R.I.P., Nora Ephron

When I saw the headline of Nora Ephron's death on Yahoo, I gasped. One of those shrieking inhales that feels like your heart stopped beating for five seconds.

Obviously, she was a great writer, and I mourn the fact that she will never write another movie or pen another book of essays. But my sadness is also selfish. When I turned my focus to writing a couple years ago, I was asked what screenwriter I wanted my writing and career to emulate. I thought about it for thirty seconds. Nora Ephron. Not just because I write romantic comedies, but also because of the way her great sense of humor shined through in everything she wrote, humorous or tragic. I wanted to have lunch with her, and I dreamed that maybe one day I would. I don't want my idol to be dead.

GIRLS - Season One

 I've had a week to reflect on my thoughts about season one of Lena Dunham's GIRLS. I enjoy the show for the same reason I enjoy TREME; there's not another show like it on TV. But, unfortunately, GIRLS doesn't have enough going for it to make it loveable.

When the show was announced, it received comparisons to SEX AND THE CITY, only younger and more realistic. Um, okay. Yes, I know Carrie Bradshaw lived in an apartment way above her paygrade and had a Manolo Blahnik addiction that would've saddled her with credit card debt for the rest of her life. However, was her living situation so much different from Hannah and Marnie, who live in a sizeable Brooklyn two-bedroom on a lovely, quiet residential street? And they keep spouting off about how they live in Brooklyn all the time, like Brooklyn is the ghetto or cheap or something. No way Marnie could afford that place on an art gallery assistant's salary (ahem, Charlotte). So, financially realistic? Not so much.

The thing that worked about SATC was that those characters loved each other and, as different as they were, the audience believed that they would actually be friends. No matter how crazy their personal lives got, the show was still rooted in the women's relationships with each other, and that tethered everything to reality. GIRLS doesn't have that. I don't know why any of those girls like each other. I don't buy any of them as friends. Yes, they're all extremely self-centered, but that doesn't mean they'll be friends. And also, the best character on the show is Adam. When the best character on a show called GIRLS is the crazy, semi-a-hole, sort-of boyfriend of the lead character, that says a lot. The girls on GIRLS are not nearly as compelling as they should be.

I think the most interesting thing the show has done is appeal to men. I watch the show with Hubs (who hates SATC), and he likes GIRLS more than I do. He appreciates the raw feeling the show has, and I agree. It seems like every episode of GIRLS originates from an idea of an awkward scene or moment and then the show is formed around that. It's a formula that creates some funny moments, but doesn't make for the strongest episodes.

The season finale was a complete misstep for me. Yes, characters need to have arcs. The definition of a character arc does not mean that each of your characters has to end up 180 degrees from where they started, but that's exactly what GIRLS did. It was like they made a list:

-Shoshanna. She's a virgin. By the end of the finale, she won't be. (Okay, I'll give them that one. That actually is a realistic progression that makes sense).

-Marnie. She's an uptight control freak. (I know this not because she acts uptight [she masterbates in public restrooms, so I guess it's all semantics], I know Marnie is uptight because every character on the show constantly tells us that she's uptight). So in the finale, we'll have her pick out the most annoying wedding guest and bang him. Nothing less uptight than slumming. (And, really, it was much more in her character to just hook up with her ex in the bathroom, because we know she's cool with public bathroom sexual activity. We also know she still wants to feel like she has the upper hand in that "relationship".)

-Jessa. She started out as the free-spirited chick who will do anything just to have done it. So we'll have some minor character give her a wierd and inappropriate motherly talking to, and an episode later she'll MARRY a dude that tried to have a threesome with her and Marnie and yelled at them when they spilled wine on his rug. Naturally.

-Adam. At the beginning of the season, he doesn't want to be in a relationship. By the finale, we'll have him practically bathing Hannah's feet and begging her to let him move in. And then he'll violently scream at her about it. But he's crazy, so it makes sense. Mmm-hmm.

-Hannah. She seems secure. But she'll admit that she's the most scaredest scaredy-cat person in the whole widest world. What is she so scared of? She doesn't say. Nothing honest will come out of her mouth, but she'll talk about how she's insecure about her body. A body that she hasn't been afraid to bare in every single episode. A body that in the season finale will be wearing a dress with a hemline six inches shorter than anyone with body issues would wear.

Needless to say, I didn't like this list all that much.

Yes, characters need to have arcs, preferably in the 45-90 degree range. When a character turns 180 degrees, they aren't the same character anymore. Movie characters may be able to do a complete turnaround (though I doubt it would feel realistic) because the film will end soonafter. A TV show can't sustain character flip-flopping. It just makes the viewer ask, who the hell are these people? And why am I watching them?

"Just Kids" by Patti Smith

A book review.

I'd been wanting to read this book ever since I was drawn to the striking cover photo while wandering past the "awards table" display at Barnes & Noble. I took a course in college called Philosophy of Love, which was not so much about love, as my uber-romatic self had hoped. I remember reading Plato and Nietzsche, so I wonder how much different it was from a regular philosophy class. However, my instructor loved Robert Mapplethorpe. I don't know how Robert Mapplethorpe fit into the Philosophy of Love, but I remember his art was discussed multiple times, and I was always confused at how it related to anything we'd previously been discussing. Thus, I've always associated Robert Mapplethorpe with my strange teacher who took months to read our short papers and didn't believe in deodorant/bathing as B.O. was always wafting off of him.

I needed a new association with Robert Mapplethorpe, and I knew Patti Smith would give it to me. I'm unfamiliar with her music, except for the couple of R.E.M. songs she's been featured in, but that will now change. This book is so beautiful, it's discouraging as a writer. I will never be that good. Ever. I listened to the audio book that she read herself, and I think hearing her own gravely voice reading her story only made it better. She's a great reader, has a wonderful sense of humor. Her story is raw, but never rough around the edges. It's the kind of book everyone would hope they could write after the loss of a close friend, even if it takes twenty years. And from a purely historical standpoint, it's also a fascinating look at the New York art and music scene in the 60s and 70s. ****

Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
*** = Excellent & Worth a Read
** = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
* = Blech!

And I don't do that half-star nonsense.

Lazy Ox Canteen

The Lazy Ox Canteen served me the best meal I've had in a long time. Would go back in a second and try many more things on their great menu that has a wide range of small plates.

Roasted Poblano Soup. Smoky and creamy with chunks of pork belly. Perhaps the best soup I've ever had.

Fried Ricotta Balls with Honey and Saffron are great if you have a super sweet tooth.

Fried Chicken Livers with Apple and Hearts of Palm Salad. The sweet and salty with the liver was a great combo.

The Short Ribs with Cream of Wheat were tender, but they didn't have the wow factor I thought they might have.

Rice Pudding. I like traditional rice pudding and I didn't expect it to be as fluffy and puffy. The flavor was fine, but nothing special. The caramel sauce made it so much better.

I don't remember what this was called, but it was a bar of the darkest of dark chocolate with a bruleed top. It. Was. Awesome. One of the best chocolate desserts ever.

I also tried a red wine blend from Malibu and it was extremely pleasant, tasted like a good chianti. Malibu? Who'd have thought?

Pizzeria Mozza

My favorite pizza in Los Angeles at Bottega Louie has met its match!
My fondness for Bottega Louie's pie stems from its resemblance to the many wonderful pizzas we had in Italy. Pizzeria Mozza is a different beast, entirely, but just as delicious. The crust is light and puffy, just crunchy enough. The sauce just sweet enough. The toppings weren't overdone.

We had the pizza with salami & fresno chiles. Just a hint of spice.

There are a number a great looking appetizers. We had the goat cheese and lentils, which which tasted like a beef stew with goat cheese. Mmm.

It looked so good we took a bite before the photo. Whoops.

They had many yummy-sounding desserts, but we went with the butterscotch. Forgot to take a photo, but it looked and tasted virtually identical to the butterscotch we had at Jar. Except that it came with a cookie that had rosemary in it. And it was a revelation.

I am not a huge rosemary fan. I much prefer my breakfast potatoes with thyme, and if I'm cooking rosemary with meat, I only use a tiny, tiny bit. But having rosemary in something sweet like a cookie? Sounded crazy, but it was perfect. Now it all makes sense. The one dish I make that I actually like rosemary, the sauce is sweet. I just never put it together. Rosemary should be sweet, not savory. Ah, the world just got a little brighter.

"Skylight Confessions" by Alice Hoffman

A book review.

This book started out with a healthy energy to it, but that soon ended, and everything became depressing. And then more depressing, and then an ending that went nowhere. I have no problem with depressing if it's done well. The characters didn't have enough life to them, and the story wasn't terribly compelling, so everything felt flat. I've also read Hoffman's "The Probable Future" and found that one much more enjoyable. **

Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
*** = Excellent & Worth a Read
** = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
* = Blech!

And I don't do that half-star nonsense.

Jar

Hubs and I went to Jar a few months back. We went early, sat in a corner booth that was great for people watching. We spotted Martha Plimpton among the eclectic crowd.

I've heard the restaraunt decor could be straight out of Mad Men, and though I don't watch the show, the surrounding wood panels do inspire one to sip a glass of scotch at any hour of the day. The large room manages to still feel cozy and walk the line between boisterous and intimate.

The food was good. I had their signature pot roast. It tasted good and all, but I'm sure I could make something comparable on a lazy weekend day. It was also pricey for what it was. It's an inexpensive cut of meat, and it didn't come with anything. All the main courses are a la carte, so you have to pay for every side. I didn't need a fancy side with it, but, I'm sorry, if I'm at a pricey restaurant and served a piece of meat in a bath of sauce, I need a starch to soak it up. Starch, people! Potatoes or rice, two of the cheapest things you can buy. Not having a starch served with it seemed indecent.

Surprisingly, I did not have to pay extra for the carrots.

Hubs had a pork chop, which was better than my roast. Well-cooked, very juicy.

A dressed onion as a side/garnish? Please. Just scatter some parsley on the plate. You aren't fooling anyone.

The stuffed squash blossoms were also tasty.

These were the standout dishes:

Who would've thought a place that specializes in pot roast would have great Fried Rice? This is the only thing I would reorder on a return trip.

This might not look special but it was hard to share and not gobble it all up for myself.

The pastry chef is pretty great there. We ordered two desserts because we couldn't decide which one to share. The pumpkin bread pudding was so, so delicious. Everything a dessert should be. Warm cake, cold ice cream, spiced pumpkin. Comfort food at its finest.

We also had a butterscotch something or other. I forgot what it was called. L.A. is currently going through a butterscotch craze. This was the first of a few butterscotch pot de creme desserts we've had lately. They've all been good. Butterscotch was my favorite Jello Powder + Milk = Pudding when I was a kid, so my mouth waters at the mention of it.

If we went back, the only thing I would reorder is the fried rice. They had a lot fantastic looking starters. It might be a place where our best bet would be to make a meal out of appetizers, and whatever new desserts they're offereing, at least one would be worth trying, but we'd probably end up getting two again.

Almost...almost...and...nope: a few thoughts on Prometheus

FASSBENDER.
RAPACE.
THERON.

You had me at Fass--

This was the movie I was most looking forward to this summer. And, well, I left the theater disappointed.

If you haven't seen the movie, this post contains SPOILERS.

Let's start with the positive, the movie is beautiful. The photography, production design, VFX, everything visual is gorgeous. And, story-wise, the movie starts out well. Two married scientists, Shaw and Holloway, discover cave paintings that solidify their theory about human creation. Fast forward to a space mission searching on for the Creators on the depicted planet from cave paintings. The exploration starts out slow which I didn't mind. Especially in thriller/horror movies, I think it's effective to start slow and ramp up the pace as you go along. The longer it takes for something to happen, the more tension has built up. Prometheus does a good job with that.

It's when stuff starts to go wrong for the crew that the movie derails on me. Now I've only seen the movie once and perhaps I missed a few things. Some of my issues with the movie might seem nit-picky, and I promise I didn't go into the movie expecting to dissect it, there were just a lot of things that rubbed me the wrong way as I was getting theater ass. Ultimately, I found this to be one of the most frustrating movies I've seen in a long time. You know how sometimes you see a movie that wasn't terrible but you didn't like it and you can't quite put your finger on why? Well, I knew exactly why I didn't like Prometheus as I was watching it.

First, the crew (and this crew was large, way too large) find a Creator head and bring it back to Prometheus, their ship. Shaw and Other Female Doctor analyze it. And Holloway, who's spent a good chunk of his life searching for human origin and finally found it, calmly sits across the room boozing it up. WHAT? Is he not a scientist? Why isn't he all up in that? He seems like he'd rather be at a honky-tonk on Earth.

Onto the Geologists (Broken Arm and Acid Face). Are they even Geologists? What are they looking for? I have no idea. They seem terrified by the life form reading, like they know about the existence of potentially-deadly alien life, but it's never clear why they broke off from the others or what they were doing.

And enigmatic David. I'm tired of evil robots. Robots aren't evil. They're neutral. Why wasn't David neutral? Why did he poison Holloway? David was just working for some old dude who didn't want to die. Why was he programmed to kill a scientist? It didn't make sense.

And then there's the Creators. Somewhere along the line some crew member drops a line about this not being the Creators' home planet. This is some dangerous shiz, and they were way too clever to use their own planet as a scientific playground. So why did the cave paintings point to this place? Maybe it's just supposed to be another of the movie's many unanswered questions, but it strikes me as a continuity error. And, as a Creator, if you made a race in the likeness of yourself how many tens of thousands of years ago, and then they just woke you up and spoke to you in your own language, would your reaction really be to kill them? Maybe answer a couple questions, ask a couple yourself, and then kill them. I don't know, just a thought.

There is supposed to be a noble moment near the end when Idris Elba and two other people decide to sacrifice themselves with the ship to stop the Creators from destroying the Earth. Okay. So, here on Earth in 2012, we have the technology to launch things at other things and blow them up, no manpower needed. More than a few decades from now, we won't have the technology to launch an object at another object, no manpower needed? And, more depressingly, why were those other two characters even in this movie? Except for that awesome moment when Idris asks the Asian guy for coordinates or something and his face is freaking out and he's clearly screaming his lines, but they ADR'd him to be calmly say, "I'm pulling them up," or something similar. Did anyone else notice that? I kind of want to see the movie again just for that line, 'cause that's funny stuff. But those two characters did nothing except steal screen time from Idris. How dare they.

And poor Charlize. What the hell was going on there? She crawls out of the hyper sleep, dripping wet and clearly ill, and immediately drops into push-ups while asking for status updates. Girlfriend doesn't need anyone to hold her hair when she pukes. This woman is badass. And then the movie utterly fails at doing the daddy-doesn't-love-me-jealous-sibling thing. And then we're supposed to cheer when she is literally crushed? Why? Because she killed Holloway after warning him 50 times not to come any closer? Because she followed THE EXACT SAME PROTOCOL THAT RIPLEY TRIED TO IN ALIEN? A villain who acts like a hero. Yikes.

And, finally, the confusion of Shaw. She never puts anything together. She never realizes that David killed Holloway, which seems strange. She doesn't seem terribly upset or surprised at the ulterior motives on the ship. Our hero doesn't need to put all the pieces together, but she should at least complete the parts of the puzzle that directly affect her. Also, she seems so sweet and accessible, yet has no relationship with anyone else on the ship, which makes it feel like everyone else is against her. I don't think that was the case but it was confusing.

The Surgery Scene. I know, what could be wrong with The Surgery Scene? Nothing! The surgery scene is a great scene for Shaw. It's gross but highly watchable (and I'm a little queasy). Unfortunately, it comes right after scenes where David drugs her, and Other Female Doctor and Another Male Doctor try to examine her, but she knocks them out. Then we have The Surgery Scene. And then Shaw discovers Weyland and decides to go meet the Creators and boom! EVERYONE was standing in front of the Creator, even though they all just assaulted each other. Awkward.

And also, if you're going to drop a line about humans not being able to survive on the planet's atmosphere without oxygen for X amount of time, please have a payoff somewhere. Anywhere. And also, if you drop a line like this, please don't have the Creator, with the same DNA as humans, able to hop about from one ship to the next in the open atmosphere, when it's been established that they breathe oxygen, too.

And, finally, ohmygodwhyhaveGuyPearceplayanoldman??? I mean, I know old actors play all the major roles in every single movie nowadays, so I'm sure it was near impossible to find someone over 60 in Hollywood looking for work. But TRY. Old people masks look like old people masks. He looked more computer generated than the Creators. Ugh.

I tried not to watch the trailer during the oodles of sports programming leading up to the movie's release. I could shift my eyes away, but I would still hear the music. That creepy, siren pulsing, techno-y music sounded perfectly terrifying. That music is not in this movie. This movie has a lot of...wait for it...french horn. Wow. I really thought they were going to go more cutting edge with the music. The french horn seemed wrong and distracted me more than once. I know it was an artistic choice to have a very '90's sounding, old-school score, but I think the movie would've benefited from more of a Chemical Brothers feel, since the look of the movie was so cool.

I hadn't seen Alien in many years and I watched it before seeing Prometheus. Perhaps the ship that the Alien crew comes across was not supposed to be the same ship as in Prometheus. But it looks just like it. Couldn't they have ended the movie with the last surviving Creator crawling back onto its ship and climbing into the Captain Chair (yes, that's its scientific name) before dying? I would've forgiven a lot if that would've matched up. I may have even smiled. But, alas, Prometheus ended and the chair was empty. Along with my expectations.

Prometheus feels like an episode of LOST; an episode near the end where the characters were as confused as the audience and for every question answered, three more questions pop up in its place. I think it's merely coincidence that Damon Lindeloff had a hand in the movie. Remember the whole Nottingham debacle? If not, please check out Sex in a Submarine's article, it's well worth the read. Ridley Scott makes the movie he wants to make. And that's that.

This is what I've taken away from Prometheus as a writer: you can make your story as confusing as you want, as long as it's clear how your characters FEEL about the situation they're in. I didn't know how Shaw was feeling about anything after the first act. I knew I wanted to root for her. I wanted her to find closure. But her character never seemed...anywhere, emotionally. If your character doesn't know where they're at, your audience won't care where they're going. And that is movie death.

Goodbye Southeast Asia - Day 16

We journeyed out to Chinatown, since it was supposed to be a happening place. Unfortunately, it was closed. And I mean everything was closed. Apparently, Chinatown closes for a week during New Year's. And Chinatown is not pretty when it's closed. So that was kind of a bust.

Then is was time to pack our bags and head to the airport.

Our first trip to Asia was complete. My first time inside a Buddhist Temple. We saw Angkor Wat. We played with elephants. This was a trip that dreams are made of and I'm so fortunate that Hubs and I were able to make it happen.

Sign on Bangkok Subway

The Floating Market - Day 15

After our New Year's celebration, we didn't get a lot of sleep, as we were picked up at 6:45 am for the hour and a half drive out of town to the Damnoensaduak Floating Market. Yes, it's a bit of a drive, but it is worth it. Besides Muay Thai, this is my only other MUST for things to do if you're in Bangkok (though Wat Pho and the Royal Palace are well worth their admission).

The market was unlike anything I've ever seen. True to its name, this market lived on a canal. We climbed in a boat and were paddled around from stand to stand as vendors called out us. If we wanted something, we called back to them and they would either help pull the boat over or quickly exchange money and product as we floated by.

The two other passengers in our boat weren't buying anything, but I saw something that made me think of a friend, and made an impulse purchase. It's truly an impulse purchase because you only have about 5 seconds to decide whether you want something or not and then it's passed you by. It was very exciting.

Traffic jam!

The colors. The beautiful women with the fresh fruit on their boats.

This market was female-centric. Almost all of the vendors were women. Women paddled the boats down the canal, no motors, each boat having at least four passengers. And these women were not young. I was impressed.

After the boat did a lap around the market, we climbed out and then walked through the part you could get to by foot.

Frying bananas is a three woman operation. I thoroughly regret not eating those bananas.

There was so much food. Boats were lined up along the edge of the canal, filled with cooks and their freshly made soups and noodles. At this point in the trip, my stomach wasn't very happy, so I didn't eat nearly as much food as wanted to at this place.

This lady was the Paula Deen of noodles.

We tried coconut dumplings that one woman had formed individually between two tiny cups. They were cold and had a flan-like texture. Normally, this isn't my favorite, but these were pretty good, sick stomach and all.

Stacks of the little cups on the coconut dumpling vendor's boat.

This tastes better than it looks :)

After walking around for a little bit, we took a motor boat around the "neighborhood" and saw a bunch of the local houses. It was pretty and peaceful and made me happy to see a thriving community living on water, a vast difference from the Tonle Sap Lake.

The van took us back to the hotel and we walked a few blocks over to Cabbages and Condoms for lunch. As its name implies, they promote safe sex and provide health centers for the community, so another good cause to support. The courtyard of C&C was beautiful.

We went during the day, but I think it would be very romantic at night. We didn't take photos of the food, neither of us felt well, but the food was good.

Sunset near our hotel.

After chilling at the hotel for a bit and watching Fashion TV, my new favorite channel hopefully coming soon to the U.S., we took the subway to Sirocco.

This location was used in The Hangover II and the views were stunning.

Bangkok is huge and sprawling. It's the largest city I've ever been to and the skyline showed that. NYC has an amazing skyline, but this one was massive.

The drinks at Sirocco are pricey (think $15-$20 per drink), but the view is great. Stay up there for an hour, savor a single drink, take in the city from all sides and it's not a bad price to pay.

On the way back to the hotel, we made a quick pass down Soi Cowboy, a seedy row of strip clubs which came about when the G.I.'s were stationed in Bangkok during Vietnam. Neon neon everywhere. Bourbon Street met the Sunset Strip and together they created younger strippers.

The strangest thing about Soi Cowboy was that we wouldn't have known it was there if we weren't looking for it. You turn a corner and bam! There it is. You turn off of it, and it's as though it never existed.

We stopped at a noodle stand nearby and I had the perfect egg noodles for dinner. Perfect for my upset stomach and they were so delicious. I could eat those noodles everyday.

Muay Thai in Bangkok - Day 14

Colorful tuk tuks outside the Chatuchak Market

The first place we went to was the Chatuchak Weekend Market. It is HUGE. There's a map for it, that's how big it is. I bought gold jelly shoes with the tiniest peep-toe after seeing lots stylish girls on the subway were wearing them. Shoes = 199 Bht. I also bought a bunch of silk scarves = 400 Bht. I'm not the best haggler.

Also, there were lots of puppies for sale at the market. I can't imagine bringing a child to this market and leaving without a puppy.

On the way back from the market we stopped at Siam Paragon, one of the huge shopping centers in Bangkok, to have lunch at their giant food court. In Asia, food courts are a place you actually want to eat, unlike the place you try your hardest to avoid like in the U.S.

The restaurant we ate at was called Ging Prakakang (that might not be exact). I had pork with sticky rice. Yum.

Hubs had Indian duck curry with roti.

It was fun eating at the food court, a uniquely Asian experience. It was sparkling clean and had so many options. We could have spent a good chunk of change bringing desserts back to the hotel from all the amazing pastry/dessert shops, but we resisted.

We went back to the hotel and chilled out for a little while and then headed out for dinner near our hotel. We went to a cute restaurant, Tapas Cafe on Soi 7. We arrived during happy hour so we had a litre of sangria for 1/2 off.  It tasted good, but I didn't get a buzz. Hmm. The food was solid, though. We had a plate of charcuterie.

A roasted apple and goat cheese salad.

Grilled asparagus.

And calamari.

We were stuffed but we couldn't resist the flourless chocolate cake, and it was worth the stuffage.

This was an expensive meal for our trip at 1400 Bht, but it was New Year's Eve so we splurged.

After dinner we took the BTS to the MRT and walked to the Lumphini Boxing Stadium to see some Muay Thai. We splurged, you know, because it was New Year's, on ringside tickets at 2000 Bht per person. And it turned out to be the best extra money spent on the trip.

We were so close to the ring, could easily see all the action. Muay Thai is awesome. Sure, there's the kickboxing type fighting that happens, but what struck me most was the ceremony of it all.

The fighters enter the ring while live musicians play instruments. It's the same music each entrance, and each fighter has a set of motions that they perform to "bless" the ring. They move to all sides and four corners of the ring and kneel on the ground. It's really beautiful.

And then they fight, musicians playing the whole time.

There were 8 matches, the 7th being the main event.

The fighters were always red or blue. Each fight lasted five rounds.

The blue fighter's camp was right next to us, coaching throughout the fight.

At the end of five rounds, three scorecards are quickly collected  and the referee points at the winning corner. The victorious fighter raises his arms and leaves the ring. That's it. There's no celebration, no rejoicing after the win. The celebration was all done before the fight. Winning isn't the most important aspect, the ritual is the focus.

I think everyone who goes to Bangkok should see Muay Thai. It's such an amazing cultural experience.

To ring in the New Year, we headed to Central World, a shopping center that's the Times Square of Bangkok on New Year's. People people everywhere.

It was a mob scene, but we made it through and watched a good fireworks show. Rather than waiting for and squeezing onto public transportation, we took a long stroll back to the hotel, the crowd of people gradually thinning out the further we went.