It was Day 13 in Bangkok (read further what I meant by “was”)
I was typing this at…hold on (checking the clock at the office wall)…2.00 in the morning. There are about 10 of us here (including the security guard who looks a bit surprised at the high number of half-asleep Malaysians at this time of the hour), holed up in the office as we are preparing to cut to live the system that is being implemented.
Staying up late at crucial hours of the deployment period is nothing new. In fact, I endured the worst when I was in Ghana – we finish work every day for weeks at 1.00 in the morning and when it came for the cut to live, we were awake for a continuous 48 hours. Staying awake whilst is necessary to ensure that things get done on time and properly, it is no doubt that it also leaves us looking like a zombie once it is done. Luckily in Bangkok, at most of the time, we were able to be in bed by 12.00 am.
Being away from Malaysia only meant one thing during our work at wee hours – we can’t simply take a 10 minutes break from our work and go off to the nearest mamak shop for the good old teh tarik and roti canai (missing the dhal banjir already). Shops are either closed (most of the time because of security issue) or shops don’t sell hot drinks. In Bangkok, I peeked out from the window of our work place at 10th floor and guess what, the roads are jammed pack with cars and people. Yes, at 2.00 in the morning.
Despite that, we opted not to go out – we had water and enough work to sustain ourselves for now. We wish that there would be a short break, for us to sneak out for a beer or two (in absence of teh tarik, beer is the next alternative drink but at 2.00 in the morning, I rather give it a skip).
Fast forward to the current time…it is now Day 18 in Bangkok (just another 2 more days to go before I say goodbye to Thailand)
I could not believe that it has been almost a week since I touched on my blog. It has been a very tiring week or what my Project Manager said, a tiring marathon. The system went live smoothly. There were some hiccups here and there (but again when it has not been so?).
We moved again for the last time to Montien Hotel Bangkok, which was built in 1966. It was an old but expensive looking hotel. It takes about 10 – 15 minutes of fast paced walking from the hotel to reach our work area (and crossing 2 main roads). Guess what? It takes us right through Pat Pong (plenty of night clubs here – use your imaginations, so does Mat Sallehs who are looking for some fun at night, if you know what I mean)
.
* Doesn’t this remind you of the movie Titanic? I guess you now have a good idea what I meant by an old looking hotel.
Due to the hectic work, my camera has been lying idle in my bag. I am just too tired to looking for good shots. The great thing about our latest hotel is the breakfast – there are just way too many choices. The bad thing though you have to pay for movies. So, imagine coming back from a hard day’s work, switching on the TV to relax and I find myself watching the news. Not exactly of what I would call great shows for relaxing. Yes, there are others shows like National Geography, MTV and Star World but it has not been my cup of tea. Damn I miss my HBO.
.
* No matter what, having a very comfortable bed is certainly a good welcome after a hard day at work. Hmm, I have 2 beds in my room – so I guess I will take turn sleeping in each of the bed.
It is funny to note that as the time to go back draws nearer and nearer, we get busier and busier. Users who have been relaxing in the beginning started to panic and “book” us for discussion and refresher trainings. Some system bugs will decide to show up at these last minutes, causing us to rush for quick fixes and reorganize the operation flow. There will be some talks of extending our stay both from our clients and sometimes by ourselves (ya, it is a crazy idea but sometimes we are too “professional” to leave things hanging half-way)
.
* This is unique! How often you get your room key with a small bell? At first, we were excited to see this cute looking thing but once I placed it in my pockets, I realized how heavy this “cute” thing was. Luckily, it did not stay for long in the pockets.
Anyway, another 2 more days in Bangkok and I will be back to KL. Despite the hectic hours, we managed to sneak out for some shopping. Managed to buy a lot of T-shirts this time, they are damn bloody cheap. On the last day in Bangkok, we are planning for another trip to Chatuchak flea market – there is no better way to spend the balance Thai Baht that we have.
.
(Filed under Del.icio.us Tag: Other Trips)
.