I know I've neglected the blog a bit...hope you're not too mad! But I've been having such a goooood time! In fact, my recent release from not only P&G but the parsley juice diet that nearly killed me from apathy last week has given me a surprising energy boost I've been capitalising on! As my firend Gai says...."after the detox...re-tox!". So it's been margaritas and late nights for a while! haha! I've got some fun pictures to share. But before I do, I have to write down the latest quote that has taken me aback...
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
You playing small does not save the world; there is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you.
We were all meant to shine as children. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give peopole permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
(from the film Coach Carter)
Friday, February 24, 2006
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Unemployed and starved
Well, I have officially called it quits at P&G. I feel like I have just ended a 7 year love affair, it feels good, with the very occasional reminscense. I think the real adventure, the unplanned bit, has just started. The cooking, massage, diving, trekking.... it was all part of the time off. But when Feb 2nd rolled along and when I was not on a plane from Mumbai to Barcelona, I realised I'd just walked into a new sweet shop and didn't know what candy to choose.
My Father once said "the more you learn, the more fun you'll have". So here are some of the unplanned new things I'm experimenting with:
1) Falling off my motorbike to make love to the asphalt
2) "Hello-I'm-29-out-of-shape-and-wanting-to-learn how-to-play-tennis" therapy to flaunt my sexy purple bruised legs to a middle aged, teeny, muscly, thai instructor who claims to have trained the Princess (what-ever!)
3) A 5 day ayurvedic kidney cleanse. So, the very appealing liquid menu of coriander and parsely juice and potassioum broth made from carrot and potato shavings makes me think there's an ulterior motive driving me to do this. Could it be that I get pampered and massaged for the best part of 3 hours? First, one hour of foot reflexology on my kidney point with some sesame oil. Of course, my love of my feet has increased ten fold now that they are tanned and well oiled during this treatment! Then I get kidney, bladder and large intestine massage with reiki. It all takes place as I lay on a beautiful batik covered mat overlooking a lush Thai garden. Well at least it makes me forget for a while that I haven't eaten properly in the past 48 hours. Today, seeing I was losing it a bit, I got pity food in the shape of coconut water! From what I remember to be a rather insipid drink, I never thought something could taste so glorious! I even got 7 shavings of actual coconut in it, which I savoured like cuts of the best angus beef around ... priceless!
My Father once said "the more you learn, the more fun you'll have". So here are some of the unplanned new things I'm experimenting with:
1) Falling off my motorbike to make love to the asphalt
2) "Hello-I'm-29-out-of-shape-and-wanting-to-learn how-to-play-tennis" therapy to flaunt my sexy purple bruised legs to a middle aged, teeny, muscly, thai instructor who claims to have trained the Princess (what-ever!)
3) A 5 day ayurvedic kidney cleanse. So, the very appealing liquid menu of coriander and parsely juice and potassioum broth made from carrot and potato shavings makes me think there's an ulterior motive driving me to do this. Could it be that I get pampered and massaged for the best part of 3 hours? First, one hour of foot reflexology on my kidney point with some sesame oil. Of course, my love of my feet has increased ten fold now that they are tanned and well oiled during this treatment! Then I get kidney, bladder and large intestine massage with reiki. It all takes place as I lay on a beautiful batik covered mat overlooking a lush Thai garden. Well at least it makes me forget for a while that I haven't eaten properly in the past 48 hours. Today, seeing I was losing it a bit, I got pity food in the shape of coconut water! From what I remember to be a rather insipid drink, I never thought something could taste so glorious! I even got 7 shavings of actual coconut in it, which I savoured like cuts of the best angus beef around ... priceless!
Monday, February 13, 2006
Road rage? What road rage?
Road rage, I think, is a Western or "Farang" concept. Here in Thailand, and in Vietnam and in China for that matter, it just doesn't exist. It takes some getting used to people honking their horn at you when they're going to pass you. It's a way of letting you know they're there....so you can move out fo the way and let them through. It has nothing to do with me or my driving, whether on a bike, motorbike or car. Ok so it takes a while to not turn around in a fuss on scream "WHAT!!!!!" at the fellow driver, who has no clue what you're so worked up about.
Driving amidst a swarming sea of motorbikes, cyclists and tuk tuks makes drivers very aware of their surroundings. The trick is advancing without hitting anything or anybody, but advancing nonetheless. There is respect on the road. What I love the most is when you make a mistake, or drive the wrong way and come up to someone, in Thailand you receive a companionship smile. It rubs off and eventually you realise people are not out to get you, cut you off, or race you. People re just going about their business, and like you, are sometimes in a rush, sometimes on cloud nine, and sometimes just want to get on with things like the rest of us. What a different and beautiful concept. It is quite harmonius....that is of course until someone forgets to look as they pull out of a parking spot, making me loose control of the bike in my attempt to avoid them and end up on the floor, with a very bruised thigh and praying quickly that the brakes I hear screeching behind me will stop just in time to avoid a human pancake. The next thing I know, the cars have disappeared, and I am being helped up by my friends and a couple of foreigners, plus the stares of a few business owners around. No worries, my lucky star was out there protecting me. In the meantime, I continue to ride the bike, but on the other lane this time....it's funny how I am more trusting of the vehicles moving than of the ones standing still.
So life goes on, 3 and 4 a piece continue to ride their bikes, and interestingly, parents with helmets, carry infants without helmets. How does that work? Is it lack of awareness, folly, or a trust of the drivers around them. Apart from my own, I have not yet seen a traffic accident in the 3 months I've spent travelling. Knock on wood, this will be the last one!
Driving amidst a swarming sea of motorbikes, cyclists and tuk tuks makes drivers very aware of their surroundings. The trick is advancing without hitting anything or anybody, but advancing nonetheless. There is respect on the road. What I love the most is when you make a mistake, or drive the wrong way and come up to someone, in Thailand you receive a companionship smile. It rubs off and eventually you realise people are not out to get you, cut you off, or race you. People re just going about their business, and like you, are sometimes in a rush, sometimes on cloud nine, and sometimes just want to get on with things like the rest of us. What a different and beautiful concept. It is quite harmonius....that is of course until someone forgets to look as they pull out of a parking spot, making me loose control of the bike in my attempt to avoid them and end up on the floor, with a very bruised thigh and praying quickly that the brakes I hear screeching behind me will stop just in time to avoid a human pancake. The next thing I know, the cars have disappeared, and I am being helped up by my friends and a couple of foreigners, plus the stares of a few business owners around. No worries, my lucky star was out there protecting me. In the meantime, I continue to ride the bike, but on the other lane this time....it's funny how I am more trusting of the vehicles moving than of the ones standing still.
So life goes on, 3 and 4 a piece continue to ride their bikes, and interestingly, parents with helmets, carry infants without helmets. How does that work? Is it lack of awareness, folly, or a trust of the drivers around them. Apart from my own, I have not yet seen a traffic accident in the 3 months I've spent travelling. Knock on wood, this will be the last one!
Lady-boy
The first time I was served by what appeared to be a man, but dressed as a woman, with lady mannerisms and with boobs, I was intrigued. Where I come from, this is usually an occurrence in a drag show, gay pride festival or in a bachelor(ette) party type restaurant. Here in Thailand, it is as common as getting massage. Amazing Thailand! How can you not love this place!?
In Thailand these boys or men who are "trapped" in a lady's body are woven into the fabric of everyday life and society, which is why you encounter them serving you anything from a Margarita, to the most expensive seafood at a top restaurant. I suppose they abound in Western culture too, but in some underworld I was never too exposed to. The only exception is Mejias, the "cleaning lady" at my old office in Madrid who tried to hit on my brother once, and who would show up in platforms, pseudo-leather mini skirts, and feather boas at 4 PM sharp, only to change into drab blue cleaning outfits that did not disguise the very male body beneath...no matter what amount of mascara and blush he(she) chose to wear that day.
Here, lady boys look, act and feel like women. In fact, I dream of having some of the bodies I've seen them sport. The other night we decided to go to "SIMON"; a lady-boy show here in Chiang Mai. As it turns out, Simon is a chain in Thailand. This spot, in particular, is located side by side with my local supermarket. It has a lavish display of flowers and palm trees at the grand entrance and best of all, a HUGE picture of the King gracing the entrance and visible at least half a mile away. I actually thought the place was like a tropical garden or zoo when I first passed ... royally appointed for that matter. Never farther from the truth!
This show is something else! The auditorium is open air and has not one but three stages; all with elaborate sets ranging from an Egyptian palace, to the deepest African Jungle or a Chinese Pagoda. 60 lady boys dance around, some dressed as women, others as men....but all with stupendous costumes worthy of an Oscar! I couldn't help but laugh because they actually don't sing....they're lip-singing to a karaoke tune...or a well known foreign song, like when they took some Paulina Rubio song in Spanish and turned the stage into a "tablao flamenco". Bizarre. How can I describe these petite asian men wearing male flamenco pants, torero outfits, or better yet, a full blown female dress worthy of Isabel Pantoja? The sound was appallingly bad, which more than being a shame, added to the kitschness fo the affair. I was in stitches, particularly when a plumper and far less attractive, half naked man with fake balloons for boobs, took my friend Sean by the hand and onto the stage. Before Sean had time to react, the lady boy had jumped onto Sean's waist, legs hugging him and red lips leaving kiss marks all over his face! The cast kindly join you in the parking lot for a final farewell, posing as if in a contest to get the best "farang" to pick them for a picture, and abundant requests for tips. This is where I got to see, close up, some of the most amazing lady boy bods in Chiang Mai. As soon as I get copies, I'll post the pics!
In Thailand these boys or men who are "trapped" in a lady's body are woven into the fabric of everyday life and society, which is why you encounter them serving you anything from a Margarita, to the most expensive seafood at a top restaurant. I suppose they abound in Western culture too, but in some underworld I was never too exposed to. The only exception is Mejias, the "cleaning lady" at my old office in Madrid who tried to hit on my brother once, and who would show up in platforms, pseudo-leather mini skirts, and feather boas at 4 PM sharp, only to change into drab blue cleaning outfits that did not disguise the very male body beneath...no matter what amount of mascara and blush he(she) chose to wear that day.
Here, lady boys look, act and feel like women. In fact, I dream of having some of the bodies I've seen them sport. The other night we decided to go to "SIMON"; a lady-boy show here in Chiang Mai. As it turns out, Simon is a chain in Thailand. This spot, in particular, is located side by side with my local supermarket. It has a lavish display of flowers and palm trees at the grand entrance and best of all, a HUGE picture of the King gracing the entrance and visible at least half a mile away. I actually thought the place was like a tropical garden or zoo when I first passed ... royally appointed for that matter. Never farther from the truth!
This show is something else! The auditorium is open air and has not one but three stages; all with elaborate sets ranging from an Egyptian palace, to the deepest African Jungle or a Chinese Pagoda. 60 lady boys dance around, some dressed as women, others as men....but all with stupendous costumes worthy of an Oscar! I couldn't help but laugh because they actually don't sing....they're lip-singing to a karaoke tune...or a well known foreign song, like when they took some Paulina Rubio song in Spanish and turned the stage into a "tablao flamenco". Bizarre. How can I describe these petite asian men wearing male flamenco pants, torero outfits, or better yet, a full blown female dress worthy of Isabel Pantoja? The sound was appallingly bad, which more than being a shame, added to the kitschness fo the affair. I was in stitches, particularly when a plumper and far less attractive, half naked man with fake balloons for boobs, took my friend Sean by the hand and onto the stage. Before Sean had time to react, the lady boy had jumped onto Sean's waist, legs hugging him and red lips leaving kiss marks all over his face! The cast kindly join you in the parking lot for a final farewell, posing as if in a contest to get the best "farang" to pick them for a picture, and abundant requests for tips. This is where I got to see, close up, some of the most amazing lady boy bods in Chiang Mai. As soon as I get copies, I'll post the pics!
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Amazing Thailand
Amazing Thailand. Yesterday I learnt how to ride a manual motorbike on Samui Island. I was there for a 5 hour layover awaiting my flight to Bangkok. I nearly burnt my ankle a couple of times trying to change gears (I mean, the hot motor is beside the gear shift...whoever thought of that!) and ended up in the southern tip of the island at a tropical butterfly garden. I missed not having the time or inclination to spend more money on Tamarind Spa's natural boulder steam bath with essential oils....I gotta recover from the 5 star luxury one nighter of Jhamakiri! But that leaves me a reason to return. That, and the airport. Picture this: Terminal 1 looks like a boutique resort; wooden buildings and thatched roof, massage corner, shop, complimentary frozen shakes, cakes and snacks, free internet access and little amusement-park looking mini trains that transfer you from the "terminal" to the aircraft. All surrounded by palm trees and lots of ceiling fans. Security didn't allow me to take many pictures.
The luxe of air travel would soon be replaced by Bangkok flyovers, train station showers and another overnight train, this time back to Chiang Mai. Yes...I've returned! I couldn't help it. This place seems strangely familiar. So yesterday I paid another 20cents for a public shower while the guys at reception watched my big bag. The minute I dried myself with my travel towel, I was sweating again...Bangkok is HU-MID! With no full moon parties happening nearby, this time I secured a berth on the night train. But my favourite part was entering the restaurant wagon. The minute I slid the door open, I was transported into a Thai disco; colourful flashing christmas lights everywhere, lots of friendly faces, and best fo all staff who were virtually dancing to the beat of what I can only describe as very loud and happy traditional thai village fest music remixed by a DJ for a double beat effect. (Jota de Fuentemilanos "in the mix"). I sat down on one of the spare vynil pull down seats and smiled. This promised to be a good evening. Despite my general distaste of beer, I agreed to purchase a bottle of Singha from the waiter who quickly and very eagerly offered to share it with me. I thought he was joking...after all, a Rail-police-come-inspector looking man was sitting right behind us. But alas no, not only did he bring me a HUGE half litre bottle, but he also brought another glass and helped himself...thank goodness! Beer in hand, I looked out the open window and felt the warm air run through my "little" hair.
I don't know why I like travelling by train at night so much; I never get any sleep! I always think the carriage wobbles so much we must be derailing! Either that, or I'll conk out and miss my stop. But I think the adventure of the train lures me. It reminds me of when I used to sleep in the bunk beds of Aldeallana and cover the bed all around me with blanket. There are always people willing to talk, play cards, hang out reading a book, or share a beer.
The luxe of air travel would soon be replaced by Bangkok flyovers, train station showers and another overnight train, this time back to Chiang Mai. Yes...I've returned! I couldn't help it. This place seems strangely familiar. So yesterday I paid another 20cents for a public shower while the guys at reception watched my big bag. The minute I dried myself with my travel towel, I was sweating again...Bangkok is HU-MID! With no full moon parties happening nearby, this time I secured a berth on the night train. But my favourite part was entering the restaurant wagon. The minute I slid the door open, I was transported into a Thai disco; colourful flashing christmas lights everywhere, lots of friendly faces, and best fo all staff who were virtually dancing to the beat of what I can only describe as very loud and happy traditional thai village fest music remixed by a DJ for a double beat effect. (Jota de Fuentemilanos "in the mix"). I sat down on one of the spare vynil pull down seats and smiled. This promised to be a good evening. Despite my general distaste of beer, I agreed to purchase a bottle of Singha from the waiter who quickly and very eagerly offered to share it with me. I thought he was joking...after all, a Rail-police-come-inspector looking man was sitting right behind us. But alas no, not only did he bring me a HUGE half litre bottle, but he also brought another glass and helped himself...thank goodness! Beer in hand, I looked out the open window and felt the warm air run through my "little" hair.
I don't know why I like travelling by train at night so much; I never get any sleep! I always think the carriage wobbles so much we must be derailing! Either that, or I'll conk out and miss my stop. But I think the adventure of the train lures me. It reminds me of when I used to sleep in the bunk beds of Aldeallana and cover the bed all around me with blanket. There are always people willing to talk, play cards, hang out reading a book, or share a beer.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Luxury
I'm tired of the ghetto. As my sister says, "where's the cabanna boy?". I just want somewhere without roaches, please!!! So...my friends Sean & Jib came to see me and we sprawled out on Koh Tao's most luxurious resort for one night only: The Jhamakiri Spa & Resort. A view to die for, clean comfy sheets, jacuzzi and 360 degree views of the sea! I can take only so many months of roughing it.
The Beach and other stories
Have you ever spent three days travelling across the country cause you couldn't quite find the vibe you were after? Well I have. I got back from the awesome Queen Scuba liveaboard and had to stay once again in Phuket. Fortunately, this time, I was accompanied by 2 Swedes who had done the liveaboard with me; mother and daughter, journalist and photographer respectively. It was motivating to see an older woman of 50 or so hit the water with excitement and ease like the rest of us. She turned out to be a seasoned traveller with many tales to tell, themore recent of how she lived through the news of the Tsunami. Her other daughter who works aboard the Queen Scuba was in Phuket at the time. Thankfully nothing happened to her. It is incredible to see how many islands and areas, like Khao Lak, from where the Queen Scuba departs, have managed to rebuild in a matter of months, despite terrible water damage, boats being found inland more than 400metres from shore, not to mention the people who disappeared. Then you hear incredible stories from people like Vic, one of the divemasters on the Queen Scuba, who was at sea but far enough from Phuket that he and the rest of the crew did not feel a thing!
So, my newly found Swedish friends and I, after a 4 hour minibus ride, managed to find a really nice Trattoria where I ate my all time favourite linguine alle vongole (pasta with clams) ... cooked with olive oil! (Please...can I just say how much I have missed olive oil?) My plan was to head to Koh Lanta further south on the Andaman Coast, but I was told I would have to spend the night in Koh Phi Phi ( where they filmed some scenes of "The Beach"... oh shucks!). Phi Phi was seriously hit by the Tsunami. Rumour has it that rebuilding is paralised because the large hotel chains wanting a piece of the action are at odds with the locals who lost their resorts (and who have no papers to claim their land ownership). Well, I was headed there to contribute to local economy AND.... it was probably not going to be as touristy and built up as before, which I secretly looked forward to. The pier hasn't been fully rebuilt which makes for a rather wet and wild disembarkement. "Amazing Thailand"...indeed it is; 1 Km before docking on the pier, another boat knocks on our side, diesel exhaust and all, throws a rope, and lets travellers and locals on my boat jump over mid water...rucksacks and all! Guess where that boat was headed? Koh Lanta! Oh well, I figured, since I was in Phi Phi, I may as well stay the night. The island was packed out...so I had no option but to check into one of the last bamboo huts around; another dingy affair with beach...and garbage container view!Other amenities: no shower head, brown water, and of course, resident roach...yeah the thumb size ones. You know, I never get around to taking a picture of them, but I swear, travelling is not just white sandy beaches. I get the shivers. I decide I am going to sleep on a hammock I've spotted between a couple of palms only minutes from my doorstep. There I head, with a book, a blanket and the key to my room. I'm all set and ready. The lights go out, nobody seems to mind me being there so I rock myself to sleep with water lapping at my feet....but only for an hour. The rope of the hammock was digging into my butt and it was starting to get too chilly even for the blanket I had brought. I decided to face the roach, shoe in hand, and hope for the best. When I got back, he/she was gone. So I took the mosquito net and tucked it tight under the mattress.
I was glad to see sunrise.... and find that the roach had not returned. I think they just like to come out at dusk and scare the living daylight outta me! Anyway, my Swedish friends, an Ozzie couple and I rent a longtail and head for THE BEACH. Despite the boats full of tourists & snorkellers, the place is stunning. There is only that one beach / lagoon on the island and sunbathing, snorkelling or a short walk to the nearby "nature toilets" is the activity seton this beautiful national park. The detour was well worth it.
I took off that same afternoon, lest I be forced to endure another roach approach. I got on that same boat that only 1 day before I had seen taking tourists on mid-water. I sat on the upper deck and listened to my iPod. Yeah, you know, there is not one traveller these days that hasn't got a mobile phone, an iPod, an internet e-mail account and money for a decent...or in my case, not so decent, bed in a bamboo hut. The days of travel according to my 50 year old Swedish friend, or even my brother for that matter, seem long gone. But modern comforts have their advantages...and if not, what are you all doing reading this blog!? The clouds approached and before I knew it, I was drenched, along with another 12 people, in a rather enjoyable and adventurous mid sea storm.
I knew about an hour after arriving that Koh Lanta just wasn't for me. Oh dear! It seemed to cater to families and couples looking to deposit their bags and not move from the four walls of their resort in a fortnight! The island was very big and you needed wheels to get around. The diving was prohibitively expensive. After weighing out the options, I followed my heart and decided I would leave the following morning, endure another 24 hours of travel on ferries and minibuses just to cross to Thailand's other coast and return to Coral Grand and the Sairee Beach sunsets! So after I bought my tickets at the hotel desk, dodged all manner of looks and enquiries as to the nature of my sudden departure, and approached my bamboo hut...surprise surprise! It's a family of roaches this time! I counted 6 in total in a 45 minute span. ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! And this place was A LOT CLEANER! There were no vacancies, there was some repellent but this was a stilted hut after all....what's the point! I tried everything! I was assured I would be safe inside the mosquito net. This time, I could not seek solace in a hammock. Boy was I happy to wake up the following morning (How I slept, I don't know) and begin my journey. I was even looking forward to that night ferry again!
Diver chick
Just thought I'd drop a photo of the dive chick in here :-)
I went diving today again in Koh Tao and gotta say that .... The Similan Islands ROCK!
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