Grace, Eye MD

Yesterday and this morning, Peew hauled my ass off the bed at 6am to go running at Lumpini Park, a couple of blocks from her apartment.  OK, so she ran and I brisk-walked. Hehe! I didn’t think it was a good idea to run straightaway, since I didn’t want to injure myself and not be able to shop (priorities, you know!). 

Lumpini Park is a huge park, akin to our Luneta Park.  By the time we got there at a bit past 6pm, there were so many people running/briskwalking and exercising.  There were at least 5 big groups doing taichi, one very big group doing  low-impact Aerobics, and a lot of small groups doing stretching exercises. A vast majority were old people doing their thing. It was so cool, because a lot of them were exercising on their own small patch of grass, unmindful of everyone else.  I saw a man patiently walking with his lola on his arm, and another lola pushing her own wheelchair for exercise!  There was also gym equipment all over the park where one could exercise free of charge.

It was great, because these retirees and old people have somewhere to exercise in the morning.  Smoking is not allowed, and the air is clear enough, despite the fact that the park is smack in the middle of Bangkok.

Of course, I also used my briskwalking skills for shopping (mas may saysay). I took the Chitlom BTS (MRT to you) and found my way to MBK, a 6 storey shopping center. I managed to buy two pairs of high heels, which I must force myself to wear, if I have any plans of making myself look like the 32-year old doctor I am, and not the university student I am often mistaken for (whether that is good or bad, is relative). I also visited a couple of Mac stores, and gave myself a pat on the back for buying my beautiful puta-red PVC sleeve, memory foam sleeve (at Sam’s urging) and lots of hardware like memory cards, card reader, speakers, etc. in Singapore. Those things are pretty expensive here.

I went to Siam Center and Siam Paragon. Siam Paragon looked familiar, and then I realized I had gone there already in October. Of course I was drawn to Kinokuniya and Asia Books just to browse and check out what was new (dork paradise).  Paragon’s Gourmet Supermarket is a dream! Their fruits are so cheap, and their packed suha na nabalatan na is only 50 baht! Sarap also their macopa and kao tang (puffed rice). I have to mentally stop myself from eating and eating, otherwise I will end up going home with a bigger butt than I arrived here with!

Today my agenda is Pratunam, which I can only reach with a cab, since there is no nearby BTS station.  Peew has warned me to be careful there, because it’s much like Divisoria; she says the people are  rude, and they are more sanay sa mga biyahera. Hmmm…that is a challenge!

I’m taking everything nice and slow, since I’ll be here for 2 weeks naman. Sam is arriving in 2 days, so we have a lot of time to explore Bangkok (read: 25% touring + 75% shopping/eating).

This is THE life.

I can’t believe it, my fellowship in Singapore is finally over! Looking back, I am so grateful for that wonderful opportunity to train in a world-class insitution with a fantastic boss whose generosity knows no bounds. I can confidently say that I am a more mature surgeon and I am ready to take on private practice :)  I met and made so many good friends of different races and cultures; and my mind opened to so many new ideas.  I have even more questions about so many things, but the wonderful thing is, I am actively seeking the answers myself. I am more open to reading different kinds of books than those I am prone to buying (think "The Da Vinci Code" versus  "Guns, Germs and Steel" and "Ramayana"), listening to music other than the ’80’s, and trying out new food (I’ve fallen in love with Vietnamese coffee, Indian Dhosai, Onde-onde from Malacca and Thai beef noodles!). I’m less of a technophobe, and yes, I don’t flinch at the idea of looking through stores selling laptops, routers and the like :)  You can leave me in a new city armed with a map, and I will most likely get to my destination.

Yes, even if I was constantly whining to my family and Sam that I was terribly homesick and miserable, Singapore was good to and for me.  Of course having Sam in my last 6 months was a huge plus factor (boyfriend/cook/travel companion/sounding board all in one pogi package) that made me survive.

After this two week hiatus in Bangkok where Sam and I will get to recharge, another chapter of our lives will begin.  These are very interesting and exciting times, to say the least.