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And then some. It’s been 2 years…
It’s been 2 years. I had only planned to leave for a few months. Because that’s all the time you need to write a book. Right? I soon realised that ‘the creative process’ can take a bit longer than one expects. Well, quadruple that, and then some. The book I started out writing I still haven’t yet finished. I’ve published a different book though, one…
I don’t care how many countries I’ve been to. Really, I don’t.
I have no idea how many countries I’ve been to. For the last 5 years I’ve roamed the globe, living in very varying locations for shorter or longer stints. But I’ve never counted the amount of countries I’ve been to. That’s because I don’t care. Really, I don’t. I don’t care about the number of stamps in my passport (except when I’m running out of…
Continue Reading I don’t care how many countries I’ve been to. Really, I don’t.
Yo, native english speakers!
Recently I had a conversation with a French restaurant owner at a popular beach location in Morocco. ‘I can understand you. Your accent is very clear.’ ‘Yes, it’s intentional. When I’m speaking to non native english speakers I purposefully pronounce my words as correctly as I can.’ ‘I can’t understand other Australians.’ Smiling, ‘No, our accent can be very nasal and strong.’ ‘And English people I…
Observations on all things French: food, sex & the petit
‘You need to know that sometimes over the winter months, the electricity goes off here. It may go off for a few seconds, but it will immediately come back on again.’
I try to maintain a straight face. My whole inner body giggles in gratitude at the seriousness of my concerned host. I have just come from Nepal where the electricity goes out for hours literally every single day. And it could happen in the morning, evening or mid afternoon. Unless you have a generator, you just don’t have electricity for a few hours. No Nepali bats an eyelid (well there may be at times and exasperated sigh from a city dweller, but that’s the extent of the reaction).
Continue Reading Observations on all things French: food, sex & the petit
Kathmandu, here coming!
I was fortunate to spend about 5 months in Nepal from the end of May last year. You may have read my varied posts about my time there, especially post earthquake. I spent most of my time in Kathmandu, the capital, volunteering for a couple of amazing local organisations. This enabled me to begin my journey into understanding the depths and intricacies of Nepali cultures and peoples.
Dashing Doha… My 3 fav haunts!
A very new world greeted me as I stepping out into the flat, the brightness, the dust and the barrage of 48 degree heat, 90% humidity. I was whisked away in an air-conditioned vehicle and from the comfort of my plush rear seat I observed the massive monster cars overtaking at great speed past a huge cavern of machinery and work that stretched for…
Mandalay, Men in Skirts & Face Paint…
Venturing into this Burma, Myanmar, unlike any other, meshes of culture, continuous movement and chaotic states, and foods that made my eye sockets pop, (read my first blog post about Yangon), completely captivated me. But there are two other very visual aspects about Myanmar that I haven’t yet dwelt upon that lit up my being every time I gazed upon them.
Bold Bagan: My 3 tips for Bagan, Burma!
‘You have three choices to your hotel: horse and cart, taxi or bike taxi.’ Bleary eyed, I scanned the sea of short dark men surrounding the door of the bus. I tried to summon up some 5am gumption.
There and back again…
‘Where you go Ma’am?’
‘Kathmandu’
‘Kathmandu??? Ok, sit here.’
I take a seat in a small room in a building somewhat larger than a demountable, but barely so. I am surrounded exclusively by Nepali men. I watch these men. They are calm, at ease. Some were even bold enough to move to seats that were empty in our flight to this first stop.
Hey, Namaste!
‘How do you say ‘hello’ in India / Hindi?’ I asked my friend as we were about to land in Bangalore.
‘Namaste.’
‘Namaste?’ I am not very reserved in my facial expressions, which elicited the following response from her.
‘Yes, it’s way over used in the west, but this is where it comes from.’
We need you!
Nepali people speak. Nepal needs both volunteers and tourists, now.
I read the articles. I’m sure you did too. ‘Don’t come to Nepal’ was the persistent and continuing message from writers across the globe. Everyone cited Haiti.
Haiti was a disaster. Volunteers put a strain on resources, preventing emergency crews and doctors from saving lives. A horrid situation indeed. Contributed to by well intentioned people. So the message for Nepal was clear: unless you are a doctor, or a trained recovery worker, we don’t want you.
Yes Yangon! My 3 top tips!
This is my first Vlog!!!!!! Tres exciting! In contains 3 ‘off the beaten path – Sunni tips’ for Yangon. I loved Yangon, and you can read about my first moments here. Your options for this blog: read the tips or just scroll down and press ‘play’. :))
Wild Yangon
I remember the exact moment. I was sitting on a tiny pink plastic stool under some make shift umbrella plastic. It was 11.45am. I felt my legs dribbling, matching the matted hair stench from my scalp. I didn’t want to touch my bloated face with my hands, lest the dirt get smeared more fully across my body. I couldn’t resist.
Kathmandu: the next days
On the second afternoon I met a principal of a school from a small village close to the epicentre of the first quake. The whole village was destroyed. Including the school. He had come to Kathmandu to talk options and seek help for his village.
“We are starting from zero. We need all the help we can get.”
Kathmandu: the first 24 hours
Exiting the plane my whole body smiled. No humidity. No humidity! NO HUMIDITY! Yes, yes, YES!!!! A pleasant 30 degrees Celsius and no humidity. I just came from Myanmar, at 8pm at night it was 31 degrees, dark and I had dribbles of sweat emanating from my brow, knee creases and behind my earlobes. The word ‘unbearable’ does little to describe how overwhelming I found the mixture of sun, dust and lets just say at least 152.59% humidity was. Needless to say I could not be found outside between 10am and 5pm.
I miss you already.
Your red balled sunsets.
‘My son and daughter are marrying each other’ and other Thai superstitions…
‘Hey Ernie, what have you been up to?’
‘You know life mate, busy with my two 3 year olds. They never stop!’
‘You’ve got your hands full for sure!’
‘Yes, but having a few days off next week. My son and my daughter are marrying each other.’
Continue Reading ‘My son and daughter are marrying each other’ and other Thai superstitions…
The Queen of the Thai forest
My head jolted back against the glass as the motor cracked into motion. The change of gears made me wince as Tom got used to bashed up, sandy floored jeep.
The process of hiring was simple. Hand over your passport and you get the keys. No mileage check, pay per kilometre or fuel discussions. Here’s the key, and if you’re lucky there might just be enough fuel to last until the next village so you can fill her up. Maybe.
The Bike Saga (Part 2)
You don’t have a bike? And you’ve lived here for how long?’
Everyone I meet sings out this refrain.
‘Yes, I know. But I like walking. It’s a little challenging in this heat. But this body needs the exercise. Believe me. And it’s good to break up my all day typing too. And, if I had a bike, I’d get a little distracted. This way I keep myself focused on writing, walking and living simply here.’
Water fight. For the whole country.
As we rounded the corner I screamed. The cold dump of water jolted me upright.
‘Ok, ok, I’m now awake!’ I exclaimed to my friends who appeared somewhat pleased at my plight. I looked down at my chest as I wiped hair out of my eyes. I was dry no longer.
Introducing my waggy tailed friends on the Isle!
Dogs on this Island generally have a decent life. Most roam as they please (being locked up here is as rare as a full bowl of delicious doggy treats). They go to the beach, visit friends and ‘make love’ as is the description used by one of my Thai friends.
Continue Reading Introducing my waggy tailed friends on the Isle!
One of those days.
Outside noises woke me at 12.30am and 1.40am. I kept checking my phone, worried I didn’t set my alarm, or that it wouldn’t go off. I went to bed at midnight.
Crickets chirped on my iPhone waking me at 4am. I blearily headed to the bathroom, splashing myself in an attempt to make something come alive. Anything.
Postcards from Penang 2
In order to escape the parboiling of my already beetroot-esque skin, I jumped on an air-conditioned bus that took me on an hour long meander through Penang’s peak hour traffic. My destination: Penang Hill.
Postcards from Penang
Penang’s life pulsates in the grimy alleyways, crumbling pavement and frying stalls of sweet potato and fatty meats. In the historic centre 300 sculptured cast iron characters adorn laneways and streets making learning about Penang’s history, palatable, even for children.
Penang’s Sizzling Street Art
The second reason I put myself into a contorted space in a minivan for about 10 hours with a pounding head and sweaty knee creases was Penang’s Street Art.
When I was little I would stare googly eyed through train windows at the bright colours prancing about the sides of railways. I would giggle and point with joy at the ‘pretty pictures’.
Penang: Overwhelming the senses!
There is much to write about Penang, Malaysia, so this will be the first in a few blog posts. Naturally, I will start with my favourite subject…
Desperate to fill every minute of my two days in Penang, I covered myself in zinc cream, grasped my umbrella and headed out into the sweltering heat.
Slapping therapy?
I’ve spent the past two weeks very very bruised and in substantial pain.
The story begins with a slender, black haired woman. She interrupted my typing reverie at a local cafe. We talked for over two hours. Fascinating background with loads of great travel stories. Towards the end of the conversation she told me about an ancient Chinese healing technique she has been using.
Midweek memento – The mysterious note!
I flung open my wooden bungalow doors with haste, as I usually do each morning to check the sparkling sea below. What mood is it in? What life will it bring to this day?
As I drifted in my hazy state towards my hammock, I noticed a note, placed under a small rock near my shoes at the top of the wooden staircase.
Cha cha or Leo Leo?
I recently visited the main town on Koh Phangan, Thongsala, (which is made up of essentially two main streets and alleyways branching off like a advantageous roots, in a haphazard, inconsistent fashion). All sorts of practical local supplies like hardware are mixed in with tattoo parlours, guest houses and food fares.
Midweek memento – Group Sex Workshops
“I’m going to be a bit late tonight, I’m going to a workshop this afternoon.”
“Oh, ok…”
I quickly understood the vibe. ‘Its on speed reading. I’m really interesting in reading more books, quickly!’
Snail repellent and white vaginas…
I thought I’d write a blog post on some of the quirky products available in Thailand. I’m most happy to send you some of them if you’re interested. Read below.
Embracing the third gender…
A striking difference between Thailand and… well, lets just say most other countries around the world, is the visibility and apparent acceptance of gender diversity here (this post is focused on trans women or MTF).
Benny
Benny is Burmese. He has joined many others escaping his country to work in Thailand. The money he earns here, he sends back home to his parents. His parents live in a crumbling shack, barely making enough to survive, let alone fix the walls in their wafer thin abode.
The Bum Gun: an update.
I’ve been requested to do an update on the bathroom situation here in Thailand.
Remember this blog post?
Travellers I love…
This blog is dedicated to the types of travellers I adore. They inspire warm fuzzy puffs of love to grow inside me. The tall European first timers I met two mid 30s guys from North East Europe a couple of months ago. They were on their first trip to Thailand and to Asia generally. They had already been in Thailand for about 2 weeks when…
How do I spend my friday nights on this little island beach?
The stage In a hobbled together wooden shack with faded Bob Marley pictures, strings of green, yellow and red flags, tattered paintings and soft lights encased in assorted shades of plastic, paper and cloth, folk from all cultures come together to celebrate the magic of reggae. People sprawl about the spaces in various stages of horizontal-ness. And as the night progresses they lounge ever more…
Continue Reading How do I spend my friday nights on this little island beach?
My biggest impressions of KL?
Hospitality and religion. The hospitality I received and overt religious diversity are two things that captivated me the most in Kuala Lumpur (or KL, as is its affectionately known by locals). These two themes are distinctly intertwined in KL life. Hindu temple at the top of the Batu Caves The generosity of people in Kuala Lumpur amazed me. In the 5 days I was there,…
Travelling KL style…
I spent the last week in Kuala Lumpur, or KL as its affectionately known to locals. I have to leave Thailand every 60 days for visa requirements. The inevitable conclusion to scoring a 1500 Baht airline ticket (about $30 USD) was being KL bound. The next few blogs will be about some of my experiences there. Travelling in a new city always fills me with…
From Russia with love….
Alternative title: A drunk Russian, his wife and a broken Brazilian thong. This afternoon’s writing was like trying to type on my laptop at the bottom of the Gulf of Thailand sea without being electrocuted. It all started about lunchtime. I noticed a mid 20s couple. He chewed some food and drank a large Chang. Somewhat abruptly, the wafer thin, long haired brunette with…
To bike or not to bike?
Living on a remote beach in a tropical, sweat inducing climate, the only way to get around the island is by motorbike. Or pay expensive ‘taxi’ rides in songthaews, which are beat up old Utes that you have to grip onto very, very tightly. To loosen ones grip would be to play with your life. It seems like drivers here find it immensely pleasurable to…
The Farang Divide, Part 1. Frog poison, yoga and all night partying!
Farang is the Thai word for foreigner. You are always a Farang in Thailand. Always. Even if you’ve lived here for 20 years, have children here, establish a dog shelter, or have had the incredible honour of meeting the King, you are still a Farang. Farangs generally come to the pretty coconut laden island of Koh Phangan in 2 distinct groups: to party or to…
Continue Reading The Farang Divide, Part 1. Frog poison, yoga and all night partying!
Food. Interrupted.
I’m going to interrupt my usual ramblings today to create a photo blog of some of the food I have been enjoying here. It would not be exaggerating for me to say that, after breathing, food is the marvellous mystical pleasure of the Universe divinely inspired to make sinners atone and angels do damnable deeds. Fresh coconut! Yummy! Of course the most refreshing thing in the…
Gallant explorations in Thai bathrooms!
Let me begin by describing what I am accustomed to. Bathrooms are generally dry places when a person is not having a bath or shower. Sometimes toilets are contained within bathrooms, but often they have their own small separate homes, neatly tucked away in a private space. Bathrooms have towel racks and whirring air vents to take away the humid moist filled air. Usually they…
Pyjamas, Obama and mosquitos!
What is the common theme in these three very different subjects: pyjamas, Obama and mosquitoes? Nothing. Nothing at all. But that is what filled my third and fourth days of writing. Day threeeeeeee I awoke early from a peculiar dream. I dreamt I was staying at Obama’s house. We were watching TV in his big lounge room and there was an…
Arriving to my island
Arriving to my island, I am greeted by a myriad of ‘taxi’ services at the pier. The taxis vary from mad motorbike men who insist they can carry me, my 23 kg back backpack, my 12kg front backpack and my other handheld bag on a one seater motorcycle, to bushbashing Songthaews… (such a pretty name for a truck!). You have to throw yourself into a…