After a quick “nap” (talk about a morning I did NOT want to get out of bed) the bellman and I were heading to the shuttle at 3:45am. When I had checked the United website that morning, my flight was delayed, but the Bangkok airport website said my flight was cancelled. I figured I would show up and see what happened. The line was INCREDIBLY LONG! I feel like I have flown a lot, but I have never had to stand in a line like that. I think it took me about two hours and everyone was grouchy! When I checked my bags (he didn’t laugh) but said I needed to shift things around (I just wanted to pay, but $150 did seem a bit much, ha) but I hated taking up time to rearrange my bags in front of the already ridiculously long line. However luckily I didn’t take too long.
I made it through passport control without any problems. I was hungry and thirsty so before going to my gate I stopped at Starbucks for a drink and muffin. I carried both to my gate, but before I could even get there there was ANOTHER security check. They made me toss my drink, food AND water and searched my entire bag. Really? I did NOT like the idea that I had to get on the plane without any water, but I was happy that I was even getting on a plane in the first place!
The flight to Japan was fine and I didn’t have to wait long before my next flight left (by the time I went through security, found my gate, etc). I got on skype to tell my parents my cancelled/not cancelled flight was fine and I was in Japan on my way to D.C. I also looked for some food but with no luck!
The flight from Japan to D.C. was a bit long and the plane didn’t have individual T.V.’s but that was ok. I did get up a few times to avoid Deep Vein Thrombosis.
Again, I had no problems in D.C. (I was a bit nervous as the airport had been closed all week, but I think even the standby’s got on!) It was a quick flight back to Boston! Oh Boston! I was so happy to be home! My mom greeted me with a sign and balloons and as we were walking to baggage I saw another sign and thought to myself, “Oh cool someone else has a sign!” and then realized it was ANOTHER one for me as Debbie Walker came to pick me up too! I am so lucky!
My bags came out pretty fast and we were on our way home! Dad was waiting for me and the house was decorated with balloons and signs! Am I lucky or what?
I am not really sure how to end this blog. How do you sum up four months of incredible experiences? I guess I will sum it up with the last thing I thought as I laid down in MY bed for my first night sleep at home, “What a wonderful world!”
Hugs and kisses!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Ignorance Is Bliss
I did NOT sleep well at all, but I guess that’s what happens when you nap all day. I think also the fear of oversleeping didn’t help my situation. After about 3 hours of sleep (literally) I was up, checked into my flights and had all my bags downstairs!
Prachit picked me up to bring me to the airport (which was so helpful) and I loved the fact it was only about 10 minutes away. I had no problems checking in except for the fact the women legit laughed at me when she saw my bags. So I punched her in the face. Ok, no I didn’t, but she did laugh, rightfully so I guess. I didn’t think I had THAT much!
Chiang Mai airport is VERY small which was nice as it didn’t take long to find the gate. The flight was quick and I spent the time watching “World’s Funniest Videos”. I enjoyed it as there was no talking (so really anyone could enjoy it). I had no problems getting my bags and finding the shuttle to take me to the airport hotel.
The hotel is VERY nice and much better than your typical airport hotel. I checked in and quickly dropped my stuff in my room before taking a WELL NEEDED shower! I didn’t even make it THAT hot, but I loved the idea that, if I wanted to, I could make it hot!
I then hung out poolside (it was so nice) and grabbed some lunch (well, I ordered breakfast, but it was yummy) and just relaxed! I was surprised how you couldn’t really hear the planes overhead. I was a good girl and wore sun block and didn’t stay out too long! After another shower (I am addicted) I decided I would buy internet (sheesh no free wifi these days) so I could print out my boarding pass. I had done the ‘web check in’ in the morning but didn’t have a printer.
I went to hit print and United says “I’m sorry, your flight is cancelled”. Awesome United, AWESOME! Did it say, “We know you want to get home, so here’s what you need to do?” Nope, just cancelled (in red of course). Now I expected to have some issues either flying into DC or from DC home (since DC can’t handle snow) seeing as their airport has been closed for days! But this said my flight from Bangkok to Japan was cancelled. So, after telling myself to play it cool I went to the front desk. He said maybe it was a website problem (uuuh I don’t think websites randomly tell you that you no longer have a flight) and so he kept calling United (good start). He told me, as of now, it was still all set. However, he went on to say that if it is cancelled they would keep it on the down low and wait for everyone to get to the airport in the morning. He looked at me as though I should be satisfied with the answer that maybe I would never get home; I’d just have to see! Ha! So I KINDLY told him that if I missed this flight to Japan I would miss all my other flights and if it is cancelled I would rather rebook my plans tonight rather than at 5:00am (I do try to be very nice as I know what it is like to work in customer service).
He called again and this time got someone who said that the flight was still on schedule and I was booked etc. but a different leg of it was cancelled. That made me feel BETTER, but I needed some more confirmation. So after checking every free flight tracker website that exists, I determined that the flight from Japan to Chicago (the same flight that continues on and the one I almost booked) was cancelled! I felt better about the situation so I went downstairs for dinner. The hotel is VERY big and had a ton of options for dinner which was nice.
After returning to my room, the departure page for the Bangkok airport had refreshed to tell me my flight TO Japan was indeed cancelled. Before, it said the leg from Japan to Chicago was cancelled and that was it. But now, I had big red letters telling me I was not going anywhere. I had written down every United phone number possible (since I was counting on running into trouble in DC) and after 5 unsuccessful attempts (every office was conveniently closed) I finally managed to get somebody. She reassured me the flight was not cancelled; only the flight from Japan to Chicago was. However, after checking a few more websites (now all updated with the cancellation of my flight – including the United website) I called back and tried to explain how every website now said my flight was cancelled. Oh how I miss English, as all I wanted to know was why SUDDENLY my flight was cancelled.
So, I did what everyone would do. I called my mommy. Ok ok I first emailed my Dad to have him call the United number in the U.S. so they could tell me the situation from the U.S. perspective. But, next I know mom and I were skypeing. She had it on speaker phone to the representative (in the U.S.) who told us my flight was indeed cancelled and I would be able to fly out February 18th, in one week. I wish you could have seen my mom’s face. “You want me to stay here another week?” she asked the man (she was pretending to be me). Now I know, I know, getting stuck in Thailand…..BUT at this point I was ready to go home, everything was packed and I was out of money. Neither of us could believe he told me my only option was to wait a week, especially because United hadn’t even contacted me about the cancelled flight (no emails or cell phone notification) After some searching, he decided I could try to get on a Thai Airways flight to LA and then a United flight from LA to Boston, but I would leave and get in 12 hours later. I didn’t LOVE this idea, but I just wanted to come home. The problem was Thai airways wouldn’t open until after my ‘original’ flight would have left, AND when booking on another airline United couldn’t confirm for 12 hours blah blah red tape blah blah so I really had no confirmation and if I didn’t get that flight I’d have nowhere to go! So, mom & I hung up with the plan that she would call Thai and United at the appropriate hours we had been told (since it was now 11:30 PM – my time), and then she would let me know when I needed to head to the airport.
Next thing I know, my mom is calling me back on skype saying my original flight was not cancelled at ALL! (She had decided to check the United website one more time and unbelievably it was no longer saying CANCELLED in red.) After a few more calls to Thai and United (confirming and re-confirming that the flight was indeed a go) we both agreed this was great news, but I also didn’t really like taking the risk of this flight that couldn’t make up its mind. I also liked that with the Thai flight I was flying through Los Angeles (not through D.C.) so it didn’t seem like it would be as difficult to get back to Boston. Needless to say, I was exhausted and realized that if I had just printed out my boarding pass in the morning I never would have found out about all the cancellation not cancellation, etc. Ignorance is bliss, huh? (sometimes it just doesn’t pay to be proactive!!)
Since my flight is now apparently still scheduled (and I am exhausted) I have decided to just go to sleep and deal with any problems in the morning!
Hugs and kisses from a girl who has no clue when she will get home!
Prachit picked me up to bring me to the airport (which was so helpful) and I loved the fact it was only about 10 minutes away. I had no problems checking in except for the fact the women legit laughed at me when she saw my bags. So I punched her in the face. Ok, no I didn’t, but she did laugh, rightfully so I guess. I didn’t think I had THAT much!
Chiang Mai airport is VERY small which was nice as it didn’t take long to find the gate. The flight was quick and I spent the time watching “World’s Funniest Videos”. I enjoyed it as there was no talking (so really anyone could enjoy it). I had no problems getting my bags and finding the shuttle to take me to the airport hotel.
The hotel is VERY nice and much better than your typical airport hotel. I checked in and quickly dropped my stuff in my room before taking a WELL NEEDED shower! I didn’t even make it THAT hot, but I loved the idea that, if I wanted to, I could make it hot!
I then hung out poolside (it was so nice) and grabbed some lunch (well, I ordered breakfast, but it was yummy) and just relaxed! I was surprised how you couldn’t really hear the planes overhead. I was a good girl and wore sun block and didn’t stay out too long! After another shower (I am addicted) I decided I would buy internet (sheesh no free wifi these days) so I could print out my boarding pass. I had done the ‘web check in’ in the morning but didn’t have a printer.
I went to hit print and United says “I’m sorry, your flight is cancelled”. Awesome United, AWESOME! Did it say, “We know you want to get home, so here’s what you need to do?” Nope, just cancelled (in red of course). Now I expected to have some issues either flying into DC or from DC home (since DC can’t handle snow) seeing as their airport has been closed for days! But this said my flight from Bangkok to Japan was cancelled. So, after telling myself to play it cool I went to the front desk. He said maybe it was a website problem (uuuh I don’t think websites randomly tell you that you no longer have a flight) and so he kept calling United (good start). He told me, as of now, it was still all set. However, he went on to say that if it is cancelled they would keep it on the down low and wait for everyone to get to the airport in the morning. He looked at me as though I should be satisfied with the answer that maybe I would never get home; I’d just have to see! Ha! So I KINDLY told him that if I missed this flight to Japan I would miss all my other flights and if it is cancelled I would rather rebook my plans tonight rather than at 5:00am (I do try to be very nice as I know what it is like to work in customer service).
He called again and this time got someone who said that the flight was still on schedule and I was booked etc. but a different leg of it was cancelled. That made me feel BETTER, but I needed some more confirmation. So after checking every free flight tracker website that exists, I determined that the flight from Japan to Chicago (the same flight that continues on and the one I almost booked) was cancelled! I felt better about the situation so I went downstairs for dinner. The hotel is VERY big and had a ton of options for dinner which was nice.
After returning to my room, the departure page for the Bangkok airport had refreshed to tell me my flight TO Japan was indeed cancelled. Before, it said the leg from Japan to Chicago was cancelled and that was it. But now, I had big red letters telling me I was not going anywhere. I had written down every United phone number possible (since I was counting on running into trouble in DC) and after 5 unsuccessful attempts (every office was conveniently closed) I finally managed to get somebody. She reassured me the flight was not cancelled; only the flight from Japan to Chicago was. However, after checking a few more websites (now all updated with the cancellation of my flight – including the United website) I called back and tried to explain how every website now said my flight was cancelled. Oh how I miss English, as all I wanted to know was why SUDDENLY my flight was cancelled.
So, I did what everyone would do. I called my mommy. Ok ok I first emailed my Dad to have him call the United number in the U.S. so they could tell me the situation from the U.S. perspective. But, next I know mom and I were skypeing. She had it on speaker phone to the representative (in the U.S.) who told us my flight was indeed cancelled and I would be able to fly out February 18th, in one week. I wish you could have seen my mom’s face. “You want me to stay here another week?” she asked the man (she was pretending to be me). Now I know, I know, getting stuck in Thailand…..BUT at this point I was ready to go home, everything was packed and I was out of money. Neither of us could believe he told me my only option was to wait a week, especially because United hadn’t even contacted me about the cancelled flight (no emails or cell phone notification) After some searching, he decided I could try to get on a Thai Airways flight to LA and then a United flight from LA to Boston, but I would leave and get in 12 hours later. I didn’t LOVE this idea, but I just wanted to come home. The problem was Thai airways wouldn’t open until after my ‘original’ flight would have left, AND when booking on another airline United couldn’t confirm for 12 hours blah blah red tape blah blah so I really had no confirmation and if I didn’t get that flight I’d have nowhere to go! So, mom & I hung up with the plan that she would call Thai and United at the appropriate hours we had been told (since it was now 11:30 PM – my time), and then she would let me know when I needed to head to the airport.
Next thing I know, my mom is calling me back on skype saying my original flight was not cancelled at ALL! (She had decided to check the United website one more time and unbelievably it was no longer saying CANCELLED in red.) After a few more calls to Thai and United (confirming and re-confirming that the flight was indeed a go) we both agreed this was great news, but I also didn’t really like taking the risk of this flight that couldn’t make up its mind. I also liked that with the Thai flight I was flying through Los Angeles (not through D.C.) so it didn’t seem like it would be as difficult to get back to Boston. Needless to say, I was exhausted and realized that if I had just printed out my boarding pass in the morning I never would have found out about all the cancellation not cancellation, etc. Ignorance is bliss, huh? (sometimes it just doesn’t pay to be proactive!!)
Since my flight is now apparently still scheduled (and I am exhausted) I have decided to just go to sleep and deal with any problems in the morning!
Hugs and kisses from a girl who has no clue when she will get home!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Peace Out Chiang Mai!
My plan for today was to do a half day at the orphanage. After Beijing (where I spent my last day hanging out with people thinking it would take 2 seconds to pack at night) I realized I should NOT save packing until the last minute! While I no longer worry about weight (the weight of my bags that is) I want to pack so that everything I need for Bangkok tomorrow will be in only ONE bag. So anyway, my plan was to spend some of the day organizing so it wasn’t 2:00am and I realize I was only half done (live and learn baby).
However, that didn’t work out so well. Krista has a really bad cold and I think she’s passing it on to me! Well, she is actually really sick (I think she has what I had..but the cold version, fever, body ache, slept for 20 hours). I was EXHAUSTED and just felt blah. Luckily, it was nothing compared to what I felt like before and maybe it’s just my immune system saying, “I know we’re going home soon so I’m gonna take it easy and not fight for you!” Needless to say I did wake up to pack a little but ended up going back to sleep! I felt AWFUL about missing my last official day, but the thought of spending 30 hours traveling not feeling well made me take ANOTHER nap!
Luckily I was awake for enough of the day to pack, run some last minute errands and that’s about it! I am feeling weird about leaving (happy, sad, everything) but I am going to save that for my blog tomorrow as I need to get some sleep!
Pictures and videos are all updated!
Hugs and kisses from my last night in Chiang Mai.
However, that didn’t work out so well. Krista has a really bad cold and I think she’s passing it on to me! Well, she is actually really sick (I think she has what I had..but the cold version, fever, body ache, slept for 20 hours). I was EXHAUSTED and just felt blah. Luckily, it was nothing compared to what I felt like before and maybe it’s just my immune system saying, “I know we’re going home soon so I’m gonna take it easy and not fight for you!” Needless to say I did wake up to pack a little but ended up going back to sleep! I felt AWFUL about missing my last official day, but the thought of spending 30 hours traveling not feeling well made me take ANOTHER nap!
Luckily I was awake for enough of the day to pack, run some last minute errands and that’s about it! I am feeling weird about leaving (happy, sad, everything) but I am going to save that for my blog tomorrow as I need to get some sleep!
Pictures and videos are all updated!
Hugs and kisses from my last night in Chiang Mai.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Terrific Tuesday!
I was a little bit of a rebel and was late for work today as I needed one last round of pancakes with the boys. I just realized, I call them “the boys” a lot. They left this morning, and I was actually really bummed to see them go! I only say actually because I really HAVE enjoyed traveling alone, but it is just so great when you meet people you click with. I also realized (as much as I tried to “put myself out there” and immerse myself in the culture), it was a blast hanging out with Americans. So after banana pancakes I had a fun filled day at the orphanage!
I had gotten together a pile of “stuff” that I didn’t want/need to take home (a lot of storage container things, extra hand soap, etc. etc. to bring with me to the orphanage to donate. Granted I don’t think they NEED any of it, but I am happy it WILL get used and not thrown in the trash somewhere.
Krista, Kristina and I have been talking about the orphanage (the lack of need in the room, financially and volunteer wise), and we are beginning to think the baby room might be more of a “show room”. All the volunteers and people who donate are brought to this room and I guess Kristina got to see another room that wasn’t in such good shape. Now, I haven’t seen this firsthand so I’m not sure, but it’s an interesting theory.
Kristina works as a physiotherapist and so after I told her “my story” of what I have been doing for 4 months she responded with, “Wow, have you experienced compassion fatigue?” Now I have NEVER heard of this before but she was saying how she works in a hospital and many people experience this. Basically, she said it’s when you are helping people a lot and you come to a point where you are “compassioned out”. Now I know that sounds awful, also because I often feel guilty -- but I am glad to know it has a name! She said how nurses often take time off to work in retail or something completely away from nursing, just for something different. Now, I am in no way comparing what I have been doing to someone who spends a lifetime doing this, but it was really interesting because I was telling her how if I had to do it again, I would volunteer for a bit, take some time to travel, and then repeat.
After a quick shower we headed off to the dance show. I know I am going to sound like a travel snob but it was exactly like the show I went to in Cambodia. I only say this because I was surprised that even the dances were very similar (if not the same). But, I am glad I went (I always enjoy the cultural things).
Also, I updated my last pictures from Chiang Mai. I wished I had taken more of the kids, but they were so difficult! They NEVER sat still and the second you pulled out your camera they attacked! But, I did manage to get a couple of good ones in!
Hugs and kisses from a terrific Tuesday!
I had gotten together a pile of “stuff” that I didn’t want/need to take home (a lot of storage container things, extra hand soap, etc. etc. to bring with me to the orphanage to donate. Granted I don’t think they NEED any of it, but I am happy it WILL get used and not thrown in the trash somewhere.
Krista, Kristina and I have been talking about the orphanage (the lack of need in the room, financially and volunteer wise), and we are beginning to think the baby room might be more of a “show room”. All the volunteers and people who donate are brought to this room and I guess Kristina got to see another room that wasn’t in such good shape. Now, I haven’t seen this firsthand so I’m not sure, but it’s an interesting theory.
Kristina works as a physiotherapist and so after I told her “my story” of what I have been doing for 4 months she responded with, “Wow, have you experienced compassion fatigue?” Now I have NEVER heard of this before but she was saying how she works in a hospital and many people experience this. Basically, she said it’s when you are helping people a lot and you come to a point where you are “compassioned out”. Now I know that sounds awful, also because I often feel guilty -- but I am glad to know it has a name! She said how nurses often take time off to work in retail or something completely away from nursing, just for something different. Now, I am in no way comparing what I have been doing to someone who spends a lifetime doing this, but it was really interesting because I was telling her how if I had to do it again, I would volunteer for a bit, take some time to travel, and then repeat.
After a quick shower we headed off to the dance show. I know I am going to sound like a travel snob but it was exactly like the show I went to in Cambodia. I only say this because I was surprised that even the dances were very similar (if not the same). But, I am glad I went (I always enjoy the cultural things).
Also, I updated my last pictures from Chiang Mai. I wished I had taken more of the kids, but they were so difficult! They NEVER sat still and the second you pulled out your camera they attacked! But, I did manage to get a couple of good ones in!
Hugs and kisses from a terrific Tuesday!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Last Monday!
Ohhh Monday’s! My last Monday as a volunteer in Asia! It was a typical day at the orphanage, holding crying babies and changing diapers (ha). There is a new volunteer here, Kristina from Australia who will be here for a week and is then spending 3 weeks traveling Thailand! I didn’t get a ton of time to talk to her, but she is a physiotherapist and was able to get time off from her job. She said she traveled the world for about 3 years (she was able to work back home for about 6 weeks to earn enough money to travel again for 3 months, so on and so on) but now has a permanent job in Australia!
I have two favorite babies, Caymen who is I think 2 (he can walk and make sounds) and he is my little porker! Today I was trying to take him for a walk and the worker said something about him not running. At first I thought he was hurt, but then I think she meant he was too fat to run! My other favorite is a little baby who’s name starts with an S but it’s so long! He’s a cutie, although today he was very cranky!
Prachit brought us back to the hostel and booked us a dinner and dancing show for tomorrow night. Krista didn’t come to the boxing match on Friday since she wanted to wait for her friend so she ended up going tonight and I think Kristina went with her!
Ely had been trekking all day, so when he got back I met the boys at their hostel to figure out a place for dinner. We decided to go back to the Riverside (where we went with Ashley before boxing) because it was so good, classy (last night out!) and the menu is about 3,985 pages long! It really is a great restaurant AND we had the same waiter. They also had a live band so we ended up staying there for a while! Since it was their last night in Chiang Mai, we decided we all had to splurge and get a massage! They opted for the Thai, and I went for oil and it was well needed!
Hugs and kisses from my last Monday!
I have two favorite babies, Caymen who is I think 2 (he can walk and make sounds) and he is my little porker! Today I was trying to take him for a walk and the worker said something about him not running. At first I thought he was hurt, but then I think she meant he was too fat to run! My other favorite is a little baby who’s name starts with an S but it’s so long! He’s a cutie, although today he was very cranky!
Prachit brought us back to the hostel and booked us a dinner and dancing show for tomorrow night. Krista didn’t come to the boxing match on Friday since she wanted to wait for her friend so she ended up going tonight and I think Kristina went with her!
Ely had been trekking all day, so when he got back I met the boys at their hostel to figure out a place for dinner. We decided to go back to the Riverside (where we went with Ashley before boxing) because it was so good, classy (last night out!) and the menu is about 3,985 pages long! It really is a great restaurant AND we had the same waiter. They also had a live band so we ended up staying there for a while! Since it was their last night in Chiang Mai, we decided we all had to splurge and get a massage! They opted for the Thai, and I went for oil and it was well needed!
Hugs and kisses from my last Monday!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Flowers!
I was up around 8:00am --- very tired! I made my way down to the main gate of the old city to meet up with El and Beau to watch the parade. It was cool because the whole walk down was the main road of the parade so people were lining the streets!
We found a shaded area and the parade passed by around 9:30am. There were a lot of bands, flower floats and Asian woman all dressed up! It was fun and different (I don’t remember the last time I saw a parade, and never in Asia).
At 10:30am we thought the parade had ended (and we were ok with that) so we stopped to get some breakfast (SO yummy)! We all laugh because since the four of us have been hanging out (well..Ashley left today) all we do is eat American food! It’s great! Anyway we left breakfast and the parade was STILL going on! We were glad we left when we did as it was getting VERY repetitive!
The boys were going to head back to finish booking their trip south and to nap. My original plan was to head to the park of the flower festival but it was hot and the thought of a crowd didn’t appeal to me. Also, after the boys said “nap” I thought hmm that sounds perfect!
I came back and took a little nap..didn’t really fall asleep but it felt GREAT to rest! I then sprung into “social coordinator” mode for the evening. Krista has a friend visiting from home and Noriko was going to come into town. The plan was to all go out for pizza and then Noriko knew of a club that a lot of the local Thai’s go to! Randi (who I met in China) was also in Chiang Mai, so I invited her as well! I also asked Ely and Beau to come and told them I would meet them at our “usual spot” at 5:30pm. Well 5:30pm came and neither Randi nor Noriko were at the hostel so I went to pick up the boys. I then called Randi and told her I was getting some friends and we would come back to the hostel and called Noriko who said she would be about 20 minutes late as her friend was dropping her off! Luckily everyone managed to get together and we headed out to Duke’s for pizza! It was SO yummy and afterward we did a little shopping. The boys were tired so they headed back and the 5 of us went across town.
On the drive Krista mentioned something to Noriko about where she was staying tonight and Noriko replied, “Oh I thought with you!” My eyes opened wide, because Krista already had her friend, so that obviously meant she was staying with ME! Now last weekend I do remember Krista saying, “Oh you should come into town and Julie and I have big beds so you can stay with us, etc” but I never mentioned that and Noriko never asked me! So I said something to the affect of, “Noriko, what time are you leaving tomorrow because I am meeting with the boys for breakfast” (true story, they were raving about the pancakes at their hostel). She said something about how she might stay until Monday if that was ok! OH BOY! Somehow I COMPLETELY missed this whole “she’s crashing with me for the weekend”! She’s a sweet girl, but I had only met her and spoke with her for a few hours and now she was staying for the weekend?
Anyway, It was too early for the club so we stopped at a little local restaurant bar place (it was pretty)! By 11:00pm I was VERY tired but I did want to go to this club! I always like to see “if I was living here..where would I hang out”. So we went to the club and I really wasn’t that impressed as it was just like something at home! Well, it was a bit different I guess. They had three rooms (2 enclosed with different music) and the middle part had an open roof which was cool. They also had a little “pool” (not deep enough to swim) but I was laughing and saying how in the U.S. you would need to sign a waiver just to get into a club that had a pool in case someone fell in etc.
I am not really a clubber at home and didn’t come half way around the world to go to a club I could go to at home, so Randi and I decided to leave (she still had her backpack from the day)! It was about 12:30am by this point and I was exhausted since I had been at boxing the night before and up early for the parade, so I texted Noriko and said I was going to sleep. I think they came back around 3:00am and I showed her the bathroom and climbed into bed. I like to think I am good at sharing, but I honestly didn’t love the idea of her staying with me (I didn’t really know her and honestly, I like my own place).
I set my alarm since I was going to go to the boy’s hostel for breakfast. As I was getting ready, she said she would like to stay until Monday but if her host family was coming in for the flower festival she would go back with them. LUCKILY, her host family saved me and came in for the flower festival so she was going to head home! Again, I don’t mean to sound like I wanted to kick her out, but it would have been awkward as she would have been here all night and I felt like I would have had to entertain her (I don’t like having to be “on” all the time)!
I got a red truck to the boy’s hostel to try the banana pancakes! They were delicious! Ely and I then went to the internet café so I could show him the inner workings of trip advisor (I do consider myself a pro!) After helping him out I took a truck back (got ripped off but I am so over bargaining) and then decided I was going to head to the pool! This is the pool that I know I can sneak into without any problems, although it was just too hot to sit out so I came back and got ready for church!
I knew there was a shuttle that ran from the old church (the one close to my hostel) to the new church (which isn’t a bad walk, but hot in the afternoon sun/heat) so I decided to get the shuttle. I showed up around 4:10pm (church started at 4:30pm) and the woman said it wasn’t leaving until 4:30pm, which it did! I HATE being late (especially to church) and have no idea why it wasn’t on time, but alas we made it! Church was PACKED and while I didn’t enjoy the songs as much as last time I still had a good time!
I chose to walk back as I needed the exercise and the weather was beautiful! I wandered through the night market, although at this point I am really not looking for anything. I was going to meet up with Ely and Beau, although without cell phones it was just too confusing! BUT, they were able to call me using the hostel phone, so I headed back to their hostel to meet them for dinner. I can’t tell you how nice it is when you find people you just click with when traveling alone. I told them I was glad I wasn’t staying much longer as Chiang Mai wouldn’t be as fun without them. Like I said, I enjoy that the conversation is effortless (you don’t have to think and try to understand every word). And of course, sarcasm and jokes are no problem.
They were getting Indian food but I had already snacked so after eating a bit more we headed out to the Sunday market. Since they both have girlfriends (and Mom’s) I was the expert GIRL SHOPPER! Ugh I HATE being that..but tried my best! Steve, luckily I have already done my shopping for you so if you don’t like it..there is only me to blame!
I was exhausted and by 11:00pm we were about done. Their hostel was right by the Sunday market but I was across town. They asked if I was ok getting back and I said I was, and it is SO nice to be in a place where I feel safe! I obviously keep alert, but I really felt FINE walking back home by myself!
Also, I am going to change my videos soon!
Hugs and kisses from lots of flowers!
We found a shaded area and the parade passed by around 9:30am. There were a lot of bands, flower floats and Asian woman all dressed up! It was fun and different (I don’t remember the last time I saw a parade, and never in Asia).
At 10:30am we thought the parade had ended (and we were ok with that) so we stopped to get some breakfast (SO yummy)! We all laugh because since the four of us have been hanging out (well..Ashley left today) all we do is eat American food! It’s great! Anyway we left breakfast and the parade was STILL going on! We were glad we left when we did as it was getting VERY repetitive!
The boys were going to head back to finish booking their trip south and to nap. My original plan was to head to the park of the flower festival but it was hot and the thought of a crowd didn’t appeal to me. Also, after the boys said “nap” I thought hmm that sounds perfect!
I came back and took a little nap..didn’t really fall asleep but it felt GREAT to rest! I then sprung into “social coordinator” mode for the evening. Krista has a friend visiting from home and Noriko was going to come into town. The plan was to all go out for pizza and then Noriko knew of a club that a lot of the local Thai’s go to! Randi (who I met in China) was also in Chiang Mai, so I invited her as well! I also asked Ely and Beau to come and told them I would meet them at our “usual spot” at 5:30pm. Well 5:30pm came and neither Randi nor Noriko were at the hostel so I went to pick up the boys. I then called Randi and told her I was getting some friends and we would come back to the hostel and called Noriko who said she would be about 20 minutes late as her friend was dropping her off! Luckily everyone managed to get together and we headed out to Duke’s for pizza! It was SO yummy and afterward we did a little shopping. The boys were tired so they headed back and the 5 of us went across town.
On the drive Krista mentioned something to Noriko about where she was staying tonight and Noriko replied, “Oh I thought with you!” My eyes opened wide, because Krista already had her friend, so that obviously meant she was staying with ME! Now last weekend I do remember Krista saying, “Oh you should come into town and Julie and I have big beds so you can stay with us, etc” but I never mentioned that and Noriko never asked me! So I said something to the affect of, “Noriko, what time are you leaving tomorrow because I am meeting with the boys for breakfast” (true story, they were raving about the pancakes at their hostel). She said something about how she might stay until Monday if that was ok! OH BOY! Somehow I COMPLETELY missed this whole “she’s crashing with me for the weekend”! She’s a sweet girl, but I had only met her and spoke with her for a few hours and now she was staying for the weekend?
Anyway, It was too early for the club so we stopped at a little local restaurant bar place (it was pretty)! By 11:00pm I was VERY tired but I did want to go to this club! I always like to see “if I was living here..where would I hang out”. So we went to the club and I really wasn’t that impressed as it was just like something at home! Well, it was a bit different I guess. They had three rooms (2 enclosed with different music) and the middle part had an open roof which was cool. They also had a little “pool” (not deep enough to swim) but I was laughing and saying how in the U.S. you would need to sign a waiver just to get into a club that had a pool in case someone fell in etc.
I am not really a clubber at home and didn’t come half way around the world to go to a club I could go to at home, so Randi and I decided to leave (she still had her backpack from the day)! It was about 12:30am by this point and I was exhausted since I had been at boxing the night before and up early for the parade, so I texted Noriko and said I was going to sleep. I think they came back around 3:00am and I showed her the bathroom and climbed into bed. I like to think I am good at sharing, but I honestly didn’t love the idea of her staying with me (I didn’t really know her and honestly, I like my own place).
I set my alarm since I was going to go to the boy’s hostel for breakfast. As I was getting ready, she said she would like to stay until Monday but if her host family was coming in for the flower festival she would go back with them. LUCKILY, her host family saved me and came in for the flower festival so she was going to head home! Again, I don’t mean to sound like I wanted to kick her out, but it would have been awkward as she would have been here all night and I felt like I would have had to entertain her (I don’t like having to be “on” all the time)!
I got a red truck to the boy’s hostel to try the banana pancakes! They were delicious! Ely and I then went to the internet café so I could show him the inner workings of trip advisor (I do consider myself a pro!) After helping him out I took a truck back (got ripped off but I am so over bargaining) and then decided I was going to head to the pool! This is the pool that I know I can sneak into without any problems, although it was just too hot to sit out so I came back and got ready for church!
I knew there was a shuttle that ran from the old church (the one close to my hostel) to the new church (which isn’t a bad walk, but hot in the afternoon sun/heat) so I decided to get the shuttle. I showed up around 4:10pm (church started at 4:30pm) and the woman said it wasn’t leaving until 4:30pm, which it did! I HATE being late (especially to church) and have no idea why it wasn’t on time, but alas we made it! Church was PACKED and while I didn’t enjoy the songs as much as last time I still had a good time!
I chose to walk back as I needed the exercise and the weather was beautiful! I wandered through the night market, although at this point I am really not looking for anything. I was going to meet up with Ely and Beau, although without cell phones it was just too confusing! BUT, they were able to call me using the hostel phone, so I headed back to their hostel to meet them for dinner. I can’t tell you how nice it is when you find people you just click with when traveling alone. I told them I was glad I wasn’t staying much longer as Chiang Mai wouldn’t be as fun without them. Like I said, I enjoy that the conversation is effortless (you don’t have to think and try to understand every word). And of course, sarcasm and jokes are no problem.
They were getting Indian food but I had already snacked so after eating a bit more we headed out to the Sunday market. Since they both have girlfriends (and Mom’s) I was the expert GIRL SHOPPER! Ugh I HATE being that..but tried my best! Steve, luckily I have already done my shopping for you so if you don’t like it..there is only me to blame!
I was exhausted and by 11:00pm we were about done. Their hostel was right by the Sunday market but I was across town. They asked if I was ok getting back and I said I was, and it is SO nice to be in a place where I feel safe! I obviously keep alert, but I really felt FINE walking back home by myself!
Also, I am going to change my videos soon!
Hugs and kisses from lots of flowers!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Thai Boxing
It was good to see the babies again as I have really missed them a lot! They were full of energy, BUT I got lucky and got to rest a bit. There was one baby (one of my favorites..I still struggle with how to pronounce his name but it begins with an S) and he was crying and crying and crying. I sort of laid him down on me (I was sitting) and I could tell he was just tired. So then I lay down with him on my chest and rubbed his back as he fell asleep! It was adorable and reminded me of the days when I use to lie on my Dad when he watched TV (well I don’t remember, the pictures tell me).
There was a couple volunteering from Europe today as well as Krista and I so there were lots of people to help with the crying! It was a good, but pretty uneventful day. I have fallen in love with Caymen (like the islands..although that’s the English way of saying it) who is a porker..but I love it! Pictures soon I hope (it’s SO hard to take their picture as they are never still and always grab the camera).
My feet have never been as dirty as they have in Chiang Mai, which is weird because I don’t think of it as a dirty or dusty city. But every day when I come back I have a “feet washing ceremony” as my feet are literally BLACK!
I am definitely going to miss this weather when I come home. The weather here is PERFECT! China was too cold, Vietnam and Cambodia too hot, but this weather is NICE! The middle of the day is a bit hot (I try not to do my errands or anything from 11:30am-3:00pm) and the mornings and nights are cool (you need a light jacket..or at least I do!) but the late mornings and early afternoons are perfect!
After returning from the orphanage I took a quick shower and then met Ely, Beau and Ashely as we were going to a Thai boxing match! Ely was able to get tickets through his hostel, so we went to grab some dinner beforehand. The restaurant was really nice and pretty, and filled with both tourists and locals. I got breakfast because I was craving it and was pleasantly surprised. We then made our way to the boxing match and entered the stadium. It actually wasn’t THAT bad! We had “bleacher seats” and didn’t really get the best ones (it was GA) since we showed up about an hour after it officially started. There were a lot of tourists, but also a handful of locals making bets. I was hoping it would be a bit more physical (I think the ref was TOO easy) but it was still really fun!
We moved around a bit as our first seats had a huge pole in front and once we moved we met some other tourists and Ely made a bet and won 100 baht! It was funny as the betting (for us at least) was made based on their dance moves. Before they started fighting, they would do this dance thing..it was so funny! The best fight I think we saw was right when we arrived, as it was a GREAT knockout. They had some “boys” fight..we thought they couldn’t have been older than 12 and then the title match which was pretty good! We ended up moving down to more ringside since nobody seemed to care!
The title match fight was at 11:00pm and after that they have a few more fights but we decided to call it a night as the flower festival parade is in the morning and we want to be up and ready for that!
Hugs and kisses from Thai boxers!
There was a couple volunteering from Europe today as well as Krista and I so there were lots of people to help with the crying! It was a good, but pretty uneventful day. I have fallen in love with Caymen (like the islands..although that’s the English way of saying it) who is a porker..but I love it! Pictures soon I hope (it’s SO hard to take their picture as they are never still and always grab the camera).
My feet have never been as dirty as they have in Chiang Mai, which is weird because I don’t think of it as a dirty or dusty city. But every day when I come back I have a “feet washing ceremony” as my feet are literally BLACK!
I am definitely going to miss this weather when I come home. The weather here is PERFECT! China was too cold, Vietnam and Cambodia too hot, but this weather is NICE! The middle of the day is a bit hot (I try not to do my errands or anything from 11:30am-3:00pm) and the mornings and nights are cool (you need a light jacket..or at least I do!) but the late mornings and early afternoons are perfect!
After returning from the orphanage I took a quick shower and then met Ely, Beau and Ashely as we were going to a Thai boxing match! Ely was able to get tickets through his hostel, so we went to grab some dinner beforehand. The restaurant was really nice and pretty, and filled with both tourists and locals. I got breakfast because I was craving it and was pleasantly surprised. We then made our way to the boxing match and entered the stadium. It actually wasn’t THAT bad! We had “bleacher seats” and didn’t really get the best ones (it was GA) since we showed up about an hour after it officially started. There were a lot of tourists, but also a handful of locals making bets. I was hoping it would be a bit more physical (I think the ref was TOO easy) but it was still really fun!
We moved around a bit as our first seats had a huge pole in front and once we moved we met some other tourists and Ely made a bet and won 100 baht! It was funny as the betting (for us at least) was made based on their dance moves. Before they started fighting, they would do this dance thing..it was so funny! The best fight I think we saw was right when we arrived, as it was a GREAT knockout. They had some “boys” fight..we thought they couldn’t have been older than 12 and then the title match which was pretty good! We ended up moving down to more ringside since nobody seemed to care!
The title match fight was at 11:00pm and after that they have a few more fights but we decided to call it a night as the flower festival parade is in the morning and we want to be up and ready for that!
Hugs and kisses from Thai boxers!
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