I woke up at 6am this morning. Why you might ask? Maybe to catch an early train to my next destination? To see the Thai sun rise over ancient ruins perhaps? No, I woke up early to watch some good old American Football. The Conference Championships were this Sunday and due to the time difference, the game started at 6:30 Monday Morning. So I did what any proper American would do, I woke up and headed to a bar. Luckily I met another American not wanting to miss the game and we found a sports bar airing it. We expected a few expats or fellow travelers to be there as well, but were not prepared for what’d we’d find. “The Sports Corner” was packed without a single open seat in the house. Apparently there are a few transplants living in Bangkok. Now I’ve never been a 49ers fan ever since all the other 2nd graders jumped on their bandwagon during their last Super Bowl run. But after repping California to other travelers and bragging about it being the best place to live in the world (you can make a legitimate case if you focus on Yosemite and Big Sur and not the budget), I couldn’t root for an East Coast team. It just wouldn’t be right. So I did the most reviled thing in all of fandom, I jumped on a bandwagon. It’s weird to say since San Francisco is technically my home team, but California needed my support, so I granted it. Unfortunately, Nor-Cal did not come out on top, but I enjoyed the game nonetheless. It turned out to be a nice reminder of home and break from the travel routine. Now if only I could find a Round Table Pizza to give myself a break from Pad Thai.
