http://bemusedbackpacker.com/2014/01/27/how-to-deal-with-reverse-culture-shock-after-your-gap-year/
i shared it on facebook and now i share it here, mainly because i don't ever want to lose the link. everything in here is incredibly spot on. i always say that i wish my thoughts could just be put into words... and well... someone else was able to figure this out.
Friday, April 25, 2014
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
getting reacquainted
always a hard part of the long term travel experience. trying to sum up your amazing experience in a nutshell... trying to remember everything and everyone you met... and trying to articulate it to your friends back home.. and really... just trying to get use to being "back".
it's all just weird. and it's no harm to my friends here at all... because they have been great and it's been great seeing them. but it is just hard to readjust.
so just like returning from south america... there are some things i think of that i like about being back in boston....
- CHEESE... yes... cheese. i didn't realize how much i missed cheese until i had nachos... and burgers... and even just a handful of gorgonzola crumbles. yes... it was a handful... straight up... no salad or sandwich. just... gorgonzola. yum!
- beer... good beer. a choice in beer. even the best of the beer in southeast asia doesn't compare to good beer back here. and the best in SEA i would personally consider are... dark beer lao, leo, and mandalay strong.
- fahrenheit... i can adjust from feet to meters and miles to kilometers but i find it so challenging to adjust to celsius, even though we are the only country in the world (i think?) which uses fahrenheit. it's great to say that it's 50 out and people don't look at you strange.
- hot showers... and ALWAYS a hot shower if i want it to be. and not to mention... great water pressure.
- western toilets... no need to master the squat anymore...
- spitting is not super popular here... so i no longer here the "wind up to the spit" (what i like to call it) which would make me cringe every single damn time i heard it. i never got use to it while many of my travel friends had.
- set prices for things... although things are WAY more expensive here (i swear the price doubled since i left in september).. i don't need to negotiate any price... and there's no foreigner price.
- wifi connections... they are pretty good... stay connected for a while... and are generally fast. and when they do disconnect.. good ol' 4G backs me up
those things are what come to mind... i'm sure there are others, but those are the first things right off the bat.
there are a lot of things i miss about SEA but i will save that for another blog... sometime. in the meantime i'm trying to keep busy by job searching, reading, meeting up with language exchange partners, getting connected with the couchsurfing community here, researching volunteer opportunities, etc.
but one thing i def. miss about SEA... smiling and waving and saying hi to people without them thinking i'm crazy (like they would here). i know i chatted with travel friends about this... but my goodness even making eye contact with people here is a challenge. sigh... welcome back to the western world, i suppose.
it's all just weird. and it's no harm to my friends here at all... because they have been great and it's been great seeing them. but it is just hard to readjust.
so just like returning from south america... there are some things i think of that i like about being back in boston....
- CHEESE... yes... cheese. i didn't realize how much i missed cheese until i had nachos... and burgers... and even just a handful of gorgonzola crumbles. yes... it was a handful... straight up... no salad or sandwich. just... gorgonzola. yum!
- beer... good beer. a choice in beer. even the best of the beer in southeast asia doesn't compare to good beer back here. and the best in SEA i would personally consider are... dark beer lao, leo, and mandalay strong.
- fahrenheit... i can adjust from feet to meters and miles to kilometers but i find it so challenging to adjust to celsius, even though we are the only country in the world (i think?) which uses fahrenheit. it's great to say that it's 50 out and people don't look at you strange.
- hot showers... and ALWAYS a hot shower if i want it to be. and not to mention... great water pressure.
- western toilets... no need to master the squat anymore...
- spitting is not super popular here... so i no longer here the "wind up to the spit" (what i like to call it) which would make me cringe every single damn time i heard it. i never got use to it while many of my travel friends had.
- set prices for things... although things are WAY more expensive here (i swear the price doubled since i left in september).. i don't need to negotiate any price... and there's no foreigner price.
- wifi connections... they are pretty good... stay connected for a while... and are generally fast. and when they do disconnect.. good ol' 4G backs me up
those things are what come to mind... i'm sure there are others, but those are the first things right off the bat.
there are a lot of things i miss about SEA but i will save that for another blog... sometime. in the meantime i'm trying to keep busy by job searching, reading, meeting up with language exchange partners, getting connected with the couchsurfing community here, researching volunteer opportunities, etc.
but one thing i def. miss about SEA... smiling and waving and saying hi to people without them thinking i'm crazy (like they would here). i know i chatted with travel friends about this... but my goodness even making eye contact with people here is a challenge. sigh... welcome back to the western world, i suppose.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
ten days left
I really wish that I could blog while walking around. That some little device was just taking my thoughts and putting them into a well written paragraph for me. But unfortunately that is not how it works and you all have to deal with my choppy way of writing. Deal with it. But hey... I don't make you read this. I'm just happy that you do.
I'm currently in a little town in Myanmar called Pyin Oo Lwin. It is where the British would come for their vacations from Mandalay during their settlement. A lot of colonial buildings which seems a bit out of place in Myanmar. Nice here though. And much like the rest of Myanmar, not super touristy. I'm sharing a room with a girl from France who was looking for a room. I was in the lobby and when the receptionist said the place was full I told her I wouldn't mind sharing. There are two beds here so why not? So instead of $17/night it will be just $8.50. :) Cheap by western standards, expensive by southeast Asian standards.
I love that about traveling. A complete stranger... yet I'm willing to share a room with her. Don't know a thing about her but she seemed okay. And she is a nice girl. We're both feeling lazy today but planning on biking to the botanical gardens later. Then the train to Hsipaw tomorrow. It is suppose to be really nice.
Myanmar is a great place and I'm glad to have decided to come here. It's super dry and hot 100F/38C but somehow an open window and fan are fine for the nighttime. I guess lack of humidity does take a factor in it all. The people are really nice and helpful here. They are honest and not trying to scam you (at least they really don't seem that way). And a lot just like the opportunity to practice their English. I met a motorbike driver in Mandalay who I sat and had tea with. He pointed out things on my map and told me which towns are nice and how to get there, etc. Everyone was looking at us and smiling. A simple "mingaloba" (hello) gave me a smile and a wave. They are curious people and may stare at first but once you smile, they smile back. And using any sort of Burmese.... they really appreciate. So far I know how to say, hello, goodbye, thank you, what is your name?, and my name is. And the kids here are beyond adorable. All of them.
I decided to go with that same motorbike driver to three towns outside of Mandalay. Yet another thing I wouldn't do back home, just trust this guy to tour me around and bring me back to my hotel safely. But it was completely fine and I really enjoyed spending the day with him. He said he started learning English three years ago and watches American movies which he said a lot of times they say "shut up", "fucking", and "don't move". He may be watching a certain genre of movies but not exactly the best vocabulary to learn. He also knew random sayings like "shake a leg" and "well done is better than well said". It was fun to help him practice his English and for him to teach me some Burmese. He also explained a bit about the culture and although I'm not sure he understood all my questions he answered as much as he could. It was a great day overall. The same day of the dirty feet photo. :)
My English has become so simplified between talking to locals and other travelers. What once was "is that a good book you're reading?" Is now a point and "good book?" Sometimes accompanied by an okay sign which I attribute to diving. I also am speaking a lot slower which I guess is a good thing.
Reverse culture shock is looming. It was SO HARD to go back to Boston after south America and I'm assuming it will be similar this time around. It's not even the expense I'm worried about... It's the going back to "real life" which honestly is just so foreign to me. Like, stability just doesn't make sense right now in my life. And trying to articulate this amazing experience to friends and family back home is nearly impossible. But.... I have ten days left... So still time to enjoy life on the road.
And the Malaysia air flight is still missing. Scary yet really fascinating story. There is still some bit of hope in my heart that the plane landed safely in some remote area. I know that is nearly impossible but I am holding on to it until they can prove that didn't happen. I can't imagine what the family befriends of the passengers and crew must be going through. I really hope they get their answers soon. Whatever that may be. They deserve to move on...
Okay... that's it for me. This was much better written than I thought it would be. Hope you enjoy!
I'm currently in a little town in Myanmar called Pyin Oo Lwin. It is where the British would come for their vacations from Mandalay during their settlement. A lot of colonial buildings which seems a bit out of place in Myanmar. Nice here though. And much like the rest of Myanmar, not super touristy. I'm sharing a room with a girl from France who was looking for a room. I was in the lobby and when the receptionist said the place was full I told her I wouldn't mind sharing. There are two beds here so why not? So instead of $17/night it will be just $8.50. :) Cheap by western standards, expensive by southeast Asian standards.
I love that about traveling. A complete stranger... yet I'm willing to share a room with her. Don't know a thing about her but she seemed okay. And she is a nice girl. We're both feeling lazy today but planning on biking to the botanical gardens later. Then the train to Hsipaw tomorrow. It is suppose to be really nice.
Myanmar is a great place and I'm glad to have decided to come here. It's super dry and hot 100F/38C but somehow an open window and fan are fine for the nighttime. I guess lack of humidity does take a factor in it all. The people are really nice and helpful here. They are honest and not trying to scam you (at least they really don't seem that way). And a lot just like the opportunity to practice their English. I met a motorbike driver in Mandalay who I sat and had tea with. He pointed out things on my map and told me which towns are nice and how to get there, etc. Everyone was looking at us and smiling. A simple "mingaloba" (hello) gave me a smile and a wave. They are curious people and may stare at first but once you smile, they smile back. And using any sort of Burmese.... they really appreciate. So far I know how to say, hello, goodbye, thank you, what is your name?, and my name is. And the kids here are beyond adorable. All of them.
I decided to go with that same motorbike driver to three towns outside of Mandalay. Yet another thing I wouldn't do back home, just trust this guy to tour me around and bring me back to my hotel safely. But it was completely fine and I really enjoyed spending the day with him. He said he started learning English three years ago and watches American movies which he said a lot of times they say "shut up", "fucking", and "don't move". He may be watching a certain genre of movies but not exactly the best vocabulary to learn. He also knew random sayings like "shake a leg" and "well done is better than well said". It was fun to help him practice his English and for him to teach me some Burmese. He also explained a bit about the culture and although I'm not sure he understood all my questions he answered as much as he could. It was a great day overall. The same day of the dirty feet photo. :)
My English has become so simplified between talking to locals and other travelers. What once was "is that a good book you're reading?" Is now a point and "good book?" Sometimes accompanied by an okay sign which I attribute to diving. I also am speaking a lot slower which I guess is a good thing.
Reverse culture shock is looming. It was SO HARD to go back to Boston after south America and I'm assuming it will be similar this time around. It's not even the expense I'm worried about... It's the going back to "real life" which honestly is just so foreign to me. Like, stability just doesn't make sense right now in my life. And trying to articulate this amazing experience to friends and family back home is nearly impossible. But.... I have ten days left... So still time to enjoy life on the road.
And the Malaysia air flight is still missing. Scary yet really fascinating story. There is still some bit of hope in my heart that the plane landed safely in some remote area. I know that is nearly impossible but I am holding on to it until they can prove that didn't happen. I can't imagine what the family befriends of the passengers and crew must be going through. I really hope they get their answers soon. Whatever that may be. They deserve to move on...
Okay... that's it for me. This was much better written than I thought it would be. Hope you enjoy!
Monday, March 10, 2014
Malaysia air flight
I can't seem to peel myself away from this story. I'm so deeply saddened by it... more than any other plane crash or disappearance story. Maybe because I'm traveling now or maybe because I'm here.... and left from that same airport the very next morning on Malaysia air? I don't know.
And the fact that there are still not any answers three days later... just scary. Honestly. .. what could have happened? It really makes me wonder. I'm hoping that the two people flying on stolen passports just wanted to flee the country and not an act of terrorism. Being from the states, of course that was my initial reaction. Or maybe it is terrorism, they somehow turned off the radar and landed the plane in a remote area and holding everyone hostage for some reason. Although not wanted, at least people would still have their lives.
These are the thoughts going through my head. Maybe I'm crazy. I mean, I know I am, but... this whole thing just seems bizarre.
Kuala Lumpur international airport was fairly calm the next day. Strange, but good. No need to cause any more disruptions. It was like any other day. On my flight from KL to Yangon there were two people who checked in but didn't fly on the plane so we needed to wait while the airline got their bags off. My thoughts during that mention of information? What if this plane was meant to be part of another mystery plane and the two people also were flying on stolen passports.
Paranoid much?
But that's how my mind has worked with this story. It's all just weird to me. I mean... three days and no trace of the plane. Yes air France took five days but the oceans are way deeper there. Perhaps the areas they are checking.g aren't wide enough. They said about 7.5 hours of fuel left at the time of the last radar point. To me, that means that plane could be anywhere in that circle..... not just on that path. I'm sure they're looking all around but how can they not find anything?
If I'm thinking about it this much I can't even begin to imagine what the families are going through.
And the fact that there are still not any answers three days later... just scary. Honestly. .. what could have happened? It really makes me wonder. I'm hoping that the two people flying on stolen passports just wanted to flee the country and not an act of terrorism. Being from the states, of course that was my initial reaction. Or maybe it is terrorism, they somehow turned off the radar and landed the plane in a remote area and holding everyone hostage for some reason. Although not wanted, at least people would still have their lives.
These are the thoughts going through my head. Maybe I'm crazy. I mean, I know I am, but... this whole thing just seems bizarre.
Kuala Lumpur international airport was fairly calm the next day. Strange, but good. No need to cause any more disruptions. It was like any other day. On my flight from KL to Yangon there were two people who checked in but didn't fly on the plane so we needed to wait while the airline got their bags off. My thoughts during that mention of information? What if this plane was meant to be part of another mystery plane and the two people also were flying on stolen passports.
Paranoid much?
But that's how my mind has worked with this story. It's all just weird to me. I mean... three days and no trace of the plane. Yes air France took five days but the oceans are way deeper there. Perhaps the areas they are checking.g aren't wide enough. They said about 7.5 hours of fuel left at the time of the last radar point. To me, that means that plane could be anywhere in that circle..... not just on that path. I'm sure they're looking all around but how can they not find anything?
If I'm thinking about it this much I can't even begin to imagine what the families are going through.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
three weeks left!
Woah! I can't believe only three weeks left! Granted I was suppose to be back already... But wow.. three weeks. Sometimes I forget how long I've been out here... then I look at photos, or read my journal(so proud of continuing to keep up with it), or remember back to something from this trip thinking that it MUST be from south america only because it was so long ago. It's been a great ride so far. :)
I'm in Malaysia right now. Whoever thought I'd be back here? I sure as hell didn't. But I'm on the Borneo side. And I met up with a friend I made in Thailand. So it's been good to hang out again. It is always super when you can meet up with people again. Always. I'm sure I've said that before.... But it's great. :)
So I went diving here again! I get a bit anxious before going in but once I'm down there I think to myself... "why haven't I done this in so long?" I decided to get my advanced open water. Yay! So now I can dive down to 30meters. (Sorry friends back home, I don't know what that means in feet). We did a nightdive too but since the dive shop had ZERO corrective lenses masks I didn't see too much. But the rest of the group saw seahorses and squid and other things. Oh well... I guess that means I'll just have to do another one... with corrective lenses. I'm still amazed they had zero. Even -2 is better than 0. But whatever... I passed.
And not only that but I was fortunate enough to dive in sipadan which is one of the top diving destinations in the world. How lucky am I? This all wouldn't have happened if I didn't meet a guy in my hostel at sandakan. I was walking with Denice here singing Justin Timberlake. And then Andi was behind me and said "you're still singing?" Clearly he has no idea who I am. Anyway... he managed to find a shop that had permits for diving in Sipadan for March 6. Normally these book out weeks in advance. He asked if I was interested and of course I said yes. It was expensive... But worth it. Three dives in the beautiful waters here... including baracuda point which was just stunning. We saw sharks, turtles... huge turtles, a giant school of baracudas, unicorn fish, scorpion fish, gorgeous coral and so much more! Just really great. I always say this world is beautiful and that includes the world below. :) one bummer though was that I got a bad earache so I swam closer to the surface than I would have liked. But I'm getting better (saw a doctor... got eardrops and antibiotics for only USD7.50.... SO CHEAP). I fly tomorrow to Myanmar and the doctor said I should be fine but there may be some discomfort. I hope he's right! Even if there is discomfort the diving was worth it! I've really been spoiled during these dives. I only have done 15 dives but I've seen so much! Very very lucky!
And so yeah... Myanmar tomorrow with a ridiculously long layover in Kuala Lumpur. I hope I can leave the airport and get a decent sleep. If not... I hope the seats in KLIA are comfortable! I'm excited about Myanmar. Everyone who I've met who went there has said incredible things. Several were solo female travelers. :) And all the photos I've seen have been gorgeous. Exciting!
Okay... I'm going to write in my journal now. :) I'm so surprised that I've kept it this long. South America I think I ditched the idea in a month. Anyway... peace out!
I'm in Malaysia right now. Whoever thought I'd be back here? I sure as hell didn't. But I'm on the Borneo side. And I met up with a friend I made in Thailand. So it's been good to hang out again. It is always super when you can meet up with people again. Always. I'm sure I've said that before.... But it's great. :)
So I went diving here again! I get a bit anxious before going in but once I'm down there I think to myself... "why haven't I done this in so long?" I decided to get my advanced open water. Yay! So now I can dive down to 30meters. (Sorry friends back home, I don't know what that means in feet). We did a nightdive too but since the dive shop had ZERO corrective lenses masks I didn't see too much. But the rest of the group saw seahorses and squid and other things. Oh well... I guess that means I'll just have to do another one... with corrective lenses. I'm still amazed they had zero. Even -2 is better than 0. But whatever... I passed.
And not only that but I was fortunate enough to dive in sipadan which is one of the top diving destinations in the world. How lucky am I? This all wouldn't have happened if I didn't meet a guy in my hostel at sandakan. I was walking with Denice here singing Justin Timberlake. And then Andi was behind me and said "you're still singing?" Clearly he has no idea who I am. Anyway... he managed to find a shop that had permits for diving in Sipadan for March 6. Normally these book out weeks in advance. He asked if I was interested and of course I said yes. It was expensive... But worth it. Three dives in the beautiful waters here... including baracuda point which was just stunning. We saw sharks, turtles... huge turtles, a giant school of baracudas, unicorn fish, scorpion fish, gorgeous coral and so much more! Just really great. I always say this world is beautiful and that includes the world below. :) one bummer though was that I got a bad earache so I swam closer to the surface than I would have liked. But I'm getting better (saw a doctor... got eardrops and antibiotics for only USD7.50.... SO CHEAP). I fly tomorrow to Myanmar and the doctor said I should be fine but there may be some discomfort. I hope he's right! Even if there is discomfort the diving was worth it! I've really been spoiled during these dives. I only have done 15 dives but I've seen so much! Very very lucky!
And so yeah... Myanmar tomorrow with a ridiculously long layover in Kuala Lumpur. I hope I can leave the airport and get a decent sleep. If not... I hope the seats in KLIA are comfortable! I'm excited about Myanmar. Everyone who I've met who went there has said incredible things. Several were solo female travelers. :) And all the photos I've seen have been gorgeous. Exciting!
Okay... I'm going to write in my journal now. :) I'm so surprised that I've kept it this long. South America I think I ditched the idea in a month. Anyway... peace out!
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
and the cloudy weather comes...
i guess it can't always be sunny now can it? i'm in hoi an, vietnam at the moment... which is near the beach but it's been overcast and cold... so no beach time for me, unfortunately.
one thing i've learned on this trip...is that you most likely will run into the same people again so the whole..."who cares... when are you going to see these people again" theory doesn't apply. for instance... when i was in sihanoukville (i feel like i've told this story already bear with me again) cambodia at the vietnam consulate, a couple came in to also get their vietnam visa. didn't think much of it. was in kampot at a bar when the couple next to me asked..."did everything work out with your visa?". it was that couple. then when i was in saigon... i was taking pics on the rooftop... i turn around and they're waving at me. crazy. and then... was coming back from lunch in dalat and saw the couple standing outside my hostel. small, small world. luckily i like this couple. they're really cool. from the netherlands. :) but yeah, i've been running into the same people. i guess that's what happens.
oh dalat... i loved dalat but mostly i liked it because of the place that i stayed. i got there after a night bus at 7am or so...so tired. and was greeted by anni who was so nice and sweet. she gave me a hug and said that she could switch my bed so that i could have a bed immediately. yay. that's what i did. i so needed a nap. the hostel itself is their home. two girls and their mother live there and run the whole place. yes, it is a bit cramped, but it really did feel like family. each night mama and the girls prepared dinner and everyone staying could join. it was a big spread and only for $2. and not to mention beers were 50 cents each. big ones. it was a great way to get to know the other travelers. and this place seems to attract people who are just great. no douche bags. after dinner we would hang out and exchange stories. one night we went out for karaoke. it was absolutely insane. SO much fun. really just a great group of people from all over. all ages. i THINK i was the oldest but of course...i don't really feel that way. :) i have a young heart.
i was also in the mekong delta before which i enjoyed. i did it on my own and not part of a tour so i decided to stay in a homestay which wasn't so much a homestay. i had a private bungalow across the street but the family prepared breakfast lunch and dinner each day. it was yummy. the family was nice even though the only one who spoke english was the father. the mother of the father was really nice and was always offering me treats... watermelon, mango candy, etc. i liked her. the whole family was helpful and sweet. it's amazing how much you can communicate when you don't know the language.
tomorrow i go to hue... and then to phong nha ke bang national park to see the caves. i am excited about this because i haven't heard anything bad about it. i will be staying at pepperhouse homestay there which i am looking forward to. the reviews on tripadvisor seem to be good... authentic rural vietnam. and i know one girl who stayed there and loved it. suggestions are super critical when traveling. after that, probably up to hanoi and then halong bay then back to hanoi and....fly to.... somewhere. not sure where.
i can't believe it's been four months already.... four and a half months. sometimes it feels like it's been a while and sometimes i feel like i just started. in total i will be away for six months. woah! six months! i can see myself not staying in the states too long. the idea of teaching english somewhere is starting to get really appealing as is volunteering. i just don't think i want to go back to normal life. i've talked to some travelers who miss their homes and their "normal" life... but i don't feel that. at all. is that weird? should i miss boston? i don't really. oh well.
i'm just gonna keep on keeping on.... :)
one thing i've learned on this trip...is that you most likely will run into the same people again so the whole..."who cares... when are you going to see these people again" theory doesn't apply. for instance... when i was in sihanoukville (i feel like i've told this story already bear with me again) cambodia at the vietnam consulate, a couple came in to also get their vietnam visa. didn't think much of it. was in kampot at a bar when the couple next to me asked..."did everything work out with your visa?". it was that couple. then when i was in saigon... i was taking pics on the rooftop... i turn around and they're waving at me. crazy. and then... was coming back from lunch in dalat and saw the couple standing outside my hostel. small, small world. luckily i like this couple. they're really cool. from the netherlands. :) but yeah, i've been running into the same people. i guess that's what happens.
oh dalat... i loved dalat but mostly i liked it because of the place that i stayed. i got there after a night bus at 7am or so...so tired. and was greeted by anni who was so nice and sweet. she gave me a hug and said that she could switch my bed so that i could have a bed immediately. yay. that's what i did. i so needed a nap. the hostel itself is their home. two girls and their mother live there and run the whole place. yes, it is a bit cramped, but it really did feel like family. each night mama and the girls prepared dinner and everyone staying could join. it was a big spread and only for $2. and not to mention beers were 50 cents each. big ones. it was a great way to get to know the other travelers. and this place seems to attract people who are just great. no douche bags. after dinner we would hang out and exchange stories. one night we went out for karaoke. it was absolutely insane. SO much fun. really just a great group of people from all over. all ages. i THINK i was the oldest but of course...i don't really feel that way. :) i have a young heart.
i was also in the mekong delta before which i enjoyed. i did it on my own and not part of a tour so i decided to stay in a homestay which wasn't so much a homestay. i had a private bungalow across the street but the family prepared breakfast lunch and dinner each day. it was yummy. the family was nice even though the only one who spoke english was the father. the mother of the father was really nice and was always offering me treats... watermelon, mango candy, etc. i liked her. the whole family was helpful and sweet. it's amazing how much you can communicate when you don't know the language.
tomorrow i go to hue... and then to phong nha ke bang national park to see the caves. i am excited about this because i haven't heard anything bad about it. i will be staying at pepperhouse homestay there which i am looking forward to. the reviews on tripadvisor seem to be good... authentic rural vietnam. and i know one girl who stayed there and loved it. suggestions are super critical when traveling. after that, probably up to hanoi and then halong bay then back to hanoi and....fly to.... somewhere. not sure where.
i can't believe it's been four months already.... four and a half months. sometimes it feels like it's been a while and sometimes i feel like i just started. in total i will be away for six months. woah! six months! i can see myself not staying in the states too long. the idea of teaching english somewhere is starting to get really appealing as is volunteering. i just don't think i want to go back to normal life. i've talked to some travelers who miss their homes and their "normal" life... but i don't feel that. at all. is that weird? should i miss boston? i don't really. oh well.
i'm just gonna keep on keeping on.... :)
Saturday, February 1, 2014
i really wish i could blog while walking...
because i always have ideas as i walk. ALWAYS... and then i get to my kindle or a computer and i forget nearly everything. like now. but here is a perfectly good opportunity to blog while i figure out what i want to do for the day. okay... well i know what i want to do, it's just a matter of when i actually want to do it.
cambodia.... wow... i love that country. it's so special. it really is. yes, i did mainly touristy things and hung out in the guesthouses with mainly westerners, but the interaction with the locals when i did have it was great. and one of my most memorable things was in battambang when i was going to the killing caves (which is mindblowing on its own) and being taken through this village... every child was there waving, smiling and saying hello. they were so happy. all of them. it was just really sweet. the killing caves themselves were pretty humbling... to know that people were bludgeoned to death because they had an education, a decent career, wore glasses, spoke another language, etc... by their own people.. then thrown through a skylight... just.. disgusting. and this happening only back in the 70s... just. unfathomable really. the killing fields in phnom penh were even more intense. to hear how they killed people there was just.. disgusting. children too... killed. i never knew a thing about cambodia growing up and honestly only read up on the khmer rouge this past summer, but it really is just mindblowing. and i was really turned off by the visitors in both of these places who were taking photos. i don't know. to me it just seems inappropriate to take photos of it. it was really weird even just to have a tuk tuk driver bring me there. just a really emotional day both at the killing cave in battambang and the killing fields in phnom penh. cambodia is just special and i hope to get back there sometime and work or volunteer. as you all know i'm not one for children... at all. but those kids in cambodia... oh my goodness, they warm my heart. i would love to work with them. this is a huge thing for me to say... not only for the kid factor but also because i never have a desire to return somewhere i've already been. i saw a couple ads when i was in kampot about volunteering there. cambodia's version of the peace corps.
cambodia is just special.
why does this happen to me? i can never remember what i want to say in a blog.. but when i'm out and about i have all these ideas. i really should start taking notes on my phone or something. there's always so much i want to share... and then i just blurb. i'm a horrible blogger. i apologize.
vietnam, so far, has been great. things are quiet in ho chi minh city right now because it's tet... chinese new year. for all of you who care what animal it is the year of, it's the horse. tet is like thanksgiving, christmas and new years all wrapped into one. i was lucky enough to meet up with my friend huan who i worked with in boston. he moved back to vietnam 2 years ago. he welcomed me into his family's house and out with his friends. i always think it's amazing for someone to welcome you into their home. and for it to be part of the holiday celebration... that's just really sweet. we went to his aunt's house new years eve (jan 30). and basically it's like thanksgiving. lots of food, lots of drinking. his uncles can drink. and they kept filling up our glasses. if the beer was cracked open, we were expected to fill our glass up to the top. i had 3 or 4... and then huan's aunt and cousin were going to the salon to get a head massage and their hair done. they invited me along. who was i to say no? i was buzzed a bit at this point. so i got my hair done... then came back and kept drinking. i didn't understand anything that was going on, except for "yo" which means cheers in vietnamese. easy to remember. one of his uncles loved cheersing me just because that was the only thing i could say. :) that night was new years eve and we went out downtown to a bar called broma. there were a lot of westerns there.. and some locals too. we were at a rooftop bar and there were fireworks at midnight. i thought there was going to be a countdown but i couldn't hear anything. then there was a dj playing random tunes... come on eileen, a-o let's go, other songs that i can't think of. met this cool couple from england and new zealand who teach english here and have been teaching here for 4 years. that night i stayed at vinh's (huan's bf) family's house. i met his parents and sister early in the morning and then we went to huan's coworker's house. there were about 5 or so kids there. on chinese new year they have this lucky tree and there are envelopes with money on them. guests are offered an envelope of their choice. we were also offered grapefruit (or something which looked like grapefruit) as good luck. the children then got in a line in front of the grandmother who had envelopes in her hand. she wished each child luck and handed each an envelope.. and lucky money was inside. then the individual families stood in front of the grandmother and were offered a lucky envelope as well. that reminded me of christmas. it was really cool to witness, actually. i'm sure most westerners have no idea what happens during tet. i had no clue. so it was very special to actually observe it all. :) even if they spoke vietnamese and i didn't completely know what was going on at the time. i just smiled and nodded. afterwards, we went back to huan's aunt's house and had lunch. the same spread was out. lots of food. just plates with food on them every inch of the table. it reminded me so much of thanksgiving. and like thanksgiving, i needed a nap after i ate. we left shortly after that and huan dropped me off at my hostel. which is where i am now.
so.... since i didn't want to rush through cambodia or vietnam, i decided to extend my trip! :) instead of coming back on february 5, i am now coming back march 26! i will be in vietnam until february 25 since that is when my visa runs out. so i have a whole extra month to play with. not sure what to do... was thinking... philippines, indonesia (flores or other islands east of bali), or myanmar. or going back to cambodia to volunteer. what to do? what to do? not a bad problem to have.
okay, this was enough useless information for you to ponder. i'm going to have to figure out a way to make more informative blogs. :)
cambodia.... wow... i love that country. it's so special. it really is. yes, i did mainly touristy things and hung out in the guesthouses with mainly westerners, but the interaction with the locals when i did have it was great. and one of my most memorable things was in battambang when i was going to the killing caves (which is mindblowing on its own) and being taken through this village... every child was there waving, smiling and saying hello. they were so happy. all of them. it was just really sweet. the killing caves themselves were pretty humbling... to know that people were bludgeoned to death because they had an education, a decent career, wore glasses, spoke another language, etc... by their own people.. then thrown through a skylight... just.. disgusting. and this happening only back in the 70s... just. unfathomable really. the killing fields in phnom penh were even more intense. to hear how they killed people there was just.. disgusting. children too... killed. i never knew a thing about cambodia growing up and honestly only read up on the khmer rouge this past summer, but it really is just mindblowing. and i was really turned off by the visitors in both of these places who were taking photos. i don't know. to me it just seems inappropriate to take photos of it. it was really weird even just to have a tuk tuk driver bring me there. just a really emotional day both at the killing cave in battambang and the killing fields in phnom penh. cambodia is just special and i hope to get back there sometime and work or volunteer. as you all know i'm not one for children... at all. but those kids in cambodia... oh my goodness, they warm my heart. i would love to work with them. this is a huge thing for me to say... not only for the kid factor but also because i never have a desire to return somewhere i've already been. i saw a couple ads when i was in kampot about volunteering there. cambodia's version of the peace corps.
cambodia is just special.
why does this happen to me? i can never remember what i want to say in a blog.. but when i'm out and about i have all these ideas. i really should start taking notes on my phone or something. there's always so much i want to share... and then i just blurb. i'm a horrible blogger. i apologize.
vietnam, so far, has been great. things are quiet in ho chi minh city right now because it's tet... chinese new year. for all of you who care what animal it is the year of, it's the horse. tet is like thanksgiving, christmas and new years all wrapped into one. i was lucky enough to meet up with my friend huan who i worked with in boston. he moved back to vietnam 2 years ago. he welcomed me into his family's house and out with his friends. i always think it's amazing for someone to welcome you into their home. and for it to be part of the holiday celebration... that's just really sweet. we went to his aunt's house new years eve (jan 30). and basically it's like thanksgiving. lots of food, lots of drinking. his uncles can drink. and they kept filling up our glasses. if the beer was cracked open, we were expected to fill our glass up to the top. i had 3 or 4... and then huan's aunt and cousin were going to the salon to get a head massage and their hair done. they invited me along. who was i to say no? i was buzzed a bit at this point. so i got my hair done... then came back and kept drinking. i didn't understand anything that was going on, except for "yo" which means cheers in vietnamese. easy to remember. one of his uncles loved cheersing me just because that was the only thing i could say. :) that night was new years eve and we went out downtown to a bar called broma. there were a lot of westerns there.. and some locals too. we were at a rooftop bar and there were fireworks at midnight. i thought there was going to be a countdown but i couldn't hear anything. then there was a dj playing random tunes... come on eileen, a-o let's go, other songs that i can't think of. met this cool couple from england and new zealand who teach english here and have been teaching here for 4 years. that night i stayed at vinh's (huan's bf) family's house. i met his parents and sister early in the morning and then we went to huan's coworker's house. there were about 5 or so kids there. on chinese new year they have this lucky tree and there are envelopes with money on them. guests are offered an envelope of their choice. we were also offered grapefruit (or something which looked like grapefruit) as good luck. the children then got in a line in front of the grandmother who had envelopes in her hand. she wished each child luck and handed each an envelope.. and lucky money was inside. then the individual families stood in front of the grandmother and were offered a lucky envelope as well. that reminded me of christmas. it was really cool to witness, actually. i'm sure most westerners have no idea what happens during tet. i had no clue. so it was very special to actually observe it all. :) even if they spoke vietnamese and i didn't completely know what was going on at the time. i just smiled and nodded. afterwards, we went back to huan's aunt's house and had lunch. the same spread was out. lots of food. just plates with food on them every inch of the table. it reminded me so much of thanksgiving. and like thanksgiving, i needed a nap after i ate. we left shortly after that and huan dropped me off at my hostel. which is where i am now.
so.... since i didn't want to rush through cambodia or vietnam, i decided to extend my trip! :) instead of coming back on february 5, i am now coming back march 26! i will be in vietnam until february 25 since that is when my visa runs out. so i have a whole extra month to play with. not sure what to do... was thinking... philippines, indonesia (flores or other islands east of bali), or myanmar. or going back to cambodia to volunteer. what to do? what to do? not a bad problem to have.
okay, this was enough useless information for you to ponder. i'm going to have to figure out a way to make more informative blogs. :)
Monday, January 6, 2014
made it out of Thailand....
Finally! Although I did have a great time in Thailand. Met many cool people and stayed in some great places. I especially loved pai. I thought I was in love with Chiang mai until I went to Pai. My kindle is annoying and I'm too lazy to worry about capitalization so... you just have to deal with it. Pai was one of those places you plan for three days and end up staying eight.... which is what happened. I stayed until my visa ran out. I loved my bungalow and esp Natalie who managed it. She had such a big bright heart that made the stay so pleasurable. If anyone is going to Pai....stay at Pai nam now. :) bonfire every night. And a group bbq occasionally...
Going into Laos was great too. Took the slow boat to luang prabang and made many friends. We really had quite a social group. Everyone got along and enjoyed our time. Yes it was chilly but ya didn't even realize it so much. Stayed at a guesthouse with other people from the boat and always ended up at a bar called utopia at night (also where I was for Christmas eve). L.P. was a pretty place. Relaxing... a temple, a giant waterfall, cute coffee shops, and even managed to go to a fashion show which also had breakdancing. Laos in general is interesting because things shut at 1130pm. Everywhere. In L.P.there was an after hours bowling alley which I bumped into a friend from chiang mai there and also my friend from pai. Not to mention I met a guy from Lynn. The bowling alley stayed open til 2 I think. There was also a Laos bar which stayed open later. I met some cool people there... Anna and Giorgio....who I ended up traveling with all through Laos. Christmas day we traveled to vang vieng. I originally didn't want to travel on Christmas but I would have been the only person in luang prabang. Vang vieng left much to be desired. I did one of the caves and blue lagoon and the hot air balloon ride. The hot air balloon was nice but it was cloudy. So not the best. I ended up not feeling well so I stayed in vang vieng a bit longer than expected. Headed to don det which is part of 4000 islands. It was a super pimped out sleeper bus with a Winnie the pooh on the side and flashing lights and "king of bus" written on the front. My first time on a sleeper bus in Laos. They were twin beds as seats. Awesome at first as I thought I had one to myself but then I had to share with a girl from Australia. Kinda weird to be sleeping in a twin bed on a bus with a girl I didn't know... But whatever. We managed. Kinda funny to think about. Don det was awesome. So relaxing and cheap cheap.... $3.50 for my own bungalow on the Mekong with two hammocks. Yes, the bathroom was separate but it was fine. I'm getting use to that... And not so warm showers.... And manual flushing as in pour a pail of water down the toilet. I so appreciate a hot shower when I have one. Don det was a lot of chillaxing and hanging at a bar called pai in Laos. All the places are really chill but we made our home there. New year's eve they had a roasted pig. They killed the pig in the morning. I was there for the cleaning out of the insides and putting it on the fire. I guess it's an experience. That day we pretty much played cards and ate. I also did a sunset boat ride to another island... beer included. Came back for pig... then headed to the reggae bar which was ridiculously packed. Then everyone headed to the beach for the bonfire. The whole island was there. Bumped into so many people from the slow boat to luang prabang. It was nice. I guess I'm on the southeast Asia version of the gringo trail. :) I did bike to another island a day or two after but beside that I did a lot of hanging with friends, playing cards, and drinking and eating. I stayed until money ran out.... No one wants kip.
After a horrendous couple of busrides I've made it to siem reap. Left at 8am and got here at 3am. Supposedly we were suppose to be here at 10pm. And I am staying at the same place as a couple of my friends Iet in Laos. Without even planning it. I am going to be heading to Angkor wat tomorrow for sunrise with one of the guys from the slow boat. It is suppose to be really great then so.... being up at 430 should be worth it.
I know I have so much to update but I just can't recall everything. I have kept up with my written journal though. Which I started rereading the other day. I'm glad I started it cause I have forgotten so many things! I've taken a lot less photos on this trip than south America. But I guess all memories are in my mind.
Gotta go for now. Meeting up with friends I took the horrible busses with. They were super cute. When we got in this morning they took a separate tuk tuk then the one I was on with Matt... So they didn't know if I was okay. I came across a coffee shop and one of them sitting there. She was so happy to see me. She was nervous that something happened. Then when her sister got there she said the same thing. So we are meeting up for dinner... And I want a nap beforehand. My life is so tough....
Going into Laos was great too. Took the slow boat to luang prabang and made many friends. We really had quite a social group. Everyone got along and enjoyed our time. Yes it was chilly but ya didn't even realize it so much. Stayed at a guesthouse with other people from the boat and always ended up at a bar called utopia at night (also where I was for Christmas eve). L.P. was a pretty place. Relaxing... a temple, a giant waterfall, cute coffee shops, and even managed to go to a fashion show which also had breakdancing. Laos in general is interesting because things shut at 1130pm. Everywhere. In L.P.there was an after hours bowling alley which I bumped into a friend from chiang mai there and also my friend from pai. Not to mention I met a guy from Lynn. The bowling alley stayed open til 2 I think. There was also a Laos bar which stayed open later. I met some cool people there... Anna and Giorgio....who I ended up traveling with all through Laos. Christmas day we traveled to vang vieng. I originally didn't want to travel on Christmas but I would have been the only person in luang prabang. Vang vieng left much to be desired. I did one of the caves and blue lagoon and the hot air balloon ride. The hot air balloon was nice but it was cloudy. So not the best. I ended up not feeling well so I stayed in vang vieng a bit longer than expected. Headed to don det which is part of 4000 islands. It was a super pimped out sleeper bus with a Winnie the pooh on the side and flashing lights and "king of bus" written on the front. My first time on a sleeper bus in Laos. They were twin beds as seats. Awesome at first as I thought I had one to myself but then I had to share with a girl from Australia. Kinda weird to be sleeping in a twin bed on a bus with a girl I didn't know... But whatever. We managed. Kinda funny to think about. Don det was awesome. So relaxing and cheap cheap.... $3.50 for my own bungalow on the Mekong with two hammocks. Yes, the bathroom was separate but it was fine. I'm getting use to that... And not so warm showers.... And manual flushing as in pour a pail of water down the toilet. I so appreciate a hot shower when I have one. Don det was a lot of chillaxing and hanging at a bar called pai in Laos. All the places are really chill but we made our home there. New year's eve they had a roasted pig. They killed the pig in the morning. I was there for the cleaning out of the insides and putting it on the fire. I guess it's an experience. That day we pretty much played cards and ate. I also did a sunset boat ride to another island... beer included. Came back for pig... then headed to the reggae bar which was ridiculously packed. Then everyone headed to the beach for the bonfire. The whole island was there. Bumped into so many people from the slow boat to luang prabang. It was nice. I guess I'm on the southeast Asia version of the gringo trail. :) I did bike to another island a day or two after but beside that I did a lot of hanging with friends, playing cards, and drinking and eating. I stayed until money ran out.... No one wants kip.
After a horrendous couple of busrides I've made it to siem reap. Left at 8am and got here at 3am. Supposedly we were suppose to be here at 10pm. And I am staying at the same place as a couple of my friends Iet in Laos. Without even planning it. I am going to be heading to Angkor wat tomorrow for sunrise with one of the guys from the slow boat. It is suppose to be really great then so.... being up at 430 should be worth it.
I know I have so much to update but I just can't recall everything. I have kept up with my written journal though. Which I started rereading the other day. I'm glad I started it cause I have forgotten so many things! I've taken a lot less photos on this trip than south America. But I guess all memories are in my mind.
Gotta go for now. Meeting up with friends I took the horrible busses with. They were super cute. When we got in this morning they took a separate tuk tuk then the one I was on with Matt... So they didn't know if I was okay. I came across a coffee shop and one of them sitting there. She was so happy to see me. She was nervous that something happened. Then when her sister got there she said the same thing. So we are meeting up for dinner... And I want a nap beforehand. My life is so tough....
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