Tuesday, January 27, 2009
And Just Like That, I'm Back
That was probably the mellowest trip I've ever had to Bangkok. It was also the first time I haven't suffered from jet lag after 24 hours of traveling. It's nice living only 2 hours away!!
Got to the hotel Friday night around midnight, dropped off my bag and freshened up and was back out the door. Bars in Bangkok close around 1am now so rather than heading out to the sit-down bars on Silom Soi 4, which by this time would be emptying out as people go dancing, I instead opted for the go-go bars, where I hoped to catch the midnight show. Sure enough, the doorman to one club pulled me in promising the "Big Dick" show was going on, and he was not kidding. These guys seemed to have some kind of metal implant under their foreskin because they'd swing their dick against a metal pole and it would make a "metal-on-metal" sound. (I wish I was making this up, but I'm not). Afterwards they did a sex show. Two guys, moving around the bar while connected. Wearing masks. Intriguing. During the show I invited one of the earlier performers to sit with me and have a drink as he had a number of tattoos and I wanted a better look. Sadly, his English was almost nonexistent, so he couldn't tell me much about them. I also was unable to ask, and did not check to see, if he had metal balls under his foreskin.
Or was all of that more than anyone wanted to know?
I've been to Bangkok a few times before so didn't feel the need to be all touristy. There were a few familiar places I wanted to visit, a few new things I wanted to try, but mostly I wanted to see my friend Bom and relax a bit over the weekend. Mission accomplished on both counts.
One of the new things I did was go to a Thai boxing match. I spent Sunday afternoon at one of the TV stations where they have a small arena they use for muay thai. This was my first time seeing it live and it was pretty cool. The matches were very entertaining, especially at first, when I started to get the idea that the guys were so good at this that they weren't actually hurting each other. They were even smiling and seemed friendly toward each other. Even when two guys came flying out of the ring (and, unfortunately, did NOT land on me in a sweaty threesome) it seemed like this was just very competitive but still pretty safe. Then I saw a guy get knocked out by a kick to the head and I realized how wrong I was. Suddenly, I'm not quite so sure I want to go to kickboxing camp later this year.
I got pulled out of the line going in by one of the station employees and I wasn't sure what was happening, until he tucked me into one of the ringside seats...I think he realized I might not know where to go once I got inside so he took the guesswork out of it, and once in there I was thankful. The crowd seemed to be largely made up of regulars and I would have been very confused if I'd been wandering around on my own.
The other new thing I did was go to a ladyboy bar. I'm glad i did, but I think once was enough. They were MUCH more aggressive than the guys at the go-go bars. At the boy bars I can ask to have someone come sit with me, buy him a drink, chat a bit, then tip him for his time. At the ladyboy bar I had someone come sit next to me within 15 seconds of arriving and ask me for a drink, as did half the wait staff and dancers, I realized I was being taken advantage of but kept track of my tab and decided how much I was willing to spend before leaving. It was all in good fun, a new experience, and it was Chinese New Year, so what the heck. But yeah, they were much more predatory and greedy than the guys are. I have one good friend in DC who's transgendered and I think my expectations were based on knowing her, but I think that when in Bangkok I'll stick to what I know from now on.
Got to see Bom Sunday night and we went to dinner with some of his friends far outside the central part of town. None of the others spoke a lot of English, and that made the evening go pretty slowly at first. But his friend Nathan showed up, and not only had he gone to grad school in he UK and now works for an English-language magazine, he also realized i was being left out, so he totally switched the tone of the evening. I'm glad he did, that saved the night. Afterwards Bom and his friend Pham and I went back to Soi 4 and a bar called Tapas, where Bom and I first hung out over 3 years ago. Yay for ending the night on a nice note.
I'm noticing that English proficiency seems to be on the decline in Bangkok since my first visit in 2005. Not sure what's up with that. maybe living in Singapore has spoiled me and it's just always been this way in Bangkok, but I'm not sure...
Mostly it was a time for some reading (and writing) at coffee shops, wandering through shopping districts, collecting info on attending Thai massage school later this year (on the same trip as kickboxing camp, if I still do that), and getting pampered. I had a facial at a salon I always go to and also got a couple massages (one of the massages guys had gone to Wat Po school and told me a bit about the program, which was helpful). I spent a little time at DJ Station and also at the Soi 4 bars, but never got hit on or really even flirted with, which in Bangkok can be a little bit of a letdown (when even the money boys aren't flirting, something's wrong, no?)
I like Bangkok a lot, and I'm glad I had a chance to go while living over here. And it was better than just running up for 2 nights. Its an interesting place, and I find that I learn stuff about myself while I'm there. So yay to all those who suggested I go...thanks!!
Got to the hotel Friday night around midnight, dropped off my bag and freshened up and was back out the door. Bars in Bangkok close around 1am now so rather than heading out to the sit-down bars on Silom Soi 4, which by this time would be emptying out as people go dancing, I instead opted for the go-go bars, where I hoped to catch the midnight show. Sure enough, the doorman to one club pulled me in promising the "Big Dick" show was going on, and he was not kidding. These guys seemed to have some kind of metal implant under their foreskin because they'd swing their dick against a metal pole and it would make a "metal-on-metal" sound. (I wish I was making this up, but I'm not). Afterwards they did a sex show. Two guys, moving around the bar while connected. Wearing masks. Intriguing. During the show I invited one of the earlier performers to sit with me and have a drink as he had a number of tattoos and I wanted a better look. Sadly, his English was almost nonexistent, so he couldn't tell me much about them. I also was unable to ask, and did not check to see, if he had metal balls under his foreskin.
Or was all of that more than anyone wanted to know?
I've been to Bangkok a few times before so didn't feel the need to be all touristy. There were a few familiar places I wanted to visit, a few new things I wanted to try, but mostly I wanted to see my friend Bom and relax a bit over the weekend. Mission accomplished on both counts.
One of the new things I did was go to a Thai boxing match. I spent Sunday afternoon at one of the TV stations where they have a small arena they use for muay thai. This was my first time seeing it live and it was pretty cool. The matches were very entertaining, especially at first, when I started to get the idea that the guys were so good at this that they weren't actually hurting each other. They were even smiling and seemed friendly toward each other. Even when two guys came flying out of the ring (and, unfortunately, did NOT land on me in a sweaty threesome) it seemed like this was just very competitive but still pretty safe. Then I saw a guy get knocked out by a kick to the head and I realized how wrong I was. Suddenly, I'm not quite so sure I want to go to kickboxing camp later this year.
I got pulled out of the line going in by one of the station employees and I wasn't sure what was happening, until he tucked me into one of the ringside seats...I think he realized I might not know where to go once I got inside so he took the guesswork out of it, and once in there I was thankful. The crowd seemed to be largely made up of regulars and I would have been very confused if I'd been wandering around on my own.
The other new thing I did was go to a ladyboy bar. I'm glad i did, but I think once was enough. They were MUCH more aggressive than the guys at the go-go bars. At the boy bars I can ask to have someone come sit with me, buy him a drink, chat a bit, then tip him for his time. At the ladyboy bar I had someone come sit next to me within 15 seconds of arriving and ask me for a drink, as did half the wait staff and dancers, I realized I was being taken advantage of but kept track of my tab and decided how much I was willing to spend before leaving. It was all in good fun, a new experience, and it was Chinese New Year, so what the heck. But yeah, they were much more predatory and greedy than the guys are. I have one good friend in DC who's transgendered and I think my expectations were based on knowing her, but I think that when in Bangkok I'll stick to what I know from now on.
Got to see Bom Sunday night and we went to dinner with some of his friends far outside the central part of town. None of the others spoke a lot of English, and that made the evening go pretty slowly at first. But his friend Nathan showed up, and not only had he gone to grad school in he UK and now works for an English-language magazine, he also realized i was being left out, so he totally switched the tone of the evening. I'm glad he did, that saved the night. Afterwards Bom and his friend Pham and I went back to Soi 4 and a bar called Tapas, where Bom and I first hung out over 3 years ago. Yay for ending the night on a nice note.
I'm noticing that English proficiency seems to be on the decline in Bangkok since my first visit in 2005. Not sure what's up with that. maybe living in Singapore has spoiled me and it's just always been this way in Bangkok, but I'm not sure...
Mostly it was a time for some reading (and writing) at coffee shops, wandering through shopping districts, collecting info on attending Thai massage school later this year (on the same trip as kickboxing camp, if I still do that), and getting pampered. I had a facial at a salon I always go to and also got a couple massages (one of the massages guys had gone to Wat Po school and told me a bit about the program, which was helpful). I spent a little time at DJ Station and also at the Soi 4 bars, but never got hit on or really even flirted with, which in Bangkok can be a little bit of a letdown (when even the money boys aren't flirting, something's wrong, no?)
I like Bangkok a lot, and I'm glad I had a chance to go while living over here. And it was better than just running up for 2 nights. Its an interesting place, and I find that I learn stuff about myself while I'm there. So yay to all those who suggested I go...thanks!!
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Right. Avoid the ladyboys unless able to handle their aggressiveness.
Do you find yourself speaking a tad in their accent when communicating with them? :P
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Do you find yourself speaking a tad in their accent when communicating with them? :P
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