How I met the Mascot Master?
I was chilling out outside the Telephone Bar in Silom Soi 4, one of the gayest and most fabulous streets in the Red District of Bangkok near Sala Daeng BTS, when a guy I thought in his late 40's passed by yet he came back to ask me something. "Are you Filipino?"
Accent was his very Familiar. "Yes. How did You know?". I replied. "Are You a Filipino Too?".
Apparently, he looked Asian or Indian but he sounded French. He looked tipsy while trying to remember something looking at me. "No no no... But my friend is ...".
He paused for a sec.
"You look so familiar," he said. "I think we met before."
I do not remember this stranger at all. No I have not met the guy in person. I was certain that was the first time I ever met him.
"You were a few months ago in Yangon?" He asked.
"Yes!" I said. I was surprised. "How did you know?".
"I am sure we had a chat before. I was looking for a teaching job. You mentioned about the Joseph Kessel French School.".
It all suddenly came back to be. Yes, I had a chat with someone before when I went back to Yangon sometime in June of 2013. He was the guy who asked mm to help him on his application to any French schools i know in Yangon, Myanmar. "Oh my god! Was that you?"
"Yes!"
I did not know what to say to my surprise. I stood up and shake his hand. "What's your name?".
"Titi!"
We talked a bit and then he invited me to join him so that we can hang out and catch up. He introduced me to his Filipino friend. His name is Rainier.
That's how I met the Mascot Master.
From My Perspective: The Mascot Master.
I called him the mascot master back in my mind when I saw Kuya Rain's house. It was an amazing four-storey building in Sathorn. Right at the entrance door, I was greeted by a human-size statue of the Virgin Mary. Up on the second floor was the storage of mascots of different colors and sizes for sale and for rent. The third floor is where the workshop takes place. Finally, the fourth floor is where Kuya Rain's paradise is. This is where his office, bedroom, dining room, and garden are. There were birds too. The ambiance was classic.
Aside from that night I hang out with Titi, I also partied with Kuya Rain and many other Filipino guests for the 2013-2014 new year's eve in his house and Chinese new year in 2014. The Filipino food he himself prepared were deliciously outstanding. There were games and raffle draws. Of course, there's always the never ending KTV while waiting for the midnight.
I was fascinated with the mascot factory. So I tried to work there a few times. I turned pieces of plastics into something curvy to be the eyes of the mascots. Other jobs include designing of mascots, making the head and the body using special type of foam material, and of course, skillful kind of sewing.
Kuya Rain is a hard-working man with a very good heart.
The Mascot Hostel Bangkok
Website: Http://www.mascothostelbangkok.com/
Facebook: Https://www.facebook.com/mascothostelbangkok?fref=ts
I got a second chance to work in Myanmar in March 2014. Every 70 days, I needed to do a visa run and Bangkok has always been the city I go to all the time. I would spend my time in his house to save some money for hotels. Then he told me that he had been working on putting up a hostel business which later he called the "Mascot Hostel Bangkok" located in Ratchaprarop soi 3 very close to the Ratchaprarop Airport Rail Link station, Baiyoke Sky, Pratunam fashion malls, Central World, Siam Paragon, boat, night market, and many others.
I love the concept/theme of the hostel! Some of the mascots from the factory are displayed there. It caters travelers like me who's on a tight budget every time I get forced to travel. The hostel is classy too. I have witnessed how the mascot master spent a lot of time making it the best hostel in heart of Bangkok. From the hostel, a guest can easily go almost everywhere around the city easily.
After a few months, the hostel moved down to Ratchaprarop soi 8 which is a few meters away from where it was before across the main road. The location change wasn't really a big deal. For me, its new location is much better.
The hostel has free coffee and tea 24/7. There are also free bananas and other fruits left either on the kitchen table or on the front desk. Anyone can check in anytime. And most importantly, the staff speaks good English and they are very friendly. If you are a traveler and you want to come to Bangkok on a tight budget, I don'think there is any other deal that can beat this cheapest yet cozy hostel.
