stefanie.
Friday, September 29, 2006
I had such a good time last weekend in Koh Chang, so much fun. Since about Sunday, though, I have not been that happy at all. FEeling just a little bit out of it, and today and yesterday I felt very very sad, though a really strange sort of sad. Kind of like I am waiting for something to happen that has not happened. Definitely more rootless and lost than I have ever felt before, which is bizzare considering I have lived in so many places. Something about Bangkok, being with all these other exchange students has left me feeling lost. No one, asides from Michelle, really knows me well, and I have to admit that I have not really made enough of an effort with that many people. I mena, sure, I will go out and party with them, but as for making an effort to hang out and go for dinner, I prefer to go by myself rather than have to make small talk. Small talk is okay, but I think it irritates me a bit, and I am often surprised by the things I decide to talk to Dutchman, and others about. I am glad I am taking Thai language classes, becuase I think it is helping, though I am not praciting that much. I went out last night and drank, which I think can cause someone to get depressed, because, after all, alcohol is a depressant. I feel a bit lost here, and think I am going to go to Pizza Hut. I figure if there is one thing that can make you feel comfortable, it is food from home. We will see how it tastes- McDonalds here is completly weird, and the meat tastes very strange. I am reading, "Forget You Have A Daughter," written by that British girl, Sandra, who was senteced to 25 years in Bangkok for trafficking drugs out of Thailand. The story, I am sure, is doing nothing to help me feel better about being here. I tis a good read though, I am almost done. Was thinking that there is no way I want to continue here for the next 7 or so months, especially since I am frusterated that I can not get a job here, that would help take away a lot of stress I am feeling. I mean, it is such a love/hate relationship, but I relaly feel as if I am not very happy these last few days. Midterms soon, but I am having a lot of trouble focusing, and have been crying (which is something I rarely do.) I really do love Bangkok, and I did go out today to a nice dinner with a nice person, and we walked in the market and such, after having breakfast with the Dutchman. I think, also, I am quite sick for a home that does not exisit (as I do not have any personal belongings at home, as I gave them all away) anymore. I had ginger ale this morning, because I have a bit of a head cold that I cannot seem to kick, and I was so homesick. So Canadian, drinking ginger ale when you get sick. It makes me miss my childhood, very very much. Especially Edmonton, I think of Edmonton a lot this week. I have been writing a lot, which is good for me. It is really hard sometimes because yoga is the one thing that keeps me sane, but I have not really found a place I feel comfortbale doing it here, though I am making an effort to work out often, though not near as much as last year. I am thinking that taking a break from alcohol could really help, but it is challenging given the fact that it seems to be the norm for a great deal of people, not that it has to be the norm for me. I am going to look into clubs on campus, I do feel very constrained here in a lot of ways. I think I might try to teach English here, thoguh I need to look into the rules if I choose to work here, because I do not want to accidently make a mistake and end up in the Bangkok Hilton or any such matter. Sigh, I am exhausted, I think. Just a little bit too much of everything this week. Strugglig with new relationship type thing, feel very far from home.
On a happy note, you can get green tea smooties with bubble tea for 10bht. Just down the street. I love bubble tea. I drink most of my calories here, I swear, because of the yummy ice coffee, and the bubble tea. Maybe I need to do a detox or something. Or go away to nice tropical island or something. Hah. Just definitely, definitely not happy Stef this week, which is hard, I think for spending time with Dutchman.
Maybe I will go to a movie tonight. Or watch one. Only 100bht/DVD. Like $3. Or study, I should study. I have no idea why I am procrastinating such.
It'll pass, all feelings do. ¶ 6:20 PM |
On a happy note, you can get green tea smooties with bubble tea for 10bht. Just down the street. I love bubble tea. I drink most of my calories here, I swear, because of the yummy ice coffee, and the bubble tea. Maybe I need to do a detox or something. Or go away to nice tropical island or something. Hah. Just definitely, definitely not happy Stef this week, which is hard, I think for spending time with Dutchman.
Maybe I will go to a movie tonight. Or watch one. Only 100bht/DVD. Like $3. Or study, I should study. I have no idea why I am procrastinating such.
It'll pass, all feelings do. ¶ 6:20 PM |
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Took my first motorcycle taxi yesterday. Grand fun. For 40bht, around $1.10 I went all the way to the university, about 1.5km, in and out of traffic. My school uniform is a skirt, so yo uhave to sit side-saddle, and put your bag on your lap and hang on around the driver's waist, or the back handle. I had to cross my ankles, and there was no helmet (do not read this parents) and we drove so fast, in and out of cars that were stopped. We got so close to the cars that if I moved my knees even a bit I would touch the car. Hha. So fun. Grand fun. Adrenaline junky? Yes? I will not do it often, just so cheap and so much fun. I will be very careful. Maybe I should erase this story. Stef+Bangkok+no helmet+ motorcycle taxi= Fun.
Thai class is going well, our teacher thinks we are hilarious, since we explained the whole Canadians are very sarcastic. Heh.
Have a head cold, I swear that I am getting sick every other week. Indeed.
Went to Thailand Open last night, so good to see it, though I remembered I hated sporting events, by and large. Nice people, very fun. We watched Paradon play Lopez (Spain). Paradon is a Thai, and he is realyl important here. He won, woohoo. Then we watched the fancy pants GQ model, James Blake play some kid from Crotia. Blake won, he is really good looking. Hehe. American. It was so neat to see how it is all filmed, and it is quite different to watch it in real life. Tickets were only $25, at a huge arena. Oooh, living the high life, watching tennis.
Time for me to go to lunhc. Then class. Blah. Midterms next week- already! ¶ 12:24 PM |
Thai class is going well, our teacher thinks we are hilarious, since we explained the whole Canadians are very sarcastic. Heh.
Have a head cold, I swear that I am getting sick every other week. Indeed.
Went to Thailand Open last night, so good to see it, though I remembered I hated sporting events, by and large. Nice people, very fun. We watched Paradon play Lopez (Spain). Paradon is a Thai, and he is realyl important here. He won, woohoo. Then we watched the fancy pants GQ model, James Blake play some kid from Crotia. Blake won, he is really good looking. Hehe. American. It was so neat to see how it is all filmed, and it is quite different to watch it in real life. Tickets were only $25, at a huge arena. Oooh, living the high life, watching tennis.
Time for me to go to lunhc. Then class. Blah. Midterms next week- already! ¶ 12:24 PM |
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Haha. I am back. Okay, I know wine and beer are officially very, very cheap here (well, wine is about $12 a bottle for some French wine) but I do not think I need to have some of the tastiness every night. Oh well, such is life. Had some yummy sushi last night with le Dutchman, and it was so good. Reminded me of Vancouver, not that I miss Vancouver tooooo much, indeed. We had a lot of fun, I snuck into the boys steam room. Hah, we walk up to the door and there is a few Thai's in there and Dutchman asked if it was okay if I came in and they all sort of smiled and nodded, so I went in. Thai's are notoriously relaxed. That said, when I get kicked out of my hotel for running around the boys steam room, we will all laugh as I believe the first time I got send to the Principal's office, way back in grade 1, was when I pulled some boy into the girls washroom. Hah. About that. Naughty moi. Drank some wine, drank a few beers (haha on a school night!!!) and then we just hung out.
Oh and school was fun yesterday too, though somewhat of a nusiance, as I wnat to go away this weekend, but there are midterms next week, so I really, really should not go away. Maybe just one night. Naughty me.
I am having to get my skirts hemmed, as they are getting longer, I swear. They are past my knees, and people insist I look like a freshman, a first year. Shock. We do not want this, so I am getting it hemmed. Heh.
It is nice ehre, though I got soaked yesterday, because we walked home in the rain. THe rain is insane here.
Actual conversation in my Finance class yesterday: (Finance teacher=funnest guy in the world.)
Michelle: (writing me a ntoe that made me laugh)
Stefanie: (explosion of laughter)
Teacher: "Stefanie, why are you laughing?"
Stefanie: "I just think Finance class is so much fun." (dead serious face.)
Teacher: "Are you high? ... FInance being fun... hahahaha"
Stefanie: "Hahah." (I was not high, just funny that my THai teacher asked me.)
I am listening to Aqua. Reviving it from abut 10 years ago.
I realized (through Brent's investigation) that you could access this blog if you typed Stefanie + Thailand on Google and got to my profile, which links through to my blog under contact info. I have changed this. Don't want any uninvited viewers. Very high security we have here, to access my thoughts.
I have a stack of presents that need to go to the post office, but I just can't seem to make it work.
I have big feet. I am still waiting for my growth spurt. Any day now... My 5'5 or 165cm will soon be 175cm. You just wait. No idea why Canadians use the American system in normal use, since we are suppose to use the metric system of cm and such. The Sweds and the Dutchman thought this was insane.
I talk quite fast, I am learning to talk slower.
I have decided I love to write, but not do POwerpoint preseentations. THis works out well, because my partner in class likes to do thsoe damn Powerpoint presentations.
Guess what I am doing tonight! Going to the THailand Open! Yes, worldclass tennis that we would pay hundreds to go to at home, and here I am going for 800bht, or about $30. Yes, that is right, sweet deal. It is going to be so exciting! I know. I am excited. I think I will offer to play against the pros, I am really good at tennis, especially since I play pretend tennis without tennis balls. I do the best impression of swining the raquet and making little noises that they would not even realize that I am not actually playing with a tennis ball. Fab.
"You can touch, you can play, if you say Im always yours... I'm a Barbie girl in the Barbie world. Life is plastic, it's fantastic..." These are great lyrics. Really inspiring. Changing my life.
Indeed.
Got published for my yoga article and next week ROb's photos and my article about Bangkok is going to be in the Peak. I am so excited, again, of course. It is great fun. I really love it. I havne't seen Rob's photos, but I think they are going to be amazing. He is really good photographer- yep he snuck out at 2am to take them the night of the coup. Good 'ol coup. You can read about the Bangkok crisis if you read my article. It was top level stuff, trying to fit a bunch in 1000 words.
Any new topics I can write about? My ultimate goal is to get on the last page of the Peak. It has to be a somehwat controversial, 1000 word rant or the like that they are really interested in. They have made my last two articles Features, which is really great, and probably looks better int eh long run, but I am trying to get on the last page. Any ideas? MIchelle laughs, because I am trying to underachieve, trying to get them to not make it a key Feature. Hehe. Yes, dream small. That was my goal when I frist started sending things into the Peak. I love my editor there. Maybe I need to stop writing that good. Like not proof-reading it, as I generally think that the last page is not written well. It is just the most read article, becasue it is on the back, and the lazy students do not need to open the newspaper. That is my theory. Maybe I will write about that. Hha. "Why students only read the back page."
I really, really should be studying right now! 3 midterms in under a week. Eik. Naughty Stef.
I loved my Thai class yesterday. We laughed and laughed. I am already picking up a lot of Thai, but it is funny because it is not really something I use. I think I am going to start going up to Thai students, pretending to have assignments to do. LIke they do for their English classes, interviewing us on the streets or on campus. "Do you like ice cream?" That sort of stuff. We get tapped and it is grand fun as I come up with random stuff that Canadians just LOVE to eat. Poutine anyone? Donuts? Hell yes. Hha. Maple syrup. Mmmm... Ketchup on everything. NExt time I will say "Ketchup. We would die without ketchup on our eggs, our sandwiches... our donuts..." Hhaha.
I laugh and laugh, always laughing.
Dutchman is talking about buying a motorcycle here, in Bangkok, meaning we could take off on weekend trips. I would love that. He is only staying until January, but if he gets an internship in Bangkok, he can stay as long as I do. Anyone have any random connections that they can use? Oh shit, I just thought of one! My teacher for International Business, this'll be perfect. Mmm. I would love to go driving around Thailand on motorcycle, but I think that I will take my life in my (his) hands if we drove around Bangkok, this place is insane, trafficwise. Oh well, life is always more exciting when you are living on the edge. Heh. (Grandparents, pretend you did not just read that. Ditto for you Dad.)
Okay, I lvoe you guys lots and lots. Hehe. I am really, really procrastinating. I really wish that I really loved studying, or I didn't have so much faith that I can just wing it and everything will be fine. (Okay, I have never really 'winged it' per se, but I definitely do live on the edge, with my studying... Heh.)
Go study, chop chop. ¶ 10:57 AM |
Oh and school was fun yesterday too, though somewhat of a nusiance, as I wnat to go away this weekend, but there are midterms next week, so I really, really should not go away. Maybe just one night. Naughty me.
I am having to get my skirts hemmed, as they are getting longer, I swear. They are past my knees, and people insist I look like a freshman, a first year. Shock. We do not want this, so I am getting it hemmed. Heh.
It is nice ehre, though I got soaked yesterday, because we walked home in the rain. THe rain is insane here.
Actual conversation in my Finance class yesterday: (Finance teacher=funnest guy in the world.)
Michelle: (writing me a ntoe that made me laugh)
Stefanie: (explosion of laughter)
Teacher: "Stefanie, why are you laughing?"
Stefanie: "I just think Finance class is so much fun." (dead serious face.)
Teacher: "Are you high? ... FInance being fun... hahahaha"
Stefanie: "Hahah." (I was not high, just funny that my THai teacher asked me.)
I am listening to Aqua. Reviving it from abut 10 years ago.
I realized (through Brent's investigation) that you could access this blog if you typed Stefanie + Thailand on Google and got to my profile, which links through to my blog under contact info. I have changed this. Don't want any uninvited viewers. Very high security we have here, to access my thoughts.
I have a stack of presents that need to go to the post office, but I just can't seem to make it work.
I have big feet. I am still waiting for my growth spurt. Any day now... My 5'5 or 165cm will soon be 175cm. You just wait. No idea why Canadians use the American system in normal use, since we are suppose to use the metric system of cm and such. The Sweds and the Dutchman thought this was insane.
I talk quite fast, I am learning to talk slower.
I have decided I love to write, but not do POwerpoint preseentations. THis works out well, because my partner in class likes to do thsoe damn Powerpoint presentations.
Guess what I am doing tonight! Going to the THailand Open! Yes, worldclass tennis that we would pay hundreds to go to at home, and here I am going for 800bht, or about $30. Yes, that is right, sweet deal. It is going to be so exciting! I know. I am excited. I think I will offer to play against the pros, I am really good at tennis, especially since I play pretend tennis without tennis balls. I do the best impression of swining the raquet and making little noises that they would not even realize that I am not actually playing with a tennis ball. Fab.
"You can touch, you can play, if you say Im always yours... I'm a Barbie girl in the Barbie world. Life is plastic, it's fantastic..." These are great lyrics. Really inspiring. Changing my life.
Indeed.
Got published for my yoga article and next week ROb's photos and my article about Bangkok is going to be in the Peak. I am so excited, again, of course. It is great fun. I really love it. I havne't seen Rob's photos, but I think they are going to be amazing. He is really good photographer- yep he snuck out at 2am to take them the night of the coup. Good 'ol coup. You can read about the Bangkok crisis if you read my article. It was top level stuff, trying to fit a bunch in 1000 words.
Any new topics I can write about? My ultimate goal is to get on the last page of the Peak. It has to be a somehwat controversial, 1000 word rant or the like that they are really interested in. They have made my last two articles Features, which is really great, and probably looks better int eh long run, but I am trying to get on the last page. Any ideas? MIchelle laughs, because I am trying to underachieve, trying to get them to not make it a key Feature. Hehe. Yes, dream small. That was my goal when I frist started sending things into the Peak. I love my editor there. Maybe I need to stop writing that good. Like not proof-reading it, as I generally think that the last page is not written well. It is just the most read article, becasue it is on the back, and the lazy students do not need to open the newspaper. That is my theory. Maybe I will write about that. Hha. "Why students only read the back page."
I really, really should be studying right now! 3 midterms in under a week. Eik. Naughty Stef.
I loved my Thai class yesterday. We laughed and laughed. I am already picking up a lot of Thai, but it is funny because it is not really something I use. I think I am going to start going up to Thai students, pretending to have assignments to do. LIke they do for their English classes, interviewing us on the streets or on campus. "Do you like ice cream?" That sort of stuff. We get tapped and it is grand fun as I come up with random stuff that Canadians just LOVE to eat. Poutine anyone? Donuts? Hell yes. Hha. Maple syrup. Mmmm... Ketchup on everything. NExt time I will say "Ketchup. We would die without ketchup on our eggs, our sandwiches... our donuts..." Hhaha.
I laugh and laugh, always laughing.
Dutchman is talking about buying a motorcycle here, in Bangkok, meaning we could take off on weekend trips. I would love that. He is only staying until January, but if he gets an internship in Bangkok, he can stay as long as I do. Anyone have any random connections that they can use? Oh shit, I just thought of one! My teacher for International Business, this'll be perfect. Mmm. I would love to go driving around Thailand on motorcycle, but I think that I will take my life in my (his) hands if we drove around Bangkok, this place is insane, trafficwise. Oh well, life is always more exciting when you are living on the edge. Heh. (Grandparents, pretend you did not just read that. Ditto for you Dad.)
Okay, I lvoe you guys lots and lots. Hehe. I am really, really procrastinating. I really wish that I really loved studying, or I didn't have so much faith that I can just wing it and everything will be fine. (Okay, I have never really 'winged it' per se, but I definitely do live on the edge, with my studying... Heh.)
Go study, chop chop. ¶ 10:57 AM |
Monday, September 25, 2006
I had an amazing weekend, so much fun. After coup excitment, which was very intriging, went down to see the army area, and saw a tank and lots of army men. Then next day we went to Koh Chang, the island I went to a few weeks ago. Dutchman and I went with his brother, and then this couple who are on exchange from Sweden met us after the first night. Dutchman and I rented a motorcycle and he drove all around. We went to this river/creek this where there is a rope swing, allowing me to swing into the nice beautiful fresh water. We then drove to this park, where we somehow got away with only paying 20bht, though it should have been 200bht and we went and saw the most amazing waterfall, and had a beer on the rocks facing the waterfall. Went to same bar a few nights in a row, always ending in misc swimming adventures in the ocean. Wonderful weather to sit on t he beach, and I did drive around by myself again on the motorcycle, though I must admit that I like it when I am on the back and the Dutchman drives because he goes a bit faster than I do (he had a bike back home) and then I can look at all the things, like the elephants. We adopted a dog named McGuiver and I fed him tonnes of hot dogs from 7-Eleven (they have thousands of 7-Elevens.) He waited for us after the bar both nights, lay with us on the beach, slept on our porch, and protected me after a few too many drinks were in my system and I decided a trek to 7-Eleven would be in order when Dutchman was in the shower at 4am. McGuiver is the best dog ever, a real soi dog with no home, but oh so tough with very good manners. Very polite, letting me give him 1/2 a mini hotdog and then waiting patiently for the rest. He would do tricks and would play tag with me on the beach. On the way to Koh Chang, after getting on the 1 hour ferry, we hit some random monsoon, leaving me terrified. I thought we were going to capsize, the wind was so strong that I fell over and the rain was so thick that it hurt. We huddled in the food part, with the rest of the people on the ferry. I have never been so wet in my entire life, and the boat was twisting and turning all over the place. It was insane. We arrived though, surving the Koh Chang mafia that will do anything to get you to pay an extra 50bht. We came back today, exhausted, sunburned, dehydrated and malnourished. Best weekend ever, so much fun. Laugh, laugh, laugh. I even got to sit on a rope swing and get pushed, before chasing McGuiver some more. Last night Dutchman and I lost our flipflops, I bougth some new ones (along with clothes as everything I own is sandy and soaked.) Dutchman decided not to, and ended up coming home in barefeet. Yes, wandering the streets of Bangkok shoeless. I have little $3 flipflop, so it is grand fun. THey are a color that will clash with everything I own- cool. Yes, lots of fun were had by all. Escpaed teh Bangkok madness. NOt much going on, just having lots of tanks out and army dudes wtih big guns. Little unnerving, but just life, I think. SOrry so long since I posted, BLogger does not like to work here. Alas, it is after midnight, I have just traveled for 7 hours and am exhausted. Tlak to you later!
¶ 12:25 AM
|
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Dictaphone. This is Michelle. My favorite game. She talks, I write.
"Okay. Um, I have been chewing my calcium gum everyday, my bones have never been stronger. Shoot me. Just try it, shoot me in the arm, my arm will not break. (throwing hands in the air) Oh, from back home. Haha. Thanks. ... Should be having my babies. This is the weirdest song. Dont write that down. Ten minutes. Would you like some more? WIne, por vou. WIne for you. Or for two. Chug. Chug chug chug!!! (clapping hands) Julia is chgging red wine, she sis the innncoent one. I just have one request, please do not bring boys home. What what. Tonight, for once, please do not bring boys home and lay on the couch. That is uncomfortable, Julia. Ooooooh. Hahaha. The tall Thai German. Haha. Stefanie is waiting for more material. She is SICK. She has gone downhill since she has got here, that is for sure. Drinking everynight. Getting burnt everyday. (trhowing hans in the air) She has aged 10 years in teh last week, at least. I see some ladies tonight that should be having my baby (singing.) Aww, remember your babies dadddy, what was his name, Gerry, gerry, gerry. I remember that, Gerry, gerry. Hah (listening to Julia) (good song coming on) what is this song. More black eyes peas (whining) ... ugh, oh... I didnt notice. Oh Pink. "This is my shelter.... (singing.) Stefanie is beautiful. (making Petry hump)"
Dictaphone signing off. That is Michelle, one night with Michlle. It only cost me 100bht. (like $3.) Wicked. I love this song. I hope everyone is having fun, you will not beleive this rain. It is like rain of the rain of our lives. We got SOAKED. SOAKED. Running to 7-11. They look at us like we are crazy tourists. Which we may or may not be. We rung out our skirts, got changed, and got back in the game. WIth our beer, which we had run to 7-11 for. As for the chocolate we bought, that was eaten before we changed out clothes. All about prorities. Aqua, the band, is coming back into styles.
THis is degrading. This is no longer a travel blog. Just kidding, tis is, just on hiatus. Embrace the hiatus. We all need them, very important.
Guess who got a FEATURE in the Peak! On yoga, with pictures of me! From yoga! PIctures taken by... MICHELLE. Yes! Published girls we are! NExt week. I pray that Mike, Tim or Brent will collect great quantities of them, and save them for me (or mail them to me!) Becuase I am so exicted. Especially mail them to my grandparents. Heh. Okay, miss you guys. Talk to you lattttter Time to go to 420, the bar. My beer is calling.
Wait until I tell youa bout this crazy market I went to today- over 8000 stalls. They sold squirrels! And puppies galore. Miranda would be in heaven. I will tell you in great detail tomorrow, and list my purchases....
Yes.... same Stefanie time, same Stefanie channel... (tomorrow in teh future, here...) I will tell you all about it. ¶ 9:57 PM |
"Okay. Um, I have been chewing my calcium gum everyday, my bones have never been stronger. Shoot me. Just try it, shoot me in the arm, my arm will not break. (throwing hands in the air) Oh, from back home. Haha. Thanks. ... Should be having my babies. This is the weirdest song. Dont write that down. Ten minutes. Would you like some more? WIne, por vou. WIne for you. Or for two. Chug. Chug chug chug!!! (clapping hands) Julia is chgging red wine, she sis the innncoent one. I just have one request, please do not bring boys home. What what. Tonight, for once, please do not bring boys home and lay on the couch. That is uncomfortable, Julia. Ooooooh. Hahaha. The tall Thai German. Haha. Stefanie is waiting for more material. She is SICK. She has gone downhill since she has got here, that is for sure. Drinking everynight. Getting burnt everyday. (trhowing hans in the air) She has aged 10 years in teh last week, at least. I see some ladies tonight that should be having my baby (singing.) Aww, remember your babies dadddy, what was his name, Gerry, gerry, gerry. I remember that, Gerry, gerry. Hah (listening to Julia) (good song coming on) what is this song. More black eyes peas (whining) ... ugh, oh... I didnt notice. Oh Pink. "This is my shelter.... (singing.) Stefanie is beautiful. (making Petry hump)"
Dictaphone signing off. That is Michelle, one night with Michlle. It only cost me 100bht. (like $3.) Wicked. I love this song. I hope everyone is having fun, you will not beleive this rain. It is like rain of the rain of our lives. We got SOAKED. SOAKED. Running to 7-11. They look at us like we are crazy tourists. Which we may or may not be. We rung out our skirts, got changed, and got back in the game. WIth our beer, which we had run to 7-11 for. As for the chocolate we bought, that was eaten before we changed out clothes. All about prorities. Aqua, the band, is coming back into styles.
THis is degrading. This is no longer a travel blog. Just kidding, tis is, just on hiatus. Embrace the hiatus. We all need them, very important.
Guess who got a FEATURE in the Peak! On yoga, with pictures of me! From yoga! PIctures taken by... MICHELLE. Yes! Published girls we are! NExt week. I pray that Mike, Tim or Brent will collect great quantities of them, and save them for me (or mail them to me!) Becuase I am so exicted. Especially mail them to my grandparents. Heh. Okay, miss you guys. Talk to you lattttter Time to go to 420, the bar. My beer is calling.
Wait until I tell youa bout this crazy market I went to today- over 8000 stalls. They sold squirrels! And puppies galore. Miranda would be in heaven. I will tell you in great detail tomorrow, and list my purchases....
Yes.... same Stefanie time, same Stefanie channel... (tomorrow in teh future, here...) I will tell you all about it. ¶ 9:57 PM |
Dictaphone. This is Michelle. My favorite game. She talks, I write.
"Okay. Um, I have been chewing my calcium gum everyday, my bones have never been stronger. Shoot me. Just try it, shoot me in the arm, my arm will not break. (throwing hands in the air) Oh, from back home. Haha. Thanks. ... Should be having my babies. This is the weirdest song. Dont write that down. Ten minutes. Would you like some more? WIne, por vou. WIne for you. Or for two. Chug. Chug chug chug!!! (clapping hands) Julia is chgging red wine, she sis the innncoent one. I just have one request, please do not bring boys home. What what. Tonight, for once, please do not bring boys home and lay on the couch. That is uncomfortable, Julia. Ooooooh. Hahaha. The tall Thai German. Haha. Stefanie is waiting for more material. She is SICK. She has gone downhill since she has got here, that is for sure. Drinking everynight. Getting burnt everyday. (trhowing hans in the air) She has aged 10 years in teh last week, at least. I see some ladies tonight that should be having my baby (singing.) Aww, remember your babies dadddy, what was his name, Gerry, gerry, gerry. I remember that, Gerry, gerry. Hah (listening to Julia) (good song coming on) what is this song. More black eyes peas (whining) ... ugh, oh... I didnt notice. Oh Pink. "This is my shelter.... (singing.) Stefanie is beautiful. (making Petry hump)"
Dictaphone signing off. That is Michelle, one night with Michlle. It only cost me 100bht. (like $3.) Wicked. I love this song. I hope everyone is having fun, you will not beleive this rain. It is like rain of the rain of our lives. We got SOAKED. SOAKED. Running to 7-11. They look at us like we are crazy tourists. Which we may or may not be. We rung out our skirts, got changed, and got back in the game. WIth our beer, which we had run to 7-11 for. As for the chocolate we bought, that was eaten before we changed out clothes. All about prorities. Aqua, the band, is coming back into styles.
THis is degrading. This is no longer a travel blog. Just kidding, tis is, just on hiatus. Embrace the hiatus. We all need them, very important.
Guess who got a FEATURE in the Peak! On yoga, with pictures of me! From yoga! PIctures taken by... MICHELLE. Yes! Published girls we are! NExt week. I pray that Mike, Tim or Brent will collect great quantities of them, and save them for me (or mail them to me!) Becuase I am so exicted. Especially mail them to my grandparents. Heh. Okay, miss you guys. Talk to you lattttter Time to go to 420, the bar. My beer is calling.
Wait until I tell youa bout this crazy market I went to today- over 8000 stalls. They sold squirrels! And puppies galore. Miranda would be in heaven. I will tell you in great detail tomorrow, and list my purchases....
Yes.... same Stefanie time, same Stefanie channel... (tomorrow in teh future, here...) I will tell you all about it. ¶ 9:57 PM |
"Okay. Um, I have been chewing my calcium gum everyday, my bones have never been stronger. Shoot me. Just try it, shoot me in the arm, my arm will not break. (throwing hands in the air) Oh, from back home. Haha. Thanks. ... Should be having my babies. This is the weirdest song. Dont write that down. Ten minutes. Would you like some more? WIne, por vou. WIne for you. Or for two. Chug. Chug chug chug!!! (clapping hands) Julia is chgging red wine, she sis the innncoent one. I just have one request, please do not bring boys home. What what. Tonight, for once, please do not bring boys home and lay on the couch. That is uncomfortable, Julia. Ooooooh. Hahaha. The tall Thai German. Haha. Stefanie is waiting for more material. She is SICK. She has gone downhill since she has got here, that is for sure. Drinking everynight. Getting burnt everyday. (trhowing hans in the air) She has aged 10 years in teh last week, at least. I see some ladies tonight that should be having my baby (singing.) Aww, remember your babies dadddy, what was his name, Gerry, gerry, gerry. I remember that, Gerry, gerry. Hah (listening to Julia) (good song coming on) what is this song. More black eyes peas (whining) ... ugh, oh... I didnt notice. Oh Pink. "This is my shelter.... (singing.) Stefanie is beautiful. (making Petry hump)"
Dictaphone signing off. That is Michelle, one night with Michlle. It only cost me 100bht. (like $3.) Wicked. I love this song. I hope everyone is having fun, you will not beleive this rain. It is like rain of the rain of our lives. We got SOAKED. SOAKED. Running to 7-11. They look at us like we are crazy tourists. Which we may or may not be. We rung out our skirts, got changed, and got back in the game. WIth our beer, which we had run to 7-11 for. As for the chocolate we bought, that was eaten before we changed out clothes. All about prorities. Aqua, the band, is coming back into styles.
THis is degrading. This is no longer a travel blog. Just kidding, tis is, just on hiatus. Embrace the hiatus. We all need them, very important.
Guess who got a FEATURE in the Peak! On yoga, with pictures of me! From yoga! PIctures taken by... MICHELLE. Yes! Published girls we are! NExt week. I pray that Mike, Tim or Brent will collect great quantities of them, and save them for me (or mail them to me!) Becuase I am so exicted. Especially mail them to my grandparents. Heh. Okay, miss you guys. Talk to you lattttter Time to go to 420, the bar. My beer is calling.
Wait until I tell youa bout this crazy market I went to today- over 8000 stalls. They sold squirrels! And puppies galore. Miranda would be in heaven. I will tell you in great detail tomorrow, and list my purchases....
Yes.... same Stefanie time, same Stefanie channel... (tomorrow in teh future, here...) I will tell you all about it. ¶ 9:57 PM |
Friday, September 15, 2006
He's incredibly funny, he wants to have children, he adores me, he is attractive, he respects my decisions while still expressing his desires, he buys me flowers, he thinks family is the most important, he lovs to read, he wants to read my writing, he loves History and words, he likes to socialize, he gets punched by me and laughs, he walks me to my room, he does not ask questions when I have leaves and my hair and do my laugh where I sound like a pig meets a small dying dog, he tries to teach me his language and does not seem too worried when I manage to cause an international incident because Dutch escapes me and I make it sound like I am sneezing.
Righto. Good times are being had by all. AmsterDUM, not AmsterDAM. Life is about experiences, at the end of the day. Just make sure that you are able to keep having those experiences, but making choice that allow you to grow, but ensure that they do not cripple your ability to do so in the future.
Just keep listening to that James Blunt and life will be okay. I think I will lay calmly on the ground and listen to this music, thank god that we are all going to Cambodia tomorrow (sans me) and that I can quietly reflect on life, and do what I like doing best; writing. The mysterious writing that no one has seen, and maybe never will. It is writing that is not influenced by who is reading. I write as though NO one will ever read, and it takes the insecurity and the censoring out of it. It's beautiful.
There must be an angel, with a smile on her face, when she thought up I should be with you...
James Blunt has the good stuff.
I think that life is a beautiful, beaufitul thing, and life will be okay.
I went into the sauna today, and I think I lose a lot there, which means I gain a lot there, as well.
My new bikini is amazing. It is comfortble and looks wicked, all for $17. It blows my mind. It would have been over 90$ at home. It is pretty darn cool.
My international business prof kind of weirds me out. Might be because he tells me "looking good." And they wonder why I am wary of authority.
The people here are very trusting, they leave bags, shoes, children all over the place. Well, not all over the place. Enough all over the place to give this North American pause about what the heck is going on. I love it.
We were eating dinner, and an elephant wanders by. He is sad. He looks sad. The little elephant later (we call them mini-phants, because they are babies) was not sad. He gave me kisses, and I pet him. And then he put his truck down the front of my shirt. Naughty mini-phant. It was quite hilarious. All is fun and games until you have an mini-phant down the front of your shirt. I anti-bacterial lotioned the area.
I pet my first non-Cracker Banana Pants soi dog tonight. He was cute. Wearing a collar, so he had a home. I have him pets. He was loving the Dutchman, giving him kisses. Yes, the Dutchmen loves the dogs... and the cats. I am always wary of the cat lovers, because cats are not my thing, really. But, I understand cats, and I do not mind them. The barn cats were always strange little creatures who I loved.
I miss my grandparents like mad. They are such amazingly good people.
Rob (not Dutchman) and I are running marathon in December. Half-martahon. Pray for my knee, I think I need to run then. 3 days after my 24 birthday, it is.
Funny, when you are faced with the option of what you wanted, how the feet get cold and you stare around, wondering if this is the decison you should make. It was what you wanted, and when faced with the choice, why do we run away? We know what would make us "happy," yet we turn away. Perhaps this is because we do not truly want what we think we do. Terrifying, yet the crux of life, I dare say.
And, at the end of the day, all we can do is just be ourselves, take each moment for itself, recognize that we are doing the best we possible can at any given moment (I mean, who wakes up in the morning and says, "gosh, I hope I make the worst decisions possible today."?)
My life is brilliant. The thing about traveling is that it brings out the best, the wrost, the everything. Moving to a different country, a different place shakes your heart, your mind, both and you just are left with you, without links, without grounding, and you have to make a decison: what do I want, and who do I want to become? These moments can happen wherever and whenever they happen, but I think sometimes they are forced to happen when you are knee-deep in some other land, surrounded by other people, in a skewed verison of Your Life.
I am sick of apologizing for my body, to myself.
We ate food that we got at a buffet, and then cooked ourself on this random grill. Before the elephants, but after the small children came to sell us roses. Dutchman got me a rose, and also got roses for all the girls at the table. Michelle: "We were laughing, becuase I think he was just trying to get one for you."
He even walked me to the girls (everyones?) washroom and waited patiently, surrounded by young Thai women in school uniforms.
And, this is a shoutout to all you guys, because, seriously, as my little sister found out yesterday, life can be way to complicated, and we are all very lucky that we are all still here and life is this.
Heh. Loves you, time for bed.
-Stefanie's Stream of Consciousness signing off.
PS favorite song of my life: Gone Going, Blacked Eyed Peas. ¶ 3:08 AM |
Righto. Good times are being had by all. AmsterDUM, not AmsterDAM. Life is about experiences, at the end of the day. Just make sure that you are able to keep having those experiences, but making choice that allow you to grow, but ensure that they do not cripple your ability to do so in the future.
Just keep listening to that James Blunt and life will be okay. I think I will lay calmly on the ground and listen to this music, thank god that we are all going to Cambodia tomorrow (sans me) and that I can quietly reflect on life, and do what I like doing best; writing. The mysterious writing that no one has seen, and maybe never will. It is writing that is not influenced by who is reading. I write as though NO one will ever read, and it takes the insecurity and the censoring out of it. It's beautiful.
There must be an angel, with a smile on her face, when she thought up I should be with you...
James Blunt has the good stuff.
I think that life is a beautiful, beaufitul thing, and life will be okay.
I went into the sauna today, and I think I lose a lot there, which means I gain a lot there, as well.
My new bikini is amazing. It is comfortble and looks wicked, all for $17. It blows my mind. It would have been over 90$ at home. It is pretty darn cool.
My international business prof kind of weirds me out. Might be because he tells me "looking good." And they wonder why I am wary of authority.
The people here are very trusting, they leave bags, shoes, children all over the place. Well, not all over the place. Enough all over the place to give this North American pause about what the heck is going on. I love it.
We were eating dinner, and an elephant wanders by. He is sad. He looks sad. The little elephant later (we call them mini-phants, because they are babies) was not sad. He gave me kisses, and I pet him. And then he put his truck down the front of my shirt. Naughty mini-phant. It was quite hilarious. All is fun and games until you have an mini-phant down the front of your shirt. I anti-bacterial lotioned the area.
I pet my first non-Cracker Banana Pants soi dog tonight. He was cute. Wearing a collar, so he had a home. I have him pets. He was loving the Dutchman, giving him kisses. Yes, the Dutchmen loves the dogs... and the cats. I am always wary of the cat lovers, because cats are not my thing, really. But, I understand cats, and I do not mind them. The barn cats were always strange little creatures who I loved.
I miss my grandparents like mad. They are such amazingly good people.
Rob (not Dutchman) and I are running marathon in December. Half-martahon. Pray for my knee, I think I need to run then. 3 days after my 24 birthday, it is.
Funny, when you are faced with the option of what you wanted, how the feet get cold and you stare around, wondering if this is the decison you should make. It was what you wanted, and when faced with the choice, why do we run away? We know what would make us "happy," yet we turn away. Perhaps this is because we do not truly want what we think we do. Terrifying, yet the crux of life, I dare say.
And, at the end of the day, all we can do is just be ourselves, take each moment for itself, recognize that we are doing the best we possible can at any given moment (I mean, who wakes up in the morning and says, "gosh, I hope I make the worst decisions possible today."?)
My life is brilliant. The thing about traveling is that it brings out the best, the wrost, the everything. Moving to a different country, a different place shakes your heart, your mind, both and you just are left with you, without links, without grounding, and you have to make a decison: what do I want, and who do I want to become? These moments can happen wherever and whenever they happen, but I think sometimes they are forced to happen when you are knee-deep in some other land, surrounded by other people, in a skewed verison of Your Life.
I am sick of apologizing for my body, to myself.
We ate food that we got at a buffet, and then cooked ourself on this random grill. Before the elephants, but after the small children came to sell us roses. Dutchman got me a rose, and also got roses for all the girls at the table. Michelle: "We were laughing, becuase I think he was just trying to get one for you."
He even walked me to the girls (everyones?) washroom and waited patiently, surrounded by young Thai women in school uniforms.
And, this is a shoutout to all you guys, because, seriously, as my little sister found out yesterday, life can be way to complicated, and we are all very lucky that we are all still here and life is this.
Heh. Loves you, time for bed.
-Stefanie's Stream of Consciousness signing off.
PS favorite song of my life: Gone Going, Blacked Eyed Peas. ¶ 3:08 AM |
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Some phrases uttered yesterday in our hotel/apartment:
"Oh my god, they are not letting us take our pool towels up to our rooms. Sigh. Seriously."
"Why does this sauna not heat up faster?"
"I would go for a massage, but it is so far..." (downstairs. about 50m)
"Why don't they deliver our laundry to our room, I mean, why just to the front desk?"
"Omigod, the service people are not tucking in our bedsheets anymore. Do they hate us?"
"Can we turn the A/C up, I think it is a tad bit warm here."
I think we are adjusting just find to our new hotel/serviced apartment lifestyle. ¶ 10:22 AM |
"Oh my god, they are not letting us take our pool towels up to our rooms. Sigh. Seriously."
"Why does this sauna not heat up faster?"
"I would go for a massage, but it is so far..." (downstairs. about 50m)
"Why don't they deliver our laundry to our room, I mean, why just to the front desk?"
"Omigod, the service people are not tucking in our bedsheets anymore. Do they hate us?"
"Can we turn the A/C up, I think it is a tad bit warm here."
I think we are adjusting just find to our new hotel/serviced apartment lifestyle. ¶ 10:22 AM |
Monday, September 11, 2006
Dearest Blog Readers,
I was alway at the island for a few days, and then the Blogger login did not work until just now. I think the reason it did not work until right now is because I would have been very negative about Bangkok. Haha. Anyways, I am eating food again, and am not sick anymore, so I am very positive again. Sort of. Okay, story time. This is crazy long, so if you only read one part, read the Renting MOTORCYCLES! So fun! Yes, drove my first motorcycle!
Topic 1) Getting to far away island... Ko Chang:
Skytrain
We left at 11pm to go to island, and it was pouring rain in Bangkok. We were leaving to go, and it was rain, rain, rain. So, we go to skytrain, me and 5 other people, and then get to the far away skytrain, which is suppose to be one block from bus station.
Getting to Bus Station
The girls (Michelle, Julia, and I) start running/walking to bus station and the boys hide out at skytrain station. We run and run and realize we are gonig the wrong way. We are, literally, up to our shins in putrid Bangkok water, with the Thai's watching us from their hide out spots under the store awnings. We try to flag a cab, slipping and sliding all over the road, but, of course, no Thai's want any soaking wet girls (and I am talking about soaking wet) in their cabs.
Bus
We finally get one, and realize we are dripping wet. Our clothes are dripping wet. Boys are no where to be found. Cab turns around, brings us to the bus station. We get tickets, thinking we have until midnight to get our bus, and wait for the boys. The ticket lady starts raising her voice, and pointing to bus terminal, we realize that bus goes now, at 11:30pm. We run to bus terminal, calling the byos on the cellphone, to tell them to hurry up, and our backpacks get thrown into bus compartments, and we keep telling them that more people are coming. THe bus waits 2 minutes, and then pulls out of the station, with our bags on it. I begin yelling, jump on the moving bus, with Michelle and Julia close behind. We get in the seats, realize that we went to the frist bus that was loading and we did not even know it was going to Trat or not. We ask the guy next to us, in our dripping wet sweaters, he mumbles something that sort of sounded like Trat. We realize there is not much to do but go to sleep, and, apparently, there is another bus that goes at midnight, which the boys are going to catch. We ride the 5 hours, soaking wet, hungry, without the boys and get to Trat, at 5am or so. We get off, in the middle of a road, next to a sign saying 'bus,' with a market next to it, where you can pee for 1bht in the most god awful washrooms, the boys call minutes later to tell us they are at the bus station. We finally figure out, after wandering the streets of Trat that the bus station is about 2km away, and it will cost us 15bht each to get there. Anyways, we go bus station, the boys are there, all buddy buddy with the Thai drivers, and have managed to get food from teh Thai drivers.
Getting to the ferry
We need, now, to go to the ferries. Okay, so this should be easy, you just arrive at a price and go there. They said it would be 50bht to go about 15km to the ferry terminal. This sounded reasonable, and Michelle and I clammer in the back of sketchy truck with seats built into the side. We wait. APparently, the Europeans we are with have decided that 50bht is not appropriate, and are demanding the 25bht that the travel guide says it should be. Well, realizing that we are in the middle of nowhere, literally, with only 5 trucks to take us where we need to go (other than take a 15km hike) and those drivers are all sitting together, we do not have a good chance of negoiating a different price. Some people start yelling at the Thai's, and then the Thai's start yelling back (seriously, I have never even heard of a Thai yelling, ever.) Finally I almost lose it and get out of truck to explain the situation to the Europeans very calmly, telling them to get in the truck (you can't negoiate (through yelling) with a monopoly, using a German guidebook about Thailand, at 6am) and we all get in the truck, paid the 50bht (UPFRONT! because the Thai's were so pissed off.) Anyways, we are now in the back of a truck of a very (understandbly) pissed off Thai, who then drives us down the road, pulls over, tells us to get in another truck, and then we finally arrive at some random pier. The people I am with are still SO pissed off, and I do not even try to explain how rude and awful it is to ever raise your voice in Thailand, and how future tourists might be given shit now because we (I include myself, even though I did not raise my voice or anything) have been yelling at people.
Finding the right ferry
Anyways, random pier. Yes, random pier. We can see two other piers off in the distance. Just which one is the right pier with cheap ride? First place offers us 2 ways for 140bht, if we go at 9am. They are still so upset about being 'ripped off' that we say no to this, walking down another pier (because the guide book says it should only be 60bht.) We walk down whole pier with our bags, get to the end to be told 160bht one way. Of course, this is like triple what we were offered before, so we walk back down pier to other place. New place now tells us 140bht and we could go right away. We are still soaking wet, starving, exhausted, etc, etc. SHe says 140bht for one way, and we go right away. 60bht to wait until 9am. So, whatever, everyone is so cranky, we have to talk about this for like 10minutes, until we finally agree. We get put in the back of a pick-up truck (this time with no benches, we are sitting on the ground) and go like 110km/hour down this back road, get to ferry pier that was the 3rd one that we had originally seen. We miss the ferry for 7am, and are told "sorry, have to wait until 8am." Riiight, so we wait, there is problems with the tickets, but they sort it out. We get a call from our friends bcak in Bangkok who say we will get rain for the next three days in Ko Chang. I am trying to be so postive, and happy, and play (my favortie) the compliment game (Europeans do not compliment eachother, I have learned since) and Michelle and I sang songs. No one else was positive, in fact, everyone is positively furious.
Ferry
Anywasy, we go on ferry for an hour, we get to Ko CHang, on the weirdest ferry ever. Stray dogs get on and just ride it. And it is all open, (with railings, thankfully) and has a food stall you have to barter at.
Arriving at Koh Chang
It is now 9:00am. At this point everyone just agreed to pay the truck how much it cost to go to White Sands Beach, on Koh Chang. We ride with 2 Thais (one of which lives in America now) and they explain the "Thai price" and the "Farang price." (Farang=me.) And, as we all know, prices have gone up in Thailand due to excessive toursim. So, anyways, we get some helpful hints of them, and then we get to White Sands Beach, which is beautiful! SO beautiful! On this amazing island, that you have to drive up and down this twisty-turny roads to get to the tourist part. It is so amazingly beautiful, and we find a semi-decent place to stay, with a flushing toliet (whooo hoo!)
White Sands Beach
We play in the sand all morning, making the best sandcastles you ever did see, playing volleyball in the ocean, and hanging around. Leaving all 6 of us with the worst sunburns you have ever seen. Oh yes. Thankful I was wearing a one piece suit, otherwise I would have been burnt all the way through.
Renting MOTORCYCLES
Yes!!! I know! I drove my very own motorcycles. I did think, a couple times, what would my father and my grandparents think about this choice? Um, well, considering we were on mountain roads, in the middle of a foreign coutnry, with shoody brakes, illfitting helmets, with no prior experience... Uh yah. Hah. So I got on my first motorbike ever, and was practically crying the first 2km, because I felt so scared, and I was all by myself. Once we stopped for the first time for gas, I insisted that I not be last in the group, as I was terrified I would bail, and be left to die on the side of the raod all by myself. As we contineud on, and got into the mountain parts, I, again, was almost crying, because my brakes, truly, did not work properly. You had to put your legs out to stop. Everyone was having the same experince. I was kind of wishing that I did what Julia did, which was to go on the back of one of the boy's bikes. HOwever, that said, I was so happy that I could control it myself. I would rather have my inexperience than someone elses. Anyways, off we went, we were out for hours, with no crazy mishaps. I will not tell you that we were driving, at some points, over 110km/h. Anyways, once I pretend to ignore all the consequnces that could happen as a result of this decisions, I really enjoyed myself. We stayed out so long that it started to get dark, and rainy, and we were on the other part of the island. Hhaa, so, racing for the hotel, we managed to go through a checkstop with police with guns, and I was more than a little scared. HOwever, we were just waved through, after having to stop for the line up. Yes, at this point, I did think, what would the grandparents think? We made it home alive, had a nice dinner on the oceanside, with a nice full moon, and tehn went to the bar next door for some sit down drinks on teh beach, and since that night I have decided I will not drink until I get back to Canada. Anyawys, yes, it was grand fun, that day.
The rest of the trip
Michelle, Julia and I left the group the next morning, and went to a different village, with this market nad hotel that are raised above the ocean. You sleep over the ocean! We had the most beautiful hotel, which was build as a pier, with rooms above the water. We ate and it was great, until we all got sick with teh worst flu of the entire world.
Going Back Home
We went back to Bangkok on Saturday, all ill and all sick. We got back for 100 bht to ferry, 60bht on ferry (hahah), and then bus ride. So like a fraction of the price. Anyways, we were all sick! Some worse then others, but all sick nonetheless. THe worst didn't hit me until Saturday night, when I spend the whole night on the couch/bathroom moaning about hating life, and swearing to leave this god awful country as soon as possible. Haha. I just ate solid food for the first time this morning (Monday), after sleeping all of Sunday (until 6pm!) I made it class this morning, and had some bread at our break (otherwise, after not having food for really 2 days, I was a basketcase of exhaustion, and wanted to kill my prof who was like "Stefanie, I am not sure, but have you lost weight?!" "Um, yes, not eating all weekend will do that do you, jackass." Anyways, I just ate some pancakes (the most un-Thai food I could find, and it seems to be okay. So far. Everything hurts, especially my neck and head. BUt that will go away after a nice Thai massage and whatnot. Heheheheh. And I found some whole wheat bread in the 7-Eleven today (phew! They love their 7-Eleven's, thankful for that!) and I will eat toast and PB for the rest of my life here, as the food makes me sick and makes me want to die. Hehe. I realized this is first tiem I have thrown up from being sick since I was probably 12 or something. Seriously. Insane. Anyawys, yes, life will get back to normal. I have my uniform on, and I look so pretty. Haha. Right.
Anyways, Michelle is driving me nuts, with her immense health knowledge at this point. Hhaha. Michelle is feeling really strong because she bought gum that says to have 31% of your daily intake of calcium. It tells us this in broken English, so obviously this is correct. It also says "milk dervied." As far as I know, calcium can only be absorbed after the stomach, so this is a mystery to me. Perhaps we need to swallow the gum? Funny how 1 tiny piece of gum can have more calicum then 8 ounces of milk. It does say that it is 'milk derived' though. Perhaps it is what the astronauts eat... just chew gum all day. Michelle must be correct.
And nap time. (Pray for headache to disappear.)
Oooh and Cracker Banana Pants has loved his puppysitter so much, that he is staying there again tonight. He lived down the street, for the past weekend, with this nice lady that has two little yappy type dogs, that I can't figure out what breed they are. Anyways, she took Crackers for the weekend, and I went to visit him today (now that I am better) and he looks SO happy. He has little puppy friends, a little yard, and she was cuddling him. He is going to stay tonight too, and then we will see. I brought him tasty treats, he was so happy to see me. He went out with me for a bit, but he might have a new permanant family, even though I will always be his mother, indeed. (This is good, as Canada DOES NOT let in little Thai dogs. No way, no how. It was confirmed.)
Annnyways, that is the weekend. Yes, indeed. ¶ 2:43 PM |
I was alway at the island for a few days, and then the Blogger login did not work until just now. I think the reason it did not work until right now is because I would have been very negative about Bangkok. Haha. Anyways, I am eating food again, and am not sick anymore, so I am very positive again. Sort of. Okay, story time. This is crazy long, so if you only read one part, read the Renting MOTORCYCLES! So fun! Yes, drove my first motorcycle!
Topic 1) Getting to far away island... Ko Chang:
Skytrain
We left at 11pm to go to island, and it was pouring rain in Bangkok. We were leaving to go, and it was rain, rain, rain. So, we go to skytrain, me and 5 other people, and then get to the far away skytrain, which is suppose to be one block from bus station.
Getting to Bus Station
The girls (Michelle, Julia, and I) start running/walking to bus station and the boys hide out at skytrain station. We run and run and realize we are gonig the wrong way. We are, literally, up to our shins in putrid Bangkok water, with the Thai's watching us from their hide out spots under the store awnings. We try to flag a cab, slipping and sliding all over the road, but, of course, no Thai's want any soaking wet girls (and I am talking about soaking wet) in their cabs.
Bus
We finally get one, and realize we are dripping wet. Our clothes are dripping wet. Boys are no where to be found. Cab turns around, brings us to the bus station. We get tickets, thinking we have until midnight to get our bus, and wait for the boys. The ticket lady starts raising her voice, and pointing to bus terminal, we realize that bus goes now, at 11:30pm. We run to bus terminal, calling the byos on the cellphone, to tell them to hurry up, and our backpacks get thrown into bus compartments, and we keep telling them that more people are coming. THe bus waits 2 minutes, and then pulls out of the station, with our bags on it. I begin yelling, jump on the moving bus, with Michelle and Julia close behind. We get in the seats, realize that we went to the frist bus that was loading and we did not even know it was going to Trat or not. We ask the guy next to us, in our dripping wet sweaters, he mumbles something that sort of sounded like Trat. We realize there is not much to do but go to sleep, and, apparently, there is another bus that goes at midnight, which the boys are going to catch. We ride the 5 hours, soaking wet, hungry, without the boys and get to Trat, at 5am or so. We get off, in the middle of a road, next to a sign saying 'bus,' with a market next to it, where you can pee for 1bht in the most god awful washrooms, the boys call minutes later to tell us they are at the bus station. We finally figure out, after wandering the streets of Trat that the bus station is about 2km away, and it will cost us 15bht each to get there. Anyways, we go bus station, the boys are there, all buddy buddy with the Thai drivers, and have managed to get food from teh Thai drivers.
Getting to the ferry
We need, now, to go to the ferries. Okay, so this should be easy, you just arrive at a price and go there. They said it would be 50bht to go about 15km to the ferry terminal. This sounded reasonable, and Michelle and I clammer in the back of sketchy truck with seats built into the side. We wait. APparently, the Europeans we are with have decided that 50bht is not appropriate, and are demanding the 25bht that the travel guide says it should be. Well, realizing that we are in the middle of nowhere, literally, with only 5 trucks to take us where we need to go (other than take a 15km hike) and those drivers are all sitting together, we do not have a good chance of negoiating a different price. Some people start yelling at the Thai's, and then the Thai's start yelling back (seriously, I have never even heard of a Thai yelling, ever.) Finally I almost lose it and get out of truck to explain the situation to the Europeans very calmly, telling them to get in the truck (you can't negoiate (through yelling) with a monopoly, using a German guidebook about Thailand, at 6am) and we all get in the truck, paid the 50bht (UPFRONT! because the Thai's were so pissed off.) Anyways, we are now in the back of a truck of a very (understandbly) pissed off Thai, who then drives us down the road, pulls over, tells us to get in another truck, and then we finally arrive at some random pier. The people I am with are still SO pissed off, and I do not even try to explain how rude and awful it is to ever raise your voice in Thailand, and how future tourists might be given shit now because we (I include myself, even though I did not raise my voice or anything) have been yelling at people.
Finding the right ferry
Anyways, random pier. Yes, random pier. We can see two other piers off in the distance. Just which one is the right pier with cheap ride? First place offers us 2 ways for 140bht, if we go at 9am. They are still so upset about being 'ripped off' that we say no to this, walking down another pier (because the guide book says it should only be 60bht.) We walk down whole pier with our bags, get to the end to be told 160bht one way. Of course, this is like triple what we were offered before, so we walk back down pier to other place. New place now tells us 140bht and we could go right away. We are still soaking wet, starving, exhausted, etc, etc. SHe says 140bht for one way, and we go right away. 60bht to wait until 9am. So, whatever, everyone is so cranky, we have to talk about this for like 10minutes, until we finally agree. We get put in the back of a pick-up truck (this time with no benches, we are sitting on the ground) and go like 110km/hour down this back road, get to ferry pier that was the 3rd one that we had originally seen. We miss the ferry for 7am, and are told "sorry, have to wait until 8am." Riiight, so we wait, there is problems with the tickets, but they sort it out. We get a call from our friends bcak in Bangkok who say we will get rain for the next three days in Ko Chang. I am trying to be so postive, and happy, and play (my favortie) the compliment game (Europeans do not compliment eachother, I have learned since) and Michelle and I sang songs. No one else was positive, in fact, everyone is positively furious.
Ferry
Anywasy, we go on ferry for an hour, we get to Ko CHang, on the weirdest ferry ever. Stray dogs get on and just ride it. And it is all open, (with railings, thankfully) and has a food stall you have to barter at.
Arriving at Koh Chang
It is now 9:00am. At this point everyone just agreed to pay the truck how much it cost to go to White Sands Beach, on Koh Chang. We ride with 2 Thais (one of which lives in America now) and they explain the "Thai price" and the "Farang price." (Farang=me.) And, as we all know, prices have gone up in Thailand due to excessive toursim. So, anyways, we get some helpful hints of them, and then we get to White Sands Beach, which is beautiful! SO beautiful! On this amazing island, that you have to drive up and down this twisty-turny roads to get to the tourist part. It is so amazingly beautiful, and we find a semi-decent place to stay, with a flushing toliet (whooo hoo!)
White Sands Beach
We play in the sand all morning, making the best sandcastles you ever did see, playing volleyball in the ocean, and hanging around. Leaving all 6 of us with the worst sunburns you have ever seen. Oh yes. Thankful I was wearing a one piece suit, otherwise I would have been burnt all the way through.
Renting MOTORCYCLES
Yes!!! I know! I drove my very own motorcycles. I did think, a couple times, what would my father and my grandparents think about this choice? Um, well, considering we were on mountain roads, in the middle of a foreign coutnry, with shoody brakes, illfitting helmets, with no prior experience... Uh yah. Hah. So I got on my first motorbike ever, and was practically crying the first 2km, because I felt so scared, and I was all by myself. Once we stopped for the first time for gas, I insisted that I not be last in the group, as I was terrified I would bail, and be left to die on the side of the raod all by myself. As we contineud on, and got into the mountain parts, I, again, was almost crying, because my brakes, truly, did not work properly. You had to put your legs out to stop. Everyone was having the same experince. I was kind of wishing that I did what Julia did, which was to go on the back of one of the boy's bikes. HOwever, that said, I was so happy that I could control it myself. I would rather have my inexperience than someone elses. Anyways, off we went, we were out for hours, with no crazy mishaps. I will not tell you that we were driving, at some points, over 110km/h. Anyways, once I pretend to ignore all the consequnces that could happen as a result of this decisions, I really enjoyed myself. We stayed out so long that it started to get dark, and rainy, and we were on the other part of the island. Hhaa, so, racing for the hotel, we managed to go through a checkstop with police with guns, and I was more than a little scared. HOwever, we were just waved through, after having to stop for the line up. Yes, at this point, I did think, what would the grandparents think? We made it home alive, had a nice dinner on the oceanside, with a nice full moon, and tehn went to the bar next door for some sit down drinks on teh beach, and since that night I have decided I will not drink until I get back to Canada. Anyawys, yes, it was grand fun, that day.
The rest of the trip
Michelle, Julia and I left the group the next morning, and went to a different village, with this market nad hotel that are raised above the ocean. You sleep over the ocean! We had the most beautiful hotel, which was build as a pier, with rooms above the water. We ate and it was great, until we all got sick with teh worst flu of the entire world.
Going Back Home
We went back to Bangkok on Saturday, all ill and all sick. We got back for 100 bht to ferry, 60bht on ferry (hahah), and then bus ride. So like a fraction of the price. Anyways, we were all sick! Some worse then others, but all sick nonetheless. THe worst didn't hit me until Saturday night, when I spend the whole night on the couch/bathroom moaning about hating life, and swearing to leave this god awful country as soon as possible. Haha. I just ate solid food for the first time this morning (Monday), after sleeping all of Sunday (until 6pm!) I made it class this morning, and had some bread at our break (otherwise, after not having food for really 2 days, I was a basketcase of exhaustion, and wanted to kill my prof who was like "Stefanie, I am not sure, but have you lost weight?!" "Um, yes, not eating all weekend will do that do you, jackass." Anyways, I just ate some pancakes (the most un-Thai food I could find, and it seems to be okay. So far. Everything hurts, especially my neck and head. BUt that will go away after a nice Thai massage and whatnot. Heheheheh. And I found some whole wheat bread in the 7-Eleven today (phew! They love their 7-Eleven's, thankful for that!) and I will eat toast and PB for the rest of my life here, as the food makes me sick and makes me want to die. Hehe. I realized this is first tiem I have thrown up from being sick since I was probably 12 or something. Seriously. Insane. Anyawys, yes, life will get back to normal. I have my uniform on, and I look so pretty. Haha. Right.
Anyways, Michelle is driving me nuts, with her immense health knowledge at this point. Hhaha. Michelle is feeling really strong because she bought gum that says to have 31% of your daily intake of calcium. It tells us this in broken English, so obviously this is correct. It also says "milk dervied." As far as I know, calcium can only be absorbed after the stomach, so this is a mystery to me. Perhaps we need to swallow the gum? Funny how 1 tiny piece of gum can have more calicum then 8 ounces of milk. It does say that it is 'milk derived' though. Perhaps it is what the astronauts eat... just chew gum all day. Michelle must be correct.
And nap time. (Pray for headache to disappear.)
Oooh and Cracker Banana Pants has loved his puppysitter so much, that he is staying there again tonight. He lived down the street, for the past weekend, with this nice lady that has two little yappy type dogs, that I can't figure out what breed they are. Anyways, she took Crackers for the weekend, and I went to visit him today (now that I am better) and he looks SO happy. He has little puppy friends, a little yard, and she was cuddling him. He is going to stay tonight too, and then we will see. I brought him tasty treats, he was so happy to see me. He went out with me for a bit, but he might have a new permanant family, even though I will always be his mother, indeed. (This is good, as Canada DOES NOT let in little Thai dogs. No way, no how. It was confirmed.)
Annnyways, that is the weekend. Yes, indeed. ¶ 2:43 PM |
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Some facts/learnings that I have stumbled across today:
1) Pluto is not longer a planet. It is now a dwarf, as it was recently downgraded by all those guys that sit around and make pivitol decisions such as these. This was told to me in the "farang" newletter. (Farang=white devil=foreigner.)
2) In German math, they would write 0.333333 as 0,333333. When us Canadians write $1,400.00 they would write $1.400,00 Intriging.
3) The Thais grow coffee up North. Yes, yes, they do. Finding this coffee is the tricky part, as they keep force feeding me Nestle Instant. I dislike Nestle because of a certain professor who told me about what they did when they marketed milk to Africa. I looked into it, and verfiyed the story. Hence, I hate them. That is for another time.
4) Thai's have no word for dessert, and simply refer to stuff like that as "sweet stuff" that can be eaten at any time of day. This "sweet stuff" includes corn, beans, jelly stuff, etc. Therefore, it is not unusual to get ice cream with corn and jelly bits.
5) The Vancouver skytrain was builted by Canadian Bombardier, while the Thai skytrain (identical) was built up Italian Siemens. They may or may not have stolen the Bombardier design.
6) West Edmonton Mall covers 45 city blocks, has 22 million visits a year, has 20 thousand parking spots, and employees over 23 thousand people. (I am doing a project on them.) They, as well, have African pegiuns that are only in 3 other places in North America.
7) If you get a pink smoothie that looks yummy and tastes yummy, but then you find out it is 'red bean' flavor, and realize that is what the chompy bits are, it is still good.
8) Thais eat the same for lunch and dinner as they do for breakfast. Rice with chili is the favorite. However, I like to eat cereal, eggs, and kittens. Just kitten, no kittens. I mean kidding. Hah. I have a theory why the cats are so thin here and the dogs are so fat. It comes from the observation that there are quite a few more dogs then cats. I'll leave you to deduce the theory.
9) If you plan the 43 goals of your life, and realize that some may be unattainable, do you change them? Just kidding, they are all attainable, for me. I think. I am well on my way for most of them. Now just to trick someone into being the one who gets to go diving with me. Whale shark petting, here I come! This is not a learning, okay, so goal-setting is always a learning, and my routine pastime for the Fall.
10) The Body Shop is a British company.
11) You can rent a motorcycle for the ENTIRE day on Ko Chang, for only 140bht. About 4$. Yes, I know. And the mountain bike is 160bht! Hah. You can tell what I can do. And you can ride elephants for 500bht (16$) for 45 minutes. You can get the deluxe, which is you get to feed, wash, and ride them for 900bht ($29) which is intriging, as you are pretty much doing the trainers job. I think I will do this one. As long as they are not abused. As well, you can go snorkelling for little amounts of money. Heh. I will start with snorkeling, and then move onto diving, and then move on to deep sea recon. All part of the 'goal-setting.'
12) If you email your prof to ask for higher grades, for no reason other then you want your A- to say A, they take a while to respond.
13) When you do yoga in the only place you are able to do yoga,which is the pool deck, and you get all zen and close your eyes and go through the movements and listen to Enigma on your ipod, you might, just might, open your eyes at the end and shockingly realize that there are THREE baloncies of people looking at you. Yes, I know. Inlcuding Room 901, which has the four boys who are casually sitting on their balcony, after moving their table chairs out there. Sigh.
14) Thai dogs are so cuters.
15) If you ask young Thai guys for translations, they like to teach you to say dirty things. Yes, these young Thai guys are actually my 3rd year business course classmates. God knows what I learned to say today, but I will never repeat it. Ever. Except to Anand. Hhe.
16) Nutella is the most addictive substance on the planet, maybe even surpassing ice cream in its addictive properties. It is like candy. Better than candy. Candy with protein, that you can eat with anything. In spoonfulls. I wanted Nutella for years, never bought it because it was not "healthfull" and because it was expensive. Now I am craving it all the time. Can you guess that I do not get enough protein here? Yes, yes, I do think so. My food is shananigans, as I do not eat complete meals, and am hungry SO much, and can never drink enough water. I had my first day of "I miss Canadian... food." Oh, so badly. There is nothing whole wheat here, I miss my fibre, and I miss my eggs for breakfast, and my hot dogs and my protein and everthing. Vegetarianism sucks. I just don't like the taste of seafood, wary of the beef, and chicken is a no-no right now (even the locals aren't always eating it. sigh.) Am I whining? Oh wait, yes, yes I am. Going on 3 weeks here, feels much longer. Though that is a good thing- I am comfortable. Annnnd, whining will stop right now.
That is all for right now. Learnings of the day. Indeed. ¶ 10:07 PM |
1) Pluto is not longer a planet. It is now a dwarf, as it was recently downgraded by all those guys that sit around and make pivitol decisions such as these. This was told to me in the "farang" newletter. (Farang=white devil=foreigner.)
2) In German math, they would write 0.333333 as 0,333333. When us Canadians write $1,400.00 they would write $1.400,00 Intriging.
3) The Thais grow coffee up North. Yes, yes, they do. Finding this coffee is the tricky part, as they keep force feeding me Nestle Instant. I dislike Nestle because of a certain professor who told me about what they did when they marketed milk to Africa. I looked into it, and verfiyed the story. Hence, I hate them. That is for another time.
4) Thai's have no word for dessert, and simply refer to stuff like that as "sweet stuff" that can be eaten at any time of day. This "sweet stuff" includes corn, beans, jelly stuff, etc. Therefore, it is not unusual to get ice cream with corn and jelly bits.
5) The Vancouver skytrain was builted by Canadian Bombardier, while the Thai skytrain (identical) was built up Italian Siemens. They may or may not have stolen the Bombardier design.
6) West Edmonton Mall covers 45 city blocks, has 22 million visits a year, has 20 thousand parking spots, and employees over 23 thousand people. (I am doing a project on them.) They, as well, have African pegiuns that are only in 3 other places in North America.
7) If you get a pink smoothie that looks yummy and tastes yummy, but then you find out it is 'red bean' flavor, and realize that is what the chompy bits are, it is still good.
8) Thais eat the same for lunch and dinner as they do for breakfast. Rice with chili is the favorite. However, I like to eat cereal, eggs, and kittens. Just kitten, no kittens. I mean kidding. Hah. I have a theory why the cats are so thin here and the dogs are so fat. It comes from the observation that there are quite a few more dogs then cats. I'll leave you to deduce the theory.
9) If you plan the 43 goals of your life, and realize that some may be unattainable, do you change them? Just kidding, they are all attainable, for me. I think. I am well on my way for most of them. Now just to trick someone into being the one who gets to go diving with me. Whale shark petting, here I come! This is not a learning, okay, so goal-setting is always a learning, and my routine pastime for the Fall.
10) The Body Shop is a British company.
11) You can rent a motorcycle for the ENTIRE day on Ko Chang, for only 140bht. About 4$. Yes, I know. And the mountain bike is 160bht! Hah. You can tell what I can do. And you can ride elephants for 500bht (16$) for 45 minutes. You can get the deluxe, which is you get to feed, wash, and ride them for 900bht ($29) which is intriging, as you are pretty much doing the trainers job. I think I will do this one. As long as they are not abused. As well, you can go snorkelling for little amounts of money. Heh. I will start with snorkeling, and then move onto diving, and then move on to deep sea recon. All part of the 'goal-setting.'
12) If you email your prof to ask for higher grades, for no reason other then you want your A- to say A, they take a while to respond.
13) When you do yoga in the only place you are able to do yoga,which is the pool deck, and you get all zen and close your eyes and go through the movements and listen to Enigma on your ipod, you might, just might, open your eyes at the end and shockingly realize that there are THREE baloncies of people looking at you. Yes, I know. Inlcuding Room 901, which has the four boys who are casually sitting on their balcony, after moving their table chairs out there. Sigh.
14) Thai dogs are so cuters.
15) If you ask young Thai guys for translations, they like to teach you to say dirty things. Yes, these young Thai guys are actually my 3rd year business course classmates. God knows what I learned to say today, but I will never repeat it. Ever. Except to Anand. Hhe.
16) Nutella is the most addictive substance on the planet, maybe even surpassing ice cream in its addictive properties. It is like candy. Better than candy. Candy with protein, that you can eat with anything. In spoonfulls. I wanted Nutella for years, never bought it because it was not "healthfull" and because it was expensive. Now I am craving it all the time. Can you guess that I do not get enough protein here? Yes, yes, I do think so. My food is shananigans, as I do not eat complete meals, and am hungry SO much, and can never drink enough water. I had my first day of "I miss Canadian... food." Oh, so badly. There is nothing whole wheat here, I miss my fibre, and I miss my eggs for breakfast, and my hot dogs and my protein and everthing. Vegetarianism sucks. I just don't like the taste of seafood, wary of the beef, and chicken is a no-no right now (even the locals aren't always eating it. sigh.) Am I whining? Oh wait, yes, yes I am. Going on 3 weeks here, feels much longer. Though that is a good thing- I am comfortable. Annnnd, whining will stop right now.
That is all for right now. Learnings of the day. Indeed. ¶ 10:07 PM |
Sunday, September 03, 2006
(Back on Julia, German roommates, laptop... mz German alterego has returned due to fancz German kezboards... So internationalz, mz life here... hehe. (read: all the y and z's are reverse. I through in some other szmbols, just for intrigue.)
I love, love, love, love how one casual beer turns into 5 not-so-casual beers, and then one ends up making an utter fool of themselves as thez decide to log onto email at the crack of dawn. Indeed, there should be a breathalyzer on the laptop, as I seem to be unable to resist the pull to throw mzself into more drama. Éspeciallz since, when one is drunk, thez are simplz looking at the more surface, romántic, short term scenario, which maz or maz not fit into the greater, bigger picture of mz world. Hah, though everzthing is truth in that moment, it might not necessarily (though it can) reflect the long-term, analztical, and underlzing issue. I need to stop drinking, as I loove it when I wake up the morning to the feeling of 'uh oh, who did I contact-email last night´...?' Right, zou can imagine the trend in who I contact... epps.
Änzwaz, life is good, and I will soon ´let mz German alterego go. Hha, who am I kidding, I love mz Germän älterego. I have a new nickname. It is verz creative and interesting. Zou see there is a Daniel from Germanz. And another Daniel from Germanz who is actuallz from America, but taking schooling in Germanz, so is required to do a zear abroad. So I created a song for them. It goes: German German Daniel, German German Daniel... etc for German German Daniel. And the same for German American Daniel. As a consequence I have now become German Canadian Daniel, and Michelle is Canadian Canadian Daniel. Alas, it gets verz confusing, but actuallz quite straight forward if zou reallz look at it.
I am having loads of fun, and reallz enjozing mzself, I just reallz, reallz wish I did not deal with some underlzing upsetness by contacting those that are some how party to the underlzing upsetness. Älas, we all deal with öur issues in öur own waz. It is trüe. Annnd, I äm okaz, zou are okaz, we are all okaz.
Töpic: Food
(buzing=buying.)
I cannot decide what is cheaper- buzing food or grocherz. I am leaning towards buzing food at restaurants, and kiosks. As, grocherz is verz verz expensive, indeed. I spent 650bht- like 14$ on cereal, peanut butter, nutella, soz milk, cheese, green tea, face cleanser todaz. That is it! (Air is so dirtz here, I have broken down and bought something other then just a bar of soap to clean mz face. I am certainzl changing out here. Hhe.) MMm, food prices are all over the place here, for rice and whatnot. I am definitelz learning the cheaper places, and have stopped pazing 150bht for dinner, and started pazing 25bht for dinner (under a dollar.)
Töpic: Alcohol
The new favorite in Thailand: Hong Thong. It is 'mixed spirits' and has 35% alcohol. It cracks me up because a mickez is 85 bht. Like, mmmm, 2$. Heh. I don't reallz drink it, preferring beer, but a lot of kids dö. I might start, as drinking beer is not verz healthful (as Julia would saz. German Canadian Daniel will start sazing it also.)
Töpic: Travel, Laptops & Christmas:
I am either going to Cambodia or to Koh Chung this weekend. Leaning towards Koh Chung, which is in Thailand, and leaving the Cambodia trip for November- when I have to update mz VISA to a multiple entrz VISA anzwazs, as it looks like mz parents are generouslz getting a get together somewhere in the world for a fun filled familz Christmas.... I can't wait, I hope it all works as I am verz verz verz excited to see the familia. Especiallz un padre. I am buzing Dad a pet squrriel, as I think he will like it verz much for a Christmas present. Fiestz McSkippz will be his name. Hhe. The girls are going to get a box of 199bht-one-siye-fits-all fancz shirts. Thez are the coolest shirts, and at 6$ each... I might be forced to buz a few. Thez are so cute.
And Julia and I are plazing a Vietnam trip for Januarz, so that will be amaying. Also we will go to Laos. And hopefullz, hopefullz Singapre as I reallz want to buz a cheap laptop. I am dreaming of mz verz own laptop, so I can write, write, write mz stories and mz journal and mz newspaper articles. I love writing, zou see, and struggle to write on paper as mz mind goes faster then I can write it out bz pen, but mz tzping can almost keep up to mz thoughts. Oooone daz... depending on the great bursarz I will get from SFU! Anzwazs, mz friends and familia.... zes, one daz I will be a famous author and I will forever and alwazs love mz Singapore laptop. Hhe. I am going to market tomorrow to see if I can get a cheap Thai one, though the prices seem to be on par with Cananda prices (which is not in ballpark. Heh.)
Töpic: Alcohol topic again
Okaz! I hope all is well, apologiyes if zou get crayz emails last night, German Canadian Daniel gets out of control when she is under the influence of the Hong Thong and the Singha beer, it is true.
(And to mz lovelz friends Erik, Andz, and Beastlz, who tell me that Chang beer is the best, it is true that it is verz verz chheap, but the Thai's laugh if zou do buz it, as Singha is the new coolest thing. Who knew? Hhe.)
Töpic: Learning Thai:
Status: Mmm, not good.
As well, I desperatelz want ot sign up for lanuage classes, as I am making little headwaz mzself. I need to discipline mzself, setting up 1 hour everzdaz of pracztice, this si what I will do. Public decleration, consider this to be a public declaration of studz time. As well, I will sign up for classes, as I am struggling mzself. Haha. Practice, practice, practice makes perfecto! Just have to make sure zou practice, it is odd how I get shz when I practice outloud. I think this is going ot be mz alltime challenge here. Me, shz! Incredible! Hah, this is a lesson for me to learn, how to be okaz being reallz, reallz terribl€ at something.
Okkkkaz, bze for real. ¶ 5:02 PM |
I love, love, love, love how one casual beer turns into 5 not-so-casual beers, and then one ends up making an utter fool of themselves as thez decide to log onto email at the crack of dawn. Indeed, there should be a breathalyzer on the laptop, as I seem to be unable to resist the pull to throw mzself into more drama. Éspeciallz since, when one is drunk, thez are simplz looking at the more surface, romántic, short term scenario, which maz or maz not fit into the greater, bigger picture of mz world. Hah, though everzthing is truth in that moment, it might not necessarily (though it can) reflect the long-term, analztical, and underlzing issue. I need to stop drinking, as I loove it when I wake up the morning to the feeling of 'uh oh, who did I contact-email last night´...?' Right, zou can imagine the trend in who I contact... epps.
Änzwaz, life is good, and I will soon ´let mz German alterego go. Hha, who am I kidding, I love mz Germän älterego. I have a new nickname. It is verz creative and interesting. Zou see there is a Daniel from Germanz. And another Daniel from Germanz who is actuallz from America, but taking schooling in Germanz, so is required to do a zear abroad. So I created a song for them. It goes: German German Daniel, German German Daniel... etc for German German Daniel. And the same for German American Daniel. As a consequence I have now become German Canadian Daniel, and Michelle is Canadian Canadian Daniel. Alas, it gets verz confusing, but actuallz quite straight forward if zou reallz look at it.
I am having loads of fun, and reallz enjozing mzself, I just reallz, reallz wish I did not deal with some underlzing upsetness by contacting those that are some how party to the underlzing upsetness. Älas, we all deal with öur issues in öur own waz. It is trüe. Annnd, I äm okaz, zou are okaz, we are all okaz.
Töpic: Food
(buzing=buying.)
I cannot decide what is cheaper- buzing food or grocherz. I am leaning towards buzing food at restaurants, and kiosks. As, grocherz is verz verz expensive, indeed. I spent 650bht- like 14$ on cereal, peanut butter, nutella, soz milk, cheese, green tea, face cleanser todaz. That is it! (Air is so dirtz here, I have broken down and bought something other then just a bar of soap to clean mz face. I am certainzl changing out here. Hhe.) MMm, food prices are all over the place here, for rice and whatnot. I am definitelz learning the cheaper places, and have stopped pazing 150bht for dinner, and started pazing 25bht for dinner (under a dollar.)
Töpic: Alcohol
The new favorite in Thailand: Hong Thong. It is 'mixed spirits' and has 35% alcohol. It cracks me up because a mickez is 85 bht. Like, mmmm, 2$. Heh. I don't reallz drink it, preferring beer, but a lot of kids dö. I might start, as drinking beer is not verz healthful (as Julia would saz. German Canadian Daniel will start sazing it also.)
Töpic: Travel, Laptops & Christmas:
I am either going to Cambodia or to Koh Chung this weekend. Leaning towards Koh Chung, which is in Thailand, and leaving the Cambodia trip for November- when I have to update mz VISA to a multiple entrz VISA anzwazs, as it looks like mz parents are generouslz getting a get together somewhere in the world for a fun filled familz Christmas.... I can't wait, I hope it all works as I am verz verz verz excited to see the familia. Especiallz un padre. I am buzing Dad a pet squrriel, as I think he will like it verz much for a Christmas present. Fiestz McSkippz will be his name. Hhe. The girls are going to get a box of 199bht-one-siye-fits-all fancz shirts. Thez are the coolest shirts, and at 6$ each... I might be forced to buz a few. Thez are so cute.
And Julia and I are plazing a Vietnam trip for Januarz, so that will be amaying. Also we will go to Laos. And hopefullz, hopefullz Singapre as I reallz want to buz a cheap laptop. I am dreaming of mz verz own laptop, so I can write, write, write mz stories and mz journal and mz newspaper articles. I love writing, zou see, and struggle to write on paper as mz mind goes faster then I can write it out bz pen, but mz tzping can almost keep up to mz thoughts. Oooone daz... depending on the great bursarz I will get from SFU! Anzwazs, mz friends and familia.... zes, one daz I will be a famous author and I will forever and alwazs love mz Singapore laptop. Hhe. I am going to market tomorrow to see if I can get a cheap Thai one, though the prices seem to be on par with Cananda prices (which is not in ballpark. Heh.)
Töpic: Alcohol topic again
Okaz! I hope all is well, apologiyes if zou get crayz emails last night, German Canadian Daniel gets out of control when she is under the influence of the Hong Thong and the Singha beer, it is true.
(And to mz lovelz friends Erik, Andz, and Beastlz, who tell me that Chang beer is the best, it is true that it is verz verz chheap, but the Thai's laugh if zou do buz it, as Singha is the new coolest thing. Who knew? Hhe.)
Töpic: Learning Thai:
Status: Mmm, not good.
As well, I desperatelz want ot sign up for lanuage classes, as I am making little headwaz mzself. I need to discipline mzself, setting up 1 hour everzdaz of pracztice, this si what I will do. Public decleration, consider this to be a public declaration of studz time. As well, I will sign up for classes, as I am struggling mzself. Haha. Practice, practice, practice makes perfecto! Just have to make sure zou practice, it is odd how I get shz when I practice outloud. I think this is going ot be mz alltime challenge here. Me, shz! Incredible! Hah, this is a lesson for me to learn, how to be okaz being reallz, reallz terribl€ at something.
Okkkkaz, bze for real. ¶ 5:02 PM |
Saturday, September 02, 2006
I am alive and well. I am surprised the Embassy has not knocked on the door- it has been more than 2 days since I posted! Hah, just kidding, the Embassay did come and verified my safety. Hah. Indeed. So, I have spent the last few days doing some schoolwork and venturing around Bangkok. I was very miserable on around, I think, Wednesday, as life is starting to have to adjust to being more routine and permanant. Anyways, I snapped out of it, through having some massages and going swimming at whatno, staying close to the hotel. Yesterday, I ventured off on my own in the afternoon, and I think I finally have the water taxi conquered. It took me all the way downtown (well, the other downtown) in under 10 minutes, for 8 bht! That is like, mmm, 25cents or something.
And then I managed to meet a nice girl who showed me where the Golden Mount is located, which was just a few hundred metres from where my water taxi dropped me off. That is not something dirty, but rather a wat that is build upon this huge hill that you wander up, pay your 10bht and get to go up to the very top, which affords you a 360 view of Bangkok. Hah, it was no only a great place to just hang out (you learn to appreciate the quieter and more abandoned places in Bangkok, as they are few in number) and for me to stare intently at my map to make sure I knew the various landmarks so as to avoided getting lost. It was bizzare, because when I got there, the tourists where running this way and that, and then I realized, a few minutes later, that I was the only one in the upper area anymore. Though that only lasted a few minutes, it was great. Very, very quiet. And peaceful, especially since there is tonnes of little chimes that the monks put up, which sound beautiful. I saw a monk, in the downstairs part, talking on his cellphone. I almost laughed. Don't worry, I took some pictures, just need to figure out how to get them onto this internet!
Then, using my keen sense of direction and my intuition, wandered down sidestreets for about 1km and somehow ended up exactly where I wanted, which was the Democracy Monument (you can follow this on Google Earth I think, Grandma and Grandpa!) Anyways, yes, I managed to reroute myself again from here, making it another 1k or so to teh Sanam Luang (Royal Grounds), to the Thammasat Unviersity (where I asked for directions) to the National Museum. Saw a bunch of other landmarks and whatnot, as I wandered down Ratchadamnoen Klang Road. I spent about 2 hours at the museum (I lvoe museums), and I would have stayed a lot longer, but they kicked me out. Haha. It was only 40bht to get in, so about 1$, and had a very eccletic collection, including various things from all over South East Asia (and quite a few things from Europe as well- gifts from the colonizers who failed to colonize Thailand.) Hah, any many do not dates on them, though some do. Most are classified into the reign of their Kings, so it does some good to have some sort of understanding of when Rama V reigned, etc. (I knew this from my great lesson about who King Chulalongkorn is.) The neat thing is some of the stuff is still in use, just being stored there. Like, for example, the funeral pyre that they use for all royalty in housed there!
I wandered the couple km or so back and took my water taxi home, doublechecking with a few Thai girls that I was headed the righte way (all the streets look similar, I swear) and I was. I arrived safety back at my hotel. Hhe. Very proud. So happy to spend more than a few hours alone; one could go crazy here, surrounded by so many people 24/7, especially since we are sharing a hotel room here.
Spent last night finishing my newest article for newspaper, chatting with roommate Lesley and then with my friend Rob, getting massages (it's a common way to spend evenings here) and turning down the neverending option to "get drunk" with some other people. Hah, so fun, so many options here. We had some late night dinner, I was very brave and ordered the salad/soup weirdness, which was crazy spicy, and intriging. It was suppose to have fruit in it, but alas, it did not. Hah, strange, the food you get here in Thailand. Oh so intriging, you never quite know what you are going to get when you order, even though many places show pictures!
Lessons learned from yesterday:
(1) Always ask females for directions. If they are in uniforms, especially school uniforms, this is better. Female school girls are most likely to want to practice English and chat with you. Especially good if they are in a group together.
(2) If you walk alone in Bangkok, as a female, you will get whistled at and called at. In a polite way, of course. There is no screaming or anything, but a lot of whisting and calling. This is different when you go out in groups. Then you just get stared at. A lot.
(3) I have surmised that I could walk the main part of Bangkok in about 3 hours, maybe 4 hours. This city is very, very condensed, but very, very interesting.
(4) The gangs of small schoolchildren at the museum as very cute, and very polite, but they are impossible to escape if they have been given a 'school project' to get the names and countries of where all the foreigners are from. I swear I signed "Stefanie from Canada" about 1095019035 times at the museum. They were practicing how to say, "Hello, what is your name?" "Where are you from?" I, in turn, practiced my Thai on them. The kids laughed and laughed, and I got a crowd around me and they all laughed and laughed some more at how awful my Thai is. Heh. Still, though, all very polite, and many gave me the 'wei' when I walked by, which was flattering, because 'wei's' are only done to show respect to someone elder, such as a teacher, etc.
(5) When you walk alone, you are subject to all sorts of offers (okay, actually, you are subject to all sorts of offers regardless) such as tuk tuk rides, ping pong shows, new fanatastic tourist desintations that are not on any map and have never been recorded before. Saying "my pen rye ka" gets you out of all situations, as it means "no thank you, I am okay, thank you anyways..." This is the ticket to excitement in Thailand.
(6) Going from A/C to heat to A/C to heat to fan to heat makes you sleepy. As does getting copious amounts of massages and training yoga out in the heat. Must remember to drink lots of water, always.
(7) Thai's pride themselves on lots and lots of choice at resturants. Sometimes you are handed 2 or 3 or even 4 menus worth of hundreds of choices of differnet foods you can have. This is wonderful, but very intriging when the server stays glued next to the table right after they hand you the menus, waiting intently for you to place your order. I learned to say, "Just need a moment" in bad Thai, but it still makes me laugh that we have 1000's of choices, but should know right away what to order. People here are so accepting, and laidback, and they would probably stand patiently for quite a while until you did decide. That said, they do not come to check on you, you have to flag them down to get them to bring a cheque. The system works well, because there is always so many people around the restaurant, so it is not an issue.
Okay, I am going to figure out what I want to do today. It is around noon, and I think some studying is in order. A lot of people, Michelle included, went traveling this weekend to some island down South. I felt a little bit of guilt that I stayed, but I have to remind myself that I have a while here, and traveling for the sake of traveling, for me, isn't as enjoyable. It's hard to fight the pressure that is felt here, because I feel like I should be out "doing things" every day. Which I am, as I experience the culture. In a few weeks I will be ready to travel. Finally getting around to reading the Lonley Plant guidebook, and seeing where I want to go anyways. Limited funds and time make it a necessity to figure out my goals here anyways. For me, I discovered, right now, I am content wandering abouts Bangkok (especially since this will be my home until May, at the earliest.) I will continue to fight the guilt that I am not in a huge rush to run off to the outskirts of Thailand. Though, I will, of course. We are suppose to be going to a fullmoon party next weekend, which would be a lot of fun. I can't help but think that life out here in Thailand would be a bit better if I had a significant other to hang out with, because a lot of these places are SO beautiful (as I stare at pictures of places to go) with various romantic type hotels and huts and whatnot. Like the one that I am thinking about, which has the resort/huts things under a waterfall. How cool is that! Anyways, they will still be fun with friends that I have made (things are still settling in the friend department, figuring out who I want to spend time with, etc- everyone is still very much in groupthink, partymode, which is fine.)
Yatter, yatter, yatter. Okay, must run off now.
Can you please all send me your addresses if you want presents? I am hoping to send some stuff, but, at the very least, I will bring home presents at Christmas time! ¶ 11:28 AM |
And then I managed to meet a nice girl who showed me where the Golden Mount is located, which was just a few hundred metres from where my water taxi dropped me off. That is not something dirty, but rather a wat that is build upon this huge hill that you wander up, pay your 10bht and get to go up to the very top, which affords you a 360 view of Bangkok. Hah, it was no only a great place to just hang out (you learn to appreciate the quieter and more abandoned places in Bangkok, as they are few in number) and for me to stare intently at my map to make sure I knew the various landmarks so as to avoided getting lost. It was bizzare, because when I got there, the tourists where running this way and that, and then I realized, a few minutes later, that I was the only one in the upper area anymore. Though that only lasted a few minutes, it was great. Very, very quiet. And peaceful, especially since there is tonnes of little chimes that the monks put up, which sound beautiful. I saw a monk, in the downstairs part, talking on his cellphone. I almost laughed. Don't worry, I took some pictures, just need to figure out how to get them onto this internet!
Then, using my keen sense of direction and my intuition, wandered down sidestreets for about 1km and somehow ended up exactly where I wanted, which was the Democracy Monument (you can follow this on Google Earth I think, Grandma and Grandpa!) Anyways, yes, I managed to reroute myself again from here, making it another 1k or so to teh Sanam Luang (Royal Grounds), to the Thammasat Unviersity (where I asked for directions) to the National Museum. Saw a bunch of other landmarks and whatnot, as I wandered down Ratchadamnoen Klang Road. I spent about 2 hours at the museum (I lvoe museums), and I would have stayed a lot longer, but they kicked me out. Haha. It was only 40bht to get in, so about 1$, and had a very eccletic collection, including various things from all over South East Asia (and quite a few things from Europe as well- gifts from the colonizers who failed to colonize Thailand.) Hah, any many do not dates on them, though some do. Most are classified into the reign of their Kings, so it does some good to have some sort of understanding of when Rama V reigned, etc. (I knew this from my great lesson about who King Chulalongkorn is.) The neat thing is some of the stuff is still in use, just being stored there. Like, for example, the funeral pyre that they use for all royalty in housed there!
I wandered the couple km or so back and took my water taxi home, doublechecking with a few Thai girls that I was headed the righte way (all the streets look similar, I swear) and I was. I arrived safety back at my hotel. Hhe. Very proud. So happy to spend more than a few hours alone; one could go crazy here, surrounded by so many people 24/7, especially since we are sharing a hotel room here.
Spent last night finishing my newest article for newspaper, chatting with roommate Lesley and then with my friend Rob, getting massages (it's a common way to spend evenings here) and turning down the neverending option to "get drunk" with some other people. Hah, so fun, so many options here. We had some late night dinner, I was very brave and ordered the salad/soup weirdness, which was crazy spicy, and intriging. It was suppose to have fruit in it, but alas, it did not. Hah, strange, the food you get here in Thailand. Oh so intriging, you never quite know what you are going to get when you order, even though many places show pictures!
Lessons learned from yesterday:
(1) Always ask females for directions. If they are in uniforms, especially school uniforms, this is better. Female school girls are most likely to want to practice English and chat with you. Especially good if they are in a group together.
(2) If you walk alone in Bangkok, as a female, you will get whistled at and called at. In a polite way, of course. There is no screaming or anything, but a lot of whisting and calling. This is different when you go out in groups. Then you just get stared at. A lot.
(3) I have surmised that I could walk the main part of Bangkok in about 3 hours, maybe 4 hours. This city is very, very condensed, but very, very interesting.
(4) The gangs of small schoolchildren at the museum as very cute, and very polite, but they are impossible to escape if they have been given a 'school project' to get the names and countries of where all the foreigners are from. I swear I signed "Stefanie from Canada" about 1095019035 times at the museum. They were practicing how to say, "Hello, what is your name?" "Where are you from?" I, in turn, practiced my Thai on them. The kids laughed and laughed, and I got a crowd around me and they all laughed and laughed some more at how awful my Thai is. Heh. Still, though, all very polite, and many gave me the 'wei' when I walked by, which was flattering, because 'wei's' are only done to show respect to someone elder, such as a teacher, etc.
(5) When you walk alone, you are subject to all sorts of offers (okay, actually, you are subject to all sorts of offers regardless) such as tuk tuk rides, ping pong shows, new fanatastic tourist desintations that are not on any map and have never been recorded before. Saying "my pen rye ka" gets you out of all situations, as it means "no thank you, I am okay, thank you anyways..." This is the ticket to excitement in Thailand.
(6) Going from A/C to heat to A/C to heat to fan to heat makes you sleepy. As does getting copious amounts of massages and training yoga out in the heat. Must remember to drink lots of water, always.
(7) Thai's pride themselves on lots and lots of choice at resturants. Sometimes you are handed 2 or 3 or even 4 menus worth of hundreds of choices of differnet foods you can have. This is wonderful, but very intriging when the server stays glued next to the table right after they hand you the menus, waiting intently for you to place your order. I learned to say, "Just need a moment" in bad Thai, but it still makes me laugh that we have 1000's of choices, but should know right away what to order. People here are so accepting, and laidback, and they would probably stand patiently for quite a while until you did decide. That said, they do not come to check on you, you have to flag them down to get them to bring a cheque. The system works well, because there is always so many people around the restaurant, so it is not an issue.
Okay, I am going to figure out what I want to do today. It is around noon, and I think some studying is in order. A lot of people, Michelle included, went traveling this weekend to some island down South. I felt a little bit of guilt that I stayed, but I have to remind myself that I have a while here, and traveling for the sake of traveling, for me, isn't as enjoyable. It's hard to fight the pressure that is felt here, because I feel like I should be out "doing things" every day. Which I am, as I experience the culture. In a few weeks I will be ready to travel. Finally getting around to reading the Lonley Plant guidebook, and seeing where I want to go anyways. Limited funds and time make it a necessity to figure out my goals here anyways. For me, I discovered, right now, I am content wandering abouts Bangkok (especially since this will be my home until May, at the earliest.) I will continue to fight the guilt that I am not in a huge rush to run off to the outskirts of Thailand. Though, I will, of course. We are suppose to be going to a fullmoon party next weekend, which would be a lot of fun. I can't help but think that life out here in Thailand would be a bit better if I had a significant other to hang out with, because a lot of these places are SO beautiful (as I stare at pictures of places to go) with various romantic type hotels and huts and whatnot. Like the one that I am thinking about, which has the resort/huts things under a waterfall. How cool is that! Anyways, they will still be fun with friends that I have made (things are still settling in the friend department, figuring out who I want to spend time with, etc- everyone is still very much in groupthink, partymode, which is fine.)
Yatter, yatter, yatter. Okay, must run off now.
Can you please all send me your addresses if you want presents? I am hoping to send some stuff, but, at the very least, I will bring home presents at Christmas time! ¶ 11:28 AM |
