Back to the Future

I arrived yesterday in Bangkok, after heading west from New York, finding myself 11 hours into the future. During a stopover in Hong Kong, I had my first incredible view of Asia. The weather was overcast, obscuring the tops of the deep green hills surrounding the airport. As we were touching down, I couldn't believe that I could actually see the enormous statue of Buddha that friends had previously captured in pictures and sent to me during their various trips to Hong Kong over the past year - http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/attractions/outlying-giant-buddha.html. There he was, perched on the top of this mountain, slightly veiled by a mist floating around him. Asia could not have planned a better welcome for me.

In Bangkok, I was greeted by a familiar face, a friend from law school here coincidentally volunteering for the same organization that I volunteered with in Tanzania. After the 20+ hour journey, I could not have been more happy to see Sandra waving at me from across the terminal. We headed out of the airport on the public transit system. THERE IS A PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM. This is the first of many things that will amaze me about Asia, as compared with Africa, I am sure.

I ended the night with a great traditional Thai salad, from a street vendor on the side of the road in Bangkok. We watched the cars zooming by, people going about their business - including a vegetable seller advertising his wares via megaphone - from a truck parked behind us, and lazy dogs looking well-fed, but always hungry for more, passing on the street.