Sell Me Candy

It's a weekend in Bangkok. We're tourists.

Obviously we're slogging it out in the sweltering heat of the world-famous Chatuchak Weekend Market. Not my first time there obviously but it certainly struck the rest of my friends as shockingly ginormous - as I told them, even I've never covered the entire area myself. Has anyone? :O

Place hasn't changed much - hundreds of stalls selling everything from porcelain ware to puppies with vendors haggling for prices with customers while indigent street children wail a song for their supper.

And I had my mini cream puffs yet again.


More clothes for me HAHA!!
Being gay men, my friends went a lil crazy over the bargain clothes selection. Crazed enough with the low, low prices that they seemed to have forgotten all about bargaining.

Shopkeeper : 200 baht for a pair. Really cheap, sir.
Jared : Okay. Here.
Paul : WTF. That shiny glittering skirt-pant contraption isn't that expensive. Ask for 80 baht dammit.
Jared : Oh God. Cheap cheap. Gimme more.

And then he'd buy three for the asking price instead of haggling. But oh what the hell, as long as you're satisfied with the purchase, I see no reason to scout for prices.

Sun came out while were there literally spit-roasting the entire market area. A lil change in temperature certainly didn't pose a problem for serious shopaholics like me but fragile blossoms - Dashing Dan and Lanky Lex - were soon found to be wilting. Hence a return to civilization - and air-conditioned comfort of MBK Mall - not long after.

Being culture freaks, we soon headed off for the Siam Niramit. Certainly a spectacular cultural performance worth the ticket price though it didn't compare with the amazing dinner we had right afterward. Our resident tour guide, Jaunty Jared turned out to be surprisingly at a loss to what else to do on our itinerary ( no doubt exhausted from not bargaining! ) so we had to resort to begging for directions.

I'll admit to some qualms as we were hustled by an area with go-go gals pouting their pretty lips for service. Fortunately the ushers at Siam Niramit certainly knew their stuff and we found ourselves ensconced in a lovely lil out-of-the-way restaurant called the Leelawadee in the outskirts of Bangkok. Obviously catering to the locals ( since no one spoke a word of English and we had to stumble through the menu ), the place was delicious, cheap - and yes, it had a pretty cute waiter as well.

A perfect end to the evening.