12 hours of insanity

August 17, 2005
Bangkok City


So we arrived in Thailand at midnight and by this point all I can say is that we were cranky and tired. That is to be expected...so we end up in this hotel by the airport. There were only 2 highlights of this place the free airport shuttle and the buffet breakfast. It was to put it succently GROSS. But lets move on.

We spent 12 hours in Bangkok city and lets just say it was an experience. This is probably one of the busiest cities I have ever encountered (and i've lived in Hong Kong...so this says something). You have a strange collection billboards, highways and temples that gleam in the setting sun that can be found throughout the city. It really is beautiful but it is one of the most dirty places I have ever been. By the end of the day I could feel the grime of city clinging to my skin. But actually I didn't mind it as much as my travel companions. [oh well]

I do love how everone seems to drive in Thailand....street lines appear to be suggestions. We all are used to how motorcycles dart in and out of traffic but it appears that cars/trucks and busses get to do that too. It really is amusing to watch.

Anyways, we ended up seeing some amazing temples and monuments. Such as the standing buddha, the Sitting Buddha, and the Golden Mountain. [we went to the Grand Palace but really it was way to expensive to get in as a Farang].

So here are the not so pleasant aspects of Bangkok.....

1) Tuk Tuk drivers - really i know that i'm walking around with 2 girls that look like walking ATMs really enough is enough. Our experience with Tuk Tuk drivers was extremely disheartening. The first driver we encountered quoted us a price and proceeded to ask us to do him a favour and go into a store for10 mins so that the store can give him a free gas coupon. Now let me clearly state that he called this place a mall and we said "ok one stop". But as we arrived we discovered that the mall was really a tailor and the only possible way that we could stay 10 mins is that if we were having something made. So needless to say we didn't end up there for needed time. Our driver then proceeded to tell us that we needed to go to another stop and that we really needed to stay 10 mins. So screw this. Basically we got out and hailed a cab. [this experience was made much worse when our second driver pulled the same stunt.]

2) The shear number of drunken farang boys that have come here to shag there way accross Thailand. [yeah sweety just cause i look thai doesn't mean i don't understand the rude commen ts....it was funny watching one fall off his motorcycle when i replied to him in english].

3) The pollution and smog. (this should be self explanatory).

so i'm a bad communicator

Hey all!! Yeah so much for my promise to keep this thing updated. I'm having a little difficult actually getting to the internet...mainly cause I'm too lazy to walk to the free internet place that's about a 40-min walk from where we're staying and too cheap to pay the local fees. What can I say. Anyways so the finally get to the internet place I forgot completely to bring my little notebook with my rantings in it. DAMN it. Yeah i'm dumb.


Anyways, so brief catch up and then i'll back log all the other info at a later date. Currently we are staying in Khao Lak where we are doing our volunteer work. Ah if anyone out there reading this i would like to do a quick plug for volunteers. THEY NEED PEOPLE. There entire communities that need to be rebuilt and the more volunteers that could come the better. So if you have time, feel like taking a trip to Thailand and feel like weilding a trowel or a paintbrush come on down. (even better if you have some construction skills...unlike us).

Ok. So here is a list of the place we have been so far.

Bangkok - psychotically busy, polluted but definately interesting.
Chiang Mai - a calmer version of Bangkok, with way less pollution and just a calmer atmosphere (Also its about 5 degrees cooler).
Phuket - didn't really see it. Decent airport though.
Khao Lak - great town. Can totally see that it was once a major tourest attraction but now the entire town is mainly made up of volunteers and the local business people.
Surat Thani - really long story will get into at a later rant. But really F*#@! hot...apparently its not moonson season there.

Yeah so that's it so far. I'm having a great time so far. I've had a few moments when i've wanted to kill/maim/go home/etc but overall its been fabulous!!!!

the efficency

Aug. 17th, 2005 5:30pm (Japan time)

Narita airport - there are three words to describe it. NEW CAR SMELL

the smell is everywhere and everything is extremely shiny and new. But the smell is overwhelming its kinda of gross actually. Anyways, so arriving here has been an experience, sixteen hour flights well ....GROSS [for those who understand you must imagine this with a Latin accent].
hahahahahaha

Anyways, the technology and efficiency of Japan is reflected everywhere we go. There are lite signs everywhere directing you where to go, the vending machines are also very organized and very well light. And of course everything is so cutesy it makes you want to either puke or take it all home with you.

The beginning

Editor's note: The following post was written at the end of a 26-hour flight. As such, it makes no sense. At all. Like, for real.
The Sarcastrix

And now, on with the post...

Narita Airport, Japan
17 August 2005

The panicky excitment of leaving today for the trip has yet to set in. Everything I have done so far still feels hazy and dreamlike, mind you this could be from slow absorption of the caffiene into my bloodstream. Anyways, so it is currently 7:45am at the Pearson airport and all I can think is can the girls get here yet. The line up to the checkin counter has gotten longer and longer since I've gotten here. It is extremely annoying.

So it has been many many years since I have last been on an international flight. (and most certainly not ever when i have been of a legal age). Hahahaha
Through our browsing of the free airline magazine that we are given I see that international fights server free booze. [SWEET!!!]
This is fabulous considering how much of a mooching alcoholic I am. However, as much as I have taken advantage it was no nearly on par with one of our fellow flyers. Whom i watch consume and extraordinary amount of beer and burbon within a two period. [hey buddy, leave some for the rest of us] it really was quite extraordinary that he didn't puke half way through.

Off to Thailand

Hey all!!
As the title states I will be off to Thailand in a couple of days. YAY!!! Vacation. Well not really considering me a couple of the of my fellow classmates are going to spend 2/3 of this vacation volunteering. So considering they may or may not want to be named in my neurotic fiction/realty mix they will be now forever dubbed Faith and Leia. (Yes bask in the geek-tastic-ness of those two names hahahahahaha. Sorry girls if you are reading this and you object to name. I claim artistic license).

So lets review some of the discoveries of I have during the last few weeks concerning trip planning.

A) 3 nursing students = gigantic hypochondriacs (yes we have probably packed every medical supply imaginable)

B) Volunteering agencies can be extremely annoying to deal with, in their expectations.

C) Scheduling a meeting between traveling partners is a bitch.

D) Parents will immediately imagine the worse things that can possibly happen to you on a trip and decide to post frequent emails to you to remind you of them.

E) Things stated that take 2-3 business days, actually takes two weeks in real time.

F) knowing where you last saw your passport does not necessarily mean that the evil creatures living in your room hasn't moved it.