Bangers is the new New York

Yesterday was all the emotional shit, today it’s the cool stuff.

By now you will have gathered I love Bangkok, well here are some of the reasons why…

View from balcony.

THE LEBUA HOTEL

I seriously can not rave enough about this hotel. Every detail. The restaurants, the food, the bars, my room, the service, its location, the gym (yes, I went 4, I repeat 4, times) – just everything about it. They just made everything so easy and anything I asked for they took care of, all with a smile. The staff were just beautiful. By about Day 4 where ever I went in the hotel they seemed to know my name. They have this beautiful Tower Club that has complimentary drinks and food between noon and 6 – they knew my name first. On my birthday I came back from a day out and there was a chocolate birthday cake in my fridge. I could’ve cried with JOY. Thank you Lebua.

SHOPPED TILL I BLED

Did 6 massive shopping centres, and then my two favourites twice. There is nothing you can’t buy in Bangers and I bought at least one of each. My absolute fav centre had two floors of local designers. Besides the issues I had with local sizes – a Thai large is a snug fit on me - I stocked up big time! All up I got something like 3 shirts, 2 jumpers, 5 t’shirts, 2 shorts, 2 scarves (one with a nautical motif), 2 wallets and 4 pairs of shoes. Not bad at all. But the biggest and the best purchase was my little birthday present to myself… may I introduce my new boyfriend, Louis! From the Louis Vuitton store at Emporium, my No. 1 of shopping centres.

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD

The food was so good I kept taking pictures of my meals – I am practically a Japanese tourist. Did not have one bad meal the entire time. OMG I love a curry and the Thai’s do a very lovely curry. The best was a chilli crab curry, so good I believe it changed my life. Wasn’t very brave when it came to buying food on the side of the road, which is how so many of the locals seem to eat. Well that’s what I thought until I stumbled on the worlds biggest food court in the shopping district that had enough people in it to fill the MCG.

SENSORY OVERLOAD

Everything about Bangkok is about the senses. Its one big giant overload of all the senses. The smell of the streets can make you gag one minute, swoon the next. They love their food and will set up a cooking station just about anywhere. Every second store offers massage. I thought this was just a tourist thing but then I went out to the suburbs and it was no different. It’s a city so crammed with action there is always something catching your eye. Everything is about the senses in Bangers. I absolutely felt obliged to have a massage every day – 3 full-body, 1 back and shoulders, 1 scalp, a beautiful manicure and a foot massage.

THAI PEOPLE

Just so friendly and lovely. And I love how Bangkokkers are so entrepreneurial. They will set up their little business doing just about anything, just about anywhere. I know this is driven by the widespread poverty, which can break your heart at times, but you gotta respect their willingness to make the most of everything. I saw quite a few men and woman who’d set up as a tailor on the edge of the road. There was one guy, a locksmith, who’d set up his business on the edge of a frantic intersection – with a full lathe. Now you’ve got to respect that!

THE DOLLAR

It’s probably very wrong to go from talking about the poverty to the strength of the Aussie dollar, but I did try to do some good with it. I found I was doubling the price of things when it came to paying because for me it was the difference between $3 and $6, but for them it was so much more. You can live very well in Bangers on our dollar, and how I made myself feel better about that was to spread as much of it as I could. Cab drivers were my favourite, so appreciative. You can live very well and still make a subtle difference (without being completely patronising…)

So after a week I feel like I could be a very good Bangkok tour guide. Well I know all the best shopping and the best hotel in town. I also know where to find an amazing curry. The rest in Bangers takes care of itself.

I love Bangkok. It’s why I’m calling it the new New York.

Phew! Finally got all that Bangkok-love out of my system. Tomorrow, St. Murphy will be back to its boring old self.

Thanks for indulging me.

xoxoxo

Just a table for 1 thanks.

I’m having a lot of trouble writing this. This is the fourth time I’ve started this post. Normally this blogging thing comes quite easily to me but this one has been a real struggle.

I absolutely loved my little holiday in Bangkok, loved it so much it’s hard to put into words. I know why I loved it but its kinda tough sharing. It was momentous on a quite a personal level (yes, I know how wanky that sounds...). It’s not just the city itself, which is truly amazing, but for me I made two huge breakthroughs, which has left me on top of the world.

Without really knowing it was weighing heavily on me, I realised while I was away that I am going to be absolutely fine on my own. It’s only been a few months since ‘the break-up’ and I thought I had been doing really well. But I arrived in Bangers and had a bit of a meltdown the first few days…

“What the fuck have I done? Why did I think I could do things like this on my own?”

This culminated in me waking up on my birthday filled with absolute dread that I was spending the day on my own and the only conversations I would have would be with shop assistants and waiters.

Thankfully I checked in on Facebook and Twitter which made me feel so special – thank god for social media. Then I got all depressed again that I was so far from home and alone on my birthday, which ironically was actually the whole purpose of the trip.

“What the fuck were you thinking Steven? Why did you think you were up for this?”

Bolstered by the b’day messages the day turned out to be very cool and for the first time I did a Table for 1 restaurant booking. (By the end of the week I was very, very good at this! In fact I did it every remaining night.) Got myself suitably drunk for my b’day while trying to decide if I should go out to celebrate - did my head in on this one. Eventually fell asleep watching bad American sitcoms.

Woke up next day and was stupidly sad. Nothing worse than an empty king size bed when you are feeling sorry for yourself. Then still not sure from where, I got it in my head that if I’m going to be on my own than I really need to be ON MY OWN. For the last few months Twitter, Facebook and this blog have been my crutch to get me through. You are never alone when you are on social media. All those nights I’d spent physically alone at Man Pit I was surrounded by friends online. I needed to stop using my crutch. A self-imposed social media ban was the answer! Strangest thing, as soon as I made this decision my holiday became even more of a beautiful, wonderful thing.

I got high on feeling so independent and in control, and from feeling happy just being with me. I think this was the first time in a very long time.

“I can do this and I can have a fabulous time on my own.”

I suddenly felt so empowered. I also finally understood that I could do exactly what I wanted when I wanted which was very cool. More importantly, I also stopped feeling like I should be doing things just because I could or should – my second breakthrough! Just because you are on holidays doesn’t mean you need to cram it full of experiences. Even though you have an idea or plan in your head, if it’s not what you feel like doing than you shouldn't feel you have to. This has been a problem for me my whole life and it’s usually when I get myself into trouble. Hopefully not anymore.

So besides the amazing shopping, the beautiful food and the gorgeous people; Bangkok was so special because I feel it gave me more control of my life than I have ever had before. I feel very grown-up. I have a smile from ear to ear. I would never have guessed that being alone could do that. I feel like a light has been turned on in my head. After being surrounded by people and relationships my entire adult life you can hopefully understand why this is momentous for me. It’s certainly not a re-invention of the wheel, many will think me ridiculous, but for my personal experience this is a huge breakthrough.

“I am going to be absolutely fine on my own.”

** First person I spoke to about all this shit was my Ex. He's a good man. If anyone was going to understand it was him, and of course he got it completely.





** This one's all for me today so I've turned off the comments section. xoxo

A Lady-boy tried to sell me a fake iPad...

Happy Birthday to me.

Happy Birthday to me. 

Happy Birthday to Fat Old Bastard, 

Happy Birthday to me.

Oh dear. 39. But before we go down that celebratory path I first need to cover off yesterday. (I always write this blog the night before it goes up so it’s not yet my B’day as a type.) I went shopping yesterday. But not just any old sort of shopping. I went BANGKOK shopping!

The first thing I want to show you is this beautiful all in one denim jumpsuit.! And before I hear StylingYou scream out in pain, I also need to say I didn’t buy it. The only reason I didn’t was because they only had one left in stock. The only way I could’ve seen this little creature working in my wardrobe is if Mrs Woog also had one and they were for Sunday afternoons with a Belvedere in one hand and the Foxtel remote in the other. Also it was rather expensive, especially by Bangkok standards.

Mrs Woog????

I trolled for a while through MBK where the rip-offs outnumber the originals. Seriously, how do they get away with such blatant breach of trademark laws. It is good though for cheap shit that you know is gonna fall apart in 2 weeks – I bought 3 t’shirts for $16 AUD. But by the time I got to the technology section I was completely confused. I had a Lady-boy try to sell me an iPad but I couldn’t work out who was the bigger fake.

The next shopping centre was much better. Found my new favourite store in the world. It’s called Loft and it is just jam-packed for of quirky, cool, funky, kitsch shit. I could have spent $1000’s just in the stationary section. I found a stunning leopard print hardcase for my laptop – not appropriate at most meetings though. Also had fabulous homewares, but I had my 32kg bag limit to consider. Oh well, I love you none-the-less Loft.

Found all these kooky local designers all up on the top levels of the next centre who did some very nice stuff. But, alas, when Thai’s are designing for their fellow countrymen their idea of a Large does not fit a middle-aged ‘healthy’ Aussie guy. Literally nothing fit me, certainly not anything remotely tailored. I guess they think tourists would be to lazy to climb the stairs to Level 6.

Weird shit just happens in this city. Hard to explain but so much of it just doesn’t fit together. Like when I found at the top of a shopping centre a full ice rink! Tonya Harding could have trained here right in the heart of sweltering, balmy, humid Bangkok.

Or like one centre over, more even weirder shit. They still have a Sizzler. Well that’s lunch taken care of (jokes, I ate local).

Then the sky opens and rght there before your eyes is Siam Paragon, a shopping mecca. Now (I think) this is the high-end centre for all of Bangers. Its massive, and beautiful. Has all your usual designer elite as well as a massive department store. As much as I love and deserve to shop at Hermes, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and Burberry, my little wallet can’t take the heat.

But I did find some brilliant local stuff in the Thai Designers section of the department store. There was some amazingly cool stuff. And most of it was relatively loose fitting (and this is where I found the denim jumpsuit). Perfect. Snapped myself up two gorgeous loose, light, kinda weird knits… I adore them! And very cool pair of khaki shorts for upcoming summer cocktails.

Also throw in a shitload of underwear and all up a very productive day. Of course I was exhausted so booked in for another massage, after all, I am on holidays. You know how yesterday I was telling you I had a woman literally throw me around the room by the torso, well today I had a man. I actually lost track of where my head was at one point when he performed a similar move. Must be a Thai thing…





Tomorrow... What does one do when alone in Bangok for their birthday????

Made it safely!

First of all, I have a huge issue with the Ex! All those years of him obsessing over Schapelle Corby (and subsequently why I know him as Aschapelle) reared their ugly this morning when, while travelling on my own for the first time, I went into complete meltdown that someone had smuggled illegals into my bag. I even bought locks at the airport! That 9 hour flight gave me plenty of time to fret, stew, analyse and ultimately grieve for the life I was about to give up in a Thailand prison cause someone had smuggled drugs into my bag.

I don’t care what anyone says… Schapelle Corby has ruined south-east Asian travel for all Australians (whether she’s guilty or not!).

Of course upon landing I swanned through immigration and customs like the fabulous gay single middle-aged man wearing head-to-toe black and wool that I am. My driver even found me, I didn’t have to find him. By the time I was in the comfort of his plush car and he had dispersed his chilled water and fragranted moist towelette I was completely stress free and ready to put behind me the self-imposed mental trauma of the past 9 hours.

And then there is Lebua, my hotel. First of all, no requirement to stand at a check-in counter here. They pleasantly seat you on a chaise lounge and then the receptionist comes to you to check you in. Felt so glamorous I did an unnecessary hair flick. Now my room is larger than my apartment. Stopped myself from stepping it out but I am very confident. Lebua shits on Man Pit! Bvlgari in the bathroom, complimentary mini-bar, free internet… That alone ticks every box I am looking for in a hotel.

To ensure that the chilled water and towelette had sufficiently done the de-stressing I booked myself in for a quick ‘Soothing back and shoulders massage’ at Lebua. Jeee-susss! At one point she was on all fours on my back with her knees and elbows digging deeper than I thought was possible. To end she made me sit up and literally waved me around the room by the torso. Next time I will be asking for soft rather than medium/hard for the first time in my life in any sense.

A quick shower and a tending too of the giant scab I still have on my face – I am on now on high rotation with 4 different antiseptics / cold sore creams – before heading off to explore the famous bars at the hotel. Let me start at the less-glamorous one…

Note the sweeping staircase

I'm a bad photographer...

And the all-important, signature-Lebua bar, Sky Bar…

I think I shall be very happy here.

Of course by this point I am exhausted, what with the time difference and all, so I do what all Australians do when they travel in south-east Asia – I ordered room service Nasi Goreng.

Good night. Tomorrow… SHOPPING!

Bangkok here I come!

I’m leaving on a jet plane (can’t remember how the rest of the song goes, only that line).

To quote another song… One night in Bangkok! Except I’m going for 6!

Heaven. I’m calling it my mid-year break, my escape from my birthday. The last 6 months have been a massive rollercoaster so a holiday was much needed. And no one wants to celebrate 39 when the big 4-0 Party is next year.

So why Bangkok? I love a crazy city and there is none crazier than Bangers. So dirty, smelly and crowded with fantastic shopping. Everything I want. Staying at a posh hotel and have nothing in the planning other than shopping and day spas. And food. Lots of food. And quite possibly a number of cocktails, especially at the hotel’s sky bar.

First holiday ever where I will be spending the entire trip on my own. Feeling very adult and mature about that. Not foreseeing any problems but I do think that I may tire of it a little by the time I dine by myself for the 6^th night in a row. That is unless I strike up a friendship with an eastern European bachelor party, who knows.

So this weeks posts hopefully will be a little more interesting than normal. I do love an adventure. Bangkok is just the adventure I need.