In college, Mark Wiens spent his free time hoarding junk, from old clothes to treadmills, to sell on eBay and Craigslist. Although this made him a kind of “glorified garbage man,” Mark admits, he also says he graduated debt-free, having shouldered the entire cost of school himself.
Whether he didn’t want to be tethered to debt or just loved selling junk, the 28-year-old foodwriter is now, some years later and continent away, striding through Terminal 21 on a recent afternoon in a baggy grey shirt reading “Eat More Tom Yum,” a black messenger bag, and unassuming sandals.
“Stink beans!” he proclaims. “Or sataw. It’s my favorite natural ingredient in the world. Garlic is one of my favorites too. I could eat raw garlic all day.”
A mall cafe seemed an odd meeting choice for a man whose face can be found crinkling into a smile above plate after plate of street food on his Migrationology blog, but he’s quickly settled into the topic he’s preached like the gospel for almost six years – traveling and eating.
It was after college, armed with about THB260,000 saved from his junk-selling, that Mark’s bursting wanderlust and passion for food took hold and propelled him into an almost yearlong trip spanning South America and Southeast Asia. And thus, Migrationology was born.
Since 2009, the blog has grown into a trove of 730 articles on topics ranging from Kenya’s best dishes to renting cheap apartments in Bangkok – of which Mark is an expert, seeing as he claims to have once survived on less than THB9,400 per month.
But take note: Migrationology is not for those with empty stomachs. For a man who believes food is akin to a language, Mark’s travels to places such as Ethiopia, Japan, or Turkey means a fresh plethora of blog posts, mouth-watering photos and videos featuring Mark and his foodgasmic faces.
For expats and tourists in Thailand, Mark started a second blog about four years ago called Eating Thai Food. It’s a passport to an often-inaccessible realm of Thai food for visitors – stalls and restaurants manned by locals speaking close to no English and menus stamped with snakey, impenetrable Thai script.
Thus Mark’s love for offbeat food spots and his gung-ho documentation of the wheres, whats, and hows gleaned from his quests into obscure sois are popular with non-Thai speakers. The type otherwise limited to scavenging for food from the Siam Paragons, Central Worlds and other newbie-friendly spots in Bangkok.
It wasn’t a surprise when Mark started publishing electronic travel and food guides on Bangkok, Thai food, and even New Delhi, India.
Nevertheless, things weren’t always as sunny. During the latter half of his post-grad travels, Mark found himself strapped for cash and decided to sign a yearlong contract to teach at Wall Street English in Bangkok. And while Mark didn’t find his vocation in teaching, what he did find was his wife, whom he now travels and works with.
“For me, growing up [in Congo], I didn’t really think anything was hard… I was young so I didn’t exactly feel the difference in lifestyle,” he said. “But subconsciously I learned a lot about other cultures, customs, and about flexibility, adaptation and relationships.”
Mark’s wild years now behind him, no longer can he adhere to his bachelor-esque ways of showing up clueless in a foreign country with no preconceived plans of where to go, to eat or to stay.
“I used to be very spontaneous. Often in the past I just walk around, and if I see a busy restaurant I just go for it,” Mark said. “Now, with a wife and more of a business mindset, I do more research. I still try to keep it pretty flexible because the best travel experiences I’ve had and the most memorable meals have been the result of spontaneity.”
Check out Mark’s Thai food blog for more.
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