The first full day in Thailand for the fam-
We started with a hearty breakfast consisting of street food sweet tacos and iced chocolates.
We then visited my school, where my family got to meet my nanny, P'Nun, the woman who has been calling me her daughter and taking care of me for the past 6 months. She told my mother that she looked very young and told my father that he looked old. What a lady :)
After exploring the neighborhood I lived in, we did the most Thai thing possible and got massages. One may think this is exorbitant, but in Thailand massage parlors are as common as gas stations in America--- there are 6 to choose from on my street alone. Normally I get a one hour full body oil massage (which costs the equivalent of 10USD including tip). Mom and Candace didn't want to do oil, so they opted for back, neck and head massages. I decided to try something new and join them. Firstly, they had us strip down and put on these gargantuan pink jumpsuits, then they instructed us to lie face down on our mattresses on the floor. After about 15 minutes of rubbing, I started to hear strange noises coming from the curtained section across from mine. Please tell me there wasn't a happy endings massage taking place within earshot of me and my family. I listened more intently. The noises became louder and were followed by stifled laughter. I realized the noises were coming from my mother "ouch. ughhh. ahhh. my body does not move like that!" insert [laughter from my sister, mother and the massouse] I kept listening and couldn't help but burst out laughing. My laughter came out in small grunts as I was trying to hide it from the massouse. That was all it took for the small thai woman kneading my back to open my curtain and have me face my mother and sister. I was horrified. Because my mother and sister asked not to have their heads massaged, the ladies were giving them traditional thai massages to pass the hour. My sister's massouse was about 30 seconds ahead of my mother, so I watched as my sister's arms and legs were pulled into the air and she was rocked back and forth like a toy horse. Oh no. The same was coming for my mother in mere seconds. Sure enough, the woman yanked my mom's arms behind her back (this move alone was enough to produce a look of horror on my mother's face) and then proceeded to try to fold my mother's legs up behind her and put her feet in her hands. The woman's plan was to step on the back of my mother's calves and rock her. I heard gasps and wheezing and my poor mom saying "I am too old for this" At this point, my mother, my sister and I were laughing uncontrollably with tears streaming down our cheeks; my mother's massouse pretended to be oblivious. Meanwhile the small thai women massaging my sister and I had begun laughing and speaking hurriedly to one another in thai, most likely egging on the one contorting my mom's body. Between gasps and laughter I tried to choke out "mai aow ka" "mai aow ka" (don't like! don't like) as I pointed to my mother. Again, the massouse pretended to be oblivious. This was the most entertainment the thai women had had in days, probably even months, and they were taking full advantage. Next they sat my mother up and tried to turn her torso so that her stomach was where her back had been. "ahhh, ahhh, ahhhh. owwww" my mom choked out as she was then jerked to the opposite side. After a few more acrobatic movements and a chorus of laughter, our massages were over and we were left to ourselves in our big pink jumpsuits. My father emerged relaxed and rejuvenated while his three girls emerged dissheveled with mascara running down their faces. My mother announced that she would never again be getting a massage in Thailand, while my father announced that he would be getting one every single day for the rest of the trip. Guess we should have stuck to what we knew and all gotten oil massages.
Getting massages was quite a trying experience (to say the least), so I decided to take everyone for lunch at Broccoli Revolution, a clean eating vegetarian joint that served thai as well as western dishes. After being in Thailand 6 months, I realized that eating noodles prepared in a vat on the street is something one has to work up to, and this was not the day for my family to work up to it. However, it was 3pm during rainy season, which meant a torrential downpour was just minutes from taking place. I instructed everyone to pull out their ponchos as we crowded onto the BTS skytrain. Sure enough, our 10 minute walk to Broccoli Revolution was anything but dry, but we were ready! Take that, Bangkok!
After eating, everyone was ready for naps, we so headed back to the condo. Mom and dad were out for the rest of the evening, so after the rain stopped Candace and I headed to Terminal 21 to experience the famous thai food court. The food court is so well known because it combines street food quality and prices with proper tables and A/C- something any thai will tell you is a luxury. Candace had chicken with fish flavored rice--- fish sauce is a staple in thailand (one she nor I particularly care for)-- and then topped it off with coconut ice cream (something she and I both care for!)
What a great first day in Bangkok, Thailand!
