Last Friday: My special day this year started with a senior's home. Everyone from school went to give 2 different seniors a 2-hour massage. It went really well and I think the seniors were very appreciative. It will be the hardest massage we will ever give, first because it was our first to a stranger and second because it was very difficult to communicate since most of us didn't speak Thai. It was definitely a good experience albit a challenging one.
My birthday night was wonderful. I found a really cool bar/restaurant near my house that had live music every night and warned them in advance that a large group of Falangs (foreigners) would be showing up. Almost everyone from my massage school made an appearance! I was very touched by their wishes and the gifts they showered me with. I now am the proud owner of two ukuleles :) Let me know if anyone wants to have an uke jam!
I recieved three cakes as well, the most ever, and some lanterns which we waited till dark to set off into the air. Very beautiful. Everyone had a good time that night and there was much dancing and making merry. A party not to be forgotten. Thanks again everyone for all the birthday wishes. I couldn't have asked for anything more.
Today we went to a special children's school and massaged some kids and some of their teachers. We had a lot of fun. First I had a little boy with cerebral palsy, meaning he didn't have very good control over his left side, but he was very sweet and we played a lot. Then I had a boy with severe autism which was challenging because he can't express emotion in the same way we do, so it's hard to connect with him. By the end I had him laughing by making funny noises and playing with the zippers of his pillow. Then in the afternoon I worked on a boy with blood cancer. He was so cute. He also seemed like he was emotionally challenged and had such a crooked spine that he had to be in a wheelchair. Very sad. He became very attached to me right away. Then I did another very quiet boy also with autism, who was so relaxed that he fell asleep :) A very tiring, but rewarding day.
A lot of us are glad that the course is coming to a close, only 3 more days. I've been practicing after school as well with some friends, which has been helping me to remember all the different sequences. Tonight I've taken a break though. It's my guesthouse owner's, Aoy, birthday so I got her some art supplies and a piece of cake from the shopping center. I've made plans to spend some time with my friend Aude from France on Saturday before I head out in the evening and am looking forward to that. On Friday afternoon we're having a little celebration at school for our graduating class with some food and a ceremony and then I'm sure some people will be going out in the evening, but I'm not sure I'll join them. I am feeling so tired.
This Thursday is a big festival called Loi Katong, which the city has been preparing for since November started. There are fireworks going off every night and laterns being set out into the sky. They look like orange coloured stars. On Thursday there will be many more laterns and a big display of fireworks, as well as candles being floated down the river. I will go out with Aoy and her son and maybe if there's anyone else in the guesthouse that wants to join, to see some of the displays. It's meant to be very beautiful, so I'm looking forward to it.
Busy, busy, busy!
This will probably be my last post before I head home. Much aloha for you readings :) Pehaps I shall continue from beautiful Kauai.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
A bit of massage here and there
It's funny how time passes when you're away floating around. It seems as if all the friends and family that are in other countries live their lives in fast forward, whilst I am still moving at a normal pace. I can now understand why grandparents may still treat us as if we are much younger than we feel ourselves.
I am into the 3rd week of my Thai massage course and I can't say that it is what I expected considering I made the decision to attend so quickly that I didn't really have the chance to expect anything. But I'm enjoying it. It's a different kind of massage than I am used to. We are currently discussing the 10 energy lines and a lot of the massage follows these lines to unblock energy blocks and relieve people of different kinds of ailments. All very interesting stuff.
This morning we did a special Thai ceremony to honour our teachers and the teachers that came before them. We each brought a flower to school and an alter was set up and we did our prayers all together setting our flowers on the alter and bowing to the buddah. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Each morning we all do our prayers in smaller groups, but it was a nice sound to hear everyone as one voice together, much more powerful and beautiful.
Massage is exhausting to say the least. We spend the entire day either massaging or being massage and it sounds wonderful, but really it's very hard to enjoy. While I am being massaged I am usually focusing on the technique of my partner and going through the sequences in my mind as they do them to my body, making sure I have the number of each sequence correct in my head.
A few of us girls go to yoga each week and there are lots of get togethers outside of school with the other massures. Movies nights, girly-boy shows, dinners, elephant treks. I don't know how everyone does it, by the weekend I'm usually so wiped I end up spending a lot of my time reading in bed. But considering that the weekend after next is my birthday, the big 24, I'm going to try and make an exception and organize a little dinner gathering in celebration.
There are plenty of other interesting people at the school, including yogis, massueurs of different varietys, travellers, and all ages as well. I've had many a interesting conversation and am going to try out a digestive system cleanse that was recommended to me by the yogi specifically tomorrow. Wish me luck. It doesn't sound as gross as the cleanse another friend is doing that involves grapefruit juice and olive oil... We all are into weird things to say the least :)
I'm enjoying being amongst a bunch of weirdos, I fit in nicely and am constantly entertained. There is much laughter at all times.
Looking forward to heading home, just 2 1/2 weeks to go!
I am into the 3rd week of my Thai massage course and I can't say that it is what I expected considering I made the decision to attend so quickly that I didn't really have the chance to expect anything. But I'm enjoying it. It's a different kind of massage than I am used to. We are currently discussing the 10 energy lines and a lot of the massage follows these lines to unblock energy blocks and relieve people of different kinds of ailments. All very interesting stuff.
This morning we did a special Thai ceremony to honour our teachers and the teachers that came before them. We each brought a flower to school and an alter was set up and we did our prayers all together setting our flowers on the alter and bowing to the buddah. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Each morning we all do our prayers in smaller groups, but it was a nice sound to hear everyone as one voice together, much more powerful and beautiful.
Massage is exhausting to say the least. We spend the entire day either massaging or being massage and it sounds wonderful, but really it's very hard to enjoy. While I am being massaged I am usually focusing on the technique of my partner and going through the sequences in my mind as they do them to my body, making sure I have the number of each sequence correct in my head.
A few of us girls go to yoga each week and there are lots of get togethers outside of school with the other massures. Movies nights, girly-boy shows, dinners, elephant treks. I don't know how everyone does it, by the weekend I'm usually so wiped I end up spending a lot of my time reading in bed. But considering that the weekend after next is my birthday, the big 24, I'm going to try and make an exception and organize a little dinner gathering in celebration.
There are plenty of other interesting people at the school, including yogis, massueurs of different varietys, travellers, and all ages as well. I've had many a interesting conversation and am going to try out a digestive system cleanse that was recommended to me by the yogi specifically tomorrow. Wish me luck. It doesn't sound as gross as the cleanse another friend is doing that involves grapefruit juice and olive oil... We all are into weird things to say the least :)
I'm enjoying being amongst a bunch of weirdos, I fit in nicely and am constantly entertained. There is much laughter at all times.
Looking forward to heading home, just 2 1/2 weeks to go!
Friday, October 7, 2011
The Mystery of the Market
I was invited to go the market in the wee hours of the morning this morning by a woman orginating in Japan, living in Amsterdam, and owning a cafe in Thailand that teaches microbiotic cooking and theroy. Say that 3 times fast! A very interesting woman to say the least and speaks a variety of languages, one of them handily Thai which is a great asset when going to a market where you are the ONLY white person. Not that I minded, and no one really paid me much attention. It was very fun.
They have quite the variety of different foods. The market is held next to the mosque so there was quiet a variety of middle eastern halal foods, people come down from the mountains and over from Myanmar. Lots of avocados, vegetables, chilli concotions, soybean products, whole dead chickens of the white or black type, a variety of smells certain to please anyone. We had doughnuts dipped in molasses, I tasted many things that I can't pronounce, some more familiar falafels and samosas, and we had a soybean soup which was quite gelantenous, but also very delicious!
The market is quite a popular concept here in Thailand, and is gaining popularity more and more around the world. You can find a market just about any day here in Chiang Mai. There is a particular Sunday market that I've been frequenting each week. It's visited by tourists and locals alike and is live with music and food and various wares for sale. Some of the most interesting things I've seen is a food stall selling only deep fried insects, some of them quite large in size! You can even smell the oil as you pass by. Some of the more tasty foods that I've seen are bananas and grapes dipped in chocolate, smoothies and fruit juices everywhere, banana leaves piled with little fried quail eggs or noodles, phad thai (which has continued to disappoint me in Thailand), there are many different foods to be had.
The market is so big that I still haven't see all of it and it gets so busy as the evening wares away to night that you often find yourself slowly inching your way between stalls surrounded by other people, which I find a bit clautrophobic and exhausting after my limit of 2ish hours. There are so many colourful things to look at, paintings, and dresses, and baggy pants in all shapes, colours and sizes. And bargaining is always welcome. The typical thai pants are not so typical after all, I've only really seen tourist wear this baggy monstrous things, all the Thai people seem to be wearing normal tshirts and tank tops just like the western world. I have to admit to owning quite a few pairs myself :O
Markets are fun. Great place to just people watch if you're not in the mood to buy anything. Find a curb, plop yourself down with some watermelon juice, and you'll see all kinds of different people speaking ALL kinds of different languages. No end to entertainment.
They have quite the variety of different foods. The market is held next to the mosque so there was quiet a variety of middle eastern halal foods, people come down from the mountains and over from Myanmar. Lots of avocados, vegetables, chilli concotions, soybean products, whole dead chickens of the white or black type, a variety of smells certain to please anyone. We had doughnuts dipped in molasses, I tasted many things that I can't pronounce, some more familiar falafels and samosas, and we had a soybean soup which was quite gelantenous, but also very delicious!
The market is quite a popular concept here in Thailand, and is gaining popularity more and more around the world. You can find a market just about any day here in Chiang Mai. There is a particular Sunday market that I've been frequenting each week. It's visited by tourists and locals alike and is live with music and food and various wares for sale. Some of the most interesting things I've seen is a food stall selling only deep fried insects, some of them quite large in size! You can even smell the oil as you pass by. Some of the more tasty foods that I've seen are bananas and grapes dipped in chocolate, smoothies and fruit juices everywhere, banana leaves piled with little fried quail eggs or noodles, phad thai (which has continued to disappoint me in Thailand), there are many different foods to be had.
The market is so big that I still haven't see all of it and it gets so busy as the evening wares away to night that you often find yourself slowly inching your way between stalls surrounded by other people, which I find a bit clautrophobic and exhausting after my limit of 2ish hours. There are so many colourful things to look at, paintings, and dresses, and baggy pants in all shapes, colours and sizes. And bargaining is always welcome. The typical thai pants are not so typical after all, I've only really seen tourist wear this baggy monstrous things, all the Thai people seem to be wearing normal tshirts and tank tops just like the western world. I have to admit to owning quite a few pairs myself :O
Markets are fun. Great place to just people watch if you're not in the mood to buy anything. Find a curb, plop yourself down with some watermelon juice, and you'll see all kinds of different people speaking ALL kinds of different languages. No end to entertainment.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
The Shopping Mall Experience
I went to the mall today and really took a look around. It felt like a very foreign place. I'm not one to go to the mall even when I'm home, but somehow it was more interesting in Thailand. It's a very strange place, the mall. It could almost be an American mall, but there are so many clues as to the fact that it is a very, very Thai mall.
My first clue was when I kept getting randomly lost down these hall ways that seemed endless and when I got to the end of them I wasn't really sure what a lot of the stores supplied. I followed a sign for about five minutes that led down one such hallway, it was advertising the "IT store". I was really curious what 'it' could be. Is 'it' even a That word? I think not. It ended up being an electronics store, not very interesting. Except for the fact that it looks like laptops cost as much as cars, due to the fact that prices are in baht.
There was another hallway I wandered down with loud music and noises. I just followed the noise past random shops that were hard to identify, lots of game machine tooooo... a whole section set up with booths to play video-game karoke! And there wasn't even an empty booth for me to play :( I'll have to run there before school gets out next time :) Seems to be the 'thing to do' after school hours. Shove as many people as you can into a tiny room and sing away!
Another clue telling me I am not in Kansas anymore, was when I headed upstairs to follow a craving for some comfort food. A big red glowing "DQ" sign. Dairy Queen is the original mcflurry. I don't care what McDonald's has to say about it, they totally stole the idea and DQ has better flavors, RESSES. Although I'm sure they don't have an inkling what peanutbutter is in this country, so of course they didn't have Resses. BUT if I really wanted to I could have gotten a waffle cone with corn ice cream. CORN, really! Big yellow kernals of it mixed into white soft serve. I went with the safe dipped in chocolate variety myself, but I was a bit tempted. Why make it if it isn't good right? Somebody must eat it.
Since I am taking my foot reflexology course I had the mission of finding all the materials I needed to practice. It's always good to have a mission when you enter a shopping mall, or you get lost, or maybe that's just me :) Foot cream was on my list, and while I was scouring the pharmacy shelves for cream, I just happened upon the lustrious and wonderful 'beer and egg' shampoo. LOL! I couldn't help but secretly smile to myself. Really I need a friend to laugh with. I hope you guys think these things are funny and I'm not just slowly going crazy unbeknowst to myself...tell me if I am would yah?
Crazy Thai people with beer shampoo and doughnut sushi and tiny, tiny clothing. I'm always afraid to try anything on because I'm not sure if my size is really my size. What if nothing fits me? It would be embarrassing to carry all these clothes to the changing room, if I could figure out how to get to one, and then all things are too small.
The whole thing was a mystery to me. A shopping mall of mysteries.
I wonder what Thai people think of us when they come to our shopping malls?
My first clue was when I kept getting randomly lost down these hall ways that seemed endless and when I got to the end of them I wasn't really sure what a lot of the stores supplied. I followed a sign for about five minutes that led down one such hallway, it was advertising the "IT store". I was really curious what 'it' could be. Is 'it' even a That word? I think not. It ended up being an electronics store, not very interesting. Except for the fact that it looks like laptops cost as much as cars, due to the fact that prices are in baht.
There was another hallway I wandered down with loud music and noises. I just followed the noise past random shops that were hard to identify, lots of game machine tooooo... a whole section set up with booths to play video-game karoke! And there wasn't even an empty booth for me to play :( I'll have to run there before school gets out next time :) Seems to be the 'thing to do' after school hours. Shove as many people as you can into a tiny room and sing away!
Another clue telling me I am not in Kansas anymore, was when I headed upstairs to follow a craving for some comfort food. A big red glowing "DQ" sign. Dairy Queen is the original mcflurry. I don't care what McDonald's has to say about it, they totally stole the idea and DQ has better flavors, RESSES. Although I'm sure they don't have an inkling what peanutbutter is in this country, so of course they didn't have Resses. BUT if I really wanted to I could have gotten a waffle cone with corn ice cream. CORN, really! Big yellow kernals of it mixed into white soft serve. I went with the safe dipped in chocolate variety myself, but I was a bit tempted. Why make it if it isn't good right? Somebody must eat it.
Since I am taking my foot reflexology course I had the mission of finding all the materials I needed to practice. It's always good to have a mission when you enter a shopping mall, or you get lost, or maybe that's just me :) Foot cream was on my list, and while I was scouring the pharmacy shelves for cream, I just happened upon the lustrious and wonderful 'beer and egg' shampoo. LOL! I couldn't help but secretly smile to myself. Really I need a friend to laugh with. I hope you guys think these things are funny and I'm not just slowly going crazy unbeknowst to myself...tell me if I am would yah?
Crazy Thai people with beer shampoo and doughnut sushi and tiny, tiny clothing. I'm always afraid to try anything on because I'm not sure if my size is really my size. What if nothing fits me? It would be embarrassing to carry all these clothes to the changing room, if I could figure out how to get to one, and then all things are too small.
The whole thing was a mystery to me. A shopping mall of mysteries.
I wonder what Thai people think of us when they come to our shopping malls?
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Where in the world...? ( title thanks to Whitney's family :) )
Sometimes I pause a moment and I think, 'where the heck am I and what am I doing?'. I look around myself, sitting on a hard, lumpy little mattress on the floor, surrounded by the few meager possessions I own in this world, the rest of the large white room empty, except for the small picture of my boyfriend Tom next to my bed, whom I miss dreadfully.
Having a romance while you're traveling is both very exciting and very difficult. We both think about each othre all the time and write loads of emails each week. We're currently working out the skype thing, but so far only one us has been able to get the video to work and it's a bit off-putting watching yourself talk and hoping you don't forget the other person can see you in case you decide to pick your nose or something :) But we're in love and absence really does make the heart grow fonder. I promise ;) I love you Tommy!
So why am I on a hard, lumpy mattress desperately missing my wonderful boyfriend?
Because every night I get to see the biggest rainstorms of my life, the fattest drops, the thunderous noise on the tin rooves that I fall asleep to, they are spectacular. AND I had forgotten how much I love to read, but now I read for hours on end, EVERY single day. AND even though my massage class wasn't that great today, as far as a class could have been in the teacher even pretended she wanted to be there...I Loved It. I really did. Im so excited to practice my new techniques I learned yesterday and memorize them before I learn any more! First thing tomorrow I'm going out to get some massage tool, and a new book :), and I'm going to practice on Aoy (the owner of my guest house).
My boyfriend, my friends and my family all love me even if I'm not close by, and I can only love myself and be fun for them to be around when I'm doing what I love and sear4ching for what that is.
Sometimes I just need to remind myself :)
Having a romance while you're traveling is both very exciting and very difficult. We both think about each othre all the time and write loads of emails each week. We're currently working out the skype thing, but so far only one us has been able to get the video to work and it's a bit off-putting watching yourself talk and hoping you don't forget the other person can see you in case you decide to pick your nose or something :) But we're in love and absence really does make the heart grow fonder. I promise ;) I love you Tommy!
So why am I on a hard, lumpy mattress desperately missing my wonderful boyfriend?
Because every night I get to see the biggest rainstorms of my life, the fattest drops, the thunderous noise on the tin rooves that I fall asleep to, they are spectacular. AND I had forgotten how much I love to read, but now I read for hours on end, EVERY single day. AND even though my massage class wasn't that great today, as far as a class could have been in the teacher even pretended she wanted to be there...I Loved It. I really did. Im so excited to practice my new techniques I learned yesterday and memorize them before I learn any more! First thing tomorrow I'm going out to get some massage tool, and a new book :), and I'm going to practice on Aoy (the owner of my guest house).
My boyfriend, my friends and my family all love me even if I'm not close by, and I can only love myself and be fun for them to be around when I'm doing what I love and sear4ching for what that is.
Sometimes I just need to remind myself :)
My whereabouts and what-doings
I am in Chiang Mai at the moment, just settled into my new residence for the next few months just outside the city square cause I got a good price. I've also rented myself a shiny red bike for the month so I can whip around. I considered a motorbike cause they're really fun to ride, but figured exercise is more important and I won't be travelling far enough to merit a motorized vehicle, but I'm definitely inspired to one day have a motorbike :)
I took a cooking course yesterday which was good fun. It's a very popular tourist activity and is advertised everywhere so it wasn't hard to book in. We started out at the market and were explained a few typical thai ingredients, and then just wandered around a bit, I saw a kg of dried grubs for sale! Yummy! Then we headed to a house to cook up a storm. We began with a soup, then a stirfry, salad, curry paste, curry with our paste, and a dessert. Got a handy dandy cook book at the end so I can make some stuff for my lucky friends when I see them again!
My new residence is 3500 baht per month, which is about $113 USD and I'm sure the cheapest I will ever pay in my life. The owner, Ayi (pronouced OYE), is a really lovely woman who is determined to make me feel at home, starting with introducing me around the neighborhood. I am currently the only occupant besides Ayi and her son, who's 19, but I'm hoping that will change and I'll get a companion of some kind at some point. My room is quite big, with a little balconette, but I have nothing to fill it with so it sits quite empty. There's cat images all over the walls and there are two pet ginger cats lurking around during the day. I'm on the 3rd floor and just below me is a little tea area with cushions, perfect for a tea and a chat with a friend when I make some.
So life is looking good. Just passing the time until my course starts. Learning a few key thai phrases, kaa poon kaa (or kap for man) means 'thank you' and saa waa di kaa (or kap) means 'good day, good morning, good night'. They really hold their vowel sounds. These are pretty useful and I use them about a hundred times a day. I'm slowly learning my way around and am looking forward to taking the bike for a nice long spin to get my bearings. There are times where I wish I could just run to the store and grab a chocolate bar or some similar familiar comfort food, but my figure is saved from the fact I wouldn't know where to get these things. I did have the most delicious chicken skewers and a small bag of sticky rice for breakfast though, so it's hard to complain.
I took the train here from Bangkok and I saw the strangest sight I'd ever seen. Apparently there had been quite a bit of flooding in some towns along the way and the train passed directly though them. The water was surrounding the tracks, if it had been much higher the train wouldn't have been able to run I'm sure. There was water for miles and house after house flooded, some of them only had rooves visible and there were people on the sides of the train tracks, just sitting. I guess they just wait until the water receeded. What a crazy sight to see though. Really sad and heartbreaking for all the houses ruined and lost. Something I will never forget I'm sure. I can't imagine they had house insurance. It makes me understand what a privilaged life I lead. We should all thank the heavens for our wonderful lives.
I took a cooking course yesterday which was good fun. It's a very popular tourist activity and is advertised everywhere so it wasn't hard to book in. We started out at the market and were explained a few typical thai ingredients, and then just wandered around a bit, I saw a kg of dried grubs for sale! Yummy! Then we headed to a house to cook up a storm. We began with a soup, then a stirfry, salad, curry paste, curry with our paste, and a dessert. Got a handy dandy cook book at the end so I can make some stuff for my lucky friends when I see them again!
My new residence is 3500 baht per month, which is about $113 USD and I'm sure the cheapest I will ever pay in my life. The owner, Ayi (pronouced OYE), is a really lovely woman who is determined to make me feel at home, starting with introducing me around the neighborhood. I am currently the only occupant besides Ayi and her son, who's 19, but I'm hoping that will change and I'll get a companion of some kind at some point. My room is quite big, with a little balconette, but I have nothing to fill it with so it sits quite empty. There's cat images all over the walls and there are two pet ginger cats lurking around during the day. I'm on the 3rd floor and just below me is a little tea area with cushions, perfect for a tea and a chat with a friend when I make some.
So life is looking good. Just passing the time until my course starts. Learning a few key thai phrases, kaa poon kaa (or kap for man) means 'thank you' and saa waa di kaa (or kap) means 'good day, good morning, good night'. They really hold their vowel sounds. These are pretty useful and I use them about a hundred times a day. I'm slowly learning my way around and am looking forward to taking the bike for a nice long spin to get my bearings. There are times where I wish I could just run to the store and grab a chocolate bar or some similar familiar comfort food, but my figure is saved from the fact I wouldn't know where to get these things. I did have the most delicious chicken skewers and a small bag of sticky rice for breakfast though, so it's hard to complain.
I took the train here from Bangkok and I saw the strangest sight I'd ever seen. Apparently there had been quite a bit of flooding in some towns along the way and the train passed directly though them. The water was surrounding the tracks, if it had been much higher the train wouldn't have been able to run I'm sure. There was water for miles and house after house flooded, some of them only had rooves visible and there were people on the sides of the train tracks, just sitting. I guess they just wait until the water receeded. What a crazy sight to see though. Really sad and heartbreaking for all the houses ruined and lost. Something I will never forget I'm sure. I can't imagine they had house insurance. It makes me understand what a privilaged life I lead. We should all thank the heavens for our wonderful lives.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
I rant in your general direction and your grandmother smells of elderberries!
Feeling a bit lonely on the street of Phuket Town.
I tried to get a late lunch and was turned away from an adorable looking food place just near my hostel. I assumed it was because I was white, but know now that I've gotten over the hurt, I realize that I was in a negative mood which merits negative thinking.
After crying into the 4th book I've decided to conquer since I've gotten here, I went across the street to a 'safe' restaurant. Obviously catering to tourists, having english signs and advertising Phad Thai. I know now being here, that it is the most commonly ordered dish here in Thailand, as it is the only one that most Westerners recognize. I'm not even sure if it's a real Thai dish, or if we invented it ourselves. Needless to say that tourist restaurant across from backpackers= worst phad thai I've ever tasted. If I get food poisoning from it, that's just the icing on the cake. They probably poison it on purpose because they're tired of all the cliched tourists.
I'm a bit of a party pooper when it comes to tourism. I'm still trying to understand what it is for me. I'm never really interested in the real touristic tours offered everywhere, and would much prefer to stay in a place for a minimum of a week. I don't see the point in spending heaps of money on one day doing something really fun, when you could use that money and spend an entire week somewhere and really experience it. But on the same hand I'm here experiencing it and I wonder why. I don't doubt being here 90% of the time. I'm happy to be, but why come and spend it with other tourists doing things like tubing (a popular tourist activity in Laos), when you could tube anywhere? Maybe there's something I'm missing.
I want to be superior to all these other 'tourists' that don't make any effort to experience the place, they're just hungry for these 'sights'. I spoke to a girl that went to see the famous beach from the movie with Leonardo Dicaprio called "The Beach". She said there were hundreds of people there and tons of tourist boats and it didn't really look that beautiful considering. Sounds like a nightmare to me. I'm happy making jokes with the lovely lady at the front desk and listening to the monsoon rains going on outside while I peacefully read my book.
I'd love to hear someone's opinion on all my ranting if anyone cares to share.
I'm headed to Bangkok tomorrow. Not sure how long I'll stay, I feel anxious to get to Chang Mai and learn the city that I'll be spending 5 weeks in before my massage course starts. I want to find a guest house that I like, a favorite place to take my breakfast, settle in and mine my niche. I just want to fit in really. I hate standing out. I hate when people try to sell me things when I know that if a Thai person walked by they would be ignored. I don't like being paid attention to because of the colour of my skin or my race! How can I be upset though, when I'm new in another country and have that typical lost look on my face?
It's not all bad, and I don't mean to make it sound that way. I'm not a masochist if that's what it sounds like. I do truely want to be here, but it always takes awhile to settle in to somewhere new.
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This is an adventure I had yesterday which I very much enjoyed and wrote my boyfriend about:
I did venture out into town, but not far as I came across a market to explore. I scoured for good bananas and cheap purple garlic fruit, which I found and purchased. (purple garlic fruit are these delicious fruit that are round and purple and when you squeeze it open with both hands, the little fruit inside look like cloves of garlic, but are very delicious and sweet). The garlic fruit was 60 baht per kilo, around $2, while the other ones I saw were more like $10+ per kilo. I also found this other fruit that I used to eat when I was a kid, my dad's friend had a tree and gave them to us. We called them jabong and they look kind of like a citris fruit, but they're not sour. At the market they were already peeled and sectioned and put in plastic wrap with this spice made from chilli and sugar. Delicious!
I also tried to eat at the market, curry. When I approached the food stall another man was in the middle of his order, but he turned to me and pointed to the curry directly in front of us and said, 'spicy'. Without thinking, as soon as I was handed a bowl of rice, I took a giant scoop and smothered the rice with it. I sat down at the table, complete with the tolit paper rolls and random condiments, and battled through, trying to impress all the Thai people around me. They were all laughing at me and saying 'spicy, spicy'. God it was spicy. The spiciest thing I've ever eaten. I was practically crying against my will. I struggled for about 15 minutes or so and finally gave in with about 3 more spoonfuls of rice left in my bowl. You would think I could've of done it, but I was really suffering that much. I'm not really looking forward to my poo tomorrow.
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It was totally worth it by the way. I've been back to the market twice already today. Once in the morning and again after the awful phad thai, right away I passed a food stall that was selling freshly bbqed meats in all different delcious smelling sauces...lesson learned, no matter how homesick you are, do not trust tourist-trap food places! On both visits I got some more jabong. I ate one and the other is for my 13 hour bus trip to Bangkok tomorrow. Which reminds me, I need to go book my accomodation.
Thanks for listening my avid readers. I really means alot to me. Aloha.
I tried to get a late lunch and was turned away from an adorable looking food place just near my hostel. I assumed it was because I was white, but know now that I've gotten over the hurt, I realize that I was in a negative mood which merits negative thinking.
After crying into the 4th book I've decided to conquer since I've gotten here, I went across the street to a 'safe' restaurant. Obviously catering to tourists, having english signs and advertising Phad Thai. I know now being here, that it is the most commonly ordered dish here in Thailand, as it is the only one that most Westerners recognize. I'm not even sure if it's a real Thai dish, or if we invented it ourselves. Needless to say that tourist restaurant across from backpackers= worst phad thai I've ever tasted. If I get food poisoning from it, that's just the icing on the cake. They probably poison it on purpose because they're tired of all the cliched tourists.
I'm a bit of a party pooper when it comes to tourism. I'm still trying to understand what it is for me. I'm never really interested in the real touristic tours offered everywhere, and would much prefer to stay in a place for a minimum of a week. I don't see the point in spending heaps of money on one day doing something really fun, when you could use that money and spend an entire week somewhere and really experience it. But on the same hand I'm here experiencing it and I wonder why. I don't doubt being here 90% of the time. I'm happy to be, but why come and spend it with other tourists doing things like tubing (a popular tourist activity in Laos), when you could tube anywhere? Maybe there's something I'm missing.
I want to be superior to all these other 'tourists' that don't make any effort to experience the place, they're just hungry for these 'sights'. I spoke to a girl that went to see the famous beach from the movie with Leonardo Dicaprio called "The Beach". She said there were hundreds of people there and tons of tourist boats and it didn't really look that beautiful considering. Sounds like a nightmare to me. I'm happy making jokes with the lovely lady at the front desk and listening to the monsoon rains going on outside while I peacefully read my book.
I'd love to hear someone's opinion on all my ranting if anyone cares to share.
I'm headed to Bangkok tomorrow. Not sure how long I'll stay, I feel anxious to get to Chang Mai and learn the city that I'll be spending 5 weeks in before my massage course starts. I want to find a guest house that I like, a favorite place to take my breakfast, settle in and mine my niche. I just want to fit in really. I hate standing out. I hate when people try to sell me things when I know that if a Thai person walked by they would be ignored. I don't like being paid attention to because of the colour of my skin or my race! How can I be upset though, when I'm new in another country and have that typical lost look on my face?
It's not all bad, and I don't mean to make it sound that way. I'm not a masochist if that's what it sounds like. I do truely want to be here, but it always takes awhile to settle in to somewhere new.
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This is an adventure I had yesterday which I very much enjoyed and wrote my boyfriend about:
I did venture out into town, but not far as I came across a market to explore. I scoured for good bananas and cheap purple garlic fruit, which I found and purchased. (purple garlic fruit are these delicious fruit that are round and purple and when you squeeze it open with both hands, the little fruit inside look like cloves of garlic, but are very delicious and sweet). The garlic fruit was 60 baht per kilo, around $2, while the other ones I saw were more like $10+ per kilo. I also found this other fruit that I used to eat when I was a kid, my dad's friend had a tree and gave them to us. We called them jabong and they look kind of like a citris fruit, but they're not sour. At the market they were already peeled and sectioned and put in plastic wrap with this spice made from chilli and sugar. Delicious!
I also tried to eat at the market, curry. When I approached the food stall another man was in the middle of his order, but he turned to me and pointed to the curry directly in front of us and said, 'spicy'. Without thinking, as soon as I was handed a bowl of rice, I took a giant scoop and smothered the rice with it. I sat down at the table, complete with the tolit paper rolls and random condiments, and battled through, trying to impress all the Thai people around me. They were all laughing at me and saying 'spicy, spicy'. God it was spicy. The spiciest thing I've ever eaten. I was practically crying against my will. I struggled for about 15 minutes or so and finally gave in with about 3 more spoonfuls of rice left in my bowl. You would think I could've of done it, but I was really suffering that much. I'm not really looking forward to my poo tomorrow.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was totally worth it by the way. I've been back to the market twice already today. Once in the morning and again after the awful phad thai, right away I passed a food stall that was selling freshly bbqed meats in all different delcious smelling sauces...lesson learned, no matter how homesick you are, do not trust tourist-trap food places! On both visits I got some more jabong. I ate one and the other is for my 13 hour bus trip to Bangkok tomorrow. Which reminds me, I need to go book my accomodation.
Thanks for listening my avid readers. I really means alot to me. Aloha.
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