I had to go into Bangkok the Friday before my Saturday flight to pick up my Chinese visa. It was a surprisingly painless process, given the amount of trouble I went through to submit my application. I was in and out in about 15 minutes. Just like that I have a ten year multiple entry visa into China. 

I still had a half day to kill on Saturday before my flight. I walked several subway stops away from my hostel (to the Siam station) to the Hello Kitty cafe. Yes, it is exactly as it sounds, a cafe, spa, and shop dedicated to any and all things Hello Kitty. The whole place was decorated in various shades of pink and white.

I ordered the Hello Kitty chocolate tart and a pot of summer tea which was black tea with orange and other citrus flavors. The chocolate tart was dusted in powdered sugar to look like Hello Kitty, it was sinfully delicious. The chocolate was like a rich dark fudge mousse topped on a graham cracker crust. It took massive amounts of self control not to shovel it in my mouth in four bites.

The tea was also pleasant. I do enjoy going to a cafe and ordering a pot of tea to savor while reading. There was music playing at the cafe which was a never ending loop of a Hello Kitty song, the kind of song that seamlessly repeats back into the beginning. It was subtle at first, but the longer I sat there the more I noticed it and the more it bothered me.

I just poked my head into the shop and the spa. There was nothing at the spa for less than 1,000 baht. I made a quick retreat because the pink was starting to suffocate me. All in all it was not a bad place to go, I can say I’ve been there, though I would never go by myself again.

I also went to go see the LEGO Batman movie the day it opened in Thailand. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. The LEGO movies are witty gems of movies that I think are under-appreciated. I have seen them more times than any sane adult should have seen them and I am very excited for the LEGO ninja movie.