It's been dubbed the City of Angels, and in many ways (though none obvious to the common observer) the name suits.

Bangkok, like its “heavenly” counterpart Los Angeles, is well known for its share of filth, pollution, corruption and crime. Yet also like LA, beneath the city's rough unappealing exterior there lies refinement and sentiment and culture. One just has to dig a little deeper to discover it.

Take the Santi Chai Prakan Pavilion, a public park in Bangkok for example. On an average day one might find farang (foreign) jugglers on the lawn; a huddle of break-dancers performing; a plethora of street vendors selling exotic foods and trinkets to tourists and locals strolling the park grounds.

And then once in awhile, one might stumble on something extraordinary, like a creative dance production open free to the public. Imagine enjoying a plate authentic pad thai while watching an incredible display of talent on a makeshift stage four feet in front of you (front row seats, free admission) with the breathtaking view of the sun setting over the Chao Phraya River.

Like the basic synopsis of my two months here, a walk in a park in Bangkok makes for a truly out-of-this-world experience.

Though it doesn't take a particularly profound person to observe the less-than-holy aspects of the city-the poverty, for example, apparent on the faces of children begging for spare baht in the street, in those of the young women making livings in the red light district. Beyond the obvious and universal social ills of any modern metropolis, the people of Bangkok exude the spirit of aloha.

The saying here is “mai ben rai,” which essentially means “no worries.” It is the philosophy by which the Thai people live their lives--maintaining self-control, restraint and tolerance amidst frustration, fear, and uncertainty. To smile in both happiness and heartache, to live in the moment, appreciating life for what it is (unpredictable, temporal, beautiful)-it's a philosophy that all people can all learn from and live by.

The distinct beauty of the Thai culture and people transcends into Thailand's physical environment--from the clear starlit skies in the small fishing village of Prachuap Khiri Khan to the pristine beaches rivaling Hawaii's own on the island of Koh Samui. All it takes is a little travel outside the bright lights of Bangkok, and some exploration into the sun, sand, and sea of southern Thailand for one to experience some version of heaven firsthand.

So after you've had your fun in the hills of Hollywood heaven, find salvation in the other City of Angels; a place of depth and diversity, where good food and entertainment are only a stone's throw away in a little public park on the river; where smiles greet you like angels at every street corner. Find yourself in Bangkok, a home half a world away from home.