Second day in Bangkok. I ended up waking up at noon. My alarm actually went off at 10:30, but I must have been really tired and slept a lot. I took a shower, brushed my teeth, and went out. Today is the day to get vaccines.
Street stall's 'Have a nice day!'
First I walk to the metro. The hostel I'm staying at is about 1 kilometer from Khao San Road, and if you walk down there's a metro station where you can catch a direct line to Si Lom station.
Before reaching the metro there was a nice-looking stall, so I ate a dish of rice with some sort of blended pork belly and cucumber and carrots on top (honestly, I have no idea what the dish is called). Since it was street food it was 50 baht (about 230 yen), but it was insanely delicious.
After I bought it, the person said to me, 'Have a nice day!' It really felt good. So I replied, 'Have a nice day too!' Being told 'Have a nice day' really makes you feel happy, doesn't it.
Four vaccines at WHO — a 36,000-yen self-investment
I took the metro to Si Lom station. I had gotten a bunch of vaccines in February, but I still had hepatitis B, dengue, the 9-valent HPV, and the third rabies shot left, so I decided to get them all at once this time. I forgot my mask, so I bought one at the 7-Eleven near the station. Three masks for 50 yen is cheap.
I headed to the WHO vaccination center. It was my first time back since February. Actually, I remember filming here the very first time I thought about starting a vlog. Back then I was so nervous my voice shook and I cared a lot about what people around me thought. But now I can film confidently without worrying about others' eyes. Thinking that it's growth earned by doing it every day made me really happy.
This was my third visit, so I knew the process. They measured my blood pressure, I told them I had forgotten my patient card at home, and I told them which vaccines I wanted. Up until last time they used a system where you put your card in a basket, but they'd introduced a touch-panel machine that prints out a paper just by selecting options. I was amazed at how fast Thailand evolves.
Two minutes later my name was called and I went into the consultation room. This time there were two female doctors. HPV is generally thought of as something women get, but they said men should get it too since HPV can cause cancers like throat cancer, so it's good to get it while you're young.
The fee was 8,200 baht. I couldn't hide my shock. Looking at the itemized bill, HPV alone was 6,000 baht (27,000 yen). Dengue was 1,400 baht (5,600 yen). All together it came to about 36,000 yen. Yikes, I made an expensive purchase. But one thing I can say is that if this prevents future illness, it's an incredibly cheap self-investment. I completed the blood test and all the vaccine injections. The HPV shot was intramuscular, so it really hurt.
'Buy it when you decide to' — the lesson from looking for New Balance
After the injections I walked to Siam. One of the reasons I came to Thailand was to do a 'one-month gym project', 'yoga classes', and 'Muay Thai', so I came to buy running shoes for that. I had been looking for New Balance in Vietnam too, but they were crazy expensive there, so I planned to buy them in Thailand.
I went to the New Balance store but they didn't have the T-shirt and shorts I wanted. I took the metro to another store but they didn't have the shorts in size M either, which was disappointing. I regretted not buying them in Vietnam. Today I learned another important lesson: 'Buy when you decide to buy.' If you hesitate thinking you can get it later, you might end up losing out.
In the end I returned to the first store and bought the shoes. They were a model called Propella V5, in a color I like that isn't sold in Japan. I was happy I could get them on sale.
3,010 baht (about 13,000 yen). The staff were eager to help with the tax refund, and one of them started jokingly trying to read Japanese from my passport which had me cracking up. The cashier lady was also very kind, and I felt great. I thought, it's people like this who make sales.
800-yen Japanese food and a 5-km night walk
For dinner I ordered a value set at a Japanese sushi restaurant. It was a cutlet set with cheese, and came with wakame, miso soup, potato salad, tea, dessert, and rice for 800 yen. It was super cheap and delicious. After I finished eating I walked 5 kilometers from Si Lom back to the hostel. Listening to Taylor Swift made the time fly.
I miss Vietnam — breaking down what 'like' means
Back at the hostel, writing in my diary, I suddenly thought: I miss Vietnam.
I like Thailand too, but Vietnam feels more like 'home.' Thailand might be a little too close to Japan in some ways. The unpredictable events and atmosphere you get in Vietnam aren't really present in Thailand.
Thailand is full of happy people, it's very fluffy, a country with a 'let's enjoy life!' vibe. That's great in its own way. On the other hand, Vietnam is sharper, with a more stoic way of living and aesthetic. But it's shy. That's why I find it wonderful. That contrast is irresistible.
People in Vietnam are very conscious about how they present themselves, how they are photographed, and their appearance. Even walking down the street you can feel that aesthetic coming from the whole city. I also prefer the food in Vietnam. Of course, I also love Thailand.
I think everyone has a country they like. If you factor that feeling down, it might be less about whether you 'like' it and more about which one is closer to your life outlook. I think Vietnam is the country that feels closer to my life view and philosophy.
I don't have the desire to live as laid-back as in Thailand. That's perhaps why I'm attracted to Vietnam's stoicism. But Thailand has its own strengths. For the next two months or so, I'm excited to see what I'll feel in this country.
