I wanted to have dinner at night but I cannot continue drinking tea in Chinese restaurants or Thai stalls at Silom road. It is not because I am a racist but I am trying to obey religious commandment, hehehe. So, I end up walking a little bit to Chong Nonsi BTS station.
The reception lady earlier told me that they would lock their entrance door around 21:30. And I checked the time and it still early around 19:45 after I had performed jama' prayer of Maghrib and 'Isya services in my room.
I could still unlock the door by swiping the card tied together with the keys if I come back late. We need to always be careful. Even in Kuala Lumpur, we can not just walk alone late at night. Better be careful than sorry. Recite some supplications invoking Allah's protection and tawakkal (dependence) on Him, then off we go.....
From Chong Nonsi BTS Station, the road is heading to Bangrak district. I can not recall the road name nor I jot it down in my notes.
Cars coming from Surawong road.....
This is how the BTS station looks like... They say "Bee Tee Ehtt" in their slang the same like Northern Malaysian style when saying something ended with the letter "s". Just like in KL people are using public transportation too but it still jammed with cars down there, haha.
To go to Bangrak district, we need to wait at National Stadium side. I had wrongly wait at the other side and I asked the station guard there few times to conform with my ugly broken Thai, ahaha. The guard was quite polite as he thought I am from rural Thailand... Kita cakap bahasa Siam kampung saja, lol.
This is the area of Ban Ou Mosque in Bangrak district. I snapped the picture while rain was pouring down. The mosque is just after the market at the right side. In front of the mosque are random houses, also Chinese community houses could be seen there.
When I arrived at the BTS station near Bangrak district, I saw a Muslim girl wearing hijab there. I tried to greet her and asking her the direction to Ban Ou Mosque. The map and explanation which I jot down in my notes look like confusing. I could see a Chinese temple at the alley but I didn't know that deep down the alley is a mosque.
The girl is quite helpful and she told me the direction to the mosque. I just cannot continue speaking in Thai with the girl because it would end up like a kutu (thug) talking to a girl and she is quite polite. I speak Thai in its rough form, hehehe. I guess not only her but most people there talking in polite manner and I do not know where exactly the specific place to use that frustrating "khraap". It seems like in every sentence we say, we must say khraap or kaah for female and I found that it is so not natural. Besides, their tone of accent is quite different and weird too.
The girl is quite helpful and she told me the direction to the mosque. I just cannot continue speaking in Thai with the girl because it would end up like a kutu (thug) talking to a girl and she is quite polite. I speak Thai in its rough form, hehehe. I guess not only her but most people there talking in polite manner and I do not know where exactly the specific place to use that frustrating "khraap". It seems like in every sentence we say, we must say khraap or kaah for female and I found that it is so not natural. Besides, their tone of accent is quite different and weird too.
There is also a shopping center like Macy at the left side of the motorcycles from front view....
I could hear the bang or adhan which is the calling of prayer for 'Isha' when I reached the mosque. I had already performed the jama' but I just joined the congregation again. Feeling so relieved to find our community there although we are of different countries. There were few Tabligh guys in the mosque and I guess they are not local but might be from Bangladesh based from their appearance. After the prayer, I approached the janitor of the mosque and telling him that I am not a local. I come to find some halal food and seeking the assistance of community to show me the place.
Khao Mok Kai. It is served with Nam Tom Kai, the Chicken Stock Soup and some sweet chillies dipping which I have no idea on what they call that thing.
Then he walked with me to the food court just close to the market and ordering me a plate of khao mok kai which is a kind of rice with chicken hidden inside the rice. It seems a bit like Biryani but made by Thai Muslim. Then I had a conversation with the stall owner in broken Thai. He seems like trying to invite me to his house in Yaowa but I just politely turned his invitation down because I had already have a room in Silom and I feel it would be a burden for him.
However, I had to return to the mosque and luckily they did not lock the gate. I had forgotten my notes in the prayer hall. It is very important for me because I jot down everything in the notes and I also have some guides in the notes. I returned before 21:30 anyway and managed to buy some mineral water from 7E. Their 7E have no gardenia bread and only serves noodle and rice just like in Japan they serve sushi, udon, and those stuffs.
Interestingly that I noticed most of the people there love to eat varieties of salad but rarely eat rice at night. They just take side dishes and not rice. They also have foot massages everywhere for 25 bhat (RM 2.48) per hour. I did not try it anyway. Hope that I could try it out in the next visit, hehe.
to be continued...
No comments:
Post a Comment