BREAKFAST IN SIAM
I decided, for a treat (change), to take my crew for breakfast in Siam (pronounced see-ahm). That is a shopping district in Bangkok. It’s an upscale shopping district having Gucci, Versace and that crap.
Of course we had a scheduling problem. I’m usually up at three (don’t ask). Well, that’s good. I had a chance to watch the second NFL game, it being Monday here. The early game starts at midnight, Bangkok time. Then I could watch the night game with the inimitable John Madden. Then I switched over to the Mets-Cardinals playoff game.
When that ended at 10:30, the last of my crew was finally out of bed. I don’t dare wake them when the schools are on vacation. Then it only took 45 minutes and many pouts to get out the door, which may have been a record.
We took a taxi to the subway, the subway 5 stops to the Skytrain, and then the Skytrain 4 stops to Siam. The unusual thing is, it would have been cheaper to take a taxi all the way but, with Bangkok traffic, much slower. The difference is not much, perhaps the equivalent of $5 for everyone to ride the taxi against $7 on the rapid transit. But the rapid transit is a lot more interesting.
In Siam we walked straight off the train platform into a mall. By this time I was starved and half smashed, having had my usual morning drinks on an empty stomach. So we stopped in at the first eating place we came to. Big mistake. It was a French/Chinese joint. Experience has taught me that French/Chinese restaurants serve pedestrian food at greatly inflated prices. I forgot. It cost $70 to get out of that place. They charged $4.50 for a small bottle of local beer. What a rip-off.
But on the plus side, none of my crew had ever been to Siam before. I thought they’d want to look around. It was an interesting place. But the pouts came back. They wanted to go back home where they didn’t want to leave in the first place. You know why? They were missing their TV programs.
I can’t win.
Of course we had a scheduling problem. I’m usually up at three (don’t ask). Well, that’s good. I had a chance to watch the second NFL game, it being Monday here. The early game starts at midnight, Bangkok time. Then I could watch the night game with the inimitable John Madden. Then I switched over to the Mets-Cardinals playoff game.
When that ended at 10:30, the last of my crew was finally out of bed. I don’t dare wake them when the schools are on vacation. Then it only took 45 minutes and many pouts to get out the door, which may have been a record.
We took a taxi to the subway, the subway 5 stops to the Skytrain, and then the Skytrain 4 stops to Siam. The unusual thing is, it would have been cheaper to take a taxi all the way but, with Bangkok traffic, much slower. The difference is not much, perhaps the equivalent of $5 for everyone to ride the taxi against $7 on the rapid transit. But the rapid transit is a lot more interesting.
In Siam we walked straight off the train platform into a mall. By this time I was starved and half smashed, having had my usual morning drinks on an empty stomach. So we stopped in at the first eating place we came to. Big mistake. It was a French/Chinese joint. Experience has taught me that French/Chinese restaurants serve pedestrian food at greatly inflated prices. I forgot. It cost $70 to get out of that place. They charged $4.50 for a small bottle of local beer. What a rip-off.
But on the plus side, none of my crew had ever been to Siam before. I thought they’d want to look around. It was an interesting place. But the pouts came back. They wanted to go back home where they didn’t want to leave in the first place. You know why? They were missing their TV programs.
I can’t win.
posted by Walter Guest at 5:46 PM
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