it's sooooo traffic!

I’ve met many longtime expats in Bangkok who tell me that they LOVE living here except for the traffic, the pollution and the weather (???). Without the heavy traffic, the omnipresent pollution and the hot and humid weather, Bangkok is not Bangkok. To love Bangkok, you have to love all three in some twisted way.

Let’s talk about the traffic…

People make fun of me (and other Filipinos) because I use the word “traffic” as an adjective rather than a noun, i.e. “It’s so traffic!” instead of “There’s a lot of traffic on the road.” I know it’s bad English…but isn’t the expression “It’s so traffic!” just so much more expressive?

Anyway, I find myself saying, “It’s so traffic!” about a gazillion times a day. And I thought EDSA rush hour traffic was bad. Despite all the impressive superhighways soaring all across the city, it is sooooo traffic in Bangkok, sooooo traffic. On my way back to my aunt’s house after my first day at work, what would have been a 20-minute cab ride became a 2-hour nightmare. The traffic is so bad that there is an FM radio station exclusively devoted to traffic news across the city.

Thank goodness I have moved to an apartment within walking distance from my office. Now I don't need to get up at 6am to make it to my 9am call time. I've now graduated from complaining about the traffic situation to complaining about the pollution and humidity on my short walk to the office and back. *Sigh* You gotta love this city.

bangkok 101

Maybe it’s because I was born in Asia but I’ve always known that Bangkok is located in Thailand. I met an American friend last week who told me a sad, sad tale. He had asked his boss for leave to come to Bangkok and in response his boss asked, “Where is Bangkok? In the Philippines?” In the Philippines my foot! Then again, looking at the bright side, at least he knows that the Philippines exists! So, just for fun…

Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand.

Bangkok has a population of approximately 10 million.

Bangkok is located at 13°45′N 100°31′E (bet you didn’t know this one…)

Bangkok is in the Guinness Book of Records! It has the world’s longest place name. Yes indeed. It’s transliterated name is Krungthep Mahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathani Burirom-udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amonphiman Awatansathit Sakkathattiya Witsanu Kamprasit.

In English: "The city of angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abtounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukam".

What’s in a name? In this case, plenty.

I’ll be here for eight weeks more…I do hope Bangkok lives up to its record-breaking name.

identity theft

So I have finally decided to start my own blog. I was initially really excited about the Inner Circle group blog that Nitin so enthusiastically started. I must admit though that I never posted anything on it (I'm not the only guilty party)! "This Big Little World (1)" never quite lived up to its promise.

However, I am hoping that "This Big Little World (2)" will. Inner Circle...sorry guys, I've stolen the name of our former group blog and made it mine! If you're still interested in blogging, you can be guest writers on mine. Hehe :)

I have been in Bangkok, Thailand for two weeks now...I'm basically here to do a summer internship with a human rights NGO. In the last two weeks, I found that working from 9-5pm leaves me with a lot of time on my hands. I don't have friends; I don't speak the language. Hence, this blog. A homage to my loser Bangkok persona.