You and I, the last refugees

Movements

What has the last couple weeks included you ask? Monsoon season brings flooded sois, people dashing for cover and (thankfully) slightly cooler weather.

Aside from work, I managed to move to a new apartment closer to work in a new building that isn't completely finished but more comfortable somehow. I realized after moving out that the old place had an odd atmosphere that I couldn't completely adjust to. Anyhow, if anyone wants to mail me anything, kindly send it to the following address:

Baan Vichien, Apartment 3B
220 Sukhumvit 49/12
Klongton Nua, Wattana
Bangkok, 10110, Thailand

Last week, I met up with my some friends from DC and my Columbia friend, Aaron to watch the U.S. play Ghana at a bar called the Woodstock which claim to have the best burgers in Bangkok. I'd have to say the entire crowd was pro-USA, seeing as they were almost all foreign service officers. Interesting to say the least. Aaron, who'd lived in West Africa for a while was cheering for Ghana, and I, having no significant loyalties for the US, thought hey, you know, I should cheer for someone else. Besides, given the US' semi atrocious play, it was pretty easy to cheer for the other side. It did make us outsiders, and really the burgers were not all that. I should have gone around the block and had a set dinner for 150 baht (that's about 4 bucks, includes drinks, meal, and dessert). I think that was the largest number of Americans I'd seen in one place in a long time.

I also decided to take a quick trip to Vietnam for the weekend. AirAsia, cheap and quick, if not for their godawful delays. Alas, I went to Hanoi to visit a friend, Jenny, and just to get out of the bustles of Bangkok (hereforth referred to as BKK). Highlights include: Eating a lot, ie, we buffeted, wandered, visited the sites I'd heard about since being a child and tried to relax. Also was told by the passport control/customs officials on my way home that I should come back soon, help out the country (which includes marrying a good Vietnamese man, who they could introduce me to very easily).

But, what can I say about Hanoi? It's a growing metropolis that is slowly being transformed with large malls. It is still significantly slower than BKK, has nice walks, beautiful old French architecture, lakes, parade grounds around the government buildings with their Communist slogans. The people have an entrepreneur spirit. In all, there is an energy, a hope, an optimism of new beginnings that is also in BKK but is much more subdued as though BKK turns its shoulder and goes, "oh, we've been there, we've had that, we'll continue as we are." Hanoi on the other hand, as Jenny and I were talking, is how BKK might have been like in the early 1990s, there are literally building projects everywhere, like the rest of the country. Jenny's apartment building is part of a larger project called Ciputra International City, this absolutely huge complex that is still being built. It will, when finished boast Asia's largest mall as well. I'm conflicted, it's progress definitely, but can it be done in such a way that doesn't lead to the lost of the old, the culture leaving only ardent consumerism that as my Japanese coworker has said, is a major problem in Japan? In BKK, there's a new mall called Siam Paragon which, in my opinion is a bit scary with its glittering "river inside the mall" Hermes, Gucci, blah blah blah.. who does it serve? The newly wealthy? Definitely, it is a sign that there are some that can afford it, but if all the old gets thrown out to welcome in the new, than what is left? Really, do you need another 8 story mall?

People ask, "what is it like to go back home?" - I don't think I can answer that yet, it was nice that I could be understood and could understand and communicate with others, but it was also a bit odd. I'll have to digest it a bit more and perhaps offer some insight to those select few who care about my inner thought processes. :-)

Anyhow, enjoy the photos.

Hanoi

posted by Mai-Lan @ 09:33