How do I love thee? Let me count the ways....

Bangkok's full name, translated from Thai, is "The city of angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukam".

Despite this grand title, Bangkok is more often impolitely referred to by backpackers as a polluted, over populated concrete jungle :(

I protest wholeheartedly! In my stay here there are some things about this city that I have simply fallen in love with.....

- Food; it is an assumed fact that no-one could ever starve to death in Bangkok. Food on the street is fabulous and with a bit of bravery you can easily eat a full meal for less than a dollar. Having poured all my 'Youth Allowance' into feeding myself in Sydney and eating a few too many tins of baked beans, BKK is like heaven. My favorites: roti/banana pancakes, fresh spring rolls, watermelon and lime ice shake, pomelo, tod man plaa (fish cakes), crispy pork and green vegies, anything made by Weaw's mum........

- Thai street lifestyle; One of my favorite places to be in the whole of Bangkok is our Soi (our street). Everything happens on the street; houses open up literally onto the thoroughfare and the private and public spill beautifully into one another. Our neighbourhood holds a furniture factory, a laundry, a guesthouse, a sowing business, a massage joint, a bar, a hundred family run food busineses, a steel shop, a packaging facility and more. Although life is busy, the street is dense with residents and there is hardwork to be done always, people live slowly and with a smile. In Geography, I study town planning and the attempts to manufacture 'community' in housing developments. I think the Soi some good lessons to teach...

- motorcycle taxi's; for a fundamentally impunctual person such as myself, BKK's moto's are a godsend. Perched precariously on the seat of a bike, edging up the shoulder past rows of stagnant traffic is one of the most liberating experiences this locked down city has to offer.

- Thai massage; Massage is affordable, accessible and thoroughly therapeutic. Although I miss the plentiful parks and fresh air of Sydney, being pummelled and stretched every week for an hour certainly compensates!

- Family and relationships philosophy; In Thailand, family comes first. Unlike my world, where family is simply another variable to consider in the equation of individual choice, families are the fulcrum of Thai lives. As I am used to the rebellious student culture of home, I find this awfully challenging when students bow to parents desicions as the final word; "I can't go on exchange because my parents won't let me leave Thailand". And yet, with time, I have realised the flip of this situation is the incredible value and respect these students have for relationships, a simple care often missing in the fast paced world of Australia.

- The general lack of status symbols in suburbia; I have always been a fan of 'casual dressing' where frou frou dress is not required and I have found my kin here. Suburban Bangkokians seem to live simply; without the complicated dress and furniture angst that sees people in Australia shopping neuroticallly at IKEA and Witchery every weekend. Thai's are clean, keeping themsleves and their houses spotless, but here a spade is a spade and doesnt need to be bought from some swanky furniture store to indicate your social standing. Wealth in Thailand is clearly more than a fancy lounge room, a cultivated wardrobe and a redesigned warehouse loft. I find this wonderfully refreshing!

- 'Bangkok Symphony Orchestra' concerts in the park; I am very much missing the festival culture of the Sydney summer although have found some sweet consolation in the beautiful dusk performances of the BSO in the central park. Watching the sunset, listening to the kings jazz music, among the coconut trees with cherries and fairy floss, Thai's and farang alike... Call me a lame old person, but I think this is just awesome.

- Weaw; An alumni of AIESEC in Thailand Weaw is a human guidebook to BKK. With the hundreds of foreigners guests always traipsing through her family's house, Weaw has fed the world and shown us 'dirty farang' the REAL Bangkok . Khoop Khun MAAK, kha, Weaw!

Photos to come soon!

Love Lucy