BKK 1

So I'm taking a break from Songkran to compare Bangkok and Phnom Penh. I can't tell you about Songkran because it's not over, but I'll have some photos and a video for sure. I'll just leave you to debate, which is better, Songkran or Halloween?
I spent the first night at a cheap hostel. Boring, but that's what a 15 hour bus ride will do to you. The next afternoon, I went to Tailek's house.
Tailek is about 15 months old. His mom is Bee, from Thailand, and his dad is Scott, from Utah. They have opened their house up to almost anyone. I think there are about ten couchsurfers here at the moment. I've been out with two lovely Swiss girls, an American working in Geneva, a slew of other Europeans (a Czech, a few Germans, a Brit, and maybe someone else?), and an Israeli girl living in Canada, just to shake things up. Tailek's interesting, and only cries sometimes when I play with him.
It's been a blast. We went out with Bee to explore some of the finer points of Bangkok nightlife (I've been missing that much neon since I left China), and the owner of the coffee shop and Halal restaurant remembers me, as I've been there three days in a row now. Also, his name is James too, and he's spent some time in Cambodia (I get to show off my three Khmer sentences!). We went to Chinatown last night, then to Khao San Road. Something about Sangkran... but that's a whole post unto itself.
I like the city. It's bigger than anywhere I could see myself settling in (six times the size of Phnom Penh), but it's a nice change of pace. It's also much greener. Some of that is the climate, but I'm sure they're also growing and watering more. I've missed Thai food and night markets too. Bee's going to teach me a little about cooking. The CSers are going out every night, and right now I'm going to try to take a nap (which will be hard with the festival raging outside). And there seems to be a water fight somewhere... I'll try to get some pictures.
Happy Buddhist New Year!!!! Don't leave house without a plastic bag!!!