First day in Bangkok

Today was a full day of jet-lag recovery, technology wonders, and service, service, service.

If there is one thing I can say about Bangkok, it's that they make you feel like a king. Take a very bland thing like watching a movie, and add good service and surprisingly, it's better! Jim and I saw the new M. Night Shyamalan movie in a theater that was over the top for service. Here's what I mean...

For $15 you get your choice from about 10 pairs of two seats each in the *whole* theater. We booked the front and center seats. The seats are cushy brand-new leather lazy-boys with coffee tables on either side, and the screen is huge with great sound. Before the film, you can go in a side room and get a complimentary massage (presumably to relax you before the stress of watching a film), and order some drinks and popcorn (which the hosts will bring in later). When you enter the theatre, you are ushered to your seat, where you kick back and the host covers you with a blanket and puts a pillow behind your head.

Then, they bring out the water you ordered and the popcorn. They pour the water into your glass for you and place it on the coffee table. The movie was small potatoes next to this experience.

A touching bit of color was the little advertisement paying homage to the king (who is beloved and is having spinal surgery. Everyone is wearing yellow in support.) which was strangely reminiscient of those "image" ads you see asking you to "Visit Ireland" or "New Zealand: The Most Beautiful Place on Earth". This one was more "The King of Thailand: Peaceful, Fair, Our Patron". This played just before the movie and we all stood while it played.

I'm sorry to go on about this movie experience, but take the best movie-watching situation you can and amplify it a thousand times. Pretend that you are royalty and that if anything goes wrong, there is someone there with a smile and helpful gesture to guide you... for a movie!!! I will forget the film in a day but I will not forget the proceedings.

Today, I also picked up a SIM card to put in my phone. Jim helped me set it up and I'm now talking and texting from a Thai number. Here is is should you feel the need to text or call...

011 - 66 - seven-nine-zero-five-seven-four-three-nine

I am very impressed with the size of buildings here! It's hard to tell exactly how massive they are from far away because from there, they don't look that big. When you get closer though, you start to see the size of things...