Reality sets in

Reality has set in - I am making a life for myself out on this island. I’ve been living outside of the comfort zone of my friend’s resorts. It sure is different to be on your own, organising your water and food and getting a proper feel for things out here.

So after renting out one of the cottages on Glenn’s property facing Cloud9 surf, my friend Hippie offered me to house sit at her surf shop (and house). She has a great space for yoga too so I’ve transferred the sunset classes I do daily out to her place and it’s been working out very nicely. Classes start at 4:30PM every day and some days I’ve also done a class or too in the morning either here or in one of the resorts. There’s been an average of 4-6 people coming to the classes and now finally the surfers are catching on too. It really is a perfect complement to surfing.

So last week saw the start of the yearly international Billabong surfing competition here. I wasn’t going to stay for it cause things get so busy and whacky during that time compared with the day to day the rest of the year. However I figured if I was going to get a true feel for the island life on and off season, I had to stay for the comp… well, yeah ok, AND because I do like prancing around the fit surfers!!! Tee hee. Lucky for me Sue and Gerry my friends running Sagana resort, actually organise the comp and host most of the event coordinators. And this year, I was not just some groupie hanging about to watch the eye candy but actually had something to offer: yoga classes and massage. So I’ve been getting busy with work during the past week and it’s been quite rewarding, to the point where Q TVs crew came to interview and film my sunset class at Hippie’s last night! Hahahahah really, my life is just hilarious at times and makes me smile even more. It was really cool actually cause the crew actually came and did the class with us making it easier for them to relate and interview me afterwards. So after all that they asked about the nightlife hot spot and of course that’s where I found them afterwards!! Ay ay ay…what a good bit of water and soap will do! The presenter didn’t even recognise me so then the cameras started rolling again and there I was again, talking about the opposite of yoga and mental meditation: getting boozed up at the local haunt! I don’t know when the Siargao special will air but rest assured I will get my hands on a copy of it to share with you all J

Teaching at Catangnan School

These are the 5th and 6th grade students I teach on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Now I am being asked to teach English to the 3rd and 4th graders.... hmmmm enticing enough to remain here during the rainy season? Dunno really.  But I am excited about setting a reciprocal program up with my own school of some sort... at least to get some old textbooks out here. More on that when it starts developing.  Sending my love from the Phils!

yoga anyone?

Teaching in the local school is not the only motivation I had to come here. As most of you may already know, I am looking around for some land. I think I may have finally hit on my life motivator and I think Siargao is the place to set u the next chapter of the book called my life.

As a young girl I loved gymnastics, and apparently was quite good at it. However, being on a scholarship in my school requiring a minimum B grade across the board and after-after school gymnastics training until 7PM did not really gel quite well. I started losing ground on the studying front and was promptly reminded by my parents that school and my grades came first. And so much to my dismay, I abandoned gymnastics after almost 4 years, at age 12.

Much has changed since then, and my body certainly is not the same, however, if there is anything to show for all those years of ballet, tap and gymnastics, it is a love of exercise and a flexibility maintained to this day. Yoga is to me not just an opportunity to tune into the here & now, to re-tune my body and to combat stress. It has also become a reminder of that dream I had as a child to slowly chisel my body and perform movement with grace. It seamlessly combines the physical and spiritual aspect that does me such good, with my other love: performing arts. Throughout my careers at P&G and managing the Spa, I ended up joining the teaching programmes for staff because I enjoyed being onstage and helping others learn what I had learned. And so, now comes the time to unite all of those things into one: yoga teaching.

It was never my plan. As the story goes, I was quite happy to learn and be the student, and for the past 5 years have gotten fairly good at it. Funnily enough, my local friends arranged a merienda recently that was to be preceded by a yoga class. Unbeknownst to me, I was to lead the session (while I thought it was the host fo the house who would be leading) and that was soon to become the beginning of what I can now say is turnign into a bit of a following. I always thought the Spa would be successful here, with massage and some beauty treatments. I also thought the yoga would work and envisaged bringing in some friends to run retreats and such. Now, whilst I still believe that is how it will be, I also know I will be getting my yoga teacher training in order to run the classes myself the rest fo the season. I am excited about my project and love the fact that it is not just the women who are keen to join the classes, but also the surfers, for whom yoga is such a great complement to their time in the water. And surprisingly to many, is often something they have all tried before and quite enjoy.

So bring on the challenge, and bring on Siargao Spa. Watch this space! :-)

math teacher?

Ahhhh if only my 7th grade math teacher could see me now! Who would've said I would ever be seen as a math teacher myself? I know I wouldn't have. But then again, life has a funny way of turning things around on you and this has got to be one of them.

My main objective when coming to Siargao this time around was to fulfill a long-time dream of volunteering at a school where the means are scarce and where a contribution, however small, may have a significant impact. I've been coming to Siargao for 4 years, and fell in love with the school near my friend Gai's resort, in the town of Malinao. After meeting with the Principal and explaining my plans, all seemed to be arranged and being almost 8km away I figured what better way to keep fit than to cycle there and back daily. The plan was set...or so I thought. As I returned home that afternoon, my other friend Susan who also runs a resort beside where I am staying asked me if I had been to the local school here (in the town of Catangnan, beside Cloud9 and only a 5 min cycle away from my place).  Now I know why. This 2nd school is really quite neglected and needs all the help it can get. As she then pointed out, it's a lot closer (so now the fitness is confined to a daily 4km cycle into to the market for food and upplies instead). This 2nd school has 160 students split between grades 1-6 and only 4 teachers.  And to be honest, they were so glad to take me in with my offer, how could I resist. And that is how my 3 days a week volunteering began (cause the other days they teach in Tagalog or Visayan and do other subjects). The Principal at the other school fuly understood as she had been a teacher in Catangnan previously and knows how neglected it is.

And so after speaking with the Catangnan teachers about my time and availability, I offered to teach English and help with any other subjects I could. That is how "math" suddenly came into the picture.  If any subject can be deemed universal, it has to be math. Numbers are numbers, no matter what language you teach them in. And so, I was offered the chance to help teach 5th and 6th grade math. The teacher mentioned she only had 1 book, and it is the one she used herself to teach, i.e. the kids don't have a book. They follow what is taught on the chalkboard in front of them in a 60 sq metre room with dusty and often-times broken windows on either side. The slats on these windows, often missing, become peek-a-boo games for the younger ones next door when something exciting like a foreign girl comes to teach math. The students each have a spiral notebook and use pens. So my gift of pencils and erasers proved useful for math, considering the amount of erasing and re-calculating we often have to do (well, if my own personal experience is anything to go by). So promising I would take utmost care of the book, I took it home that night to review what is being taught, and thank goodness for that too! Dividing by double and triple digits, or adding, subtracting and multiplying fractions with different denominators is certainly something I can do....but so many years out of practice had me back with the pen and paper trying to figure it all out myself first, and then making a plan of how to teach it. Ay ay ay!!!! Ahhh if my math teacher could see me now, after so many after-school remedial classes I put up with (or rather SHE put up with!)

So as I arrived, all the students got up from their chairs and chanted in unison, "good afternoon Miss Teba, thank you for teaching our lesson today!!" yes...excalmation marks because they were screaming at the top of their lungs. One sentence... that is all it took to feel humbled and bring tears to my eyes. And so, slightly nervous at my performance and what mischievous business might be taking place behind my back as I wrote on a chalkboard,  I set foot inside the classroom at 2PM on a balmy september afternoon to begin my lesson. Today: Dividing by double digits (traditional style... no calculators... try it: 68952 / 373) I won't say it was easy... after all, despite understanding some English, it gets harder to get why one must round 373 to 400 to guesstimate how many times it fits into 689... ya know how it goes.
And so, after 2 hours of explaining, trialling, practising and grouping teams to solve problems, one team against the other, I concluded my 1st day of school. It is hard not to feel humbled (yes, I know I am repeating this description but really no other word springs to mind), and at the same time so blessed for the superb education, facilities and opportunities we have received while growing up, that perhaps these children may never have. There is no videogame or computer to be seen anywhere, no track, tennis courts, swimming pool or library around, no swings or established playground (save the vast field facing the school with roaming carabau water buffalo) and no sophisticated cafeteria or lunchboxes anywhere... no swanky new back packs, tennis shoes or polo shirts to show off to your neighbouring student, no shiny cars to pick up and drop off the kids.... just 20 students in their best kept uniforms sitting eagerly (well most of them...I'm not gonna lie to you, the slackers are everywhere on earth!)  and listening while their teacher explains and requests their work. After school is out at 4PM (after a 7AM start), it is time for "clean-up"...which means helping tear out the weeds in the garden. How wonderful a way to care for your school and feel involved with the place where you are at. These are the things that remind me of how important travel is. We learn so much from seeing how others behave and live, we appreciate so much of what we have and have had and often take for granted.

And I won't kid myself. Looking around and remembering how lucky I have been sometimes draws out pity. However, I have realised how the pity is sometimes unnecessary and at times comes too close to feeling superior. Indeed, it takes but a humble and natural gesture from a 10 year old island kid to make your world come tumbling down and drive you to realise how much you have yet to learn. I parked the bike outside the other day on a sweltering hot day and left it out in the sun. One of the children came to me and said "your bicycle is in a very hot place" and I dismissed it saying "oh it's ok....the seat will be a little hot later but that is fine" only to find the kid (Anna-Mae was her name, by the way) looking at me worried exclaiming "... but your tire might pop". A-ha! There I was thinking "whatever" and here is a 10 year old kid who's probably seen this happen a million times and knows that spending 35 pesos to fix it (60 cents) is something her parents cannot afford.  I might be teaching math, but here's me doing comparative life learning.

Homework for me? You bet! I'll be in touch with my school very soon to try and get text-books donated, perhaps set up a pen-pal system and who knows... some teachers may wish to take some time out and volunteer over here. Every little bit helps. In the meantime, I plan on staying for a month, continuing with my Monday, Wednesday and Friday Math class.

Happy 33rd birthday

I woke up today feeling great. Yes, it's 33 but I don't feel a year over 28.... I haven't felt a year over that age probably since I quit work at P&G and took off travelling. Definitely a turning point in my life. So working up to my birthday I retreated to revisit my yoga teachers in northern Thiland and re-acquaint myself with the practice that gives me so much peace. Now, back in Chiang Mai and waking

on a day like today, I realised I wanted to do it in the morning. for the first time in a while I actually  wanted to do it 1st thing in the morning, because it somehow sets the tone for the day.

Today is a day for celebrating not just where I have come to but, the successes of my friends and family, in helping me become who I am today. So with that in mind, I went to a local Wat (Buddhist temple) and took time out to say a deep-felt thank you. In giving thanks and offering a donation to the monks I was blessed by one of them, and now wear the white braided bracelet on my left wrist (quite a common thing here).

Following from a yearly birthday tradition my friend Aun introduced me to, I visited the local orphanage and made a donation to those who have unfortunately not been as lucky. They are well cared for, yet unavoidably lack all the love, care and affection that a tightly knit family like mine has given. Sometimes it takes looking at other people's lives to remind myself of how lucky I am and how much I can share.  And so, in asking what they needed, we were given a small list of suggestions and I opted for the dental care - something so close to my heart - not just because it helps me enjoy food so much but alsobecause a big smile is so irressitibly attractive. In fact, seeing those children smile with a full set of white teeth is contagious. So I donated 144 toothbrushes and toothpaste (plus a box of biscuits to make the day sweeter... and brushing all the more worthwhile). It may sound like such a cliché but it made me feel good inside, particularly comparing it to the amount of money I spend on traveling, eating and clothing myself on these trips. I know I don't need to come all the way out here to do this sort of thing, but it just so happens I was here on my birthday and it's nice to have the autonomy to choose when and how to do it. After all, I spend so much money on myself and on gifts for my friends and famil, this small gesture is hardly a dent in the bank and I know brings much needed support.

As for me, I've treated myself to this trip (and a few additions to my wardrobe may I add!) and will be off to celebrate with some good friends I made a few years back whose friendship grows stronger with
time. Who would have said it only 4 years ago!

Blessed day and so lucky to have the health, drive, motivation and will to enjoy it fully.

statues in Nong Khai

I figured I'd go see the park hidden amongst a forest of trees in Nong
Khai, the main attraction here (although I still think the draw here
is the Mekong). Cycling down a dirt road all of a sudden I could see
concrete face smiling at me, towering over the coconut palms and
various foliage along the path I was on, and seemingly coming up from
within the low hanging clouds. It was one of the 100's of massive
stone carved statues in Sala Keoku. This place reminded me of a coral
sculpture park I saw with my family in Forida. So this quaint little
park,has both the small scale flower pots along the edges of the
footpath as well as these massive hinduist and buddhist-inspired
statues dotted in between the pots.... making you feel like you're
somhow in ¨middle earth¨. It's not an old relic although the mold has
grown on the concrete giving it an air of wisdom and age that is most
becoming. After all, it was built in the 1970's by a fleeing Laotian
royalist. As I walked along on a very hot and humid afternoon I
noticed that all the statues, without exception, had very long ears
and huge eyes. Very large but oddly not disproportionate to the rest
of their features. How cunning, I thought. This must be indeed a way
of protraying the importance of listening and observing over the habit
of mindless speech. At least that as what I took out of my stroll
around the park. The wheel of life was also quite interesting in how
it depicted the different stages and influences on our lives, no
matter what hemisphere you may find yourself in.

Flower shops and other musings

Chiang Mai- where else can you get fresh jasmine necklaces and lotus
flowers folded and prepared for you, for the temple or for the Buddha,
on a sleepy Sunday afternoon? When I am an old woman with a cane, I
will own a flower shop...it's one of the many businesses I hope to own
in my lifetime. I made a list the other day, which included:

Flower Shop (this one is reserved to old age somehow)
Wholesome Café with a stone or wood oven to bake fresh bread in, with
a yoga deck, herbal steam, jacuzzi and possibly a jungle pool in
Siargao
Wholesome Café with many veggie options in Miami and/or Madrid a la
Chiang Mai's Blue DIamond
Bonz' map of Madrid, Barcelona, Manila, ... and perhaps London
Sustainable Travel website for world destinations
Online Volunteering Directory
Thai insipred place in Madrid and /or Miami with Thai massage, Thai
cooking courses, Thai food and Thai goods
Gastronomic & historic tours of Madrid
Boutique Guesthouse in Thailand

... so many dreams.... better get working on one of them soon! Life is
short. This is why I love to travel. So many ideas start flowing and
my mind gets busy dreaming, planning, visualising and getting into
action on what will soon be my own business. In the meantime, if I
don't end up living in Chiang Mai, I sure hpe it's a permaent stopover
for the rest of my life.

Yoga retreat

The gift is today... it really is. As I write this I am conscious of being and moving in better balance, physically, intellectually and emotionally. It is a feeling and a motivaiton I trust will indeed accompany me forever. The last time I came to this retreat was three and a half years ago, knowing nothing of yoga, what it's based on, the 8-fold enlightenment path, the lifestyle. And I left exhilirated and motivated. For weeks I continued my practice virtually daily, and then it slowly weaned.... getting to a point of no practice for months. However, so many of the principles have accompanied me for the past three and half years that whilst I may have climbed 10 steps from where I was and walked back 8, I ended up 2 steps ahead of where I was when I started. And isn't that what life is about? Advancing slowly but surely?

So this time I came back knowing not only what I was getting myself into but with a deeper motivation to understand it even better, revisit it like we used to do when studying in school... because sometimes once is just not enough. And so I find myself today, having finished the 7 day intensive retreat (8 hours daily of asanas, pranayamas and theoretical lectures) not 10 but probably 100 steps ahead of where I was a week ago, a year a ago, a lifetime ago. During my sunset asana today my eyes welled up and the tears tumbled slowly down my cheeks, one after the other, uninterrupted. And then, in my wonder of where they were coming from I realised it was from a place of happiness, of seeing - and perhaps more strongly - feeling content. Like re-opening a dear box of treasures and cherishing them even more with the wisdom and experience of time gone by.

My word today was "beauty". It came to me by surprise. At the end of our practice on the 7th day we dip our hand into the ceramic pot with the cards. Before picking our word we ask and think about what it is our persona needs to focus on over the next few days, weeks or months...however you may wish it to be. And whilst many may think it is mere chance, if there is anything I believe in, it is that we pick everything... we attract everything that comes to us for our own learning, evolution and happiness. And so, my word was beauty. How lucky. How beautiful indeed to know that my focus is to actively seek
beauty out, display beauty, incorporate beauty, appreciate beauty, flaunt beauty and wish for beauty in everything and everyone in and around me. In me first - around me next.

Beauty.

Day 2 of the yoga retreat

I had a hard time waking up this moring, even though I had 9 hours of
sleep. Aside from the cramps all over my body, I stuggle with early
mornings, no matter what. Also, meditation at 6AM was nver my idea of
fun. That would mean I should go to sleep at 8PM to be somewhat
ready. SO I showed up at 7AM for the start fo the retreat. My head
was all over the place this morning, ans sure enough, at 10 AM after
we were done and I had breakfast I fell asleep almost until 13hr. But
theis afternoon was a whole other story.... the practice was fabulous.
Yes, still sore but after doing the pranayamas and feeling sundown
makes all the difference for me.

The great thing about this retreat is revisiting it, being in a very
small group and being OK with just dedicating my time to doing yoga,
meditating, sleeping, eating and reading. That pretty much makes up my
day. I am not here to travel or visit this time. There's no pressure
(outer or self imposed) in that respect. It's simply wondeful to be
able to look out onto the Mekong and watch the water run by, hear the
dry tamarinds drop off the trees all around conking onto the roof,
look forward to rainfall. I never thought I'd say that... I look
forward to rainfall.

Mostly, I look forward to just dealing with my inner struggles,
working through the tightness and the closed up chakras, and not
having to worry about anyone else, not worry about what I can and
cannot wear today, who Iw ill see and how my hair or makeup looks. I
feel liberated and happy.

Life's Lessons

People are often unreasonable and self centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you. Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight. Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never seem enough. Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God... it was
never between you and them anyway.
(Mother Theresa)

yoga in Nong Khai, Thailand

Have arrived in Nong Khai, overlooking the banks of the Mekong river,
brown with the rainy season waters and filled with fresh Tilapia for
my favourite dish, Laab. My temporary lack of a camera means I've
taken these pics with the Photo Booth option but hey, at least it
gives you an idea of the views from the garden of my guest house, Mut
Mee. The rooms are decent, nothing fancy really, but I happen to have
one with views and a private deck of sorts (slab of concrete more
like). The location is great and the outdoor garden overlooking the
river makes for a book and siesta lover's dream. I've indulged in
reading my copy of Spanish Vanity Fair, my latest magazine addiction
(fabulous articles) and some pages off the latest acquisition, "more
Sex is Safer Sex - The unnconventional Wisdom of Economics" by Steven
Landsburg (following on from my enjoyable read of Levitt's
"Freakonomics").

I decided to go back to my traveller roots and ditch the 5 Star Grand
Luxe lifestyle of late just for an evening. Hence, my opting for the
12-hour direct VIP night-bus ride from Chiang Mai to Nong Khai. In all
honesty, and bar the rather tacky upholstery and duvet cover, this bus
put some airline's business economy class to shame!! Not only were the
seats 160degree reclinable with an extended foot rest tucking out of
the seat itself as a permanent fixture, but there was a rather clean
toilet on board and a busy hostess passing around pretty much anything
you might need as courtesy of the 600 Baht fare (that's about 12 USD),
from oshibori towels, to a full family size pack of oreo cookies per
person, coffee, tea, water and even a nose and mouth mask (for the
potential germ-factor). These are all the craze out here. The upper
deck was equipped with a massive flatscreen LCD TV many households
would only dream of and the seat even had the neck support on the
sides to ensure you didn't fall onto your neighbour. Best of all, we
had a fresh clean duvet each to cover up with. I must admit I was VERY
impressed and thought it beat in price, convenience and comfort the
two flights I would have had to take to get here (including the 5
hours layover that would've been involved in Bangkok) so cheers to that!

So now, after a week in Chiang Mai detoxing and getting colonics and
ayurvedic treatments, I am ready to delve a bit deeper into my renewed
self improvement. I'm glad to be back here, almost 4 years later,
listening to the sweet Laotian music coming through over the river
waters, hearing the odd fruits drop on the nipa roof of the garden
area and feeling life slow down as it should. Thoreau once wrote that
travelling is one of life's saddest pleasures. It may be true of some
days, but not today.

La Cartuja de Escaladei

The Cartujos, a religious branch of the Catholic church, set up camp below the stunning limestones "sacred Mountains" named as such "Montsant" here in El Priorato. Aside from their despotic stronghold on the local lands and it's peoples (proof being how their monastery was sacked and burned down within 3 days of their demise by local townsfolk), they seem to be the ones who began wine production out here - so we have that to thank them for, plus some very interesting, albeit derelict, ruins of their monastery. We wondered why if they were confined in their (rather spacious) quarters why they lived to be 90 and mostly died of gout? We had many a drunken ¨tertulia¨ about this after meals and concluded these guys stuffed themselves with salted fish, wine and turtle soup, and would then flagellate themselves for their drunken stupors, boredom-induced masturbation and the unconfirmed (but surely it had to be) secret entrance into their quarters of a string of voluptuous local damsels... no it's not a syndrome of modern times.  Of course the tour made no mention of that. It was rather interesting though. Here's a pic of the reconstructed entrance and another of Grandfather and Grandson in

Cartujano-style contemplation. 

Winding paths with fig trees

1st half of August 2009 - Cycling a sweet lonesome road between the
town of Torroja and Escaladei, in Spain's Priorato region, drunk with
the aromas of fig and almond trees lining the melting asphalt, whilst
every other bend hid a blackberry bush waiting to be pruned of it's
deliciously black fruit. Ahhhh and not to mention the vines and grove
after grove, row after row of olive trees following the oftentimes
challenging climbs. El Priorato sure is a well kept secret. If you
haven't been, what are you waiting for? It's not just the wine, but
the vermouth, the deliciously fruity olive oil, the nuts you can quite
literally pick off the trees, the pungent smell of pines.

The sight and smell of the pines is such a strong reminder of my
childhood summers, making me realise I prefer being in the countryside
in the summer. There's no mad dash for a spot on a sweltering beach,
the waters you bathe in are cold and refreshing rivers and mini
waterfalls. Whilst I do enjoy water sports at sea, I think I am more
of a mountain girl. And here we had the beach a wee hour away fi we
wanted it. truth is, in the two weeks we spent there, we didn;t set
foot once. It was more fun exploring the old towns, excavated
dinosaurs in the town of Tastavins or the hundreds of white collar
vultures patiently waiting for their feed at a local farm. So many of
these things we might not have done had we not had the little guys in
the party... gotta love having the children aorund to challenge your
daily routine and get you out of your set ways.
.

YUMMY

After 11 hours of rest in the balmy Chiang Mai night with the soft
purrr of the fan in the background I awoke to the warmest welcome from
Aun, the owner of Walai House and a good friend. Didn't really make
breakfast after our catch-up sesh so had Som Tam (green papaya salad)
for lunch, then snacked on kao new ma muang (Mango with sticky rice)
for merienda, finishing off with Kao Lao Soup (my all-time favourite
veg and herb broth) wth BBQ stuffed squid. Not bad for day 1 :-)

3 planes back to Chiang Mai

The blog is back on, new look and all!! I kinda promised myself to dedicate some time to creating new posts on the various flights over. Instead I spent most of the time sleeping, watching movies or finishing my book on male PUAs (pick-up artists). Whaddaya know! It's good to know the tactics of the opposite sex.

The past 24 hours have consisted of me dousing myself numerous times with Prada perfume at the two terminals I stopped over at (masking the I've been flying for 15hrs stench), pretended to be interested in
buying cosmetics just to sneak a cotton pad soaked in cleanser and tonic to attempt a clean skin look, bought 3 books and eyed a new camera. How very vain of me.

I've been daydreaming about being back in Chiang Mai for longer than anyone might imagine, and in closing my eyes I could see the metal design of the street signs, the neighbourhood with the fruit vendors, the soup place I love to dine at on the street… But nothing I re-create in my head quite matches the quiet sense of contentement I feel being back here in person. I think it's the familiar smells that take
me back to my last visit. The woman on the street with the satay BBQ, the sticky juice of a freshly cut pineapple washing down the sides of the street vendor's knife, or the smell of fresh laundry that accompanies you on any walk throughout this neighbourhood.

I purposely didn't pack liquids and gels… I always love going shopping for miniature soaps, shampoos, creams and even toothpaste. So I went out for my dose of powdery smelling westernised toilettries and
stopped by a new spot to order my favourite vegetable broth, made with cabbage, green beans, sweet basil, pork balls and sour sauce. I hadn't forgotten how friendly Thai people are, it jut does not cease to amaze me how they go out of their way to smile and with anyone, even those of us who are struggling to remember the few Thai phrases we learned in the past. It's been almost 3 years alter all! Better get some sleep or else the jet lag will get the best of me! More soon.

A long long time ago

I guess I've been neglecting the blog for way too long, what with me trying to get my butt in gear and back into the rat race. After a year and a half of bliss, the moolah ran out, so it was time to get a job again.... one with a constant stream of earning.

It found me in the most bizarre fashion, but most interesting things often do, and truth be told, I had been throwing out the need and desire to get the cash flow back on track to the universe so it took care of things for me. (Yes, I've been reading The Secret but I am enjoying Creative Visualizatio way more!). Anyhow, I am back in Manila...and you may ask yourself how and why.

I decided our yearly family holiday had to be here this year and surprisingly, managed to convince the entire family to trek half way around the world to get to the paradise that is Siargao. Yes, all those nights on the island are about to be shared with my loved ones. It's moving that they've all made the effort to come meet and get to know the place spent so much time in during my travels.

So after a very long, movie and documentary and of course chocolate binge-filled 13hour flight from Amsterdam, I landed in Manila today and the first thing I did was drink a fresh buko juice (of course) off a street vendor, a eat some green mango also freshly peeled by another street vendor. The grubbiness of the city continues to stand 2nd place when the kindness of the local folk remains. It does not cease to amaze me and I am pleased to find many things as they were when I left.

That'll be it for this piece but do expect more updates over the next two weeks, and of course pictures too!

Mabuhay!

Why I love Chiang Mai - part 1

I've spent the last 12 days floating as if on a cloud, down the streets of Chiang Mai, past my favourite hole-in-the-wall neighbourhood eateries, delighted to be back. Why do I love this city so much? Is it perhaps because it doesn't feel at all like a city and yet offers everything I could possibly need around me to be happy? well, except for my beloved family and close friends, who I wish I could tele-transport here. What are you all waiting for???!!!

Coming back to WaLai Guesthouse has been a real treat. Little has changed; the rooms are still large and airy, I still have a view of the mountains, reception remains the buzzing meeting point for all us massage students who stay here, and the new tropical garden with canopy Aun has built out back makes for an ever peaceful stay. I live down a very peaceful neighbourhood street, or soi as they are called here, covered in trees and best of all, quiet ... except for the howling dog next door, but that just adds to the charm!

The laundry lady on the opposite sidewalk still washes my clothes for less than 1 euro, and the last time I cheked - 3 days ago - the blind massage place down the street still charges 2 euros for an hour's worth of foot massage. Bliss! I've opted to carry myself on foot or sitting atop the gear-less WaLai bicycle. That's OK, Chiang Mai is pretty flat, and what I like best about the bike is the handy little basket attached to the front, where I leave everything I'm carrying and it never gets stolen.

A new pool has opened a block away so I fit in a 40 minute swim every morning just so that I can indulge in sticky rice with my meals or the occasional excess; the other day as I walked back, wet bathing suit in hand, the neighbour had a stall out on the street selling fried bananas. I did a double take! I was not sure whether to be happy for her reading my mind, or weary of what this might do to my thighs. And so I decided to indulge - it's been almost 2 years since I was last here so surely I can forgive myself for caving in to this scrumptious treat. She gave me a bag-ful for 5 baht (10 cents) and I ravished 2 on my way up the stairs and another 3 with wet fingers while I showered - enough to feel guilty and donate the rest to the girl at reception!

I've returned to my favourite Thai stall, only 2 streets away, where a charming middle aged lady who speaks no English and laughs at every attempt I make at Thai, sells the most delicious noodle soup for only 20 Baht (40 cents). It's a chicken broth with Chinese 5 spice mix, a handful of rice noodles, some roasted strips of pork tenderloin, and another handful of bean sprouts, green beans, cabbage, spring onion and coriander. I think I've had it for dinner every day this week ... and I have no intention of stopping my newly developed trend! There's this other lady down that same street who looks like she's occupying the chimney shoot down the alley between two buildings. She whips up a storm on a wok right there, before my eyes, so not only do I know it's nice and fresh, but I get to practice my Thai cooking - visually! I don't care too much for her Pad Thai, but her stir-fried morning glory is still the best in town!

Learning

Less than two months away will mark a very important anniversary: 2 years of on-and-off travel, discovering the real meaning of work-life balance, and cementing lifetime friendships.

Early December will mark the time I met Gai, Sue and Deb in Chiang Mai and began a series of adventures I hope to be able to tell my grandchildren some day. No need to say it has been the best decision of my life. But more importantly, as time passes I realize how much this experience has enriched and fostered my imagination. I have so many business ideas and things I would love to do that each day that goes by makes me feel my life is too short to fulfill it all! But hey, one step at a time, and one foot in front of the other.

And so after a week of decadent life in Siargao and a fair share of hedonistic fun, I was invited to come to Camiguin Island and spend some time with my friend Deb and her husband Kai, the musician with the rockabilly band who will be touring Asia next year and with whom I may be singing too. Whatever happens though, coming to discover a new island in the Philippines is an experience to remember. I boarded my flight out of London thinking I would be re-visiting old spots I knew. But being flexible and open to new experiences just makes life unravel before you in fascinating ways.

Deb had warned me that Camiguin reminded her of Hawaii, in its volcanic, lush ways with colourful flowers blooming everywhere and fresh water springing from every hill. The volcanic element may make the beach black, but it gives the island a fertility that is hard to ignore. There is plenty to see and do, such as dipping in natural springs of cold or hot water that take the shape of waterfalls in lush, cave-like surroundings. One white sand bar and another marine sanctuary little off island called Mantigue make for fascinating snorkeling to rival some of the best tank dives I have experienced so far. And Calan’s true Italian restaurant serves, hands down, the best Italian sausage pizza I have ever tasted, more so out here when every once in a while one feels like a taste of home.

So today I swam alongside the coral reef wall in Mantigue island and watched as the small community’s 25 children in a shack called a school. Children learned to read in a beach-side school that could resemble a run-down garden shack in any western home. This is when I realize that westerners who claim they never learned because their teacher or the school’s facilities sucked cannot be quite true. How then would the hill tribe children of Sapa, in Northern Vietnam, who school only until the age of 12, or these island children in the Philippines learning in a one-room wooden building barely rising from the sand, without electricity or a toilet, (let alone an art or science department or a gym) be able to learn and speak more than one language fluently, or reach your heart with such beautiful smiles.

To friends, who reach out and know when to guide you back to your heart.
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To freedom

Rum and coke in hand, with a little calamansi lemon frozen into an ice cube, finds me writing about my travels once again. To think I nearly cancelled this trip… time and thought tells me it was the fear of getting carried away again by the life of travel, of easy riding down the coast of a white island, surrounded by only sandy roads, fishermen in their wooden bangkas and the smell of Pandan fruit falling from the trees.

A week in Siargao island has enchanted me once again. Perhaps this time more because I realize that with a little bit of saving, I can buy some land and build a house eventually… or maybe even a spa and restaurant – which is missing on the island and has been a business idea on my mind for a while. The more time I spend here, the more local I feel. Yes, I wish to be part of the others who have chosen this as their seasonal home. I fear that if I do not act soon, others will take over, mass tourism will turn it into a makeshift Boracay, and the charm and magnetism will be lost. It really is a pearl in the orient one wishes to keep precious.

Billabong sponsored the surfing competition there this year, which has helped the island get massive coverage and millions worth of publicity. They have a 3-year contract so I envisage myself there this same time next year, cheering for the young 20-something year old surfers who ride the waves in style and make it look so simple, and then sharing beers and a night walk on the beach during a blackout with the older surfers, who may be overshadowed in the water by the younger guys, but have nothing to envy them when night falls. And so life goes for the traveling single female who prefers to sit in front of her computer at her leisure and share snippets of how her alternative life unravels.

To freedom
(pictures to follow)

Revisiting

Coming back. The hope and anticipation mix with expectations and the dread; that you may return and find the charm has gone, that nothing is the same, that it would have been better to keep the great memories intact. All this went through my head before getting here. And the truth is that this is not the second or third time… it is the fourth! I knew what I was coming back for. And so I put the expectations aside and honoured my true feelings and desires or wishing to come to just enjoy myself and have a good time.

Siargao is not an easy place to get to and so making it all the way over was overly challenging this time, but the reward has been ever greater and I have found I am indeed enjoying it once again. It is different, of course, because the novelty of the resort has been replaced by a very comfortable familiarity with the staff, the food and my surroundings. However, the marvel of the view, the sunsets and the way the light reflects off the water remains mesmerizing. I walk down the powdered sand beach alone… alone, without stumbling across rubbish or people. Simply. The fresh young coconut, or buko, still tastes delectably soft with that hint of natural sweetness that continues to make it such a special treat.

I am sharing a room with Gai and our other friend Deb, who recently moved to another island. It is so cool to be back together, sharing so much more than a room; reliving our travel adventures through our photos, riding together up against each other on a habal-habal extended motorbike in true Pinoy style, shaking mojitos and dancing barefoot in the sand as we roll away on a warm Siargao afternoon.