"Tell me everything."
Returning to the U.S. after eighteen months of exploring the other side of the world, finding a way to respond to this little phrase is possibly the most daunting challenge I've faced yet. It was the first thing my dear parents said to me when we settled into a post-flight feast at the 24-hour IHOP (notice I now only eat "International" pancakes, to reflect my worldliness), and has been a favored phrase of friends I've met up with since being back. I get it. I've probably even said it myself a few times. But really - do you want to know EVERYTHING? From the last EIGHTEEN months? It'd probably go a little something like this:
Monday, November 2nd, 2010: "I woke up around 9 am... or was it 9:15? No, no, it was definitely 9:30 because I was late for work that day. Anyway, I decided to wear the green dress to reflect my spunky mood..."
And so on. And so forth.
So, show of hands, who still wants to hear EVERYTHING? No one? Yeah. Didn't think so.
I'll save us all the time and boredom by doing what I do best: making a highlights reel. That way, you don't have to sit through "everything", only the things that have made the last year and a half such a memorable time for me.
Highlights of Thailand: learning to speak a language that I could never have anticipated being even somewhat useful to me, destroying my stomach with ultra-spicy, ultra-sketchy foods, making friends who were half my height, being lured into clothing shops by salespeople yelling "Madame! Don't worry! We have BIG SIZE for you!", sunsets over unimaginably gorgeous stretches of ocean and sand, realizing that riding an elephant is actually not as exciting as one might assume (those things move slooooow), falling in love in one of the most romantic places on earth, celebrating Christmas with a feast of green curry and basil pork, hiking to the top of seven stunning waterfalls, being able to recite the difference between the first, second, and third conditional tenses of the English language, and learning that life doesn't always have to be so darn serious.
Highlights of my travels around Southeast Asia: getting lost while hiking with my dad in Hong Kong and hopping on a double-decker bus to get back, randomly bumping into my cousin in the middle of a park in Ho Chi Minh City ("Hey, I think that white guy looks familiar..."), letting six year-old Hmong tribe villagers lead me down the slippery slopes of Sapa in Vietnam (and buying all their hand-made bracelets as a sign of my utter gratitude), spotting huge turtles while snorkeling off the coast of the Gilli Islands in Indonesia, taking a yoga class in Bali, taking ice-cold showers due to lack of hot water, sleeper trains and uncomfortably hot bus journeys across all sorts of terrain, cooking an egg with volcanic steam on the top of Mount Batur, the stars in an open field in Bali, the thick, sweet coffee in Vietnam, the Muslim prayer music blasting at all times on the Gilli Islands, the snorkeling off Tioman Island in Malaysia, playing cards for hours in Singapore because it was too expensive to do anything else.
I'm not sure if anyone even reads this old blog anymore, but if you are reading right now: I can't believe I did it all. Some of it was crazy, some of it was scary, but all of it was worth it. And that's just about everything I could have asked for.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Jumping over to Laos
One of the slightly annoying things about living in Thailand as a foreigner is the occassional need to do "visa runs" to a bordering country. These are basically jumps over the border between Thailand and one of its neighboring nations, in order to replace an expiring Thai visa and legally continue living in the Land of Smiles. Border runs are just part of the "farang" routine, and can be done as easily or as painfully as you wish (or as your budget allows).
With the expiration of my Thai work visa last week, I was obliged to do the jump over international lines for the second time. Luckily my visa expired within a week of my boyfriend's, and we decided to make a little vacation around our mandatory trip to the Thai embassy in Vientiane, Laos.
Laos, if you haven't heard much about it, is an absolute gem of a country, running about 7 million strong in population. Many people compare it to the Thailand of twenty years ago, as much of the country is still awaiting the development that has been spreading in Thailand over the last couple decades. The people are warm, the roads are bumpy, and the fields are an amazing shade of almost-neon green. There is one beer brand available (Beer Lao, of course) and much of the rural population live in shacks that hover precariously above the dirt tracks below them. Although such homes display the poverty characteristic to many countries in this part of the world, Laos is a nation full of charm and mystery, with green mountains shrouded in whisps of white clouds. As we travelled the four hours by mini-van from Vientiane to Vang Vieng, a mountain town well-known for its river tubing and kayaking, I took a few mental snapshots that I'd like to write here:
- Number of times we had to stop to let cows, oxen, chickens, goats, dogs, cats, etc., etc. cross the road: 7
- Items used by village children as toys/game props: a piece of string, a pork rib bone, an old shoe, an empty beer bottle, a long stick, a chicken, a dog, a cat, etc., etc., their mother's hair, a large rock, a wagon wheel, and a broken-down tractor.
- Number of goats being herded from the fields by an old man on a bicycle: 8
- Number of times I thought we would crash head-on into another vehicle while attempting to overtake the person in front of us: countless
- Also, countless groups of workers in the rice paddies pulling grain by painstaking grain of rice out of the ground. After seeing this laborous process all over Asia, I never take my Kaow-pat-gai (chicken fried rice) for granted.
- Number of uniform-clad teenagers on the back of a pick-up truck that apparently doubles as a school bus: at least 20 (seriously. I have photographic proof of this one.)
Quite an exciting mini-van journey, if I do say so myself! The real highlight of the trip was our time in Vang Vieng, where we spent a day tubing down the river and meeting other foreigners in the bars and hangouts along the way down. The scenery was beautiful and the water was freezing, which always feels good in this intensely tropical climate. And after a long day on the river, you can go to any of the restaurants in town and they will be playing an episode of "Family Guy" or "Friends" on the big-screen TV. (Weird, but seems to be "the thing to do" if you are the owner of an eatery in this town.) After two days, we were forced to come back to Bangkok and resume the teaching routine once more, this time with fresh visa's stamped into our passports. All in all, I'd say these visa runs aren't such a bad thing to "have to" do.
With the expiration of my Thai work visa last week, I was obliged to do the jump over international lines for the second time. Luckily my visa expired within a week of my boyfriend's, and we decided to make a little vacation around our mandatory trip to the Thai embassy in Vientiane, Laos.
Laos, if you haven't heard much about it, is an absolute gem of a country, running about 7 million strong in population. Many people compare it to the Thailand of twenty years ago, as much of the country is still awaiting the development that has been spreading in Thailand over the last couple decades. The people are warm, the roads are bumpy, and the fields are an amazing shade of almost-neon green. There is one beer brand available (Beer Lao, of course) and much of the rural population live in shacks that hover precariously above the dirt tracks below them. Although such homes display the poverty characteristic to many countries in this part of the world, Laos is a nation full of charm and mystery, with green mountains shrouded in whisps of white clouds. As we travelled the four hours by mini-van from Vientiane to Vang Vieng, a mountain town well-known for its river tubing and kayaking, I took a few mental snapshots that I'd like to write here:
- Number of times we had to stop to let cows, oxen, chickens, goats, dogs, cats, etc., etc. cross the road: 7
- Items used by village children as toys/game props: a piece of string, a pork rib bone, an old shoe, an empty beer bottle, a long stick, a chicken, a dog, a cat, etc., etc., their mother's hair, a large rock, a wagon wheel, and a broken-down tractor.
- Number of goats being herded from the fields by an old man on a bicycle: 8
- Number of times I thought we would crash head-on into another vehicle while attempting to overtake the person in front of us: countless
- Also, countless groups of workers in the rice paddies pulling grain by painstaking grain of rice out of the ground. After seeing this laborous process all over Asia, I never take my Kaow-pat-gai (chicken fried rice) for granted.
- Number of uniform-clad teenagers on the back of a pick-up truck that apparently doubles as a school bus: at least 20 (seriously. I have photographic proof of this one.)
Quite an exciting mini-van journey, if I do say so myself! The real highlight of the trip was our time in Vang Vieng, where we spent a day tubing down the river and meeting other foreigners in the bars and hangouts along the way down. The scenery was beautiful and the water was freezing, which always feels good in this intensely tropical climate. And after a long day on the river, you can go to any of the restaurants in town and they will be playing an episode of "Family Guy" or "Friends" on the big-screen TV. (Weird, but seems to be "the thing to do" if you are the owner of an eatery in this town.) After two days, we were forced to come back to Bangkok and resume the teaching routine once more, this time with fresh visa's stamped into our passports. All in all, I'd say these visa runs aren't such a bad thing to "have to" do.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
A Visit from my Pops
So again, it's been a while. When asked by a friend at dinner why I'd dropped off so much with the blog writing, I realized that the reason is actually pretty simple- nothing really shocks me anymore. Experiences that would have seemed absurd only a year ago are now only mildly amusing, annoying, or downright typical. So maybe I find a cockroach so large that it must be on steroids in my shower. Or perhaps I count over twenty people in the back cab of a pick-up truck splashing other moving vehicles with ice cold water in honor of the nation-wide water fight that takes place every Thai New Year. Or I get stuck in a rain storm so intense that I'm convinced Global Warming is complete and the entire capacity of the polar ice caps are being dumped on me at that very moment. Uh, yeah... not really fazed by it anymore.
I've also realized that this acquired "un-fazeable-ness" is one of the great reasons to live abroad. I think of this as a life lesson in dealing with the strange/crappy/amazing things that will come in the future. All keeping a demeanor of complete calm (at least on the exterior.)
But enough ranting ... a few little updates for now:
My father came in February, and we had an amazing time travelling for over two weeks together. We first met in Hong Kong and stayed with his amazingly generous friends, Andrew and Judy Tucker, in a gorgeous apartment overlooking the whole city. The city was incredible- modern, sophisticated and RICH. You could almost smell the money that was being traded between the hands of Hong Kong businessmen. We also got a chance to see more "traditional" parts of the city, and even spent a day at the race tracks that Hong Kong is apparently famous for! Needless to say, our horses never won. But fun nonetheless. The only downside to the trip was the weather - in a city known for it's incredible skyline and peak-top views, we were totally sacked in by fog everyday. We even ventured up to the top of Victoria Peak, the highest point in the city, only to get a picture of us looking freezing and wet against a backdrop of pure white sky. Oh well.
After Hong Kong, we travelled to the Thai homeland, and got a short taste of Bangkok. We did the obligatory temple visits, travelling to a ancient temple-filled province outside BKK called Ayutthaya. But the real highlight of our Thailand stint was our trip to the South. We went to a province called Krabi, where we spent the day on white sand beaches on the mainland and an island called Koh Lanta(at times accompanied by a tropical cocktail or two.) We joined a kayaking tour, in which my dad scored major points as the oldest participant. We basked in the scorching Thai sun and soaked up every last morsel of relaxation that can only be achieved on a beach holiday. And we even met a nice British couple that were amused by my father's off-color jokes which were starting to wear thin on me after a couple of weeks together.
Overall, it was a fabulous visit with a fabulous man, and a great way to open my eyes once again to some of the ridiculous realities of life here. So although I'm not fazed by much anymore, it was still pretty fun to faze my dad by jumping on the back of a motorbike as we parted ways during the evenings. Some things never get old.
I've also realized that this acquired "un-fazeable-ness" is one of the great reasons to live abroad. I think of this as a life lesson in dealing with the strange/crappy/amazing things that will come in the future. All keeping a demeanor of complete calm (at least on the exterior.)
But enough ranting ... a few little updates for now:
My father came in February, and we had an amazing time travelling for over two weeks together. We first met in Hong Kong and stayed with his amazingly generous friends, Andrew and Judy Tucker, in a gorgeous apartment overlooking the whole city. The city was incredible- modern, sophisticated and RICH. You could almost smell the money that was being traded between the hands of Hong Kong businessmen. We also got a chance to see more "traditional" parts of the city, and even spent a day at the race tracks that Hong Kong is apparently famous for! Needless to say, our horses never won. But fun nonetheless. The only downside to the trip was the weather - in a city known for it's incredible skyline and peak-top views, we were totally sacked in by fog everyday. We even ventured up to the top of Victoria Peak, the highest point in the city, only to get a picture of us looking freezing and wet against a backdrop of pure white sky. Oh well.
After Hong Kong, we travelled to the Thai homeland, and got a short taste of Bangkok. We did the obligatory temple visits, travelling to a ancient temple-filled province outside BKK called Ayutthaya. But the real highlight of our Thailand stint was our trip to the South. We went to a province called Krabi, where we spent the day on white sand beaches on the mainland and an island called Koh Lanta(at times accompanied by a tropical cocktail or two.) We joined a kayaking tour, in which my dad scored major points as the oldest participant. We basked in the scorching Thai sun and soaked up every last morsel of relaxation that can only be achieved on a beach holiday. And we even met a nice British couple that were amused by my father's off-color jokes which were starting to wear thin on me after a couple of weeks together.
Overall, it was a fabulous visit with a fabulous man, and a great way to open my eyes once again to some of the ridiculous realities of life here. So although I'm not fazed by much anymore, it was still pretty fun to faze my dad by jumping on the back of a motorbike as we parted ways during the evenings. Some things never get old.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Say YES More
One thing about being sick (again) in Bangkok - it gives you more time to read. As I battled a respiratory tract infection over the last week, I also finally got the chance to finish a book lent to me by my good friend and fellow English teacher, Anna.
This book, entitled "Yes Man", was the basis for the 2008 movie starring Jim Carrey. While I wasn't incredibly struck by the movie (sometimes Carrey just needs to tone it with the odd facial contortions and the extreme over-acting), I did find greater meaning in the book. Written by a Brit named Danny Wallace, the novel is based upon the author's true story of a personal quest which began after an unusually inspirational experience on a London bus. Danny had felt he was saying "No" to too much in his life, staying in and letting experiences pass him by. After listening to Danny's plight, the stranger sitting next to him on the bus jump-started his journey to embrace life with three little words: "Say Yes More." After that, Danny made it his personal mission to say "Yes" to EVERY (and I do mean, EVERY) opportunity that strolled his way.
While the quest to say "Yes" leads him through some pretty hairy moments: third-wheeling a date with his ex-girlfriend and her new dude, almost losing his life savings to an e-mail scheme involving a 'fugitive Saudi prince', and receiving a rockin' mullet hairstyle; "Yes" also leads him to some of the best moments of his life: getting a monumental promotion at work, traveling around the world, and meeting the woman of his dreams. In the end, it was saying "Yes" that made him feel alive again, after feeling like life had gotten away from him.
It dawned on me, while reading this book: I am, or at least I hope to be, a "Yes Woman." I have always believed that it is the things we DON'T do that we regret, more than the things we DO. Okay, so I have definitely done things in life that were dodgy at best and not to be repeated (most of them fueled by some sort of foreign substance... sorry parents). But those decisions have been made, and the deeds have been done, and do I really regret any of them? Nope. So maybe saying "Yes" a few too many times at the bar encouraged me to streak my college campus during the dead of winter. (I might add that Naked Quad Run is a school-sponsored activity every year at Tufts University; look it up.) But saying "Yes" also brought me to university in Boston in the first place. It has brought me all over the world, especially here to Thailand. It has brought me to the tops of mountains, to the center stage, and to the most amazing people. It has brought me to love. And for that, I am forever a believer in the power of "Yes".
Think about your own life. What do you regret? Is it what you did, or what you have yet to do? If it's the latter, as I assume, then think about what's holding you back. Why are you saying "No" when it's so much more interesting to say "Yes"? Say it with me: Y-E-S.
There. Was that so hard?
This book, entitled "Yes Man", was the basis for the 2008 movie starring Jim Carrey. While I wasn't incredibly struck by the movie (sometimes Carrey just needs to tone it with the odd facial contortions and the extreme over-acting), I did find greater meaning in the book. Written by a Brit named Danny Wallace, the novel is based upon the author's true story of a personal quest which began after an unusually inspirational experience on a London bus. Danny had felt he was saying "No" to too much in his life, staying in and letting experiences pass him by. After listening to Danny's plight, the stranger sitting next to him on the bus jump-started his journey to embrace life with three little words: "Say Yes More." After that, Danny made it his personal mission to say "Yes" to EVERY (and I do mean, EVERY) opportunity that strolled his way.
While the quest to say "Yes" leads him through some pretty hairy moments: third-wheeling a date with his ex-girlfriend and her new dude, almost losing his life savings to an e-mail scheme involving a 'fugitive Saudi prince', and receiving a rockin' mullet hairstyle; "Yes" also leads him to some of the best moments of his life: getting a monumental promotion at work, traveling around the world, and meeting the woman of his dreams. In the end, it was saying "Yes" that made him feel alive again, after feeling like life had gotten away from him.
It dawned on me, while reading this book: I am, or at least I hope to be, a "Yes Woman." I have always believed that it is the things we DON'T do that we regret, more than the things we DO. Okay, so I have definitely done things in life that were dodgy at best and not to be repeated (most of them fueled by some sort of foreign substance... sorry parents). But those decisions have been made, and the deeds have been done, and do I really regret any of them? Nope. So maybe saying "Yes" a few too many times at the bar encouraged me to streak my college campus during the dead of winter. (I might add that Naked Quad Run is a school-sponsored activity every year at Tufts University; look it up.) But saying "Yes" also brought me to university in Boston in the first place. It has brought me all over the world, especially here to Thailand. It has brought me to the tops of mountains, to the center stage, and to the most amazing people. It has brought me to love. And for that, I am forever a believer in the power of "Yes".
Think about your own life. What do you regret? Is it what you did, or what you have yet to do? If it's the latter, as I assume, then think about what's holding you back. Why are you saying "No" when it's so much more interesting to say "Yes"? Say it with me: Y-E-S.
There. Was that so hard?
Friday, January 28, 2011
Better Late than Never?
Well I've certainly dropped the ball on the blogging front. I must say I'm a little hurt, it's been nearly five months since my last entry and no one has created a "Bring Back the Blog" movement, or at least sent a mildly threatening e-mail to get my lazy butt back into the Blogosphere(is that a word?)
A common trait among the "Aries" star sign is starting something you don't finish. As a proud Aries, I am going to defeat the stereotype and continue with what I started by filling you all in on the events of the last five months. As I'm sure it would bore not only myself but all of you to detail every minute of the last 140-odd days, I've put together a little "highlight reel" for your reading pleasure. Here, in no particular order of importance, are some of the memorable events of the last five months:
Highlight #1: A visit from my mother.
OK, raise your hand if you've ridden an ATV ("All-Terrain Vehicles" for those who aren't as EXTREME-ly inclined)through Cambodian rice fields with their mother?
How about getting in a fight with a Cambodian border official and giving him the international "Kiss my *ss" gesture, before jumping into a taxi with a driver that immediately stopped to fill the trunk with unidentified rectangular goods that he just HAD to deliver to his "brother" that afternoon?
Anyone raising their hands? Oh, look at that, I am!
My mother, Virginia, braved the 24-hour journey to Bangkok at the end of August, embarking on a not-so-typical mother-daughter vacation. The highlight of her visit was the five days we spent in Siem Reap, Cambodia, visiting the beautiful Angkor Wat temples. Seriously guys, put these temples on your "Must Do Before I Die" list. We spent two full days exploring the temple ruins, with a guide who was full of charm but not-so-full of English language skills. We learned the history of the temples, as well as the sad history of Cambodia. I had no idea the scale of the tragedy that the country faced until just 20 years ago, under the rule of the Khmer Rouge. We also visited a wonderful Children's Hospital opened by a Swiss Doctor that does great work for the poverty-stricken population, as 90 percent of the Cambodian population live on less than $1 US per day. Oh, yeah, and we ATV-ed through rice fields. That was pretty sweet.
I love my mother for letting me drag her across the Thai-Cambodian border on foot, and for always exceeding my curiosity of all there is to see in this world. Her visit was a trip that I'll never forget... and hopefully I'll never see that Cambodian official again. Not my most lady-like moment.
Highlight #2: The Christmas Season in a Buddhist Country
You've gotta give them credit. The Thai's do love a good celebration, and they know how to rock that holiday spirit. I first heard "Jingle Bells" in early November, while shopping in a department store. I was suddenly taken back to the States, to the snowy days leading up to Christmas break in Boston, and to the not-so-snowy Christmas mornings in Los Angeles. Humming along as I left the store, I was snapped back into reality by a little man shouting the tried-and-true:
"SEX DVD! GOOD PRICE!"
Ah, yes. I'm still in Thailand.
Christmas in Bangkok was something I was looking forward to with a bit of dreaded anticipation- it would be my first time spending it away from home. Who was going to read me "The Night Before Christmas" before bed on Christmas eve? Who was going to make me a huge Christmas breakfast? How was SANTA going to know where I LIVED? (Ok, not really on that last one, but you get my gist)
After worrying a bit, I decided I would make the most of the Christmas season. I bought a little tree, had a tree-decorating ceremony, and made mulled wine. I wore a Santa hat for a while, until I started sweating unbearably (this country and hats = no bueno). And I listened to Christmas carols on repeat for two weeks. Most importantly, I spent the day with people I truly care about. I am lucky enough to have an amazing "family" out here that helps get me through some of the toughest days. Although spending Christmas day eating pad thai and drinking "Singha" beer isn't exactly the most traditional way to do it, I had an amazing day nonetheless. And Santa even found me way out here! That guy is awesome.
Highlight(?) Number Three: A Food-Poisoned New Years
Illnesses always seem to come at the best times, don't they? I had been looking forward to a lovely four-day New Year's weekend on the beach in Hua Hin, a little beach town a few hours outside Bangkok. I arrived at the beach good to go, jumped into my bikini and ran for the sea. Twelve hours later, I was sick as a dog and running for the toilet (pardon that mental image, but I've gotta give you the full effect.) Yes, instead of champagne, I was chugging chamomile tea and electrolyte beverages at the stroke of midnight on January 1st. Instead of lying in serenity on the beach, I was thinking about the proximity of the closest public bathroom. It was a blissful 96 hours, to say the least. But there's a bright side to everything: at least I lost some weight. A good head start on that New Years Resolution!
Highlight #4: The Great Outdoors
This highlight is more a collection of experiences than one in particular. Over the last few months, some of my favorite memories have been made outside. Thailand truly is a beautiful country, with waterfall-filled forests and white sandy beaches all within a few hours of eachother. One of my favorite outdoor experiences was the long weekend leading up to Christmas. I went to a town called Kanchanaburi with my boyfriend and spent an entire day hiking up a path of seven waterfalls. After living in the concrete confines of Bangkok, it was amazing to just breathe the air and jump into the cool pools of water at the base of each waterfall. It's amazing how rejuvenating a dip into nature can be.
So that's it, folks. A taste of what I've been up to for the last five months. Some good, some not so great, but all of them totally unforgettable. Love to everyone, and can't wait to hear all of the highlights you have to share with me.
A common trait among the "Aries" star sign is starting something you don't finish. As a proud Aries, I am going to defeat the stereotype and continue with what I started by filling you all in on the events of the last five months. As I'm sure it would bore not only myself but all of you to detail every minute of the last 140-odd days, I've put together a little "highlight reel" for your reading pleasure. Here, in no particular order of importance, are some of the memorable events of the last five months:
Highlight #1: A visit from my mother.
OK, raise your hand if you've ridden an ATV ("All-Terrain Vehicles" for those who aren't as EXTREME-ly inclined)through Cambodian rice fields with their mother?
How about getting in a fight with a Cambodian border official and giving him the international "Kiss my *ss" gesture, before jumping into a taxi with a driver that immediately stopped to fill the trunk with unidentified rectangular goods that he just HAD to deliver to his "brother" that afternoon?
Anyone raising their hands? Oh, look at that, I am!
My mother, Virginia, braved the 24-hour journey to Bangkok at the end of August, embarking on a not-so-typical mother-daughter vacation. The highlight of her visit was the five days we spent in Siem Reap, Cambodia, visiting the beautiful Angkor Wat temples. Seriously guys, put these temples on your "Must Do Before I Die" list. We spent two full days exploring the temple ruins, with a guide who was full of charm but not-so-full of English language skills. We learned the history of the temples, as well as the sad history of Cambodia. I had no idea the scale of the tragedy that the country faced until just 20 years ago, under the rule of the Khmer Rouge. We also visited a wonderful Children's Hospital opened by a Swiss Doctor that does great work for the poverty-stricken population, as 90 percent of the Cambodian population live on less than $1 US per day. Oh, yeah, and we ATV-ed through rice fields. That was pretty sweet.
I love my mother for letting me drag her across the Thai-Cambodian border on foot, and for always exceeding my curiosity of all there is to see in this world. Her visit was a trip that I'll never forget... and hopefully I'll never see that Cambodian official again. Not my most lady-like moment.
Highlight #2: The Christmas Season in a Buddhist Country
You've gotta give them credit. The Thai's do love a good celebration, and they know how to rock that holiday spirit. I first heard "Jingle Bells" in early November, while shopping in a department store. I was suddenly taken back to the States, to the snowy days leading up to Christmas break in Boston, and to the not-so-snowy Christmas mornings in Los Angeles. Humming along as I left the store, I was snapped back into reality by a little man shouting the tried-and-true:
"SEX DVD! GOOD PRICE!"
Ah, yes. I'm still in Thailand.
Christmas in Bangkok was something I was looking forward to with a bit of dreaded anticipation- it would be my first time spending it away from home. Who was going to read me "The Night Before Christmas" before bed on Christmas eve? Who was going to make me a huge Christmas breakfast? How was SANTA going to know where I LIVED? (Ok, not really on that last one, but you get my gist)
After worrying a bit, I decided I would make the most of the Christmas season. I bought a little tree, had a tree-decorating ceremony, and made mulled wine. I wore a Santa hat for a while, until I started sweating unbearably (this country and hats = no bueno). And I listened to Christmas carols on repeat for two weeks. Most importantly, I spent the day with people I truly care about. I am lucky enough to have an amazing "family" out here that helps get me through some of the toughest days. Although spending Christmas day eating pad thai and drinking "Singha" beer isn't exactly the most traditional way to do it, I had an amazing day nonetheless. And Santa even found me way out here! That guy is awesome.
Highlight(?) Number Three: A Food-Poisoned New Years
Illnesses always seem to come at the best times, don't they? I had been looking forward to a lovely four-day New Year's weekend on the beach in Hua Hin, a little beach town a few hours outside Bangkok. I arrived at the beach good to go, jumped into my bikini and ran for the sea. Twelve hours later, I was sick as a dog and running for the toilet (pardon that mental image, but I've gotta give you the full effect.) Yes, instead of champagne, I was chugging chamomile tea and electrolyte beverages at the stroke of midnight on January 1st. Instead of lying in serenity on the beach, I was thinking about the proximity of the closest public bathroom. It was a blissful 96 hours, to say the least. But there's a bright side to everything: at least I lost some weight. A good head start on that New Years Resolution!
Highlight #4: The Great Outdoors
This highlight is more a collection of experiences than one in particular. Over the last few months, some of my favorite memories have been made outside. Thailand truly is a beautiful country, with waterfall-filled forests and white sandy beaches all within a few hours of eachother. One of my favorite outdoor experiences was the long weekend leading up to Christmas. I went to a town called Kanchanaburi with my boyfriend and spent an entire day hiking up a path of seven waterfalls. After living in the concrete confines of Bangkok, it was amazing to just breathe the air and jump into the cool pools of water at the base of each waterfall. It's amazing how rejuvenating a dip into nature can be.
So that's it, folks. A taste of what I've been up to for the last five months. Some good, some not so great, but all of them totally unforgettable. Love to everyone, and can't wait to hear all of the highlights you have to share with me.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Pinch Me
While the following line may possess a corny-factor rivaling the moral lessons revealed at the end of an episode of "Full House" (if you didn't watch "Full House" in the 90's, you missed out), it has to be said:
Sometimes I still pinch myself. It'll come at the most random moments: when I haggle with a store clerk at a market, realizing that I've just completed a transaction in a language that was about as familiar as Swahili one year ago. When I hop on a motorbike in the pouring rain, watching the water spray six feet in the air as we speed down the soi's towards work. When I order the spiciest dish at the street vendor and can shovel it down without breaking a sweat. That's when it comes - the urge to pinch myself and make sure that it's all real.
So I pinch.
Once.
Twice.
Three times for good luck.
Yup, still here. This is the new reality I've created for myself; one that transcends most of the boundaries of possibility that I could have conceived in the past.
Recently, I found that the best test of reality is to have someone you care about experience this new universe with you. I was lucky enough to host the wonderful Kikuye Inouye a week ago, and to share my new reality with her. The opportunity to show an old friend how I live everyday in this country solidified the fact that I am here, I am living, and I am so freaking happy about it. Plus, it gave me the chance to become a tourist again for a few days. We rode elephants, we took a cooking course, and we visited way too many temples. I even took photographs of random foliage, animals, and people - an activity I had stopped when I realized how lame one looked going on the daily commute with a camera bag around their neck. When Kikuye left to go back to Los Angeles, we both marveled at the fact that I wouldn't be going with her. While her 'escape' from reality was over, I had never left mine. Kikuye coming here was a much better reality-check than some pinch on the arm.
Sometimes I still pinch myself. It'll come at the most random moments: when I haggle with a store clerk at a market, realizing that I've just completed a transaction in a language that was about as familiar as Swahili one year ago. When I hop on a motorbike in the pouring rain, watching the water spray six feet in the air as we speed down the soi's towards work. When I order the spiciest dish at the street vendor and can shovel it down without breaking a sweat. That's when it comes - the urge to pinch myself and make sure that it's all real.
So I pinch.
Once.
Twice.
Three times for good luck.
Yup, still here. This is the new reality I've created for myself; one that transcends most of the boundaries of possibility that I could have conceived in the past.
Recently, I found that the best test of reality is to have someone you care about experience this new universe with you. I was lucky enough to host the wonderful Kikuye Inouye a week ago, and to share my new reality with her. The opportunity to show an old friend how I live everyday in this country solidified the fact that I am here, I am living, and I am so freaking happy about it. Plus, it gave me the chance to become a tourist again for a few days. We rode elephants, we took a cooking course, and we visited way too many temples. I even took photographs of random foliage, animals, and people - an activity I had stopped when I realized how lame one looked going on the daily commute with a camera bag around their neck. When Kikuye left to go back to Los Angeles, we both marveled at the fact that I wouldn't be going with her. While her 'escape' from reality was over, I had never left mine. Kikuye coming here was a much better reality-check than some pinch on the arm.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
A Barking Sub-Culture
I see them everywhere. They hang out on the streets in packs, making trouble and getting into fights for no apparent reason. They've had to beg, cheat, and steal their way through life, so there's no messing around with these guys. They don't need houses or shelter; the street is the only home they've ever known. They're a sub-culture all their own, and they aren't even human.
This is the life of the Soi Dog: the four-legged creatures that have barked, bitten, and clawed out an existence on the stuffy Bangkok streets. They crowd the narrow soi's day and night, chomping down chicken bones given to them by food vendors who take pity on their flea-bitten selves. Their hobbies include: blocking traffic by running into the busiest intersections at the busiest time of day, stopping to pee in the middle of a crowded sidewalk, and mating with Soi Dog-ettes directly next to where I am trying to have lunch. They also enjoy beer hand-outs given to them by young men playing cards on the sidewalk, lunging at unsuspecting foreigners (aka myself) as they walk by, and scratching at fleas until they have bigger bald spots than the large German tourists that like to vacation in Bangkok.
Sorry if I'm coming off as an insensitive animal-hater. I assure you all, I do love all of Buddha's creatures, especially our furry canine friends. The point of this rant is to give insight into another element of street life that makes Thailand an entertaining place to live. Soi dogs can teach us all to slow down and enjoy the basic things in life: sleeping, eating, and... uh... mating. I admire them for their will to survive, by whatever means necessary. And it just wouldn't be a normal day if my motorbike taxi driver didn't have to swerve or slam on the brakes because of two fighting soi dogs that spill out into the middle of traffic. One day maybe I'll open up a home for the dogs that roam these dirty soi's. But until then... You go, Soi Dogs. You keep on hustling.
This is the life of the Soi Dog: the four-legged creatures that have barked, bitten, and clawed out an existence on the stuffy Bangkok streets. They crowd the narrow soi's day and night, chomping down chicken bones given to them by food vendors who take pity on their flea-bitten selves. Their hobbies include: blocking traffic by running into the busiest intersections at the busiest time of day, stopping to pee in the middle of a crowded sidewalk, and mating with Soi Dog-ettes directly next to where I am trying to have lunch. They also enjoy beer hand-outs given to them by young men playing cards on the sidewalk, lunging at unsuspecting foreigners (aka myself) as they walk by, and scratching at fleas until they have bigger bald spots than the large German tourists that like to vacation in Bangkok.
Sorry if I'm coming off as an insensitive animal-hater. I assure you all, I do love all of Buddha's creatures, especially our furry canine friends. The point of this rant is to give insight into another element of street life that makes Thailand an entertaining place to live. Soi dogs can teach us all to slow down and enjoy the basic things in life: sleeping, eating, and... uh... mating. I admire them for their will to survive, by whatever means necessary. And it just wouldn't be a normal day if my motorbike taxi driver didn't have to swerve or slam on the brakes because of two fighting soi dogs that spill out into the middle of traffic. One day maybe I'll open up a home for the dogs that roam these dirty soi's. But until then... You go, Soi Dogs. You keep on hustling.
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