1st night out

After we finished our business during the day, Shawn's coworker invited us out to dinner. He took us to the BTS sky train and taught us how to use it. He was very knowledgeable and we were very appreciative to have him give us a tour. So after taking the sky train to Asok, we walked to the restaurant Cabbages and Condoms. Don't be fooled by the name, their proceeds go to benefit HIV/AIDS research and PDA social development. Walking into the entrance of the restaurant, it was very beautiful. Golden lights hanging from the trees, and it looked very serene. However, we came up to a manniquin dressed as a superhero made solely out of condoms! It was hilarious, and of course I had to stop to take pictures! The restaurant had a very nice atmosphere. Shawn's coworker gave us some tips on ordering: the waitress will stand around after she has taken your drink order so that she can take your meal order, she's not at all trying to pressure you to hurry, but as an American you are just not used to that. Eating Thai style, we had combination fried rice, dried pork with chili sauce, cashew chicken, vegetables, and grilled fish. Everything was really good and somewhat spicy. One of the great things about this restaurant is that after the meal, instead of taking mints home, you get to take condoms!

Our friend told us another tip: don't pick your teeth! If you need a toothpick you must do this discreetly because picking your teeth is highly offensive to Thai's.

Cabbages and Condoms

Once we left the restaurant, we walked up Suhkumivt Rd, which is a very long street and also where our hotel is located. One side of the street had a night market with everything you could buy, from shoes to movies, (and other illegal stuff). Then we just had to walk to some of the infamous red light areas. I say areas, because there is not one district, but several streets of this kind. We walked down NaNa street and also where the Hangover 2 was filmed. We didn't go in any clubs, but we could only imagine what was there. Our friend told us that they do have some nice bars and that the ladies would not bother a couple, but if a man is out alone, then they are really talking! He also showed us a great place to buy decorations, a tailor for men and women and some hair cut places. Shawn was very happy to see that there was some barber shops that cut black men's hair! After all of that walking we were very tired. We managed to take the right sky train home and called it a night.

Day 1-let the adventure begin

Our day began at 9am. We talked to family on skype, oh the internet, what would we do without you?
Afterwards, we went down to the hotel Emporium and had breakfast. All the staff are very nice and accomodating. Sawadee!! all the time :) After breakfast our day only got busier!

A woman from the Asian Tigers (Shawn's relocating service) came to pick us up. We first stopped at the hospital Bumrungrad to register and take a tour. Upon walking in, the hospital looked like a hotel. There was a McDonalds, Starbucks and a shopping center! The woman giving us the tour gave us an explanation of how the hospital system works. They have over 300 departments in this hospital. And when you need to see the doctor you just go to the speciality that you need. There is no reason to go to a "primary" doctor unless you don't know what is wrong. They also have everything in this one hospital, from vision, to skin care, to ENT (ear, nose, throat) to dentists. You name it, they got it. We also registered with the hospital so that when we return all we do is show up, show them our card and we  are in! Now, every business place we went to, everyone was dressed the same and very uniform. Let me explain, all the nurses had on white suits with little white hats like the 40's! I mean it looked straight out of a pearl harbor movie, where all the nurses were cute with their hairdo's and hats. Then the other staff had on green scrubs, except, they weren't scrubs more like business suits that looked like scrubs. Another part of the hospital that is different from American hospitals was the physical floor. When you need to come to get a physical you come to this floor and go through 7 stations. Each station leads you through the process of your physical. You start off at registration, move on to consultation, billing and then vitals. All your vitals are done separately and after you are done you get your results and post discussion because the labs are right there! There is no need to wait to have the doctor send your labs off somewhere, it is all done in one place! What amazed me the most was they have a free cafeteria for you to replenish yourself after you have done the main portion of your physcial because you often must go on an empty stomach. Wow! Why doesn't the US have such a simple and nice setting. Oh ya because we aren't socialist!

Ok, next place we went to was the bank. We registered for a Thai bank account. Here too, everyone was wearing purple, the bank's colors. Their entire outfit wasn't purple but they had a least some aspect of it. Women were wearing purple skirts, blazers, blouses, pants and men were purple jackets, shirts, ties, etc. It is just so different. After we did our business at the bank and took out some bhat, we went to Shawn's new office Chevron!

He had a great time viewing his new cubicle and meeting all the people. Ialso enjoyed meeting his coworkers and can't wait to have lunches, dinners, outings together. We are really going to enjoy this! Well, I will save our evening for later. Yes there is more! Sawadee!!

Our new journey

Leaving Houston, I have mixed emotions. I'm not crying or sad, I feel like I have let plenty out before this day, and I'm sure it will all come rushing in when I'm sitting in my new home knowing that I can't just drive to my mom's or friend's houses. I'm kinda indifferent right now, but don't get me wrong, I am excited to go and I can't even imagine what is in store for us, but right now it just feels like business. Ok, let's get this packed, this done and that. I'm also not looking forward to that 13 hr plane ride! But as I think about what could happen, I'm trying to motivate myself to make sure I do it all. I've always been the person that will do anything to achieve a goal. sometimes my goals are small, save money to go here, etc, and they have also been grand... Graduate from UT!  I did all those things and I know I can do more. Now, I'm setting my sights on helping, learning, becoming a better woman, a better friend, a better daughter a better wife. I want to enjoy this adventure. I want to help others around the world. I want to gain so much knowledge so that I can bestow it on my children. I am writing this and now they have become my goal. I have to do it. I realize that these have always been my goals but sometimes so many other things happen around you that you lose sight of them. Things get a bit cloudy. And now that I am going to one of the hottest places in the world, where there will be few clouds maybe I will begin to see them clearly.  Hmm, i just realized as I was writing, that those clouds were putting me to work . Those clouds were molding me to accomplish my goals. These goals are also something that isn't finite. I will have to continue molding myself to fit the person I want to be. So here I am, starting my journey not just 9633 miles away but a lifetime in the making.