So I had my first day of work.

Here's the thing about Thailand - things are never done as they should be. I've beaten the "public transportation is never on time" thing to death before. But things like the construction of new subway lines. Granted I know these things usually go over schedule, but not like, 10 years over deadline. And speaking of, when you get on the MRT and BTS they're supposed to check your bags. I've never seen anyone manning the BTS security. The MRT one, they literally just stand there and do nothing when the metal detector goes off. If you open your bag, they maybe will apathetically glance inside for a quarter second.

Nothing is ever done as it should be at work either. I had planned to teach the lesson I, you know, planned. Just before the start they said "Ok, you're doing that lesson Thursday. Do this worksheet today." I tried to liven it up, but this was a massive worksheet we just had to power through. It was boring. I didn't like it. But it was finished. Also, I walked into a class of 50 students. Surprise? Because I was originally told around 20. You know how hard it is to learn the names of 50 students? Damn near impossible. They were surprisingly well behaved though. Lecturing the finer points of word order in what I would consider, a stadium was weird. It's a very different style than I'm used to, and I really have to relearn how to teach, as I have no experience with such a large class.

Anyway, after work I got to head out and pick up some cooking stuff I found on Craigslist. Yes, that is a thing here, and some people use it. Anywho, I met a Northern Irish guy who hooked me up with a kettle and toaster for almost nothing. I asked him if he had any more stuff, so he said I could help myself. I basically stripped his kitchen, and he let almost everything go for pennies. Thanks, Northern Irish guy whose name I forgot. You are awesome, and the first Northern Irish guy I have met. Thus, all of Northern Ireland is awesome. Congratulations, guys.

I also had to get a rice cooker from somewhere near there. Or so I thought. I typed in the name of the apartment complex, and Google said "Ey brah, it's right over here." Thanks Google! I get there though, and it is totally not there. I take a more careful look at the address, and it's 2 subway stops away. God damnit. So I get to the street, and ask "Where is blahblah apartments?" "Oh, it's down the road that way." So I walk. And walk. I ask again "Still down that way." I walk some more, carrying pots and pans sticking halfway out of my backpack. Finally I arrive, almost an hour late. The woman gave me a free sandwich maker also (score? I never thought making a sandwich requires some sort of utility). Anyway, I decided no way in hell am I walking that again. So I hail a cab, tell him to go to the nearest MRT station. He drives like 100 meters, then stops. Looks back at me and says, "No, no."
The hell? "No no?"
"No, no..."

So suddenly cab driver has decided he doesn't want to go there. I wanted to punch him. That's actually illegal here, but good luck getting it enforced. Not wanting to mess with that, I got out. Next was a bike taxi, which I deemed impossible given my armfulls of stuff. But the guy insisted, and dropped his price to 30 baht. Alright, then. Your (our?) funeral. So we zipped along, and, I can say this with pride, I hit a bus with a frying pan. Not intentionally, of course. But have you done that? I didn't think so. Suddenly he stops and says "We're here!" We are definitely not there.

"No no... the MRT station."
"Huh?"
"That thing you said you know where it was... and quoted me a price. WTF are you thinking?"
"Oh oh, MRT!"

So he drives to the MRT, stops. It was a little further than he thought, so whatever. I'll give him 40 baht, I think, and I hand him 2 20s.

"60 baht!"
"How about no? Because you said 30, but I was a pain, so I'll do you a solid with 40."
"(angrily) 60 baht!"
"Uhh... I'll give you 45 I guess?"
"60 BAHT!"

I had put down my rice cooker to get my wallet, so this dude decides he's just going to steal it. The hell he is, I just went through hell to get that! So he reaches for it, and starts to drive off. I grab the other end of the bag. Being plastic, it rips. He nearly falls off the bike when it does, and the rice cooker crashes into the street. He shouts at me angrily. I pick up my rice cooker from the street, yell an obscenity back, and go to the MRT station. Screw him. Now with the bag ripped and useless, I was walking through the train hugging this rice cooker like a maniac. But, home. Finally. Rice cooker in hand, frying pan slightly dented from a bus, and 20 baht richer.