Bangkok condo-hunting through trial & error

    Spent three and a half hours this morning and four hours this afternoon condo hunting with Ms. Swarup. After going bug-eyed looking through endless listings, emailing countless property agents and browsing maps with varying ratios of English to Thai labeling, we decided to set out on foot to check out properties on our own. This was recommended by the admin at our school. While the suggestion had its merits, it is still a very daunting and exhausting process for a pair who:

1) Are not at all familiar with the area of gigantic proportions.

2) Have never looked for a place to live in a city larger than Peterborough and Kingston, Ontario.

3) Have student loan payments haunting their consciouses.

4) Confuse office buildings with apartments at a surprising rate... The heat apparently affects our ability to think clearly. Should make for interesting lessons.

5) Include one person who is wondering what the Thai health system's policy is regarding the removal of hip flexors, and if their employer-provided health insurance plan will cover the procedure.

   The search was not in vain. While it had its discouraging moments, I know I at least returned to the hotel in a better mood than I did leaving it this morning. Walking the different neighbourhoods with each other and other new teachers in the afternoon gave us a better idea of what's out there, for what prices, and gave us a great feel of the different neighbourhoods. We're also now pretty much pros at navigating our way through crazy Bangkok traffic, and can even take our eyes off of those crackhead sidewalks once or twice every other block.

This is most definitely not the type of traffic
we navigated through, but I thought this picture
taken from Asoke sky train station stop looked
damn cool.

   Hopefully there will be a post in the near future about our recent lease-signing for our wicked condo. As for now we still get to enjoy the res-feel of being surrounded by our colleagues that are also new to the school at the good ol' Golden Pearl, all of whom I am very excited to be working alongside for the next two years. 

Last piece of news - my schedule was apparently set as of 2pm today! Although my Principal couldn't remember what it was by the time he mentioned it to me while the group of us were having drinks and dinner tonight (he joined the hunt with us after CPR training this afternoon, we've been very well taken care of), it's still a bit of a relief to hear about the progress. And, I have my very own classroom! Should be setting that baby up come Friday!
 

Can you spot them?

WORMS! Om nom nom. *
*Correction: These are apparently actually chicken intestines.
EVEN BETTER!

Didn't even recognize this Jamaican delicacy 
last time I stopped by - Chicken kicks.