Almost 3 months into the assignment here in Bangkok now (get home 1 week in 4 though – till Trish joins me) and I finally got my first few hours out as a tourist today. I visited a Wat (temple), though it turned out not to be one of the usual tourist venues. I just picked it from the map as it was easy to get to. Interesting though; a funeral was just starting as I got there. The wreathes were fabulous, flowers being the thing here, and the procession was completed with a troupe in Asian uniform carrying hooped pyramid type thingies, with drummers and what sounded like an out-of-tune (probably unfair) bagpipe. There was also a Buddhist monk being carried around on a flat-bed with handles on it by 4 uniformed characters. All of the attendees, male and female, wore black suits, white shirts or black armbands over white shirts (for those not in suits).

Work has been very demanding so far. 12 hour days most week days, then several hours each day at the weekends. It will start to ease up now, hence my chance for some time out today. I have managed to squeeze in Church every Sunday so far though, and generally ½ an hour by the pool after that before work.

Today is Saturday, so an evening free. I have just been for a meal in a great little eatery here. 4 plates of food: pork satays, with spicy peanut sauce; crab omelette, crispy pork with bean sprouts, and shrimp and squid fried rice. Yummy; and all for about £6 ($15 cdn). I didn’t get through it all, sad to say, but at that price!!!! Actaully, the food has been great everywhere here. Thankfully it’s not like the usual “western” food in either fat or quantity, or I would be like a balloon by now.

Trish is still planning to get here in early September and I’m really looking forward to that. Should have work under control by then. I’ve seen a lot of potential apartments. The good, the bad and the ugly, as you can imagine, but there are still plenty of nice choices. One place even had a pool on the balcony – ostentatious, to say the least, but maybe not that practical.

Well, gotta go get on with my beer and movie evening.