While I'm currently coming to terms with my return to the suburbs of Toronto, it was only five weeks ago that I landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport, hailed a taxicab, recited my carefully rehearsed Thai directions to the driver, and caught my first bleary glimpses of Bangkok through a rainy car window.






Shortly after I was enjoying my first meal in Thailand: an excellent Tom Yum soup.




We happened on a group of construction workers, clad in blue and swarming various food stands at lunchtime.










Later, we took the subway to Lumphini Park. We found an outdoor muscle farm, a massive, public dance-aerobics session, and the first friendly cats we'd seen in a long time.






At night, not wasting any time, we ventured into seedy Bangkok and saw our first ping-pong show. It was simultaneously depressing and fascinating. After each trick, we applauded enthusiastically, both to communicate our amazement to the performers and to break, however fleetingly, the morose mood of the place.





We were even roped into a scam; I took it as our official welcome to Bangkok.