TTT2019: Day 21--A Day in Bangkok

Well, it finally happened.  After seven years of incredible service, my MacBook Air refused to accept photos from my primary camera.  I am composing this posting with two fingers on my 15 Craigside iPad, which has almost no memory.  I brought it only to read books.  I later found out that I can use my iPhone as a camera and send photos to my MacAir by e-mail, which, still functions in blog-making.

Last night I went to the M Club for my buffet dinner and asked these two ladies to fix me a martini on rocks, with olives.  They said, huh?  So I carefully mentioned:  89% gin, 10% white vermouth and a splash of cognac, with 3 olives and over some ice, pointing out the correct bottles.  What came, I think, was 50% each of cognac and vermouth, for I could taste no gin, and the mixture was sweet and brown.

 

Sunset:

This morning I had an important decision to make.  Here I am in an oasis, with easy access to food and drinks, where the temperature at 10AM outside is 94F, to increase to 99F, then drop to 94F at 5PM.  In the morning there is usually a major league baseball game on TV and on another channel, the Masters just began.  The commentary is in Thai, but maybe I have yet to find the bilingual button that converts the audio. 

Should I take it easy and rest...or not.  It's an easy walk to the Emporium luxury mall Queen's Park.  All I need do is catch the elevator to the ground floor and walk halfway around the park to the corner of that lake, which is the entrance of the Emporium.

However, I decided to catch the hotel shuttle.  I strolled around a bit and noticed there was a relatively new theater complex. Their Emprive Cineclub has five cinemas, where you can be pampered with food and drinks.  The cost is around $30.  You also get a pillow and blanket.  However, I did not think much of the cuisine options, so decided to just buy my own ticket and pay for popcorn and a drink.  The total cost was around $12.  The sound system was awesome, the theater was large, and as I left after the film, I noticed there were only two others in the cinema.

Bangkok Airway's Blue Ribbon screens at Paragon Cineplex has adjustable reclining arm chairs with blankets and pillows.  Couples are separated from others, so you can imagine what might be happening.  Wine, other drinks, popcorn, etc., are served.  Going to the movies in Bangkok is a whole new experience.

The timing was right for me to see Shazam, which ranked #1 this past weekend in the USA.  Rotten Tomatoes gave impressive 91%/89% ratings.  It was one of those comic-book films trying to look different.  It was, but still had too much silliness and ridiculousness for me.  At least Deadpool was profane.

I might mention that one of the films I've recently seen was on Thai Air to Bangkok, The Negotiation.  While Rotten Tomatoes only gave it 80%/50% ratings, I thought this South Korean production had a lot more character, surprise and excitement than Shazam.

While still in the Emporium I heard that Central World, another of these mega malls, this one located only three Skytrain stops away, was suffering from a serious fire.  When the smoke later cleared, two staff members were found dead and 16 customers injured. Each shopping complex, with many thousands shopping and whatever inside, only has one entrance with two guards and airport-like security.

My dinner was spent in the M Club.  Took a sunset photo, then went to the other  side of the room to eat:

I noticed the colorful building outside, which was reflecting the sunset, so I, went back to the sunset view for a final shot:

Tomorrow, my adventures promoting the art of gesticulation towards the production of my tenth-generation shirt/vest.  Oh, if you're waiting for my tour through the Grand Palace, Reclining Buddha, rooftop dining at Sirocco, walk through Chatachuk Weekend Market, Patpong, Durian (left) and Ayutthaya, click on THIS.  I've been here more than 25 times and have become too old to brave the 100 F environment.

I might yet work in one or two of those before I leave, and high on this list is visiting Yai at the Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo in Bangkok.  There are 100,000 crocodiles here, and he was recently measured to be 19 feet 8 inches long, the largest in captivity.  Interesting that three female humans are on record to have jumped into the crocodile pits here in a suicide attempt to be eaten.  They all succeeded.

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