6 for strawberries which happened to be the same brand I used to buy in NY / CT. I hear BKK has the most Western influence of any Asian city. This is evidenced by all of the Western brands / chains you can find. I find it particularly amusing that some of the dining options in my office park include Au Bon Pain, Starbucks, Sizzler (yes, Sizzler), Baskin Robbins, 7-11 and MacDonald's. On the flip side, there are lots of incredibly elegant options. I went to a place last night on the 64th floor of a posh hotel and paid $100 for dinner.

2) any Western male is good looking (to Thai women) - Young or old, hairy or balding, fat or skinny, tall or short...Western men are dripping with Thai women (actually, usually girls). But then again, not all Western men are looking for that sort of thing. I had dinner with a lovely Frenchman who is also here for work who says he is not into that scene (what do you think? should I believe him?).

3) people are really into taking care of their bodies - There are gyms everywhere and they are always full - with Thai and non-Thai alike. For every gym there must be 5 massage spas. And then there are plenty of clinics for lasering, botoxing, liposuctioning....you name it. It can be done here and for about 1/10th of what it would cost in the US. And if you have body image / weight issues, don't live in Asia. There are people so tiny that I swear I could fit them in my [admittedly] large handbag. My thigh is the size of some of the women's waists. No, I am not exaggerating.

4) if you can play charades, you can navigate BKK - I never thought I would say this, but....thank you Grandmother for insisting the kids play charades at family dinners. What I thought was simply amusement for the adults (and torture for shy children like myself) , turns out to have been early childhood training in the art of communicating through gestures, which has proven particularly useful when neither party speaks a common language.

5) wine is expensive (very), beer is not - If you want a beer, it can be had copiously and cheaply. Wine is a different story. While both old and new world options are plentiful, expect to pay handsomely for even an average bottle. This is because the Thai government taxes wine imports at 400%, so your average $20 bottle in the US will run you $80+ here. This is the second highest wine tax in the world (so what is the first, you ask? India at 450%).

6) this is a mall city - Because of the heat, malls are a form of entertainment. It is not unusual to spend an entire day in the mall. (I realize some of you who know me well will find this amusing because this is actually quite normal behavior for me.) The reason why people do so is because of the heat. So on weekends you can find all sorts of indoor entertainment that can keep you occupied for hours. And there is not just shopping. There are elaborate food courts with first rate food. There are Imax movie theaters and aquariums. There are massive expos - right now at the mall next to my hotel / apt there is a live butterfly exhibit with over 4000 exotic butterflies under in a 5000 sq foot, 12 foot tall terrarium.

-Joanna