Monday, March 12, 2007

How big are their driver's licenses?

It's a city in Thailand. It holds the Guiness Record for the world's longest place name. We call it Bangkok. They call it:Krungthep Mahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathani Burirom-udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amonphiman Awatansathit Sakkathattiya Witsanu Kamprasit. Once you get past the fact that you have to take a long weekend to get the whole thing out of your mouth, you realize that it does have a lovely translation: "The city of angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, the impregnable city of God Indr , the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukam". I've wanted to visit Bangkok for a while. Now that I know that its 'long' name mentions not only nine precious gems and happines but also uses the word "abounding", it's moved up a few spots.

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