tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39204494741110312592024-03-19T18:21:30.986+07:00April in WanderlustAprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.comBlogger130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-48802210210436792902014-05-01T15:06:00.000+07:002014-05-01T17:26:50.784+07:00FLASH TRAVEL : SINGAPORE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had about six hours in Singapore so I did my best to
work my way around the city just taking it in with no particular goal in mind.
I just wanted to wander around and get a feel for the city and what it
was mostly about. Unfortunately, it was raining the entire time which
doesn’t bother me but does affect me taking photos with needing to
constantly keep my camera under cover and it limited what I could do so I
skipped on parks, gardens or anything where the weather affected my activity,
plus I didn’t want to spend a lot of money to merely check the city out in a
short period of time. So I mostly wandered around from area to area on foot
or by their public train.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Singapore is an extremely eclectic, modern, and
wealthy city with roots in the Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Caucasian cultures
and it could be seen everywhere - in their food, architecture, styles of dress
and more… Like the Philippines, it’s diversity of cultures is what sets
it apart from other SE Asian countries. Nice thing about traveling
there, pretty much everyone speaks English. On some level, it feels like
if a culture can generally speak English, it’s gonna be more expensive… costs
of education and globalization I guess and Singapore <i>does not </i>disappoint when
it comes to being expensive. By expensive, I mean that I would
compare it to Australia in some instances but it is at the top of the
world’s most expensive city list as <i>numero uno</i>. So… safe to say I won’t
be moving there any time soon.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There was really only one thing I wanted to do, try
the original Singapore Sling at the Raffles Hotel. The <a href="http://www.raffles.com/singapore/" target="_blank">Raffles Hotel Singapore</a> is a stunning and historic hotel where they serve the (supposedly) original
Singapore Sling cocktail which originated in the early 1900’s but possibly
the late 1800’s as it’s history and where it all started is debatable, but
there’s an interesting article on it <a href="https://imbibemagazine.com/Origins-of-the-Singapore-Sling" target="_blank">here</a> with Imbibe Magazine.
And since I am a lover of sweet and fruity cocktails I had to give it a
go - it was definitely was super delicious and the barterers make an art
of it. Thing is, it’ll set you back about $24 and that was with my
discount from my airline, otherwise it would have been $30. By far the
most expensive cocktail I’ve ever purchased and is a bit expensive even by Los
Angeles’ standards for above par mixology. For as fancy of a place the
Raffles is, they also serve a handful of peanuts in the shell directly on the
table or bar for you, so of course with that comes peanut shells all over the
place. It’s like low-brow classiness but I dig it. Would I go
there again? No, not unless someone else is paying. It’s just ridiculous
to pay that amount for a cocktail that I could slurp up in a few sips and not
get a good buzz off of it, but it was a once in a lifetime experience. I
can check that off the list of things to do in my life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Flash travel question: <i>Would I go back to Singapore to
check it out for a longer period of time?</i> Yes, but only for about two
days and I think I would feel like I would have had my fill - besides, I
don’t think I could afford to spend much more time than that there (keep in
mind that I’m on backpacker budget, not a person on a two-week holiday).
Every person should check out Singapore because of its diverse cultures
but also because it’s the new Asia and what it’s going to become and it is a
fascinating city. When you live in Southeast Asia, to get a job in
Singapore means ‘you’ve made it’, it’s their New York City. It’s
thought of the epicenter for successful, globalized business here in Southeast
Asia. If you’re based in SE Asia, you can easily visit Singapore for
relatively cheap though <a href="http://airasia.com/" target="_blank">Air Asia</a> as it’s headquartered there and has so many
flight deals emailed weekly. And by cheap, I mean like if your timing is right, you can get a flight for like $10. Crazy cheap sometimes! <o:p></o:p></div>
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If you could do one day in Singapore, what would you do?
And would you have spent $30 on a Singapore Sling?<o:p></o:p></div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-52258223884343385602014-03-12T01:00:00.000+07:002014-03-12T01:00:00.284+07:00PINTEREST PIPE DREAMS - WORKING OUT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZKJyAbj9YV_n7zvlLmwgi0yFt0Dm4i0OIgfaZI4sMIo4QHyIJRv71irJCf2BjBnJv3mm_ngB9J8a92VtrfB5SqVjmwL1HqDNhtM2jgEe6cyLjf9NpzkzsMVWHRpJBMQgj-1p0nXgu6c/s1600/8c4fa163a132b25d_WeightsCircuit_Workout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZKJyAbj9YV_n7zvlLmwgi0yFt0Dm4i0OIgfaZI4sMIo4QHyIJRv71irJCf2BjBnJv3mm_ngB9J8a92VtrfB5SqVjmwL1HqDNhtM2jgEe6cyLjf9NpzkzsMVWHRpJBMQgj-1p0nXgu6c/s1600/8c4fa163a132b25d_WeightsCircuit_Workout.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: <a href="http://www.fitsugar.com/Full-Body-Circuit-Workout-Poster-2847968" target="_blank">PopSugar</a></td></tr>
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You know, I have <i>many, MANY</i> Pinterest boards (you can see the obsession <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/msablack/" target="_blank">here</a> in all of its glory) that I pin to every day in hopes
that I'll actually make or do those things <i>'one day' </i>(I'm awesome at dreaming!). Yet, I've made no
plans to get to them - EVER. I figure <i>'one day'</i> will magically happen
when I'm so inspired and it will automatically incorporate its amazingness with
perfect transition into my life and it will all just appear on my newly skinny body, in my enlightened mind, in my beautiful home, with my awesome blog and gorgeous photography with no plan of action or work
on my behalf. Unfortunately, we all know how that's going to turn out - it'd be a Super Sized Pipe Dream.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b>So I'm going to change that. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I'm going to do these things. Not all at the same time
because well, that's just unrealistic - I have a life and a budget. But I can
let's say pick out one or two items a week and complete them. So I want to
start with my 'w o r k o u t' board. I'll pick a post or two a week and do them
for five days straight and the following week, switch it up. I'm so damn lazy
and it's showing all over my body and my mind. I'm wasting my life.
It's time to make the change! Every week, I'll post what I did and
how I felt about it. That way I can commit to you all because I don't
want to let you down, and you can join along with me if you want. Because
let's face it, we're not getting any younger and our asses (or belly or arms)
are not getting any skinnier. I want to feel good and I'm the only who
can do anything about it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, I want to be clear about one thing, I'm not
necessarily doing this because I want to be 'skinny', my body shape doesn't
really bother me that much despite knowing I'm a bit unhealthy right now (I'm in denial that I'm 'bigger'), but I
realize that working out and being fit is imperative to being healthy in both
body and spirit. I haven't been feeling so awesome lately, I'm lacking
motivation to do anything that I'm not nearly forced into, and I think it has
to do with me being so damn lazy and tired, i.e. not working out. So this
is my way to change that. If I'm not going to make the effort now, it's
just going to get more and more difficult as time goes on. So, the first
post that I want to tackle is a <a href="http://www.fitsugar.com/Full-Body-Circuit-Workout-Poster-2847968" target="_blank">full body circuit workout</a> plus with either walking or swimming in the morning. So, on that note, I'll
follow up with you all next week with the results of me trying to at least start this madness! Wish me luck!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com1Chiang Mai, Thailand18.787747 98.99312839999993214.939843499999998 93.829554399999935 22.6356505 104.15670239999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-59608245913727652772014-02-02T01:35:00.001+07:002014-02-02T01:35:25.105+07:00FREELANCING FOR FREEDOM WORKSHOP // AKA PROJECT KICK ASS - PART 1
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpFbS_HXroZ0Fhr5QhOb_fBnYkEbBJhPcGS-6lQmxdFXSL1PVCxOc6xjldxEi7NUMIISjJcMK3RX5dYhqZ2lfPsCZctPVkZA0k_dinJbPrkaN7E6wIzZEmQIlBlaiTkcuAxT0qiqlQWA/s1600/Freelancing+for+Freedom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpFbS_HXroZ0Fhr5QhOb_fBnYkEbBJhPcGS-6lQmxdFXSL1PVCxOc6xjldxEi7NUMIISjJcMK3RX5dYhqZ2lfPsCZctPVkZA0k_dinJbPrkaN7E6wIzZEmQIlBlaiTkcuAxT0qiqlQWA/s1600/Freelancing+for+Freedom.png" height="444" width="640" /></a></div>
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Today I will be attending an all-day workshop here in Chiang
Mai called <a href="http://www.punspace.com/events/2014/2/2/freelance-for-freedom" target="_blank">Freelancing for Freedom</a> and I'm super excited to be going because
the challenge with living abroad is that I'm unable to attend workshops back
home like <a href="http://altitudesummit.com/" target="_blank">AltSummit</a> and <a href="http://iheartblogshop.com/" target="_blank">Blog Shop</a> amongst the many smaller
workshops with some of my favorite bloggers. Ever since the new year
began, I've had a lot more momentum in not only catching up on my blog (that
I'm a year behind on), but I have so many ideas that I've been collecting for a
while of the different kinds of things that I want to share with you. Thing is, is that
I can be <i>really f'n lazy</i> and caught up in the day-to-day bullshit... or getting lost on Pinterest for <i>hours</i>. I need to be pushed and pulled, have a fire lit
under my ass, and slapped around to focus and get shit done - <i>I</i> need to make it
happen! So I'm stoked to be attending one locally with women that have
some <i>kick-ass</i> blogs and freelance businesses! I'm looking forward to
their inspiration, guidance, and ass kicking. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So let's get down to the nitty gritty… In addition
to my travel posts, I want to share with you my new life living abroad.
My life has evolved and so must my blog. It's not just about my
travels especially since I'm no longer "on the road" but to also
share my wanderings in this new country that I'm living in, even in my own
backyard, as there are some crazy cool and interesting nooks and crannies here.
But let's face it, we also have lives that exist in the depths of
the interwebz too and I want to share some of mine with you. Here are a
few of the ideas I have for new weekly posts you'll be seeing soon:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>- Share interviews with some of these incredible fellow
wanderers that I meet along my journey that will hopefully be an inspiration
for you as they most certainly are to me (thus why I never want to go home).<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>- Share recommendations on some awesome food and things to
do here should you ever come to visit - if not, well, you can vicariously live
through me, I'll even eat for both of us! I'm a team player.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>- Share some of the projects that I'm working on (or going
to commit to when I get my ass into gear) to help develop some of my personal
goals - maybe you'll join me in doing the same.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>- Share some new music that I discover. With being
around all of these travelers from around the world, I get to hear some pretty
interesting and sweet tunes, so let me share some playlists with you even if
some may be a trip down nostalgia's lane.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>- Share some adventure inspiration as I want all of us to
get out and wander a hell of a lot more even in our own backyard.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>- And of course, share some pretty pictures. </i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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You've read up to this point so you must have some interest in
what's going on over here, you have a little break in your day, and you're
looking for a little escapism into April-Land. Well, I want you on this
journey and I want to keep you on this journey with me and grow along with me -
maybe even inspire you to come join me out here (<i>hint, hint!</i>). <i>You don't
have time or money to do some exploring in the world? </i>Wander with me for
just a few minutes plus with the added bonus of not traveling in the
cramped, non-air conditioned buses, weird street smells, getting ripped off, and travelers
diarrhea! <i>You've always wanted to do a photo project but need a little
inspiration-kick-in-your-ass?</i> Me too! So let me inspire you to kick
your own ass or watch me kick my own - your choice. (Frankly, I'd rather
have you inspire me - I get fired up over that shit! I love it!).
<i>Looking for some more Instagram/Pinterest users to follow? </i> Me too! Pinterest is like pornography for me! Let me share some with you and you can share with me. <i>Deal?</i> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So for whatever reason you're reading this, I love that
you're here. Henceforth, let's commence with Project Kick Ass!<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-78141018266440369122014-01-22T20:00:00.000+07:002014-01-23T10:34:17.468+07:00COSTS OF LIVING IN CHIANG MAI<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiifnA7KWVz5jR6xPU8h2Cxfxx9PcfOmVXUTaLTXioezo86zfjIiwYd-xrSFdc_HI-yd4GaydVuA7Tj8q99d29i6drnHXdpP4yHpLHrk0eWdk8UKtgUH7SxCu5-1D4_i5l8qVbv7vKGBEg/s1600/IMG_6553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiifnA7KWVz5jR6xPU8h2Cxfxx9PcfOmVXUTaLTXioezo86zfjIiwYd-xrSFdc_HI-yd4GaydVuA7Tj8q99d29i6drnHXdpP4yHpLHrk0eWdk8UKtgUH7SxCu5-1D4_i5l8qVbv7vKGBEg/s1600/IMG_6553.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Hint: It's damn cheap!! ...and awesome!</i><br />
<br /></div>
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I've been asked by several of my friends what it's like to
live in Chiang Mai as well as what the costs of living are so I'd love to share
my experiences with you as well since I find myself answering these questions
more and more these days. Often it's a friend that I've met somewhere along my travels reaching out to me for some advice. For some, they say that they've quit their dead-end job to
pursue their passion more seriously and others are planning on being teachers
here in SE Asia. They hear that Chiang Mai is a great place to get their
TEFL/CELTA certification and would like to work here afterwards, or it's just a
good and cheap place to live where one can continue their Internet job or just to have a home base while they travel around SE Asia. So of course, many questions follow after that of
what's it like, where should they look, how much is an apartment, how are they
going to get around, etc. Keep in mind that my recommendations are based
solely on the fact that I'm a single woman who prefers to live alone, eat out,
and generally live on the cheaper (but not cheapest) - not for a family of four
or someone who makes a lot more money than I do. I live off of less than
$1,000 a month with the ability to save money too. As of the date that
I'm writing this, $1 American is about 30 baht, so have fun with your
conversions! …Now let's get to it!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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// WHAT'S IT LIKE? //<o:p></o:p></div>
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What's it like to live here? Well, it's awesome.
Chiang Mai is the perfect combination of a small city with big city
amenities - malls, movie theaters, large chain stores for supplies and western
brands, wifi everywhere, a big live music scene, great restaurants, fantastic
festivals, a big expat scene, and night life living right next to rural life
about 15 minutes in any direction, mountains hovering over the city, hill
tribes, mountain trekking, jungles, farms, rivers, most buildings under 5
stories, almost no chain restaurants/fast food, and a relaxed attitude on life. The weather is generally lovely with approximately three seasons - hot (and humid) as hell, wet, and nice and cool with temps between 60-97 degrees Fahrenheit. It's basically a little paradise. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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// START UP COSTS //<o:p></o:p></div>
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There's start up costs no matter where you go and luckily
here, they're generally pretty cheap. You're looking at a deposit for a
place to rent, appliances/miscellaneous stuff, and a motorbike (buy or rent -
more on that later). All of these things can vary greatly, but I'll give
you an example of what I ended up paying for all these things for a realistic
picture.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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// A PLACE TO LIVE //<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Low 5,000 baht/month. Low deposit 12,000 baht, plan
on 15,000+</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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Like any city, prices of dwellings vary from neighborhood
to neighborhood. Here, the more expensive places to live are in the old
city (inside the moat) and the Neimenhaemin areas. Furnished studio
apartments can start around 4,500 baht per month within town, though average is
closer 5,000 on up. I pay 5,200 baht for my place in the heart of
Neimenhaemin plus utilities and wifi (approx. 500-1200 baht/month for utilities
and 600 baht/month for wifi). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Many people opt to live with roommates in 3-4 bedroom
townhouses which can vary as well. A townhouse around Neimen can go for
about 18-20,000 baht per month. Can you find one for less in a
different neighborhood? Yes, you can.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Another thing to look out for, many places will ask for a
6-12 month lease and they give you a better deal the longer you stay over 6
months. There are several places that do month to month as well which is
great for people who aren't sure how long they're planning on staying here or
need some flexibility. For a deposit, plan on 2-3 months of rent up
front.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Can you find better deals around town? Yes,
absolutely. It doesn't hurt to talk to people who have been living here a
while to see if they've heard of anything available as places are often passed
down from one traveler to another for pretty much the same exact rent as the
previous renter. I've got a friend renting a great place in the old city
for about 5,000 baht per month with utilities included and she lives in a nice
little studio above a garage with a big balcony area! How did she hear
about it? From a friend of hers that was moving away. When she
leaves, I want to get in there next!! The deals are there but they're
easier to find once you're here. I always recommend staying in a guest
house for a few weeks while you get your bearings and get to know the different
parts of the city, where you ultimately need to be near, and where you want to
be. I chose Neimen because it has several bars and restaurants within a
short walking distance, if I have several drinks, I'm close enough to walk home
or take a tuk-tuk for cheap, there's two 7-11's and a small Tesco Lotus market
nearby, as well as shops, a good little night scene, it's central, and close to
the Super Highway making pretty much all of Chiang Mai easily accessible. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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// APPLIANCES / LINENS //<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Depends on several factors</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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It may seem strange that I would write about the
miscellaneous costs like appliances and linens. But the thing is, is that
they often are not included in furnished apartments and are definitely a factor
financially as many things are not the same costs here as they would be back
home. So this section includes what some of those slightly more expensive miscellaneous costs could be.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Something to consider when selecting a place to live, is
that many apartments and studios do not come with a "kitchen" as we
are accustomed to in the west with stove, oven, microwave, sink, etc.. My
studio did not come with one and most smaller, cheaper apartments don't come
with one. Many Thai people sort of "build" a kitchen on their
balconies that include a gas cooking stove along with a sink, that's very
normal. I have a single gas cooking stove that looks a bit like a camping
stove that I bought for 300 baht. That along with a little shelf/table to
put it on and I called it a day with my "kitchen". Sure, it'd
be nice to have a microwave (but does a person really need one?? No.) and
a toaster oven, even a blender. And you can buy all those things if you
really need to, but I found that I don't need those things. To build out
a kitchen with cheaper appliances (double burner stove, toaster oven, blender)
you're looking around 3,500 baht+. Another note, several places
have all the appliances in them too, but you're gonna pay for it one way or
another. Thing is, it's so damn cheap to eat out here and so many foods
are ready-made or very fast to make, many people don't cook at home. So,
it's entirely up to you how much you want to spend on cooking equipment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Linens and such... it's typical that things like sheets
and towels aren't provided, but odd thing is, is that decent sheets are quite
expensive here. You'd think that with as cheap as everything is here in
Thailand including clothing and even fabric, sheets are not. Most out there are
this crappy, itchy, uncomfortable polyester usually with some sort of colorful
cartoon on them. I definitely don't do cartoon or polyester sheets for a
place I'm going to live in and I definitely don't do anything but good quality
cotton sheets. So, I splurged on buying a half decent set (fitted sheet
and two pillow cases only) of cotton sateen of which I got on sale for 1,700
baht. But when you go shopping, don't be surprised to find that the costs
of nice sheet sets can go up to 9,000 baht. Yes, $270. One last
thing… most beds in Asia are quite uncomfortable - the ground is softer then
many of the beds here. So, buying a pillow top for your bed is sort of
essential if you want to save your back and actually get a good night's rest.
For decent ones, plan on spending 2,500 baht on up. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Of course there are a million other little things that one
has to get for their place to settle in, but whatever it is, it's cheap here
and inconsequential for me to talk about.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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// FOOD // <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Low 180 baht/day, Mid 400 baht/day, High - sky's the
limit!</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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On that note, food budgets can vary greatly. Since
my income is on the lower side compared to what many Westerners make here, I
tend to eat cheap, but I eat cheap and well. If you need to keep your
finances on the more conservative side, you can be like my friend and eat for
about 100 baht a day. She eats breakfast and lunch provided by her
school, then has a larger dinner for 100 baht. Most of my meals can be
anywhere from 35 baht for a large bowl of soup with protein, to 100
baht for two salads and a small entree at the local Burmese place and I'm
eating like a total boss there. So I'd average out my daily meals (light
breakfast, lunch, and dinner) to 220 baht per day. Sure, some days are
quite a bit more especially when I eat Western food. With Western food,
plan on each dish being about 80 baht for a small sandwich to 250+ baht for an
entree, depending on what you're eating and to be honest, how much cheese is on
it as that's pretty much the most expensive food item here, along with
Australian or American beef.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
// DRINKS //</div>
I'm not going to give you a budget on this as it varies too greatly from person to person, but plan on domestic Thai beers running around 40 baht for smalls, 75 baht for large, imported beers around 200 baht, cocktails around 90 baht, and a glass of house (boxed) wine for about 90 baht. Obviously, drink prices can be a lot more expensive than that, but this can get you started on your booze budget. </div>
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<br /></div>
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// TRANSPORTATION //<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Motorbike rental 2,500 baht/month or buy for 10,000-25,000
baht</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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There's four ways to get around here, songteaw (a covered
red truck that is basically a public bus/taxi), bicycle, motorbike, and car
(well, of course your two legs too but that's free). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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First up: Songteaw's can take you pretty much any
where in town for about 20 baht a ride. Good and cheap, BUT there are
some drawbacks. 1. Along the way, the truck will continue to pick other
passengers up, sometimes making your ride a lot longer than you were hoping.
2. Often, you end up choking on exhaust fumes from either your songteaw
or other vehicles around you. 3. You may have to wait for a few different
songteaws to find one that is willing to go in the direction you're headed.
4. It gets stuck in traffic like all the other cars. However,
should you be in a real rush, you can buy out the songteaw from 150 baht on to
take you directly to your destination without picking anyone up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Second: Bicycles are a fun way to travel and get
exercise too. They can be rented for 50 baht/day or you can purchase a
used one for as little as 1,000 baht like I did. Thing is, when it's the
hot and humid summer here, the last thing you'll want to do is do any sort of
physical activity that will make you hotter than it already is. However,
if you're willing to deal with it, it's a great low cost way to get around.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Motorbikes in my opinion are the way to get around and
that's what most people drive here. They're quick, they fit in-between
small spaces like between cars that are sitting in traffic and you just zip
right by them, you can drive them on the sidewalk (bypassing yet again, those
pesky cars and buses that are blocking up the entire street), you can do turns
that cars can't, you can park pretty much anywhere you want, you can drive the
wrong way down the road and no one bats an eye as that's perfectly normal here,
they're cheap and pretty much everyone can afford to either rent or buy them.
While technically, you should have an International Drivers license or a
Thai driving license, you don't totally need one. Only time you need it
is the off-occasion when you get pulled over by the police because you're not
wearing your helmet or some other ridiculous reason when they need to make some
cash - most often, local farangs ignore them and keep driving by, and no, the
police don't come after you. Though if you're caught without a license,
the fine is pretty small, I'll guess around 400 baht. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Now for the downsides to motorbikes: you are exposed to
all of the weather both cold, hot, or rainy, if you get in an accident, you're
gonna get kinda fucked up (the least being some bruises and a bit of road rash,
the worse being well, broken limbs or death), you're gonna end up sucking all
the crappy exhaust that comes out the cars and buses that are never maintained
for smog pollution, and you are the lower end of the totem pole when it comes
to who rules the road. The bigger the vehicle, the more right to the road
they have - though there is the unwritten rule of power in numbers.
Pedestrians, you're generally not even a consideration so keep your eyes
open even when you're on the sidewalk. The other expense you have to
consider is gas and basic maintenance. Gas obviously depends on how much
driving you do. To fill up your tank is about 100 baht. When I
worked about 15km away from home, I spent about 300 baht a week with my
motorbike that isn't fuel efficient. Now that I work closer, I spend
about 150 baht a week. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Cars, I have no experiences with cars here as I simply cannot
afford one and even if I could, I likely wouldn't have one as it's impossible
to park them any where and any commute is significantly longer than a
motorbike. So, no helpful advice in this department.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
// CELL PHONES // </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Low around 500 baht/month</i></div>
Most people have either an unlocked smart phone or a regular ol' phone that can only do basic texting and calls. Smart phones are the same prices if not more expensive here than back home, but basic phones can be around 1,500 baht or so. SIM cards are either free or super cheap. Phone plans are also super cheap. You can choose to have a plan that is deducted monthly or top up at 7-11 or other top up machines around town with just about whatever amount you want on there. A decent smartphone plan for a month is about 500 baht. If you top up, you can spend less, but essentially you're paying per call (1 baht/min with True), per text (3 baht/ea), or data usage (no idea how much). Plan on spending 500 baht per month on the safe side if you don't use your cell data too often and use free wifi around town.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
// IMMIGRATION & VISAS //</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Depends on your visa</i></div>
Ok, we're all here for different reasons and are on different visas. I can only speak from experience of being on an educational (ED) visa. I take Thai language classes twice a week for two hours a day and it not only allows me to learn the Thai language but also about the culture - plus, you're able to obtain a 1-year visa. The costs of the courses vary slightly from school to school but mine was about 26,000 baht. <br />
<br />
The other costs that people don't always talk about are the visa runs and the residency check-ins with immigration. The average visa run to Vientiane from Chiang Mai can be about $200 with buses, different visas, to get in and out of Laos, the actual ED visa costs, a place to stay, food, etc. Plan on 3-days to do a visa run. Immigration check-ins are 1,900 baht every other month. <br />
<br />
If you're just chilling out here in Chiang Mai and don't want to do language courses, you can opt to do border runs every 30-days. It takes the better part of the day to take a bus there and back along with the typical BS that you have to deal with but it is significantly cheaper and faster than going to Vientiane. However, it can be a pain in the ass to do this every month.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
// MOVING AWAY //</div>
My friend Daytona brought up an interesting fact, if you absolutely must move away from this little paradise, you can sell most of your stuff online through various Facebook groups for nearly the same or just a little less than you originally bought it for. Things like motorbikes, linens, yoga mats, dishes, etc. Usable goods in good condition tend to hold their resale value. I've personally sold a few items on Facebook group like 'Secondhand Chiang Mai', 'Chiang Mai Buy, Sell, Swap', and such and it was rather easy. Post a picture, how much it is, and any other instructions and it pretty much goes from there. </div>
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<br /></div>
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// WRAPPIN' IT UP //<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So now that you know your general costs, you can make a
more educated decision as to whether you'd like to live here in Chiang Mai.
This city has one of the highest number of expats for a number of reasons
- low costs of living, quality of life, natural beauty, good culture, a high
turnover in teaching jobs, several beautiful places to travel to in northern
Thailand, and the Thai people are so lovely. There really isn't
anything that's missing here if you're looking for the near perfect place to
live in SE Asia. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>If you have any questions, feel free to email me and I'd be happy to help!</i></div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com1Chiang Mai, Thailand18.7877477 98.99313110000002814.9398442 93.829557100000031 22.6356512 104.15670510000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-40385323063980336512014-01-12T14:30:00.000+07:002014-01-20T22:58:01.059+07:00VILLAGE LIFE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0-X4djTwMOt8TMy2ijxcDJCuXoUJ131xyNO6GYl0r4oTCm4snilP5TzK0lWgt7ugx9JGreMdsJv5fU1mVWw8RKmpEELB6sUuhq8_-g4QhhUqv01IVK5xY3jJgPpBUEGhk9qRh7pHWsY/s1600/IMG_4523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0-X4djTwMOt8TMy2ijxcDJCuXoUJ131xyNO6GYl0r4oTCm4snilP5TzK0lWgt7ugx9JGreMdsJv5fU1mVWw8RKmpEELB6sUuhq8_-g4QhhUqv01IVK5xY3jJgPpBUEGhk9qRh7pHWsY/s640/IMG_4523.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIp7iF9dwejtFk70cl-U1PW0prlRSg0Sy4jj1rJTxzHbhO3VU4Souehnu4B7DuwEUrIR9yeMIWkMneQNueiVD8bgEAqHCPHpXnVIW0pEfL9Ze8jqgciixivN6sJQHvVBmVcxWY0im-PL4/s1600/IMG_4521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIp7iF9dwejtFk70cl-U1PW0prlRSg0Sy4jj1rJTxzHbhO3VU4Souehnu4B7DuwEUrIR9yeMIWkMneQNueiVD8bgEAqHCPHpXnVIW0pEfL9Ze8jqgciixivN6sJQHvVBmVcxWY0im-PL4/s640/IMG_4521.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ladies grooming each other</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJECU7VpflJOWlDHA1H3b0_t2cd4xJODjvxp0a3MDp-l8zp0a26XOE3MYfaWOCd7doUOeXgrIt47LYeGSJ_UjWK6dqI58dEU56l3J-kimixjqkwqPji0Zhk8DcbHbFEOL-vdskwBy8uC4/s1600/IMG_4520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJECU7VpflJOWlDHA1H3b0_t2cd4xJODjvxp0a3MDp-l8zp0a26XOE3MYfaWOCd7doUOeXgrIt47LYeGSJ_UjWK6dqI58dEU56l3J-kimixjqkwqPji0Zhk8DcbHbFEOL-vdskwBy8uC4/s640/IMG_4520.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early evening traffic along the only paved road in town</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNADgu-Xx0AtVEZmXx4Wgb1k4R7CsTuSV03X1zUYTQOsRfUvJsXpXC90u-xQTrL5f7jjjuBYSlbfUV1kIBdVF3G_TeSPYfZf1qj_Zaow3UB2TJKJsnIBqPo2HZZ_l0F6x-uET2hCbH8ak/s1600/IMG_4517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNADgu-Xx0AtVEZmXx4Wgb1k4R7CsTuSV03X1zUYTQOsRfUvJsXpXC90u-xQTrL5f7jjjuBYSlbfUV1kIBdVF3G_TeSPYfZf1qj_Zaow3UB2TJKJsnIBqPo2HZZ_l0F6x-uET2hCbH8ak/s640/IMG_4517.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kiew, my mom's dog. Kiew means 'green' in Thai</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9Y5UAzF8vnGGecpnUyaDiHKHb7JDZCx1mvRqVeY5aXllEk5cMDz6desjmgmo_ZjW1XJH-qspZMqVDreenfjSUj-rl5vERspyrBDvsnbcfPhJ44cE7fiKNEv4yfoyZAuNAp4vGi5-7nY/s1600/IMG_4522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9Y5UAzF8vnGGecpnUyaDiHKHb7JDZCx1mvRqVeY5aXllEk5cMDz6desjmgmo_ZjW1XJH-qspZMqVDreenfjSUj-rl5vERspyrBDvsnbcfPhJ44cE7fiKNEv4yfoyZAuNAp4vGi5-7nY/s640/IMG_4522.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">People are often covered in powder to keep their skin dry from sweating all day long</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the right: think of it like an ice cream truck, but instead has meats, treats, produce, drinks, etc.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where the rain water is captured and stored</td></tr>
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I enjoy going to my mom's village outside of Korat on the eastern side of Thailand, also known as Issan. It isn't visited much by tourists so a lot of their culture has remained intact and the rural areas have remained <i>very</i> rural unlike many parts of Thailand. Besides spending time with my family, my time there also puts a lot of things into perspective for me. Perhaps it's the life that never was and could have been, that I really do need more city and less country (frankly, the gecko shit that falls from the rafters and onto my bed when I'm in it gets old), that <i>all </i>mosquitos in the entire province are <i>only </i>attracted to me, I've never wanted to kill an animal before besides all the damn roosters that wake people (scratch that<i>, just ME!</i>) up at 3:30am (no, not<i> sunrise -</i> 3:30 in the<i> f'n</i> morning), that gambling is definitely not in my blood (entertainment in the village consists of sleeping, watching cock fights or playing cards and gambling), I am considered very rich (by rural Thai standards I guess it would be true, though by Western I'm definitely far from it) by the locals, and that we should all be grateful for our modern plumbing and clean water.</div>
<br />
If you've never taken a bucket shower, let me explain the delightful rite of passage one should take when living in SE Asia. Imagine a large (empty and relatively clean) plastic trash can filled with water that is mostly see-through and has a bowl with a handle floating on the top or sitting on the lid. Then imagine standing naked in a small cement room with a squatter toilet and dumping cold buckets of water all over you to bathe in all the while many mosquitos and other insects fly around your naked body threatening to bite you in places you'd prefer not to be bitten. Now, if you want to wash your hair, you have to use different water - rain water. The "tap" water is rather salty and dries your hair out, so you have to use the rain water that is collected in these huge ceramic water vase-looking things outside. Rain water is generally good and clean. The one nice thing about bucket showers is that you realize you really don't need much water at all to bathe in - and partly because you don't want to stand there long enough for the mosquitos to bite you. Get in, get out. That's the name of the game.<br />
<br />
Some days are spent touring outside of Korat or often laying in a hammock reading a book, editing photos, or walking around the village taking photos while everyone stares at me. They are NOT use to seeing farang in that part of the country or at least not farang that look like me. Not that they've never seen a farang, it's just that they wonder <i>what</i> I am as I look sort of Thai, but tall and big (fat) like a farang, I dress and walk like a farang, and then when I open my mouth to speak, they know immediately - I am <i>not</i> Thai. But the face, the face sort of looks Thai, so then I tell them I'm <i>luk kreung</i> - translation: half child (aka half and half of this and that). So because I don't look very Thai, walk, dress, or speak like a Thai, I am not Thai.<br />
<br />
Days are also spent hanging out with my great-nieces and watching them play with their friends or runaround the neighborhood. Sometimes they help me practice the Thai alphabet. They have the childhood that I had - run around chatting with friends and playing, coloring, riding bikes, doing dance routines, singing, etc. There are no parents around, but the entire village raises you too. If you need to be told off, there is always a local who will yell at them for doing something stupid. That shit would never fly in the US. <br />
<br />
Some nights I hang out at one of the small general shops and drink beers in front with a few of the locals, namely, one expat who is married to a beautiful Thai lady there who speaks a bit of English as well. We chat about the differences between our old and new world, relationships with locals, things that we don't understand about the culture, the future of Thailand and just general b.s. It's a completely different world out there and it's when I'm in places like that, I realize how American I really am.<br />
<br />
Often times I witness the women picking out each other's gray hairs, cutting it, or picking out the lice off the younger kids. There are no salons in places like this so it's a lot of home cut and dye jobs. Children get bathed in a large bucket outside in front of the family while chickens and dogs run by, then the kid runs around naked again which is ok because they're just going to bathe again in a few hours. Not a whole lot more to do than hang out, bathe, gamble, and eat - life could be worse.<br />
<br />
Families live very close to each other so the community is very tightly knit. It's difficult to tell the difference between where one family ends and another begins. Compounds of small houses are situated on a property where four small houses are on the same property. When you need a dish or some food, you walk over to another house and get some. It's sort of like a co-op, but without all the hippies and free love. But there is love there! And people looking out for each other. Neighbors interact more too than many American neighborhoods and I really love that about them. It's a community and everyone is close part of each others lives. <br />
<br />
I've spent some time with several of the local women in their 20's and 30's and piecing together some English and Thai, I learned that many dream about leading a more modern, Western life of moving to Bangkok and/or marrying an American or some other foreigner so they can leave their village and support the family. I can only imagine what it's like to be raised in a small village with some general education, no English, and end up in the same cycle as the generation before - get married, have a child (in whichever order), and make more money so they can support the family. Opportunities can be limited so many go to Bangkok or Pattaya for work. They end up in various jobs and some work in go-go bars. Issan women are sometimes known for being bar girls and for those of you who may not have been abroad or spent much time here in SE Asia, bar girls are females who work in a go-go bar for various reasons such as providing company to (most often) men, other times it can be for sexual services, depending on the bar and the girl. There isn't anything wrong with being a bar girl, it is the oldest profession in the world after all, and the girl and the patron are often in a mutually beneficial relationship, but it's personally not a profession for me and who I am in this life. But many of the Issan girls do work there and often because the pay is pretty good and they can send money home to their families. Families in the villages really depend on each other, live together, and financially support each other. Parents often work to support the family so the grandparents raise the grandchildren. It's the cycle of life there and it creates a really unique bond.<br />
<br />
Knowing what several of the options could have been had I been raised by my mother, I've always wondered, what would have become of me? Where would I be without a pretty decent education, general mastery of the English language, and exposure to the American world of confidence, big opinions, and critical thinking? Luckily, that's a road that I didn't have to explore but it's difficult to imagine, <i>me</i> without the confidence and big opinion! <i> I</i> wouldn't recognize <i>me</i>! No one would. I think that I would have still turned out alright, I'd probably know how to cook, and there's a good chance that I would have still become a teacher. I probably would have had a smaller ass as I'd be on the Thai diet, but there would be no denying that I would still stick out like a sore thumb for being so much taller than everyone in the village. But it is during times in the village that I'm constantly reminded that my life could have been drastically different. <br />
<br />
Being in my mom's village makes me grateful for the life that was given to me. It's almost easy to do when there is such a stark contrast of life between what was and what could have been and I don't think many people get to peek through the looking glass of the parallel life that almost was. It makes me feel like Gwyneth Paltrow's character in 'Sliding Doors' but instead I got to see both versions of my life instead of the audience. I'm glad I was raised in a home where I was able (or at least tolerated) to speak my mind, was given the opportunities to further my education, to be able to travel and see the world, to create a life of my own that was different and independent from my family's, I had my family to love and support me despite my <i>many </i>mistakes and faults, I had good tap water to drink and shower in without worry about some sort of funky intestine issues or stinky fart water coming out, I slept in my own room in a nice house without vermin and lizards living in my room and shitting on me at night - I lived a life having everything I ever needed and more, and I lived in a country where I really could be any one that I wanted to be with very little holding me back. I've lived a blessed life compared to many parts of the world. So for that, I thank my Dad for providing the best possible life he could give me. The word 'gratitude' doesn't seem to cover all that he and my stepmom (and even the Masons!) have done for me, but for all intents and purposes, I have the deepest gratitude for them all. While I'm sure I would have turned out just fine if I had been raised in my mother's village, I'm particularly glad that I was raised by the village of people that I was surrounded by in my youth. I've had a damn good life with some damn fine people in it! <br />
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-19533860997026242252014-01-08T19:00:00.000+07:002014-01-10T00:25:35.478+07:00A LEAP OF FAITH IN SOLO TRAVEL<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGkCLtOISbUXjvNsiQEjirzq2UMfcSvXWRckZDtm_nfqlm48612eozD0uhcFPwANr1vObS_OgA9Mdsovq09mJsjVD2si2CfDcyKdILOOPhYs4WeMXmT3fELAAlqPTTbOH-k8brwvmx5D8/s1600/9e891dd5bd5ad659c337ad2549184eea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGkCLtOISbUXjvNsiQEjirzq2UMfcSvXWRckZDtm_nfqlm48612eozD0uhcFPwANr1vObS_OgA9Mdsovq09mJsjVD2si2CfDcyKdILOOPhYs4WeMXmT3fELAAlqPTTbOH-k8brwvmx5D8/s640/9e891dd5bd5ad659c337ad2549184eea.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, I went camping by myself somewhere in this photo</td></tr>
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A friend of mine asked me today when was the first time I
traveled alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to think about it
because as far back as I can remember, I’ve always been a bit of a loner and
did things on my own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even after I
learned to drive a car, I was always on some sort of road trip with my friends,
but then I recalled that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">first</i> time,
that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">spark, </i>the trip that popped my travel virgin cherry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had just turned 18, freshly graduated from
high school, already accepted into the University of Oregon (I was a bit of a
hippie back then), and ready to quickly spread my wings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was this event happening in Eugene,
Oregon that I had heard about called the ‘Oregon Country Fair’ that I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> wanted to go to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think of it as a hippie renaissance fair
meets Burning Man (without the electronic music and extreme weather).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So once I get an idea into my head, I figure
out a way to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I had to do was
convince my dad that I could go there alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I believe I told him I was going up to sign up for classes, do the
university intros/tours, and such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be
perfectly honest, I don’t even remember if I did those things or<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">or</i>
if those were even scheduled on campus… and to be even more frank, I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">think</i> that I could have signed up for
classes over the phone and done the intros when I moved up there for the school
year at the end of August.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just really
wanted to go to the OCF.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So after enough
convincing to my dad, I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> *Sorry Dad! Water under the bridge, <i>right? ;)</i></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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So a day before the fair, I took off in my Taurus station
wagon (lovingly missing half of the paint on it) with a small bag of clothes
and toiletries and I hit the open road for the first time all by myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, from where my parents live in
California to Eugene, Oregon takes about 10 hours to get to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I start my drive in the morning going up the
I-5 driving through flat farm land for hours, until I start reaching the
mountains of Shasta going all the way up through Grants Pass in Oregon, up
through Ashland where the Shakespeare festival happens every year, then down
into the valley where Eugene is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I check
into a motel and the next day, I head to the fair outside of the city and spend
two days wandering around this mecca for hippies nestled into the woods where
this little utopian society is creatively made amongst and within the
trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone is dressed in tie-dye or
some form of very creative attire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
me,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in my own little heaven with
my overalls and Jesus sandals (aka Birkenstocks) and away from home for the
very first time on my own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little did I know, my adventure was just beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, because of my excitement I had left California in such
a rush that I decided I would deposit my paycheck when I got to Eugene so I
would have enough money for my little adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the first day of the OCF, I went to the
bank ATM to deposit my check.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first,
I thought it was strange or some sort of a glitch that it wouldn’t allow me to
deposit my check.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I went inside to
the bank and found out that I was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not </i>allowed
to deposit a check into an out of state account.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I was a bit naïve in all this real
world banking BS, I hadn’t really budgeted my trip for what I had available to
me in my account.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that point, I
decided to cut my trip there in Eugene short so I could cross over the
Oregon-California border to deposit my check.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thing is, is that I didn’t want to draw any attention as to why I had
come home early and I really didn’t want my newfound freedom and adventures to
end so soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Instead, I decided I would go camping in northern
California… somewhere…. without camping equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did after all have a sleeping bag that I
always kept in my car in case I ever got drunk at a party and couldn’t drive home
(you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">can’t</i> say I wasn’t being
responsible!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My “supplies” I had in my
car were: my large CD player (this is back when they were the size of a
medium-sized dog) and a liter of vodka that I kept just in case I happen to go
to a party (I didn’t drink beer back then) - thus why I also had the sleeping
bag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided I had more than enough to
survive at least one night out in the woods.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
After Day 2 of the Oregon Country Fair, I headed back to
California, with my tail slightly between my legs, but ready for another
adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And adventure I had!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I crossed the border and got into the Shasta
area in the late afternoon deciding I needed to find a campsite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Considering there was a massive forest all
around me, I figured it should be pretty easy to find.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, I pretty much ate those words shortly after
thinking them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw a generic state
sign on the side of the road signifying there was camping to be had at some
random exit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I took it thinking it
wouldn’t be too far from the freeway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps there was one, but I certainly never found it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I drove into the woods, further and further
looking for some sort of sign for this elusive campground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point, the sun is set, I’m alone, 18
years old, and no cell phone as they didn’t exist back in those days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m thinking “hmm, what the f*ck did I get
myself into?”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>FINALLY, I saw a sign for
camping, though it wasn’t a “camp ground” like the KOA type campgrounds with
facilities and all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a dirt road
heading further into the woods with about 3 cars and 4 RV’s parked in random places.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Considering the time and such, I thought
I’d make the best of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
From there, I pulled into a spot near a creek and went into
the back of the car, pushed down my seats so they were flat and could lay my
sleeping bag out, go through my bag of “food” which consisted of my usual road
trip cuisine: a bag of Cheetos cheese puffs, Original Corn Nuts, a small bottle
of Coke, Toffifay, and a bottle of water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Surprisingly, an older though trustworthy gentleman in his 60’s or so
approached me and asked if I’d like to borrow a flashlight to set up my
“camp”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took it and thanked him for
offering it to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We make small talk
and he offers to have me join him and his family for dinner that night over at
their RV set ups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, lots of red
flags should be going off, but he was genuinely kind and I saw his family,
which included a few generations of people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Plus, the idea of having a nice hot meal sounded great – at least
significantly better than me hanging out in my dark car, eating cheese puffs,
and listening to music all by myself until I fell asleep. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
When I was done getting everything together I headed over to
their camp, which was so nice and well set up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were three families there and they told me stories about how they
all came about camping there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The three
eldest couples had all met in high school and were high school
sweethearts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had been camping
together there in Shasta every year since they were in high school – that’s a
solid 40 years of camping together!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
found that absolutely incredible and all the other family around them were
their own children and grandchildren helping keep the tradition alive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sat around the fire and they offered me
plenty of food to eat, shared stories with me, I shared my adventure with them,
and introduced me to their children of which one of them I learned was the
accountant for the Grateful Dead of which at the time, I was a bit of a
deadhead, so it was particularly cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As the night waned, the offered for me to have breakfast with them
before I took off in the morning, of which I was happy to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I suppose that this is every parents worse nightmare of a scenario
that could potentially turn bad – an 18 year old girl with no real experience
in the world, no money, no cell phone, no one knew where I was at, alone an
hour deep into the woods at night, with no (real) food, and no first
aid/survival skills… yeah, it does sound bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But I don’t think I would have done it if I felt there was any real
danger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t get me wrong, I was
certainly a bit terrified, but I was more terrified of the unknown rather than
something bad happening to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look back
on this and I wouldn’t have done any thing differently - it changed my life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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Because of that night, this chance encounter with strangers
in the middle of nowhere (quite literally!), changed who I was and my faith in
going into the unknown alone. That’s not
to say that I don’t take certain precautions, but I learned that I can’t be
scared of my fellow human beings either.
Most people in this world are good people. And because of these leaps of faith with the
universe that I’ve taken numerous times in my life, going into a very foreign
scenario alone, I have ended up meeting some incredible people with amazing gifts to share that I would
never have met and I likely wouldn’t have had those experiences
otherwise. It seems when I open up, so
does the universe. </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/446349013040246691/" target="_blank">via Steve Motley</a></span></div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-40198899170916916642014-01-05T20:51:00.002+07:002014-01-05T20:53:24.399+07:00FLASH TRAVEL: SEOUL <div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How could I not love this face?! This guy is hilarious!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every country has their version of meat on a stick, and this one happens to be several different kinds on a stick</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Floor to ceiling and aisles and aisles of gift wrap!!!</td></tr>
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<br />
On my way back to the states, I scheduled the longest
layover I could find online with the cheapest tickets available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t really care where I would be
landing, I just wanted to explore another country for free (essentially).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I found a flight that had a 16 hour
layover in Seoul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The unfortunate thing
was that it would land at 11pm so that wasn’t exactly ideal, though I’ve done
it before in Kuala Lumpur and wandered around all night for a 7am flight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time I decided to sleep in the airport
until 7am and then head into the city for the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Upon arrival in Seoul, all of the bigger lounge chairs had
been taken as well as the benches and such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So I found a nice little spot in a restaurant with bench seating that
was dark and hidden enough away that it would be difficult to spot me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After making sure it would be difficult to
take my bag with all of my most important items without waking me, I fell
asleep just fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the morning, the
employees of the restaurant were setting up around me and woke me around 7am
when it was time for them to open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
groggily woke up and got myself to immigration where I was given a day visa,
got my maps at the information booth, and set out for the hour-long train to
take me into the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trouble with
flying through different time zones and sleeping in uncomfortable and sometimes
loud public areas is that you don’t really get <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">quality</i> sleep so unfortunately I fell asleep on the train on the
way in, and fortunately, a local had woken me up at the last stop and luckily
the correct stop for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I arrived at their central train station where all modes of
transportation converged on several levels and of course, in a new language to
adapt to while I am still half asleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
frustrating as trying to figure out where I’m going and how to get there can
be, I’m in my element when I have no idea what I’m doing or where I’m really
going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a great opportunity to
interact with locals and ask around for directions of which they were happy to
direct me to the subway station and were curious as to where I’m from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Often times, entering into a new country and city where the
first place you’re going into is the busiest part of the city (a transportation
hub) in cramped areas, freezing weather, loud, screeching trains, foreign
languages around you, and the weird smells can really be an assault on the
senses <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">especially</i> when you’re
tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But somehow, I have found
absolute pleasure in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As peeved as I
can initially be, I love it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
absolutely love the shock to my system while I try and adapt to this new
foreign environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unfortunately, when I finally got outside, the shock I
didn’t expect was the blast of FREEZING COLD air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had just come out of SE Asia where it was
95 degrees and humid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even with all of
my winter gear on, it didn’t prepare me for Seoul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thing is, I forgot how cold ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cold’ </i>really was!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was like going straight into a walk-in
freezer and then closing the door and never letting me out for the entire
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was painful, literally painfully
cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since I was only in Seoul for a day, I’m not going to pretend
I know where to go or make any real recommendations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to a large outdoor market where I was
fascinated with the hustle and bustle of daily life - where the streets were
coated in inches of ice, dozens of tiny Korean barbeque restaurants were nestled
side by side in small walkways and the hot food beckoned for me to not only sit
down and enjoy a dish or five but also to stay close to the fire so I could be warm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved meeting this one vendor who made a
sort of candy out of flour and honey where the process was almost like making
taffy, but instead this confectionary delight came out looking like delicious,
delicate webs – yet he was the highlight of it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He obviously had a flair for entertaining and
for being a people person, so between him and his really unique product, he had
been on television several times and was able to entertain me with his
wonderful personality and smile while showing off his product.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the market, I headed to the Royal Palace to catch the
changing of the guards which I’m really glad that I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved their dazzling, colorful costumes
using every jewel-toned color along with accents in feathers and shells.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Afterwards, it was wonderful to just wander
through the grounds that were covered in snow and appreciate the season that
I’ve never lived with being from Los Angeles and now living in Thailand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to admit; there is something quite
solemn and comforting of being in the snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s almost like it drives me to want to feel the warmth and
connectivity of others around me… but of course, I was doing Seoul alone, so it
left me wanting to snuggle up and be close to others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Funny thing how weather can do that to
people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m so use to living in really
warm weather that I do almost anything to avoid touching anything that might
make me sweat more, and there I was wanting the opposite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wish I had more time in Seoul to get to know it a little better, but I’m glad that I did get
to spend at least a day there. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m also glad
that I didn’t make a blind move to teach there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know many people say it’s a great place to live and teach and I’m sure
it is, but I can say even with the short period of time I was there, that it’s
not for me as it felt cold and industrial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to live in beautiful
places in the world where I smile when I step into the aesthetically and/or naturally beautiful world outside – which to me is gorgeous architecture, urban
design, and landscape – a place where my soul can escape, be inspired, and wander.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, my soul didn’t connect with
their Seoul and that’s ok.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps I'll give it another try somewhere down the road…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some advice from my friend of places to go in Seoul when you
have only 10 hours to explore:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">10 hours would let you
jump onto the metro and head into downtown. Takes about 30 mins or you can take
the express bus. I would get off at Namdaemun - so you can visit the market there.
It's one of the biggest and craziest in Asia, you'll love it. Then you need to
head on over to the Royal Palace - it's close by. It's gorgeous and set against
a mountain in the north of Seoul, and there are always guards out in
traditional costume, so try and catch the changing of the guard, it's really
something. Explore the palace grounds, and make sure not to miss the secret
garden. It's stunning. Then you're going to want to hop in a cab and ask the
driver to take you to a restaurant that serves Galbi and/or Samgyeoupsal -
traditional Korean barbecue. If there's still time, take a taxi or the metro to
N Seoul Tower - also called Namsan Tower - wicked views of the city and the
tower itself is neat. Take a lock and leave it there for good luck, haha. No
real recommendation for Korean food on the specific restaurant front - make
sure you try street food at the market, and any of the 1 billion traditional Korean
barbeque restaurants will be as good as any other! <o:p></o:p></i></div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-63686075368114005692013-12-12T04:22:00.000+07:002013-12-12T13:43:35.685+07:00FOR THE CONSUMMATE TRAVELER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBwI32R_SqniEO1UPJPFnqoFxHQU0K9QfTx3MXNK2MEqk10PxhRqgVs_unLHzch4CII-Ti3Gfg_DpxjBDqWLgjVGPLdWwBfe5-lffhbc_h4Fk4yypo5rVIa8i-IKUmpDFN6_pDxjQwg8/s1600/Gifting+traveler.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBwI32R_SqniEO1UPJPFnqoFxHQU0K9QfTx3MXNK2MEqk10PxhRqgVs_unLHzch4CII-Ti3Gfg_DpxjBDqWLgjVGPLdWwBfe5-lffhbc_h4Fk4yypo5rVIa8i-IKUmpDFN6_pDxjQwg8/s640/Gifting+traveler.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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As I surf through my virtual world of blog-land, pretty much
every site has some version of a “wish list” and perfect "gift-giving ideas" for
the significant other, kids, parents, siblings, hostesses, pet-lovers, and friends (of course
covering the different types of people, glamour-gal, boho-chic, minimalist,
artistic, earthy, the gal that has everything, trendy, etc.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For someone like myself who lives a more
minimalist life in which I know that in the not too distant future I will have to
pack up my stuff again and set out for my next destination, so acquiring “stuff” isn’t realistic or
conducive to my lifestyle anymore even if I do <i>really </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">want</i> it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I thought about it, what kind of gifts would a consummate
traveler or expat (who moves often) really like?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> H</span>ere’s a list of a few things I can think
of that are helpful for just about any traveler (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hint:</i> think digital and/or lightweight/easily packable)…<o:p></o:p></div>
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For the traveler you’re not going to spend time with in
person:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Premium Spotify account for a year - this is essentially like Pandora and iTunes all rolled into one where the member can create their own playlists and listen to just about any music that exists online without buying it plus they can listen to it offline for when they're on a long ride. Premium accounts work for long-term travelers as the other accounts are not made for travel beyond two-weeks. iTunes
gift cards are always great too for new apps, music and movies.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Google Drive account (or some other online
backup) for a year - great for a person that works off their laptop and without an external hard drive for large storage backup of their computer or specific files.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Air miles or airline tickets home - many travelers travel on very tight budgets and expats often make less than they did in their former lives. Any financial relief especially for plane tickets is always appreciated.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Amazon gift card - good for Kindle books (why would a person travel with large and heavy books??) and so much more!</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Travel insurance through providers like World Nomads
for whatever number of months of travel - no one should ever travel without travel insurance as it often covers most activities that people do while they travel that they wouldn't normally do at home (i.e. white water rafting, trekking, scuba diving, sky diving, etc), changes/cancellations in travel, stolen personal property, and even disaster/emergency services like evacuations which would normally cost a small fortune if you have to pay directly. </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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For the traveler you’ll spend time with over the holidays:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Gift cards to stores like Target, REI, Amazon so
they can stock up on essential items for travel again and/or are unable to find
those items in the country they reside in.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Dinner at their favorite restaurant or fast food
restaurant, especially Mexican food (THE most difficult food to find abroad
that is done well), steak or burgers (the meat around the world just tastes a tad
too different,</span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> especially</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> in</span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">undeveloped/developing countries), and
what Californian doesn’t miss an In n Out burger??</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Or even Chipotle?!</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">A decent bottle of wine (unless they now live in
France, Italy, Australia, Chile, or America).</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Wine is often transported in warm conditions so it’s not always good
once it arrives and is extremely expensive to buy abroad due to it being an import
and taxes.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Even better, take them wine
tasting at a vineyard or wine shop - believe me, they'll savor every sip!</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">It’s
a luxury to drink a half decent bottle abroad so almost any wine is better than no wine.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Also, good micro-brews also fall under this category.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">What I wouldn’t do for a really good bottle
of IPA!!</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">An off-beat gift especially for female
travelers, a self-defense class.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Sure,
we could </span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">all </i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">use this, but it’s
important for females going into uncertain areas in uncertain countries to have
some form self-defense.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">They’ll likely
never need it, but it never hurts to know too.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">An external battery that can charge just about any electronic device they (or their friends) travel with, perfect for those long bus/boat rides to read, play games, listen to music, or when you need to use your maps on your iPhone when you're lost. I got this </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0067TQQI8/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1" style="text-indent: -0.25in;" target="_blank">one</a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> and it's been really useful for me. I can get 3 full charges for my phone from it. There are a bunch of different ones on the market, so do your homework. </span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">A gift card (or take them shopping) to their favorite clothing store. Clothes do not fit the same all over the world. Especially here in Asia where the people are much smaller than Westerners. Nothing makes you feel better about yourself than wearing 2XL! And if you're a backpacker, your clothes get worn out very quickly! So it's good to get what you know will fit.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">A gift card (or take them shopping) for perfume/cologne. Now, let me explain this one as it seems a bit of a luxury. Thing is, when you travel, it's nice to have the comforts of the familiar, including personal scents. After a traveler has been traveling for a long time, sweating for days on end, smelling all sorts of funk that comes out of the sewers here, the weird food smells, and the mildewy hostel dorm rooms, a little piece of luxury lies in a bottle in your bag and can instantly change your mood from feeling ugh(!) to feeling pretty awesome about yourself. </span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">A goodie bag of their favorite candy/snacks,
especially items from Trader Joes!</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br />
It’s funny that when I started to live abroad, I started
craving things that I no longer had access to that I would generally never want
when I was home. It’s the wanting what I
can’t have. Like Red Vines - I <i>CANNOT</i> find Red Vines here in
Thailand! So naturally I
crave them all the time. And here, we <i>all </i>crave items from back home and we
often talk about it. We miss the
familiarity of certain things from back home, especially food.<br />
<br />
While I think we all appreciate any gift that we receive, it’s
just that if the gifter is going to GIVE something, they should keep in mind that a traveler doesn’t always have the
space or available weight in their luggage/backpack to transport some items
abroad and sometimes, some items won't be allowed through customs. Travelers and expats have needs and wants that are very specific to their way of travel or where they live (I’d love to
receive some 30% DEET mosquito repellant with 12-hour release over a pair of
fuzzy socks any day of the week!). But at the end of the day, I believe just spending time with a traveler over a home-cooked meal
with a bottle of wine, catching up, and having some laughs together is the best
gift of all. If you can't do it in person, set up a Skype date. Just because you're not in person doesn't mean you can't share a glass of wine or beer together while catching up and sharing in the holiday spirit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Links: <a href="http://spotify.com/" target="_blank">spotify</a> // <a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/?cid=OAS-US-DOMAINS-itunes.com" target="_blank">itunes</a> // <a href="https://drive.google.com/" target="_blank">google drive</a> // <a href="http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=3063530011" target="_blank">amazon</a> // <a href="http://www.worldnomads.com/index.aspx#axzz2nCTVdm9u" target="_blank">world nomads</a> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.thesweetestoccasion.com/2011/12/kraft-paper-gift-wrapping/" target="_blank">kraft gift wrapping</a></span></div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-66482651096231815022013-10-13T14:32:00.001+07:002013-11-13T11:25:57.988+07:00SIEM REAP - Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yeah, I did a post on Siem Reap over a year ago, which was
labeled part 1… and I never got around to posting part two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bad blogger!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So here’s the rest...<o:p></o:p></div>
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I certainly couldn't go to Cambodia without seeing an
Apsara show so what I thought was my last night there, I went to see one along Pub Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what a beautiful
display of dance and storytelling!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
costumes are gorgeous and the music is all acoustic, played by five musicians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each hand gesture, body pose, and costumes
all have their own meaning to tell a different story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These women and men have been studying and
dancing for years and the result is nothing short of a mesmerizing and graceful
art form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Often, I get a hankering to explore a town and go find some
shops/galleries/crafts that I’ve heard about, and will rent a motorcycle or
bicycle to get to these destinations… sometimes though, either the map is
inaccurate or I’m just lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day, I
decide to go to this rehabilitation art gallery at the Children’s Hospital in
town, and unfortunately I didn’t know that there were two hospitals, so I
missed the opportunity to go see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, along the way, I wandered into a part of town where the locals
live, no tourists in sight, and come upon this huge field with at least 12
volleyball courts and just as many people to fill every single one of those
courts playing games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For someone like
myself where I love and miss volleyball, this was pretty <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">AWESOME</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had no idea that
they loved volleyball so much here!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Should I ever go back there or even live there, you can find me at the
courts daily!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another great thing to do is eat at a restaurant that
supports worthy causes like Les Jardins des Delices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The menu is amazing, the setting lovely and
most of all, you’re helping students train in the hospitality industry in
either front or back of house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
prices are quite reasonable and the menu is changed seasonally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you get a chance, please go there and
support them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the many great things in Siem Reap is that they
really help local students, people in rehabilitation from the affects of war
and landmines (that us Americans so lovingly left behind), and support local
artists like the shop Rehab Craft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oftentimes, when you purchase an item, there is a picture of the person
that made it which really does add a nice personal touch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So many great things, so little time
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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One place that I fell in love with is Scenteurs d’Angkor and
their workshop located a couple of miles from the center of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They arrange free transportation and you get
a nice personalized tour to see how they make all of their beautiful baskets
and boxes, candles, oils, spices, packaging, coffee, and such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the people they employ there came
from the background of the art they create and are further taught additional
skills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to the items they
don’t make, like silver boxes, and glassware, they utilize local companies and
artists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I watched two ladies doing
some packaging for one of the nicest hotels in town, so you know that
everything they make are top quality products.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another wonderful thing about Siem Reap is it’s Children’s
Hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Free healthcare for children,
it’s that simple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a large and nice
hospital where even tourist’s children can get free healthcare too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it’s an amazing thing for people who
are so poor, many of the locals are scared of the hospital as they either don’t
trust them, have misconceptions about what it is, or they don’t know that it is
FREE. There is a lack of communication and education within the society that
they often don’t seek the care that they need. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The country has seen so much death and
hospitals are rarely thought of as a good thing, so children aren’t brought
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope with time that will
change.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This one night I’m out wandering the streets exploring by
bicycle and come upon a little school housed in what appears to be the patio of
a house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in this school, they were
teaching English to the village children for free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A big ol’ sign saying that people could
volunteer to teach there, just email them, one could even leave a donation for
school supplies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stood there watching
a Cambodian woman teaching English for about 5 minutes when one of the teachers
approached me to come and help teach a class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had no idea what I was doing and I could barely understand what the
teacher was trying to explain to me as her English had a very thick Khmer
accent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First they introduced me to the
class and then the class recited some questions they learned like what is my
job and do I have any brothers or sisters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I did a few lessons, helped correct the pronunciation of words with the
kids and then we played some games like “Simon Says” and sang songs that they
knew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a great time, the kids were
enormously appreciative and the teachers asked me back again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That felt good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great experience and gave me a nice
little intro to what it would be like to teach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">If you get a chance, go to the McDermott Gallery (two locations but I prefer the one along the road to Angkor Wat) to see some of the most stunning photos of many of the temples. He specializes in black and white and sepia prints that make the temples seem so magical with flowing robes of novice monks, locals riding elephants along the gates, statues on temples protecting the temples and overlooking the vast views. I highly recommend going in there for some inspiration before heading out to the temples. </span></div>
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I loved Siem Reap even with it being a tourist town… so much
to do, so much to see and enjoy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plan a
few more days there to really enjoy all the city has to offer besides temple
fever.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Plus, I’ve got some recommendations for ya:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shopping:<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- The Night Market for
the usual stuff of trinkets, scarves, and such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are several night markets, but the one I liked the most is the big
one and the best scarf place with real handmade scarves, and not just the
checked scarves, but they do have those including some made in silk and raw
silk, the ones I’m talking about are a lovely weave of various cotton and
they’re thick like a blanket (thus why I got one for New Zealand’s winter).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They occupy a large space and have a loom
there so you can’t miss it, near the corner somewhere.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- Rehab Craft<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- Scenteurs d’ Angkor<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- Les Chantier Ecoles<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Restaurants and bars:<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- Viva Mexican Food:
Not bad Mexican, but not great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It hits
the spot and it’s cheap<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- Noodle<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- Café Central<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- X Bar at the end of
Pub Street has good tunes, a more mellow and older crowd than the bars on Pub
Street and has pool and foosball tables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I spent most of my drinking time here.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- The Red Piano
Restaurant is a wonderful Belgian restaurant with a great selection of Belgian
beers, fries, food, and good music.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- Blue Pumpkin
Restaurant for delicious gelato<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- Café Central<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- Le Tigre de Papier
for Italian food<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- Cambodian BBQ in the
alley where you essentially bbq your own food but it does have an interesting
selection of exotic meats including snake, crocodile, kangaroo, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">- And of course I
always recommend trying the street food<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Apsara show: <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Temple Bar on Pub
Street. You can get some cheaper food there and get a great show upstairs above
the bar all while staying closer in town and walking to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The show lasts about 1-1.5 hours with some
traditional music prior to showtime at 7:30pm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stunning show, worth going to a backpacker bar for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Massages:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can get a fish massage just about
anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went where the water was
clean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that’s the most you can
hope for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But don’t go over the amount
of time you’re allotted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The guy was being
nice and let me stay longer, but the fish ate too much skin so my feet felt
tender for a few days afterwards and then I worried about having some sort of
bacterial infection… though I didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
just had that much skin to remove and my feet and nerves weren’t use to
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a great Cambodian massage
there from a woman with great, strong hands… but I don’t remember what the name
of the place is, so too bad for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Either way, massages are still cheap there, like $5-8/hour.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Enjoy all that Siem
Reap has to offer!!<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-31070073392405311292013-09-27T08:57:00.003+07:002013-11-13T11:25:45.547+07:00MISSING GRANDPA<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSB22aPxJTivci-uTdu02DgsVLD4SzLVyg2dkQbZh640iZf1vFRKPjGo4W9YMAhBWXf9q-PQYsI6QbfoE7i96ceGJ_P2AwjOeOQASZQ3T4MPHvuz_BDaXuO0rpscZbyxjH7p3RjSoA8E/s1600/IMG_0664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSB22aPxJTivci-uTdu02DgsVLD4SzLVyg2dkQbZh640iZf1vFRKPjGo4W9YMAhBWXf9q-PQYsI6QbfoE7i96ceGJ_P2AwjOeOQASZQ3T4MPHvuz_BDaXuO0rpscZbyxjH7p3RjSoA8E/s640/IMG_0664.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My grandpa reminds me of a little boy in this photo. I think that's all he was, a big kid.</td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uHIG9xIc1V9tXFcOTH6AX1oQGlrFwGWkVGYSg-eyxpPsTwazEcCi8x0BpMXU45WMqtzexhdhomGKrUIMSVbu-T_sCzvzE9TOscfFgkdaHzikLvTGw9h7KkEM2ozm2iAwwfgykg_LPdU/s1600/IMG_0812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uHIG9xIc1V9tXFcOTH6AX1oQGlrFwGWkVGYSg-eyxpPsTwazEcCi8x0BpMXU45WMqtzexhdhomGKrUIMSVbu-T_sCzvzE9TOscfFgkdaHzikLvTGw9h7KkEM2ozm2iAwwfgykg_LPdU/s640/IMG_0812.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My grandpa and grandma while at our last family dinner</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpy6ftqvunEkspfjg8kOO9hh2YHcPOaVEBhT178p9L07FybVw4xJg_T4a5KbJ6bMzNKji2D00ku8H6ooKAyEwlt-uMmhszDBhhh2elDGvGBJXct5ZurpKNbHd7Tje_PJjKf-CCrNIU9rk/s1600/Marlyn+and+April.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpy6ftqvunEkspfjg8kOO9hh2YHcPOaVEBhT178p9L07FybVw4xJg_T4a5KbJ6bMzNKji2D00ku8H6ooKAyEwlt-uMmhszDBhhh2elDGvGBJXct5ZurpKNbHd7Tje_PJjKf-CCrNIU9rk/s640/Marlyn+and+April.jpg" width="534" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandpa and I during Christmas when I was about 4 years old. Yep, I'm rockin' an awesome bowl cut.<br />
Please note the island sunset wallpaper, orange bean bag and orange/brown linoleum floors. Classic 70's.</td></tr>
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My grandpa had the best laugh <i>EVER</i>. Hands down, no contest. Best laugh <i>EVER.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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It was distinctive and it came from the pit
of his soul. I loved his laugh. It was a chuckle and a laugh all rolled into one. He giggled and laughed at just about
everything. He and my grandma used to go
to my volleyball games when I was a teenager and I don’t think either of them
knew how the game was played but he use to giggle whenever something good would
happen. Even my teammates noticed and
loved his laugh too. As a child, he use
to tickle me all the time until I cried.
He was always full of laughter and fun, and it was contagious. I miss that about him.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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My grandpa passed away a few months ago and it was unexpected for me as his health had taken a turn for the worse quite quickly. The last time I saw him was at our family dinner before I officially moved to Thailand and I'm glad that we had those moments together so we could all be together one last time. Living abroad has made it more difficult to deal with his passing or being there for my family as I feel helpless out here not being able to be there for them. I am fortunate though that they all understand and support the decisions I've made in my life and that it comes with sacrifices too. I left with a comforted heart knowing my family was in general good health and more importantly had each other to help, love, and support each other. Without that, I would not have been able to make this move.</div>
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It makes me happy though, that whenever I think of him the first thing that comes to mind is his laugh, that <i>full</i>-bellied laugh. And when he smiled, his <i>entire</i> face smiled. I like that what he left with me, is his gift of smile and laughter. My grandparents had been together for a long and wonderful 45 years and through
thick and thin they took care of each other and endured everything life had
thrown at them with grace and fortitude. I’m a lot like my grandma, we’re very strong-minded and
opinionated women. We need a champion who can handle us, balance us, and love us for the feisty women that we are. My grandma is incredibly lucky that she
had that champion in my grandpa. He was such a
lovely and kind man with a heart of gold, a good provider, and the best grandpa who <i>still</i> makes me smile and hear his laugh.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-84329410253116815002013-08-25T15:31:00.000+07:002013-11-13T11:26:39.139+07:00TIMES UNTOLD BY TRADE MONKEY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As many of you know, I left America to travel
the world and embark on a journey to learn more about other cultures and ways
of the world. For myself, I wanted to do something good, contribute positively
in this world, and hopefully be an inspiration for change in others.<br />
<br />
Along my travels, I met Mark and Alana who have become close friends of mine
here in Chiang Mai. Inspired by their travels in Thailand, they wanted to do
one simple idea, MAKE A SMALL CHANGE IN THE WORLD. And in this simple concept
they created Trade Monkey, a company to help independent local artists here in
Northern Thailand and connect them to the rest of the world to share their
handicrafts while creating better living through economic opportunities for
them.<br />
<br />
In Mark and Alana’s words, “Our overall mission is to enable micro-enterprise
businesses to sustain themselves and thrive, while contributing locally to
social, economic, and environmental sustainability. We hand select the items we
sell to bring you awesome, unique handmade products. You know where, and who
your product comes from.”<br />
<br />
Let’s face it; aren’t you all tired of lining the pockets of corporations who
clearly do not operate fair trade while making huge profits? Then put your
money where your mouth is and help support socially responsible business
practices in putting the money back into the artists’ pocket. Be a part of the
change in this world and help support Trade Monkey’s vision.<br />
<br />
To help them off the ground, they have created a Rocket Hub campaign where we
can all contribute. As Trade Monkey has said, this is "not an investment
or charity. It is an exchange: funds from supporters for Goods from us.
"While I know many of you are backpackers on tight budgets and new
families with babies and mortgages, I’m asking you all to be a part of the
change in this world starting with your spare change at $1, something we all
know we can part with. For those of you who can contribute more than $10,
expect to find some lovely goods in the mail. This way, you don’t have to buy
that plane ticket to Thailand to get some awesome stuff and you can feel good
about supporting artists here.<br />
<br />
For some of my friends back home, perhaps we didn’t have birthday
cocktails/dinner or exchange Christmas gifts this year. For any food, booze, or
gifts you might have given me, I’d rather see that money go towards someone and
something useful in this world instead of fattening my ass, decaying my liver,
or adding another object into my storage unit that I may not see for many
years. If you could find yourself on my friends’ Rocket Hub page contributing
those dinners, drinks or “things” you might have given me, I would be
enormously grateful and we can all feel good about being a system of change.<br />
<br />
Please check out their Rocket Hub page here: <a href="http://www.rockethub.com/projects/30587-times-untold-a-socially-responsible-fashion-line" target="_blank">Trade Money on Rocket Hub</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Or their like their Facebook page here: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TradeMonkey" target="_blank">Trade Monkey on Facebook</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And yeah, I took the photos...</span></div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-20091989083697677902013-08-05T23:26:00.001+07:002013-11-13T11:26:54.330+07:00THE $25 BIRTHDAY PARTY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQOGlVM31UgxTpOOt50f8W19PzD7vii3JsVE23UvXtwbN6J_YkmUIUDo0fGLnJeSh2SLL0aUNNGZSTMRuqOyJmK9rNj9TgXQfeywVxlL3f-u_uYAmTV-A2BmmRGty5ddZShcRTm3qcbg/s1600/IMG_4493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQOGlVM31UgxTpOOt50f8W19PzD7vii3JsVE23UvXtwbN6J_YkmUIUDo0fGLnJeSh2SLL0aUNNGZSTMRuqOyJmK9rNj9TgXQfeywVxlL3f-u_uYAmTV-A2BmmRGty5ddZShcRTm3qcbg/s640/IMG_4493.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seems to be one happy birthday girl</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
A few months back, when I first got to my mom’s town, she let me know that it
was one of my great-niece’s (the one that looks a bit like me when I was a kid)
birthday the following day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was pretty
stoked about that as I’ve never attended a child’s birthday in Thailand and
it’d be fun to help her celebrate and take photos of her and her friends – they
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">LOVE</i> having their photo taken!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the very least I could do and my one
small contribution to the day since I clearly wasn’t prepared to bring a gift,
then I could later bring a photo album next time I come to visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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The next day, I wake up and ask if we should go into town to
get some items for her birthday and I find out that her mom was having some financial challenges so no party, which apparently disappointed my great-niece as all her friends have
birthday parties that she goes to and she wasn’t able to have one on her
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I tell my mom I’m happy to
contribute to the party as whenever I visit, they typically don’t let me pay
for anything since I’m a guest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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So, my mom orders a custom cake which takes a few hours to
make and I find out the price for the two small cakes is 260 baht – a mere
$8.50.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Include some snacks, dinner,
drinks, etc. for the party and it comes out to less than $25 (that includes
lunch for the adults too).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To see the
look on her face when she finds out that she is going to have a party for her
and her friends is absolutely priceless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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A birthday party out in the country entails this: several
little girls getting together, swinging off tree branches from a platform only
to get dirty and hurt themselves on occasion, going out in the nearby field and
sing songs with a dance routine, then do some sort of game where one of them
acts like a sergeant and gives commands, followed by a game of tag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did I mention that this field where they’re
playing is where the buffalo often hang out in and there’s buffalo shit
everywhere?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, they all get together to have snacks
and dinner together, followed up with cake, and then coloring pictures together
with many giving their drawing to the birthday girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not too different than regular Western
parties, however this one is out in the country under a rusted tin roof structure,
no theme, no matching décor, dirt ground, an old broken desk with ants all over
it, plastic mats on an old wooden platform, two hammocks, a strange mish-mash
of ropes, spliced tires and nails holding everything up, and a cement patio
table that looks like a tree with blue insides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These girls don’t know what it’s like to have a themed party and you
know what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had an amazing
time. They probably had a better time! No expectations of gifts or what she didn't get, and she didn't miss what she's never had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Goes to show me that you just
don’t need all that crap to have a good time with friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(See!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know why I left doing events for a living!)</i></div>
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One thing I learned about Ip, the birthday girl is, is that
she takes care of people. Maybe it’s
because she’s the eldest child of two, with a little sister who is a big
handful and hasn’t had the luxury of being selfish. When dinner was coming out, she was setting
the plates and utensils out, getting cups out and filling them with ice and
soda, then for her own cake, she was lighting the candles with a little help
from her friends, then after she blew out the candles, she put the candles on
another cake for her little sister (she can’t be left out of the celebrations
so another cake was ordered for her), lit them and lead the procession to her
sister. The
entirety of her party she was taking care of others, not stomping around like it was "her day" and that the world should revolve around her for that particular day. And even when it was time to blow out the
candles, she bowed her head (doing a proper Thai wai) and did a prayer. How many children do you know pray before
blowing out their birthday candles?? I’m pretty
sure she wasn’t wishing for the new the PlayStation either. I think the typical prayer involves good
health and luck - but who knows, I'm not young girl, she could be hoping Justin Beiber comes to find her in her village, though I'm pretty sure that's <i>not </i>the case. This little girl is
pretty special and I hope she gets every opportunity to succeed in her life and
able to celebrate the day that she was born every year. </div>
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-2450131631544822362013-07-15T22:31:00.002+07:002013-11-13T16:24:15.016+07:00NICE LITTLE REMINDERS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just as I was leaving school today to rush across town to my Thai class, the dark clouds that had been looming in the horizon all day had finally landed directly on top of me. It always seems to be <i>right</i> at 5pm, the rain begins (how lucky for me!). The tail-tale signs were there that at any moment it was gonna hit - suddenly it gets very windy and within minutes, it dumps. And by dump, I mean fire hoses coming down on me. So I put on my rain gear (basically, it's a shaped, thin garbage bag masquerading as a "poncho") mostly to keep the water off of my backpack that houses my beloved laptop and iPhone.<br />
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So I get onto my motor scooter knowing full well that riding any sort of motorcycle in the rain is extremely dangerous. You know it's bad when the Thai motorcyclists pull over to wait until the rain slows down. But of course, I don't run on Thai time, I run on American time so I must get to Thai lessons! Immediately, my long, cotton skirt is soaked, and luckily I'm wearing flip flops so my leather shoes don't get ruined, but one thing I didn't consider in my brilliant decision to ride with flip flops - my feet were getting cold! So, it's pouring and I'm on a motorbike and the rain honestly feels like little pebbles smacking me all over my body - it hurts. And because there's so much rain on the ground, there are no "high" spots where hydroplaning is less of an issue, so everyone drives at less than half their regular speed (ok, for me it's less than half my regular speed because regular is at 90km/hr) ...Moving along... by the time I get to school, I'm soaked, cold, fingers and toes all wrinkly, and irritated with myself for never studying Thai so I'm walking straight into frustration with new materials presented in class and reviewing things I just cannot remember. <br />
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I suffer through class albeit freezing cold as my clothes are soaked and the AC and fans in there are on full blast. Once class was over, I promptly leave to get home and out of my wet clothes. I was in a pretty shitty mood to be honest. I just wanted to be dry and warm, to get into a hot shower, lay in bed and watch a movie like it was a cold autumn night. (What a thought! I want to be warm for <i>once </i>while in Thailand!!) When I park my bike at home, relieved that I'm back in one piece, only a few hundred feet from that hot shower and bed, I look up at the sky and notice a firefly flying around. I've never seen one in the city here as they're typically out in the rural areas outside of town. It was such a lovely reminder that not only could my day turn around so quickly and be happy about seeing something that's so small and still pretty awesome in my book, but it was also a nice reminder as to why I moved to this wonderful city - it's sheer natural beauty. I love riding on motorbikes. I love rain - even dumping rain. I don't always like them together but I still get a little thrill riding in the rain even when I'm complaining. <i>Cold? April, shut up. When was the last time you were cold in S.E. Asia since all you do is SWEAT?? Love it up and move on! </i>Who knew that one <i>tiny (but beautiful)</i> insect could change my entire perspective around.<br />
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<i>Above: Up at a little side temple at the most popular temple in Chiang Mai up on Doi Suthep</i><br />
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-38826906572161583552013-06-23T21:52:00.000+07:002013-11-13T16:24:40.699+07:00LOOKING BACK: Vietnam 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I didn't know what to expect when I was going to Vietnam besides those triangular hats and rice paddy fields. You can imagine my surprise when I arrived at the airport in Hanoi, when I was bombarded by insane taxi drivers all aggressively in my face wanting a fare. I ended up sharing a cab with a guy I met on the plane who had initially negotiated our fare for the cab, but when the cab was dropping him off, it seems the fare switched on us that it was double the price for the two of us. So, the situation became a bit hairy and let's just say that he threatened to call the police on us. And that was just the beginning of the insanity that is Vietnam. My time there would be filled with plenty of other aggressive locals in my face trying to sell me some <i>thing</i>. Days would be filled, literally filled with thousands of motorcycles crowding the streets while I played my own real-life version of the video game Frogger. <br />
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Most people who walk away from Vietnam will say that it's crazy, the people agressive, they sound like they're yelling at you, and it's just... well, different. It's not anything like the rest of SE Asia and it's definitely not for everyone and that's ok. I was blown away by how gorgeous Vietnam is, how a society was able to rebound and rebuild itself after a devastating war that was merely a few decades ago, and how incredible the food is all over the country... ok, and how cheap the beer is. You know a country is on to something when the beer is cheaper than bottled water!<br />
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I went for three weeks and stayed for six. It got a hold of me and then I was the one that didn't want to let go in the end. I traveled with some incredible people there many of whom I still keep in touch with, have seen since, and will see again. I even lost a friend there. But just as life and the Vietnamese do, we move forward, rebuild, and remember those who were in our life for even the briefest of moments. Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-37764603089625828852013-06-02T17:43:00.001+07:002013-11-13T16:25:23.174+07:00LOOKING BACK: Myanmar 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This was an impromptu trip. I didn't think I would make it there with the time that I had. I always <i>wanted</i> to go to Myanmar but was uncomfortable with traveling there on my own. So it all started as I was leaving my hostel in BKK, I asked if anyone in my room wanted my Lonely Planet - SE Asia travel book. One gal said she wanted it as she was going to travel to Myanmar. After chatting a while about traveling there, I invited myself to travel with her and her friend that I had yet to meet. So as we were exchanging information, she looked me up on Facebook and then asked me if I knew a particular person that I was once friends with in high school - my reply was yes. Small world, she use to date him for several years when he moved to Seattle after graduating from high school. After that, she and I were two peas in a pod while traveling through Myanmar. She's one of my favorite people I've ever traveled with. </div>
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Myanmar is the one country I can now say was one of the most foreign places I've ever traveled to. Everywhere else is set up nicely for tourists. At the time I went, Myanmar definitely was not. VIP buses? Nope. AC in buses? Definitely not. Tour companies set up in every town on every corner? Yeah, right. A backpackers party route? Thankfully, no. Locals looking to rip off tourists? Not at that time. Locals speaking English with tourists? Only in Yangon. ATM's or the ability to use a credit card? Hells no! It was foreign, untouched, authentic, and beautiful. The people are absolutely warm, curious, and incredible. I can't believe that I didn't put it on my original list of places to go. Should you ever decide to come to SE Asia, don't pass up the chance to go to this country before it becomes unrecognizable with an industrial age coming its way. You won't regret seeing the truly amazing and stunning country. </div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-45496469916745487882013-06-01T17:53:00.000+07:002013-11-13T16:26:55.041+07:00LOOKING BACK: Thailand 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is where the crazy started... right in the heart of Bangkok, good ol' BKK. Upon arrival, I didn't know that BKK would become my travel hub and home away from home. It's a busy, hot, polluted mess. But it also became my respite after all of my travels. I ceased to be a tourist/backpacker there and saw it as a place for me to restock my supplies, refuel my body with Western food, refuel my brain with new release films in shiny new movie theaters, buy clothing that could actually fit my Western body, function like I would in the US with it's great public transportation, and meet with friends and family for dinner and good, quality (imported) beers. </div>
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Thailand is also where I reconnected with my mother - the reason for me even coming to Asia in the first place. I'll be perfectly honest, I had zero desire to ever come to Asia. But after considerable thought and too many odd and interestingly well-timed messages from the universe, I realized that it didn't make sense to travel around the world when I had always wanted to reconnect with my mother and meet my Thai family. I had some emotional luggage I needed to deal with and what better time than (what was then) the present? </div>
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Now that I've traveled and am now living here, I can't say that somehow it was all meant to be and everything fell into place here - life just doesn't work like that. What it did was present more questions, more of life to consider in the long run, and more signs from the universe that I'm where I'm supposed to be for now until it's time to move again. I fell in love with Thailand, and more specifically with Chiang Mai. Between the incredible people whose culture I'm still trying to figure out daily, their unfaltering faith in Buddhism, their amazing resourcefulness, the crazy motorcycle drivers, the big green mountains covered in jungle, and the spicy Thai food is where I found a place I wanted to call home. </div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-50483814911424130112013-05-30T22:01:00.000+07:002013-11-13T16:27:14.678+07:00LOOKING BACK: 15,500 miles in South East Asia 2012 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's nice to reflect on where I've been, how far I've come, where I am now, remembering all the people I've met along the way that I've experienced such a different way of life with. I've been moving for a long time now and I need some rest... but only for a little bit. I'm often asked by new or curious travelers, what my favorite country/city is. I tell them, "different places for different reasons". Some places I would love to live in, others only to visit for a holiday, some just to relax and enjoy watching languid river life float by, others to party in, some to ride a bicycle around, many to just let yourself get lost in, a few places to pamper yourself, a few to have amazing meals in, and a couple to just lay on the beach and swim in warm, crystal-clear, blue waters.</div>
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While I'm thinking of it. I may as well share my favorite places for my various reasons. Sure, the list could be longer and more specific, but I'd really have to sit down and think about it and fumble through all of my files - however, I'm just too lazy for that.</div>
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FAVORITES LIST</div>
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<i>To live in: </i>If I could have chosen anywhere in Asia to live, it would have been in Laos, maybe more specifically Luang Prabang or Nong Kiew. Luang Prabang can be quite touristy, but I love the small town feel, but so many places to explore around it. It's a gorgeous town (UNESCO Heritage site!) and they have some really good food and especially really good French pastries - which is enormously difficult to find in Asia. </div>
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Nong Kiew because my soul connected with it instantly and I cried when I left. I didn't want to go. It's a sleepy little village north of Luang Prabang tucked away in the mountains that I traveled 7 hours by boat to get to. I'll do a post on it one day, but it was I place I gave some serious thought to moving and working there - however, it's nearly impossible for Westerners to get a job in Laos, let alone a tiny little village. </div>
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Hoi An, Vietnam was also another thought of living there - beautiful town, good food, decent expat scene, really nice Vietnamese locals, and it's near mountains but is on the ocean. Siem Reap, Cambodia was also another consideration, but frankly, it's way too touristy. With Angkor Wat located there, there wasn't any way to avoid tourists year-round. Hanoi, Vietnam is another as I love it's busy energy, but after some thought, I just wanted something more chill. </div>
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I decided Chiang Mai because it's a combination of all those things I stated before (sans ocean), but it's also a small city with character and soul. If I was going to live somewhere for a year, I needed to have at least one movie theater, all those other locations did not have a theater. Yep, it's the L.A. gal in me that can't deny herself the latest release films.</div>
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<i>Visit for a holiday: </i>Everywhere. Though technically for me, any beach is a holiday. I prefer to live surrounded by green mountains.</div>
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<i>Just relax and enjoy watching river life: </i>Nong Kiew, Laos though Don Det, Laos is a close second.</div>
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<i>Places to party in:</i> Hanoi, Vietnam; Bangkok, Thailand; the old Vang Vieng, Laos; Nha Trang, Vietnam; Halong Bay, Vietnam; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Boracay, Philippines. I realize there are a ton of places to get drunk and party in like the Full Moon Parties, but the cities I listed are some of my faves.</div>
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<i>Best place to ride a bicycle around: </i>Bagan, Myanmar and Hoi An, Vietnam.</div>
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<i>Places to get lost in either on foot, bicycle, bus, or whatever tickles your fancy:</i> Everywhere, but also Chiang Mai, Thailand; Hanoi, Vietnam; Siem Reap, Cambodia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.</div>
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<i>Pampering:</i> My idea of pampering varies, but it mostly involves massage. Best massages: Laos! Yep, I love Thai massages but traditional Laos massages take it up a notch and slightly less painful. My favorite is still in Vientiane well outside of the tourist area tucked behind some temple in the woods/jungle and it's one of my favorites partly because it's an herbal sauna place lit by a fire underneath the room and it's all outdoors. Best for everything else: Bangkok, Thailand. Anything and everything you've ever wanted done to you, can be done there for a fraction of what you would spend in the western world and the quality is just as good. </div>
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<i>Amazing meal towns:</i> Hoi An, Vietnam; Luang Prabang, Laos; Bangkok, Thailand; Chiang Mai, Thailand.</div>
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<i>Lay on the beach and swim: </i>Well, I hate to admit I still have yet to go to any Thai beach and yes, I know they will have the <i>best</i> beaches but I just haven't gotten around to going down there. So for the rest of Asia that I've been to: Bamboo Island (Koh Ru), Cambodia and Boracay, Philippines.</div>
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Should any one be considering coming to Asia, you can certainly take this list into consideration or just go out and discover it on your own, which I personally recommend but sometimes, one just doesn't have the time to do what I've done. </div>
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More looking back on individual countries soon...</div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-64799771055906752492013-05-29T22:14:00.002+07:002013-11-13T16:27:34.846+07:00LOOKING BACK: 16 months of travel <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So I've been thinking back on the last year and half as it's just <i>FLOWN </i>by! It's hard to describe to someone what an extended travel experience is like, except that it's subtly life changing. But as I've done this blog to share with you some of my experiences along the way, I wanted to somehow track where I'd been on a map just to see where on this Earth I've been to. After inputting the majority of the locations online, what at first seemed like I'd been everywhere is now "Geez! I've hardly been any where! I've got so many more places to experience!". So here's a glimpse of where all I've been to and some random facts about my travels - but I gotta say, <i>I've traveled enough miles to go around the Earth three times?! That's CRAZY!!!! </i> Hopefully one day I actually will complete a full loop around the world! </div>
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And then there's the whole number of miles I've sat on my ass - around 74,000 miles?! This is definitely a WTF moment. My intellect does not fail me in noticing that this could have something to do with my posterior getting a tad more "voluptuous" while I've traveled. But oh, it was so worth it!! And 15,000 miles by bus, ugh! I can't begin to tell you all I've seen, heard, witnessed, experienced, and even smelled from the seat of a bus (though not always<i> seated </i>per say), but traveling by bus has been 15,000 miles of all of my journeys amongst locals and friends... and of course some good, <i>loooooong</i> books!</div>
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Looking at this map above, it makes me realize I just haven't even scratched the surface of the world. I look forward to continue filling in the rest of the map in all of my days to come. </div>
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<i>Coming soon - post cards and map details of each trip...</i></div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-18757239399706565882013-05-08T23:07:00.002+07:002013-11-13T16:27:53.104+07:00FLASH TRAVEL IN KUALA LUMPUR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I decided to take on another form of travel that would allow
me to visit a country for just a short period of time – I would get long
layovers! I like to think of it as flash
travel. Why sleep in an airport when you
can get out and see the city?! So when I
left Australia, my next stop was Kuala Lumpur.
The thing is with my flash travel (and cheap ticket), I had only 6 hours
to check out the city from 11pm-5am, and I would have to be on foot for the
majority of the time since most public transportation was not open. Of course I didn’t do any homework as to
where I should go and with those
constraints, I decided to just wander around the city taking in whatever
adventure had in store for me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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As I stood in line at immigration, I looked around and
noticed that most of the people there were wearing Islamic attire. I honestly <i>did not</i> know that nearly half of
Malaysia was Muslim (<i>see, I really didn’t
do any homework), </i>so I suddenly felt <i>very
</i>inappropriately dressed in my shorts, t-shirt and flip-flops – not the way
to travel inconspicuously and especially where perceptions of women are a bit…
different. Had I done my homework, I
would have dressed a tad more appropriately (i.e. more clothing) for a single
gal to be wandering the streets in the middle of the night in a city I had
never been to. <o:p></o:p></div>
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After getting through immigration, I grabbed a free map then
headed to the last train out of the airport to the city. I got to the KL Central Station to take
another train another part of town, but unfortunately for me, they were all
closed. So one sketchy taxi ride to the
Bukit Batang area where supposedly there was some form of nightlife. The taxi drops me off and I just start
walking around with no idea of where to really go. Safe to say, Bukit Batang is a whole lot of (closed)
expensive shopping malls - definitely not what I was looking for! I decided to walk to the Petronas Towers
knowing full well my visit would be incomplete if I did not go there. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The towers are gorgeous!
And the best part, I was there as some clouds were rolling in creating
this ethereal setting around the towers.
It was such a beautiful experience to be there and watch the clouds come
in, drizzle a little rain and mist, lie below looking up at the towers from a
bench, and just listen to the sounds of the city. As much as I would have liked to have seen
the towers in the day and even go inside and up to the top floors, I wouldn’t
have traded that moment. It was truly unique and special to me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I continued to walk around the city, absorbing what little I
could see, observing life at night, admire the gorgeous styles of architecture
reflecting the Muslim, Chinese, and Colonial influences, made it to some
mosques, government buildings, a food market area, Chinatown, and even the old
railway station. The very little time I
was there, I covered a lot of ground and would definitely like to go back,
perhaps during the day next time. And
maybe figure out where to go or at least put a few days aside to travel by
subway and foot all over the city wandering yet again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In regards to my flash travel, I enjoyed the few hours I had
to check out the city and would definitely do it again. I took advantage of the little time I had and
I loved it no matter how tired I was for my flight! It was such a different
experience to walk around and see a city for the first time under the cover of
night all damp and misty with not many people around, no tourists, no idea of
what was where, and allow myself to be immersed in Eastern and Middle Eastern cultures – it was simply other-worldly. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>P.S. Sorry for the not-so-great photos. Night photography is not my strong suit.</i></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-8945955571797327862013-05-07T21:31:00.000+07:002013-11-13T16:28:24.884+07:00VALLEY OF THE GIANTS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8lMuU5kaXeLB4Thx1g6SCsEXGslyRFhc29OAQAH_L4x0XKELQLSfXIC45TW7SaiFbauAiyqsNUQ9vbxA_NE_r45HAR8nJu9yuBg1TinVhN0jJm0BoHMukt63-6K31BXPWLgjnigYerE/s1600/IMG_6140.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8lMuU5kaXeLB4Thx1g6SCsEXGslyRFhc29OAQAH_L4x0XKELQLSfXIC45TW7SaiFbauAiyqsNUQ9vbxA_NE_r45HAR8nJu9yuBg1TinVhN0jJm0BoHMukt63-6K31BXPWLgjnigYerE/s640/IMG_6140.1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhia8dmdSH7sWvRP9kF7nChyOKADlguM8zoexxwY5THavq2Qov77Ht3cjM5RTXpeXgJYyMh7SxhkpqG71lqFlSIfTgOA-8pVIiqacCibnOdnMlst3VMPzD0brDSaobELFEU_YB7K4OSda4/s1600/_MG_0392.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhia8dmdSH7sWvRP9kF7nChyOKADlguM8zoexxwY5THavq2Qov77Ht3cjM5RTXpeXgJYyMh7SxhkpqG71lqFlSIfTgOA-8pVIiqacCibnOdnMlst3VMPzD0brDSaobELFEU_YB7K4OSda4/s640/_MG_0392.2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo courtesy of Owen)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoX4WVCsLFmVIN0STghS4lLn2V3Zs5Vj5vc70JlPc9Cd6MFqxpuyU96uOAp4Gq6X71hqH31BI4DfgkNqWV9jxbJAOGBBndc19my8uWXqtnYv5GTItW1AsoVz3U5-dqTAgLiegXw43dutQ/s1600/_MG_0395.3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoX4WVCsLFmVIN0STghS4lLn2V3Zs5Vj5vc70JlPc9Cd6MFqxpuyU96uOAp4Gq6X71hqH31BI4DfgkNqWV9jxbJAOGBBndc19my8uWXqtnYv5GTItW1AsoVz3U5-dqTAgLiegXw43dutQ/s640/_MG_0395.3.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo courtesy of Owen)</td></tr>
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There are the little things that I notice while traveling
that markedly make each and every place unique – generally it’s the obvious
aesthetics like the people themselves, the architecture, and of course there’s
food, language and accents that help define the culture as well. On occasion it’s the various modes of
transportation, fashion, attitude and lifestyles of the people, and even the various
smells of the city/town (believe me, you know when you're in Bangkok just by the smell!). For me,
Australia was most defined by aussie-isms, vast amounts of land, and it's flora and fauna. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Nowhere in the world are many of the animals and plants that
are all over Australia found anywhere else.
Besides being home to the top 10 most dangerous/poisonous, flat out scary
animals/creatures in the world, it’s also home to some of the most gorgeous
vegetation and landscapes, the most incredible creatures that are both terrifying
and stunning at the same time. And the sounds, the most interesting, unique,
and beautiful sounds I have ever heard have come out of the birds that seem to
procreate by the millions there. Birds
that in America, we can only find in an exotic pet store or at the zoo, but
here, these rainbow-colored birds are sitting by the dozens if not hundreds in
one tree – and then multiply that by 20 trees on a street corner.
I once heard a bird doing beat-box for about 5 minutes – I kid you not,
beat box! And yes, it was a wild bird,
not one trained by a human. I’ve heard
birds doing trills and sing multiple notes simultaneously that I’m convinced no
bird in America has the vocal box or capability of achieving. It’s pretty magical to be walking alone
through the woods or along the beach and to hear something that stops me in my
tracks just to listen to them put on a little concert for me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Another thing I love about Australia are the vast amounts of
raw land that lends itself to such serene moments with very little to no
distractions of people, buildings, or noise pollution. There’s so much space there – it’s like a new
frontier! Owen and I were outside of
Walpole at the Valley of the Giants where these massive, old-growth Karri,
Tingle, and red Tingle trees towered over us.
Walking along a 40-meter high suspension bridge we mingled with the trees and had a great birds-eye perspective of the forest below. Luckily, not many tourists were there so we walked at
our own pace, slowly taking in the sheer height at which we were walking (this
walk is not for the faint of heart) but also to just feel a bit closer to the
trees and <i>really</i> get a good look at
them. I loved being up there, on these
bridges, with the ocean breeze coming through, smelling the freshly rained upon earth, and just listen to the wind
blowing through the trees and birds chirping away. Moments like those are truly breath taking
and now transport me back to such fond memories communing with nature and
having someone special there to experience it with.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-7578421722522842282013-05-07T18:06:00.001+07:002013-11-13T16:28:55.511+07:00KANGAROO TIME! Finally!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kangaroos and emus all living together harmoniously</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is where we camped - such a gorgeous campground!!! Perfect for sitting along the pond drinking wine at sunset.</td></tr>
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What is a trip to Australia without seeing a kangaroo in its natural habitat? So for the entirety of my time in Australia, traveling along the entire east coast, it wasn't until I got to WA that I finally saw my first kangaroo out in the wild. To me, it was a pretty incredible experience. We drove into this small town (that I honestly can't remember the name of), where upon entering into the center of this town is a small park and that was where I saw them first. My first kangaroo, hopping along the sidewalk. We get out of the car, grab some food, and walk up to them. Owen's the first to go and feed them because let's face it, I've heard that they can be wild, hit/kick people, I don't know if they bite, have rabies, or what. So I hang back to see how they act. Owen goes right up, starts feeding them and petting them - no biting, no rabies, no kicking - they seemed nearly domesticated. So I approach them timidly (of course I think "they may not bite him, but they'll bite me!") put my hand out like I'm feeding a horse, and the little kangaroo initially grabs the food but then eats our of my hand. What an incredible feeling to be interacting a wild animal like this and of course it can only be done in Australia. We went around feeding the kangaroos branches of leaves that we found in the area, pet them, and of course took tons of photos of them. This particular breed of kangaroo are a bit smaller than what I thought they would be but they also had a lot of little joeys running around too, some still hanging out of their mother's pouch. It really was a cool experience to see them up close. <br />
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Also running around this town were a bunch of emus as well as their little babies! I was a bit more unsure about the emus as I didn't know if they were dangerous or not since cassowaries that are also in Australia can (and will) kill people. So I steered clear of them, but it's such a cool thing to see these massive birds walking around the town, many hanging out in people's front yards, and some just sitting in a driveway. Going to this little town was such a fun experience, like having our own personal petting and feeding zoo.Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-78110411459496277732013-05-06T10:04:00.001+07:002013-11-13T16:41:13.109+07:00'MARGS' // a.k.a. Margaret River<br />
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My favorite place in WA was Margaret River – hands down, no
contest! It’s the perfect combination of
beaches, wineries, big, rolling, green hills, surf, wineries, great
restaurants, breweries, more Aussie charm, cool temperatures, and did I mention
the wineries? Yes, this is WA’s wine
country! And after all my travels
through SE Asia and NOT drinking wine, I was in absolute <i>heaven</i> in Margaret River. We
went to <i>several </i>wineries over the
course of four or so days along with a few breweries and completely overloaded
on drinking wine from lunch until sleep.
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As much as Aussies like their (subpar) beer (Corona and
Heineken are considered premium beer, clearly the standard for beer is a tad
low), <i>but</i> they also redeem themselves
with a good selection of micro-breweries in the area such as Cowaramup and
Duckstein. They’re situated amongst the
wineries in gorgeous settings typically along a pond where you can also have
some <i>really</i> good food too. I love wine, but sometimes, beer is exactly
what the doctor ordered.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Obviously that region has their own style but I gotta admit
that there were some gems in there including a few places that had some
Chardonnays done in a California-style and let me tell you, it felt like home,
even if it was at the bottom of a wine bottle.
Nothing beats a beautiful bottle of cool, buttery, oaky Chardonnay on a
warm spring day with some lovely cheeses, crackers, charcuterie, and fruit set
out amongst the vineyards with great conversation. That my friends, is my own personal heaven.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-1191535470947316632013-05-06T07:54:00.000+07:002013-11-13T17:01:03.728+07:00WESTERN AUSTRALIA - The Real Wild West<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet Owen...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(l) Owen prepping for omelets, (r) just some of the random flora WA has to offer</td></tr>
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<br />
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So remember Owen, that guy I met in Queenstown where we
couldn’t stop talking and having fun together?
Well, I went to meet him in Perth!
He promised to show me around Western Australia and I thought it’d be
great to hang out with him some more and see a bit more of Australia that many
tourists don’t make the trip out to see.
Now, he kept some of our travel plans a surprise so I really had no idea
where we were going and how but I did know that camping of some sort would be
involved – my favorite form of travel!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Upon arrival, he tells me we’re going to caravan up north
the following day to <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Kalbarri</span>. I had never heard of it, but he assured me
that it was a pretty spectacular place and with it being spring, it’d be a good
time for wildflowers to be blooming along the way, plus the temperatures ideal
(i.e., not hot as hell). The following
day after we loaded the caravan (!!) with food, supplies, and our stuff, and we
hit the road! Now this was my first
official road-trip (the other stuff doesn’t count as it was public
transportation, I couldn’t exactly stop and smell the roses along the way)
since leaving America. Road trips are
the BEST way to see a country, stopping along the way at mom and pop shops, buy
some fruit at stands on the side of the road, stop and look at the scenery, and
also, just to take my time and move at my own pace. So imagine my surprise when Owen told me that
we were caravanning around!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Western Australia was
everything I thought Australia would be!! The east coast seemed a lot like many parts of America (with the
exception of Whitsundays). all every city-like Americanized, and developed. But Western Australia, these were the visions I had
of Australia – untouched land beyond what the eye could see, desert-like
settings, big ocean roads, endless miles of beach, the wild outback, kangaroos,
completely foreign flora, and an endless supply of Aussie humor and
hospitality. With my own personal tour
guide we stopped along the way at various beaches, bakeries, shops, wandered through
national parks, and really did stop to look at all the wildflowers. And this was just the beginning of our
adventures through WA!<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0Kalbarri WA 6536, Australia-27.7110529 114.16453580000007-27.9360374 113.84181230000007 -27.486068399999997 114.48725930000006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-48030950048891140182013-04-12T10:40:00.002+07:002013-11-13T17:01:43.074+07:00DRESSED TO IMPRESS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuugn-5VtWjP5plbH-XFUtnDIe0brsd_2S5prTgUg092SNy2YhwbxBgrn-_Pry1305OJ00lk_oR4O5RtQiZKTqcrQGBSni0J1a9_U8QGoi7Q_mBrQqR8pqzLWwqinmCrY35Ul88ugiJ4/s1600/IMG_1670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuugn-5VtWjP5plbH-XFUtnDIe0brsd_2S5prTgUg092SNy2YhwbxBgrn-_Pry1305OJ00lk_oR4O5RtQiZKTqcrQGBSni0J1a9_U8QGoi7Q_mBrQqR8pqzLWwqinmCrY35Ul88ugiJ4/s640/IMG_1670.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFx8zPib9xrevvkxvKm9AaQOiiWMjH81mwUGEEb4O7QN2le-EX8FQbVni1LE7eKeICYRqAHPj4wv23Jb07Go5kMX5Y0S1AfSK_uyYH85TTPuateAPtJV5jxpShiIMM5kPkX4jvtfyuBw/s1600/Humback+Series.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFx8zPib9xrevvkxvKm9AaQOiiWMjH81mwUGEEb4O7QN2le-EX8FQbVni1LE7eKeICYRqAHPj4wv23Jb07Go5kMX5Y0S1AfSK_uyYH85TTPuateAPtJV5jxpShiIMM5kPkX4jvtfyuBw/s640/Humback+Series.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I left the person in the photo on purpose (mostly) as I wanted you to see the scale of how close this humpback was to us.</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYio_7rCmpWculyZ1b6Ehy2Zu3FWf1IciDlmuOvcLDk26RRjYYj6x5EuwMYIziLNb9lc-iOx1iG1t4rEus_IM55wAO8z8rj0VQ9F3mM20U8S2v1xQRDR1LdfiiTCA72jtFxzVmO8AGjec/s1600/IMG_1668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYio_7rCmpWculyZ1b6Ehy2Zu3FWf1IciDlmuOvcLDk26RRjYYj6x5EuwMYIziLNb9lc-iOx1iG1t4rEus_IM55wAO8z8rj0VQ9F3mM20U8S2v1xQRDR1LdfiiTCA72jtFxzVmO8AGjec/s640/IMG_1668.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii68NW10ycs6vJeFz64m8GWELQzQaIdV5jcmpk_Nj0_sb6zXlOpM1j1P6layBFPubKbPmSo3fLzAIGkrvhsP92NbSKhUbBY6_Ig6yqYk6h7JtFYjQuc2MqvqJkFBEmS_rVu3wqFCP_M9I/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii68NW10ycs6vJeFz64m8GWELQzQaIdV5jcmpk_Nj0_sb6zXlOpM1j1P6layBFPubKbPmSo3fLzAIGkrvhsP92NbSKhUbBY6_Ig6yqYk6h7JtFYjQuc2MqvqJkFBEmS_rVu3wqFCP_M9I/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ignore the pedicure and take note of the pristine white sand, all super-squeaky clean, gorgeous white sand.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPEnYue9TUeDKyKqHzP0XRlIZNqC3hlsUif6VtRbtHeeKWe6KbWQPRQgDEez-7VC6A15cWS4hV09TsV3NH-f6WFxTqYyswVo6FPueNqE4UyDodZaOksIdEwI-CpgY1kYB_sBlRygX5VY/s1600/IMG_1672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPEnYue9TUeDKyKqHzP0XRlIZNqC3hlsUif6VtRbtHeeKWe6KbWQPRQgDEez-7VC6A15cWS4hV09TsV3NH-f6WFxTqYyswVo6FPueNqE4UyDodZaOksIdEwI-CpgY1kYB_sBlRygX5VY/s640/IMG_1672.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3RAKgYW5tMfhL3iz_P5K4DmlxYZbQX8znHc-ivmwnkB-xm5ruxDIb9cmGj3jN017aWrivBEoyeuC3zmym5XhvKxOP1WMBaFbMVTyv0oboZQPc1EIiVAdfyeoaBTMxjEc3bMhOzDkMEo/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3RAKgYW5tMfhL3iz_P5K4DmlxYZbQX8znHc-ivmwnkB-xm5ruxDIb9cmGj3jN017aWrivBEoyeuC3zmym5XhvKxOP1WMBaFbMVTyv0oboZQPc1EIiVAdfyeoaBTMxjEc3bMhOzDkMEo/s640/2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bald eagle, national bird of good ol' USA. No doubt a good omen for me on this beach in Australia.</td></tr>
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Do you ever go someone where with very little expectation and then suddenly, you're floored? You can't believe that you are witnessing something so stunning and it takes your breath away? The Whitsundays took my breath away and dramatically humbled all of my other beach experiences. This day decided to be all about impressing me. And that, <i>it
did</i>! </div>
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<br /></div>
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I went another boating experience
out to 'The Reef' again in Airlie Beach, but this time done a little differently
as I did a high speed rafting boat <i>(which
was f’n awesome for someone that loves to travel at really fast speeds!!).</i> It took us out to a few different places
where we could snorkel and lucky for us, it was the time of year where mama
humpback whales and their pup would migrate south. Personally, I’ve never seen a humpback whale
up close. So while we were on our way out to Whitsunday, a humpback had suddenly
appeared not more than 40’ from our boat which all of a sudden seamed like a
little life raft compared to how big this fully grown humpback was. We turn off our engine on our boat because by
law, no boats are allowed closer than something like 100’-150’ to any whale and
this one just came upon us and was jumping in and out of the water so close to
us, over and over again. It was an
incredible sight to behold. It’s not
every day you can see such a huge, massive, majestic, and beautiful creature up
close and what seemed like celebrating in its own habitat. Once it was
done playing, it swam right for our boat, got within 10’ of us, went right
under us and moved on. Now that is
something I’ll never forget!! EVER!<o:p></o:p></div>
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The other thing I’ll never forget is seeing the
Whitsundays. Now, if there is a god, I’m
pretty sure he/she/it decided to knock everyone’s socks off and impress us
all. The Whitsundays makes the
top five beaches I’ve seen if not closer to the top, hands down. What makes this place any different than other gorgeous beaches? For one, the swirl of white sand and turquoise waters. Many places have turquoise waters, tropical paradise, and white sand, but none swirl them around like painting. Two, the landscape seems stark, almost like simple frame to show off the exquisite detail of this place. Three, it's home to many, many sting rays. They're just sitting there at the bottom of sand, chillin'. Four, it's a part of the Great Barrier Reef - head out in nearly direction and you're in the home of some of the most beautiful reef and sea life the Earth has to share. <br />
<br />
I realize there are so many places to see in this world, this is
most definitely one that everyone should be so humbled to see. It will no doubt impress you. <i> GO! </i><br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920449474111031259.post-7802710121033730792013-03-29T02:10:00.001+07:002013-11-13T17:02:08.058+07:00CRAVE WINNING!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJKOyrNcJF-5JZ8QV3ly6ahLKjsgmt0EcfVm6fWXPOLvwdBmURENqwTlj9264aWIaZtF4rKYoCc3y9VfgYF2icaTuJdqAAcuUufYdSNVzuyzUBZZOc9cMLaGIVvr6gDhqNkl5ag3kKGs/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJKOyrNcJF-5JZ8QV3ly6ahLKjsgmt0EcfVm6fWXPOLvwdBmURENqwTlj9264aWIaZtF4rKYoCc3y9VfgYF2icaTuJdqAAcuUufYdSNVzuyzUBZZOc9cMLaGIVvr6gDhqNkl5ag3kKGs/s640/photo+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the group that did the speeches I judged but these ones did have to speak regarding their project.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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There’s nothing quite like seeing genuine joy on a young
person’s face, especially at that moment that they realize they <i>really</i> wanted something and they got it,
that all that hard work paid off, and they’re in that high of all highs. Today, I had the pleasure of being a judge at
a local Thai school for a competition about the ASEAN community through group
projects, exhibitions, report writing (in the form of a book) and speech. I was selected to judge speeches for both
primary and high school level students in English judging everything from
content, use of words, creativity, facts, artistry, confidence, natural speech,
etc. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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From the moment that we three judges walked into the room,
we were being sized up (ok, me literally as they probably have never seen a
Thai female as tall as I), and then the nervousness set in for them along with
smiling a lot at us. Once everyone was
settled in, the youngest begins their speech and I have to admit, he did a
great job. It takes so much courage to
get up in front of a group of strangers, and delivering a speech that you had
to memorize, and then say it like you would naturally talk and in a foreign
language. Every single student did such
a great job and did a better job than I would have ever done. First of all, I can’t memorize an entire page
of information about other countries that I have never been too. Second, I despise public speaking. Third, I couldn’t do all of that in another
language. I admire all of them. Their speeches were well researched,
informative, creative, and delivered with confidence. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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There was one girl that was doing such a great job on her
speech but I think with so much distraction in the back of the room that she
lost her concentration and just couldn’t figure out the rest of her
speech. I felt horrible for her! I know EXACTLY how she felt, I’ve been there! I tried to encourage her by giving her a
reassuring smile and the other judge told her to just pause, breathe, and
proceed when she was ready, but she just couldn’t, she was even having trouble
breathing in her deer in headlights expression on her face. It’s really too bad, but then again, I guess
we all need that moment when we just freeze while speaking in public. It’s a moment none of us will ever forget and all learn from. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I just happened to be there when the winning students were
told that they won their speech competition and <i>oh my!</i> What a moment to
share with them! The primary student, a
young gal, squealed with delight sharing her excitement with her friends – she
just had the best smile plastered on her face – that moment of truly feeling
like she accomplished something wonderful.
The young man that won the high school competition was overjoyed sharing
hugs with his teachers, looking so ecstatic and on top of the world. Both students wai’d (bowed) me and just
couldn’t stop smiling. It was a pretty
incredible experience to be a part of that moment with both of the winners who
now go on to a larger competition. I
wonder if moments like these will on some level, frame who they become as
adults. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I sat with the young man who is 16 years old from Myanmar to
talk with him about his speech, what a great job he did, and asked of his plans
for the future. He plans to go to
university to study philosophy and psychology.
I happen to glance at his speech that he was still holding in his hand
and this is what was hand-written at the bottom: CRAVE WINNING. And win he did. I love that he had a mantra to pump himself up with!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03807853236297781065noreply@blogger.com0