It always goes a bit like this: the first few days are slow and mellow and I guiltily think about all the culture I should be soaking up in Bangkok, instead of floating around in the pool with the baby – then suddenly I am bone-tired because I am trekking around the city (with baby) and up late socializing with Sue and Joss’ interesting friends and I’ve hardly been in the pool at all.
Today I walked with Sue down to the BTS (skytrain) station intending on picking up a few groceries while seeing her off to work, but then ended up riding all the way to work with her and checking out the hospital market. It’s a small market, but mostly shaded inside the carpark, and the stalls change every single day of the month. Then I took the train back myself and picked up the few things we needed for tonight’s supper: salad from the vendor in the station, veggies from the local produce stall, French bread from the fancy western market called “Villa.”
It was my first time out alone in Bangkok this trip and I realized suddenly how unadventurous I am feeling this time around. I am perfectly content to walk Sue to work and have that be my explore (and exercise) for the day.
But then of course the maid came today, so Joss and I slipped out for lunch. We had another decent long walk at a leisurely pace down totally different streets. We walked slowly, because as Sue would say, What, are you trying to break a sweat? Nabi Grace fell asleep immediately, which allowed us to have a very slow lunch at a nice place down the road. I ordered a “sum tom” which is a cold shredded papaya salad, but it was waaaaaa-aaay too spicy so I had to painstakingly remove as many chili seeds as I could find. Then I had to order another dish, “rat na” again, to cut the spice. Whew.
Nabi Grace woke up very fresh-faced and fuzzy while we were still sitting on the patio there. I think these few shots capture her baby-ness and motion.
And here’s the family walking to a restaurant for dinner. We ate at Reflections, which is an excellent restaurant owned by an artist friend of ours named Nong. The “rat na,” fried noodles with fish and gravy is especially good there.
