alone is not scary.it's learning.

Day 24,25

Yest was good. day trip to Patong, visited some friends @ the beach (masseurs and those running jet skis..lol), couldnt jog cos of my pathetic swollen foot, ended up walking n swimming.
man..swimming in the sea n in the pool is so darn different. i miss lapping (swimming laps @ the pool) .. it's so easy to keep lapping when the water is so calm..

in the sea.. the waves n currents.. i couldn't even swim properly. haha. so ended up floating around and waddling like dogs in the water.. but it was good. since i, being quite a sporean..am naturally quite beach-deprived..
had coffee with my Aussie friend who's leaving to bangkok..

am getting better with the bike.. rode to town (about 20 mins ride) to catch a local bus to Patong.. cause i wasnt quite sure i could ride the bike up the slopes of the hills...
about that.. man. i get a bit paranoid when im in the bus and it stops in the middle of the slope as the driver changes gear.... yes.
it's freaking scary when u look out of the bus and see the valley next to you.. u just think u are gonna tumble down any minute. *tremble*

today was quiet..a little bored.
did some "resumes sending" to some schools.kinda gave up hoping the hotel will call me.
rode to town.. "for fun"
bought a 2nd hand eng book for 3bucks to read.. i need eng books!
went for a walk @ NaiHarn beach during sun-set..

i get a feeling some ppl reading this must be pretty jealous.. this is almost ideal life..
i hope mum n dad's gonna retire here! haha. go to the beach for a walk.. enjoy the wind..ride the bike to town..visit the local markets.. way more interesting than retiring in spore i bet. don't need much money to survive here really.. so much nature stuff here to enjoy.

this might be a little early for me...but im definitely gonna retire here next time. haha.

still kinda worried over few things. my visa's running out n i m not sure what i should do about it..a few choices but the better ones are always so expensive! dammit.
i can do a run to mynmar n get a chop but that will only last 15 days..
i can go to the immigration, pay them 80bucks n get an extension for i don't know how many days..
i can take a flight to penang or kl to apply for an extension..
blah blah.

n the expiry is approaching. urgh.

ive been thinking about the things i learnt by just travelling around alone.. the "independence" thing. it's really a challenge and it's fun too. esp. in a foreign country..

let's see. i was initially afraid of riding a bike ..not to mention within phuket town where all the little roads n lanes intersect one another.. like a maze... N the cars just keep going and never stop..
the "circles" are the worst.. roundabouts with 4 lanes of traffic.. with a fountain sprouting out water in the middle....
but i did it! haha. even when i know nuts about traffic rules n whatever..
surprised i din get lost..
actually it's kinda dangerous seriously.. the traffic is so scary man! oh well, but i m cautious enough. AND i honestly think it's safer riding a bike here than in spore.. drivers actually watch out for bikes..back home...who gives a damn.
hmm. i think i might just take a bike course here in thailand!...when i start earning the money..yea.

will reflect more on this travelling-alone journey..

sabaai dee..

my foot!

Day 23.

fell off the bike last night while trying to turn. too much groceries and lost my balance. so....my left foot was kinda "crushed" by the bike..
din hurt a lot actually after that.. forgot to ice it, but i did apply some medical oil to soothe it...
thought it was gonna be okay...
BUT.. the pain came during my sleep. I spent the whole night holding my foot.. couldn't sleep much. din know why but it was hurting throughout the enitre night. shit.
woke up limping. can't walk properly now. and i have to miss jogging at the beach now. damn.
hope it'll get better soon. i m lucky not to break any bones. *thankful*

since i couldnt move around much, decided i will spend today at home watching dvds. thankfully a friend came over from the orphanage. we met up nearby (NaiHarn Beach) and chatted the entire afternoon! she's so sweet.

making plans for new year's eve.. might wanna go somewhere out of phuket..
for now..have to hope my foot recovers soon..

sabaai dee.

(PS: check this MTV out.. it's so sad I cried..n cried..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbtNuxQ7eFo&feature=related
one of the band member died..the MTV is "real".. showed how the member's dad cared for him when he was sick and how his band mates miss him..the dad looked so old n sad..)

love all lots..treasure life.

tsunami 4th year memorial..

Day 22

Today's the 4th year memorial anniversary for the Tsunami 2004..
im sure the children back at the orphanage will be reflecting quite a bit, and having a peaceful time at the temple tonight.

many lanterns (khoom fay) will be up tonight in memory.. (white paper lanterns lighted up and released into the sky..)

Had a lazy slow day on my own.. rode the bike around the Rawai and Naiharn beaches.. realised this place seems to be where most expats stay at.. nice villas and all.
honestly, i do seem a little "outcast".. cos wherever i go.. the beaches n all.. it's just infested with caucasians.. and being the only asian girl..i prob blend into the local Thai crowd. lol.

well, on that point..there are some plus points honestly.. let's see..
I get charged local prices a lotta times.. massages..tanning deck chairs...guest houses..free rides..lol. what better can u ask for?
then...also..i don't get as much "harrassment" as the 'ang mohs' do.. "Taxi, Tuk Tuk for you sir/madam..","How are you today? Talior for you?","Come and look, i give special prices, come!",
"Jet Ski, banana boat for you?"......

and...being alone n able to talk a little thai (enough not to get lost!), i made many thai friends...
I even got a free Jet Ski ride! =) now im starting to think i do actually have a little "mei li"(charisma)..haa.
a good bargain really..it usually costs 40 bucks for a Jet Ski ride... =)

everyone is just so nice. but being on my own and all, one cannot be more careful. after some time, you just learn to travel smart and safe.
go back to the hotel early (esp in Patong..before everyone gets drunk..), dress down, wear less jewellery, smile friendly, make many local friends so you are "known" (of course, leave a good impression) it's easier to get help if you need,,
and.. speak the local language as much as you can..even when you sound like a chicken speaking duck, they feel happy that you make the effort..

oh yes, i realise fireworks are quite common here, esp these days.. there seemed to be fireworks every night since 2days before Xmas! haa. well of course, they are mainly short ones (last about 5 mins avg) and not as fancy as the ones we get in Spore definitely.

feeling a little anxious about the job hunt thing.. havent heard from the hotel im supposed to..guess they are busy with xmas events etc.. have to keep reminding myself that im running on thai time.. will keep trying..

sabaai dee..

melly xmat

Day 17,18
decided to go for a little 'getaway' in Phuket from Takuapa..
am working on getting back my money for half the month of rent, since im really kinda freaking out staying there..
anyway.. spent a night at Patong again! haa. it's just so easy to get into life there n checking out the naughty fun ppl are havin around.. scandalous stuff.
made a few friends, local and overseas.. and it's great fun seeing each other at the beach, chatting n hanging out everyday!

Day 19
met up with an expat friend here who is kind enough to let me 'rent' a room. man u should see the place. for a price like that, u prob only get a one-room flat in spore..or perhaps even less. this house is heaven. a little villa @ Rawai, 3 bedrooms and a mini pool.. gawd. i ll load up the pics in facebook soon.
will be staying @ the house for the week.. =) enjoying man!

Day 20,21
Merry Xmas! (the way some Thais say it..sounds like "Melly Xmat"!)
went for a little road trip with an Aussie friend..Surin Beach was good. Small but beautiful and peaceful.. some silly fun.. jumping into the sea from the rocks, swam in the sea, played on the slides of an offshore floating playground.. crazy stuff!
been going for jogs @ Patong.. starting to like jogging barefooted on the beach.. really nice.. just so light, carefree and the sea breeze is just wonderful! you just don't wanna stop at all. though my knees feel kinda sore after the jog. must be the sand. tough work.
had a great xmas eve dinner @ a nice restaurant with my friend. sweet.

Xmas day..
went to check out the Cable Ski here. friend had a go on it.. i din cos i m kinda tight on cash.. (reminder: I WILL do that the next time.it's so fun..esp. recalling the last time i wakeboarded..)
checked out Kathu Waterfall.. erm.. a little disappointed.. 1. it was really dry..not much water on it.. 2. the climb wasn't as great as the Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi. damn. that is so far the best climb ive had (mum,dad n bro will know what i mean. haa!) we took about 45 mins for that..but this small one only took less than 5 mins.
back to chill at Patong for the evening..then back to Rawai..

the last few days have been a good break really.. i needed one.. making so many friends and the hanging out was fun. found out quite a few good stuff like life as an expat living in thailand..and more fun stuff like about having a thai girlfriend.. lol.

gotta go. half hour is up. 20baht. talk soon. take care all love.
sabaai dee.

headache

Day 14,15,16

back at Takuapa and with the lovely children.

all preparing for the new building so lots of gardening, packing and unpacking..

the little children love running so i try to bring them for jogs around the houses nearby.. the way they laugh and run.. it's how freedom and happiness look like...

my flat's kinda giving me probs. had power cut (it was scary! really. street lamps here are lacking..so it was COMPLETE DARKNESS), water cut and "light-cut" (room light bulb fused for countless times..) couldn't really sleep well lately in the room..

so... think im gonna return the room and find some other place to stay at.

having another headache.
my tourist visa is expiring early Jan, and I need to do smtg about it. found out that to extend it for another month costs 1,900Baht=80bucks! damn. else I ll do a visa run that sounds cool but im not sure how it's gonna work.. going to mynamar n get a chop.
need to work it out soon.

went for an interview yest. for a hotel. nice poshy hotel in Khao Lak, yet very warm and homely. there is a small team of expats too. don't know if i ll get a place there yet, have to wait for the next round...which will prob take another week or so.. hmm. reminder: am living on thai time..

keep having this sudden craving for a beach, just to sit on the sand and stare at the open sea. next week, i ll do that again. can't wait.

pardon my random thoughts..many things to think about. headache.

metta.

there was sun!

Day 7-10
spent them @ Takuapa, helped out @ the orphanage, played with the children..
things are slowly getting back to normal after the funeral... daily activities resume and although no one really speak of it, i can feel everyone's missing Champ and wishing he was still around..

anyway my new apartment's really vacant i think.. there's only a bed, pillow n a blanket in the bedroom, with my luggage.. the small living room's totally empty.. the toilet's empty too .. im a bit lazy to do any decoration or furnishing.. haa. oh well.
think i have to think about stopping my motorbike rent (oh, i forgot to mention, i love riding on a bike WITHOUT a license! haa. now don't you love travelling in thailand! ) the rental's taking a toll on my budget.. 200 baht a day (that's about 9 bucks)

Day 11,12,13
2days 1 night at Patong.. =)
now in phuket town..
was in need of a break n a beach.. thought of heading to some wulu beach that i haven been to, but felt i could do with some crowd n life since ive been spending a week in a quiet peaceful village..
realised it's Phuket festival @ Patong for the week.. LOTSA people.. had some "chingay" thingy at night.. lotsa stalls form a "pasar malam" thingy.. and Bangla Road as usual was filled with crazy n bad fun.. (i stayed away from it after 10 since i was alone..really..men can be dangerous..)

my 4th time to Patong.. and i realised this time.. i actually came across Singaporeans! haa. seems like sporeans r abandoing bkk and moving to phuket!
how do i know they are sporeans? read my previous post.. and to add on to it..
wearing "Sundown Marathon" running tee! haa

talking about that. i was having a morning jog at the beach (damn this is life! i wish i can do this everyday..) it's really nice. the sun was coming up, sea breeze blowing with a handful of joggers lining the beach.. i was enjoying my slow jog n i saw another jogger in my direction... then i saw it... "Adidas Sundown Marathon".. his shirt.
i was quite excited, and i think i might have shocked him cause i waved vigourously, pointed at his shirt and called out "u are from Spore, aren't you? me too!!"
i don't know why but this is not the first time i get such a response when i try to acknowledge a country mate overseas.... he just stared at me and "smiled with great effort"..
there's this "over precautious n being wary of strangers" behaviour i find really annoying sometimes.. or do i frighten people?
anyhow, the next round when we passed each other jogging, he opened up and smile "with less effort n more naturally", and we chatted a little.

that is so different from the locals that i have met up with... just today.. i was walking around phuket town window-shopping.. a lady called out my name.. i turned and we ran up n hugged each other.. she was a clothing stall owner that i met during my previous trip 2 months ago.. she actually remembered me.. (kinda embarrassed that i forgot her name..)
almost everyone's so warm and full of love.. to strangers even.. it's just too nice.

today.. after a massage.. i spent an hour talking to the masseurs.. okay honestly, half the time i didn't really understand what they were saying, and i just smiled n acknowledged with my limited knowledge of thai (it's growing really!).
haa, but i never get bored of it. this tendency to start talking to a local and getting into endless "conversations" with them.. i learn alot .. n they are just very very friendly.. n sweet..

oh yes..i almost forgot.. a funny incident yest..
i was walking down Patong Beach and there were LOADS of sun-tanning benches.. so i picked an area n settled on a bench.. happily tanning away when i looked around me.. damn.
i was surrounded (and i mean totally surrounded) by couples of men...
they were all tanning and lying in couples.. then i realised ..shit. i was in the gay zone.
ridiculously funny. and lotsa "boy boy" walking around trying to do biz..
man. it was really eye-opening.. the couples were mainly foreigners.. caucasians mostly..
but it was good, for some reason i felt more comfortable tanning in a 2 piece among them.. since they couldn't be bothered with any lady.. haa.

talked to a burmese who works @ the beach.. takes care of the tanning decks.. he's HOT!! handsome, nice tan body and speaks well too. (reminder:take a photo with him the next time i return to Patong..)
he's a fav with the gay tanning customers.. duh. though he insisted he's straight.. haa. said it's a good place to work since he get good tips.(damn a lot i bet)

alright gota go, getting late. leaving phuket tmr for the orphanage (a good 3 n 1/2 hour trip.)
sabaai dee..

rest in peace dear champ..

Day 4, 5, 6

arrived in Takuapa, where the orphanage is located at.
was really good to see the children and the staff again. in fact, am glad to see all the familiar faces of this town..
the orphanage's new extension is due in a week or two, so the kids will have a much bigger place to play and sleep in! the opening's in january, that will be sooo exciting!

as mentioned in my last post, Champ, a 19year old staff of the orphanage died last friday in a bike accident. I felt so heartbroken when I heard the news. He was a very sweet guy who drove the kids around, played with them and helped with the puppet shows that the orphanage do. Each time I come over, he's the one who drives me to get groceries for donation.
He was quiet but had a charming smile. I still remember he brought me and a friend to play pool just last month when I was here. but now..he's gone,and he's only 19.rest in peace my dear friend.

Everyone's been very busy with his funeral lately, which was held @ a temple. Today was the cremation.. and it's really heart breaking to see the children cry. Losing someone to death probably might not be new to some of them, since they lost their families in the tsunami. It's just sad to see them having to lose another.

Well, right after, everyone headed back to the orphanage and life is slowly getting back to normal. Everyone's trying to move on.. as much as that is happening, Champ will always be in our hearts...

Ive rented a one-room apartment near the orphanage which is really cool. it's like a one room flat in spore. and guess how much is the rent? about S$100! haa. yup. for an entire month.
figured it's much cheaper than staying in some hotel (it's rare here anyway).
gotta do some cleaning this week.

Im missing a good beach though. so think I ll drop by Phuket next week. My skin is itching for a tan! n maybe a jog @ the beach. Working out is probably one the big things I m so missing. It's hard to run here.. n defnitely no access to any pool.. haa. but still, im enjoying =)

take care all, will update soon.
sabaai dee na.

curse of the no sun no tan sky

day 3..
last RnR day in Phuket b4 I head to the orphanage for the next month or so..
spent the noon @ Karon beach (about half hour bus ride from the town..)
for some reason, the curse is back. my parents used to tease me about how the sky will turn cloudy whenever i head to the pool or to get a tan.. seriously it happens A LOT.. it's ridiculous how the weather is sunny for the entire day n 5mins before i jump into the pool.. dark dark clouds will hover above me.. im not exaggerating.

it got better for the past year n now it's back. for the last few months... the sun will disappear mysteriously whenever i plan to get a tan. yes. really. the last few days were so sunny..which is why i decided to head to the beach today..
well i woke up to a cloudy sky...contispated sun i call it. decided i wasnt gonna give up..so i went to the beach as planned.
Karon beach is beautiful.. peaceful as compared to Patong. Karon reminds me of an interesting n memorable event.. where me n bro spent hours walking around the area, in the rain, trying to get to Patong (which seemes really close on the map..) haa. super funny.
The sand is really fine, and the beach was mainly littered with retired couples, families n young couples... somehow i seemed pretty out of the crowd (by that i mean both the colour n being on my own..)

n I made an interesting observation...
-Spotting a Singaporean overseas-
1) A chinese looking family at the beach.. an only child struggles with digging @ the sand n barking orders @ the maid beside to help n at the same time, whining to the parents sitting 100m away in the shade..

2)7 n 10 years old children, well-fed, spectacled, playing with their PSP on the local bus..

3)a couple @ a restn.... both take turns to grumble about how long the food is taking.. about how the staff should be walking faster.. n millions of ways the restn can improve..

4)carrying an NDP bag

5)while shopping.. a lady points to the price tag n exclaims "so expensive, go bangkok buy cheaper la. i can buy this at bugis for the same price lor, bo hua!"

yup.. these are the few real experiences of mine.. during this trip n the last..
oh yea, n let's not forget the moment we hear someone speak in a foreign country.. we know when it's sooo sporean.. sometimes i really don't know to rejoice @ seeing a "country-mate" or to be embarrased esp when it's not a very pleasant incident..
don't get me wrong, Im proud to be a Sporean.. really. we ve a great country to be proud of.. but seriously..sometimes we ought to stop being the stereo-type..

this evening, i heard a sad news when i called the orphanage to notify them of my arrival.. one of the staff died in a motorbike accident. only 20 yrs old. sigh. miss him. very sweet guy..will pay respect tmr @ the temple when i head over to Phang Nga.

sabaai dee..

hotel n what they don't tell..

day 2..

took a little walk around phuket town..checked out the familiar sights of their markets n streets..
checked out of my "hotel" because it was a nightmare.. u know.. u should never trust what's on the websites..esp. the photos.. man when i reached the place yest.. i was so shocked. the pictures on the sites were so centuries back i think. n i mean seriously. it was hell of a difference.

it was a huge building with LOTS of rooms.. corridor was superbly long.. but the interior looked very "abandoned"...corridor lights werent working.. doors were really old ..n it looked like u could easily kick the doors down anytime..
entered my room.. another shock. the wall paints were seriously coming off.. the smell was musty..the staff was trying to on the lights but apparently some of the lamps weren't working (he din seem bothered so i guess it's not unusual..)
noticed the sockets were falling off the wall.. n the carpet felt very very dusty n worn out..
(im not exaggerating..).. there's more but i don't really wanna recall them..

i wasn't expecting a posh place given the price i paid.. but honestly..they need to update their website..

anyway..changed to a new guest inn.. just about 10 bucks more.. but it's definitely much better. yea the paint was a little off.. n curtains bit stained.. but damn at least they have cable! i practically jumped on the bed n laid there watching 2 movies straight (deep blue n shrek 2)..

had an interesting evening too. met a UK couple who owns a luxury hotel in Khao Lak. they were very friendly n kind people for sure. was pretty amused to see a bungalow turned office, which had a very homely n warm feeling. i was really impressed by how they have managed to build this whole organisation n yet maintain a humble attitude towards things. i certainly look forward to meeting them again soon.

wonder what i ll do tmr. today was quite cloudy n wet, poured n drizzled throughout the evening. Im hoping tomorrow'll be a sunny day so I can get a tan!

and Im looking forward to visit my dearest dek dek (children) soon!

sabaai dee..
kat..maew..

sabaai dee..

sawat dee kaa,
im so glad i made it here.. finally! my much awaited trip was postponed cos of the airport chaos n damn was i disappointed!
this was what happened 5 days ago...
received an sms @ 2am that said "Urgent!!!! Flight **** frm Singapore to Phuket has been cancelled due to airport closure....for more info pls call...." no joke. i was supposed to check in @ 11am.. n was so looking forward.

that sms sounded so spam.. n i tried hours to call the "HOT-line" ..but nope, nobody picked up, i was so listening to ads n "our servers are busy, we will attend to you shortly.." right.

for the entire morning, i was put on hold n never got tru to ANYONE. bet i clocked more than 50times of calling the stupid customer service line. yes n that company happened to A.A. seriously, I think i ll stick to Tiger.

had to go down to the airport to find out wtf was happening. bad planning n crowd management. queued somemore, was told i had to wait 5 days more to depart.
next day, went to try my luck, n HAS ANYONE BEEN TO THEIR TICKETING COUNTER @ T1? I bet u suffered the same shit. queued forever (average of 45mins each time).
U try feedbacking.. there's no reply to any feedback u mail them, n there's no fax number..n please don't tell me to call their customer service number.

Yesterday night.. I was half-expecting the same sms so I kept looking @ my phone. it's really ridiculous how I m so pissed n yet worried.
oh well, thank gosh it din happen n im finally HERE in Thailand! =)

I know, Im here again..(everyone tells me that..) i don't know how to explain it, but it's an attraction.. n im so in love with this place..
each trip here is a totally different adventure n i just never got enough of it..
this time around.. it's quite a different purpose, n for a longer time..
Will keep all updated bout my new adventure!

for today...
reached Phuket @ 3pm..checked in a really old hotel.. miss the usual one i go to.. (had to save some bucks this time..)
went for MASSAGE.. bumped around n acted touristy.. =)
tmr will be an interesting day..
not too sure bout my plans yet but im bound for the orphanage in a few day's time. miss the children!

sabaai dee~
Kat..Maew

mess with me..

photo shoot @ sentosa for our club.. cool huh. we kick ass! =)