.In.

After my unsuccessful try to get out of Bangkok, there was nothing much to do – just to stay. So I did. Stayed. Trying to use my time as efficient as possible in order to explore the city, find something unusual and interesting.

Sightseeing
As every ordinary tourist, I took a map and just walked around to the spots, that are marked in the map as ‘important’ ones. And of course my map became advanced couple of days ago, when one guy, who knows why stopped me in the street, start telling me where to go and what to see [usually those Tuk-tuk drivers are doing that, so after they can take you there, but this one seemed to be just nice, no additional bonuses for him], so he put some notes in my map. Funny now, when I think about it, but he drew a stick-man next to one of the spots and wrote 40m. In the beginning [since when Thai people speak english, you do not necesarrily understand it anyways] I thought that it takes 40 minutes to get there. Turns out – it‘s 40 meters statue of Buddha [am I spelling it correctly?].

I decided to start my trip by exploring what it feels like to ride a Tuk-tuk. It is some sort of taxi in Bangkok, kind of motor-bike on three wheels and pretty comfortable [from the look] seat for passangers. There are millions of them in Bangkok and they keep on constantly beeping, yielling `miss, tuk-tuk` and trying to convince you to take one of them. So finally, on the day I decided to actually do that, they all seemed to dissapear from the streets or from my sight. So anyways, I decided to trust my feet and give them a full walking-working day. Here we were, going, trying to get to meet with another ordinary tourist in the city – onfortunately, unsuccessfully. After that, I decided, it‘s time for me to get to what they call `grand palace`. The guy did not want to let me in and send me to `rent clothes`. Apparently, even my trousers that are below my knees are inapropriate. So I was waiting in a queue waiting for some proper [jeez louise I thought, proper clothes in the university, proper clothes in the palace, what‘s next] clothing and decided it‘s not worth it. It was so full of tourist, that lost all the specificness [is that even a word?] and I just quit. Next time I thought. Or maybe never. I kept on going.

I have visited several temples, all look very similar to one each other, I have to say. All has statues of Buddha, they are all golden, all around there are flowers, money [that people donate and they do that pretty generously I may add] and frankincense and people that are praying. Interesting enough to see the people praying, I have to admit, although, as for the buildings – they just start to look like just the one I have just came from.

I also visited what they call `marble palace`, which was not crowded at all, although the guy had to give me a scarf, so I could hide my shoulders [such an improper person I am] and it was pretty nice. Nothing very special magnificent, but I learned something new, which is always a good thing. This one had a lot of different Buddha’s sculptures inside, so apparently, depending on how Buddha looks like, means something. Mostly Buddha is just on a `walking position`, or `forbidding his relatives to fight other than some specific way`, or `teaching`, or `calming the ocean` and so on.

Turns out, some things just never change. 40 meters Buddha was just as exciting as a chick with legs in Copenhagen [yes, the one you know better as a mermaid] and still so far at least for me the best excitement was brought from non-touristic places. I remember on my first day in Bangkok I went to some temple [it was on a map, but I wasn’t going there, just passing by, so stopped for a minute of two]. I wasn’t sure if I can enter it or if I can make pictures inside [even though I am not religious myself, but I like to respect other’s choice to believe and what to believe], but one of those Buddhist’s guys invited me in and even more – insisted on taking the pictures. I was so impressed by his kindness, that I still remember him with a smile.

Contrasts
It’s hard to judge of course, after only several days in the city, but it is insanely contrasting city. You have a big modern building for the ministry of energy on the corner and just 5 meters away you have some huts, that are home for someone, but truthfully, it’s deadly hard to imagine living in there. Or you have a big supermarket on the corner and just 100 meters away you have scrapheap [or whatever you call that place, where it’s just a field there nothing more just rubbish and trash is all around] and people are actually living there. Or you have so many people that has hardly money to buy a decent dinner and clothes, while in the streets you see very fancy new cars with fancy people in them.

Colors
Apparently, colors are very important in this country. Or maybe in this city, not sure yet. If you decide to take that tuk-tuk taxi kinda thing I just wrote about before – you have to take one with yellow numbers. Why? Because they belong to the government, so they will be cheaper, most likely will try to cheat less and are there is more possibility they won’t drag you into those tricks, where they take you somewhere and on the way, they stop in some jewelry or souvenirs shop, where you could buy something [it’s the deal between drivers and shop owners].

It is also very important to know color of the bus you need. So far I’ve seen only red and blue, but might be much more [I haven’t explored the whole city yet] and different colors takes you to different places, apparently. For example, if you want to go to Siam square from Khao San Road you have to take Red bus no 15 and nothing else. I’m just trying to imagine how easy it should be for color-blind people to be in Bangkok.

In general, there are a lot of things that you just need to know in Bangkok. For example, if you take taxi, it might be pretty expensive, therefore you should take `public taxi` which also belongs to the government and is the cheapest one in the city I believe. Well, you live and you learn it. Or you just google a lot and you learn it too.

Food
I finally learned what is the name of my `pink fruit`. They call it dragon fruit and I still have no idea what that would be in lithuanian, but it taste good and that’s all I need to know. But generally speaking – fruits are pretty expensive [at least comparing to the other stuff, like meat sold in the streets]. Or overall speaking – who told me Thailand is `very cheap country, everything is almost for free`?? I learned my lesson never to trust what people tell you the hard way, so I wasn’t so trustful this time as well, and I have to say, it’s not soooo cheap. I mean, yes, some things are less expensive, especially if you go to non-touristic small places to eat – you get pretty good deals, but if you go to the store – prices are very similar to at least Lithuanian prices. Well, I still haven’t figured all the prices system here, but so far it does not look like `living for free` country for me.

But anyways, today, while exploring the city and getting some rain [again] I tried one of those small eating places in a non touristic street [I was the only light skin/hair person with big eyes to be eating there]. Funny, how they spoke no english at all and I know zero words in Thai, so they asked me something, I nodded and was waiting for something that I ordered. But like literally – something. Turns out, it was one of the top 10 meals I have ever had. Very simple, noodles with some vegetables, chicken and something more [still have no idea what that was, but nothing extra exotic like worms for sure], took around only 2 minutes for them to prepare it, but I was eating it with pleasure – very good really. And it cost me only 30Baht, which is actually a bit less than 1 Euro. The sad part although – this place is far from where I live, so no way I’m going to be a regular there.

Religion
People seem to be very religious here. Buddha’s statues everywhere, small ones on every second corner, so people can pray if they feel like it. And millions of people are visiting them every single day, donating frankincense, flowers, money and praying, praying, praying. It made me wonder – maybe it is good after all to have something/someone you believe in, maybe it makes their lives easier and happier? After all – they seem pretty happy on a daily basis.

Smiling
They call it a country that smiles. And when you look around, they look like a smiling country. They smile to each other, they seem happy, no matter what they do. But they don’t smile to you. They smile back at you though. Somehow I get a feeling that light skin/big eyes people made pretty bitchy opinion about themselves in here, so Thai people seem to be a little careful about that. But they smile very sincerely to you, once you smile to them.

Today, one little girl was staring at me [well, a lot of people stares at me here, I hardly see that, because I choose not to]. And she was doing that so nicely, because she did not want to stare, but probably I was just a very interesting and not ordinary thing to look at. So I winked at her and smiled. She ran away to her mother and told her the story [I don’t understand Thai, but that wasn’t really a rocket science from here excitement and mother’s reaction] all happy. But then again, when you think about it, how often white bear is walking in your city, winking and smiling to people, right?

Basketball
Definitely Thailand is not the country of basketball, that’s for sure. I doubt if they even know what basketball is. So looking for a sport bar or sport channel where I could possibly watch some games from world championship, seemed to be a mission impossible. I had to skip Lithuania-Argentina game and just enjoy the result I got from a friend. I managed to watch Lithuania-USA match last night. No I am wondering if it was a good thing after all to watch, I hate seeing those guys trying so freaking hard and still have to leave loosing. And I lost my internet connection just before Serbia-Turkey match, so it was almost heart breaking news when I got the message, that they lost with only one point and that the whole match was a drama all right! I wish I could have been there, in Istanbul to watch it live. Oh well.

Tonight I am still not sure if I can make it to Lithuania-Serbia game and how to watch it, to be honest. I am supporting Lithuania 100%, but I also support Serbia and I can see how hard those guys are fighting during this championship. They lie when they say that final is between USA and Turkey. The real final will be between Serbia and Lithuania and so far I can say, I’m just hoping for a very interesting game and for my internet not to be cut off in the worst timing.