Bangkok brief

So I thought I'd give those of you who are textually phobic some short blurbs of my faves thus far, in no particular order:

1. Som Tam--a spicy papaya salad that's eaten with sticky rice (which you use your hands to eat). So delicious, has tomatoes, peanuts, chili peppers and other delicious things in it

2. The Skytrain--I LOVE the skytrain, if only for showing the Madonna, "Give it to me" video as entertainment for my daily commute. There are also the Axe commercials, classic.

3. Street food--cheap, delicious. Some of my faves are Thai iced tea and iced coffee, freshly sliced mango, and Thai rice crispy treats

4. My street, neighborhood and pool--My street is quiet and green; it has this adorable little garden restaurant with lanterns and incense under the tables where I've become a "regular;" they cook my special vegetarian dishes which is great and they know what I like. The bar next to my building, Flow, is really laid back and they're so nice to me as well (free drinks on occasion). And then there's my pool, it's this little oasis that makes you forget you live in a city and is surrounded by palm trees, has a fountain and the steam room and gym are right nearby!

5. The smell of sweet dessert waffles near every BTS stop (skytrain)

6. The 3-minute motorbike ride from my apartment to the BTS stop: at first I was petrified of riding on a motorbike, but now I love it.

7. The ease of travel: Bangkok is so close to so many incredible destinations, outside of Thailand let alone those in the country! Flights are cheap and Bangkok is THE hub of South East Asia, making it easy to fly just about anywhere....tempting. I've already planned trips to Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand; Bali; Southern Vietman and am in the process of arranging trips to Singapore and Malaysia, among other places.

8. Cheap DVDs--helps me catch up on so many movies!

9. Newness--new places, people, job. Getting to know it all is a constant discovery. Sounds cheesy, I know, but it's true.

10. Cultural differences. Sometimes they test my patience but ultimately, it's kind of fun.