Entry/Exit to Wat Suan Dok Vegetarian Cafe
Two days ago I ran to the fitness park at dawn and ran a few laps around the grounds. When I got home I felt energetic so set myself two goals for the day - 1) Make it out to the immigration center for a test run, and 2) buy 2 small stick-like objects, to use for propping my newly bought mosquito net. After washing up I checked my map and knew the hike to the immigration center would not be pleasant because the center is next to the airport, and to get there I have to walk along a busy highway. When I got to the highway I estimated I was only 1/2 mile from the center, but I did not see myself walking on the shoulder of the highway, so I flagged a red truck, and when asking if the price was 20 baht, he replied 30. I could have refused to get on and waved him on, but I was hot and a bit woozy so I jumped on and 3 minutes later arrived at the center. On the way there I noticed that there are wide sidewalks along the highway, which means I could have indeed walked the entire way. I picked up the visa renewal form, made photocopies of my passport and other documents, got my bearings of the place, which was very crowded, then began walking back to town.
I began thinking about the two sticks on my walk, and wondering what store I should stop in. A few minutes later I passed a construction site, and on the ground were two bamboo splinters about 10 inches in length, a perfect size. They appeared to be clean and sturdy, so I decided that the bamboo should work. When I arrived at home I placed them snug against the bed head and hooked up the net - success! (I need a mosquito net because for the past few nights mosquitoes have gotten into my apt, not sure where the point of entry is, but they wake me up between 2:00 - 4:00am)
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One of the reasons I wanted to leave the USA after quitting my job was because of the possibility of cutting my monthly expenses, which would extend my time away from meaningless wage jobs. Upon arrival in Thailand I began keeping a record of daily money spent, to determine if I actually was saving money. My monthly expenses in the USA averaged $1000-1100 per month. After getting settled in Chiang Mai I rented an apt for 3 months, beginning on February 1. The following is the budget record for February :
| Daily money Spent - February | ||
| 14.82 | ||
| 15.96 | ||
| 7.11 | ||
| 10.74 | ||
| 10.24 | ||
| 6.02 | ||
| 11.37 | ||
| 7.02 | ||
| 14.53 | ||
| 13.92 | ||
| 7.71 | ||
| 12.91 | ||
| 5.41 | ||
| 8.56 | ||
| 11.15 | ||
| 8.07 | ||
| 9.71 | ||
| 9.01 | ||
| 9.39 | ||
| 4.70 | ||
| 7.40 | ||
| 5.89 | ||
| 12.12 | ||
| 8.58 | ||
| 12.31 | ||
| 2.97 | ||
| 2.64 | ||
| 30.89 | Lost 507 baht | |
| 5.06 | ||
| Total Daily Money Spent in February - | $286.21 |
| Daily Average from February 1-29 |
| 286.21/29 = $9.87 per day |
| Rent for February - $252.46 (Paid on 1/30/12) |
| Total Money Spent in February - $252.46 + $286.21 = $538.67 |
I was pleased to discover that living in Thailand is indeed cheaper than the USA, as I saved approximately $500. Next month will be a bit more expensive, as I will have to pay $30 for electricity, but seeing I lost/misplaced $35 in February, there should not be too much difference.
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Now that the Free Bird is closed my new favorite restaurant is the organic vegetarian outdoor cafe at the Wat Suan Dok, which is a mile south of my apartment. The tables are circled around an enormous tree which looks to be hundreds of years old, and the food is well prepared and tasty. Even the orange robed monks eat there. Yesterday I stopped there and ate soup, muesli and fruit, watermelon shake, and veggies in a brown sauce.
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This morning I ran to the Muni and had one of the best workouts of the month, running intervals and feeling pretty good the whole time. The set was 5 x 600, 5 x 300, 4 x 100, followed by running 4 reps of stadium steps. I was pleasantly fatigued when it was over and was washed over in a euphoric daze as I walked home - a very nice sensation!
