Day 4 - Siam Paragon Visit

Check out Siam Paragon! Kinda.. Until we got onto the elevator..check out the cute kids!

Uncle! My dad's bro. They look a lot alike, it's funny.

Dew eating. He likes to hike and stuff and is into industrial engineering.




We ate at a place literally 10 steps away from the house.
Sometimes asking for water means getting chinese tea?


I have yet to get sick, *knocks on wood*

Tissue applies to "napkins" "toliet paper" "paper towel" here. A little depressing because tissues suck as toliet paper and as napkins.

Taxi ride to Siam Paragon begins!

thailands king displayed everywhere

many stores are below peoples home and close together

foreigners take tuk-tuks, but they overcharge 

my cousin was snoring on the way to paragon

sweet 7 floors, fml

What is Siam Paragon?

I suggest checking out their ridiculous directory of 500,000 square ft of walking area and their aquarium underneath.
Siam Paragon is the expensive luxurious mall with Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Versace, Burberry and Hermes. They also have wonderful furniture made by 100 different architects/designers. Expensive for Thais because everything is retail and geared towards foreigners. This is the spot for teenagers though as I felt it was more packed than Orpy Mills during Xmas.

department store, back 2 school

people watching below

really, do you need this many erasers?

1 out of the 6 aisles of pens X_X

packed movie theater

ahhh cute

For some reason, they don't like photos of objects. If i go up to something and try to take a photo, they tell me not too. I mean, what? This is like free advertising and research.

this photo displays 1/4 of the selection

Kinokuniya Bookstore = biggest book store ever.

I can spend hours in there. The biggest selection of design books, OMGGGG.

"Which book do you like?" asked Dear

"umm, ALL OF THEM! I think I have to come back and kill time, because I can't choose"

They tip 10%!
So pretty close to our 15%-20%
Also, you can eat appetizer whenever and dessert whenever, compared to the U.S of Appetizer, main meal, then dessert.

EEM = full

"Do you want krispy kreme?"
"welll.....YES"

Taxi Mission: Get a taxi from Siam to home.
How did we do it on the first try? Bargain, aka TIP WELL.


Taxis prefer the expressway (long way) because it is paid by distance. Taking the shorter way involved a smaller fare and lots of traffic jams.

KRISPY KREMEEEEEE Missing Duck and Shelly! <3

They have the best selection of donuts btw






















Taxi Mission from 2 years ago. 

View Day 4 Photo Album Here

Day 3 - Intro to the House

 There is a Badminton Tournament in Thailand next month!
While we were at the store, my grandpa recognized a famous Korean badminton player staying here for it.
That's awesome!
Hopefully I get to go watch.

We mainly went out for my haircut.
It is like 90+ degrees and I needed a haircut much shorter and because I knew they can cut asian hair effortlessly.

We went to Central Plaza, near the place with all the outside markets pictured in Day 2.

 They washed my hair and during the process the lady said something in Thai. Normally back at home, when laotians speak to me I say "YES" or "OKAY", but this rule did not however apply to this conversation because the lady was confused and asked the lady next to her what I meant.
#FAIL

 "Japanese haircuts/Korean haircuts" don't apply to just Japan or Korea, but throughout Asia.
Everyone here has sweet haircuts and fashion. I am pretty jealous because I want both.


Mohawks!

and half the people in this salon room had highlights/dyed auburn hair.

I was skeptical at first, but whoa -
so.impressed.

Randyn, you have competition in Asia.

I now know how they make asian hair fluffy.
You take a spikey brush and roll it in your hair with a fine hair dryer.
It reminded me of an Armadillo rolling in the grass on a windy day.

 What? wash my hair again?
And cut again?

Okay, this is awesome.
150 baht = $5
Do I tip? I would've tipped like 200 baht,
but my cousin nodded no. x_x

Oh, it rained.
It does flood some streets, but the narrow streets (that magically fit two cars) have indents on the side of the road to flow the water elsewhere.
I thought they were just marks for sidewalks.

central plaza

Sukiyaki style

MK Restaurant 

How to eat at MK restaurant - sukiyaki

• Pick uncooked veggies , meat, or seafood
• Dump in scorching hot water
• Wait a minute and take out
• Wait a few minutes to cool down or you may   burn your tongue terribly to where you cant  enjoy food
• Enjoy the yummyness

DUMPLINGGSSSSSSSSS

Just for you Nina, SANRIO HEAVEN

Shoe shopping

Tried on 3 different pairs,
but these were the one! Sometimes my toe breaks the top of shoes, but these looked like they wouldn't and they had a good cushion at the bottom.

Yonex SHB 102 MX
$3430 baht = $113
A little cheaper, but worth it as it will accompany me to tournaments

RECAP 







THE MK DANCE




If I was still in TENNNESSEE, I would go to
DEXFEST(June 16th) =
Ghostland Observatory
Skrillex
Big Gigantic
BoomBox
and
Emancipator

Big Gigantic and Emancipator have been wonderful to see and the other artists are super great too!

View Day 3 Photo Album Here

Day 2 - Vacation starts now

ZaoShangHao (Good Morning)

I had to break the news to my grandfather today

Sorry, I don't remember chinese, at all. I'm blaming design for conflicting schedules.

Yes, I am partial Thai, but dont forget, I can't speak it well.
 I can understand it by using context clues though.

So I forgot some basic needs like my toothbrush and facial wash.
I woke up around 8:30am, the earliest ever this summer and surprisingly awake

Well our goal today was to:
1. Get Drivers License
2. Watch Kung Fu Panda 2
3. Buy Stuff

My cousin Dear (left) aka Panda. I came to Thailand early for her because shes going back to college Sunday. Their school session starts around this time and they get some months off like we do.
She's a major in Japanese and loves Pandas, hence the  nickname and her liking to switch to the "Panda Channel" on tv randomly. (not a kung fu panda, but does have the quality of the hunger all day) 




On the right is her friend, pronounced Kan? but her nickname is Duckie.

She lives in a nice suburb with security guards. Most places here are not that nice. Being rich is considered having an HDTV with satelite, the norm for the U.S. Sometimes even having a car or western toliet too. We have a western toliet, YES! Otherwise I would panic a little because I can't use an Eastern toliet. No really, I dont understand how to use it.



My aunt, Dear's mom. I swear I think I almost died 20 times today. I don't know how she can drive in the crazyness of Thailand. If you think the people in Tennessee can't drive, you are sooo wrong.

Lines are merely guidelines, people cut left and right, and motorcyclists drive in the middle and anywhere.

Gas here is between $1-$1.38 - I bet you wish it was that cheap in the U.S

Do they have an minimum wage?

Yes, around 30 baht per hour ($1) 

So, that gives you a rough sense as to why things are cheap here

Dear makes 400 baht per day which is only $12

whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

We did stop by the DMV 

 roughly the same as ours, but you go through a driving school for 15 hours

Panda and Duckie got their license!

This is Central Plaza,

I'm going to mention it multiple times because it is the closest shopping center and one of my favorites. Legit stuff.

500 shops, 100 restaurants. 5 floors? 12 floors? FO REAL.

COFFEE FREE I SWEAR

Of course the mall has a movie theater too

I recommend Kung Fu Panda 2. If you want a laugh, WATCH IT!

Of course the mall has a sweet cafeteria

Steps to using the sweet cafeteria

• Get a cash card, 100 baht is sufficient (3 bucks)
• Walk around admiring food displays
• Get someone else to pick because you will be indecisive to all the good looking food
• Pay with cash card ( my meal --> 50 baht, $1.63)
• Find a place to enjoy!
• Get refund of unused money on card 

of course the mall has a grocery store underneath.

I mistook that G button in the elevator as ground floor

Grocery list - COMPLETE

Now for some reals shopping

of course it would be just outside across a walkway

SoOOoO many individual shops.

Some people don't like photos, I mean counterfeit shops, you know.

But things here are super cheap. My cousin likes to bargain, but if you are a tourist - you can't bargain

Flipflops = 190 baht =$6

Black Jean shorts = 400 baht = $12

Ipod touch case = 150 baht = $5

Tow Rai? (How much)

Lot Dai Mai (Lower price?)

It's like a thrift store...but better because it is so hard trying to find skinny jean shorts

The guy didn't believe I couldn't speak Thai or was foreign because I have a Thai ID card (from last trip)

He said I was pretty Thai looking and was confused that I wasn't white.

Time to go home via Taxi.

Their taxi colors remind me of skittles

Bright colors with some mix n match

Home! waiting for someone to open the gate

Most homes have gates, no lawns. I don't remember seeing grass.

Honestly I'm not sure how rain doesn't flood the city like no ones business.

Oh yeah, its suppose to rain all week, we shall find out!

Oh gpa is here, time to go!

Thanks Dad for sticking cherries in my suitcase untaped because I am randomly finding cherries in my luggage. Delicious nonetheless.

Snap, I forgot, mostquitos are here.

After I found 5 bites I decided to come up here and update.

Hi, leave comments if you wish. =]

View Day 2 Photo Album Here