Sunday, March 24, 2013

The fated bus

There is something magical about barely making it to the bus. After my exam Cashana, Quin, and I went to JJ market to do some last minute souvenir shopping. Well within 30 minutes I had managed to lose them. Mind you this is 100% the largest market in the world (go ahead and google it I dare you). After ten minutes of searching I came to terms with the fact that I was on my own for this one, and I must say it was pretty cool. When it was time to leave I took the sky train to the part of Bangkok where I knew I could get a bus back to Salaya. Finding the right station I get the bus pros to be slightly more problematic. So I was walking around this giant traffic circle asking Thai people which station it was. I realize I'm heading in the right direction and then while crossing the street on the bridge I spot it. The miraculous 515 in all it's glory. Only it has already started pulling away. So I race across the bridge, down the stairs, across the street, adrenaline rushing, heart pounding. Yes I can see it! Oh no it is still driving away. I'm doomed. When you are in a city where bus schedules don't exist not missing the bus when it comes is a very big deal. Which is exactly what happened HOORAH! I ran out into the road next to the bus half expecting it to keep going, there's no way it could've seen my last desperate attempt at making it off the streets of Bangkok before dark. But somehow it did. Mister 515 screeched to a stop, the doors squeaked open, and I quickly jumped on before the cosmic fate had a chance to change its mind. Just this weekend I had waited over an hour on two occasions for a bus. There is nothing like catching the bus right at the last minute. AWESOME!



This is the inside of the traffic circle I was running around.

A lot of other cool stuff happened today though. While on the sky train I met this really cool guy from Holand. He told me I didn't have an American accent. I have actually gotten that a lot here and I almost feel like I'm disappointing people, but I don't really know what they expect. Or what to say to that. I really am from America I promise. He asked me what North Carolina was famous for. I tried to tell him about the Wright brothers but he seemed unimpressed and asked what else. I couldn't think of anything and he found that mighty amusing.


The street outside JJ market.



Men playing checkers with bottle caps.



This shop owner had a mohawk!

I had my second to last final today. Yes for clarification it was on a Sunday. Quin and I went up to the school early to print off some final papers for the class and grab lunch. To our disappointment everything we went to on campus was closed. No food, no computer lab, no air conditioning, nothing. Now I don't mind taking a final on a Sunday but if I have to show up then some other people should too. Other positive points of the day include that I almost found the shirt I want, got a chocolate covered/almond rolled frozen banana, and had a cashier giver me pooh stickers when I bought a sandwich at 7/11. I hope the universe is treating everybody else kindly today :)

2 comments:

  1. whew! I'm so glad you are coming home in ONE WEEK!! Your stories of being all alone and getting lost in Bangkok scare the bejezzies out of your parents! :/

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  2. Ah it sounds like an adventure making that bus ;>

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