What Bangkok taught me

Moving from one sunny island, Singapore to another sunny city, Bangkok. Its no secret that Singaporeans love Bangkok. In fact we come here whenever we have a chance and I'm sure no Singaporean will disagree with me. It's just 2 hours away from this food and shopping paradise.
So my husband and i might have taken our honeymoon a little too far, its our fourth month here after our wedding and we are not ready to move back anytime soon lol. Still in love with this bustling city, the always smiley and polite thai , the aroi mak food, nightlife and of course the endless shopping! I have even picked up new hobbies like Go karting and Muay thai. Really cant pick out anything that I don't love about this beautiful city. Oh maybe just one; the infamous bangkok jam that is. Nobody can guarantee how long you will take to travel in Bangkok on any given day if you know what I mean.... Dont get me wrong, public transport is very accessible here, i usually beat the jam by taking motorbike taxi to BTS station and then take BTS to wherever i want to go. So the trick is mixing motorbike taxi, skytain and metro networks. Only take taxi when you are feeling lazy..

This city has so much to offer if you know where to look at. So what have i learnt here so far:

First thing Bangkok taught me was that notions about safety are overated. In Singapore, we are super safety minded. we don't cross the road if we don't see the traffic light or the zebra crossing. And if we do, someone will be sure to pay a hefty sum in our 'fine' country. Crossing the road in Bangkok is just another story, it has never been more fun and adventurous to cross a road, its like playing Russian Roulette. Just that if you get hit, you die lol. Crossing the road was my biggest fear when i first came here, but now I cross like a pro, following my husband's advise of "Just walk out with confidence and whatever you do, DONT STOP!" I also came out with another strategy of crossing the road that is to find locals that are also crossing the road and leech onto them. Yes, scuttle behind them as a human shield until you arrive at the other side of the road. Works all the time!

Motorbike taxi is one thing I sworn I will never take again after a horrific accident in Phuket years ago. However, I see myself weaving through the traffic on a motorbike taxi on any other day to avoid the jams. Over here you will see little kids riding motorbikes to school, people running across the busy road, jumping on and off buses and walking on sidewalks with gaping holes leading into pipes. Occasionally you will see yourself stepping into puddles of water. But by living here, I've learned that safety, while important, is not as important as having a level head. Few accidents happen because people are too conscious and hesitant.

Bangkok taught me that we don't always have to be so up tight and stress about everything. If you lived here long enough you would have probably heard of the thai people often repeating "jai yen" in an effort to cool down the hot hearts. Thai people treasure their heart value, they are always kind hearted, patient, forgiving, accepting of the circumstances that life brings, easy-going, calm and collected even in the face of provocation or distress. There is always an easy going attitude of "mai pen rai = its alright/never mind" that makes thai people gentle and easy going. Especially when we come from a fast paced, stressful and hectic Singapore. We demanded quick responses from others and wanted things done as soon as possible. We realized how hot hearted, impatient and stressful we are. Over time, we have learned to see everything with an open heart, don't hold high expectations and you know just 'Jai yen'. After all the weather and food are hot enough, we don't need the extra heat to spoil the day.

Most importantly, Bangkok has taught me to be more independent and appreciate my family more. Coming from Asian family, its definitely something new to move out and lead your own lives without our parents. Who would have thought we need to replenish our own toiletries, refill the dish washing liquid, and pay for electricity. Yes we realized we have taken everything for granted back home. Living on our own has taught us how to handle our problems ourselves, budget wisely and appreciate our time with our family and friends more. There is definitely nothing like going home and spending time with our love ones. This new exprience has definitely helped to shape us and give us a whole new idea of confidence when our new house is ready in Singapore.

Looking forward to more adventure that awaits us here.. Thank you for reading my first post..

Anyway, this morning's sun rise is amazing, what do you think?