Thailand 30: June 8, 2003

Well, we leave Bangkok in about 48 hours. Its been a great two years, though not always what we expected. Liz has done an incredible job at adapting to our new environment and recreating her tremendous group of friends that she had built up in the US. I remember prior to our traveling to Thailand, she was really focused on health concerns. She even bought a crate of bottled water, fearing for our drinking safety. I finally convinced her to give the bottles away and Bangkok, as the most cosmopolitan city in which either of us has lived, provided more than enough modern luxuries. However, no matter how advanced the country, you can never be sure that you will fit in or establish strong friendships. We've been lucky to do both.

I will miss Thailand very much (except perhaps some of our more annoying AmCit customers in the consular section). I love the way contrasts in Thailand (modern vs. traditional, Western vs. Asian, rich vs. poor) are so obvious. Friends threw a goodbye party for us at the Sukothai hotel, one of the more upscale venues in Bangkok. After the party (at which we had a great time), a few people went to a bar near our home. The bar, The Room, is set in a block of hot clubs across the street from Lumpini Park. At midnight on a Friday or Saturday, as you approach, you will see a pack of Mercedes or BMWs stretched in down the block, many with waiting drivers, as young and attractive (and wealthy) high society Thais knock back shots or mixed drinks made with the bottles of Johnny Walker black they have reserved at the bar. In front, though, is an older man pedaling his cart full of fried insects along the street trolling for customers. One of our favorite restaurants, Admakers, features a folk-rock duo, strumming James Taylor, accoustic Pink Floyd, and the Beatles. It also serves some of the best Thai food in Bangkok. It's located across the street from our modern, high rise apartment. Yet, similar to the bars around the corner, every night a man sets up his stand to sell grilled squid to hungry bar patrons as they head home.

I made a final appearance in the Thai press, this time in the local Udon Thani newspaper following my visit there last month. When we travel out of Bangkok to provide consular services, we arrange a room at a local hotel in which to meet with American Citizens. Since the Embassy is paying for the trip, the hotel usually arranges a photo with the general manager which they use for publicity purposes. Apparently, the GM of the Charoensiri Grand hotel, knowing what a draw I am, sent the photo on to the local paper, which published it in its business section. No doubt business has boomed since my photo appeared.

We had a last goodbye dinner with a large group of friends last night at one of our favorite (and one of the very best) restaurants in Bangkok, Eat Me. After the meal, a group made its way to Soi 2, a small lane that hosts numerous gay bars. Lots of dancing, etc. so you would expect me to feel right at home. Only one (perhaps ignorant) comment: when Cher comes on, the place really lights up. I guess Will and Grace is right. It's like cranking Lynyrd Skynyrd at a tractor pull.

As we prepared to leave Bangkok, we went on a frenzied buying spree, attempting to purchase everything we hadn't obtained since we arrived here. We had ten beautiful dining room chairs made which were delivered in mid-May. To innaugurate the chairs, I had some friends come over for cards. At about the time we received the chairs, I developed a case of what I thought was poison ivy. A visit to the Embassy nurse didn't clarify the situation and I kept on scratching. Over time, Liz and our maid also developed itchy rashes leading to concerns that perhaps we had some type of mite-like scabies. Liz took that about as calmly as you might expect and after several (dozens) of calls to her parents and consultations with local doctors we agreed to take anti-scabie medicine later that night (a rather invasive process). Prior to begining the de-scabification ritual, we went out to dinner with some friends, coincidentally my fellow card players. It turned out that each of them had developed the same rash. It now appears that the furniture manufacturer waxed the chairs with a substance from some Chinese tree (that's as specific as they could be) and this has caused an allergic reaction. Yes, our chairs have made us ill. In the meantime, we had already packed the chairs up for shipment to Uganda, so we'll have to deal with the issue all over again in Africa. In any event, we still have these attractive red patches which we'll be sporting in DC. So, I guess we'll be bringing back a little bit of Thailand with us.