Many Thanks to Joe C. Thompson

The two most important numbers to know in Thailand are quite simple. 7-11. Yes the glowing yellow, orange and green of the convenience store chain are practically national colors. That all to familiar florescent glow people so often associated with America spills onto streets all across the country.

You are never too far from a 7-11 in Thailand. I've seen more than a few streets with 2 or 3 on them, and not on some never ending cross city road, but on small roads, just a couple blocks apart.

People make a point of telling you where the nearest 7-11 is located. When asking for directions 7-11 is used like some sort of common man's longitude and latitude. My first day at school the head of the secondary division took me out, our destination was 7-11.

By the end of 2009 there will be roughly 5,250 7-11 stores in Thailand, ranking it fourth behind the U.S., Japan and Taiwan. But Thailand is only about double the size of Wyoming. Ubiquitous, omnipresent, simply put, they are everywhere.

The door chime has has quickly made its way onto my soundtrack of Thailand, along with the greeting from the cashiers, which at times seems as though it is being yelled at you.

The well known staples are all there. Big Gulp, although in slightly less glutenous sizes, no sighting yet of the 64 oz Double Gulp, grayish hot dogs spinning on metal heaters, looking as irresistible on a late night home from the bar to Thai university students as they do to their American counterparts across the globe and the Slurpee.

Of course there are also things that just wouldn't take off in the states. Seaweed sheets, cuttle fish chips and the delicious but unfortunately named Spicky.