Bangkok is a wonderful city. Oh I know it's polluted - diesel hangs in the air like soup, and there's the endless hiss and smell of frying street food. I know it's noisy - the honking of car horns, the music blaring from restaurants and bars. I know it's exploitative, of tourist and Thai alike. But I still love it.
There are so many things to do. On Saturday I visited the Palace - all gold and glitter and, to western eyes, possibly over the top, but even so it is sumptuous and there are unexpectedly peaceful corners. The city has parks - maybe not as green as those at home, but still places with scrubby trees where you can find shade on the hottest days. There are vast, air-conditioned shopping malls, though you won't see me there.
Instead I'm lurking in the backpackers heaven of Khao San Road. And here you can buy anything. You can choose material and have a suit made. You can have a foot massage, a shoulder massage. You can have your fungally feet nibbled by fish who have, just five minutes ago, been nibbling at someone else's fungals. You can buy skirts, t-shirts, baggy trousers, necklaces, pirated DVDs, scarves, knickers. You can buy a driving license and a degree certificate.
Go to Chinatown and, in the tiny market stalls, you can find wigs, fabric, gold (possibly fake), remedies for everything from alopecia to athletes foot.
Go to the Amulet Market and you can find old coins, artefacts (possibly fake), glasses, dildos, false teeth.
Make it back to Khao San Road in one piece and you can get a piercing, a tattoo, get your hair cut.
You can get your eyelashes permed ... What??
Why would anyone want to get his or her eyelashes permed?
And then, should anyone decide that his or her life is not complete without curly eyelashes, what is involved in the procedure? A smelly lotion and tiny curlers? (Pause to savour that image for a second.)
Am I missing something? It my life really incomplete without permed eyelashes?
(Sorry if I'm letting the side down heading for Malaysia with none of this stuff!)
Permed eyelashes???? Now I've heard of everything...
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine why anyone would want to have that done. Then again, I'm so "backward," I don't have any interest in having eyeliner tattoos, either. The things people will do to themselves in the name of beauty! I think I'm doing pretty good for keeping my legs shaved. (Of course, at my age,l there isn't much hair left to shave anymore...)
Happy New Year!
I seem to remember Germiane Greer suggesting that you can tell a woman who is having and affair because she shaves her legs in the winter ... But that was a few years ago! Times have changed, and cultures evolve. Just hope we don't go so far as perming our eyelashes!
DeleteGood morning Jo. Travel Greetings. Lovely word picture of your Bankok experience. I could write the same for Kolkata (note to self - Get on with it Tone!)
ReplyDeleteAs a New Year gesture, might I offer an apostrophe for athlete's foot - or not.
Look forward to your next bloggetteAm pondering the weaning from facebook as I seemingly 'right-on ly' escape into it for lengths of time on every which way but try to win on world issues.
Look forward to your next bloggette (just fancied coining that word)
Tony
Thanks for the apostrophe, Tone, accepted - and I'd edit the post it were easy from the wild corners or Penang!
DeleteWe'call catch up when I get back.
Well there's a first! Dildo and false teeth in the same sentence! That made me laugh. You've certainly painted a fascinating picture of a different life in a different place. Take care and let us know if you decide to go for a tattoo or even an eyelash perm!
ReplyDeleteCertainly not going for the tattoos or eyelash perming. But false teeth and a dildo ... Now there's a image to play with ...
DeleteWhat a fabulous eclectic and almost bizarre mix. It sounds as if you are revelling in the experience of it all, Jo. and no, I cannot in my wildest dreams imagine having my eyelashes permed…as someone I know well says quite often "whatever next"? Looking forward to hearing from Malysia!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I'm certainly throwing myself into things, Val. But still managing to resist the eyelash perm!
DeleteTalking Thai hairdressers, do they still do a head massage when they wash your hair? Tried and failed to get my hairdresser in the UK to follow this trend!
ReplyDeleteI don't know - I had my hair cut here, some years ago, and they did all sorts of unnecessary things - but I've no Idea if they do massage. I wouldn't be surprised - there's massage everywhere else!
DeleteI'd love to visit Thailand, even to live there for awhile. But I'll pass on having someone put chemicals close to my eyes, thank you.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get there on day, Karen - it's an amazing place!
DeleteThat was the city we almost went to four years ago but the riots stopped us from doing so. I've heard it's beautiful. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
What an exciting trip you're having Jo. Looks like I add Khao San Road to my itinerary. Now you'd look good with curly eyelashes!
ReplyDeleteYou can call your next book: Lashing Out or 100 Lashes. Greetings from cold Jerusalem.
ReplyDeleteI have often wondered why anyone wanted to get eyeliner tattooed on their lids, as well. Some people obviously have a high tolerance of discomfort, or else are very lazy and would rather not spend the time curling their own eyelashes. I can see their point of view.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds very strange, and incredibly precarious. You could easily end up with no eyelashes, I imagine. I still need to write a story or a post on how I had my facial hair threaded in Hoi An, Vietnam in November...
ReplyDelete