Amazing Thailand

Last week, we went to Thailand for a business fair. We arrived Tuesday afternoon, went to the fair Wednesday, went shopping Wednesday night, and left the following day.

When I go out of the country, the one thing I check out first is the food. I love food! I consider myself as an adventurous eater. Just none of those exotic Fear Factor food please. And I was excited about Thailand because I will get to taste pad Thai! Yay! And those shrimp patties rolled on a sugarcane stick! Plus tom yam! Unfortunately, since there wasn't much time left for dining out, the most adventurous food I tasted on this trip was the very, very hot curry cooked in Muslim tradition. No pad thai. No shrimp patties. One tom yam, which wasn't enough to satisfy my Thai food cravings.

One thing I look forward to when going out of town for business trips is the bonding session I have with my dad. :) Yes, yes, I'm a daddy's girl. It's different when we're in another country -- the pressure from work is off. Less calls to make, less calls to receive. Although, ironically, work is what bonds us together. Work and family problems, that is. For the two nights that we spent in Thailand, most of our before bedtime talks centered on work and those ugly, pathetic creatures which, for lack of a better word, I shall grudgingly call his siblings. (:shivers:)

Anyway, for this trip, I learned something new: When in Thailand, do as the Pinoys do -- HAGGLE!!

Example:
While walking in Suan Lum Night Bazaar, I saw this cosmetic bag which was really pretty. Hmmm... perfect for pasalubongs!

Me (pointing to bag): How much?
Shopowner: 150 Baht
Me: (gets ready to leave)
S.O.: Wait! Wait! How much you want? (shoves calculator in my face)
Me: (gets calculator and presses the numbers 3 and 0)
S.O.: Cannot!! (Then she presses 99 == 99 Baht)
Me: shakes head -- NO!
s.o.: Okay, okay! How about 80 Baht?
Me: No, 30 Baht!
S.O.: No, no, I cannot!

So I prepare to leave. She pulls my arm, and says,
S.O.: Hello! Hello! I want sale! I give you 50 Baht okay?
Me: (very stubborn) No, 30 Baht!

Shop owner throws her calculator back to her desk. I leave, silently hoping she'll pull me back to offer the bag at 40 Baht. But she doesn't run after me anymore. Ooooops.... I guess 50 Baht IS the last price. I only realized I wanted the bag minutes before our plane was to take off from Thailand's tarmac. Sayang.