Bangkok 1

Our very late flight from Manila was delayed by 2 hours, so we arrived at Suvarnhabumi International Airport at 2:30 AM, local time. I've scheduled everything so tight that I went directly from the office to the airport. My college buddy Jaime had an excuse to travel to Bangkok because of Mhel and Mam's wedding. We had planned to take the trip on late October but Mhel had other things in mind. We were met at the terminal by Mam and Sandy, all weary and hungry. No food was served on the plane as the cost of the ticket didn't cover meals. It's a good thing i brought some crackers i purchased at the waiting lounge.

We slept at the extra room of the couple's townhouse. It's the eve of the ceremony and we have a lot of things to look after. After eating a lunch of Pilipino dishes which was prepared by Mhel's Mom, who flew in a few days earlier, we went to St. John's church in downtown Bangkok to witness the last final preparations and to have the couples new car blessed by the priest. We arrived with the wedding coordinator and her staff making the finishing touches . The reception will be held on the church grounds so a tent was erected in anticipation of some rains on Saturday. The coordinator was Thai who converted to Catholicism to get married, similar to my Mhel's fiancee did. She established her wedding planning business shortly after to assist would be Catholic brides and avoid what she herself experienced.

After church, the couple took us to a popular restaurant (so popular in fact that I forgot the name), and all of us had our first taste of authentic Thai food. Our meal was pre-empted by having a shot of ice cold tamarind juice before the main course. Expecting the worst, as I do not really eat spicy food, I was relieved to realize that Thai food is not spicy but hot. You'll be able to tolerate the spiciness and will just feel it's hotness after a few minutes, when you start to perspire. We were served with Thom yum soup, sea bass cooked in tamarind juice with coconut meat and vegetables, it's almost similar to our sinigang, and it's also the only dish I remember in it's native name.

The restaurant was beautiful, similar in ambiance to our Dencio's or Gerry's grill. Most of the eating areas are al fresco with the servers in native attire. After dinner we all went back home as we all should rest for the next day.