Chatuchak Weekend Market

Early this morning mommy and daddy left me home alone and ventured out to visit the Chatuchak Weekend Market (จตุจักร), or J.J. Market if you're a local. Usually when I get ditched at home, they make sure to leave the TV on so I don't get lonely. Today was an extra special day because they were nice enough to put on an English speaking channel, as opposed to the usual Thai soap operas. I spent my day posted up on the couch, watching HBO movies and reruns of American Idol episodes while sipping a slightly chilled H20 cocktail. My day would've been perfect, except I swear the water's been tasting kinda funny lately. I have an inclination mommy and daddy have begun gradually mixing in local water with my usual bottled beverage. Keep your paws crossed my gut can stomach it!

Photo credits go to Daddy Stewart!

Don't go chasing waterfalls!!!

I could smell these cooking from our condo!

Typically I hate being left home alone while mommy and daddy are out scoping the city, but I think the Chatuchak Market might have been a little overwhelming for me. Covering 35 acres, with upwards of 15,000 stalls and an average of 200,000+ visitors per day, I probably would've ended up a trampled tube, squashed sausage, and undoubtedly a sweaty wiener. Being a low rider has many benefits, but in large crowds and situations like these I can often get overlooked and accidentally stepped on. Even though Chatuchak Market is the largest market in Thailand and one of the biggest in all of Asia, I didn't mind sitting this one out! I also figured if I was a good boy they might bring me home something to play with. After all, this market has anything and everything! Furniture, household items, Thai handicrafts, food, plants, antiques, art, clothing, live critters, and even pups just like myself. Mommy said I should be thankful for what I have...apparently the pooches there have it pretty rough.

At least they're honest!

Arriving at 9:00am slathered in sunscreen and loaded up with bottled water, they were ready for some serious bargaining. By getting there at opening the hope was to squeeze in some good deals before the onslaught of the big crowds...and also beat the oppressive heat! First they circled the outer perimeter while weaving in and out of the smaller soi (streets). They wandered from stall to stall browsing each vendor's vast selection. With vivid bright colors and an unbelievable array of products, it definitely was a visual feast for the eyes. There was just about everything you could imagine...if this place doesn't have it, you probably don't need it!

 

By noon it was beginning to heat up and the flow of pedestrian traffic had significantly increased. They continued shopping around with sweat dripping down their faces, their shirts soaked to the point they could've been rung out like wet rags. Mommy was near melting point so they decided to grab a refreshing bag of cha yen (ชาเย็น), Thai iced tea, and headed to the shade for a quick break. The shade wasn't much cooler than being in the sun, but the ice cold tea was absolutely delicious. Shortly thereafter, mommy apparently used her incredibly persuasive bargaining skills and got some good deals on a few things to put in our new home. After making one final pass through the market they began the long walk back to the BTS. Collapsing in their seats, they throughly enjoyed the ride home in the frigid air conditioned train. The Chatuchak Market brings new meaning to exhaustion...they literally shopped till they dropped!

Tea Bag!

Much to my surprise, mommy and daddy brought me home a new toy from J.J. Market. We'll see how long I leave the squeaker in this guy! I played with him all night. Tossing him in the air, scratching at his eyeballs, and rolling around for hours definitely made me one tired wiener. OK, OK...I promise I'll ease up on the wiener jokes...well probably not, but at least for a little while! 

I should sue!!!

Makha Bucha

Makha Bucha (มาฆบูชา) is an important religious festival celebrated by buddhists throughout South East Asia. It's a day in which they honor Buddha and his teachings. Yesterday, on the full moon day of the third lunar month, we we're able to experience our first Thai holiday while living abroad! Makha Bucha is a highly ceremonial event, in which the spiritual goals of the day are to not commit any sins, do only good, and simply purify one's mind. This was pretty easy for me since I'm practically an angel everyday! But in an effort to be more Thai, I really made a conscious effort to cleanse my spirit and be the best gosh darn doxie I could be!

Reflecting back on previous heinous acts, perhaps the biggest sin ever committed was ripping the squeaker out of a brand new toy mommy got me. I thoroughly enjoyed tearing both of his eyes and nose off, and after passing through a thick layer of stuffing, I finally reached the inner goodness. I tell ya, as soon as I got that squeaker in my mouth, it was like something came over me...I couldn't control myself!!! Bouncing it around in my mouth and feeling the soft texture of extruded plastic was beyond satisfying! Nothing is more exhilarating than munching hard and hearing it go “BEEP, BEEP, BEEP.” It makes me salivate just thinking about it.

Actually I correct myself, I think my worst sin was dropping a deuce in the bathtub while my parents were out grocery shopping. They weren't even that mad, since it was quite an impressive task. As you can imagine, a lot of logistics, planning, and cat-like balance went into that production. I'd like to think it was comparable to a human pooping off the 10 meter high-dive. Anyways, sorry about all this potty talk...you probably think I have IBS or something. Thinking about all of my past mistakes makes me look like a pretty naughty pup! Hopefully all dogs really do go to heaven.

OK, back to the holiday! Last night I was left at home to reflect on my spiritual being and attempt to achieve complete zen while my parents ventured out to the temple to partake in the evening's festivities. The temple they chose to visit was Wat That Tong, located right off the BTS station in our soon-to-be neighborhood of Ekkamai. Once they arrived, they purchased some flowers, candles, and incense sticks. They made sure not to pass up on the street food and grabbed some khanom buang (ขนมเบื้อง) to snack on while walking around--crispy little pancakes topped with coconut cream and golden egg yolk strands!

khanom buang (ขนมเบื้อง) = YUMMERS!

Daddy tried each kind...just about every part of a chicken!

When they finished the sweet, tasty treats mommy and daddy proceeded inside to join the festivities and participate in the candlelight vigil. After lighting their candles and incense, they mingled in with the large group that was circling the temple three times clockwise, stopping each time to pray. Apparently, each lap represents one of the Three Jewels – the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.

With the third lap completed, they then placed the flowers, incense, and candles in front of the temple and stood there for a few minutes just admiring the mesmerizing scene. The expressions on the temple-goers faces ranged from serious prayer to playful interactions among family. A sweet perfume of incense and fresh flowers hung thick in the air. With the golden temple truly lit up as the full moon reflected against it's walls, it must have been a spectacular sight to see. I really wish I could have been there!

Since mommy and daddy aren't the most religious of people, you'd think this new buddhist experience would've felt awkward. Surprisingly, even though they had no idea what they were doing, it was quite natural and very refreshing. It's not like they're going to try and become monks or anything, but who knows, daddy's already got the haircut for it!

Notice the gorgeous full moon? 

To finish off their perfect evening, they decided to grab a pizza and call it a night. On the way to the bistro mommy rode her first motorcyle taxi. Daddy watched mommy hop on and whiz away into the distance, while he lagged a bit behind on the second bike. I think his bike didn't have the horsepower for such a big load! Before I knew it, mommy and daddy were home safe-and-sound with a piping hot pizza. When daddy looked away for a minute, I thought about swooping a piece of the parma ham on top. But on such a religious day my conscience knew better, so I drifted off to sleep with a belly full of dry kibble instead.

That parma ham would probably go straight to my thighs anyway....

House Hunting...Internationally

Today, Valentine's Day 2011, my parents found the house of their dreams. Cupid must have struck them with an arrow when they saw this place because we're talking head-over-heals in love. Mommy won't shut up about all the decorating possibilities. The house is located in Ekkamai. It's just a short walk to the BTS (some sort of elevated car that floats up high above the city), and close to all the action. It's one of four houses located in a gated community with a shared pool. It has a built-in electronic security system, and also a 24-hour security guard stationed at the entrance. This way, mommy and I will feel safe when daddy has to leave on trips. It's four stories high with balconies on each floor, and it even has an amazing view of the city. Throughout the entire house are the most stunning teak hardwood floors. They make it a bit hard for me to get traction, but really help keep the place cool. It feels like a relaxing vacation beach house, and it's going to be a wonderful place to call home. Not to mention it's absolutely huge! We'll have plenty of room for all of our guests. Can't wait for everyone to come visit! If everything goes as planned, we'll be moving into our home on March 1st. I'm really looking forward to not living out of a suitcase anymore. The hotel bed is nice, but it'll even be nicer to rest my head on my very own cedar-chip dog bed. 

Despite the face, mommy really didn't like this house!

My parents looked at several other places and debated living in a house, condominium, and apartment. I was blamed as the reason for not being able to live in a condo. Apparently most condos and apartments don't allow dogs, and mommy and daddy thought it would be a big pain in the butt to leash me up and take me down twenty flights in an elevator just to go to the bathroom. The possibility of me slipping through the railing and swan-diving off of our balcony on the twentieth floor also didn't settle well with them. Mommy was a little bummed that condos were out of the picture since they looked at some really nice places with spectacular views. One of the condos even had a bowling alley located on the top floor! Sorry to burst your bubble mommy, but you suck at bowling. When you need bumpers, it's safe to say you're pretty much a disgrace to the sport.

View from our 4th floor balcony!!!

Our house's shrine!

Before finalizing our housing arrangements, mommy and daddy scoped out the neighborhood just to be sure. I was left at home, of course, while they headed out for the evening to check out our soon-to-be neighborhood. First they enjoyed dinner at a casual Thai restaurant. The restaurant was huge...an open-air layout packed with locals. They gorged themselves on four traditional Thai dishes, two bowls of rice, and a pitcher of beer--all for less than seventeen dollars. Following dinner they stopped at a bar for a couple drinks. The bar is apparently only 50 meters from our future home…this could be dangerous! Once they'd consumed enough Thai rum to sedate a baby elephant, they called it quits and made the short walk to the BTS. When they got home, they reeked of Chang beer and chili peppers. Mommy must have gotten the drunken munchies because they also hit up a 7-eleven for a few late night snacks. 

With today being Valentine's Day, an internationally recognized day of love, I am dearly missing my girlfriends back home. I wish I could be there to snuggle by their sides. Perhaps we would share a bowl of spaghetti and enjoy a good bottle of Napa Cab. To top things off, finish the night with some juicy, chocolate covered strawberries. If we threw in some whipped cream, things could really get crazy. That for sure is a recipe for a creamy Valenteeny Weenie. My heart aches for those two adorable labradors, but how much longer can I hold on? Let's be realistic, the chances of our long distance relationship really working are slim to none. No offense to Millie, but she has the attention span of a two-year old and the memory of a gold fish. She's probably already forgotten I even existed, especially if someone mentions bacon or brings out a tennis ball. Is it too soon to move on? I heard mommy and daddy mention two beautiful collies live next door to us at our new home. Please, Buddha, let one of them be female. I love larger ladies. There's more to love, and I'm in desperate need of some puppy loving. I guess I'm technically single…single and ready to mingle :) So lets just say...what happens in Bangkok, stays in Bangkok. 

If only I had some hot bitches to share these with...

The Land of Smiles

Daddy left on Monday for a quick business trip to Tokyo, so mommy and I have been on our own in Bangkok. Since we've been here less than a week, she’s a bit reluctant to venture out on her own. I have an impeccable sense of smell, however, so I'd like to think I've been helping her find her way around. I try to at least point her in the right direction, if I even know which way that is. As you can imagine, It's a little trickier finding our way around here when compared to living in the states. There's a few more people to get in your way—11 million to be exact!

Which, or course, makes this place a complete sensory overload. My eyes are burning from the pollution and fumes that blanket the city. My sniffer is literally on overdrive. The city's aroma is a unique combination of spicy noodles, car exhaust, sweet coconut milk, and sizzling meat stands that fill the streets. I'm beginning to drool just thinking about those hot, barbecued meats! I mean it when I say I can smell a meat cart 4 blocks away. It almost stings the nostrils. My ears continue to ring from the honking and harmonious buzz of traffic. With the city rapidly growing, the sounds of jack hammers and heavy machinery can be heard coming from construction sites early in the morning all the way past sunset. On our walks I listen to the friendly babble and chit-chat between locals that I dearly wish I could understand. I guess it wouldn't really matter if I did though, since humans can't understand me. At least I wouldn't have to look at them dazed and confused whenever they spoke to me. Then again, that's what I do now whenever mommy or daddy tell me to sit, stay, or come!

Today mommy took me for a walk around our neighborhood. I've never had so many people approach me smiling and so excited to see me. They're all incredibly warm and happy, and of course, always smiling. I'm not really sure what they're smiling at, but I like their style. At first I thought I was walking around with my fly down or something. Why else would they be staring, right? Then I remembered, I'm not wearing any pants so that couldn't it. When daddy takes me for walks—excuse my bragging—I'm a complete chick magnet. The girls flock to us giggling and can't seem to control themselves. “So cute. So cute.” How many times have I heard that!? My daddy's pretty handsome, but I know for a fact they aren't talking about him. When mommy takes me for walks, the girls are still drawn to us grinning cheek to cheek, but there are also the random honks from enthusiastic men driving tuk-tuks and taxi bikes. I'm not sure what the big deal is….haven't they ever seen a hot dog before??

Loving these iced espressos!

When we're out on our walks I try to mark every bush or shrub I see. Living in the heart of the city, I'm never sure when my next opportunity will be. If I see a plant spring up out of the concrete sidewalk, you can count on it getting blasted. It's hard to get some privacy around here. I'm not asking for much, but it would be nice to get a little peace and quiet so that I could focus on the task at hand. I don't have a fear of pooping in public, for sure, but it's kind of embarrassing walking around with a turtle head then having to pinch a loaf on the street. I have to make a conscious effort not to urinate on any buddhist shrines, too. They always have the nicest displays adorned with flowers, candles, food offerings, and plants. But I doubt if I made it rain on a sacred shrine that it would go over too well with the Thais. We attempted to go on a walk in Queen's Park the other day, but were unfortunately steered away after noticing the several signs instructing us that dogs aren't allowed. I thought parks were made for dogs? I guess they do it differently in other countries. It's just one of the new idiosyncrasies we’ll have to get used to, I guess.

I’m happy that finally our lonely four day stint of just the two of us is coming to an end. I think mommy could really use some other human interaction. She's starting to talk to herself. Honestly, it's kind of creeping me out! Thank goodness daddy comes home tonight! Brace yourself Thailand it's time for a party in the BKK!!

Flying High

Just want to start off by saying Happy Lunar New Year everybody! It’s the year of the rabbit, AKA, Mommy’s year! She was born twenty-four years ago in April. I wish it was the year of the dog, but we can’t win every fight. We’re all very excited to start a new year in a new country.

And what a country it is! I’m now writing to you from a hot and sweaty Bangkok, Thailand. I was slightly wrong on my ETA of three hours, by the way. The 7,910 mile journey took a grand total of thirty one hours. THIRTY ONE FREAKING HOURS! After a teary-eyed goodbye with Mommy and her family, we left El Dorado Hills at 6:00am. We stopped in Vacaville to grab some coffee and a quick breakfast. My daddy let me out of the car to go to the bathroom, and then kindly slipped me a piece of salami for a treat before putting me back in my crate. Little did I know, this would be the last time I could go to the bathroom before reaching our first stop in Tokyo (fourteen hours later). I was also completely unaware of the low grade tranquilizer that was wrapped up in the salami. Man, that salami hit HARD!

SFO to NRT to BKK...Here we come!!!

By the time we arrived at SFO I was feeling pretty good. I gave G-MA one last lick goodbye, and was then whisked away on a luggage cart loaded high with bulging suitcases. When we checked in at the United counter, I was fading in and out of consciousness. Dreaming of hot, grilled meats and warm piles of laundry, I struggled to fight the effects of the drugs. When we approached the x-ray machine my daddy removed me from my crate. With half-glazed eyes, I watched as my two best squeaky toy friends, Boombie and Pinkie, rode down the conveyor belt in my crate and passed through the machine. Those two are always up to no good, so I wouldn’t have been surprised if TSA needed to search the crate for razor blades, bags of drugs, firearms, bombs, and containers filled with excessive amounts of liquids far exceeding the one ounce limit. Luckily, this time they made it through clean! When daddy placed me back in my crate, I nuzzled in with my two buddies and passed out.

Next thing I knew, I’m lodged under the seat in front of mommy and a deafening noise begins to surround me from all sides. For once, the large rumbling sound wasn’t my stomach! After a while it actually became very soothing. Just to be a prick, I scratched at my crate for a couple of minutes to see if mommy or daddy would let me out. After numerous failed attempts, I finally gave in to the sweet lull of heavy narcotics and closed my eyes.

By the time we touched down in Tokyo I was on my second round of sedatives. Somehow, daddy pulled a quick one on the plane and hid the drugs in a piece of Beef Stroganoff leftover from lunch. I don’t know why humans complain so much...airplane food isn’t that bad. Those damn meats—high in sodium and preservatives, covered in a thick sauce to camouflage the taste of just about everything—do it to me every time! Regardless of the drugs, I was still well aware that I needed to pee. I considered the possibility of just letting it go on the plane, but for some reason the idea of being confined to my crate while lying in my own piss-soaked bed for who knows how long, didn’t sound appealing. To my relief, just when I was about to burst, my daddy let me out of my crate. While still severely drowsy from the drugs, I couldn’t comprehend what he was doing. He locked us in a large handicapped bathroom together and told me, “Just go man. Just go.” I didn’t understand—we were indoors, and that’s a big no-no. I looked up at him a couple times, and finally realized I had gotten the seal of approval. I released the dragon, and peed on the floor for well over a minute. We’re talking an all-four-paws-wet puddle of piss. I can’t even begin to describe how good this felt! After daddy cleaned up, we left the bathroom and I got loaded back into my crate.

Unbeknownst to me, the next round of drugs was ingested via a small piece of sashimi grade tuna from the United Airlines Red Carpet Lounge. The last thing I remember was looking up and seeing mommy voraciously slurping a bowl of Udon noodles. The second seven hour flight to Bangkok was pretty much a blur.

To make a long journey short, we all made it here to Thailand safe and sound! Me and my parents have settled into our temporary home off of Sukhumvit Road. I’m enjoying the new sights and sounds to be sure, but I’ll be very honest, it’s a lot different than back home in California! I’m looking forward to pointing out these differences as the days go by.

With all the drug use coming over, you might imagine the jet lag would be fairly severe. Well, you’re absolutely right. I’m fighting it pretty hard right now. I sleep randomly throughout the day, I doze off when you least expect it, and lounge around for hours on end. Then again….that sounds like me back home doesn’t it!?