First impressions

I knew I was back in South-East Asia as a large cockroach scampered across my table. Eating a noodle soup for around a dollar at a street food stand brings obvious parallels to Vietnam and the cockroach is no exception. Celine and I would simply shrug our shoulders and smile; a different reaction from a year and a half ago in Hanoi.

As Celine mentioned Bangkok is a massive city. There is so much to do and see that it will take a while to really get our bearings. That being said, with a few days of solid walking, around a few different districts, you are able to get a good feel for the city.

Bangkok is busy and there are people everywhere. It is an interesting city with many things happening around you. On one side I see similarities to the West with big, ultra modern shopping centre’s spread throughout the city. The massive complexes such as MBK Centre and Siam Paragon are truly impressive with everything under the sun available. A whole floor of the MBK centre is dedicated to phones, new and used, so was the obvious place to head for a new SIM. Supermarkets such as Tops are more modern than in Sydney and the train lines, both the sky train and Metro, put Sydney's to shame. I know Bangkok is a big city but for a developing country some of their infrastructure is top class.

On the other side I see a likeness to Hanoi. Last night we got lost in the back streets not far from our apartment and once off the main road you find communities of Thai people living their normal life. The bendy narrow streets are filled with street food stands and miniature markets with locals buying their dinner. We stopped for a noodle soup - delicious. Motorbikes zoom past while friends sit outside chatting and sharing a beer. The Thai's, just like the Vietnamese are very friendly which makes it an easy transition into a new culture.

I see more homeless people in Bangkok which is virtually non-existent in Hanoi. There are even white foreigners living on the streets in here; two not far from us.

There are a lot of old Westerners in Bangkok, many with a young Thai girl around their arm. Only a day here and you will see this. At dinner a few nights ago a guy of 80+ and around 130kg hobbled in with his walking stick and a Thai girl. She was somewhere in her twenties and looked bored and uninterested; you can hardly blame her. Bangkok seems to be the place for old dudes who are lonely.

The food here is amazing. Of course we already knew this so to be back here eating one dollar noodle soups, pad thais or green curries is awesome. The list of options seems endless which makes for some great meals ahead.

Celine and I are both happy to be here in Bangkok. The weather has been cooler than normal so exploring the city has been much more enjoyable. We have found ourselves in a great area with a good apartment.

Next stop........JOB.

We've found a house!!

Thanks to our friend Anthony, a really cool South African expat living in Hanoi at the moment but who lived in Bangkok before that (if you go to Hanoi and need a bike, go to him, we bought a bike from him and the service is top notch – Vietnam Motorbikes), we found out about this great place behind Suhkhumvit where expats go and live happily ever after.

I must say, for a serviced apartment complex, this one is appealingly warm, cosy and friendly. It just has a good vibe. We saw like, 5 apartment complexes on Saturday and no other flat was as cute as the ones they have here. The building itself is quite small, with wooden furniture and a general colonial feel (I say that in the good esthetical sense of the word colonial), there’s a pool on the roof top, a pond in the garden and a lush vibrant feel to the whole place, mainly due to all the trees and plants and stuff… and the parrots, too.



Also, it’s set in a quiet little Soi only minutes away from Suhkumvit, but it feels like we’re in the jungle here, away from the craziness…

So, we moved in yesterday. I’m so happy in my little flat I’ve started nesting, buying things, decorating… we’ll probably only be here for a month – the idea was to rent a serviced apartment for that length of time, to give us a base, and from there explore the city to eventually find the area we really want to live in, like near our schools for example. But who knows? If we still love it here so much after a month, it might become our real place of residence… though we would probably upgrade the flat to something a bit bigger within the same building, otherwise we might murder each other.

Lan in Nam in Bangkok

As I mentioned in the last post, Lanette was in Bangkok this week end. Lanette was our housemate in Hanoi, we shared a big house and leading the busy life we did (…) we barely saw each other there, apart from those times chasing the rat with a broom… but we still are very close friends ;)
It was lovely to see her, such a big pillar of our Asian adventure, as soon as we returned to Asia after a few weeks in France. We had a great couple of days together around the old town, Siam square and Suhkumvit. I hope she’ll be back soon.
Lanette is still in Hanoi, she just popped over to see us while doing a visa run, as we had to do too every three months when we lived in Vietnam. She has a blog too, check it out Lan in Nam ... She writes much better than I do!

Busy Bangkok, a reflection

We're here!

So, let's tell you a little bit about our first few days here.

I'd been to Bangkok before: four times, but somehow being on holiday in this city, hanging out around Kao San road and getting foot massage twice a day doesn't seem to be the same as hurrying along massive Suhkumvit and getting squashed in the sky train when going up and down this busy city trying to find an apartment.

Our first couple of days were pretty hectic: massive bags, sore back, tired from the plane, getting to our hostel room late, dragging the luggage to the fourth floor (no lift) etc... it was a bit of a mission.

All the while, we were pretty happy anyway, eating five different kinds of street food every day and trying out our very limited Thai with the locals.

The similarities between our first few days here and our first few days in Hanoi 19 months ago are numerous, but can be summed up as follows:

- we don't understand a word
- we have no idea what's going on
- we don't know where ANYTHING is
- We don't know anything at all.

I am reminded all the time of how clueless I was when I got to Hanoi fresh off the plane. We were pondering everything, and making generalities that proved completely wrong over time (such as: 'people eat dog everywhere all day long, look! the word 'chien' is written on every menu. Turns out while chien means dog in French, in vietnamese it means... fried. So... lots of fried food in VN, but not that many cooked dogs).
So this time I try to calm myself down and remember that there's a process, and we don't know anything about anything yet. We can't plan a budget, because we don't know where the cheap goods are, we can't picture what our life will be, because we haven't met any teacher to clue us in, we can't build a general picture of the next year because we have no cards in hand.

This said, we can have a general feeling and we do, and it's very positive!

Being in the busy expat area of Bangkok is VERY different that hanging out in the old town - where I always stayed when on vacation before. Here, it's busy and bustling and modern: huge shopping centers and Starbucks at every corner and traffic jams. It's still Thailand and it's still enjoyable (cute little food stalls everywhere, lots of bars and restaurants etc...) but yes, not the paradise looking pedestrian streets you'll find near Kao San whith lanterns, flowers and beautiful tropical fruits cut up for your enjoyment, to eat while you stroll. I know, because our dear friend Lanette was in the old town doing just that this week end and we met up with her there, and for the evening felt like we were on holiday all over again.
We sipped a few cocktails on Ram Buttri, listened to some music, ate a green curry at a terrasse and got a foot massage lying down in comfortable chaises longues outside under the lanterns. Nice.


But, damn it, it's impossible to LIVE in the old town, isn't it? It's cut off from everything, public transport-wise. It's touristy, it's not the real Bangkok, it's far from every language school... it's not practical.

So, ok, I get it, I'll have to go there every week for a reminder that I am in fact in one of the most popular destinations for holidayers around the world, and in the meantime, get practical and build a life near the sky train or the subway... grr..

So there, since we arrived on Friday night, we've walked around a lot, as people do when they arrive somewhere new, gotten to know the Suhkumvit area a bit: I say a bit because, you can walk Sukhumvit as much as you want for three days: you still ain't gonna know it by the end. It's just the longest street in Thailand (really) with like... five different expat nationalities hubs depending on where you are on the street, and every few meters there are perpendicular roads going from Sukhumvit which are called SOI, and... every soi is long, some massive, and its own little world. So, we've gotten to know 5 or 6 sois quite well, the equivalent of a medium size town in France.
At least that's what it feels like. Because the sois are compact, filled with shops, restaurants, bars, beauty salons etc... it must take a whole year to know them all and what each has to offer.
And Suhkumvit is only ONE street in Bangkok.
Maybe if we want to explore all of Bangkok properly, we'll have to live here 10 years?

Anyway that's what it feels like so far, but as I was saying before, you never know what you'll know until you know the place a little better... you know?

I love it here, I love curry, Tom yum and pad thai, the people are nice, friendly and a lot of fun: I'm happy to be on this new adventure! We'll learn about Bangkok and its way of life little by little and enjoy the process, as we did in Vietnam (but with more green curries along the way!)

Last not-about-Thailand post...

So, I'm under a lot of pressure here. Pressure from my husband, because I am yet to write a single post on our new blog about Thailand and pressure from my reader (Lanette, I only have one reader... hi Lanette!) to write a post about Thailand on this blog about Thailand.

It is true Dan has been the only one writing: that's because when I'm on holiday in France, visiting my family, my time is hardly my own. Dan on the other hand, having to spend a lot of time daydreaming because he doesn't understand half of the conversations around him, has a lot more time. So I'm grateful he's kept the blog updated when I really couldn't and anyway, he's such a good writer who needs me??

It is also true that our new blog about Thailand has so far brushed on Paris, French Alps and Provence... and not at all on Thailand, but then again that's because we were on holiday IN FRANCE, so what else can we write about? Plus, France really is beautiful and there were many pictures from our trip we wanted to share with you.

Before moving on to an actual post about Bangkok, because we are there now, I thought I would post a medley of pictures from our French trip... there are not many pictures of real life people in Dan's posts so far (I mean they're mainly picts of landscapes or food) so here are a few people pictures:


In Sausset-les-pins by the sea, the day Dan got drenched by a massive wave




In Marseille with Chandler, up on the Notre Dame de la Garde hill






In Alos Skiing resort, French Alps, with Dan, Matt and Lindy




Siffler sur la colline with Christine and Isabelle, Plateau de Vitrolles, France.




In Paris 9e arrondissement, near my dad's apartment




Mamie cooking the Bouillabaisse, Vitrolles, France




Lindy making crepes, St Julien du Verdon, France

Walking Paris

Before leaving France for Bangkok Celine and I spent a few days in Paris with her Dad. It was the first day of Spring and the sky was a perfect blue (not alway the case in Paris). If the weather is on your side Paris is a great city to walk around.

On one day Celine and walked around with our friend Lindy; an English teacher in Paris, the other I went solo and didn't stop for four hours.

Here are some of the photo's.

The amazing Bouillabaisse

The end result

Bouillabaisse is a famous dish from Marseille. It is basically a stew of different kinds of fish served with vegetables. It sounds easy but it took Celine's grandmother two days to prepare - she prepared everything from scratch (although I don't think she went out and caught the fish). Various herbs and spices are needed to bring about the amazing end result.

Preparing the Bouillabaisse

The broth is made into a fish soup which is served with rouille, a kind of mayonnaise and croutons. You smear the croutons with rouille and then pour the soup over the top of it. Outstanding!

After that everyone digs into the Bouillabaisse. I must say that this dish is an absolute must to try if you are ever in the south of France. It was amazing. It is quite expensive at the restaurant - upwards of 50 Euro per person - but is a real experience. This dish has been passed down from generation to generation and would vary from family to family.

Preparing the Bouillabaisse

After stuffing me with exquisite fish and rose wine I had to retire for a few hours to sleep it off. I awoke wanting more.

Thank you Mamie

Aix-en-Provence

About a week ago we spent the best part of a day walking around the ultra trendy Aix-en-Provence. Aix is about 30km North of Marseille; a city of a few hundred thousand. It is a uni town but of the upmarket kind.



We spent the day walking around the old town which got busier as the day got on. The architecture is amazing. The old town has a bunch of squares, situated on old paved stones, which fill with generally young folk drinking coffee or sipping beers. With the sun blaring down it is a perfect setting for a Saturday afternoon.



The students here I would assume have well-off parents as shop after shop are either famous brand names or trendy boutiques. It is apparently the most expensive place to live in France, after Paris.






The whole family came along and we had a great time exploring the streets of the old town. A good place for an investment property.

Exploring the Frioul archipelago

Celine’s uncle, Laurent, offered to take me sailing which naturally I could not refuse. There are many ports in Marseille but from what I can gather it is cheaper to leave your boat on Frioul; an island about 4km off the coast of Marseille. To get there you need to take a ferry from the old port, which is about 5 Euro one-way. There are actually 4 islands that make up the Frioul archipelago and we were heading to the largest one. Once on the ferry Laurent realized he had forgotten the keys for his sailing boat. Merde.

Sailing boat minus the keys

Option 2 - the Zodiac

After arriving on the island we went and checked out his boat, from the outside, and visualized what it would be like to go sailing. It turned out that the wind was not very strong so sailing was probably not the best option anyway. The island has a few small shops, mainly restaurants, to accommodate the tourists who like to come here and I guess walk around; there is not too much more to do on the island. Laurent was friends with one of the shop owners so we went and borrowed his Zodiac (inflatable motorized boat).

Views of the port

Once out on the water we realized there was next to know petrol in the boat. Merde. Laurent is a relaxed kind of guy and decided to attempt to get around the island; approx 5-10km. I told him that if we ran out of petrol he was the one swimming to shore. It was a lot of fun cruising around the island, venturing into rarely visited coves and seeing old fishing huts made of stone camouflaged into the surrounding white rocks. As we pulled into the port the last bar on the petrol gauge disappeared. I was happy to step back on land.

Château d'If

Old fishing huts

Laurent then took me for a walk up to the top of the island for a stunning view of Marseille. Nearby is the Château d'If which used to be the old prison; Marseilles version of Alcatraz. This is the setting for the film the Count of Monty Christo. Laurent showed me some old ruins, back from the German occupation which looked to be old bunkers. The Germans used this island as a form of defense against any invasion. The underground tunnels and bunkers are completely deserted and we were the only ones there. It was a lot of fun exploring but without a torch we didn’t go far.

Old ruins

We finished the afternoon with a bruchetta and a beer, sitting by the water waiting for the next ferry back to Marseille.

Sifflier sur la colline

Views of the lake

The French know how to enjoy food. I have been eating like a king while in France and the enjoyment starts at breakfast. A few days ago I dragged myself out of bed to find a tray full of viennoiseries; puffy pastries. There are many different types to choose from when you go the bakery but my favorite is the Pain au chocolate (pastry with chocolate in the middle). Some others are the croissant, Chausson aux pommes and pain au lait. A favored French tradition is to dunk your viennoiserie of choice into your coffee. It is without doubt a good way to start the day. In recent years the espresso machine has taken off in France and they can be found in virtually every house. For that reason I am able to drink amazing coffee at home without having to venture to the café.

Viennoiseries

After breakfast we decided to work off some of the calories we had just consumed. We drove to Vitrolles , a suburb on the outskirts of Marseille, to meet Celine’s auntie. We picked her and a friend up and drove a few minutes to the start of popular walking area. We took a 10km circular stroll through a national park, up and across a long plateau before heading back down to the car. The hills are very distinctive in this region; predominantly white rock with patches of green bushes. Once on top of the plateau we had an amazing view of the massive lake, Etang de Berre, below. The lake meets the sea through a small pass at the town Martigues. The weather was a usual Marseille day; blue skies and a little windy. Celine used the time to catch up with her auntie and I would constantly interrupt them (acceptable behavior for Mediterranean people) asking random French vocabulary. Whistling on the Hill was my sentence for the day which translates as: sifflier sur la colline.

Walking across the plateau

For dinner we ate Raclette, one of my all time favorites. Raclette, is usually a dish you eat in the mountains but Celine’s sister, I think being nice to me, prepared it at her home in Sausset. Raclette is the name of the cheese you use for the meal. It is delicious. The other ingredients are potatoes (peeled and boiled) and a selection of cold cut meats. In the middle of the table is a Raclette machine which you plug into the power socket. With miniature frying pans you place a slice of the Raclette cheese under the heated section of the machine. Two minutes later the cheese is melted and ready to pour over the potatoes and eat with your cold cut of choice. You can also cook the slices of meat on top of the machine; which acts as a kind of hot plate. You repeat the process until you can’t eat anymore. It is a very simple meal but damn tasty. After a good Raclette session you are so stuffed and high on cheese that you need to go and sleep it off. I thoroughly recommend it.

Raclette (Not my picture)

Walking Marseille

Celine's Mum lives in Marseille. If we have not been staying with Celine's sister in Sausset it has been in Marseille. I really like the city. Yesterday we had a chance to walk around the city. We walked down to the old port which is full of trendy boats, did a bit of shopping and then sat at one of the many cafes. There is no shortage of cafes in Marseille. Celine has got me drinking Café Noisette which is an expresso with a dash of milk. It is a popular choice among the French. It is hard to believe it is winter with the sun beaming down. That is a luxury lost in Paris or places like London and Hanoi where it is overcast and gloomy in the coler months. As a result, the cafes and restaurants are packed with people enjoying the beautiful weather around the Mediterranean.

Old Port

We had lunch at a restaurant called Hippopotamus; a place Celine recommended. It was awesome. We had Carpaccio and steaks. I know, not French, but a real treat. After, we walked around the old town of Marseille, enjoying the buildings and doing some shopping. Some of the buildings in Marseille, especially in the old town, remind me of Nice while others, closer to the old port, are similar to the Haussmann style of buildings found in Paris.

Yum


Old Town

At night Celine's uncle picked me up on his 1000cc BMW bike to go and watch the Marseille football team play; we watched it at an Irish pub which was full of French people (an unusual scene). The last time we were on a bike together I was riding and we had an accident. That time we were in Hanoi and on a much smaller bike. Luckily this time he didn't return the favor. We zoomed around the city, checking out a number of the sites before heading to the old port to watch the game. Lille won in the last minute so a slight dampener on the evening.

Old Port

Marseille is a great city to discover on foot. That being said the public transport is also very good. There is a Metro, 1.50 Euro per trip, and a bus system. Recently they have also put in a tram which costs the same as the Metro.

We plan in the coming days to check out the old church on the hill; the Notre-Dame de la Garde that looks over the city. We will also explore the beaches of Marseille and cruise around the islands of the Frioul archipelago on Celine's uncle's boat. The rest of our time will be with family doing what the south of France people do well - talk and eat amazing food.

Sausset

Celine's sister lives in Sausset; a small and very beautiful little village about 40km from Marseille. The town is right on the sea and is part of the Côte Bleue, or Blue Coast. There are four villages along the Côte Bleue each around 5-10km apart.

cafe on the water

It is very relaxing and peaceful here with consistent blue skies and crisp costal breezes. There are cafes that line the seafront and some great places to eat. The kids go to school a stone throw away from the beach. I don't think I have seen a better located school. This morning Celine and I dropped them off at school and then went for a walk along the water. I got a little too close and got hit by a wave. At around 6 degrees it was a cold walk home.

the water looks nice but is damn cold

nearby Niolon

On Sunday's there is a cool little market with some mouth watering food. After an early breakfast on the water and a stroll through the market we took the car to nearby Niolon, before heading back to Marseille. We took some left over Pizza (seriously good) and sat by the water. Apparently there are some boat tours you can take from Marseille which comes around to some of the small towns on the Blue Coast. If you don't have access to a car then that is definitely a must because these towns are very typical south of France and most not be missed.

olives at the market

Seriously tasty pizza

Sausset is really a beautiful part of the world and luckily you don't have to share it with too many other people. Our days at the moment are spent between Celine’s Mum in Marseille and her sister in Sausset. There has been a lot of family get together's and parties for various reasons which has been a lot of fun. My french is slowly improving.