A traveller's notes

Live from Halloween celebrations in the US V

2009-11-01T10:30:00.002+07:00

The best costume I saw all day was not the skinny dude covered head to toe with green lycra (we asked him what he was and all he said was 'green'.) but the girl walking next to Michael Jackson number 32587 (so many Michaels, and all different). My friend Robert asked her what was her costume. I managed not to crack up when I heard the dialogue. 'What are you?', The girl smiled 'I'm a fan'. Robert was lost. 'A fan of what?' She looked at him like he was stupid, then at her Michael Jackson buddy, rolled her eyes then said with a clear voice: 'A fan of Michael Jackson'.

And with that note, I'm off to bed. Let's hope no one trashes the place, I ate most of the chocolates :)

Live from Halloween celebrations in the US IV

2009-11-01T10:27:00.002+07:00

My biggest surprise all day?

Two guys sitting outside my local supermarket, smoking and relaxing ask a guy in a costume 'hey, dude, what's this Halloween thing all about?' The guy in the costume smiles and keeps walking. I stop and start to chat. 'I mean, where did it come from? When did it start?' So there I was in front of two Americans who had little or less clue than me.

Live from Halloween celebrations in the US III

2009-11-01T10:23:00.003+07:00

Things confirmed by the movies:

- You don't give chocolates/candies then your place gets trashed/pranked/something happens.

- People of all ages dress up, there are people in costumes in every corner, in every street.

- There are so many parties and events it's hard to decide where to go.

- Never seen so many pumpkins...

Live from Halloween celebrations in the US II

2009-11-01T10:05:00.003+07:00

What I didn't know about Halloween before actually being in the States during the holiday and before being surrounded by Americans:

- Moms go trick or treating too. In most movies I saw the kids go out alone and adventure off, apparently to get candies and chocolates for free at strangers' homes, what I actually saw was moms (ok, ok, I saw ONE dad too) waiting by the gate while the kids walk up to the door. One mom was scarier than her kids' costumes.

- No one gives fruit or cereal bars anymore. Too many people died from it, stuff got put inside fruit, poison etc. As I heard this I chuckled and said I thought all that were urban legends, then 3 grown mature people stared at me super looking all serious, 'real people died.' Right. Got it.

- Kids come up to your door, they say 'Trick or Treat' and then YOU, the person holding the chocolates decide what they get. Chocolates, or a trick. My friend Robert had a kid howling. I love him.

Live from Halloween celebrations in the US

2009-11-01T09:52:00.004+07:00

First of all, we regret the weather. We, of the skirt wearing kind, regret it even more.

In the movies we don't see people shivering or wearing raincoats, do we? We also don't or at least I haven't seen women dressed as witches walking their dogs. Why is that? It would work for me as an audience...

Live Halloween posting (considering the time difference most of you won't really care about the live bit)

2009-11-01T09:26:00.002+07:00

the live posting starts in 5 minutes. I'm not ready are you? :)

My first Halloween themed party

2009-10-28T01:41:00.005+07:00

It happened to be a kid's birthday party but it had Michael Jackson's Thriller dance, food and drinks so does it matter?
The house was unmissable. Imagine driving in while hearing kids scream in the background. Passers-by stopped to chat as well, it was very nice.

I still think this 'clown' was the scariest bit. I slept in the living room that night and kept having to remind myself it wasn't some creep sitting down watching me.

This was the toy I hated the most, you hear screams and shrieks every time you press the button so of course the kids pressed it every five minutes.

The spiderweb touch was a great detail, it's still all over the house. I hope I'm not the one that has to clean it up.
The spiderweb included details such as different size spiders hanging from the ceiling.

As well as a tiny doll trapped in the spiderweb. Clearly I was born in the wrong generation.

Halloween is already next weekend!

2009-10-23T20:29:00.003+07:00

Man, where does time fly off to? This weekend is homecoming weekend, DC is insane with parties, events and general celebration. Homecoming, if I understand it correctly, means celebrating the return of students/alumni. There are balls, galas, parties and of course, alcohol. And before you have time to recover from homecoming weekend, Halloween is already here.

I haven't been taking my camera with me lately so you'll have to take my word when I tell you that each day there are more Halloween decorations popping up. The supermarkets have an extra aisle for chocolates, pumpkins are seen everywhere, scary and funny costumes are sold on the streets. I think only now do I realize I really am in the States. This Sunday I'm attending a birthday party whose main thing is doing the 'Thriller' choreography. Life is good.

I've recently discovered cupcakes. So far my favorite are the peanut butter cupcakes.

48F or 9C

2009-10-15T20:11:00.001+07:00

Whether you're thinking in Farenheit or Celcius, it's cold. However all DC folks say 'it's chilly'. Also, it doesn't rain, it 'drizzles'. Who's with me in thinking I'm going to enjoy winter?

Supermarket

2009-10-14T06:21:00.005+07:00

You'd think any Western supermarket would be simple for a Westerner, right? At least that's what I used to think.

Just imagine the biggest supermarket in your country and know that that's a normal size one in states. Then imagine different names for things you knew all your life. Not just different names but different packaging. Different places to put things.

Imagine all that and try and go and shop under 20 minutes.

It can't be done.

This is the main reason why the kitchen cabinet is full of Oreos and apples.

American ads

2009-10-08T07:52:00.004+07:00

You have not seen advertisement until you've watched American TV. A single children film (yes, I watch kids' stuff) has at least six or seven commercial breaks.

Here is what I've noticed so far:

Lose weight ads come on mostly in the afternoon, specially lunch time.
Halloween is coming. There are ads, cartoons and movies about it.
Thanksgiving is coming. Now that I don't eat meat I see tons of turkey. Typical.
Christmas is coming. There are more toys' ads now than all summer together.
Starwars is still going strong. Silly me, I thought it was over and done with.
Michael Jackson mania. ('nuff said)
If you have a new drug to sell mention 3 good things about it then 32 side effects (I've heard stuff from hallucinations, depression, losing of arm and leg control, to losing ability to speak, you know, minor things.)

And yes, some of pharmaceutical ads go on during the day. It's hysterical.

Love of information

2009-10-06T02:11:00.004+07:00

Americans love being informed. Love being the source of information. They love information period. And they're very practical about it.

In the beginning it annoyed me. It really did. 'What is the purpose of your visit?' 'How long are you staying?'

Then it started being entertaining. 'This bus ain't movin' until everybody moves to the back! So if you want to get to work today I'd get moving!'

Now I depend on its precision. 'Ladies and gentlemen, the metro will begin moving in 20 seconds.'

I guess love can start with annoyance first, hun?

A-going to the States

2009-10-03T07:10:00.001+07:00

New adventures, old friends. yay!

Thai cheetos

2009-10-01T01:01:00.000+07:00

I was so excited when I saw cheetos in Thailand! I love cheetos. Then I opened the package...

Nightllife

2009-09-30T01:49:00.000+07:00

It took me about 15 shots to get these two. Next time the tripod will not stay in the car...

Thailand posts returning tomorrow

2009-09-30T00:12:00.002+07:00

Bangkok: weird, insane and lovely

2009-09-26T11:14:00.000+07:00

Took me a long time to get this photo without cars in it, long live the Queen.

I clearly did not go to smart school...

A market can be anywhere really, just need a few inches.

I do not want this guy job.

Believe it or not it's the inside of a shopping center.

Entrance to a alley market/ collection of tiny shops in an alley.

He looks happy enough with braces, come and be happy too!

What other name would a postcard store have? in small letters it say ''love blood & love u".

Bangkok: Wat Pho PT II

2009-09-24T10:47:00.000+07:00

Welcome to the reclining Buddha temple. Make yourself at home, I'll keep an eye on you...

These are donation/prayer pots, you get a little tin bowl filled with one satang coins ( 1 cent sort of) and drop one in each pot. Not familiar with how it works beyond that but I can share that the sound of coins being dropped in a row in an empty temple is something I shall not forget anytime soon.

I knew the statue was going to be big but I was still impressed.

The feet are decorated with mother of pearl. Remember never to point your feet at any Buddha statue or Thai person, very disrespectful.

Even His back shines, those sculptors really paid attention to detail. Don't forget to visit the statue when you go to Bangkok.

Bangkok: Wat Pho PT I

2009-09-22T07:16:00.002+07:00

Wat Pho is located about 1km away from the Grand Palace. It's famous for its reclining Buddha. It's probably the biggest statue I ever saw. However I spent over one hour taking photos of the temples statues and... cats. Don't worry I won't show all the pictures I took, just a few. The Buddha photos will be here tomorrow if blogger stops saying 'bad request' when I try to upload them.

Wat Pho also includes a nice Thai massage school. The streets around the temple are full of oil massages and other material. It's a interesting experience for your nose.

notice the little black cat on the left corner. when I first looked at the statue it scared me, then I saw the cat and relaxed.

I want his life. Look at that peace of mind...

Bangkok: Grand Palace's statues

2009-09-20T04:43:00.005+07:00

Entrance. A relaxed statue welcomes us.

All over the palace and temple there are statues, literally all corners and plants had one or two.

These reminded me of India a lot.

I personally prefer 'the guardians'.

Yep, those are some big statues... If you go and visit take lots of water, the place is bigger than it looks. I ended up having to get my head wet and sit in the shade every chance I got. All afternoon in there and there were two places with shade...

A two-in-one shot, two guardians together. The poor human guards cant move or talk. I asked him to blink once if I could take a photo...

Bangkok: Grand palace & Esmerald Budha temple

2009-09-19T06:58:00.000+07:00

It's hard to miss the Palace and the temple (it's inside the Palace's grounds) but somehow it had eluded me so far.

Believe it or not I forgot to ask how long it took them to build the place.

A lot of people call it the Golden temple. I think you can easily understand that.

It's always full of tourists, for some photos I had to wait a few minutes or reshoot a few times in order not to get some blonde in it. Don't get frustrated, see it as an opportunity to really find the perfect angle. Most of all I enjoyed the statues, tomorrow's post will be dedicated to statues and other 'creatures' I met at the compound.

And the palace...

When I grow up I want an entrance just like that one.

motion stop

2009-09-18T06:07:00.001+07:00

As you might have noticed, my life is never boring. There is always something going on.

As such it's time to announce that another adventure has popped up and that the Thailand one will be done for the time being. I do hope to return soon.

I shall miss most of all the kids, the food, the weather and the calm. My favorite: rice soup with vegetables, Oishi green tea with honey and lemon (and banana pancakes, though not in the picture).

No, I did NOT teach them how to do that...

2009-09-17T01:19:00.001+07:00

Here we have typical boys growing up in Thailand as normally as they can.

And yes, they are hitting themselves with inflatable thingies indeed.

What Jesse is telling them in Thai is that she could hear them all the way in the bathroom and that she thought they were playing 'Muay Thai' (Thai boxing) not that.

Thai and Burmese portraits pt III : smiles and laughter

2009-09-15T05:30:00.000+07:00

Since my black & whites are so popular, I'll add a few more before posting some videos. Today's theme is laughter and smiles. Most photos were a result of some giggle fit or game, the rest were taken while they were with their friends.

One of my personal favorites. All his friends were jumping around and in front of the camera, there was too much jumping around for me to even be able to focus the zoom, then cuteness here looked me in the eyes and nodded. I got the camera up and he got this cool pose. 0.2 seconds later the crowd knocked him to the floor. There was a 2 minute break to laugh.

Finally got Lek to smile on camera, not a big open smile but still...

Get your weapons...

Another poor victim of the water balloon fight, actually with this class it escalated from water balloon to buckets of water being thrown... inside the classroom.

Her friend kept making her laugh and look away, it actually worked better on film than she thought.

He had just won a yo-yo and some candy. Life was too good.

See-saw is so much fun. I tried to get on it but the girls said 'no'. I was too big they said. Humpf.

How come one friend was soaking wet and the other was dry? Well, before I could ask someone got a bucket of water and justice was served.

The official translator. Look at him: cute and smart, already speaks 3 languages...

the last 3 photos are just perfect smiles, aren't they? Really, some kids are too damn cute.

Number one.

they love each other now but two minutes later they were fighting over a yo-yo. No photos of that as I was in the middle trying to sort out who started it (I still dunno...).

Fan the teacher. They thought it was hilarious but I was really out of breath. Do not attempt to chase kids in tropical weather, people, it's quite a kick to the lungs.

Thai and Burmese portraits pt II

2009-09-14T07:50:00.000+07:00

Some of you asked for comments or details of the portraits but it's difficult to explain each moment. I'll give it my best. This beautiful little girl was probably my biggest challenge, it was the first time she went to school and she was very shy. I noticed her straight away, I mean, just look at that face!She didn't know what I was doing with the camera and only after 15 minutes did she look at me long enough to take her picture. I tried to show her afterwards (usually the kids' favorite bit) but she ran away...

Yep, there are two of them. I had been taking photos of one twin for the last minutes when he brought his brother along, I was a bit confused for the first few seconds. This little girl seems to share the moment with me.
After a big water balloon fight most tshirts needed to be rinced. This time having the camera on me saved me a bit. This boy will be breaking hearts soon enough, he's too cute.

The two official translators of their class. One translates from Thai to Burmese, the other to Karen (one of the Burmese tribes) , a third one translates to Mon (another tribe). It was a bit insane to hear five languages in one single class: Jesse said it in English and Thai, then the kids repeated it to their classmates in Burmese, Mon and Karen... it was the longest bingo game I ever played.

The talcum powder question has been popping up in my email a lot, basically they use talcum power after taking a shower, also during the day to help with the heat. The Burmese also have another power, a yellow one, that they put on when it's really hot. If I'm not mistaken this kindergarden item we see in the photo had never seen his face on a screen before, he stared at it with such awe...

One of my easiest subjects, I asked if I could take his photo and was offered this great look and then several poses (more photos to come over the next few days).

Some are just too cool...

While others just can't help but to appear on film.

For some reason the boys were always more eager and easy to photograph, most girls refused . The boys were actually fighting to be the first, several times I had to give them numbers in order to calm them down. This little girl just queued with the boys and calmly waited her turn. I told her she was beautiful but I didn't know how to say in Thai 'you have amazing eyes'.

This baby was so much smaller than his classmates I didnt see him at first. He pulled my tshirt and got in pose mode.

Queue to the photographer, it was not planned but they didnt let me leave the room until every single one of them had at least two photos. I had so much fun!

Sangklaburi's river

2009-09-13T06:18:00.000+07:00

You can tell the water level rose a lot, I used to walk a bit before reaching the pier, now it's straight from the steps.

In the West we assume the rainy season means rain and high level of water, no one teaches us that the heat is still there, the steam is in the air, we sweat a lot, the mud strangely enough does not dry, the mosquitoes are even more present, snakes, snails and frogs show up a lot as well.

The wooden structure on the right is a fishing boat/raft. I forgot to ask if there is more fish during this season or not.

Before the dam was built there was a temple somewhere to the right, now it's underwater. During the summer you can see bits of it out and visit it properly. It will be for next time for me.

My office: children of the forest

2009-09-12T10:57:00.001+07:00

The view from my office window.

Roof tops are not the same around the world.

Children of the forest is , as the name implies, not in the middle of Bangkok or in the middle of a busy intersection. It's either a 20 minute walk through a forest or a bumpy motorbike ride downhill. It's worth the walk and the bumpy ride is fast, just make sure you're driver is sober (yes, experience talking).

The scenario is quite beautiful. Just add the fact that you're sweating buckets most of the time, the fact that there is mud everywhere, that your clothes will always be dirty...

My favorite bit when walking to the office in the morning is watching the clouds in the distance. It gives me a great boost for the rest of the day.

Thai and Burmese portraits pt I

2009-09-11T06:21:00.000+07:00

The short life of a water balloon

2009-09-10T06:44:00.001+07:00

First, the balloon get filled with water. Then it finds a kid.

Then the kid finds a target.

The target tries to run.

The target fails to get away and must return to face the laughing crowd.

The balloon had a successful life.

details that got my attention

2009-09-09T06:03:00.005+07:00

Teacher Jesse gets greeted by part of her class.

A chicken approaches the cows... Isn't there a cartoon called 'Cow & Chicken'?

Nice helmet for a construction worker, hun?

The dogs clean up the floor after the kids are done eating.

Breakfast line at the school.

Pass the pen with your feet alone.

First day back at school

2009-09-08T08:08:00.000+07:00

First, a word about the rain season: wet. Besides being obvious it's persistent. Imagine never being completely dry. Imagine your clothes smelling like they've been in a basement for the last 3 years, imagine your hair damp all the time, imagine constant rain - or when it finally does stop raining there is still water in the air... Imagine snails at every single spot, walls, floor, you name it. Imagine frogs and toads of all sizes crossing the street, hoping right next to your feet... Imagine all that and you're starting to get the general idea.

Getting to school in this season is also tricky...

But we pass some nice areas. (notice the tiny girl watching us go by...)

We did a treasure hunt, the clues were given after the completion of certain tasks such as pass the water balloon, do a crazy dance etc
Playing pass the water balloon means fun and...

a wet classroom

and wet feet. Those pants and socks were white when I arrived in school that morning...

Me helping my kids build the world's tallest stick tower.

Lunch time. See the size of that pot, I don't know how they manage to cook for 350 kids... This was vegetable and chicken stew with ginger and of course, rice.

I'm back!

2009-09-07T07:00:00.000+07:00

First of all, to all of you that donated books: they are here!! yay! Thank you.

Since most kids can't read this level of English we decided to use them as a fundraiser.

The books I had left behind were covered in dust, was I gone that long?

My friend Pi Wee Wah missed me, no matter how hard she hits me. And that blanket was made by her mum specially for me. :)

I missed Thai food more than I thought... This is fried rice with egg.

I'm up, I'm up!

2009-09-06T07:00:00.000+07:00

The average Thai wakes up around 5am, and that does not include those who work at the market. For me waking up before 7am is wrong, just wrong.

This morning at 6.15am I woke up to strange noises coming from my night stand. Being me I immediately thought the world's biggest cockroach was going for the chocolates. As I tried to focus and adjust my eyes the noise gained momentum. It was my next door neighbors having sex. Sigh.

I tried to go back to sleep, naturally. A few minutes later the tap in the bathroom open all by itself and water was running. I have no explanation for that. I closed the tap and even before I reached the bed a sound like a foghorn blasted through the window.

I sighed and put on some clothes and went outside. Clearly, the world wanted me to be up and running.

(Today I take, once again, the wonderful 7 hour bus to Sangklaburi. Yay for motion sickness!)

A-going to Thailand: arrival in Bangkok

2009-09-05T08:15:00.000+07:00

There is a significant number of things I had forgotten about Asia. Considering I was away only a couple of months I am oficially worried about my memory. And no, I didn't drink that much in Belgium.

I had forgotten the amount of people, how it's hard to walk in a straight line as you keep moving away from little kids, adults speeding up, ladies with bags, adults speeding up while dragging little kids (those are very dangerous - if the kid is really small you only see them after you bumped into them), old ladies that stop right in front of you looking around as if they just forgot where they are going..., the smell of 32 different dishes being prepared at the same time that comes at you from every corner...

I had totally forgotten that even when there seems to be a queue there really isn't one...

I had also forgotten how my body feels after being in the air for over 16 hours. It's not just tiredness, it's like my muscles are made of clay and are all stiff until they warm up. I was awake for 27 hours and as soon as I thought I was doing well I crashed, it just so happens that I was at the airport waiting for the bus when I fell asleep. I woke up 1 hour later...

Since I am still in US time it means I'm 11 hours behind Thailand time. Yay...

A-going to Thailand: quick stop in India

2009-09-04T21:32:00.004+07:00

The stop in Mumbai was of only 2 hours but it was more than enough time to befriend a Thai lady who lives in Newark, to be harrassed by a few Indian men, to eat food so spicy I wondered if my teeth were going to fall off and to say once again ''only in India!''. It's a bit like the sign above, my Thai friend thought it was funny while I just looked at her with a serious expression and said 'you've never been to India.'. She was surprised. 'No, no I haven't.' I smiled. 'If you had you'd think that that sign should be in a more visible spot.'

One of my favorite bit was passing 5 security checks all with x-rays and the very modern system of... stamps. However my ultra favorite was being told to hurry to the gate, being told to walk faster to boarding, having of course 3 different queues each time and then... waiting at the stairs. Waiting for what? No one was quite sure. 20 minutes later the crew arrived and passed the crowd. We still waited. One passenger in the front was reporting to the back: 'It's raining.'

When at last the door was open, we were still stuck, the rain was ready to make boats out of the airplanes. There was only one light outside making the scenery even more eerie. Imagine hearing the biggest amount of water you'll ever hear falling while seing glimpses of airplanes (depending on where the lightning struck) and people walking back and forth. Part of the ground crew was chatting away next to us, oblivious to the moment.

I turned on my flash and decided to have fun. My feet were already wet so why not? After a few moments someone turned on the lights.

That dude with the automatic riffle was suddenly standing next to the passengers. Where did he come from? Had he been there all the time? I mean, had a creeepy guy with a gun been standing next to us in the dark?...
And this is how we entered the bus. We crossed a puddle that was anckle deep as quickly as we could (did I mention wheelchair bound passengers?), the lady with the umbrella was standing at the door instead of walking with us trying to cover us and the bus was wet inside, chairs included. And yes, we had to do the same while leaving the bus and entering the plane except that while walking to the plane we had a guy scream at us 'Faster! Keep going!' even tough there was only one door and five people stuck trying to get in. I was rarely that happy to be in shape.

Leaving for Thailand in the morning

2009-09-03T03:15:00.001+07:00

Basically all I did in Belgium was eat, sleep and drink. The jet lag hit me hard this time, I even woke up twice as my friends were choosing what to eat for dinner...

See you in Thailand!

Back in Belgium again: Leuven

2009-08-27T09:14:00.002+07:00

Some photos in and around the Leuven main square.

Don't let the sun fool you, after the hot weather in Washington Belgium feels like winter already.

I'm still recovering from the jet lag and it doesn't help that I don't have a watch. I keep thinking it's early in the morning while my friend is making lunch.

I guess that will only get worse as I go to and from Asia.

For example, at this very moment most of Belgium already had lunch and is thinking about leaving work in a couple of hours while I'm starting to think about breakfast.

Back from the dead

2009-08-26T20:54:00.004+07:00

Apologies, readers. Life is crazy. Yes, that's my only justification. The blog will return to normal, I am beyond hope for that one.

I am now back in Brussels (arrived this morning) and I leave for Thailand on the 3rd of September.

A lot has happened but I will recover from the jetlag first before I lay it out for you.

Around Boston

2009-08-08T01:41:00.006+07:00

Like the photos show it's a bit difficult to describe New England as there is a bit of everything, there is a lot of nature and I really like that. There are also a lot of huge houses. One of the things I liked the most was the proximity to sea, every little town had a marina and an ice cream shop. I know, I know...

Boston food baby

2009-08-07T01:27:00.000+07:00

Before I let you see the pictures of the nice trip I had here are some that should help you understand why I returned tired and overfed. A bit like Hansel and Gretel after they escaped...

There were buckets of cookie dough ice cream...

Donuts...

Hangin' by the pool with Gibi...

And M & M's mountain...

yes, hard life indeed.

On my way back to DC

2009-08-06T01:24:00.001+07:00

Hello y'all!! I am going back today to DC where I will have internet again, yes, expect photos and stories. I also return with extra weight, nothing like a relative to overfeed you...

I'm off to Boston

2009-07-29T10:54:00.001+07:00

spending another day on a bus. Don't think I'll have internet access, please be patient.

I'm back but...

2009-07-29T02:38:00.002+07:00

my photos are locked away in an infected computer. I'm looking for an exorcist right now.

Gonna be off the planet a bit

2009-07-22T09:27:00.000+07:00

Central park

2009-07-21T11:36:00.005+07:00

I still have a lot to see in Central Park (800 acres is no joke) but I loved every bit I saw.

From people just chillin', having fun...

To other places full of tourists like me.

And while sometimes I felt I wasn't in NY, some corners would always remind me of where I was.

Some bits were like in the movies.

Others were new, like the homeless guy that sold me a poem about love and then asked me what I was doing later...

A nice (big) walk in NY

2009-07-20T07:35:00.004+07:00

Times Square by night and with an invading fog...

Manhattan view from Governor's island.

The idea was to see the Statue of Liberty but we ended up in Governor's island instead, it was actually a lot of fun. The view was not too shabby either...

It's these contrasts that I love the most in New York, how the huge skyscrappers still allow trees and churches at every corner.

And sometimes you think all there is around you are skyscrappers, big buildings and offices but then in the spaces there is sunlight, small buildings, gardens... almost like playing treasure hunt.

Live from New York

2009-07-19T11:00:00.003+07:00

Nobody warned New York I was coming...

I know I should be raving the New Yorkers, the New York buildings and churches, how the skyscrappers cut off the light and how you can only see the sun while walking between buildings or how your neck hurts with all the looking up. Or even how much you can walk in one single street.

Or perhaps I should talk about how when we wanted to go to Staten Island and see the Statue of Liberty we ended up in Governor's island with a 90 year old that had more energy and life than the two of us together.

But really all I want to talk about is the M&M's store in Times Square. If you remove all the little kids running around and add some half naked people it would be my idea of heaven, even the music was great. Yes, I bought tons of chocolates. Life is good.

On me way to New York city

2009-07-17T07:58:00.001+07:00

I haven't been to a national park yet but I've seen plenty of flowers and loads of squirrels.

This one got my attention because I had never seen one with the fur that color. I also saw him grab half a pizza slice and hop off with it... very cool.

Now I leave you with some DC flowers as I take a bus to New York...

A quick look inside the National Gallery of Art

2009-07-16T22:30:00.002+07:00

Even with two visits I still didn't see everything there is to see. I was sort of hopping for more American artists such as Edward Hopper but those are either in New York or Chicago.

Besides the museum's collection there were 5 or 6 temporary exibits, how can one see everything?

The art of power.

Not everyone can keep up...

Ze Americans

2009-07-16T04:32:00.001+07:00

Are so nice and cute AND TALKATIVE that I've been away from my computer... I hope the blog will return to its normal (normal?) functions as of today.

Sculpture garden

2009-07-10T11:05:00.003+07:00

It's part of the National Gallery of art museum and sits right in front of the US Archives, the little lake helps a lot of turists deal with the heat. I know there is another sculpture garden far bigger than this one but I haven't seen it yet.

DC: US Archives

2009-07-09T10:36:00.000+07:00

I've been visiting a lot of museums lately, it's hard to show pictures of that. I mean I am allowed to take photos of certain areas but I don't think it really does justice to the art.

So far I got lost in the National Gallery of Art and freaked out at the amount of kids in the Natural History Museum (not going back into that one...). In the Natural History museum shop I found a book I had almost given up on: The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean.

Now I'm going back to the Art gallery today, I have a map and some food in case I get lost again.

DC: views of Capitol Hill

2009-07-08T09:49:00.001+07:00

Capitol Hill is where the US congress has its parties.

It's one of the buildings on my list of 'This building makes me feel small'.

I don't need to tell you the security is tight...

It faces the Washington monument (the Smithsonian museums are all around that park on both sides, that whole area is called The National Mall.)

Washington DC: Library of Congress

2009-07-07T10:07:00.000+07:00

I was all excited about going to see the world's biggest library. I was a literature student and I absolutely love libraries...

I wasn't quite sure on what to expect but it certainly was more beautiful than I expected...

I also got to see Gutenberg's bible. No pictures allowed of course but I was happy just the same.

After two hours inside I only saw part of the first building, I'm going to go back and do an official tour later this week.

2nd day in DC: Georgetown and Union Station

2009-07-06T16:16:00.000+07:00

Georgetown is a quiet neighborhood in Washington D.C. where you can see DC's oldest building, the Old Stone House:

It was built in 1765.

Yes, the school buses do exist, it's not just a movie prop...

Georgetown's university.

A building in one of the main streets...

Riggs Bank.

My first meal in a dinner. Brownie, icecream and whipped cream.

The spy museum in DC has some nice ideas for ads.

Yes, That's me under the flag. It's not just the country and the buildings that are huge, it's the flag too.

Both photos are outside the Union Station, the train station in Washington D.C.

The train station has a bookstore. 'Nuff said.

Washington DC: 4th of July

2009-07-05T06:23:00.000+07:00

Only in a civilized country would an independance day celebration end with nothing being destroyed or with me not getting angry at drunk people. It also happened in Belgium but I'm still not quite used to it.

In the afternoon people were already getting ready for the fireworks.

Celebrating the end of 'being British and paying taxes to the king' included a picnic in the parc. There was also a free concert with several artists but as much I as I love Aretha Franklin, I couldn't queue all day. I caught only the end of the parade but I think I got the best part:

an Uncle Sam eagle that looked like a duck that you see on the right side of the photo and a Hare Krishna carriage being pulled by hundreds of believers...

I was also fortunate enough to arrive here in time to see part of the Smithsonian folk life Festival, it wasn't something I had anticipated but it was great. The Smithsonian museum includes several museums such as the Air and Space Museum and Udvar-Hazy Center, American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery, American Indian Museum, American History Museum, National Zoo, Natural History Museum and many others. And the best part is that ALL THE MUSEUMS ARE FREE.

So after browsing through the folk festival, my first hours in DC were spent dancing away to a Columbian group called Las cantadoras del Pacifico.

Two of the singers were born in the 1930's and they could outdance anyone.

As the time for the fireworks approached the crowd went all the way from the memorial to the capitol hill, believe me it was more than a football stadium full of people, it was the biggest picnic display I ever saw.

America: the land of broken phones

2009-07-04T18:11:00.002+07:00

For reasons that only my best friend would have, she couldn't pick me up from the airport. So she arranged for a friend to pick her up and another to lodge me for the first night. It all sounded perfect, but since it was me and her we were sure something would happen on my arrival to the United States.

Both planes were on time and I only got lost once in the New Jersey Liberty airport, so all was going well. I found out that my Belgian number doesn't work in the states so I bought a phone card.

I landed and picked up my bags and looked for a girl with bright clothes, maybe with a sign with my name on it (yes, that was the only description my best friend gave me, very detailed as you see). No such girl around. I went outside to the passenger pickup area and waited about 15m. I almost went to talk to an Indian-looking girl that had a bright orange blouse. After a bit I decided to give the girl a call. The first phone was out of order so I dragged my bags a bit more to the left and tried the second phone, also not working. I dragged the bags again... In total there were five phones not working in that whole row. When I finally managed to get a dial tone I only got her voicemail.

Sigh.

I called my friend and asked for help. Apparently the girl had already called her and was searching for me somewhere in the airport. I told my friend what I was wearing and my coordinates (I was very, very specific) and waited 10m. No one showed up. So I called my friend again. The girl had given up on finding me and was sitting in her car next to door seven (I was before door one).

'What car does she drive? there are loads of cars outside.'
'Oh. I should know this... I was already in that car....'
'Ok, never mind.'

I dragged my bags all the way to door seven. Luckily the girl noticed me and waved. As soon as I saw her I made a mental note to slap my best friend in the head for her wonderful description (girl, bright clothes), the girl was black and bald. Not wearing any bright clothes at all by the way. Very detailed description indeed.

After a long drive (this country is way too big) we managed to get to the area of where my friend lives. It took us 20m to get there as we circled it but couldn't quite find it. My body was telling me it was almost one in the morning but here it was only seven in the evening.

I went to the reception (my friend lives in a dorm) and announced myself and asked for the girl that was going to house me for the night. She didn't pick up the phone. We tried five times. I asked for a phone so I could ask my friend to call the missing girl. The phone was also not working. I laughed.

I sat on the reception area with my bags trying to think of how long it would be appropriate to wait until I started thinking of going to a hotel. A girl sat next to me and we started talking, she knew both my friend and the missing girl. She called her cellphone and of course she didn't pick up. I had been waiting for almost one hour by then.

A few minutes later the missing girl shows up in her pijama. She was surprised to see me. The phone in her room didn't ring. Yep, another one not working.

Now I'm going to see the 4th of July celebrations and not use a single phone over the next couple of days.

Here I go

2009-07-01T05:35:00.000+07:00

To the States this Friday. Just in time for the 4th of July.

Details for the curious people

2009-06-29T11:08:00.001+07:00

After my balloons post everyone wanted more details on the surprise hen party I organized, I thought I'd share a photo of the presents and a summary of my trip to Brussels to buy them.

My last job was very very boring and mostly had boring people. However it was right in the center, I could go to eat in a nice restaurant for lunch, go shopping and sit in a park. All nice things. Parallel to the shopping street is the sex-shops street (of course, it is. They know what they are doing when they set them up) If you're from a small town you'll probably wonder what I mean with 'sex-shop street'. Let's just say that both sides of the street have several shops, from all kinds, from S&M stuff, to only videos, to peep shows... And it's not even on the red district area.

Once the date and the girls were ready to pretend they knew nothing of a surprise party I went to spend an afternoon browsing for fun stuff. I saw everything from sexy underwear, scary underwear, eadible underwear, nurse/nuns/ scouts/ school girl/teacher uniforms, whips, handcuffs, dildos, vibrators, masks, feathers to lots of stuff I didn't even know how it worked. So I did what I had to do, get over my awkwardness and ask questions. I explained it was for a hen party, which in French is literally something like: the burial of the 'young woman's life' (I think they mean 'single' life, not that you'll be old and decrepit once you say 'I do'.) and I thought it would be a smooth ride after that. It wasn't.

'What does your friend like?'

Problem number one. I never slept with her, never got into a detailed conversation that allowed me to reply to the guy. I shrugged.

'OK. Do you want to give her something for her to wear on the night, something for the honey moon, something to have fun once or something that she can keep and use whenever she wants, maybe a costume for the party?'

Problem number two. I dunno. I smiled and tried to look like a nice innocent girl while I gathered my thoughts. I could see the guy was trying to be helpful.

'How about I have a look around to see what you have and then decide?'

'If you have any questions I'll be downstairs.'

As soon as he left and I started looking around I had a huge smile on my face. There were some interesting things for sure! But what would my friend like? I saw a box with a vibrator, handcuffs, a mask an anal vibrator and a feather and decided to call for help. I called a friend of the victim and asked her opinion.

Once out of the store I went to other stores to see and compare. The one on the right was mostly for sexy or specialized underwear, another for hardcore S&M (some things looked scary) and in the fourth one as I was deciding to go in a guy came out pulling his zipper up so I decided against it...

The first store with the helpful guy that probably thinks I'm a bit slow was the best one.

The nice helpful guy suggested that I do my own combo of sex-toys. He even coordinated the colors! In the end there was so much stuff he had to problems closing the bag.

While he packed everything I noticed a shelf of genitalia piercing items. I knew only the common stuff you see in movies so I was amazed with the choice I was seeing. There was all types of shapes and sizes and for several points of the genitalia as the owner (who had been watching me from the beginning) pointed out. She even explained some to me.

'Interested?'

How could I explain that just by looking at some of them I felt an urge to cross my legs?

'Curious... But it's not for me.'

'Some really enhance the pleasure.'

'I'm sure. I believe you, I really do but it really wouldn't work for me. That one on the right has just made me dizzy just by looking at it.' I felt pale. She laughed. I looked to the lower shelf.

'What is that one supposed to be?'

'A horse.'

'And where-'

'Men put it under one of the balls, usually both.'

I like this open age and country when a sex-shop is no longer a dark and slimy place and you can have your questions answered in a clear way. That's part of who I am, I like to understand things.

'And that one? Is that a-'

'Yes, that's a lightning. For the clitoris.'

I shivered. The nice helpful guy was done wrapping, I wanted to hug him.

He said 'have fun' when I left. Personally I blame all those sissy girls that say they are shopping for a friend when it's really for them.

I left the store with a whole new knowledge. And with a small paper bag packed with sex toys. All the way to the train station I prayed it wouldn't rip.

Items bought: handcuffs, edible massage oil, mask, feather, kamasutra dice (you throw to see which position you do it), edible dust that you spread with a vibrating brush on the partners body and then lick off, a vibrating bath duck.

Items not included: batteries and a way to find out for sure the bride and groom enjoyed the presents.

Why I love Brussels

2009-06-28T06:37:00.005+07:00

A slideshow with comments. Once you see the amount of photos I think you'll forgive me for the lack of posts lately.

If Picasa supported music in their slideshows I'd add this track I found last Friday. It's called Remmidemmi.

P.S. Please let the slideshow load, if after a bit you don't see anything you're probably my sister. I suggest reloading or using another browser.

After the wedding

2009-06-21T21:22:00.003+07:00

I feel muscle pain like I did after a 2 hour kung-fu training.

Introducing Mechelen

2009-06-18T05:59:00.003+07:00

Mechelen is a quiet little town in Flanders. Why do I like it? Besides the bicycle paths all over the city and its surroundings, there is a nice canal with weird boats (bicycle path follows it through 60km) and the center is actually full of shops and a great church.

I get to see storks up close. Yep, it's that quiet and nice.

The bad thing is that you need to take the train to Brussels. If you're like me leave well in advance and walk slowly towards the station. Why do you want to leave the peace and quiet and go to Brussels? More on that soon...

Belgian balloons

2009-06-17T05:07:00.001+07:00

Despite what the blog might indicate I've been keeping myself busy during these forced holidays. I have a new passport, paid my taxes, organized a hen party and Friday I am attending a wedding and acting as official DJ. All this in a country full of chocolates, beer and comics. It's been hard, I tell you...The best part so far - apart from seeing my friends and eating like a homeless in a free buffet - was attaching balloons to a bicycle and crossing a town at full speed. Have you ever heard the sound of 10 balloons rustling against the wind? Let's just say that a lot of people turned their heads, winced (to make sure their eyes weren't playing tricks on them) and then gave me a huge smile. Naturally it was a windy day.

Another fun bit was going on the train with said balloons. It was an old train so I couldn't fit in with the balloons and sit down, I had to stand between to carriages right in front of the door. Which is perfect if you want even more people to see you, one guy even missed his step while giggling at me. A friend of a friend went to pick me up and asked me how she would recognize me. 'I have balloons, you can't miss me.' And there I was, backpack with wine and snacks, phone in one hand, balloons in another, she knew exactly who I was. As did half the town.

For those planning to do something similar make sure the balloons' string isn't too long otherwise you'll hit passing cars and little kids. On that order.

Daytrip: Maastricht, Netherlands

2009-06-08T06:42:00.006+07:00

For reasons that are uninteresting to this post the bride-to-be choose a seamstress whose shop is in The Netherlands, more precisely in Maastricht.

So for several Saturdays my friend took the train to Maastricht and I was lucky enough to join her on the last ones. Last time despite the glorious weather we didn't see much more than the route between the train station and the shop. This time however we made sure to visit the town. Naturally it was cold. And no, not just for me that just arrived from Thailand. If you looked at everyone's clothes and not the calendar you'd think it was Autumn.

I had an ice cream just because. It took me over 20 minutes to warm up my hand afterwards but I was still very happy about having some cookie dough.

The trip was an overall success we laughed at things no one else would understand or find funny (it's time to stop trying to explain ''you had to be there'' moments), the dress was ready and I left my empty cookie dough package in the seamstress desk. Not on purpose, I swear.

The last five minutes in the store were very confusing. I couldn't find a garbage bin so I set the package on the table for two seconds. Then my friend was showing off her dress to other guests, and because of my wide smile they thought I was the proud girlfriend. The smile was mostly because I heard the dress' explanation and story several times and because I was struggling to understand Dutch. While I was trying to correct that detail the seamstress wished me a happy return to Bolivia. To where? To Indonesia. I stuttered Thailand and groom somehow. Everyone was laughing, I wanted to leave so I opened the door as fast as I could. The door got stuck in the rug and I could barely squeeze myself out. And half way to the train station we realized the package was still on top of a very fancy table in a very fancy store...

The art scene in Maastricht:

I couldn't resist posting this

2009-06-03T17:16:00.002+07:00

Before you ask me how if it's related to traveling, it isn't. (Well, maybe traveling back in time.) But I thought I should share this literal video with you all...

No much excitement over the next few weeks

2009-06-01T17:57:00.001+07:00

The blog will slow down over the next couple of weeks as I am organizing a hen party and helping out the almost newly weds. Since they both read the blog, I won't be able to share much...

Belgium actually has nice sunny weather, it's a true miracle.

Like a running stone

2009-05-28T04:34:00.006+07:00

Zach Braff in Garden State.

You know those author films where the main character is going through either a crisis or some sort of revelation and there is a moment when he or she is clearly set apart? I mean really set apart, different, the one moment when you know for sure that particular character is alone in some way?

It can be, for example, Zach Braff is on a plane and everybody's reading light is off except his (in Garden state) or it can be Scarlett Johanson walking through the streets of Tokyo looking glum in Lost in Translation...

I'm sure you can think of your own examples (if you're that geeky send me a list of films) but today I had my own "everybody's light is off except mine moment in Western civilization".

I was stepping out of the metro at my own pace when suddenly a woman next to me started running. Then the guy on my other side started to run too. Despite the suits and bags and all they ran pretty fast. I look behind me and people are starting to run. Well, I don't know why but I started to run too. I thought 'I'll be damn if that old lady is going to out run me!' And while I was running I was looking from side to side to see if anyone knew where we were going, if anyone had a God damn clue. All I saw was very eager people. I asked myself, 'why am I running? I have nowhere to go, no one's expecting me.' so I stopped running. I was the only one. No one bumped into me but I saw them run all around me towards the exit.

I miss the Asian calm.

Arrived tired but safely to Brussels

2009-05-25T04:24:00.003+07:00

Somehow it doesn't feel like I've been away only a few months, it feels like I've been away longer. Strange. Maybe it's because so much happened. So here are so far the differences I noticed:

It's cold. (hey, I just left a tropical country, European nice weather is cold for me...)
Empty streets or with only one car.
Cheese and milk. (You can't get them in Sangklaburi).
I'm no longer a minority, I can mingle in a crowd.
Shops closed during the day. I had forgotten how exciting Belgian sundays are.
My cat is way bigger...

This would be a culture shock in any country

2009-05-24T12:53:00.001+07:00

Contemporary art is difficult sometimes, isn't it? Both are set in a busy street in Bangkok.

If there are any art critics/scholars out there by all means...

Gaming in Thailand (and Asia, I suppose)

2009-05-23T15:37:00.003+07:00

Back home anyone who plays videogames for more than just occasional fun is considered a geek (I've recently found out "geek" means something completely different in Thai but more of that some other time), if by chance the person plays videogames let's say, everyday then they are a serious geek, a nerd.

I am curious to try this one, you beat the drums at a certain rhythm.

Like the whole karaoke thing I've mentioned before gaming is a non-issue. It's like Asians (again, this is just a general thing, I'm not saying all countries of one continent behave the same) pick up all the stuff we are embarrassed about and decided to have fun with it.

No matter what time of the day in the thousands of game houses, net places, shopping centers, hidden corners under escalators you'll find Thais of all ages playing a game. Even supermarkets have a little gaming corner.

Mostly it is boys, yes but there are more than enough girls. They just play different games. Boys tend to go to the shooting, racing, fighting ones and of course, guitar hero (I can tell you first hand, those speakers are LOUD). Women and older men play matching images games, suduko, puzzles etc, girls play less violent action games, sport etc

And if you're good enough you'll get a little or bigger crowd. Usually little kids are always included. It is a LOT cheaper than Europe (more or less 2e for enough time to reach the final level while in Europe now the starting price is usually 2e). I am proud to say that I attracted a small crowd while shooting zombies. I've even heard that in Korea some people make a living out of playing videogames, sadly I'm not that good.

To Bangkok's tuk-tuk and taxi drivers

2009-05-22T20:48:00.001+07:00

Waiving your hand at me while your other hand picks your nose is NOT going to work.

Back to Belgium

2009-05-20T13:43:00.004+07:00

Due to my country's strange rules it would be easier to lose my passport than to do one abroad. With that I would need a visa to go to the United States which implies more money, more paperwork and an interview where I could not make any jokes.

At the same time my tax situation in Belgium became insane and I was getting so homesick that I was considering attending a wedding. I detest weddings so that was clearly a sign.

So Belgium here I go. The paperwork should take at least 2 weeks and just hugging people another week. I'll go to the States after my hug quote is full.

So a month of paperwork and queueing, hugging people, crashing on sofas and not eating rice. Sounds ok to me.

Traveling bug hits again

2009-05-18T15:44:00.004+07:00

S you might have noticed from the big image on top, I'm going to the States. Well, let's see if they let me in but that's the idea anyways.

I'm going to visit my best friend who is working there until September.

In case your wondering how my budget copes, it doesn't. Me and my best friend have a weird deal of who has money at the time sponsors the other one, so I paid for India when I had a job and now she pays for this because one day years ago a fortune teller told me I was going to be rich in my thirties (or was it forties?).

This was arranged months ago, I was supposed to go in July but well, things happen.

We're looing into cheap flight now so I might have to stop over in NY first. As soon as I know I'll update the photo. I do have two more guides to show everyone but since most of them (and the notebooks) are in Belgium the photo would lose its appeal.

Has anyone visited the area before? Any advices? Do you think the swine flu will cause all the museums (free entrance!) to close?

If I wasn't so tired I'd be more extatic.

First day of school (new term)

2009-05-18T15:24:00.002+07:00

Children of the forest received about 70 new students. At this point I'll bet the director is going over the budget and wondering where she can get more money from.

Can you imagine that? 70 more mouths to feed, 70 more books, 70 more items of clothes, 70 more students to teach...

Flying thingies

2009-05-18T04:11:00.001+07:00

Some of you know my famous disgust of all things insects and reptiles. I understand their place in the food chain and all but I prefer to keep my distance.

With the rain season starting in Sanglkaburi the animal kingdom has shown me who is the ruling majority.

Every single night since my return I lose almost 30 minutes killing unindentified flying thingies. I know they are insects but I never saw them in the West. One looks like a cricket but much smaller, another like a beetle, another like a flying ant...And they come in by the masses, the bastards.

It got to the point that I already leave some time between brushing my teeth and turning off the light for clearing dead bodies off my bed.

Sometimes I misjudge or forget about my fan and as a result the dead bodies fly back to me...

P.S. You don't hve this in the whole of Thailand, it's worth because I am in the middle of the jungle.

P.S. Despite my best hopes, even the insane amount of rain it's not cooler. So we sweat and get soaking wet with the rain, brilliant.

Ko Lanta slideshow to refresh your memory

2009-05-17T09:02:00.003+07:00

As the other teachers show us more photos I'll look for some worth publishing.

UPDATE: If you can't see it as my sister complained, try using the latest Mozilla OR LATEST INTERNET EXPLORER and letting it load...

Change of NGO

2009-05-16T12:34:00.002+07:00

After a couple of days at Baan Unrak I noticed things that were a bit bizarre. At first I didn't pay too much attention to it but as the days went on the list of things I didn't agree with increased.

The list of things included inocent stuff like a controlling director and is also off the planet on most days, she would walk away in the middle of a conversation because she thought of something else.

The list also included more serious stuff like the fact that the Baan Unrak school doesn't accept Muslims students. Despite the fact that Sangkla is extremely poor and that most refugees can barely scrap off food they don't take students for free, they charge 3000/4000 BHT per student per month. That's a local salary multiplied a few times. Also I saw the director ask 500 dolars/per month to an Australian that wanted to sponsor some kids to go to school. Notyhing in Sangklaburi is worth that. Things like that.

I understand they've done some good and that they help but I couldn't stay there anymore.

The week in Ko Lanta helped me get to know Children of the forest better. They offer free education, food and transportation to anyone that wants to learn. That means that live off donations only and as such are struggling a lot more than Baan Unrak. Yet no one is refused. I like that. There seems to be a lot more happiness in the working space as well. Their website needs to be updated urgently so as the days go on I'll try and tell you more about the project. yes, with photos.

I made new friends!

2009-05-15T12:41:00.000+07:00

Lots of photos today. I wanted to really try and show you how much fun I had and I thought the best way was to show you my smile.

The landscapes are just there to make you jealous.

A close friend, a punching bag.

On the truck with some of the boys.

This is Pee-Wah, my favorite Burmese. Despite the fact that she doesn't speak English it was with her that I had the most laughs with.

She also has the biggest braid I've ever seen.

Twice it went down to her feet and twice she cut it, this is the third try. Blimey!

This is Lek. Don't let his serious face fool you, he was my date on most nights out.

He also took this picture.

This is Booboo, he respected me a lot more after I beat his ass in Thai Boxing.

This is the biggest smile Joidapur has for the cameras. He's 19, you see, he's too cool to smile.

Asian kids are too cool to be true...

This is Saranee, she made the necklace I'm wearing.

I got to sit down a bit but my camera never stopped working.

All the teachers liked me

Well, some more than others.

But really what's there not to love?

An afternoon well spent

2009-05-14T08:59:00.002+07:00

It sounded too good to be true. First we spend a nice day at the beach. Then the kids cook for us?

You could almost hear the teacher's worries in the air: will it be good? will it be spicy? will I get sick? It turned out to be a delicious meal.Of course after tasting 20 different ones we were pretty full... I forgot the name in Thai but it was vegetables and chicken cooked in coconut milk without tasting of coconut. The tradicional rice went with it. I might not eat rice for a year after Asia.

The small ones did some jewelry for everyone. Some was quite good, one particular one that was given to me was more of Freddie Krugger material but you know, it was done with love. I think.

important detail

2009-05-13T13:12:00.002+07:00

I know I should've explained before but bear in mind that I was taking care of 38 kids. The trip to Ko Lanta as mentioned was to show the sea for the first time, to give some kids a real holiday for the first and perhaps only time. What I forgot to mention was that the nice people of Ko Lanta either gave us the activities for free or for a great price so that in the end we mostly only had to worry about food and gas money. Nice hun?

We made it!!

2009-05-13T08:50:00.000+07:00

We have just arrived back in Sangklaburi. All the teachers took the day to sleep, some kids are back in school today. Photos to come tomorrow.

our snorkeling trip

2009-05-09T14:57:00.006+07:00

As promised here are some photos from our trip:

Before and after:

Everyone's half dead... I'm right above the pink shirt boy, on the blue mat.

I've been getting some questions about the children of the forest kids so I'll try to sum it up:

Not all of them are orphans, just more or less half of them.

Some were abandoned by the parents.

Some have a distant relative that may or may not be in touch.

Some just go to the children of the forest school and then go back to their families whether it's a blood relative or guardian.

All are very poor. Several showed up for this trip with only a t-shirt, some with no shoes.

Out of all 350 kids from the project it was hard to choose 38, the idea was to give a real holiday to the ones with really tough lives.

Most only get the one meal at the school so for this trip most of the budget goes to the food, we told them they could eat as much as they wanted... Some eat so much we can't help but stare.

Oh, yes! And they are all adorable...

Kids never get tired, do they?

2009-05-06T17:22:00.005+07:00

All the teachers are so tired, it's beyond reason. The kids are absolutely going insane with fun. Some were very serious and shy when we left Sangkla and now are just having a blast. It's quite nice to see.

We took the kids snorkeling in another island (no jellyfish!) and it was great. The smallest ones freaked out a little bit but everyone had fun. We got to see tons of amazing things but the best ones were the blue starfish and a baby shark :)

The next day we went to try Thai boxing (Muay Thai). Which would explain why I fell asleep during the afternoon.

Internet too slow for pictures today, I'll add pictures soon.

At last in Ko Lanta

2009-05-05T15:32:00.006+07:00

Everyone ready to go.

It took us two days to get here, amazing isn't it? We didn't have any problems other than one waterfall being full of people.

Here is a short summary:

Day one: The kids were so excited about going that they woke up at 4 in the morning instead of at 6 as agreed. We stopped at a dam and took some pictures, sweated insanely in the truck only to then have a storm catch from nowhere and getting almost everyone wet. We then stayed in a local hostel that gave us a big discount then taught the kids how to slow dance. I think that's what we did.

When it rains it pours. We all took cover with blankets but still got wet. Jessie has two kids under that blanket by the way.

Games and fights were the rule.

Day two: Drove again for hours stopping only to eat and to pee. Camped at a national park, the kids went crazy in the waterfall, it was full of fishes and they tried catching all at the same time. They all failed. The kids were so excited about going that they woke up at 4 in the morning instead of 6am as agreed. We drove from 7.30am until 8pm. Reached the hotel at 8.30. All of us were quite ready to leave the truck.

We all tried to sleep during the trip.

Day three: Since I went to bed at 4 am, I woke up with a hangover and exausted, the kids however got up at 6 and begged the teachers to go see the sea. Only 1 of the 35 had seen the sea before. For the others it was the first time out of Sangklaburi. We went to the Sweedish school and spent the days wth some of their kids, they performed traditional Sweedish dances and songs and all kids went swimming. About 7 kids -and me- got stung by jellyfish. I can tell you now that it really hurts... Now everyone is relaxing, meaning, most are asleep...

Another adventure

2009-05-01T14:37:00.004+07:00

Tomorrow morning I am going with the ngo Children of the forest to take some of their kids on a field trip. The money for the trip comes from sponsors, colections boxes and donations (some people donated food for a day or a free boat trip for example).

It's about 40 kids from 6 years old to 19 and 7 adults (2 farangs, only I don't speak Thai). We are taking them all the way to the South, below Phuket, to the Ko Lanta island. Most of these kids have never left Sangklaburi and they will see the sea for the first time. Among other things I am the designated photographer and life guard.

It will be 2 days driving there stopping to camp out and eat, 5 days there and another 2 days up.

While on the road there will be no internet I'll do my best to post often. That way cold Europeans and Americans can enjoy our beach photos.

Only in Thailand

2009-04-30T22:54:00.003+07:00

This is why it took me 3 days to leave Kanchanaburi. Swimming pool with beer...

On our way to Sangkla we stopped to put some gas in and this nice goat, let's call it Molly, showed up and tried to eat our bags.

Molly particularly liked Jessie's handbag. Note to future travellers: screaming "no!" to a goat does not work...

change of plans

2009-04-27T12:32:00.002+07:00

I am still in Kanchanaburi. We'll leave Wednesday morning. It's not that Kanchanaburi is that great and wonderful it's just that it has certain luxaries, like a pool, like a bookstore and a whole street full of bars.

I'm starting to think that a person is integrated (whether they know it or not) when they find themselves doing things that make no sense in their own culture without thinking twice. Yesterday I went karaoke singing and after ruining about 6 songs I started having fun. If this does not mean that Asia has gotten under my skin I don't know what does.

Ye of little faith

2009-04-26T18:23:00.002+07:00

Those of you that mad fun of me should know that I DID find my room key in the swimming pool yesterday. It was a great moment, I shrieked with happiness.

Tomorrow morning I leave - at last - for Sangklaburi. I don't expect any more bus trips for a while.

It's me alright

2009-04-25T10:47:00.003+07:00

So I am in Kanchanaburi, the only big town just before my lovely Sangklaburi. I am with a British friend and her dog and so far so good. We are staying in a hotel outside the center (but they have free transportation) in big bungalows, there is a swimming pool AND a lake. We're only paying 3e. yay.

I was a bit hesitant, thinking I should run back to the village but I must say the whole relaxing in cool water with birds chirpping away is great.

Since I am back in Thailand I went back to swimming with shorts - Thai discretion is not overrated - and I had my room key in my pocket..., do you see where this is going? Well, let's just say that this afternoon I'll be doing some underwater swimming...

It's becoming long way home, isn't it?

2009-04-23T18:24:00.008+07:00

I am still in Bangkok, the idea was to go to the Portuguese embassy and a Western supermarket (I want spaguetti so bad it's surreal) and then tomorrow morning head back to Sangklaburi. In the meantime I talked to a friend who is going slightly mad due to boredom. We have decided to meet up tomorrow in Kanchanaburi, it's the closest big town and relax for a couple of days and then hit the bars. We are both out of budget so it should be interesting to see how much we'll manage to do in a couple of days. Who knows maybe I'll learn some nice tricks on how to party without money...

Another 4 hours in a bus then, hopefully without karaoke.

P.S. Don't you just love hotel warning signs? I always wonder what did happen in order to make them put up a sign like that.

Return to sender

2009-04-22T10:48:00.002+07:00

I'm going back to Thailand today. I was going on the cheapest rate possible, meaning taking the bus back to Bangkok(17/18dollars). Then I was informed that the bus takes 15 hours. 15! I've done that much and more on a bus, I mean, I did go from Latvia to Russia on a bus. However, that bus did not include karaoke music blasting my ear drums away nor did it include a Jackie Chan film in Cambodian loud enough for the astronauts to hear. Besides since I already blew off my budget I might as well have a bit of confort. So this afternoon I'll be back in Thailand, yay for me.

Is it me?

2009-04-20T09:58:00.000+07:00

Through the years I've had some strange events, some weird adventures, even some very surreal experiences. However my stay at The Drunken Frog is hard to describe.

The bathroom is literally sliding down, both the sink and the toilet and leaning so much that you have to repress the urge to run and try and catch it before it crashes.

I got bitten by several things, even sleeping on my sleeping bag.

Because the rooms are all connected by wooden boards (tiny wooden bridges that are over and around the lake) every time someone went past my door my bed shook like it was earthquake time.

Around 23h as I turned off the light and tried to fall asleep the few other guests and the Cambodian family that runs the place decided to start a party. Faithless, Chemical Brothers and the lot dancing the night away. At one point I really did think the floor was not going to take it anymore and I was going to end up in the water. No, I didn't get much sleep.

And I'm sure me staying there also is not working out for the family as one of my first moves was to drop the room key in the lake...

Back in Phnom Penh

2009-04-19T17:20:00.003+07:00

It was yet another painfully long bus ride. It was supposed to be 7h long but thanks to the great access into the capital it took 8h35m. 8 hours and 35 minutes of Cambodian karaoke music, oh joy.

After talking to another traveler I decided to try out the lakeside area of this strange capital. It took some shopping around, I finally decided to stay in The Drunken Frog for 3$. The room is more than shabby, it's weird as well. I hope that tomorrow after going to the Thai embassy I can go to another area or hotel. It's fine if you want to save money but let's just say that I'll be sleeping on my sleeping bag...

The lakeside area is the closest to a backpacker area there is. As a result there are tons of tuk-tuk drivers around but you do get to see some locals houses in between the guesthouses. Several places have rooms from 2$, some include a very nice view. If you manage to forget everything else you'll be happy.

Apparently there is a street party in the neighborhood tonight, it sounds nice but I'm not sure I can stay awake.

Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom

2009-04-17T10:37:00.010+07:00

Angkor's archeological park was named after the main temple Angkor Wat, it was also the one that historians and archeologists took more interest upon, that helps to explain (I think) why Angkor Wat gets the crowds out of all the temples and citadels. Due to it my visit was a far less nice experience than Ta Prohm.

The sign says "3 possibilities of visit". All will have tons of people in Angkor Wat.

Dear tourists, if you have kids under the age of 10 please leave them at home or don't come until they have a reasonable age. 5 year olds screaming that it's too hot or that everything is boring does annoy the crap out of other travellers. Also, British and Australian girls please read up about Asia before travelling. Bare shoulders, tank tops and short-short shorts are used in Asia only by prostitutes, not ok in temples... Even if they are very old temples. It would be the same as having someone dressed in what we consider prostitude clothing in a Western church. Ah, yes, and whether or not you have those clothes please don't touch the Budha statues as if He's an old friend.

As much as I loved my visits, I wouldn't like to be in one of the temples alone at night. There are long dark tunnels, narrow passages, decapitaded Buddhas and some have bats (you can hear them but not see them, brrrr).

Angkor Thom is/was a citadel, it's hard describing its size: it has one big temple, Bayon, and four small ones withing its walls plus four amazing gates. Apparently it was self-suficient and hosted 1 million people.
So Ta Prohm is my favorite, followed closely by the Bayon.

So ends my 3 day tour of Angkor Wat. I have hundreds more pictures but I am trying my best not to become one of those annoying travellers that comes back with a 650 photo slideshow...

ANgkor Wat: Ta Prohm temple

2009-04-17T09:04:00.007+07:00

I woke up at 5 am in order to beat the heat and the crowds. The Ta Prohm temple is outside of town and I had a uncomfortable motorbike ride there. If you can get a tuk-tuk so you can sit down, my ass did not enjoy that ride.

The jungle has slowly and effectively taken over the structure. It adds to the atmosphere. There are also tons of birds chirping away around you.
This was the only temple I could walk around alone and quietly.

After all the temples and citadels I can honestly say that this one is my favorite. I took a lot of pictures, I prefer it when the trees were taking over the space but not all of the temple is like that.I am very envious of the discovers who got to see this in its prime, or at least when it was more in one piece, engulfed by the jungle.

I suppose this wouldn't be pratical in a real house. It's really a shame.

And because some of you got confuse as how I ate snake and crocodile here is a photo of the grill:
There is coal in the bottom and water boiling to cook the vegetables and grill the meat. It was ok but not my best meal here.

Angkor Wat temples during Khmer New Year

2009-04-16T11:07:00.005+07:00

I should really create a tag in this blog called "learn from my mistakes" or "think before you go". In it I could include going to a tropical country in its hottest month and drinking beer for breakfast with a Cambodian family.

The black things behind the fruits are fried spiders, the brown things in the front are fried crickets. A local delicacy...

I always wanted to visit Angkor Wat, ever since I was a kid. I don't remember the first time I saw some images or heard about it but I remember thinking it was the most exquisite (I had a very advanced vocabulary for my age) thing on Earth and that I had to see it before I died. And here I am. I've told myself several times I was really here but only after my second day in the temples did I believe it.Thanks to the Khmer New Year (3 day holiday, now it's the year of the Mouse not 2010. Celebrations include throwing water/water fight as water cleanses your sins) the temples are full of people. From all over Cambodia people come to celebrate the New Year, to pray and to make offerings to the monks. So even though the temples are from the 9th - 13th century they are very much still a place of worship. And of drinking apparently.

I was sitting on the floor resting from the 40 degree heat when a local family invited me to join them, I gave them some of my corn and they gave me beer. We talked for more than one hour. They were very curious about the size of Westerners' noses. It was the first time I thought about the topic.

I had snake and crocodile for the first time. Not bad but don't think I'll repeat the experience.

If you come to Angkor Wat (I vividly recommend it) take at least 3 days and try to see temples that are closer together as some are 20km from the city center. Take an extra battery for your camera. Make the sacrifice of waking up early, the temples open at 5am and not only are they emptier then as it's actually cooler. At 7am I was already sweating but it was nothing compared to the sweat at 10am...

Does anyone know the name of this tree? I love it!

Photos of big temples tomorrow, it takes me about 30m to upload 5 photos so by the end of it I'm hungry and well, annoyed.

In Siem Riep

2009-04-14T14:53:00.004+07:00

I'll always remember this bus drive. I've done 6 hour rides before, even longer ones, however this one was the first with a Jackie Chan movie dubbed in Cambodian with the volume as high as it could get. If you want to travel cheap in Cambodia prepare for no Ac buses and karoke tunes, not good ones either.

It looks like I'll be in Cambodia for a few days

2009-04-13T13:24:00.005+07:00

Outside Bangkok things are quite calm, almost as if nothing is happening in the capital I've been told. However since I need to go through the capital in order to get to my little town I'll wait until things have calmed down.

Tomorrow morning I am going to Siem Riep, north of Cambodia, where the Angkor Wat ruins are. It should be crowded because of the Khmer New Year so depending on how I deal with that I'll know how long I'm staying. Ideally I would be back here in the capital Thursday or Friday to do my Thai visa but we'll see. Is it still tourism when you don't want to stay in the country but have to?

Cambodia is just too hot and I am finding the capital hard to manage in the heat. Hopefully the countryside will make up for it. Despite the heat and the confusion, I found the Royal Palace amazing, if you visit it count at least one hour inside.

And the protests still

2009-04-12T17:34:00.003+07:00

I just saw on the news that the protesters invaded the Interior Ministry and the government was forced to declare a state of emergency. It's really a shame, the economy is going to be hit again.

And no I didn't choose an insane country to live in, s*** happens everywhere plus no Westerners are being targeted or something like that.

Rest assure that I am not going to Bangkok until all is normal. I am starting to feel like I have no choice but to stay in Cambodia, it's the New Year, it's the closed embassies and now protests...

Regarding the new protests in Thailand

2009-04-12T14:12:00.002+07:00

Maybe you haven't even noticed but there were some new protests against the Thai government. About 2000 supporters of the ex-PM managed to disturb the Asian summit that was being held in Pattaya. Pattaya is also a massive tourism area. Those protesters are a smart bunch.

Basically in 2006 the Prime Minister was ousted with charges of corruption. Those charges are still pending. He happens to be a rich man and is now living abroad. He has supporters and so does the new government. He and his party want new elections (and amnesty for his crimes, I'm sure), the current government doesn't. That's about it. What you don't see is the cost of these protests in a poor country. I'm hoping it will stop soon but I don't think so.