Bangkok?!?! oh yeah!!!

Day 49-53

Ever been to Bangkok? Well I was just there. My flight was Friday at 5:20pm so I left work early, and it felt so good to leave work early. It usually takes about 1 hour to get to the airport from my place by taxi and can cost about 100 kuai, so instead of a taxi, I decided on the Maglev Train. The Maglev is a direct connection from downtown shanghai to the Pudong International Airport. I took exactly 7 minutes and 55 seconds, and was traveling about 200mph. I flew with Thai Airways, and I have to say that Thai Airways was probably one of the best airlines that I have ever flown on. Their slogan is Thai Airways: smooth as silk. And they were not lying. It was so smooth that I didn’t even feel the takeoff. The seats were even slightly pre-inclined, so you didn’t feel like you were sitting on a right angle wooden bench. Along with the non-existent take-off the service was non-stop. For those of you that are interested in the alcoholic beverages, they are free of charge on Thai Airways. There was even a point in the flight when they came around with shots of Courvoisier! I started off with orange juice, then they gave us hot towels, and then the meal came: chicken and fried rice, a buttered roll, chocolate raspberry cake, smoked salmon, Chinese tea and I was offered red wine. The meal was actually better than I have had in Shanghai. The movie was Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, which was actually not that bad of a movie. I land into Bangkok around 8:50pm and immediately the heat hits me. Shanghai was about 5°C and Bangkok was 34°C.

I flew with my friend Jeff and Sherry and we all met up with Milan. We catch a cab and head to the registration party because none of us have a place to stay in Bangkok yet. You might be asking yourself, “Why doesn’t he have a place?” and I can explain. My credit card has been temporarily disabled and so I was unable to book a room at a hostel. None of us had a place, and so we decided to find one after the party. Bangkok is beautiful. It was much cleaner than Shanghai, Cincinnati, and New York. Just like New York and Shanghai, it never really sleeps. There are stores and restaurants always open, and the street food vendors are always eager to serve. We hang out at the party for a bit and then start our search for a place to stay. We eventually end up at the Ambassador Hotel, which is located right next to the party and tomorrow’s party. So Jeff and Milan are happy about that, I’m just happy to have a place to stay. I hit the hay around midnight and get ready to wake up at 8 the next morning.

Milan and I leave the hotel around 8 and need to get to the field by 9. Milan and I decide to take the metro to the field, and head to the closest station. The teller tells us to get off at MoChit station, and that’s about 7 stops away. We arrive at MoChit and look at our map to try to find the field. We head north and just start walking. We ask a few people on the street where it is, and they just point and we think we heard one lady say, “Bus”. It’s 8:45 when we ask a couple and the tell us, “Continue straight, turn right and then follow the road for 4km.” We say thanks, and we try to translate and figure out if we heard correctly. We ask someone else and they said 4km also. We decide to take a taxi. The taxi starts driving in the right direction and we get there in 23 minutes. 4km was correct.

The fields are located on an Army Base. I’ll let that sink in, and let you realize just how cool that is. While we are playing, there are guns firing, army dudes running around, soldiers marching, helicopters sometimes flying overhead; and here are 250 foreigners running around on their field playing with flying plates and blasting music. These people are awesome. I am placed on the Burgundy team and I don’t need to warm up because I got pretty warm and sweaty just by walking around Bangkok trying to find the fields with Milan. We play 4 games on Saturday, and it wasn’t my best tournament or play I’ve ever had. About mid-day, I start to feel it. I either ate too much food, or I had a little food poisoning because I started to feel my stomach about to come out my mouth. On top of that being in the sun for too long caused my to perspire a bit, and I could feel my heat stroke approaching. On top of THAT, after taking a break, I attempted to warm-up and stretch to find myself in excruciating pain in my right leg. My entire leg cramped up. My thigh was bulging and my shin was popping out. The locals were just staring at me and probably amazed at what they were witnessing. The medics rushed over and started stretching and rubbing my leg, and it would eventually go away. Then I got toe cramps, and then stomach cramps. Not the best day. We end the day and I head back to the hotel with Milan and jump directly into the pool. Cool down and stretch in the pool and just try to not feel as much pain. I explore the streets of Bangkok a bit. I walk around and there are just people everywhere. Food stands are littered everywhere and goods are lined up on the main streets. They are selling shirts, emeralds, shoes, watches, hats, DVD’s, and prostitutes. That was pretty awkward. I have been approached in Shanghai by people who want me to buy DVD’s and watches from them, but never women. I was disgusted and told them to get away. It is probably the worst thing about Bangkok, the prostitutes, and is one thing that I am willing to not see or be near again. After eating some beef on a stick and some noodle soup, I head to the Ultimate party where the theme is: Timewarp 3009. I get dressed and head to the party.

At the party there are tons of people dressed up. You know the movie Aliens with Sigourney Weaver, and the scene where she’s in that robot arms thing? My friend Mary knows that scene, and she made that. I wore a Chinese helmet, this silver jacket I bought, a white shirt, a transformers belt buckled belt, jeans and silver converse high tops. I looked good. I talk with some of my friends and learn that people are rather impressed with my skill level and my potential as an ultimate player, and that I could be even better if I just assert myself. That seems to be my problem in a lot of areas of my life, assertion. I head to bed around 1 and get ready to wake up at 7:30.

I get outta bed at 8 and Milan and I hitch a ride with another Ultimate player and get to the fields in 14 minutes instead of 64 minutes. My team was eliminated after 2 close games, including one game to universal point (sudden death). So we hang out after and watch other people play and just have fun chatting and hanging out. We go to another bar for another “party” and then I head for my 1am flight. Now my plan was to get the 1 am flight, get into Shanghai around 6am, and then head to work by 9am. WHY?!?!?!?! Work that day was sooo long and sooo boring and soooo rough. The day dragged and dragged on. But it was worth it, cuz I was in Bangkok.