closing my eyes

bangkok has grown on me, just as its almost time to leave. my plans have changed and instead of heading to cambodia (three weeks didn't seem enough for cambodia and southern laos) i leave for kanchanaburi(of 'The Bridge on river Kwai' fame) on monday and cross over to laos around may 12.

i am at khao san road, the backpacker's ghetto, in bangkok. it's a great place to shop for everything imaginable, fake student IDs, pirated CDs, DVDs, funky clothes, braids etc. even the post office has extended hours daily - 8 to 10 PM! this street never sleeps (at least not when i am awake)!

on another side of bangkok, there are the big malls that i have frequented (for maccenter) the siam center, MBK region. even these malls have everything- from a cafe (or true urban park as its called) where you can listen to your ipod via a listening dome over your head, cool stationery and the "routine" mall stores - gucci, pucci, ferragamo etc. it also has the "gourmet market", where there are free samples of all different kinds of food- my most favorite and recommended thing to do!

still another side is the chatuchak weekend market, with its endless stalls of clothes, accessories, everything camouflage, tailor made suits ready in less than 10 hours.

away from all these, away from central bangkok is a small town of pak kret, with a skills development center for the blind- they offer traditional thai massage and all the masseuses are blind. they say the blind have an enhanced sense of touch, so they make better masseuses and they sure are.

two days after my arrival in bangkok, i decide to go there, my friend azfr joins me. getting there is indeed an adventure- anyone needs a massage after that! its an hour on a local bus to get to the city (#32 to pak kret and a 20B motorbike ride to the center). after 2 boat rides across the river (finally ending on the shore we started at) and 2 motorbike rides later, we are finally there.

getting a massage from a blind person is a different experience altogether. although i can barely imagine his dark world- without color, something we take for granted too- still i try. i close my eyes and enjoy the sense of touch.

after spending a few days in malls and checking out some of the major attractions, i decide to make better use of my time in bangkok and learn traditional thai massage- it keeps me off shopping, i learn something new and the school is air-conditioned :)

i have had a busy last week, with classes at the Wat Pho Massage School from 9 through 4 and after class activities i.e. hanging out with new friends. of course, the massages that i have been getting all week as a result of being in school, have been very relaxing :) after all, you get what you give (so give it your all --- 'here's to life by shirley horn')

thai massage is pressing of a lot of acupressure points in a specific sequence, in specific postures (forced yoga on the clients) for the masseuse and the client. as with everything else i have tried, i have renewed respect for thai traditional masseuses now- there's nothing intuitive about acupressure points.

its been a wonderful week, with new friends, a working laptop, healthy breakfast every morning (muesli with fruit, yogurt, and nuts), chao phraya express to school everyday, lots of mango and sticky rice (black, green, purple!) and the fact that i am certified masseuse from one of the most prestigious centers for learning the art :) now for more such weeks ahead..