Today was a much needed Sabbath day. Fortunately, it didn’t rain today, so I was able to explore a bit of Bangkok. Sometimes I have to stop and think how grateful I am for this opportunity to be in another country experiencing the culture and just knowing what it’s like to live in another country myself. Most people don’t have the chance to just up and leave to live in several countries for four months out of the year.
I went to the MBK mall today as my first stop. It’s a massive, beautifully architected mall but it’s ironically old school inside. It’s a gigantic indoor swap meet. You can haggle on price and products are strewn everywhere. I guess that commercial development and international interest in the city of Bangkok outpaced the adaptation of big city culture from local Thai people.
It was an experience inside. There were seven levels to the mall. I just walked around and got some food in the food court. I found out they have pepper lunch here which is one of my favorite chains I went to when I was in Japan. I didn’t eat there, but I’m going before I leave Bangkok.
After checking out MBK, I walked around and ended up checking out three different malls to see the difference in them. Siam Discovery was right next to MBK. It’s an upscale mall with all the high-end international brands. The architecture and design of the inside and outside of Siam Discovery were beautiful. I’d say that the interior design of the building was much more beautiful than ones in America. They have a unique flair that’s cutting edge and flashy. They are even pushing the boundaries in their eating experience. One of the food courts allow you to order food directly from your table from any of the restaurants and a server will bring it over to you.
This one was modern and was nothing like MBK. It seems each mall has its unique flavor which is why they can survive. They are not cannibalizing each other’s market. I didn’t stay very long at Siam Discovery.
The next mall I went to was Siam Paragon which was across the street from Siam Discovery. This mall reminded me of MAYA mall in Chiang Mai. I ended up buying some t-shirts, swim trunks, and swim goggles at, H&M and some other sports store. After this mall, I found a massage spot and got one. The massages are priced around the same as Chiang Mai which is surprising because everything else here is a lot more expensive. The place was packed, but the massage was good. 
After the massage, it was getting late, so I wanted to grab some food and then head home. Most of the restaurants in the area I was in were closed except for this ramen shop. I feasted pretty well tonight. I had a beer with my ramen, shrimp tempura, and tofu. It was pretty good. I’d give it a B- rating for ramen. Japan spoils you with their quality, so any ramen outside of Japan’s is going to have a hard time rating well. Overall, it was a satisfying meal. 
I grabbed a Grab cab and headed home. It was a much needed day of getting out and exploring. I’ve been cooped up in this room and condo for the past couple of days because of the weather. I’m just glad there is a restaurant here, and a gym with a swimming pool or I’d gone mad. I have two more days here and then I’ll be heading over to my new location in Bangkok on Wednesday. I’m looking forward to the new place. It’s much closer to the heart of city and I think the place is going to be pretty sweet.
Alright enought for today!