So Wednesday I woke up in our beautiful beach front resort, strolled over for breakfast... went for a swim in the Andaman Sea (which is very warm and salty compared to the Pacific Ocean), then as I was relaxing in my room, around noon I started feeling a little "off". Now I had had diarrhea twice that morning, but honestly, didn't think much of it since we've all been messed up in that area one way or the other since arriving. Either we don't deuce for 4 days (seriously), or we deuce 4x's a day. haha. Anyway... so I'm feeling a little warm, but figure I just got a little sun. I take it easy the rest of the day until sundown and stroll over for a Mai Tai to watch the sun go down..... 1/2 way through my drink I had to excuse myself... I was feeling dizzy, very warm, and uncomfortable. I get back to the room, and jump into bed. Within 1 hour I am on fire... burning up, but shaking with chills at the same time. "Holy crap", I thought to myself..... Now I haven't had a fever since I can remember and this was probably the worst one I ever remember having. I was F'ed.
Anyway, I laid in bed for about 3 hours, shaking, my entire body was tight... for a moment I really thought I was going to die, or at the very least go to the hospital. So I consulted my Lonely Planet guide and diagnosed myself with "Traveler's Diarrhea" (aka Montezuma's Revenge... depending on where you are) and popped a Cipro, some Ibuprofen, and a sleep aid. 14hours I woke up feeling about 97%. By the end of the day, and 2 Cipro later, I was back to 100%. Phew....
-Eric
Friday, May 9, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Palian- Julie's post
After the train ride into Trang, we took taxi mini van to Jenny's village of Palian. It's very remote, an hour outside of Trang, up in the mountains of this region. First, I have never seen anything more spectacular or beautiful than this area. We were in the jungles of Southeast Asia.
However, the terrain and the beauty of the surrounding areas can easily be described by pictures, but the people of her small village were much more complex and richer than the environment. I'd rather spend time speaking to the richness of the people I was fortunate enough to get to know over those few days.
First and foremost, I have never met nicer people in my life. It seemed as though the hundreds of people that lived in the village know Jenny intimately. As we rode our motor bikes through the hills daily, we'd see children roaming outside as they waved intensely and called out, "Jenn-eee, Jenn-eee!". It was beautiful.
Each night we spent with her host family eating dinner. They were her second family during her stay in the Peace Corps and hosted her during her first two weeks of her service. The family consisted of the 73-year-old Grandmother, mother, father, teenage daughter, 2-year old daughter, and 3-month old son. Their house was open to the elements. Although it had walls, many of the walls did not go all the way to the ceiling. They showered with buckets outside. There's no hot water in any part of the village. There are no telephone lines, although they recently have gotten cell phone towers, so nearly everyone has a cell phone.
Her host family's house had no doors, let alone screens. We ate on the concrete floor each night as they asked us questions while Jenny translated and vice- versa. Her host family's extended family came by nearly every night to see us, and speak with the family. Everyone in their family is within a short walking distance and the commitment they have to each other is remarkable.
What I experienced there pretty much can't be described in any words. It was extremely powerful to be among such strong people. Strong in the sense that what binds these people is not possessions, but each other, their family and community.
The first day we got there was pretty rough as the sun was beating down and the humidity felt a hundred times worse than in Bangkok. We were in the jungle after all. The rest of the days were better as the Monsoons came rolling in and dropped the teperature.
That first day we went to a local Thai mother's noodle shop outside of her house. Quite a few of the women in the village sell noodles, rice, coffee, snacks, or desserts to supplement their incomes. There was many places to choose from for breakfast and lunch each day, and we ate for $1-$3 USD each meal for the three of us. It was unreal. $0.33 for noodles or fried rice and a drink. I couldn't get over that.
The most stunning part of the entire trip to this area was getting to see this Muslim culture. It was so warm, so inviting, and we were treated like we were family. I never expected to be treated as outsiders, but just the amount of smiles we got as we rode motor bikes down the roads was incredible.
There were so many experiences we had with the local people that going through all of them would take too much time. I wish I had journaled more while I was there but I just wanted to take it all in and really relish in the culture. So, everything came out the way it was supposed to.
Here's a journal entry from Sunday 5-4
The beauty of being in a place like this is realizing how little is needed in life to live a comfortable and full life. Jenny's host family has been the epitomy of how a family unit should operate. Their devotion to one another, to Jenny, AND us is somewhat foreign to me. I've never met nicer people. They have hearts of gold and show it through their actions rather than words, much unlike the United States. Yesterday at the waterfall I got to transform my outlook on this trip. I had the realization, as I do many times in life, that finding your way in life does not always come easy. One must let go of some things in order to find that thing they're looking for. The only thing that we can change is our perspective and being with Jenny's second family made that transition easier. They made me feel so much at home. They eat on the linoleum floor, full of sugar ants. The 73-year-old grandmother, mother, father, and 3 kids. Over the course of the evening, brother-in-laws, sister-in-laws, cousins, aunts, uncles...they all came over to say hello to us and to Jenny. How receptive and curious they were of Eric's braces. No one even knew these type of devices were available to people with disabilities. They asked many questions and were so sincere.
We are so far removed from this type of interaction in the United States, even coming from a tighter-knit family than most which values the importance of familial community, especially while we were growing up. Yet here, I've realized it's still different than that. It is a deep connection to the land and to each other that distinguishes this small S.E. Asian community from America. This guise we have in "our"world of security and semblance, it's all a constructed veil hiding the essence of our being. Just behind that thinly constructed thing we call security lies the true beauty of life. It's up to us whether or not we wish to move beyond that and to see what's truly important. What matters is not things, and yet we constantly say that to ourselves. Things like, "Possessions aren't important in life." Yet, we tend to say that a lot, but when do we really truly mean it? We know it's the right thing to say but who could really live without walls in their house, or ants on the floors, and mosquitoes flying and beetles roaming? How about a bucket to wash with and only cold water, or maybe no kitchen table, no washing machine, and no telephone? Could you kill your cattle for food, and harvest rubber from the rubber trees as your job?
All these necessities we live with in the western world seem to be just conveniences that distract us and keep us occupied just long enough to keep us sedate. Keep buying more, keep reaching, keep striving for something you don't have. Look for that job security because it's the only thing that can give you peace of mind. All of these things we seem to look for, or that hold importance in our minds...really they're all just this huge facade.
Changing your perspective means the real work would have to be done. The soul work required to find your individual purpose in life. Because really, is your job your purpose in life? Truly, is it your purpose? I found that in Jenny's village, no one looked at their job (mostly rubber farmers) as their purpose. No one's job was their purpose, as they didn't like or dislike their job- it was just something they did to make a living. I found that they grabbed onto the true meaning of life much more easily than most of the world, because the distractions of the modern world weren't there.
However, the terrain and the beauty of the surrounding areas can easily be described by pictures, but the people of her small village were much more complex and richer than the environment. I'd rather spend time speaking to the richness of the people I was fortunate enough to get to know over those few days.
First and foremost, I have never met nicer people in my life. It seemed as though the hundreds of people that lived in the village know Jenny intimately. As we rode our motor bikes through the hills daily, we'd see children roaming outside as they waved intensely and called out, "Jenn-eee, Jenn-eee!". It was beautiful.
Each night we spent with her host family eating dinner. They were her second family during her stay in the Peace Corps and hosted her during her first two weeks of her service. The family consisted of the 73-year-old Grandmother, mother, father, teenage daughter, 2-year old daughter, and 3-month old son. Their house was open to the elements. Although it had walls, many of the walls did not go all the way to the ceiling. They showered with buckets outside. There's no hot water in any part of the village. There are no telephone lines, although they recently have gotten cell phone towers, so nearly everyone has a cell phone.
Her host family's house had no doors, let alone screens. We ate on the concrete floor each night as they asked us questions while Jenny translated and vice- versa. Her host family's extended family came by nearly every night to see us, and speak with the family. Everyone in their family is within a short walking distance and the commitment they have to each other is remarkable.
What I experienced there pretty much can't be described in any words. It was extremely powerful to be among such strong people. Strong in the sense that what binds these people is not possessions, but each other, their family and community.
The first day we got there was pretty rough as the sun was beating down and the humidity felt a hundred times worse than in Bangkok. We were in the jungle after all. The rest of the days were better as the Monsoons came rolling in and dropped the teperature.
That first day we went to a local Thai mother's noodle shop outside of her house. Quite a few of the women in the village sell noodles, rice, coffee, snacks, or desserts to supplement their incomes. There was many places to choose from for breakfast and lunch each day, and we ate for $1-$3 USD each meal for the three of us. It was unreal. $0.33 for noodles or fried rice and a drink. I couldn't get over that.
The most stunning part of the entire trip to this area was getting to see this Muslim culture. It was so warm, so inviting, and we were treated like we were family. I never expected to be treated as outsiders, but just the amount of smiles we got as we rode motor bikes down the roads was incredible.
There were so many experiences we had with the local people that going through all of them would take too much time. I wish I had journaled more while I was there but I just wanted to take it all in and really relish in the culture. So, everything came out the way it was supposed to.
Here's a journal entry from Sunday 5-4
The beauty of being in a place like this is realizing how little is needed in life to live a comfortable and full life. Jenny's host family has been the epitomy of how a family unit should operate. Their devotion to one another, to Jenny, AND us is somewhat foreign to me. I've never met nicer people. They have hearts of gold and show it through their actions rather than words, much unlike the United States. Yesterday at the waterfall I got to transform my outlook on this trip. I had the realization, as I do many times in life, that finding your way in life does not always come easy. One must let go of some things in order to find that thing they're looking for. The only thing that we can change is our perspective and being with Jenny's second family made that transition easier. They made me feel so much at home. They eat on the linoleum floor, full of sugar ants. The 73-year-old grandmother, mother, father, and 3 kids. Over the course of the evening, brother-in-laws, sister-in-laws, cousins, aunts, uncles...they all came over to say hello to us and to Jenny. How receptive and curious they were of Eric's braces. No one even knew these type of devices were available to people with disabilities. They asked many questions and were so sincere.
We are so far removed from this type of interaction in the United States, even coming from a tighter-knit family than most which values the importance of familial community, especially while we were growing up. Yet here, I've realized it's still different than that. It is a deep connection to the land and to each other that distinguishes this small S.E. Asian community from America. This guise we have in "our"world of security and semblance, it's all a constructed veil hiding the essence of our being. Just behind that thinly constructed thing we call security lies the true beauty of life. It's up to us whether or not we wish to move beyond that and to see what's truly important. What matters is not things, and yet we constantly say that to ourselves. Things like, "Possessions aren't important in life." Yet, we tend to say that a lot, but when do we really truly mean it? We know it's the right thing to say but who could really live without walls in their house, or ants on the floors, and mosquitoes flying and beetles roaming? How about a bucket to wash with and only cold water, or maybe no kitchen table, no washing machine, and no telephone? Could you kill your cattle for food, and harvest rubber from the rubber trees as your job?
All these necessities we live with in the western world seem to be just conveniences that distract us and keep us occupied just long enough to keep us sedate. Keep buying more, keep reaching, keep striving for something you don't have. Look for that job security because it's the only thing that can give you peace of mind. All of these things we seem to look for, or that hold importance in our minds...really they're all just this huge facade.
Changing your perspective means the real work would have to be done. The soul work required to find your individual purpose in life. Because really, is your job your purpose in life? Truly, is it your purpose? I found that in Jenny's village, no one looked at their job (mostly rubber farmers) as their purpose. No one's job was their purpose, as they didn't like or dislike their job- it was just something they did to make a living. I found that they grabbed onto the true meaning of life much more easily than most of the world, because the distractions of the modern world weren't there.
Back from the jungles of Palian - Eric's summary
So we are now sitting on the beach, at Trang Beach Resort, about to get another Mai Thai and I figured I would give an update. Before I do I've gotta say, this resort is not only the most beautiful place I have ever been to in my life, it's also the most drastically different place than Palian, Trang, Thailand , deep in the jungles of SE Asia, where we just spent 4 days. It would take me probably 20 days and countless pages to describe my experiences in Jenny's village so I will summarize the highlights instead and expand on them in future blogs. (Yes, that's what our room here looks like. Yes, that's our view.)
First I want to give you an idea of life there in the village and at Jenny's house contrasted from a Western perspective of the things we are used to in a "town" or "house". Jenny's house had no running water. The lights worked sometimes... seemingly when they felt like working. None of the houses have doors or windows... they are basically large huts with room dividers (Jenny's house had screens due to Peace Corp requirements). No furniture... everyone eats, sits, sleeps on the floor.... with all the bugs and critters. No toilet paper... cleaning yourself after a "deuce" consisted of either using a "butt gun", which is like a hose with a spray nozzle on it and you spray your butt, or, if there is no butt gun, you scoop water out of a nearby bucket and pour it over your butt while you rub and clean with your hand.... rinse and repeat. Seriously.
Funny side story: I was in Jenny's host family's (host family = family that took her in initially when arriving in Thailand) house eating lunch when I had to deuce, quick... now I had spoke to Jenny regarding the bathroom situation and was informed they did not have a butt gun and they used the soup ladle approach to cleaning. Like I said, I had to go quick, I didn't have time to jump on the motorbike, and go back to Jenny's house... but it wouldn't matter anyway because even though Jenny had a butt gun, she had no running water. Anyway, so I buck up and go to the bathroom there. When I'm done I begin wiping and cleaning myself with my hand.... half way through I look over to my right. Apparently they got a butt gun recently that Jenny was unaware of... needless to say I finished the cleaning with the butt gun and walked away fresh and clean. Honestly, those things get you really clean.
Here's a pic of a typical thai bathroom... the only real variations is that some have western toilets, but they don't flush on their own and don't have toilet paper.
Now on to the fantastic experiences:
- Motorbiking with Julie around the 3km loop that is Jenny's village... complete with winding, rolling roads, lush tropical landscape and scenery, and a giant dominating waterfall.
- Visiting a self-sustaining house deep off the main road through a 1.5km dirt road. A man and a woman built this paradise and were completely self sufficient... from cows and chickens, to a fish farm, water treatment, full garden and a beautifully landscaped living space.
- Swimming at the base of the waterfall.
- Witnessing the Halal killing and butchering of a cow by the village butcher at 6am in the middle of the jungle.
- BBQing and eating that cow for lunch.
- Meeting the local village people. Getting double-takes from locals as we passed each other on motorbikes.... with the exception of Jenny, some of these people have never seen Farang (farang = westerners) in "real life".
- Visiting Jenny's school for her going away party... complete with drunk teachers, a P.A. system that was WAAAY too loud, an MC that loved to hear himself talk on the ear piercing, echoing system, flying beetles the size of my fist, and last, but oh so not least.... Thai Karaoke. Complete with Engrish versions of everyone's American classics. It was awesome.
- Eating with Jenny's host family every night... the sense of family, community, love, and genuine interaction was touching and heart-warming to say the least.
Well, that's all for now... I'm off to sit on the beach, work on my tan, then off to a Thai language class. The islands have been closed due to crazy monsoons, but I believe they open today, so tomorrow we're going to the island of Ko Hai for two days, then on the 10th we're flying way north to Chiang Mai.
- Eric
Thursday, May 1, 2008
The train ride from Bangkok to Trang
We've arrived in Trang and only a couple hours behind schedule. Poor Jenny's train was delayed numerous hours on her way UP from Trang to Bangkok to meet us when we arrived. One of the train cars had derailed slightly and she was stuck on that thing for a long time.
Our train ride together was wonderful and I slept fairly well considering all the noise the train was making. Thankfully I have pretty hefty earplugs that come in handy for situations like that. Our car was a 4-person sleeper car (2 bunk beds on either side). It was much nicer than I anticipated. However, our car was the only one in the entire train that reeked of urine from the time we stepped on board. Ha. It figures. We're talking f-o-u-l! Honestly though, the stink didn't get overwhelming until a few hours before we arrived.
I woke up around 3:30 AM hoping to catch the sunrise but fell back asleep around 5:30 and missed it. However, I did wake up very shortly after the sun peeked over the amazingly green landscape. I was the first one up and took my camera and sat outside of our room, watching everything go by. The population became very sparse, only a few very modest houses/bungalows every 15 minutes of train ride. I quickly realized I couldn't get any decent shots being behind the glass of our train car so I headed to the front of the train- about 10 cars ahead. Each section of the train was a different price, the lowest in price being wooden benches with an open car and no air conditioning. I found it interesting to note that as I walked through the car, the skin of the passengers became noticeably darker. Jenny has mentioned that Thai culture puts the whiter skinned people on a higher pedestal and that many women use skin whiteners to make themselves more "beautiful." There are commercials for skin whiteners on the TV with a color scale showing how much whiter you'll become if you use their product.
I personally hope to develop an even nicer tan while being here! :)
The food car was an open car, and the only place on the train I could sit and get good shots, as well as be in the cool humid breeze of the early AM. The countryside in this area is amazing. Lush jungles with trees I've never seen before and rice fields with cows grazing and roosters roaming. I sat on that car by myself for about 40 minutes, drinking the traditional Thai coffee consisting of instant coffee, which isn't that bad when it's the only thing you've got.
I'm still blown away that we're actually here. I'm very happy to not be in Bangkok anymore and actually away from all the touristy crap of that city. There were about 5:1 white people to anyone else in a very large radius from where we were staying. Eric said on the last day it made him feel like he was on Spring Break. haha It was starting to feel like that...a bunch of college kids from Europe, Canada, and the US all out to party their asses off in Thailand. Also, I found it quite disturbing that most every white woman was wearing a low cut tank top, or worse- halter top with a mini skirt showing off all of her legs. Although we were in our own little touristy world of Bangkok where most of the residents are tourists, I made absolutely certain to NOT wear anything even slightly revealing, and to keep my knees covered at all times. Anyone who reads up on Thailand, even the slightest bit, could tell you that wearing loose fitted clothing (for women) and pants or capri's is not only respectful of the culture, it gains you much more respect and better service. I would just think that if you're going to take the time to travel all that distance to a foreign land, you'd make damn certain of the cultural nuances before heading out. I suppose that's too much to ask of us stupid Westerners.
I used a squat toilet for the first time on the train. If you don't know what that is, you should google it for pictures. I'm too lazy to post a picture right now. In any case, it was quite an interesting experience trying to squat on that thing while the train was in full motion trying my hardest not to gag from the stink. The gagging was inevitable though.
The first thing I noticed was how the toilets go straight down to the train tracks. It's just an open hole where everything exits the train. When you realize how many squatters live on the sides of the train tracks and walk the train tracks, you are able to start painting the picture of how disease can easily spread. That really blew my mind for a good couple of hours.
Until next time,
Julie
Our train ride together was wonderful and I slept fairly well considering all the noise the train was making. Thankfully I have pretty hefty earplugs that come in handy for situations like that. Our car was a 4-person sleeper car (2 bunk beds on either side). It was much nicer than I anticipated. However, our car was the only one in the entire train that reeked of urine from the time we stepped on board. Ha. It figures. We're talking f-o-u-l! Honestly though, the stink didn't get overwhelming until a few hours before we arrived.
I woke up around 3:30 AM hoping to catch the sunrise but fell back asleep around 5:30 and missed it. However, I did wake up very shortly after the sun peeked over the amazingly green landscape. I was the first one up and took my camera and sat outside of our room, watching everything go by. The population became very sparse, only a few very modest houses/bungalows every 15 minutes of train ride. I quickly realized I couldn't get any decent shots being behind the glass of our train car so I headed to the front of the train- about 10 cars ahead. Each section of the train was a different price, the lowest in price being wooden benches with an open car and no air conditioning. I found it interesting to note that as I walked through the car, the skin of the passengers became noticeably darker. Jenny has mentioned that Thai culture puts the whiter skinned people on a higher pedestal and that many women use skin whiteners to make themselves more "beautiful." There are commercials for skin whiteners on the TV with a color scale showing how much whiter you'll become if you use their product.
I personally hope to develop an even nicer tan while being here! :)
The food car was an open car, and the only place on the train I could sit and get good shots, as well as be in the cool humid breeze of the early AM. The countryside in this area is amazing. Lush jungles with trees I've never seen before and rice fields with cows grazing and roosters roaming. I sat on that car by myself for about 40 minutes, drinking the traditional Thai coffee consisting of instant coffee, which isn't that bad when it's the only thing you've got.
I'm still blown away that we're actually here. I'm very happy to not be in Bangkok anymore and actually away from all the touristy crap of that city. There were about 5:1 white people to anyone else in a very large radius from where we were staying. Eric said on the last day it made him feel like he was on Spring Break. haha It was starting to feel like that...a bunch of college kids from Europe, Canada, and the US all out to party their asses off in Thailand. Also, I found it quite disturbing that most every white woman was wearing a low cut tank top, or worse- halter top with a mini skirt showing off all of her legs. Although we were in our own little touristy world of Bangkok where most of the residents are tourists, I made absolutely certain to NOT wear anything even slightly revealing, and to keep my knees covered at all times. Anyone who reads up on Thailand, even the slightest bit, could tell you that wearing loose fitted clothing (for women) and pants or capri's is not only respectful of the culture, it gains you much more respect and better service. I would just think that if you're going to take the time to travel all that distance to a foreign land, you'd make damn certain of the cultural nuances before heading out. I suppose that's too much to ask of us stupid Westerners.
I used a squat toilet for the first time on the train. If you don't know what that is, you should google it for pictures. I'm too lazy to post a picture right now. In any case, it was quite an interesting experience trying to squat on that thing while the train was in full motion trying my hardest not to gag from the stink. The gagging was inevitable though.
The first thing I noticed was how the toilets go straight down to the train tracks. It's just an open hole where everything exits the train. When you realize how many squatters live on the sides of the train tracks and walk the train tracks, you are able to start painting the picture of how disease can easily spread. That really blew my mind for a good couple of hours.
Until next time,
Julie
the other eye
This is Jenny. I'm the third stooge in this trio of adventurers. I am lucky enough to have visitors willing to run around with me and pretend to know what's going on.
Julie, Eric and I have begun a month of traveling around Thailand. First we met in Bangkok on the last two days of my Peace Corps Service. I finished officially April 30th, after a total of 28 months as a volunteer. I am relieved and a little sad. It's a lot of my life, a lot has happened, and I will miss this country.
Luckily, I get to travel with my two best friends. But as we're learning, it's not always a smooth ride.
Last night we left Bangkok at five pm and just got to Trang. Where I have been working for two years. The trip is usually 16 hours; this trip was 20.
After blogging for a while, I'll be taking them to my village to meet the people in the photos here (from my show now up in Bangkok). To meet the family I have learned to love like my own. To play in waterfalls and walk in the jungle, to worry about scorpions and deal with no running water. Not joking. It's the dry, hot season and my well has been dry for a month.
I am worried I am overwhelming my virgin travel companions because everything is so familiar for me after this long abroad. The smells don't get to me. I feel bad for Julie who seems so sensitive to the changes in environment. I remember, but now I'm numb nose wise. The sights are like walking around the block where I grew up in LA. It's where I live now. The language comes naturally. The people are my friends.
What I hope to be able to show Julie and Eric is what Thailand can look like from an insider's perspective. I want them to be able to see this country the way I've come to love it. And to even teach them some Thai.
So far, so good. But Eric likes the lingo to pick up the ladies and makes me pee my pants with his jokes. I've designated myself the recorder of all good Eric quotes for our trip. Last night's train adventure elicited a number. 1) I feel like a circus animal. 2) I totally feel like I'm at camp right now." In reference to the bunks we had to cram into. 3) I always wish I could quote myself but I'm too lazy."
Hence my new appointment.
More pictures from the mountains of Southern Thailand....the Banuthat Mountain Range and the villagers who call me their daughter. The village is called BanKhuanMaidum and we are about to enter another world.
Peace, Jenny K
Julie, Eric and I have begun a month of traveling around Thailand. First we met in Bangkok on the last two days of my Peace Corps Service. I finished officially April 30th, after a total of 28 months as a volunteer. I am relieved and a little sad. It's a lot of my life, a lot has happened, and I will miss this country.
Luckily, I get to travel with my two best friends. But as we're learning, it's not always a smooth ride.
Last night we left Bangkok at five pm and just got to Trang. Where I have been working for two years. The trip is usually 16 hours; this trip was 20. After blogging for a while, I'll be taking them to my village to meet the people in the photos here (from my show now up in Bangkok). To meet the family I have learned to love like my own. To play in waterfalls and walk in the jungle, to worry about scorpions and deal with no running water. Not joking. It's the dry, hot season and my well has been dry for a month.
I am worried I am overwhelming my virgin travel companions because everything is so familiar for me after this long abroad. The smells don't get to me. I feel bad for Julie who seems so sensitive to the changes in environment. I remember, but now I'm numb nose wise. The sights are like walking around the block where I grew up in LA. It's where I live now. The language comes naturally. The people are my friends.
What I hope to be able to show Julie and Eric is what Thailand can look like from an insider's perspective. I want them to be able to see this country the way I've come to love it. And to even teach them some Thai.
So far, so good. But Eric likes the lingo to pick up the ladies and makes me pee my pants with his jokes. I've designated myself the recorder of all good Eric quotes for our trip. Last night's train adventure elicited a number. 1) I feel like a circus animal. 2) I totally feel like I'm at camp right now." In reference to the bunks we had to cram into. 3) I always wish I could quote myself but I'm too lazy."
Hence my new appointment.
More pictures from the mountains of Southern Thailand....the Banuthat Mountain Range and the villagers who call me their daughter. The village is called BanKhuanMaidum and we are about to enter another world.
Peace, Jenny K
Thai Hooker - Eric's story
So... as it turns out, the Thai "cougar" (cougar = older lady on the prowl for younger dudes) that was hitting on me and buying me soda and ice cream was actually a Thai hooker trying to drum up some business with me.... that's how they operate I guess. I mean, I don't blame her, I am pretty hot.
So Julie and Jenny were setting up an art show in Bangkok and I decided to stroll across the street to a nice park right by the river and watch the boats go by... as I'm chillin' there, this older (40's) thai woman comes and sits about 25ft from me and asks me to take her picture, which I gladly do. She introduces herself as "Deeda" and proceeds to chat it up in her broken and barely understandable English. Now my Thai is no good either so you can imagine how the conversation went. Anyway, she asked me if I was married, to which I replied "engaged".... she clearly had no clue what that meant. She then started to tell me how lonely she was and how she had no husband and how she liked me and all this stuff.
Now me, being the ego maniac that I am, just figured some old broad was trying to score with "Bruce Willis" (yeah,this cab guy said i looked like Bruce Willis... he's right). Anyway, she then began asking me to go for a walk with her and I kept refusing. At this point I began to think that, perhaps, something was not on the "up and up"... I still wasn't sure what was off. I at first thought that maybe it was some scam, or some dude was waiting on the "walk" to rob me. I didn't get paranoid, just went on heightened alert. Anyway, time passed, she kept making small talk then offered to buy me a drink..... I kept refusing but she kept insisting. I started to think I was being rude, so I finally caved. Meanwhile I'm looking for an "out".
Thank god for Julie.... right when my Thai friend left to get her Bruce Willis a drink, my cell phone rang with Julie on the other line. Good timing too b/c the thai chick kept asking me for my phone # and I kept telling her I didn't have a phone. lol. Anyway, I told Julie where I was and to come rescue me.... which she did within 5 minutes.
The first thing Julie said to me when we walked away was... "you know that's a hooker, right?". hahaha.... to that point the thought never crossed my mind. Why would a hooker buy me drinks and ice cream? Aren't I supposed to be buying her stuff? That, plus my ego, made it hard to believe... but after thinking back on various things and relaying the story to Jenny for her thoughts, she was totally a hooker.
Still, I don't blame her... I am pretty fly for a white guy.
So Julie and Jenny were setting up an art show in Bangkok and I decided to stroll across the street to a nice park right by the river and watch the boats go by... as I'm chillin' there, this older (40's) thai woman comes and sits about 25ft from me and asks me to take her picture, which I gladly do. She introduces herself as "Deeda" and proceeds to chat it up in her broken and barely understandable English. Now my Thai is no good either so you can imagine how the conversation went. Anyway, she asked me if I was married, to which I replied "engaged".... she clearly had no clue what that meant. She then started to tell me how lonely she was and how she had no husband and how she liked me and all this stuff.
Now me, being the ego maniac that I am, just figured some old broad was trying to score with "Bruce Willis" (yeah,this cab guy said i looked like Bruce Willis... he's right). Anyway, she then began asking me to go for a walk with her and I kept refusing. At this point I began to think that, perhaps, something was not on the "up and up"... I still wasn't sure what was off. I at first thought that maybe it was some scam, or some dude was waiting on the "walk" to rob me. I didn't get paranoid, just went on heightened alert. Anyway, time passed, she kept making small talk then offered to buy me a drink..... I kept refusing but she kept insisting. I started to think I was being rude, so I finally caved. Meanwhile I'm looking for an "out".
Thank god for Julie.... right when my Thai friend left to get her Bruce Willis a drink, my cell phone rang with Julie on the other line. Good timing too b/c the thai chick kept asking me for my phone # and I kept telling her I didn't have a phone. lol. Anyway, I told Julie where I was and to come rescue me.... which she did within 5 minutes.
The first thing Julie said to me when we walked away was... "you know that's a hooker, right?". hahaha.... to that point the thought never crossed my mind. Why would a hooker buy me drinks and ice cream? Aren't I supposed to be buying her stuff? That, plus my ego, made it hard to believe... but after thinking back on various things and relaying the story to Jenny for her thoughts, she was totally a hooker.
Still, I don't blame her... I am pretty fly for a white guy.
Ciao Bangkok, Hello Trang...
In less than 1.5 hours I will be on a train heading south to Trang, Thailand... a 16hr train trip. I'm definitely ready for some relaxing beaches, a direct contrast to the madness here.
Yesterday I got my first Thai Massage (I know the question and the answer is "no".)... $3. Can't beat that. It was fantastic. I think I will make that a daily event. It was much different than I had anticipated, sort of a cross between partner yoga, deep tissue massage, and wrestling.. haha.
This morning I went to see the Royal Palace... Julie and Jenny stayed behind. All I can say is "wow". The place looks unreal and straight out of a fairy tale... and this is 2008. Imagine how people felt viewing this place 100's of years ago.
Oh, and I totally got hit on by a Thai cougar today while I was relaxing in the park... she bought me a soda. More on that later, I have a train to catch!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)