In Thailand, they run these tourism ad campaigns with the slogan, "Amazing Thailand." To be honest, as much as I love Thailand, I have yet to be "amazed" by any of the natural setting; I'm probably just spoiled by New Zealand scenery. Granted, I've loved the ruins of Ayutthaya, the charm and culture of the North--especially Chiang Rai--the sweeping green hills of Khao Yai, but there was no nature that "stunned" me. That changed when I went to Khao Lak, the Similan Islands and the Phang-Nga Bay last month.
I went with Julia for 3 days to Khao Lak, a small resort town about 1 hour way from Phuket. Khao Lak was heavily hit by the tsunami in 2004 and it's been slower to rebound than Phi Phi and Phuket and other places, which was actually better for us. It wasn't flooded with tourists or overrun with backpacker hostels or huge hotel developments; it was very peaceful and serene. "Khao" in Thai means mountain, and that's what Khao Lak is, a gorgeously covered mountain, perched at the edge of the Andaman Sea. The mountain is very green and tropical and wonderfully intact; there's a national park just outside of the town with some great hiking paths that Julia and I did that lead you through the forest, right to the edge overlooking the water.
We got in late Friday night, took a car to our hotel, which was totally adorable and lined with palm trees with big wide leaves, was nestled at the foot of the mountain and our room had a lovely view looking out on it. We walked through the small town, mainly just one very nicely paved street, along which there were various restaurants, shops and a number of diving stores, all advertising trips to the Similan Islands, a national park and one of the world's top 10 dive spots. We had dinner and our waitress was a very nice Thai woman who had lived in the US so her English was great. She was excited to talk to us because she said that Khao Lak rarely got American tourists, they were mainly European, especially Scandinavian or German. She told us about the area and also about the Six Senses Spa that I'd read about in BK Magazine as one of Thailand's top spas and getaways. She said that is would take about 1.5 hrs to get there but that it was beautiful, so if we wanted to treat ourselves, it was the place.
So, the next morning, after an early morning hiking in the national park (we didn't get to see the waterfalls though, alas), and booking our Sunday and Monday excursions (more later), Julia and I set out for our adventure to Koh Yao (Koh means "island"), one of the many small islands in the picturesque Andaman Sea. First we took a bus, headed towards Phuket. We were told the bus was 1 hour, but it was actually 2, surprise surprise. It dropped us off in some random location at the side of a road, close to the Phuket pier where we could catch our ferry to Koh Yao (we had the woman at our hotel write our stop in Thai to give to the driver). We thought we could walk--we were told it was only 1km or so, but when I asked the motorbike drivers in Thai, they told me it was very far. After much haggling, we negotiated a decent rate and BOTH boarded the back of the motorbike--that's right, the TWO of us were on the back of the same bike, so this small little moped was carrying 3 full-size adults. It turned out that the pier was actually quite far (again, surprise surprise) and there was NO way we could have walked, it must have been about 4-5 miles. After dropping us off, we bought our ferry tickets and waited for the ferry.
Our ferry came and it was loaded with miscellaneous items and foodstuffs to bring to the island. Julia and I decided to sit outside to enjoy the views. Let me tell you, despite the strong sun, this was a brilliant idea because the scenery was incredible--it was like the Samui archipelago and the boat trip was in and of itself an excursion. The water was a gorgeous blue and there were so many small islands and limestone towers. After 1.5 hrs on the boat, we finally arrived in Koh Yao, only to board a tuk tuk to take us to Six Senses--in total it was about 4.5 hours to get there!
It was certainly a pristine little hideaway though, the kind of place you go when you don't want anyone to bother you at all, or even know where you are, but it was still luxurious, or rather, "rustic chic." All we had time for was a 50-minute treatment--I got the signature massage--but it was incredible! One of the best I've had, so I guess the 4 hr journey by bus, motorbike, boat, tuk tuk and hotel buggy (i.e., golf cart) was worth it :) We drank up the ginger tea and took apples for the road and headed back on our long journey to Khao Lak.
The next day was my favorite and certainly one of the most memorable and not just because of our katoey (ladyboy) tour guide, "Nancy," but because we spent a full day snorkeling in the Similan Islands. There are nine islands and are all preserved as a national park;our trip was going to take us to four of them. There are no hotels on any of the islands, all you can do is camp on a few of the select islands. They are also a prime spot for sea-turtle breeding, so there are some islands you can't go to at certain times of the year when the turtles lay their eggs on the beach.
The boat out to the islands was a bumpy speedboat, but Julia and I were happy to be outside. We got to our first island and I was totally taken aback. The sand was a pure white and so smooth and easy to walk on, I'd never been on a beach with such silky sand. When we started snorkeling, it was incredible, I couldn't believe how clear the water was! You could see 30m down and still see the ripples of the sand on the ocean floor in perfect detail. The fish were bright and colorful and the coral was also impressive; I could see why the Thai government wanted to preserve it. Nancy asked if we liked the first island and when she sensed my enthusiasm, she told me to sit tight, the next ones were even better--I couldn't believe it. But she was right, the next two islands--the coral and fish around them really--were even more dazzling, and I even saw a few sea turtles!
The clarity and the diversity, in my mind, makes this a far better snorkeling spot than even the great barrier reef! Although, I do think that the GBR has some nicer coral, but the Similans have such vibrant fish, it's fantastic! Sometimes I tire of snorkeling and want to go back to the boat early, but I think this time I was always the last person back on the boat--it was just so pleasant and truly enjoyable. We spent the entire day outside and in the water and I ended up with a mild sunburn on my back (Julia didn't fare as well, she got a full-body burn), but I didn't mind so much because the day was so great. At dinner, Julia and I were in such good moods and so hungry that we treated ourselves to good ol'fashioned ice cream Sundays.
The next day we headed off to our last planned excursion, a trip into the famous Phang-Nga Bay. We took a long tail boat in the bay and passed by one limestone tower/mountain after another; some had huge stalactites and many were covered in shrubbery--it was sublime. This was the first time after being in New Zealand's Milford Sound, that I was totally in awe of nature; it reminded me of a tropical version of the Milford Sound. I had my camera out the entire time, I couldn't peel myself away from it or dare to put it back--everything we passed had a grandeur about it that's difficult to describe. Sadly, my camera ran out of batteries once we arrived at James Bond Island, one of the touristy destinations in the Bay, but Julia took photos.
At the island, we got to go in sea kayaks and be taken around the bay by a guide. Our guide took us through a huge mangrove forest and we were right next to the huge roots that anchor the mangroves in the water. He took us through the limestone caves and grottoes and at times we were so close to the stone that we had to lie back--this provided a very interesting view of all those stalactites. There were some limestone islands that had interesting trees sprouting out of them too.
We were in the bay for about 4 hours, and then taken back on our long tail boats to the pier. We were then taken to a cave with a big reclining Buddha, which was interesting, but nothing like the rest of the trip had been. We were tired, a little sick of the sun, and ready to go home after a most memorable trip. I now see why people say Thailand has the best beaches in the world and why so many people flock to the South. I didn't understand before, even though I'd been to many Thai beaches, but this one most certainly takes the cake.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
My oh my, how does the time fly...
After a one and a half month hiatus, my life has finally returned back to normal. February was a hectic month to say the least. I plan to write a blog entry for each of my travels, but here's the brief overview:
-I produced and directed my first play. The first night was a bit of a bomb, but thankfully, the next two shows were a huge success and everyone forgot about opening night...
-I oversaw 2 big events that also were a success, but one of them took a hell of a lot of time and planning
-I was away every weekend before the show, mainly to get away and keep my sanity. It was really special too because Julia, my good friend from college was going a big Asia trip so we got to meet up every weekend and she also came to BKK and saw the show
-I celebrated my golden birthday--23 on the 23rd. I spent the weekend before celebrating big in Hong Kong and then on Monday, my actual birthday, I was with my cast at rehearsal. They baked me a big pink vagina cake with a piece of chocolate as the clitoris...gosh that's a memory, don't think I can forget this birthday!
-Summary: I didn't have one free day in February (aside from my weekend travels), not one. Here's to sleep and a personal life in the month of March and beyond...
Stay tuned for travel updates and notes on Bangkok...
-I produced and directed my first play. The first night was a bit of a bomb, but thankfully, the next two shows were a huge success and everyone forgot about opening night...
-I oversaw 2 big events that also were a success, but one of them took a hell of a lot of time and planning
-I was away every weekend before the show, mainly to get away and keep my sanity. It was really special too because Julia, my good friend from college was going a big Asia trip so we got to meet up every weekend and she also came to BKK and saw the show
-I celebrated my golden birthday--23 on the 23rd. I spent the weekend before celebrating big in Hong Kong and then on Monday, my actual birthday, I was with my cast at rehearsal. They baked me a big pink vagina cake with a piece of chocolate as the clitoris...gosh that's a memory, don't think I can forget this birthday!
-Summary: I didn't have one free day in February (aside from my weekend travels), not one. Here's to sleep and a personal life in the month of March and beyond...
Stay tuned for travel updates and notes on Bangkok...
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Catching up--December, January
The last two months have been hectic to say the least. I didn't even get to expound upon a big Thai holiday back in the end of November, Loy Krathong, the Theravada Buddhist day of repentance where Thais take "Krathongs," small votives with flowers, incense and sometimes foods, and set them out to sail on the Chao Praya River as an act of repenting for their sins and starting afresh. So, here goes my best effort to catch up on my travel and cultural reports--I'll be uploading pictures in the next few days that were taken from my new digital SLR camera, my Christmas present from the States!
What I've been doing with my time....
First off, my efforts to organize the Bangkok V-Day campaign, both directing and producing the show, "The Vagina Monologues," has taken up the majority of my time in the past few months. My co-producer, Chris, decided to go back to the States, leaving me to head up the campaign alone. To make sure the production didn't fall apart, I recruited a team to run all aspects of the production--outreach and local partnerships, PR and marketing (Thai and English), merchandise, University campaigns and post-performance events, and events and fundraising. As a production team, we selected a venue (we looked at about 7 in total), solidified our charity (Emergency Home, see vdaybkk.blogspot.com), set up 4 fundraising events: 1 networking party, 1 happy hour, 1 club party and 1 VIP fundraising dinner; got a ticket vendor (like ticketmaster) to take care of ticket sales; recruited local celebrities and supporters; manufactured all of our merchandise; designed all of our print material; applied for gender-based violence grants and solicited for corporate sponsorship, and many other things. Thankfully, after about two months of hard work, the production is on track and things are progressing nicely. All of the events should be a success (we had our first one last week) especially our VIP dinner which will include an auction with really spectacular items, including two piece of art from two of Thailand's most prestigious artists. Tickets are on sale and the PR has been great--our show will be featured on radio, in magazines and on TV this month and next, and things are going along smoothly.
Then, I also had to make sure the production was on track, attending rehearsals about 3-4 times a week this month and next (Feb), and getting the production details in order--thankfully, I have a phenomenal stage manager, Eff, who's been pulling a large amount of the actual production weight, getting all the technical parts of the show set up, checking over the Thai scrip to finalize the translations, organizing costume fittings with our costume designer, Marisa Baratelli, a lovely designer who makes clothes for women using only Thai silk--she will be donating all of the costumes. We had fittings this past Sunday and they look wonderful. So, the show should be a hit and we have about a month left to finalize everything and make all of the monologues even stronger. So, as you can all see, this has been the major part of my time.
Borneo, Bangkok and Luang Prabang: my mom and Mark
Next, on to other topics. My mom and Mark came to visit for Christmas and New Years and we had a wonderful time--it was so great to see them both in my new home environment, though I must admit, it made me miss them and all my friends, family and life back in the US a lot. We started off the trip in Luang Prabang, Laos, in the Mekong Delta. Luang Prabang was magical, and one of my favorite places I've been to in Asia so far--the mountains and the river made for a gorgeous natural setting, the French and French-Asian fusion food was absolutely delicious, the town was quaint and relaxed, the people were lovely,our hotel was adorable and everything we did was just perfect.
We took a long-tail boat up the river to the Pak Ou caves, which are filled with Buddhas and small shires. The trip up the river was very slow and the only unpleasant thing was the weather--it rained (even though it's not rainy season) and it was very cold. We rode elephants through the forest and got to feed them afterwards--they eat bananas without taking the peel off! I started to peel a banana when the elephant caretaker told me I could feed them with the peels on--the elephant truck deftly took the banana from my hand, as if it were a hand. We explored the many temples in the town--some of the artwork and glass mosaics were incredible. The colors were still vibrant and intact too. We enjoyed the Laotian massages and frequented the night market, which had many beautiful handy crafts, including paintings on natural paper.
Luang Prabang is a very holy city and you can see monks everywhere. Many of the paintings by the local artists featured monks as their subjects--all of them barefoot, dresses in yellow robes, some carrying umbrellas to guard from the sun. One morning, I woke up at 5AM to give alms to the monks. This consisted of going into town and sitting on the ground, on a lower level than the monks, and giving them sticky rice in their begging bowl. The monk have to use all of the alms they get and ration it out during the day. Giving alms though, isn't as easy as it sounds. The monks move at a very rapid pace, and sorting out the sticky rice in small handfuls to put in each monk's bowl is more challenging than it seems when they move so fast. There were some I wasn't quick enough to get, and then I would feel bad. I had to move so fast that I ended up giving much bigger chunks of rice and ran out of rice at the end...I'm sure the monks were fine though.
After three lovely days in Luang Prabang, we headed back to Bangkok where I could show off my new home. I took my mom to see Wat Pho and Wat Arun, my favorite wat in Bangkok. We took the river boat up so she could experience that. I was amazed how much she loved the river. She loved it so much that later, we even did a klong (canal) tour--Mark loved this too. It's funny, most people complain about the river and the klongs in Bangkok--how dirty and smelly they are, but they loved it, so this made me happy. I also showed them Siam and the vast sea of malls; the BTS--it's funny, they both love the subway in NY but hated the BTS because of all the stairs! They also didn't really understand the traffic problem....
On their second day in Bangkok, my mom and Mark came to my humble abode and saw my apartment for the first time (I have yet to post photos of it, I know, I'm on it). I also took them to my office, my favorite Thai restaurant, Kalaprapruek (pronounced "gal-a-pra-prook") and introduced them to some of my good friends and co-workers. It was fun for me to get to introduce them to people I tell them about, for them to put a face to a name. It was also fun to see them devour Thai food. The constant refrain of the two days in Bangkok were, "We can't find this kind of Thai food in New York! It's never this good!" Dinner was at another traditional Thai restaurant, of course--they couldn't get enough of it. Their last meal before they left to go home (one day stop over after their private vacation to Krabi) was also at a lovely traditional Thai restaurant with a gorgeous garden.
After two whirlwind days in Bangkok, we all set off for the last stop on my trip with them, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, in Borneo (they still had Krabi after). I was incredibly excited to go to Kota Kinabalu, but also nervous that it wouldn't live up to its expectations after Laos and Bangkok. I was expecting Borneo to be a mixture of things--rain forest meets ocean; exotic flora and fauna and opportunities for snorkeling, rain forest walks, relaxation and warm weather, kind of like northern Australia. It wasn't exactly like this, but it was still a fun time. The resort we stayed at was lovely, but it did have a very resort-y feel and was very big.
The island itself wasn't tropical--it was mountainous and hilly and filled with forests, not tropical rain forest; it was very intact though and not cut down and depressing like parts of Bali. We spent our New Years at the resort, but got to spend NYC New Years, 13 hours behind, on Mount Kinabalu, the 3rd tallest mountain in SE Asia. We also did get to do a canopy walk, but it certainly was not for the faint of heart. The hike up to the canopy was long and steep and misty; the canopy itself didn't feel so sturdy and it felt like I was walking on a tightrope suspended in a forest.
We also flew to Sandakahn, another part of Sabah, to see the orangutans and monkeys at the Sepilok Reserve and Rehabilitation Center. All of the orangutans there have been rescued, either from homes as pets or animals for show, and brought there to try and re-learn their natural survival instincts. The monkeys and orangutans were spectacular--they came right up to you and would stand so close, even to touch you. Some of the monkeys were a bit frightening and loud, others were really sweet and gentle, scared of us--these were mainly the baby orangutans. I'd never seen wildlife in this kind of setting before, so open and in their home (their natural habitat which is preserved), as opposed to at a zoo; it was a fun time and I got some fantastic photos. Other than that, we simply relaxed by the pool, read, dipped our toes in the South China Sea, something not many can say they've done; it was surprisingly warm with a strong undertow! It was a great trip, the only downside though was getting there--no direct flight so we had to have a four-hour layover in the KL airport, which is perhaps the worst airport I've seen.
After Borneo, my mom and Mark continued on to Krabi, one of the most famous beaches in Thailand, it's "jewel." They had a wonderful time filled with limestone craters, picturesque sunsets, blue waters and quiet beaches, and luxury five-star accommodations. I'm glad they had a chance to relax since the rest of the trip was very jam-packed and a bit hectic. When they came back to Bangkok for their last night, I got to see pictures from their trip, and show them a few more of my Bangkok favorites--the night market, Suan Lum Night Bazaar and then off to one last Thai meal. Saying goodbye was hard, but I only have a little over 5 months left--it's all gone by so quickly!
"The North:" Pre-Christmas trip to Chiang Rai, Thailand
I should back-track to highlight one of my other trips I took before my mom and Mark visited, my trip up to Chiang Rai, Thailand to visit my friend Theresa. This was another one of my favorite, memorable trips. I was incredibly stressed about all the V-day events things to do, but my visit to chilly northern Thailand was just what I needed to de-stress me. Chiang Rai is an adorable town that's not too developed and it was great to see some of the northern highlights with Theresa.
In Chiang Rai town, I saw some temples, the day market that sells just about everything and also the night market, where I bought a gorgeous hill tribe embroidered bag. After a day of exploring the city, Theresa took me back to her apartment and brought me to her friend Rachel's house, and when I say a house, it really was an incredible, 3-bedroom house, with a full kitchen and everything! It felt so nice and homey, and it cost a fraction of price of my entire 2-bedroom apartment in Bangkok.
My favorite part about my night at Rachel's house was that Rachel and Theresa were holding a Holiday Party for their students, so I got to meet them and talk to them. Most of the PiA posts are teaching posts, but mine isn't so my only Thai friends are those I meet through work or V-day, so not students. It was really interesting to get a glimpse into what they learn about, what they are interested in, to hear about their experiences. I think this was one of my favorite parts of my trip to Chiang Rai and I learned a lot from them. Some were a bit shy, but others were chatty and interested in me too, and Christmas and US traditions. It was nice to see this other side of an expat experience in Thailand, as a teacher.
On Saturday, we journeyed outside of town, first to Doi Tung, the agricultural and alternative livelihoods project by the Princess Mother's Royal Foundation, Mae Fah Luang, to combat opium production--it is famous in Thailand and has been used as a template by the UN for combating drug production and poverty. At Doi Tung, I got to visit the Princess Mother's house, a Swiss-style chalet with Thai astrology mixed in on the ceilings, and her royal gardens, which were in peak season in December after just blooming.
After some time in the gardens, Theresa and I continued in our rented songtaew on our hot spots of northern Thailand tour to Mae Sai, the town on the border of Burma (Myanmar). Mae Sai is a town made for shopping--jewelry, trinkets, clothing, electronics--it's overwhelming. I did buy a stunning, Thai-style ruby ring made from high quality Burmese rubies; I just hope that the rubies aren't "blood rubies" so to speak. The man who sold me my ring also gave me some phone bling, aka, a phone charm to hang on my cell phone. I feel very Thai with it now. Also at Mae Sai, I stood at the northern-most point of Thailand, saw over to the other side of the border. You can cross the border into Burma for 500B to shop to your heart's content--apparently the Burmese town is loaded with DVDs, CDs, bags, you name it. Theresa and I didn't journey over the boarder, but I am trying to plan a trip to actually journey into Burma, but that is for another time
The last stop on our tour was the "Golden Triangle," the point at which Laos, Burma and Thailand all meet. I thought this would be a pretty cool sight as I'm into borders, but it was a bit of a let down; there was a very interesting gold Buddha though. After the Golden Triangle, we continued home with our goods in tow, ready for a good meal and for some night market shopping.
On my last day in Chiang Rai, Theresa and I met up with Rachel to see the White Temple, a newly constructed temple that is entirely white with mirror pieces as mosaics. Inside the temple is a very political and controversial wall painting. The artist got the idea to build the temple from a dream he had and donated it to the people of Chiang Rai, financing it all on his own. It's quite a sight, and very different from any of the old Thai temples, in either the Siam or Khmer styles. After the white temple, we headed into one of the national parks for a short hike to a waterfall. The air was so fresh and crisp and it was really nice to be back in nature again.
The thing we were planning to do while I was in Chiang Rai was to visit and ostrich farm where visitors, for just 60B (less than $2) can ride an ostrich while wearing a SWAT vest!! Theresa had done it before and when I heard about it, I desperately wanted to ride one--who rides ostriches?! After driving and searching for the farm for over two hours, we decided to give up, head to Rachel's, bake some cookies, and curl up to watch The Tudors and later a movie. All in all, the weekend was just what I needed, and got me rested and ready for my big trip with my parents.
Coming up...
I think that that, in short, takes care of the past two months. In a few days, I'm expecting visitors--first a good friend from Princeton who will be passing through for two days, then my friend and little Kappa sister, Davion, will be in Bangkok for about 10 days (trip to Ayutthaya and Samet!) and then my friend and and big Kappa sister, Julia, will be hitting BKK to start off her grand Asia tour and we'll journey down to Khao Lak together for some R&R before V-day crunch time sets in.
Pictures coming soon!
A
What I've been doing with my time....
First off, my efforts to organize the Bangkok V-Day campaign, both directing and producing the show, "The Vagina Monologues," has taken up the majority of my time in the past few months. My co-producer, Chris, decided to go back to the States, leaving me to head up the campaign alone. To make sure the production didn't fall apart, I recruited a team to run all aspects of the production--outreach and local partnerships, PR and marketing (Thai and English), merchandise, University campaigns and post-performance events, and events and fundraising. As a production team, we selected a venue (we looked at about 7 in total), solidified our charity (Emergency Home, see vdaybkk.blogspot.com), set up 4 fundraising events: 1 networking party, 1 happy hour, 1 club party and 1 VIP fundraising dinner; got a ticket vendor (like ticketmaster) to take care of ticket sales; recruited local celebrities and supporters; manufactured all of our merchandise; designed all of our print material; applied for gender-based violence grants and solicited for corporate sponsorship, and many other things. Thankfully, after about two months of hard work, the production is on track and things are progressing nicely. All of the events should be a success (we had our first one last week) especially our VIP dinner which will include an auction with really spectacular items, including two piece of art from two of Thailand's most prestigious artists. Tickets are on sale and the PR has been great--our show will be featured on radio, in magazines and on TV this month and next, and things are going along smoothly.
Then, I also had to make sure the production was on track, attending rehearsals about 3-4 times a week this month and next (Feb), and getting the production details in order--thankfully, I have a phenomenal stage manager, Eff, who's been pulling a large amount of the actual production weight, getting all the technical parts of the show set up, checking over the Thai scrip to finalize the translations, organizing costume fittings with our costume designer, Marisa Baratelli, a lovely designer who makes clothes for women using only Thai silk--she will be donating all of the costumes. We had fittings this past Sunday and they look wonderful. So, the show should be a hit and we have about a month left to finalize everything and make all of the monologues even stronger. So, as you can all see, this has been the major part of my time.
Borneo, Bangkok and Luang Prabang: my mom and Mark
Next, on to other topics. My mom and Mark came to visit for Christmas and New Years and we had a wonderful time--it was so great to see them both in my new home environment, though I must admit, it made me miss them and all my friends, family and life back in the US a lot. We started off the trip in Luang Prabang, Laos, in the Mekong Delta. Luang Prabang was magical, and one of my favorite places I've been to in Asia so far--the mountains and the river made for a gorgeous natural setting, the French and French-Asian fusion food was absolutely delicious, the town was quaint and relaxed, the people were lovely,our hotel was adorable and everything we did was just perfect.
We took a long-tail boat up the river to the Pak Ou caves, which are filled with Buddhas and small shires. The trip up the river was very slow and the only unpleasant thing was the weather--it rained (even though it's not rainy season) and it was very cold. We rode elephants through the forest and got to feed them afterwards--they eat bananas without taking the peel off! I started to peel a banana when the elephant caretaker told me I could feed them with the peels on--the elephant truck deftly took the banana from my hand, as if it were a hand. We explored the many temples in the town--some of the artwork and glass mosaics were incredible. The colors were still vibrant and intact too. We enjoyed the Laotian massages and frequented the night market, which had many beautiful handy crafts, including paintings on natural paper.
Luang Prabang is a very holy city and you can see monks everywhere. Many of the paintings by the local artists featured monks as their subjects--all of them barefoot, dresses in yellow robes, some carrying umbrellas to guard from the sun. One morning, I woke up at 5AM to give alms to the monks. This consisted of going into town and sitting on the ground, on a lower level than the monks, and giving them sticky rice in their begging bowl. The monk have to use all of the alms they get and ration it out during the day. Giving alms though, isn't as easy as it sounds. The monks move at a very rapid pace, and sorting out the sticky rice in small handfuls to put in each monk's bowl is more challenging than it seems when they move so fast. There were some I wasn't quick enough to get, and then I would feel bad. I had to move so fast that I ended up giving much bigger chunks of rice and ran out of rice at the end...I'm sure the monks were fine though.
After three lovely days in Luang Prabang, we headed back to Bangkok where I could show off my new home. I took my mom to see Wat Pho and Wat Arun, my favorite wat in Bangkok. We took the river boat up so she could experience that. I was amazed how much she loved the river. She loved it so much that later, we even did a klong (canal) tour--Mark loved this too. It's funny, most people complain about the river and the klongs in Bangkok--how dirty and smelly they are, but they loved it, so this made me happy. I also showed them Siam and the vast sea of malls; the BTS--it's funny, they both love the subway in NY but hated the BTS because of all the stairs! They also didn't really understand the traffic problem....
On their second day in Bangkok, my mom and Mark came to my humble abode and saw my apartment for the first time (I have yet to post photos of it, I know, I'm on it). I also took them to my office, my favorite Thai restaurant, Kalaprapruek (pronounced "gal-a-pra-prook") and introduced them to some of my good friends and co-workers. It was fun for me to get to introduce them to people I tell them about, for them to put a face to a name. It was also fun to see them devour Thai food. The constant refrain of the two days in Bangkok were, "We can't find this kind of Thai food in New York! It's never this good!" Dinner was at another traditional Thai restaurant, of course--they couldn't get enough of it. Their last meal before they left to go home (one day stop over after their private vacation to Krabi) was also at a lovely traditional Thai restaurant with a gorgeous garden.
After two whirlwind days in Bangkok, we all set off for the last stop on my trip with them, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, in Borneo (they still had Krabi after). I was incredibly excited to go to Kota Kinabalu, but also nervous that it wouldn't live up to its expectations after Laos and Bangkok. I was expecting Borneo to be a mixture of things--rain forest meets ocean; exotic flora and fauna and opportunities for snorkeling, rain forest walks, relaxation and warm weather, kind of like northern Australia. It wasn't exactly like this, but it was still a fun time. The resort we stayed at was lovely, but it did have a very resort-y feel and was very big.
The island itself wasn't tropical--it was mountainous and hilly and filled with forests, not tropical rain forest; it was very intact though and not cut down and depressing like parts of Bali. We spent our New Years at the resort, but got to spend NYC New Years, 13 hours behind, on Mount Kinabalu, the 3rd tallest mountain in SE Asia. We also did get to do a canopy walk, but it certainly was not for the faint of heart. The hike up to the canopy was long and steep and misty; the canopy itself didn't feel so sturdy and it felt like I was walking on a tightrope suspended in a forest.
We also flew to Sandakahn, another part of Sabah, to see the orangutans and monkeys at the Sepilok Reserve and Rehabilitation Center. All of the orangutans there have been rescued, either from homes as pets or animals for show, and brought there to try and re-learn their natural survival instincts. The monkeys and orangutans were spectacular--they came right up to you and would stand so close, even to touch you. Some of the monkeys were a bit frightening and loud, others were really sweet and gentle, scared of us--these were mainly the baby orangutans. I'd never seen wildlife in this kind of setting before, so open and in their home (their natural habitat which is preserved), as opposed to at a zoo; it was a fun time and I got some fantastic photos. Other than that, we simply relaxed by the pool, read, dipped our toes in the South China Sea, something not many can say they've done; it was surprisingly warm with a strong undertow! It was a great trip, the only downside though was getting there--no direct flight so we had to have a four-hour layover in the KL airport, which is perhaps the worst airport I've seen.
After Borneo, my mom and Mark continued on to Krabi, one of the most famous beaches in Thailand, it's "jewel." They had a wonderful time filled with limestone craters, picturesque sunsets, blue waters and quiet beaches, and luxury five-star accommodations. I'm glad they had a chance to relax since the rest of the trip was very jam-packed and a bit hectic. When they came back to Bangkok for their last night, I got to see pictures from their trip, and show them a few more of my Bangkok favorites--the night market, Suan Lum Night Bazaar and then off to one last Thai meal. Saying goodbye was hard, but I only have a little over 5 months left--it's all gone by so quickly!
"The North:" Pre-Christmas trip to Chiang Rai, Thailand
I should back-track to highlight one of my other trips I took before my mom and Mark visited, my trip up to Chiang Rai, Thailand to visit my friend Theresa. This was another one of my favorite, memorable trips. I was incredibly stressed about all the V-day events things to do, but my visit to chilly northern Thailand was just what I needed to de-stress me. Chiang Rai is an adorable town that's not too developed and it was great to see some of the northern highlights with Theresa.
In Chiang Rai town, I saw some temples, the day market that sells just about everything and also the night market, where I bought a gorgeous hill tribe embroidered bag. After a day of exploring the city, Theresa took me back to her apartment and brought me to her friend Rachel's house, and when I say a house, it really was an incredible, 3-bedroom house, with a full kitchen and everything! It felt so nice and homey, and it cost a fraction of price of my entire 2-bedroom apartment in Bangkok.
My favorite part about my night at Rachel's house was that Rachel and Theresa were holding a Holiday Party for their students, so I got to meet them and talk to them. Most of the PiA posts are teaching posts, but mine isn't so my only Thai friends are those I meet through work or V-day, so not students. It was really interesting to get a glimpse into what they learn about, what they are interested in, to hear about their experiences. I think this was one of my favorite parts of my trip to Chiang Rai and I learned a lot from them. Some were a bit shy, but others were chatty and interested in me too, and Christmas and US traditions. It was nice to see this other side of an expat experience in Thailand, as a teacher.
On Saturday, we journeyed outside of town, first to Doi Tung, the agricultural and alternative livelihoods project by the Princess Mother's Royal Foundation, Mae Fah Luang, to combat opium production--it is famous in Thailand and has been used as a template by the UN for combating drug production and poverty. At Doi Tung, I got to visit the Princess Mother's house, a Swiss-style chalet with Thai astrology mixed in on the ceilings, and her royal gardens, which were in peak season in December after just blooming.
After some time in the gardens, Theresa and I continued in our rented songtaew on our hot spots of northern Thailand tour to Mae Sai, the town on the border of Burma (Myanmar). Mae Sai is a town made for shopping--jewelry, trinkets, clothing, electronics--it's overwhelming. I did buy a stunning, Thai-style ruby ring made from high quality Burmese rubies; I just hope that the rubies aren't "blood rubies" so to speak. The man who sold me my ring also gave me some phone bling, aka, a phone charm to hang on my cell phone. I feel very Thai with it now. Also at Mae Sai, I stood at the northern-most point of Thailand, saw over to the other side of the border. You can cross the border into Burma for 500B to shop to your heart's content--apparently the Burmese town is loaded with DVDs, CDs, bags, you name it. Theresa and I didn't journey over the boarder, but I am trying to plan a trip to actually journey into Burma, but that is for another time
The last stop on our tour was the "Golden Triangle," the point at which Laos, Burma and Thailand all meet. I thought this would be a pretty cool sight as I'm into borders, but it was a bit of a let down; there was a very interesting gold Buddha though. After the Golden Triangle, we continued home with our goods in tow, ready for a good meal and for some night market shopping.
On my last day in Chiang Rai, Theresa and I met up with Rachel to see the White Temple, a newly constructed temple that is entirely white with mirror pieces as mosaics. Inside the temple is a very political and controversial wall painting. The artist got the idea to build the temple from a dream he had and donated it to the people of Chiang Rai, financing it all on his own. It's quite a sight, and very different from any of the old Thai temples, in either the Siam or Khmer styles. After the white temple, we headed into one of the national parks for a short hike to a waterfall. The air was so fresh and crisp and it was really nice to be back in nature again.
The thing we were planning to do while I was in Chiang Rai was to visit and ostrich farm where visitors, for just 60B (less than $2) can ride an ostrich while wearing a SWAT vest!! Theresa had done it before and when I heard about it, I desperately wanted to ride one--who rides ostriches?! After driving and searching for the farm for over two hours, we decided to give up, head to Rachel's, bake some cookies, and curl up to watch The Tudors and later a movie. All in all, the weekend was just what I needed, and got me rested and ready for my big trip with my parents.
Coming up...
I think that that, in short, takes care of the past two months. In a few days, I'm expecting visitors--first a good friend from Princeton who will be passing through for two days, then my friend and little Kappa sister, Davion, will be in Bangkok for about 10 days (trip to Ayutthaya and Samet!) and then my friend and and big Kappa sister, Julia, will be hitting BKK to start off her grand Asia tour and we'll journey down to Khao Lak together for some R&R before V-day crunch time sets in.
Pictures coming soon!
A
Monday, December 1, 2008
Euro(work) trip--Barcelona
My time in Barcelona was absolutely fantastic--the weather was ideal and it was always sunny; the Spanish food and wine were a pleasure for the palette; I was able to speak the local language and enjoy engaging in good conversation with locals (I loved speaking Spanish again!); and, on my tiny bit of free time, I was able to walk the city, and, just as in Amsterdam, take it all in.
Although I loved the architecture in Amsterdam, there is something very special about Barcelona--it is a breathtaking city. Architecturally, I think Barcelona is my favorite city and reminded me of Paris. I think the reason Barcelona is so special and unique is it's palpable Mediterranean feel, with the water and beach right there. Also, all of Gaudi's architecture really is inspired by nature, so you feel more connected to it than you do in other urban spaces where you can forget nature exists at all. There are also an incredible amount of green spaces where you can actually forget you're in a city. Montjuic, where a lot of the Olympic facilities are is like this; as is the Parc Ciutadella. In addition, the Parc Guell feels like a Mediterranean escape, like you're actually in the country-side of Greece, not in urban Barcelona.
Like Amsterdam, Barcelona has hundreds of little streets and alleyways to explore; cafes to try, sweets to taste and fashionable shops to indulge in--I bought a gorgeous pair of leather boots. I did as much as I could when I wasn't working, though this was difficult. Running in the morning was a great way for me to explore the different neighborhoods and much more enjoyable than running on a treadmill in Bangkok.
The conference I attended was incredibly interesting, covered an array of topics in conservation like water, eco-tourism, sustainable agriculture, and also topics in energy, sustainable development (poverty alleviation) and scientific studies in biology, zoology, chemistry, economics and many many other fields. I met an amazingly diverse group of people from places like Jordan, South Africa, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Zimbabwe, the US, UK, the list goes on.
Overall, it was a wonderful experience, both personally and professionally. Here are some snapshots from my trip, enjoy!
The community space outside the conference center, "El Forum"
The reflective walls of the conference building at night
Interior of the modern, environmentally-friendly conference center, "El Forum," where I spent most of my time
Barceloneta (the beach) with a view of the Olympic Stadium statue
Boats in the harbor by Barceloneta
Building art in El Raval
Walking around in El Raval
Inside the Museum of Contemporary Art
At the end of Las Ramblas leading into Colon square near the water
The famous lizard statue at the entrance of the Parc Guell
Gaudi-style bench in the Parc Guell
Inside the Parc Guell
View from atop the Parc Guell
The Casa Mila, another Gaudi work
Looking up at the Sagrada Familia
Inside the Sagrada Familia
The stained glass in the Sagrada Familia
The whole view of the Sagrada Familia
City living in Barcelona
Las Ramblas
Las Ramblas
Interior of the Barcelona Cathedral
Although I loved the architecture in Amsterdam, there is something very special about Barcelona--it is a breathtaking city. Architecturally, I think Barcelona is my favorite city and reminded me of Paris. I think the reason Barcelona is so special and unique is it's palpable Mediterranean feel, with the water and beach right there. Also, all of Gaudi's architecture really is inspired by nature, so you feel more connected to it than you do in other urban spaces where you can forget nature exists at all. There are also an incredible amount of green spaces where you can actually forget you're in a city. Montjuic, where a lot of the Olympic facilities are is like this; as is the Parc Ciutadella. In addition, the Parc Guell feels like a Mediterranean escape, like you're actually in the country-side of Greece, not in urban Barcelona.
Like Amsterdam, Barcelona has hundreds of little streets and alleyways to explore; cafes to try, sweets to taste and fashionable shops to indulge in--I bought a gorgeous pair of leather boots. I did as much as I could when I wasn't working, though this was difficult. Running in the morning was a great way for me to explore the different neighborhoods and much more enjoyable than running on a treadmill in Bangkok.
The conference I attended was incredibly interesting, covered an array of topics in conservation like water, eco-tourism, sustainable agriculture, and also topics in energy, sustainable development (poverty alleviation) and scientific studies in biology, zoology, chemistry, economics and many many other fields. I met an amazingly diverse group of people from places like Jordan, South Africa, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Zimbabwe, the US, UK, the list goes on.
Overall, it was a wonderful experience, both personally and professionally. Here are some snapshots from my trip, enjoy!
The community space outside the conference center, "El Forum"
The reflective walls of the conference building at night
Ted Turner speaking at the conference in an ecotourism seminar--he ended up sitting right in front of me!
Sign of the conference that I attended (IUCN World Conservation Congress)
Sign of the conference that I attended (IUCN World Conservation Congress)
Interior of the modern, environmentally-friendly conference center, "El Forum," where I spent most of my time
Barceloneta (the beach) with a view of the Olympic Stadium statue
Boats in the harbor by Barceloneta
Building art in El Raval
Walking around in El Raval
Inside the Museum of Contemporary Art
At the end of Las Ramblas leading into Colon square near the water
The famous lizard statue at the entrance of the Parc Guell
Gaudi-style bench in the Parc Guell
Inside the Parc Guell
View from atop the Parc Guell
The Casa Mila, another Gaudi work
Looking up at the Sagrada Familia
Inside the Sagrada Familia
The stained glass in the Sagrada Familia
The whole view of the Sagrada Familia
City living in Barcelona
Las Ramblas
Las Ramblas
Interior of the Barcelona Cathedral
Gaudi architecture in L'Eixample
Euro(work) trip--Amsterdam
While working in Amsterdam, I was able to walk around the city and explore at night after work or in the early morning before my work started. Here are some snapshots from my time there. Overall, I think Amsterdam was an absolutely adorable and pleasant city that, quite frankly, I fell in love with. I certainly think I would be content and happy living there.
Although the weather was a bit of a downer, it was nice to feel the freshness of fall after hot, steamy Thailand. The food was delicious, the fashion was great, the people friendly, open and diverse. I met an incredible array of interesting people and people were willing to talk to me--a Spanish bartender approached me in Spanish; a group of Dutch women in a yoga class I was in invited me to dinner with them--people were incredibly approachable and interested to meet and talk to me, I never felt lonely even though I was traveling and spent most of my time alone.
What's also great is that Amsterdam is small enough that you can walk just about anywhere in the city--it feels like a small village. I didn't ride a bicycle because of the heavy rains, but chose to walk. It was quite refreshing, walking around a city--looking at things, taking in all in; you can't really walk in Bangkok because the sidewalks can kill and it's often too hot that you'd get sweaty. I took a tram to work, which was about 20 minutes away by tram, but each day I walked home, taking different routes, exploring different squares--Rembranstplein, Leidseplein--and neighborhoods.
Amsterdam is also incredibly beautiful--the architecture, the canals, the reflections and alleyways, tucked-away niches and cafes. It's certainly an inspiring city--an artist's oyster. Hope you all enjoy my snapshots!
Early morning sale of flowers
Canal at night
Street in the old city at night
In the Centrum by the train station
Canal by the Red Light District
The Wag
More picturesque canals
Cafe in the Centrum
Famous Amsterdam coffee shops in the Centrum
Canals in and around the centrum
Street in the old city
Although the weather was a bit of a downer, it was nice to feel the freshness of fall after hot, steamy Thailand. The food was delicious, the fashion was great, the people friendly, open and diverse. I met an incredible array of interesting people and people were willing to talk to me--a Spanish bartender approached me in Spanish; a group of Dutch women in a yoga class I was in invited me to dinner with them--people were incredibly approachable and interested to meet and talk to me, I never felt lonely even though I was traveling and spent most of my time alone.
What's also great is that Amsterdam is small enough that you can walk just about anywhere in the city--it feels like a small village. I didn't ride a bicycle because of the heavy rains, but chose to walk. It was quite refreshing, walking around a city--looking at things, taking in all in; you can't really walk in Bangkok because the sidewalks can kill and it's often too hot that you'd get sweaty. I took a tram to work, which was about 20 minutes away by tram, but each day I walked home, taking different routes, exploring different squares--Rembranstplein, Leidseplein--and neighborhoods.
Amsterdam is also incredibly beautiful--the architecture, the canals, the reflections and alleyways, tucked-away niches and cafes. It's certainly an inspiring city--an artist's oyster. Hope you all enjoy my snapshots!
Early morning sale of flowers
Canal at night
Street in the old city at night
In the Centrum by the train station
Canal by the Red Light District
The Wag
More picturesque canals
Graffiti art in the Centrum
Cafe in the Centrum
Famous Amsterdam coffee shops in the Centrum
Canals in and around the centrum
Street in the old cityUpdates updates!
1. I've gotten a lot of very concerned emails and calls from friends and family about the increasingly volatile political situation in Thailand. I'm okay, everyone I know in Bangkok is okay but it has certainly caused quite the disturbance--airports are closed, people are taking ridiculous, multi-destination routes to get back into the country or to leave, but hopefully things will be resolved soon. I don't know anything other than what's on the news so can't really provide any insightful information.....
2. I have plenty of updates in other areas of my life and will be posting information shortly, including:
xx
A
2. I have plenty of updates in other areas of my life and will be posting information shortly, including:
- Photos from my work trip to Amsterdam and Barcelona
- A brief narrative of the recent Thai holiday, Loy Krathong!
- Snapshots of Bangkok Thanksgiving!
- Progress of the V-Day campaign and "The Vagina Monologues"
xx
A
Saturday, November 15, 2008
V-Day BKK: Check out our blog!
http://vdaybkk.blogspot.com/
We will soon be posting:
1. Cast notifications (after auditions next week)
2. Ticket and venue information
3. Ways to donate to our V-Day BKK Campaign
4. Information on V-Day BKK Merchandise
You can also check out our V-Day web page for more information: http://events.vday.org/2009/Community/Bangkok_(TVM)
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