Thursday, June 3

We've been busy setting up our place. We brought pretty vintage-style pink and green and gold bowls and plates and glasses, a rice pot, and a wok. We bought pantry supplies for morning cereal, sliced bread, and soda waters. We bought five new house plants, which we carried in plastic bags from a scorching hot Chatuchak market to a waiting taxi. After several days of failed attempts at fixing our fridge, the building manager had one brought in from another apartment--and it is bigger, newer, and nicer.

I've officially started teaching, which means--this week--that I am recording videos of me singing songs and telling stories for what seem like imaginary kindergartners.

Next week I will go into school, though there won't be any kids there yet.

We are getting to know Nana, our new neighborhood. There is a reasonably-priced grocery store nearby called Foodland, and there are several street vendors selling cut fruit. On our street, there is a food stall that seems to be open at all hours with a big menu of noodles and stir fries, several som tam carts, and a large open air restaurant serving khao soi.  

Everything picks up at a night, especially right on Sukhumvit, where vendors sell sex toys and Viagra. There are a handful of people we guess to be sex workers standing around on the street, and when Roman is alone, he gets solicited now and then. What's known as Soi Arab in Bangkok is mostly shut down these days, though there are a few Indian restaurants and shawarma places still kicking.

On our street, we pass by lots of shuttered bars, but more and more food carts roll in as the evening gets under way. There is still much to learn.

I haven't taken many pictures, except at meal times, so do you wanna...see some pictures of Roman about to eat? OK then.

Roman with slow-cooked beef noodle soup with beef balls

Roman at the always-open cart near our house

Roman eating tom yum at a mall near Chatuchak

Roman eating chicken shawarma

Roman eating soup with noodles and...animal parts

And one of me! Eating khao soi at the open-air restaurant near the house