I'm really here! Happy New Year everyone!
Flight Out
The Airasia flight to Bangkok was largely uneventful. I did receive a strict warning from my Mom - that I would be thrown back into my room (quarantined again) if I came back with a temperature. Agony! And I wouldn't be having any chicken or duck by choice anyway. My Mom also dumped onto me a huge bag of medicines, Vit-Cs and wet wipes...which I haven't seen since. heh heh.
Countdown
Marie picked me up from Tom Yum International Airport (ha). It was really sweet of her to do so really. (Marie's my ex house mate)
After dinner, I took a taxi out to meet Annie and her buddies (Melissa, Kevin and Natalie) at their hotel D-MA Pavillion.
They had planned to go to the RCA for the countdown (I was just leeching company). RCA's Bangkok's answer to Sg's Mohd Sultan. Rather it might be more accurate to say that Mohd Sultan is Sg's answer to the RCA. The thais party harder I thought.
Thai women (and some ahem... cross dressers..transvestites) were really hot. And where we stood whist was a really poor place to do the countdown; it was superb for people watching. Natalie reminded me of that. To which I replied that I could possibly be having a much better time than her. She agreed. Soooo much for the average Thai male. 
I must remember to get the pictures from Natalie.
We started making our way back at about 2am that 2006 morning. I got into a taxi (myself) and paid a flat fee (reluctantly; because the taxi driver claimed that the meter wasn't working). It didn't feel good overpaying but he wished me Happy New Year so many times that I gave in. He turned out to be worth every single baht though. I found out 20 meters later and it was very difficult getting taxis and I had somehow unfairly gotten lucky. A storming transvestite attempted to get into the back seat. I was soooooo scared; almost instinctively bolted and was very much relieved when the taxi driver shooed him/her off.
The night on Marie's couch was mostly routine except when I forgot about where I was and atemped to roll over. Ouch. lol
New Year's Morning
Marie surprised me by huffing and puffing out of bed at about 8.50am in the morning.
'You're not going for the 9am service are you?, I said. 'Yes I am', as she rushed.
Groan. I have to get really in 10 mins.
Going for service overseas has only become a recent thing for me (I had already made plans to attend another church). But prior to this trip, I have been church visiting alot for the past few months and I was starting to feel really at home (and even liking) when church visiting.
There were many different nationalities at this service and we started off my learning how to say Happy New Year in German, Danish, Indonesian, Korean, Japanese, Hawaiian, an African dialect, 2 Indian dialects and of course in Thai (Sawadee Bee Mai)
It has been soo amazing and reassuring for me personally to experience the same presence of God in different churches, sanctuaries, services and now in different countries. God's the only real constant in this world. :)
www.e-c-b.org 42, Sukhumvit Soi 10 Bangkok 10110
What little of 2006 has been wonderful so far. Thank God.
