toh-ra-sap hak laa-ou

There was a mini reunion last night of TEFL trainees.  Many people from the course came into Bangkok and the contingent living here met up with them outside of Center World, the largest mall in Southeast Asia.  They set up a giant beer garden there on the weekends during the cool season.  Last night they had two stages set up, one apparently sponsored by Singha beer, the other by it's rival, Chang.  We ended up in the Chang camp, with two tables in front of the stage.  The three liter beer towers stood proudly in the center of each.
When we arrived, they were setting up the stage, and I had no idea what we were in for.  What followed was one of those cross-cultural things that I don't fully understand.  One member of the band wore a luchador mask.  Another, some sort of white mask that would have worked equally well for Halloween or a bank robbery.  The lead guitarist wore high top trainers, tight jeans, and a Beatles' shirt.  The second guitarist in a collared shirt and tie looked and acted as though he had no idea that he was in a band, let alone this one.
The musical progression began with what I can only describe as death metal, rolling into catchy pop followed by balladic melodies, and finally coming full circle back to the metal.  This was interspersed with costume changes, an aerosol can flame thrower display, and some of the hardest to contextualize stage antics I can ever recall seeing.  They also managed to disseminate to the crowd playpen balls, balloons, sparklers, and cheap candy.
The beer helped immensely with the entertainment factor.
As things wound down we went in search of transportation to Kao San road.  Where else can a large group of white travelers go to on a Friday night but to the falang carnival?  I'm getting better and better at negotiating for transportation costs and find it a happy little diversion.
I must admit, there are actually positives about Kao San.  First of all, it is a good place to find used English language books.  You can trade in books for half of the original price and they are pretty reasonable, with a fair selection.  Also, aside from the fact that there is also more skin on display there than anywhere else in Bangkok that you're not paying to see, there is amazing falafel to be had!
At either end of the short street are stationed falafel stands, like sentries of old.  They do little to guard against the onslaught of Tuk-Tuk drivers, walking peddlers, suit salesmen, or the ubiquitous lip smacks of ping-pong show solicitors, however.  While their observational and security roles are questionable, the public service that they offer is undeniable.  They provide a welcome change of pace from the constant stream of noodles, rice, and skewered meats flowing into my gullet.
Mung bean sprouts are plentiful here.  Tomatoes are common in the papaya salad.  Cucumbers and onions play an important role in many a meal.  Cabbage, pickled and fresh, can be found easily within two blocks of wherever you find yourself.  The Thais are also not strangers to deep-frying as evidenced at many of the vendor carts.  But the combination of chickpea and fava bean mash deep fried and stuffed into a pita slathered with hummus is certainly not from around these parts.
Douse it with tahini and a very different type of hot sauce. Load it with your choice of toppings (there are so many to choose from: corn with onion, cucumber with dill, cabbage and carrot slaw to name but a few).  Dig in, and revel in the resultant mess.
In fact, there is a large population of Indian nationals here in Bangkok.  My school is actually strategically located between the two areas with the highest density.  Perhaps tomorrow will be a day to further investigate.  As one of my closest friends from training is in town, I might abscond with her for the day to show her the sights.  A food loving co-conspirator is always a welcome addition.
Today, I had to go in search of a cheap replacement phone.  Last night, packed into a Tuk-Tuk with four others, my phone fell out my pocket and onto the road.  By the time we had managed to get back to it, it had seen the business side of too many tires to be salvageable.  Try as I might to roll with things in an upbeat manner, sometimes it's very hard.  This was one of those times.  I returned home in a rather foul mood.
In a pleasant turn of events, Sarah was on Facebook.  We chatted for a while before exhaustion finally set in.  The unburdened sleep I enjoyed, as well as waking to face the new day optimistically, can only be attributed to her.  I did manage to find a relatively cheap phone, and have loaded most of my lost contacts from other people's phones.  There are some people that I'm sure I will lose touch with because of this, but at this point I'd rather not dwell on it.
Currently eating delicious fruit that I bought last weekend and waiting for the storm to clear outside, I will take my leave.  I have lessons to prepare for and Thai to study.  Until next time, be well.