mundane stuff

Here's a quick overview of what we have been up to since last post. We left Kanchanaburi by bus the next day- we had to be back in Bangkok by 5 to pick up our passports. So the trip by bus only took about 2 hours- but getting from the bus station to Siam square was another arduous journey. We had it all worked out how we would get a city bus from the Northern terminal and it would be super easy- but what we didn't realise until it was too late was that this bus was taking us to the Southern bus terminal in Bangkok. Again we though oh well we will just catch a bus from there- thinking we are so awesome at public transport we will be able to do it. All in all it took us a KFC lunch and nearly 3 more hours to make it back to Siam Centre to get our passports. But we did it! We kept saying we wanted to go to "Mo Chit" which was the start of the sky train- and they kept sending us to Mo Chit Mai- which we were worried was a completely different place. So it took us a hiwl to have faith that we were actually going to Mo chit- we ended up back at the Northern bus station which was called Mo Chit Mai and then we were able to make our way to the skytrain. Pretty boring to blog about- but a proud moment in the Tim Steph communicating with Thai speaking taxi drivers and bus personell adventures.

So we then had a day and a half to kill before heading to Hanoi. We are a bit over Bangkok and its expensiveness and hurriedness- so we decided to head to an "art house" cinema- which means a cinema that has English speaking American blockbusters. We watched this movie called "The Fall"- which if you want to see a movie I highly recommend- can't be bothered explaining plot but will jsut say one of the best movies I've seen in a while. Most interstingly was that before the film they play the National Anthem and put up images of the King. Youa re required to stand during this. I ensured I was the last to sit lest I be shot like that guy who was the first to stop clapping one of Stalin's speeches in Communist Russia. you can't be too careful! Anyway no one was shot and I got to thinking maybe loving the King isn't quite as oppressive as loving Stalin was! ( I hope that tone can be communicated through blog speak!).

Anyway we spent the rest of the evening eating pizza and reading books. I have read so many fabulous books while on trains and buses- I have totally rediscovered my love of reading. I am again in need of a second hand book shop- there was this excellent one in Chiang Mai that we both could have spent our fortunes in. It had a better selection of novels than any angus and Robertson in Sydney. Titles I had always wanted to read but could never remember when it came time to go buy a book or go to a library. But I am digressing from anything very important.
This brings me to now- our flight is at 6.30 tonight. So we are killing time at the internet place. its too hot to lug our packs around endlessly.

So while I have time to kill I thought I would record a few things I have been thinking while travelling. Its very interesting to watch children in a foreign country (I say that at the risk of sounding dodgy). But it really illuminates how similar people are the world over. Children behave exactly the same no matter where they live, what language they speak- they all play the same funny little chasey games, and tug on their parents shirts and get overly excited by things. Its quite amazing. Well it is to me- it just makes things feel less different and scary. I can;t really express ecactly what I mean- but am really just writing it so I don't forget what I was thinking about.