So I promised I would actually write something about my trip to Thailand, rather than just babbling on about technology and backpackers.... I spent one day in Bangkok, basically doing nothing, with the exception of going to one of my all-time favorite restaurants for dinner: Cabbages and Condoms. I love this restaurant! Now, you may be wondering about the name...it does have a purpose. The restaurant is run by the Population and Community Development Association, one of Thailand's biggest charitable organization, in an effort to raise public awareness about AIDS. The name "cabbages and condoms" came from the idea that condoms should become as common and "everyday" in Thailand as is cabbage (a staple of the Thai diet). So, the restaurant serves great food, including vegetables that come from rural development projects, and simultaneously raises money for an important mission. It ultimately makes one's meal that much better knowing that your money is going back into the community. That, and they even give out free condoms in place of mints at the end of your meal.

The main purpose of the trip to Thailand was to accompany my friend Heather back to Koh Tao, where she had been taking a diving course and needed to pick up some gear that she left behind the last time she visited the island. I had never been to Koh Tao before, but had spent an idyllic few days on neighboring Koh Pha Ngan in August 2001. Koh Pha Ngan is famous for it's full moon rave parties, but as you probably all know, I'm not much of a raver, so I actually spent my time there on the other side of the island enjoying a peaceful, tropical paradise. Koh Tao is similarly situated, with beautiful stretches of beach and lush green hills. Koh Tao, however, is eerily reminiscent of "The Beach" in that a small community of westerners have found their way to the island, and apparently never plan to leave.... It's "the" place to dive in Thailand, so divers come from all over the world to either teach or take the dive masters training programs. They pretty much spend their days diving and basking in the sun, and their nights drinking and using drugs. It's a bizarre alternative universe that draws a certain type of person in, creating a microcosm of Western culture in the midst of a Thai paradise. The locals and tourists flit around in the fringes of this culture, and if they're like me, try to actually avoid the Western influence and find the Thai culture that still exists if one looks for it....

So, the trip to Koh Tao was very enjoyable because I mostly just lazed about on the beach and ate good Thai food. I was there with Heather and two other girls whom we pick up along the way- T.T. from New York and Flavia from Brazil. They were both lovely girls and I really enjoyed talking to them. Also, there was a fantastic tropical storm our second night at the beach, and I LOVE these types of storms. Sitting on my balcony staring out at the sheets of water pouring off the tin roof and the rain pounding beyond was a most enjoyable way to pass the evening.