...is very slow. The day usually starts around 1:30 in the afternoon and ends at about 5:00am. This schedule has completely got me in it's embrace. It seems to be the way of island life. We have made very many friends. I am sure that most of you have read Brent's blog, so you know that we live with a local artist named Lan and his girlfriend from Poland named Joanna. The two of them together own an art gallery on the main beach road. We now have another roommate from France who's name is Sergio. He has been on Langkawi for about five months. Sometimes I feel like MTV (or any other network that banks on "reality" television) should put cameras in our house because thier would be some entertainment to view. The whole five total strangers living together thing. It's pretty interesting sometimes. But a worthwhile and positive experience.
I have adapted to the beach with a guitar that I bought while we were in Penang. On a sidenote, when writing about islands it feels much more natural to describe it by saying on rather than in...anyways. Paying such cheap rent has really been beneficial for us. I have spent less than $200 in the last month. And it is also very refreshing to live in a place once again. My bed is a Lielo. Which is an inflatable raft that one would use for lounging in the water. It is actually pretty comfortable though a little small compared to a proper bed. But it works all the same. For some reason we thought that just getting sleeping bags would be good enough for sleep, but after a couple nights on the hard tile floor, I couldn't take much more of it. I am pretty bony and that is all more aparent when I am laying on what starts to feel like cement after twenty minutes.
I have been kind of working at a local beach bar called the Submarine. A guy from Slovenia who's name is Anand owns it and a whole lot of friends are there nightly. But on this beach I could say that about any of the bars since most of the night is spent walking up and down the beach from place to place. I have played music at the Submarine three times with Mie, Siful, and Brent. Mie and Siful are local artists and very nice guys. Siful used to be in a very famous metal band in the eighties and is very well known around here as a shredder on the guitar. And yes, although now he plays acoustic covers of pop songs from the 60's until the present, he still loves metal. A couple nights ago I was playing around with the ipod at the Submarine and then the next thing I know Anand tells me that I can DJ there whenever I want. Then he hired me to DJ for Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years eve and is going to pay 150 ringit. That kind of ringit is enough to last me about two weeks here. It's pretty crazy to actually get paid enough to live as a performer around here. For example, a few nights ago I played one set of songs for about 35-40 minutes. For which I got payed 40 ringit. On an island where beer is 1.50 to 4 (though when performing it's free anyways), food is 3.00-5.00 (that's eating out price), cigarettes are 1.50, or renting a motorbike for a day is 20 ringit. 40 ringit is enough to survive on for quite a while. Compared to making $40 for a night in the U.S. if you're lucky, which we all know is not enough money to survive very long in the U.S. with, this whole getting paid pretty well here is quite a pleasant surprise.
To give you a better idea of what life entails I will tell you what I did yesterday. I got up at about noon and chilled at home for a little bit before starting the day. After some coffee I went down to the beach in search of bananas and soy milk for my cereal. I went down to the Submarine to get a piece of wood that my friend Zool (local artist) got for me so I can make something out of. I got sidetracked on the beach for about two hours talking with Asham and Ajia (two of my very good friends) about some of the local gossip from the night before. I went home and had some cereal and wrote for a while. Lan came home and we talked about how much we enjoy living simple lives and how most women we have met so far do not seem to understand what living simply means (him and Joanna are going through relationship stuff and notice that I said most not all women). Then I went to my friend Souls jewelry stand where I have been learning how to make bracelets, anklets, and necklaces for a while to hang out with him and talk to tourists who are shopping. I try to help him sell stuff sometimes and often do. After that (it is now about 9:00pm) I went to my friend Ajia's house with Ajie and Zoo where we listened to Iron Maiden, made jewelry, played djembe, talked, and relaxed before going out for the night. Ajie and Zoo are both from Kuala Lumpur. Zoo was also in a very famous metal band once. If I haven't said it yet, my friends here love metal. Most of them anyways. We then met up with Layla (who is the girl that Brent metioned), Remi, Asham, and Zach. We went to Little Lylias where our friends Yen and Zoo play (different Zoo then metal Zoo). I sang a few songs with them. I sing a lot here and often get shout outs on the street that go "hello my singing friend". Then we went to Submarine and I played DJ for about an hour. Playing DJ is very fun because I get to listen to what I want to. I played Curtis Mayfield, Jackson 5, Fatboy Slim, Radiohead, Dr. Dre, The Cure, Metallica due to a request from a couple of guys from Finlind, Iggy Pop, and Queen. At this point it is about 1:30 and at this point in the night everyone who is out on the island goes to Sunba which is a dance club that is loaded with people everynight. I usually just find a place to stand or sit and observe the crowd because it's a lot of fun to watch people in that kind of environment. Ajai usually does this with me and we talk about what motivates people to do the things that they do. We have had some deep conversations at the top of our lungs in Sunba. Layla (who is the local girl I am playing cat and mouse with) and Rosie (a girl from England) eventually joined the conversation. Then Rosie asked me to teach her how to play drums. Teaching a drunk person to play drums is like teaching a small child. Very short attention span but very serious at the same time. At about 3:00am we all either go to Tammy's which is a club that stays open until 6:00am, or we go to Tomato which is a 24 hour Indian place for food, or on very late nights, we go to both. There is usually a group of about 6-20 of us and it's funny to have crossed the line from tourist to local which is what is happening more and more everyday. Mie told me at Tomato last night that I am now being refered to as the cool American guy with the tattoes who plays music and lives here now. It's endearing and puts a smile on my face.
I hope that you are all well and happy and I will be thinking of you while DJ'ing on Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years. Wishing that you could be here with me.
Love and kittens
nate
Monday, December 15, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Malaysia...
...is absolutely incredible. We arrived here via ferry boat from Satun Thailand to the island of Longkawi, off the northwest tip of Malaysia. The trip from Thailand to Malaysia proved to be a salute to the endurance one must at times muster whilst traveling about.
We began on Ko Samui at around 11:30am. We walked about two or three miles to catch what we learned was called the Seatran Express, which is a package deal. It involved getting on a very nice, air-condtioned, and empty bus. By far the most comfortable means of travel we had taken thus far. The bus brought us to the ferry terminal and much to our surprise, the bus boarded the ferry with us. The same bus, after docking with us at the pier, brought us to the town of Surat Thani. One thing about piers, train stations, bus terminals, and airports is that they are literally crawling with hundreds of taxi drivers trying to sell a fair. Quite a hectic scene at those places. Most of the time, it is best to walk quickly and reply by saying "We are going our own way", though this really doesn't help all that much. From the pier we had to find the train station that would take us to Butterworth station in Penang, Malaysia. We learned that the train station was about an hour drive out of town and we would need to catch a bus. Upon arriving at the train station, we also found out that the one train that departs from Surat Thani to Penang leaves at 1:36am and would cost us 950baht. Which is way more than we wanted, or anticipated on paying. So we devised a plan to catch a 12:15am train (the trains in Thailand, by the way, are always at least a half hour late) that would take us to a town called Hat Yai, then with only hope to support us, be able to catch a bus to Satun, and then catch a ferry to Langkawi instead of going further south into Penang. We finally made it to Langkawi after at least 36 straight hours of travelling. It is part a practice in insomnia, part a test of patience and will, but mostly a lesson in giving up on any preconceived notion that you are in control of any kind what so ever while being in a foreign place, running on a foreign concept of time. And by this time, I was one day late on departing Thailand according to the date stamped on my visa.
But Langkawi is magnificent. It is a paradise that feels very much still kept in secret. The people everywhere smile as large as the moon, wave, and say hello every time they see you. The beach is amazing. Coupled by the ocean that feels of the most soothing bath water, and the sand that is white, soft, and warm as a heating pad. Then topped with the sunsets and the crowd of locals and visitors who claim residency on the beach well into the early hours of the morning. Brent and I have been playing music with our new friends who play nightly at the bars that line the beach endlessly. And we have even gotten paid doing it. We have been offered to pay month to month (the visa in Malaysia is valid for 90 days, and being so close to the border serves no problem for the ever popular visa run) rent for $50, we have been offered jobs, and we have met and made some very endearing people. Though the future is always unknown, it is very possible that we stay here for quite some time. One example of a friend we met is a guy named A.C. He is, for lack of a better word, a pirate. He gets paid well to be on boats and has offered to get us jobs on the boat. This boat makes trips to South Africa quite regularly and A.C. is quite a character who I get along well with because we have an undying love for Slayer. A pirate in the sense that he gets extremely drunk, has long hair that is constantly in a bandana, and is missing quite a few number of teeth. But a real swell fellow. Anyways, not that Thailand was bad, but I truly believe that if I could do it all over again, I would have started with Malaysia.
The Malay language is easy compared to Thai. The large influence of Indian culture proves to not only flourish the land with genuine, kind hearted people, but also the best Indian food I have experienced. Ever. And the island of Langkawi is everything that Thailand is in art, culture, and beauty. But minus the hustle and flow of people trying to con others into spending money. It is truly beautiful.
wish you all good things
Nate
We began on Ko Samui at around 11:30am. We walked about two or three miles to catch what we learned was called the Seatran Express, which is a package deal. It involved getting on a very nice, air-condtioned, and empty bus. By far the most comfortable means of travel we had taken thus far. The bus brought us to the ferry terminal and much to our surprise, the bus boarded the ferry with us. The same bus, after docking with us at the pier, brought us to the town of Surat Thani. One thing about piers, train stations, bus terminals, and airports is that they are literally crawling with hundreds of taxi drivers trying to sell a fair. Quite a hectic scene at those places. Most of the time, it is best to walk quickly and reply by saying "We are going our own way", though this really doesn't help all that much. From the pier we had to find the train station that would take us to Butterworth station in Penang, Malaysia. We learned that the train station was about an hour drive out of town and we would need to catch a bus. Upon arriving at the train station, we also found out that the one train that departs from Surat Thani to Penang leaves at 1:36am and would cost us 950baht. Which is way more than we wanted, or anticipated on paying. So we devised a plan to catch a 12:15am train (the trains in Thailand, by the way, are always at least a half hour late) that would take us to a town called Hat Yai, then with only hope to support us, be able to catch a bus to Satun, and then catch a ferry to Langkawi instead of going further south into Penang. We finally made it to Langkawi after at least 36 straight hours of travelling. It is part a practice in insomnia, part a test of patience and will, but mostly a lesson in giving up on any preconceived notion that you are in control of any kind what so ever while being in a foreign place, running on a foreign concept of time. And by this time, I was one day late on departing Thailand according to the date stamped on my visa.
But Langkawi is magnificent. It is a paradise that feels very much still kept in secret. The people everywhere smile as large as the moon, wave, and say hello every time they see you. The beach is amazing. Coupled by the ocean that feels of the most soothing bath water, and the sand that is white, soft, and warm as a heating pad. Then topped with the sunsets and the crowd of locals and visitors who claim residency on the beach well into the early hours of the morning. Brent and I have been playing music with our new friends who play nightly at the bars that line the beach endlessly. And we have even gotten paid doing it. We have been offered to pay month to month (the visa in Malaysia is valid for 90 days, and being so close to the border serves no problem for the ever popular visa run) rent for $50, we have been offered jobs, and we have met and made some very endearing people. Though the future is always unknown, it is very possible that we stay here for quite some time. One example of a friend we met is a guy named A.C. He is, for lack of a better word, a pirate. He gets paid well to be on boats and has offered to get us jobs on the boat. This boat makes trips to South Africa quite regularly and A.C. is quite a character who I get along well with because we have an undying love for Slayer. A pirate in the sense that he gets extremely drunk, has long hair that is constantly in a bandana, and is missing quite a few number of teeth. But a real swell fellow. Anyways, not that Thailand was bad, but I truly believe that if I could do it all over again, I would have started with Malaysia.
The Malay language is easy compared to Thai. The large influence of Indian culture proves to not only flourish the land with genuine, kind hearted people, but also the best Indian food I have experienced. Ever. And the island of Langkawi is everything that Thailand is in art, culture, and beauty. But minus the hustle and flow of people trying to con others into spending money. It is truly beautiful.
wish you all good things
Nate
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
the islands...
...are truly beautiful. We arrived in Koh Tao at about 5:00am on Tuesday the 4th of November. Election day to those in the U.S. Which, by the way, was not just a party in the States. After Obama took California, everyone in the crowded cafe I was watching the BBC news at started yelling and hugging and kissing. After the commotion somewhat passed, I found out that I was the only American in the cafe. It was the first time in my entire life that I actually felt proud to be a United States citizen. Anyways...Koh Tao. We took a midnight ferry from the city of Chumphon after riding in C class on a train from Bangkok. It was about a nine hour train ride and the man sitting next to me was coming off of some narcotic. He was in and out of sleep and drooling for most of the ride. Needless to say, it made my ride a bit long and gross. But hey, that's what I get for travelling for that inexpensive.
We met the first fellow American since being here on the midnight ferry over. His name is Adam and he just graduated with a degree in water hydraulics from Missoula University in Montana. We all stayed together to cut costs for the week we were all on Koh Tao, and it turned out that Adam was very much similar to us on many different levels. I hadn't noticed the difficulty of buzzing around in a foreign place until I met someone who completely understood everything I was trying to communicate. The sarcasm and body language of the culture I came up through. It was relieving but it also reminded me of how much more effort could be put in to truly try and envelop myself with the country I am in for the time being.
After a nap, we headed to the beach. I have never been as close to the equator in my entire life. And the sunburn I got to show for it was pretty gnarly. It was very prevalent, how painful the burn was, when we walked the entire distance of the island from the west coast to the east coast in hopes of finding a beach sans drunk travellers trying to get laid dancing to Ice, Ice, Baby. That is no joke. The beach parties are like walking into a badly put together frat party. Lot's and lot's of soon to be swimming in the risk of s.t.d.'s and baby having kids getting really, really loaded. If I were twenty-one, I'm sure that I would have joined them and had a blast. But I am not, so I didn't stick around for very long at any of them. Though some of those British and Australian accents and the pleads of "come on, let me buy you a drink" were tempting.
The eastern side of Koh Tao was like our own private resort. The beach was amazing and not that crowded. We went to a restaurant bar run by a Thai woman who insisted we call her Mama. She was wild, in every sense of the word. She insisted that we all put on cowboy hats, get behind the bar, and prepare drinks for ourselves of our choice. She also had the four of us get dressed up in wigs and costumes so she could do photo shoots of us. Full out poses. She told us about her life, we told her about ours. We all hugged and kissed goodbye after being together for just a few hours and felt all around that solid relationships were formed. She didn't charge us for the drinks. And her two dogs followed us back to our bungalow to stay the night. That...was an experience of the likes that I am searching for. Much like being with the family at the farm. Which I will write about later. The experience of getting to know people behind the tourism facade. It get's easier and easier everyday to find the true experiences, and to steer clear of the ones that are designed for tourism. All it takes is humbling myself a bit. Not being afraid of being laughed at, or being silly (even though when the laughter comes, it is from an endearing heart, not one that is actually making fun of you). Attempting to speak the language while fumbling through it. You would not believe the smiles on the faces of people when you speak a little Thai to them. It is so heart warming and they instantly look at you with a different set of eyes, opening their hearts just a little more. And how often I am told I speak Thai well, and am more encouraged to do so, is astounding. Even if slightly exaggerated on the part of who is saying it.
It is monsoon season here. Which means that there are not too many travellers around. Which is nice because it clears the air and the streets. We are now on the island Ko Samui. The boat ride here was like being on an amusement ride for two straight hours due to riding the waves of a storm. Lot's of throwing up was going on. I just got done getting a massage on the beach, listening the pulse and heart of the Gulf of Thailand. It was exuberant. On Friday, we are heading to Surat Thani to catch a train that will take us to Malaysia because our visas are about up.
Thailand has been truly amazing. I have been writing in my journals daily so that I can reflect, with details, at later points in my life. I cannot see myself not coming back here at some point in the future. It seems that this culture has hurdled an obstacle that is so incredibly daunting in western culture. The obstacle of being simple, satisfied, and happy. Living in very tight spaces. Hustling everyday (though not competitively) with family run business's, which is 98% of the time run out of the same building that the entire family, and sons and daughters and cousins families, share together as a home. And still being able to smile true, eye twinkling, and full of pure heart smiles. It is a blessing to be able to witness and humbly attempt to be a part of this place.
Hope that all is well.
with love
We met the first fellow American since being here on the midnight ferry over. His name is Adam and he just graduated with a degree in water hydraulics from Missoula University in Montana. We all stayed together to cut costs for the week we were all on Koh Tao, and it turned out that Adam was very much similar to us on many different levels. I hadn't noticed the difficulty of buzzing around in a foreign place until I met someone who completely understood everything I was trying to communicate. The sarcasm and body language of the culture I came up through. It was relieving but it also reminded me of how much more effort could be put in to truly try and envelop myself with the country I am in for the time being.
After a nap, we headed to the beach. I have never been as close to the equator in my entire life. And the sunburn I got to show for it was pretty gnarly. It was very prevalent, how painful the burn was, when we walked the entire distance of the island from the west coast to the east coast in hopes of finding a beach sans drunk travellers trying to get laid dancing to Ice, Ice, Baby. That is no joke. The beach parties are like walking into a badly put together frat party. Lot's and lot's of soon to be swimming in the risk of s.t.d.'s and baby having kids getting really, really loaded. If I were twenty-one, I'm sure that I would have joined them and had a blast. But I am not, so I didn't stick around for very long at any of them. Though some of those British and Australian accents and the pleads of "come on, let me buy you a drink" were tempting.
The eastern side of Koh Tao was like our own private resort. The beach was amazing and not that crowded. We went to a restaurant bar run by a Thai woman who insisted we call her Mama. She was wild, in every sense of the word. She insisted that we all put on cowboy hats, get behind the bar, and prepare drinks for ourselves of our choice. She also had the four of us get dressed up in wigs and costumes so she could do photo shoots of us. Full out poses. She told us about her life, we told her about ours. We all hugged and kissed goodbye after being together for just a few hours and felt all around that solid relationships were formed. She didn't charge us for the drinks. And her two dogs followed us back to our bungalow to stay the night. That...was an experience of the likes that I am searching for. Much like being with the family at the farm. Which I will write about later. The experience of getting to know people behind the tourism facade. It get's easier and easier everyday to find the true experiences, and to steer clear of the ones that are designed for tourism. All it takes is humbling myself a bit. Not being afraid of being laughed at, or being silly (even though when the laughter comes, it is from an endearing heart, not one that is actually making fun of you). Attempting to speak the language while fumbling through it. You would not believe the smiles on the faces of people when you speak a little Thai to them. It is so heart warming and they instantly look at you with a different set of eyes, opening their hearts just a little more. And how often I am told I speak Thai well, and am more encouraged to do so, is astounding. Even if slightly exaggerated on the part of who is saying it.
It is monsoon season here. Which means that there are not too many travellers around. Which is nice because it clears the air and the streets. We are now on the island Ko Samui. The boat ride here was like being on an amusement ride for two straight hours due to riding the waves of a storm. Lot's of throwing up was going on. I just got done getting a massage on the beach, listening the pulse and heart of the Gulf of Thailand. It was exuberant. On Friday, we are heading to Surat Thani to catch a train that will take us to Malaysia because our visas are about up.
Thailand has been truly amazing. I have been writing in my journals daily so that I can reflect, with details, at later points in my life. I cannot see myself not coming back here at some point in the future. It seems that this culture has hurdled an obstacle that is so incredibly daunting in western culture. The obstacle of being simple, satisfied, and happy. Living in very tight spaces. Hustling everyday (though not competitively) with family run business's, which is 98% of the time run out of the same building that the entire family, and sons and daughters and cousins families, share together as a home. And still being able to smile true, eye twinkling, and full of pure heart smiles. It is a blessing to be able to witness and humbly attempt to be a part of this place.
Hope that all is well.
with love
Sunday, November 2, 2008
almost...
...done with Bangkok. After being in this city for about half a month I have learned a few things. As I have said, this is a crazy city with lot's to do. Most of it does not interest me. We are staying one more night pretty much in chinatown which is seedy, congested, and too claustrophobic. I guess that even in foreign countries I am not interested in consumerism. But what is sad is that the people in Bangkok are very, very poor so they survive off people buying things. One of the biggest differences is that you do not need to search for anything. If you are on the sidewalk you are constantly berated by taxi drivers, people selling food, people selling suits, jewelry, etc., etc. It is very difficult to keep a smile on my face while constantly having to say no, no, no. And with some hostility because people do not let up very easily. But if you do find yourself in chinatown in Bangkok, go to Texas Suki and get a Suyaka vegetable platter. It is a gigantic plate of vegetables (really effing good ones) that you put into a pot of boiling water that they bring to your table. With different types of soup bases that they give in little bowls so you can change it up every time you dig in. For sides you can get tofu, meats, or pretty much anything else. 129BHT split between three people and you are eating a lot of food for under $2. It is right off of Yaowarat road which is one of the main roads leading into chinatown and was worth the hassle of getting there. Our room tonight is shady as shit and there have probably been dead people in there. But it is only for one night because we have train tickets heading south to the beaches on the islands Koh Tao, Ko Phangan, and Ko Samui. We are leaving Bangkok at 1:00pm tomorrow. And I cannot be more stoked.
Bangkok is not for the light hearted. There is a lot of depressing shit here. Koh San road for example which is the biggest attraction for back packers (the street that Leo drinks the cobra venom on in the beach). Here, you can get anything you want. And I do mean anything. I have not been touched more by people I do not know in my entire life. Not only on this road do you get hassled, but you get hassled for ping pong shows(if you don't know, look it up), drugs, fake passports, hookers, etc., etc. And people just flock there. It is a freak show. Which is cool for a second, but it's so crowded that you're stuck there for about an hour once you step into it. It's almost like you have to fake ignorance and pretend not to notice sometimes.
We went and saw Wat Pho which hosts the reclining Buddha. Which is rad. Totally fucking cool. But awesome artifacts and sculptures from centuries back lose some sacredness when it's a main attraction. I stepped in a pile of dog shit which gave us all a laugh.
I have been reffered to as David Beckham many times and have posed for many pictures. It's pretty funny and does not chase any ladies away. My tattoos are touched...a lot.
If you come to Bangkok, which although I have been complaining about is a cool city. Go to the Thewet district which is near the Dusit Zoo. Go to the end of the street Sri Ayuthaya, (some one just touched my arm, then grabbed it...I am not kidding) and either go to The Shanti Lodge and talk to Yuwin or go to the Suwatdee Guesthouse and talk to Sam. That area of Bangkok is amazing. The people, the atmosphere...all of it. Don't even give tuk-tuk drivers the time of day because they are liars and assholes. And eat some food at The Shanti because it's amazing. That alone is worth a trip to Thailand. If you're up for it, talk to Youwin about the farm and she will tell you how to get there. I will write about the farm later. But it was amazing. Just know that when she tells you the accomodations are rugged, she is not kidding at all. Get some fresh fruit smoothies or coffee from Sooya across the street from the guesthouse (she is one of my many girlfriends in Bangkok...muahahahaha). And roam around the city.
It may be a while before I get to write again but just know that the farm is to come. Oh yeah, and so are the mothereffing beaches. word.
love and all that good stuff.
Bangkok is not for the light hearted. There is a lot of depressing shit here. Koh San road for example which is the biggest attraction for back packers (the street that Leo drinks the cobra venom on in the beach). Here, you can get anything you want. And I do mean anything. I have not been touched more by people I do not know in my entire life. Not only on this road do you get hassled, but you get hassled for ping pong shows(if you don't know, look it up), drugs, fake passports, hookers, etc., etc. And people just flock there. It is a freak show. Which is cool for a second, but it's so crowded that you're stuck there for about an hour once you step into it. It's almost like you have to fake ignorance and pretend not to notice sometimes.
We went and saw Wat Pho which hosts the reclining Buddha. Which is rad. Totally fucking cool. But awesome artifacts and sculptures from centuries back lose some sacredness when it's a main attraction. I stepped in a pile of dog shit which gave us all a laugh.
I have been reffered to as David Beckham many times and have posed for many pictures. It's pretty funny and does not chase any ladies away. My tattoos are touched...a lot.
If you come to Bangkok, which although I have been complaining about is a cool city. Go to the Thewet district which is near the Dusit Zoo. Go to the end of the street Sri Ayuthaya, (some one just touched my arm, then grabbed it...I am not kidding) and either go to The Shanti Lodge and talk to Yuwin or go to the Suwatdee Guesthouse and talk to Sam. That area of Bangkok is amazing. The people, the atmosphere...all of it. Don't even give tuk-tuk drivers the time of day because they are liars and assholes. And eat some food at The Shanti because it's amazing. That alone is worth a trip to Thailand. If you're up for it, talk to Youwin about the farm and she will tell you how to get there. I will write about the farm later. But it was amazing. Just know that when she tells you the accomodations are rugged, she is not kidding at all. Get some fresh fruit smoothies or coffee from Sooya across the street from the guesthouse (she is one of my many girlfriends in Bangkok...muahahahaha). And roam around the city.
It may be a while before I get to write again but just know that the farm is to come. Oh yeah, and so are the mothereffing beaches. word.
love and all that good stuff.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
bangkok...
is a huge city. Like 66 million people huge. It can be very overwhelming. There are very many things to buy here. Mostly tourist junk. To be quite honest, the business card for the shanti claims that it is the hidden oasis of Bangkok and it is totally true. Being in the city is quite aimless, especially downtown. But the area of town that the shanti is in is quite rad. Lots and lots of chill people. Last night Brent, Kins, Barbara (sweden), Stella (Malaysia), Yono, Dang, Shanoon, and myself went to an impromptu art exhibtion on a street called Sukuhmvit just outside downtown. It was totally fucking rad. There was art and artists everywhere. I performed some songs, we were dancing barefoot in the street, Brent played some guitar, and there was a pretty amazing drum circle going on. Oh, and Jack Sparrows was there too. Super funny. The culture in Thailand is one that definitely appreciates artists way more than the culture I am much more used to. It is so refreshing to feel the love and respect that goes around. People smiling, laughing, and cheering about everything from a picture drawn with a pencil to a ditty played on a harmonica. After things got wrapped up on Sukuhmvit we went to a bar that one of the artists owned. There was a drumset there and yes I played on that thing for quite a while. Accompanied by keyboards, dijereedoo, hand drums, vocals, and guitars to name a few. We partied until about three in the morning. There were about thirty of us.
It is very apparent that there are many interesting people in this world. Many of which are met while out and about. We met a feller last night named Bart from Australia. He is in Bangkok getting material written. He is a stand up comedian and artist. We have been invited to come and live with him in Australia in February. He was a trip and a super nice guy. He gave us all the info that we needed about happy ending massage places. It was hilarious how much he knew. I suppose that it makes for good stand up material.
Yesterday during the day we went to the snake farm. It serves the purpose of learning about anti-venom for each species of venomous snakes in Thailand. And since there are more species of venomous snakes here than anywhere else in the world it is a much needed establishment. We were about eight feet away from a 12 foot King Cobra that was out of it's cage. He stood five feet high and his hood was about the size of my face. It was so incredible. Once I am at a computer that I can connect usb to I will put pictures up, but sweet jesus...that shit was righteous.
But as rad as this has all been so far. $4 a night for the hotel, eating for about 75 cents per go, and being surrounded by people who smile a whole hell of a lot, I am excited to move on. Tomorrow morning we are getting on a train to an organic farm near the city of Kanchanbiri in Thailand. There are waterfalls. That's about all that needs to be said. I am learning Thai...slowly. I just spent about an hour with Shanoon learning Thai and teaching english. Shit, I have met a ton of people. All of which I would call friends and not be very bummed about spending days with them.
หำ ฃันี ฟะพ
It is very apparent that there are many interesting people in this world. Many of which are met while out and about. We met a feller last night named Bart from Australia. He is in Bangkok getting material written. He is a stand up comedian and artist. We have been invited to come and live with him in Australia in February. He was a trip and a super nice guy. He gave us all the info that we needed about happy ending massage places. It was hilarious how much he knew. I suppose that it makes for good stand up material.
Yesterday during the day we went to the snake farm. It serves the purpose of learning about anti-venom for each species of venomous snakes in Thailand. And since there are more species of venomous snakes here than anywhere else in the world it is a much needed establishment. We were about eight feet away from a 12 foot King Cobra that was out of it's cage. He stood five feet high and his hood was about the size of my face. It was so incredible. Once I am at a computer that I can connect usb to I will put pictures up, but sweet jesus...that shit was righteous.
But as rad as this has all been so far. $4 a night for the hotel, eating for about 75 cents per go, and being surrounded by people who smile a whole hell of a lot, I am excited to move on. Tomorrow morning we are getting on a train to an organic farm near the city of Kanchanbiri in Thailand. There are waterfalls. That's about all that needs to be said. I am learning Thai...slowly. I just spent about an hour with Shanoon learning Thai and teaching english. Shit, I have met a ton of people. All of which I would call friends and not be very bummed about spending days with them.
หำ ฃันี ฟะพ
Friday, October 17, 2008
the first time...
I ate spicy food in Thailand was from a street vendor. She actually had a menu for me to look at which was very helpfull. Being a vegetarian and all, I find that looking at what the vendors are selling for food usually consists of fish heads of various species, a menu only in Thai, and other hanging forms of various meat products. Some know what vegetarian means, others pretend they do, and the kind ones politely say no at which point you respond kop-dee-ka. So I was stoked for this precious find. And holy ape's balls it was spicy.
The markets in Bangkok are really wild. They connect off of the streets and appear to be sidewalks that dissapear into darkness. Once inside, it is a labrynth of vendors underneath gigantic overhangs that are put together to protect the products and workers from the rain. It is possible to find just about anything in these places. And they go on for days in twists and turns while cyclists are buzzing past you (remember, we're talking about sidewalks) on scooters, motorcycles, and mopeds. People are everywhere buying fresh vegetables, underwear, butcher knives, and live eels in this pandemonium of a street fair. And this shit happens every single day. They are not out there only on certain days or at certain times. It's all the time from sun up until about 2:00am. There is enough going on to spend a few days just aimlessly wandering through, having your mind blown with how crazy the difference in cultures can be.
I have been in Bangkok for a couple days. I am flying solo since Brent and Kinsey missed thier flight from Tokyo, but they are scheduled to get here tonight. I am staying at a rad place called The Shanti Lodge and no, they do not use toilet paper. It was a bit awkward at first but now I think I like it. I came about an inch away from an accident in the cab from the airport to where I am now. I met some of the locals and other drifters last night (Friday Oct. 17th) named Dang, Yono, Adrienne, Shanoon, and a crazy man named Willy who is obviously Thai but tried to convince everyone that he was from Chicago with a sister in D.C. and another sister who is Swedish. We drank a lot of beer on the sidewalk in front of The Shanti Art Gallery (where Dang and Shanoon have displays up) while playing hand drums, laughing a whole lot, acting a bunch of damned fools, and enjoying the night. Everyone really enjoyed my sans microphone karaoke with Djembe performance of "You Give Love A Bad Name". It was the time and a half.
Today, before and after the spicy food I spent time in Thailands National Library. There is a display of various different kinds of Rama masks from the years which was gorgeous...by the way, all the wats and architecture around here is fucking amazing. It's like being in your very favorite decorated Asian food restaraunt only it's for realzzie yo...and the National Music Library as well is in the same fortress of buildings. It is pretty amazing. Well, I guess that's it for now.
peace and puppies
The markets in Bangkok are really wild. They connect off of the streets and appear to be sidewalks that dissapear into darkness. Once inside, it is a labrynth of vendors underneath gigantic overhangs that are put together to protect the products and workers from the rain. It is possible to find just about anything in these places. And they go on for days in twists and turns while cyclists are buzzing past you (remember, we're talking about sidewalks) on scooters, motorcycles, and mopeds. People are everywhere buying fresh vegetables, underwear, butcher knives, and live eels in this pandemonium of a street fair. And this shit happens every single day. They are not out there only on certain days or at certain times. It's all the time from sun up until about 2:00am. There is enough going on to spend a few days just aimlessly wandering through, having your mind blown with how crazy the difference in cultures can be.
I have been in Bangkok for a couple days. I am flying solo since Brent and Kinsey missed thier flight from Tokyo, but they are scheduled to get here tonight. I am staying at a rad place called The Shanti Lodge and no, they do not use toilet paper. It was a bit awkward at first but now I think I like it. I came about an inch away from an accident in the cab from the airport to where I am now. I met some of the locals and other drifters last night (Friday Oct. 17th) named Dang, Yono, Adrienne, Shanoon, and a crazy man named Willy who is obviously Thai but tried to convince everyone that he was from Chicago with a sister in D.C. and another sister who is Swedish. We drank a lot of beer on the sidewalk in front of The Shanti Art Gallery (where Dang and Shanoon have displays up) while playing hand drums, laughing a whole lot, acting a bunch of damned fools, and enjoying the night. Everyone really enjoyed my sans microphone karaoke with Djembe performance of "You Give Love A Bad Name". It was the time and a half.
Today, before and after the spicy food I spent time in Thailands National Library. There is a display of various different kinds of Rama masks from the years which was gorgeous...by the way, all the wats and architecture around here is fucking amazing. It's like being in your very favorite decorated Asian food restaraunt only it's for realzzie yo...and the National Music Library as well is in the same fortress of buildings. It is pretty amazing. Well, I guess that's it for now.
peace and puppies
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