I am writing this post from one of the many deluxe rooms at the Shangri-la Bangkok. At 36 square meters, it's just slightly smaller than the flat I live in, but it has a massive window overlooking the Chao Phraya river. It has a pretty nice bathroom with a shower stall and a bathtub. It has all the trimmings that you'd expect from a five-star hotel, and perhaps have taken for granted. I know I have, as someone who stays at the EDSA Shangri-la every year, but even then those deluxe rooms, while just as lush, aren't this big. And also, there's no separate bathtub.

Another thing I have taken for granted is the mini bar. I remember being amazed at the idea of a mini bar, when I first stayed at the former Hyatt Regency along Roxas Boulevard. Like, all these foods available for you to eat... or not, since you pay the moment you open it. Here, though, the mini bar is complimentary - the check-in staff made pains to explain this to me - and you only pay if you need to have its contents refilled. And yet, the first thing I did is buy a beer at one of a handful of 7-Elevens around the hotel. Old habits are difficult to override, indeed.

The best part, perhaps, is that I am paying less than I should for this room. It's an extension I requested from the organizers of an event that invited me. They flew me to Bangkok and are flying me back, and they booked me this room, but only for two nights. But that means I get to pay the group rate for the extra night, which is much cheaper than even the published discounted rate for Shangri-la's rewards program. Not bad. I did say I have not been to Bangkok in sixteen years, and also, I don't want to just fly out once the event is over. I am suffering from a weird form of jet lag, where I'm just one hour behind and yet everything feels loopy. Why not take the chance to get around an unfamiliar city, or at least very few parts of it?

I think I regret that decision now.

No, it's not because I am spending money. Sure, I had to ask people to tell me that I deserve to treat myself. Sure, I was kinda hoping my hosts would also pay for the extra night, but at least I have some extra cash lying around. That was long sorted.

And no, it's not because I don't like Bangkok. That said, as this is an unfamiliar city compared to, say, Hong Kong - I may be there every year, but I really only spend time in Wan Chai because, again, a conference - I'm still trying to gain my bearings, and I don't feel as comfortable just yet. The conference ended at lunch time today - and that's at two in the afternoon, so yes, I am loopy - so I had some free time to take the train to Ari, a part of the city that I have only encountered on one episode of Earth Arcade I watched a few months ago. Seems like a good spot, and at least, there's a restaurant there that seems interesting. Siamese boat noodles.

It was a nice place. I didn't have the most expensive item on the menu, but I didn't need that to appreciate how different the soup is compared to, say, the pho we are more familiar with - and I cite pho because they're pretty similar. But once that was done, I found myself with little else to do. I was supposed to find a luggage tag but it became clear this wasn't where I'm supposed to be looking. This is a quiet-ish community, very reminiscent of Kapitolyo or Maginhawa, dotted with cafés and pastry shops and, closer to the train station, a bunch of street food stalls. It didn't feel like a place I could go sight-seeing in. So, I boarded the train early and went back to the hotel, with a stop at the department store nearby for a fruitless attempt to find a luggage tag. That was at six in the evening. The sun was still up by the time I got off.

There is, of course, a lot to see in Bangkok, and maybe if I was in a different state of mind I'd be more receptive to them. But between the time difference and the attempts at side trips and this big hotel room, I think my loneliness is just being heightened. But, yes, I know, I walk around Hong Kong by myself and it's all fine. The difference is I am with colleagues at the end of the day, and I am sharing a hotel room with them. Sure, I like being alone in a hotel room, but it's nice to be able to tell someone about what you have seen. I mean, trust me. I had a hotel room by myself the last time I was in Singapore, and I spent hours talking to someone about, well, Kim Chiu.

Come to think of it, I feel I've seen this happen before.

Anyway, apparently Ari is known for its many pastry shops. I haven't gone around enough to see them. I would've taken photos of the croissants and sent them over to someone. No caption. Just bread. Instead I'm having what is pretty much an out-of-body experience in a city I was looking forward to return to. If only I could tell someone about it. Actually, I badly want to tell someone about it, but I practically cannot.