Postcards + Packages

This weekend was a throwback to the days of care packages and letters at summer camp. We were doubly lucky to get a sweet note from Dan, Bea and Eneko and some specialty candies (read: Twizzlers) from Jon, Sarah and Anna - all in the span of 12 hours! Thank you for being so sweet (pun intended).

Great memories from d+b 2007 with this postcard!

One word: candy.

In addition to these special deliveries, we had a wonderful weekend exploring new parts of the city and relishing in the comfort of home. On Friday, we wandered to embassy row and rang the doorbell of JUSMAG, the Joint United States Military Advisory Group Thailand. After having our photo taken by the security cameras, going through some steel doors and putting our names on a list, we were transported to a land of free popcorn, cheap beer (tax free because it's technically US soil) and grandma's dining room furniture. I didn't want to cause a security breach, so rather than take photos, I indulged in ฿50 Miller Lite bottles.

To end the weekend, we found a gorgeous rooftop restaurant which gives an amazing 360-degree view of the city and bird's eye look at our neighborhood.

Loving our city.

After our Sunday stroll, we came home to watch a lovely sunset and be serenaded by The Beach Boys courtesy of a man called Taxi, who is apparently the former face of Marlboro in Australia. Yes, he lives in our building and no, I haven't seen the evidence but have heard several confirmed reports.

My favorite time of day.

It's here that I wanted to show the juxtaposition of life in Bangkok. We have this sprawling urban metropolis as far as the eye can see and directly below are the people who make it happen. Many migrant laborers from Myanmar and Cambodia live right outside our building in these tin-roofed, dorm-like structures. An attempt to comment on this contrast tends to leave me speechless as I contemplate the similarities: we're all immigrants here, we walk on the same streets and buy vegetables at the same stalls, beer at the same corner store. But at the same time our lives couldn't seem more different.

The varied worlds of BKK.