Celluloid crossover calms concrete jungle1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteHaving arrived in Bangkok just a few weeks ago, I’m still wrapping my head around the size of the place. I used to live in one of Canada’s largest cities, but Bangkok makes Vancouver’s 2.5 million people – which includes all the suburbs – seem positively quaint.
When I first got here, I wondered how I’d ever be able to find my way anywhere. I had an address for my apartment. Typing it into Google provided a map that gave me a headache.
I’ve started to get my bearings, though. Vancouver has a Skytrain very similar to the BTS, and the sense of familiarity did wonders for my confidence. I’ve become quite a fan, too, of zipping around on the backs of motorcycle-taxis, even if I’m convinced I’ll witness at least one accident involving them, given how little the drivers seem to value their lives.
The most important thing for me to locate was a decent cinema. There are many luxuries I’m fine without, but movies aren’t on that list. Imagine my relief on finding that cinemas are not only plentiful, but more comfortable and cheaper than they are back home. I’ll be spending a lot of time in Bangkok under the flickering light of a projector.
It doesn’t much matter what movies are playing. I’m a lover of all things cinematic, from the bombast of the latest blockbuster to the quiet moments between lovers in a Sundance flavour-of-the-year. I’m content to watch Thai movies, too, as long as they’re subtitled (I’m trying to learn Thai, but so far the concept of tones makes my farang brain do flips).
