Thailand Top 10

Just arrived at our hotel in Bangkok, which is awesome!!! and in the fashion district. It's after midnight here, which means it feels like noon because of the 12-hour time difference. Before I attempt to get a good night's rest, wanted to share my top 10 list of things that I'm most excited/curious/freaked out about for this trip:

1. The exchange rate is 34 baht for every $1. The fact that mani/pedis are $3 was a big factor in planning this trip. Seriously!

2. It is impolite to point your feet at anyone in Thailand, so I'm not sure if people walk like ducks here. We'll see.

3. I can't wait to ride an elephant!

4. I most likely will be size XL in Thailand. Great self-esteem booster. The upside is that I'd most likely have a huge bra size too. :)

5. I also am out of luck with buying shoes since none are made above size 8, and I'm a 9. Phil is happy, but I am not.

6. Thailand is uber-patriotic. The royal anthem plays twice a day. TV, radio stations and train stations air the anthem and you are expected to stop and stand still wherever you are.

7. Traffic in Bangkok will be one way in the morning and then a completely different direction a few hours later. It's completely random. I plan to look left, ride, forward, backward, cross-eyed before crossing any street. I heard that traffic is like NYC on steroids.

8. Bangkok was once called the Venice of the East, but many of its canals have been filled in with cement to allow for road construction. Crazy!

9. Bangkok has Novemberfest...the start of Thailand's annual beer garden season, where tables and chairs are brought out onto the street and beers are available on tap. A large jug of Beer Chang costs $2. DAS BOOT!

10. Thai is a tonal language (there are five types of tones), so word meanings are partially determined by intonation and pitch. Basically hello and goodbye are the same word just said with different pitches. And, "ka," which means "yes," can also mean "to kill." I'm so screwed!