Bangkok Travel Stories: Moments You Won’t Find in a Guidebook

One night in Bangkok, and I was three hours into perching on a piano bench in a living room that had been turned into a board game club, surrounded by a lively family trio: mom, dad, and teenage son.

"In Thailand, we say we love four things: our food, funny, competition, and gambling," the dad declared with a grin. "I love competition -- any chance to beat my son."

I hadn't expected to stumble into this unique board game haven. My original mission had been to find a piano. I'd gone two months without playing, and my fingers were itching for keys. Cue the impromptu Google search and a random tip about this upright piano tucked into this unique little gaming space, and voila. The family welcomed me into their space and charged me a small fee to play. I warmed up with the Game of Thrones theme, and when I finished and turned around, I found myself face-to-face with a touch of Westeros. The dad had spread out a few figurines on the table behind me: Daenerys and her three dragons, poised for battle.

Those three hours flew by, as time does when you're talking and laughing with good company. I sprinkled some tunes between the conversation, as I happily played a small repertoire of tunes my new friends may know -- collections of music from Nintendo games and TV shows. Music always brings me great joy, but sharing it with people who genuinely appreciate it as much as I do -- that's where the magic really happens.

The conversation eventually took a turn into comparing cultures: Thailand vs. Florida. Of course, there's an unavoidable topic that comes up when you mention Florida: alligators. My new friends told me that they have their own sort of "alligator cousin" in Thailand. "You have to see this," the dad told me with palpable excitement. He pulled up videos of a giant lizard wreaking havoc in a 7-Eleven, shelves toppled, snacks scattered, and screams in the background.

"He's just shopping!!" the son insisted.

"What is that thing??" I asked them.

"HEEYA!" they all shouted together.

Heeya -- that's not the scientific word for the lizard. In all truth, it's actually a curse word equivalent to the f-word. "Be careful if you say it around people," the family cautioned me. "But if you are talking about the lizard, people will know what you're talking about."

Because whenever Thai people see this Asian water monitor, it naturally makes them jump and yell, "HEEYA!"

I vowed that I'd look for a heeya in the Bangkok canals and 7-Elevens during my visit. (Spoiler alert: I would not yet find a heeya. Not in Thailand, anyway...)

Before I left the board game club (around midnight), the family offered me a gift: to give me a Thai name. After much consideration, they settled upon this one: Duripreya, which translates into "who loves music." Then, the mother and son proceeded to have a competition to see who could make the best name card for me and who could have the best handwriting. Who do you think won?

New Points of View

Some could argue that a city is just a city, or that they are all the same, but I believe every city has a personality, a uniqueness, a story. Bangkok is home to a number of cultural and historical sites. The palace and temples are distinct from any other in the country.

I particularly loved the transport system of boats on the Chao Phraya River and the canals that weave through the city. Housing, restaurants, and cafes line the canals, so you can have a cozy waterfront view anytime of day.

As is typical in this part of Asia, you won't walk far without stumbling upon a temple. My timing in Bangkok was perfect for the preparations and celebrations of Songkran, the water festival that marks the Thai new year. The monks were hard at work, decorating the temples, and the city was a little busier in the touristy districts, everyone getting ready to get soaked.

Besides festivals, Bangkok is famous for its rooftop life -- rooftop bars, clubs, restaurants, any excuse to hang out on top of the skyline where the surrounding lights beckon and it feels like there's a little more magic in the air.

It was on a hotel rooftop in Bangkok, on a deck outside a Mexican restaurant, that I checked off a personal bucket list goal of taking Latin dance classes! Perhaps Songkran wasn't the ideal timing for signing up for a night of salsa and bachata classes, as the only people there were two men, one old enough to be my grandfather, and the other around my father's age, accompanied by a young escort who was dancing in heels that could be used as weapons. The other people who usually attend these classes were likely on street level somewhere in the city, armed with not heels or dancing shoes but super soakers. Nevertheless, two more women eventually joined us halfway through the three hours of dance classes.

"Ladies, look up!" our dance insructor coached. "Your partner is in front of you, not at your feet!"

"Step closer to your dance partner!"

"Ladies, follow! Let the man lead! Let the man do his job!"

I can't speak for the other women, but that night, I learned that it's difficult for me to let go, to trust, to follow, to look into a my dance partner's face when he's at least twice my age with questionable intentions. Perhaps I'm too independent-minded or controlling. Or perhaps I just need to find dance partners to practice with who are closer to my age! But I learned a lot that night about what it means to feel vulnerable, to let go, and to still have fun in uncomfortable situations. And I learned that it is actually quite fun to spin, twirl, and dance!!

Hit the Streets!

Five days in Bangkok, and each full of surprises.

And if you know me well enough by now, you'll know that I'm always hitting the pavement, looking for life! What does it look like in each corner of the world?

Mirror Magic

Talent speaks for itself, but it doesn't happen overnight. Practice and honing of one's craft is an arduous, exciting journey, guided by passion and intention. It's no surprise that I love photography, and I'm thrilled to see my own style and "voice" developing in my photos. I still have a long way to go, but the journey is all about learning and intentionally crafting things, bit by bit. I've found the best way to do that is to pick a simple little thing to look for each time I go for a photo walk -- like doing a worldly scavenger hunt for triangles, leading lines, framing, or, in this case, reflections.

Don't you love symmetry?

When I first proudly shared this photo with friends, I realized the importance of context. "That's a cool lake," they told me. But I could see that they didn't realize what was so special about this photo.

"That's not a lake; it's a puddle," I replied, my delight slightly deflating.

I've been trained to approach photography with a photojournalist's vision, and that means providing context and story. The photo should be able to speak for itself, to make one think, without including any words. (Realizes the blogger :P) Perhaps capturing a foot in the photo would've been a fun way to add context and break the rules of symmetry.

Funny how a personal reflection scavenger hunt could add to so many personal reflections, eh?

And with that, I conclude my most recent Thai journey. Thank you, beautiful Bangkok and Thailand, for all the reflections, life lessons, memories, and great food. (I'll miss you, daily pad thai, khao pad, and mango smoothies.) Until next time! Kob khun kha!