I started this blog as a way to keep in touch with people I love when I joined the Peace Corps in 2010. Now, I should just acknowledge the truth and turn it into a food blog. If you are not interested in food or grocery shopping in Bangkok, move on. Although, I am wildly funny so you might want to read just a bit more.
I've looked forward to this long weekend for a couple of months. Five long, luxurious days in Bangkok. They've flown by. Partly because of the flight schedule. I didn't arrive at my hotel in Bangkok until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday and Monday I rested, grazed, Skyped, went for walks and did a lot of napping. Tuesday was grocery shopping. Wednesday I leave for the airport at 8:00 a.m. Too short!
First, some general comments about Bangkok. Like any big city there are some consistencies. As I walked quickly to the open elevator door at Terminal 21, a woman met my eye, smiled and hit the "close" button. As I crossed a major street (Asok at Sukhumvit) I was almost run over by a car racing to run the red light before the other traffic was through the intersection on a green light (I had the green pedestrian light). I almost got mowed down on the sidewalk because I didn't hear the motorbike taxi coming up behind me. Yes, on the sidewalk.
I also got bumped into by numerous young people texting like mad while walking. I think a fabsulous invention would cut off people's access to the internet when they are within 3 feet of another human. I love the internet, truly. But what its doing to human interaction is too much like the song "In the year..." It was in the 70's. Google it!
One great thing about big cities is street food and Bangkok does it better than most (or all). My first night's meal was salad bar, raw tuna and salmon and steamed mussels. On Sunday, I had pizza (Pala Pizza, awesome). On Tuesday, I had Mexican food at Sunrise Tacos. It was disappointing and I'm a fan of their food. The rest of the time I ate street food in the area near my hotel.
I love Thai street food. Cheap, fresh, delicious. Chicken gizzards and livers, grilled. Fried chicken. Curry. Steamed pumpkin and corn. Crepe-like things filled with sausage and egg for breakfast. All good.
I grocery shopped at the original Villa Market at Soi 33 Sukhumvit. I bought all the stuff I can't get in Mandalay. The list of what I can't get has been reduced significantly since CitiMart opened. I bought chili beans, dry pinto beans, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, mustard, wasabi paste (which used to be available in Mandalay), jars of jalapeno peppers, corn chips. I also bought some portabella mushrooms, zucchini and honey baked ham. Yum.
The good news is they now carry Jiffy Corn Bread Mix. The bad news, they were out of it. The other bad news is they had neither tortillas nor refried beans. Mexico - not my job to tell you what to do but the government in Thailand is currently in flux. Now would be a good time to invade and take over the country and import your food here. Just kidding, Thai government. I respect your government and this afternoon before the movie " Birdman" (which was excellent) I stood in respect for the King's anthem. I do wish a few more Mexican expats would move here and bring their food with them.
The food highlights of this trip, though, were the salad bar at Gourmet Market (Caribbean floor of Terminal 21) and the cronut I had from Tops grocery store (basement of Robinson's department store.
I'd heard of cronuts but never had one. I'm very glad they don't have them in Myanmar. Back to Mandalay tomorrow, school for two days then the weekend. Life is good.
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