Ok, so this morning after noticing that the local market was still closed I decided to go to the city centre.
I tried to take a taxi but found out pretty soon that taxis from the area do not go to the city, it's too far, too much traffic and once they get there there will be no one that wants to come back here.
Fair enough, I walk to the nearest train station, take a train to Phaya Thai and then a bus to Kao San.
Sved myseld 400 TB.
As soon as I hit Kao San I realise that the main language is Dutch.
There's so many dutch tourist that in many places they've learnt a bit of dutch in order to be able to negotiate the prices.
Not that there's a lot of negotiation around.
Many of the stalls, especially the ones selling clothes, display a notice that saiys that the prices are fixed.
Of course that doesn't really mean anything.
I still scored a 50% discount on a couple of shirts, but the passion with which I had seen vendors defend their goods in the past is gone.
Maybe because it's the middle of august and it's way too hot and humid to be passionate about anything.
My hair has quickly switched to my South-East Asia mode: big and curly.
Fine by me, the 80's are back aren't they?
I order a large Singha Beer at the Cool Corner Pub.
There's a lot of Italians as well.
You can spot them immediately.
Actually you can even tell how long they've been to Thailand by the way they dress.
The ones who just arrived are still very well dressed, medium to high heels, or those 300euros gucci sandals that hurt your feet but they are so glamorous. Men wear a polo, usually Lacoste or Ralph Lauren.
Women go around with designer leather bag and they flaunt it, where else would they be able to do that if not on holidays?
The ones that have been here a while are showing a very interesting phenomenon of assimilation and disguise.
They're all wearing the famous thai half trousers half skirts, even the men.
Many of them might have super serious jobs with suits and ties and meetings and church on sunday mornings, except in summer when of course churches are deserted because everyone is at the beach, tanning.
You've got to set priorities in life!
When they come here, they ditch the tie to put on a rainbow coloured cotton head band.
They leave the gucci leather bags at the hotel (because they realise that here they can find cheap knock offs for 1/100 the price they paid for the originals, and they look exactly the same, no matter what they tell you), and they sport multi colours linen shoulder bags and flip flops instead of heels.
In a few words... they've gone ethnic!
With style though, they're still Italian after all!
I can't help observing people, and I'm sure someone is doing exactly the same to me right now.
Single lady with a wedding ring but no sign of the husband, big heavy professional camera sipping a large beer. What's her story?
Ask me when I'm back in a couple of weeks!
I tried to take a taxi but found out pretty soon that taxis from the area do not go to the city, it's too far, too much traffic and once they get there there will be no one that wants to come back here.
Fair enough, I walk to the nearest train station, take a train to Phaya Thai and then a bus to Kao San.
Sved myseld 400 TB.
As soon as I hit Kao San I realise that the main language is Dutch.
There's so many dutch tourist that in many places they've learnt a bit of dutch in order to be able to negotiate the prices.
Not that there's a lot of negotiation around.
Many of the stalls, especially the ones selling clothes, display a notice that saiys that the prices are fixed.
Of course that doesn't really mean anything.
I still scored a 50% discount on a couple of shirts, but the passion with which I had seen vendors defend their goods in the past is gone.
Maybe because it's the middle of august and it's way too hot and humid to be passionate about anything.
My hair has quickly switched to my South-East Asia mode: big and curly.
Fine by me, the 80's are back aren't they?
I order a large Singha Beer at the Cool Corner Pub.
There's a lot of Italians as well.
You can spot them immediately.
Actually you can even tell how long they've been to Thailand by the way they dress.
The ones who just arrived are still very well dressed, medium to high heels, or those 300euros gucci sandals that hurt your feet but they are so glamorous. Men wear a polo, usually Lacoste or Ralph Lauren.
Women go around with designer leather bag and they flaunt it, where else would they be able to do that if not on holidays?
The ones that have been here a while are showing a very interesting phenomenon of assimilation and disguise.
They're all wearing the famous thai half trousers half skirts, even the men.
Many of them might have super serious jobs with suits and ties and meetings and church on sunday mornings, except in summer when of course churches are deserted because everyone is at the beach, tanning.
You've got to set priorities in life!
When they come here, they ditch the tie to put on a rainbow coloured cotton head band.
They leave the gucci leather bags at the hotel (because they realise that here they can find cheap knock offs for 1/100 the price they paid for the originals, and they look exactly the same, no matter what they tell you), and they sport multi colours linen shoulder bags and flip flops instead of heels.
In a few words... they've gone ethnic!
With style though, they're still Italian after all!
I can't help observing people, and I'm sure someone is doing exactly the same to me right now.
Single lady with a wedding ring but no sign of the husband, big heavy professional camera sipping a large beer. What's her story?
Ask me when I'm back in a couple of weeks!
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