Rollin' In The Deep

Loi Krathong

Stop the lights!!  I forgot to tell ye about Loi Krathong!  Get comfy and I’ll fill ya in. Loi Krathong is an annual Thai holiday whereby people make buoyant floral decorations, called Lois (loys) which they float on the water.  The purpose being to pay gratitude to the river for the rainy season.  It takes place in November during the full moon.  In NS it took place on November 17th both at the lake within the park and at the edge of the Chao Praya river. 

I had been told about the popularity of the ritual, and how Thai people use it to let their hair down and party so we booked a tuk tuk to pick us up at the new gaff nice and early…at least we hoped that’s what we asked for as our regular tuk tuk driver speaks absolutely no English except when he’s mimicking us and chuckling at our crap attempts at speaking Thai.  Sure enough he turned up with very smartly combed hair and chuckling a little bit more than usual…

He drove like his tuk tuk was on fire and pulled U-turns you wouldn’t see in any of the Fast and Furious movies.  It slowly began to dawn on us that our chauffeur had had a few ‘scoops’.  I clutched the tuk tuk for dear life as we swerved around trucks on the highway.  I vowed that if I was to get through this alive I would be good, even to Justin Bieber fans.  We arrived at the riverside where there were stalls lined up selling fruit, beer, freshly cooked food, fireworks, Lois and floating lanterns.  I safely dismounted hoping I wouldn’t encounter any JB fans; I wasn’t ready to pay my debt just yet.  I stopped at a loi stall and purchased a pretty one with pink flowers and a candle, aswell as a floating lantern.  As usual, the group of farangs attracted a lot of attention, with lots of hellos being hurled in our direction.  I think the locals were pleased to see us getting stuck in. 

We headed down to the water’s edge, lit the candles on our lois and floated them off with the current.  There’s a custom whereby people put money in their lois as an offering to the river spirits.  The Thais are very spiritual and even erect ‘spirit houses’ outside their homes in order to provide shelter for the spirits who, it is believed, can cause problems if left to roam free – rather like the custom of erecting bird houses in your garden back home.  The loi donation could be a nice little earner for river spirits if it weren’t for the pesky brutes who get into the water and wade around looking for donations to steal.  Although this is a situation which seems abhorrent to me, I live in a country with incomprehensible poverty so I shall desist judging someone who steals donations in order to feed their families.  But, should they spend the money on an iPhone then let the river spirits strike them down.

After watching my loi drift off down the Chao Praya river I made my way back up the bank where floating lanterns were being lit, along with sparklers that got attached to the bottoms.  As the hot air pulled the lanterns upwards with speed, the connecting sparklers fizzed and glowed.  The sky was so filled with light that it seemed like a theatre of fairies were dancing overhead.  The lanterns kept floating right through the evening as more people turned up with their well wishes for the river spirits.  I lit my lantern and let it fill with hot air til it gently nudged it’s way upwards bidding me farewell.  I remember trying to set these off back in Cork on my Dad’s 30^th anniversary with the most farcical results whereby lanterns were flying in all directions, towards rooftops, treetops, dogs, nothing was safe.  At the time it was pretty humorous as Dad was a bit of a joker and probably would have loved the chaos of the situation.  This time my lantern floated without a hitch, well almost.  The sparkler flew off and hissed to the ground where it was kicked away, landing right on top of my flatmate’s feet…in flip flops.  So having survived erratic tuk tuk drivers, hissing sparklers, self combusting lanterns (some weren’t so lucky) and fireworks manned by drunken locals I’d say we need to be on our best behaviour from now on…maybe even to JB himself.

Images: Sinéad Millea.

Fa Lalalalaaaa Ka

Christmas and New Year in Thailand

Back home there’s a tradition called The Twelve Pubs of Christmas.  As usual, for an Irish custom, it involves drinking copious amounts of alcohol with a pack of rowdy rebels.  For anyone who hasn’t heard of it, it’s a Christmas pub crawl where you visit twelve different pubs.  I decided to introduce it to the multinational farang residents of NS.  Decorated with Santa hats and Christmas bells we met at a bar, where the clever ones lined their stomachs, and set off on a route I had devised that would take us to eleven other bars around Sawan Park.  On the arrival of the bill I learned that pub crawls are a bit of a task in NS.  Bars serve beer to your table in large bottles and the waiting staff refill as they see your drink depleting so you never know how much you’ve drunk compared to your friends.  There’s no such thing as going to the bar for a pint or paying as you go, it’s all put on one bill.  So, for ease of calculation, bills are split evenly yet, with all large groups, there’s always a spot of confusion.  So we learned that a Thai pub crawl is more time, and brain cell, consuming than an Irish one.  But we decided to crack on with a ‘one drink per bar’ rule to speed things up.

The second bar was a little place decked out with wooden benches that played country and western music…Thai style.  It was a welcome change from the plastic pop the Thai bars usually pump out.  The table alongside us were certainly enjoying themselves, their clapping and stomping shaking every table in their periphery.  We had our one drink and called for the bill.  The waitress brought down two more drinks.  Confusion ensued as the clock ticked away our valuable drinking time. 

By bar four we were behind schedule so we decided that ordering shots would be the most effective way of completing our twelve pub assignment.  Not as easy as it sounds, the concept of shots was lost on our perplexed waitresses so we decided to opt for a bottle of vodka between the group.  This had taken so long to communicate in our broken Thai that I was beginning to sober up.  So we downed a couple of vodkas and hurried along.

Bar five was a quaint little bar with a fantastic name, ‘Fine Thanks’, and a special offer on beer.  The staff were highly amused by our Christmas garb that they joined in on wearing our festive props, my Santa hat eventually ended up with the waitress who I’m convinced may be still wearing it, she was that excited.  We decided it was about time for some Christmas tunes and, as the staff were already sucked into our Christmas vibe, we handed the waitress an iPod.  It was a surreal experience sitting in an open air Thai bar in the evening heat listening to ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’. 

We waved goodbye, still with an agenda to get through and very little of the night, or our sobriety, ahead of us.  Bar six was a bit hazy if I’m honest, vodka shots were swirling through the BOGOF beers in my tummy and I was starting to lose my eyesight. 

Bar seven was the final stop of the evening, the infamous Bon Bon, where we danced like lunatics and attempted to balance out the fluids in our systems with a bit of water, but it was too late.  Inebriation had set in and the next morning was a bit of a struggle to say the least.  But, I was pleased with the final result.  Despite the obstacles of Thai bar customs, a language barrier and the absence of quick shots to speed things up (a blessing in disguise) we still managed to check 7 out of 12 bars off our list.  I think that’s an achievement, even in Ireland.

So, already in the Christmas spirit, with our tiny Christmas tree grasping onto the tonnes of baubles and Christmas lights we’d strapped to it, my flatmates and I begun our countdown to Christmas.  We indulged in festive movies, music and the obligatory box of Cadburys Heroes, but it still felt like a reconstruction of Christmas.  I was still looking out on blazing sunshine, watching beautiful orange glowy sunsets and walking around in the kind of temperatures Ireland gets for about a week in May, if they’re lucky.  It just didn’t feel 100% Christmas.  So I decided on an alternative plan for the day of the baby Jesus’ birthday, I was going to go for breakfast in the sun and a steak dinner, still centred around food but the ‘special occasion treat’ kind of food that you don’t get every day….and it was lovely.  It was so unlike Christmas, yet still a luxury, that I didn’t miss home like I thought I would.  Dinner was fillet steak and red wine at a price tag that would make my eyes water at any other time of the year, but at Christmas extravagance is mandatory.  I must tell you that the “extravagance” I speak of was still cheaper than a steak dinner at home but, here it’s my monthly utility bill.

On St Stephen’s Day (Boxing Day to you Brits) I packed my rucksack and caught a minivan to Bangkok, I was headed Ko Samet way!  KS is a small island south east of Bangkok, off the coast of Rayong.  I had an itinerary similar to that on Ko Tao – reading, suntan, the occasional cocktail and, this time, to ring in 2014 on the mother funkin beach, YES!  I spent as much time as possible in the sunshine, to hell with sunstroke, I was getting a tan.  I read, I listened to music, I swam, I drank beer for pretty much the whole six days.  The biggest difference I found with this holiday than any other was the food I opted for.  Usually a rather experimental eater, I like to eat the local food wherever I go.  This time however I turned into one of those infuriating travellers who insist on western food.  Morto.  In my defense, I have spent four months enjoying the local cuisine in NS and, although I do appreciate Thai food, one can get ‘Thai’d out’.  Anyway, I live in one of the best cities in Thailand for Thai food, I can have it any time I like, quite literally.  If I wanted chicken fried rice for breakfast it’s perfectly normal.  So, on KS where I could get my gnashers round a Mexican fajita, an English cauliflower cheese or an Italian pasta I ordered non Thai food at every meal.  The treat of pancakes for breakfast alone was worth the 9 hour journey down south.  Food glorious food!

 

New Year’s Eve swooped round yet I was still in a vortex of disbelief.  NYE in the heat?  On the sand?  Wearing a bikini??  I had to have a lie down, so I did…right on the beach with a beer and a book.  I stayed there til the sun sank down the horizon and dissolved into the sea.  That evening I ordered myself an Amaretto Sour and took myself down to the sand to wait for the year 2014 to approach, or 2557 according to the Thai calendar.  With the floating Chinese lanterns over my head, the pop and fizz of the bright rainbow of fireworks and the fire show compliments of the bar my first moment of 2014 was filled with light, may it last long into the year.

Sawat dee pimaï ka!

Images: Sinéad Millea

Happy Birthday!

Father’s Day

The people of Thailand know how to manage their calendars, every few weeks there’s a day off for something or other.  Father’s Day is a particularly big one; it falls on King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s birthday as he is regarded as the father of the people, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhumibol_Adulyadej).  Traditionally people wear yellow, the colour of the day the King was born.  Every day has it’s own designated colour in Thailand.  This year was a tricky one with the current political situation* and some people suggested other colours.  I decided to stick with tradition and claim ‘farang immunity’.  We celebrated Father’s Day a day early at school as the actual day is a national holiday when the school is closed.  My school is very active in organising performances so the children put on a show which included their Dads performing music and stories.  It was very sweet to see parents, students and teachers all collaborate to acknowledge the King and their own fathers.  It was even worth having the same music played on loop for a fortnight in an effort to teach the children two songs dedicated to the King.  Mothers Day is also celebrated in conjunction with Queen Sirikit’s birthday in August.  Outside of a political or patriotic agenda, I feel that these holidays bring people together and remind them of how crucial it is to take time with eachother.  I felt the same warm fuzzy feelings around Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 when communities worked together to organise street parties and sat down to strawberries and cream with their neighbours and friends.  Yes, public money is spent and yes, not all citizens are fans of the monarchy but yes, we need something positive after all the recession and bailout negativity.  Sit down and have a cucumber sandwich for yourself (or, in Thailand, a kow pad gai).

I had my own selfish reason for appreciating the King’s celebration, a day off.  I swapped my lie in for a 5am rise to head to Bueng Boraphet, a large freshwater swamp just 15 minutes away by car which, in 2002, was declared as a wetland of international importance.  Apparently many species of birds can be seen but, to my untrained eye, they’re all simply called ‘birds’.  One particular feature of the swamp was our very reason for the early rise, we wanted to reach it before sunrise to watch the lotus flowers open.  We arrived to an empty building sat on the edge of the swamp and realised the perils of poor planning.  We had to call for a boat to come pick us up so we watched the sunrise from the edge of the water, DAMN!  Mai pen lai as they say, I have resorted to using this phrase when things go awry as, in Thailand, it’s bad etiquette to throw a tantrum…well, I suppose in any country really but this hasn’t stopped some…  We were collected and set off, engine spluttering, into the swamp.  It stretched as far as the eye could see with not a sinner in sight, we were the only visitors.  This is the beauty of living in a non touristy city, no queues, no whinging vacationers, no Starbucks.  

Above our heads flew flocks of, erm, birds.  We reached a section of the swamp that was absolutely covered with lily pads and lotus flowers.  The pink flowers, luminescent in the sunshine, made for some beautiful pictures and all you could hear amongst the camera shutters was the occasional gasp of awe.

The boat trip last two hours and delivered us back to the jetty where we had earlier grumbled beneath the sunrise, our trip had been as magical as we had hoped afterall.  We headed to the nearby aquarium where we were admitted free on account of the King’s birthday.  Bueng Boraphet Aquarium is built in the shape of a ‘krachaeng’ boat, which was the type of boat used to transport goods along the river to NS.  It contains a fish tunnel where over your head you can see various species of fish.  Again, my knowledge and vocabulary on this subject extends to “fish” but I found the tunnel to be pretty cool indeed.  All the information about the aquatic life is transcribed pretty legibly in English, should one want to extend their knowledge of the creatures swimming around them.  Upstairs there’s a less impressive bird exhibit housing dusty plastic birds shoved into an unconvincing and poorly lit display.  Some laying on their sides as if they got so depressed at being such crap imitations.  If only plastic birds could fly they could have escaped such a gloomy fate.  

After a delicious lunch of grilled chicken, papaya salad and sticky rice by the waterside, we returned to NS by car thanks to a kind member of staff over at the BB info centre.  During the hottest part of the day, the seven of us crowbarred ourselves into this guy’s hatchback with a broken air conditioner.  Imagine a can of sardines in a microwave…

That evening we paid a visit to our hard working smoothie man who was offering free smoothies to mark the birthday of his King.  He toiled all evening blending up refreshing fruit concoctions for nada, there’s dedication to the monarchy if ever I saw it.  We enjoyed ours under a beautiful sunset which glowed the sky pink and red.  Thanks for the free day King Bhumibol, I kinda like this monarch, and he’s into jazz too.

*I’d suggest looking it up rather than read me waffle on, I haven’t an educated opinion on the subject and I’m not particularly interested in politics anyway.

Images: Sinéad Millea.

Follow The Yellow Brick Road

A visit to Wat Kiriwong

 

What a slacker I am!  It’s been three whole months since my last confession.  I’m going to give you the run down so pay attention, I shall say this only vonce…

Cool season has hit, mind you the sun is still roasting the bejaysus out of me.  One not so smouldering day I decided to take advantage of the cloud cover and walk up to Wat Kiriwong which is perched up on a hill over the city.  This sparkling gold temple has been calling to me since I moved here, it’s visible from most of the city and on a sunny day it sparkles like the wonderful city of Oz.  I was lured up a winding road, thankful for the break from the heat on my forty minute walk.  

 
First stop was to Nakhon Sawan Tower.  For just 20 baht you can ascend the tower which has a viewing platform on the 10^th floor, 32 metres into the sky.  I do love an overhead view, makes me feel tall.  I peered down at the vastness of Nakhon Sawan, seeking out the places with which I’m already familiar and realised how much more of it I need to acquaint myself with.  

Next stop was Wat Kiriwong, the beautiful gold temple that enticed me up the hill.  I approached with care, mindful of gatecrashing any Buddhist ceremonies.  I was met with a man who spoke to me in perfect English, a rarity in NS.  He welcomed me and wished me a good trip to the temple, I immediately felt at ease and went exploring.  I’m not yet educated in Buddhist custom but I found it fascinating to watch people kneel to pray and light candles and incense around the various statues, some seemingly made with gold leaf which billowed in the breeze, very beautiful and peaceful to watch.  

    
Following a good old nose around I descended the hill, much to the bemusement of passers by.  The locals are often intrigued by the Westerners who walk around the city, as if they never knew what their legs were for.  People generally don’t walk here, and they find my usual mode of transport to be rather peculiar.  I guess that would explain the shocking state of the pavements around here.

After the holiday period I caught up with everyone and heard of an available room in a house my colleagues had found.  I snapped it up and within the week I was packing a Tuk Tuk full of my belongings to make the 2 minute trip around the corner to my new abode, a lovely three bedroom house, with hot shower, kitchen and big living room.  It was like moving into a palace in comparison to my bedsit arrangement.  I haven’t had flatmates in a while so I was dubious about sharing again but I was starting to talk to the wall over in my little room so I snapped up the chance to have some company.  So far so good, one flatmate has chocolate posted to her on a regular basis and the other cooks delish Mexican food.  I landed on my feet for sure.  Though, I’m not sure yet what I bring to the table besides sweary Irish colloquialism.

Images: Sinéad Millea.

Paradise Found

Kho Tao

With two weeks of holiday ahead of me and an insatiable desire to relax I decided to venture south to Kho Tao, a little island near the cluster of party islands nestled in the Gulf of Thailand.  Neighboured by Kho Pangnan and Kho Samui this little sister is a quieter spot frequented by divers and snorkellers for it’s amazing array of fish and coral.  Following a month of lesson planning and generally settling into a new continent my brain desperately needed a temporary shut down.  I set myself two tasks, get a tan and read a book. 

The overnight journey began with a coach to Bangkok where my trustee iPod serenaded me for the three hour stint.  Next step was negotiating with the countless taxi drivers that jump on you like a stray monkey.  Arriving in Bangkok is a surreal experience, the bus station lanes are lined with streetfood vendors and taxi touts.  It attacked my senses and almost hypnotised me to follow a driver who dictated a fare of 250 baht to get me to the train station, his first quote was 500 – more than double the cost of the coach I had just alighted.  I broke from my trance and sought advice from the information desk where I was told the fare is approximately 150 baht in normal traffic.  I quickly rebooted myself and found a more reputable driver who got me to Hua Lamphong for 141 baht.  I scurried past the army of taxi touts shouting “Where you going?” to buy my train ticket in the air conditioned station.  Unfortunately for me the sleeper train was booked up so I was left with a seat in the 2^nd class carriage offering reclining seats, 6 hours later.  No other choice but to have a wander.  I made it down the river and decided to return swiftly when I sensed the stench of wee on the footpath.  I’d rather sit in a café for 6 hours than walk amongst someone’s wee, thanksverymuch.  So with so much time to kill I settled into the coffee shop and studied my copy of the Lonely Planet Guide to Thailand that informed me that Kho Tao was going to be worth the wait. 

Once the train arrived I was past caring about the lack of a horizontal place to sleep and snoozed all the way to Chumphon.  The train arrived almost an hour and a half late so the ferry I had a joint ticket for was already halfway to KT.  I had to buy a fare for the Catamaran which was scheduled to depart in 5.5 hours so I faced another long wait at a train station.  I sat in the sun and read a chunk of my book, already making a start on both my tasks.  The Catamaran crossing was the last leg of the 27.5 hour journey, and I too was on my last legs.  Exhausted and hungry I arrived on KT and was brought to a resort that my taxi driver recommended.  Not sure why, apart from perhaps a cut of their profits, as it wasn’t the kind of place I’d imagine when conjuring up idyllic thoughts.  The open condom on my bed was the last straw so I scoured Sairee Beach for alternative lodgings.  The accommodation fairy was smiling on me the following morning for she granted me refuge at a nearby resort offering a private bungalow with a pretty porch and private bathroom for the reasonable fee of 400 baht.  Same price as the place from the night before that offered a musty scent and second hand prophylactics.  I felt much more at home in the clean pretty bungalow surrounded by fragrant Frangipani trees.

My first day was filled with a very strict itinerary of reading, sunbathing and swimming.  No rest for the wicked as they say but I took regular swimming breaks.  The water was so clear I could see my feet, so soft it felt like it had added moisturiser (Sairee beach, sponsored by Dove!?) and the waves so gentle I floated on the surface of the water watching the taxi boats bob around as if in a merry dance.  Breathing in, letting my lungs fill, I rose to the surface and breathing out to empty them I felt my body sink back under, it felt as though it was just me and this incredible element on this island.  Despite slathering SPF on every square inch my sunbathing resulted in a tricolour of brown, pink and white.  My poor Irish skin is so unaccustomed to the sun it simply doesn’t know how to tan.  I decided to put it through rigorous training over the following five days and managed to balance it out somewhat and now am two tone, satisfactory progress.  I spent two days switching off and managed to read an entire book.  This is an amazing feat for me, I often get distracted while reading and find myself revising pages I have just read but not absorbed.  So used to multi tasking in my everyday, I find it such a challenge to simply sit and read.  By the third day I was starting to miss the sound of a conversation so when my French neighbour invited me for a beer on the beach I was delighted to accept.  We chatted into the evening and, over the course of my holiday, we whiled away an afternoon here and an evening there.

On a cloudy day I took myself on a boat trip of the island which included snorkelling in several of the bays and a trip to Kho Nang Yuan, a small neighbouring island which is apparently famous for snorkelling.  I needed to pop my snorkelling cherry and no better way than on a guided tour.  I arrived in one of the few rainstorms endured in my five day visit.  Soaked and hopeful for a blast of sun I arrived to be met with Mark, our tour guide, who hurriedly took details and handed out snorkels before rushing off to get ready for the trip.  After my few days of R&R I started to sense that Mark was a tad highly strung so kept a little distance so as not to catch it, stress is contagious dontcha know!  It came time to board the boat so Mark led us to the pier where two boats were moored up side by side.  Mark boarded with the dexterity of a gecko scaling a wall but unfortunately my sea legs are underdeveloped so hopping from boat to boat is more of a challenge to a landlubber like me.  Our highly charged tour guide took off out of earshot, ignorant to my plea for assistance.  The gap between the pier and the boat, and then the boat to the boat, looked like a deathly crevice to my untrained eye.  Eventually a helpful fellow passenger came to my rescue and assisted me aboard, a South Korean man who kept saying “whiskey!” when he heard where I’m from.  Are we only known for alcoholism?  I must be aware of this on my next visit to Bon Bon and undo all of this injustice.

As we departed Mae Haad pier I already acquainted myself with two girls from San Francisco.  We bonded over our mutual disgust at the scuzzy snorkels we were given, luckily they offered me an anti-bac wipe which solved the problem nicely.  I wondered if a discount would be on offer for handing my snorkel back cleaner than it’d been in a while…but I wasn’t going to approach Mark with this proposal for fear of being thrown overboard.  Our first stop was Shark Bay, where we were warned about strong currents so I sat that one out.  The excitement on the faces that returned whet my appetite and I was excited about my first snorkelling experience.  However, still a bit nervous so I asked Mark if there was anything I should know about technique and such and his response was to “watch out for coral”.  When I asked where it usually lives (as in, is it floating around me, is it at the bottom, is it around the rocks, etc…just the usual ignorance of a newbie who’s never before encountered coral) he said “where you see it”.  Hmm, about as helpful to me as a braille map.  With the more helpful and informative advice from my new San Franciscan acquaintance I entered the water with a degree of confidence where I marvelled at fish of all sizes and colours.  After a few more stops lunch was served aboard the boat before the final stop to Kho Nang Yuan where a viewpoint displayed the beauty of the island from above, accessed via a wooden walkway hugging the shore and a potentially treacherous scale of rock and boulder but so, so worth the effort!  After descending I rewarded myself with a swim and a snorkel on the beach where, in even shallow water, many curious sand coloured fish meandered around my feet.  I am exhilarated and hooked on snorkelling, and have vowed to purchase my own snorkel and goggles…at least I won’t have to count on anti-bac wipes for my next underwater excursion.

On my return from the boat trip I decided on a quiet dinner for one and had the most delicious Massaman curry by candle light at a little restaurant in Sairee town, called Blue Chair.  If my budget had allowed it I’d have eaten here each night.  Their Fish curry was so scrumptious I almost married it.  The island satisfies both party goers and peace seekers alike and as a solo visitor I was very pleased to see some bars showing English language movies on a big screen, offering me the chance to have an evening beer without looking like some sort of bar lush.  One evening I ventured into a bar playing hip hop, one of my favourite genres, because they had a fire show – dudes flinging fire meteors (length of rope with lit wicks at either end) all over the gaff.  One display was so awe inspiring it left me mesmerised, one of the performers got a large rope which was just lit at one end and flung it round and round til sparks flew off it, creating a bow of light around him.  I had forgotten my camera but the display will forever remain in my memory just for me.  As an ex photographer, I think that sometimes it’s important to experience something sans camera so you really live it.  With my camera I suffer the battle between having an experience and recording it, it’s not possible for me to do both.

On my penultimate day I accompanied my neighbour on a walk to Mae Haad beach for a change of scenery, just 20 minutes along the path aka the Yellow Brick Road.  This path comes alive at night with pretty lights enticing customers into the beach bars offering stunning views while you sip cocktails on cushions and beanbags.   

We discovered a cute little beach bar, called Karma, playing lovely chilled out music and nearby some rope swings suspended from a palm tree, that until now I had only seen whilst picture researching for luxury travel magazine features…now I was sitting on one, bliss!  After a swim, we went back to Karma that evening and I enjoyed some Bob Marley and beer, swaying lazily in a hammock while the waves kissed the shore.

My return journey was a tad shorter at just 24 hours and my tasks were diligently completed, I finished two books and got myself the beginnings of a tan.  I am still two tone, starting with brown shoulders working down to a whiter shade of pale but the dip-dye look is so A/W13 dahling, so I’m right on trend.

Images: Sinéad Millea

Monkey Magic

Khao No Khao Kheo

The fortnight of Summer school came to a spooky crescendo with a Hallowe’en party for the kids.  On Friday morning my group of cute little preschoolers metamorphosed into vampires, witches and Harry Potters.  At morning song I turned around to see a Mummy arriving to the festivities, a K1 kid wrapped head to toe in red stained gauze!  I was heartily impressed by the creative effort the parents had gone to on their busy mornings to get these fun filled ghouls ready for school.  The day was action packed with games and a visit from the infamous Mr Pumpkin Head who went from classroom to classroom chucking sweets around for the kids to scramble for, organised chaos!

By Friday evening I was ready for a beer to celebrate surviving my maiden voyage as a teacher.  A rooftop party followed by a trip to Bon Bon resulted in a lost Saturday…let’s just leave it at that though, yes?!

So, swiftly moving on, I accepted an invite to visit Khao No Khao Kheo, just 40 minutes from Nakhon Sawan.  Erm, that’s what Google Maps said anyway, but I’m not sure the bods behind Google take Tuk Tuks into consideration when plotting routes.  The journey lasted an hour in a noisy Tuk Tuk that I was sure would croak it halfway down the highway.  It coughed and spluttered all the way to our destination.  Our driver stopped at selected locations for photo ‘ops’ and brought us to the temple set into the hill where he waited for us to scale the steps for the most exquisite view I’ve seen since arriving in Thailand.  Looking across to mountains and palm trees I filled my lungs with the fresh clean air.  In NS the air isn’t exactly conducive to deep cleansing breaths.  Traffic and garbage fumes fill your nostrils, one of the first things that hits you on arrival in NS is the stench but it easily blends into the cluster of new sounds, sights and smells so the stench is quickly forgotten with all the senses going into overdrive and before long you’ve gotten used to it.

 The day had a crazy element to it, as they all do here, with the monkeys that roam free on the roads, paths, parked vehicles…and anywhere they can get to.  I turned around at the shriek of one of my friends who had a monkey clamber on top of her head.  Her shocked and fearful expression was enough to bring me to fits of laughter and tears to my eyes, I was useless to her cries for help but she handled it superbly, I’m not sure I’d have been so graceful with a monkey on my head.  The lady selling monkey treats at the side of the road coaxed it down with a stick.  Meanwhile I was at the periphery trying to compose myself and come up with a believable excuse for not assisting.  In my defense, I’m not the only bad friend, another reached for her camera and set it to ‘record’.  But I think it would be a step too far to post the video here so I’ll leave you with your imagination instead. 

The day ended with the decreasing patience of our driver who, despite having no English, managed to communicate that he wanted to leave.  So, after a long stay at the top of the hill marvelling at the view and contemplating what an awesome decision it was to come here, we descended and set off back to NS, still bursting into sporadic fits of laughter at the opportunistic monkey making a dash for my friend’s barnet.  Perhaps it has a dream to be the next Paul Mitchell?  Monkeys can have ambition, non?  The journey home incorporated a pretty view of the sunset over the highway and many waves from passing motorcyclists.  Remember what I told you about dogs on motorbikes?  Didn’t believe me?  Well, BOOM, how d’ya like these apples?

Images: Sinéad Millea

Never A Dull Moment

ESL in Thailand 

Never a dull moment, as the saying goes.  Exercise is very popular here in Nakhon Sawan and the park provides ample opportunity to participate.  On a balmy weekday evening I ventured out on a walk of the periphery with some new friends, the plan being to cover two laps and get some dinner to satisfy the hunger mustered by our four mile walk.  One lap covered and we were feeling energetic, ready to take on the second until a man approached us with an unusual request.  He was in the park with his son called Big, a daily ritual for them.  Big particularly likes to play volleyball but has no team to play on and no friends to create one so his Dad approaches people they meet on their nightly excursions and asks for a few minutes of their time.  Big has learning difficulties, he’s 22 physically but mentally he’s still a child.  His father reckons he also has Autism although told me that this has never been officially diagnosed.  Anyway, Big likes volleyball and it’s pretty much all he likes to do, but only passing the ball back and forth really, and only with women.  Go on Big, I like this kid’s style!  He cherry picks potential team mates from the park for his father to approach with his rather unusual invite.  So, we had an unscheduled stop to our walk for a quick volleyball practice.  I learned how to hit the ball correctly thanks to my new team mate and Big got to play with two foreign ladies, how exotic! 

With the change of temperature from the UK & Ireland to Thailand, I knew it was only a matter of time until the lurgy took hold, I’d even packed cold remedy from my trusty local Wilko back in Blighty.  I wasn’t wrong.  Come the weekend, all I was fit for was bed.  There was no Bon Bon, temples up massive hills or blueberry ice cream for me this weekend, just back-to-back ‘Greys Anatomy’ which, I must admit, was a treat.  I dosed myself up on Wilkos finest and a rather decorative looking cough syrup that I picked up in the Big C pharmacy for 40p.  Low priced remedy = quicker recovery = increased productivity, it’s a no brainer really.  

I was back on track by Sunday so took myself off on a shopping trip with a friend who wanted to get some motorcycle practice in.  We trundled off on her 50cc moped to the riverside market for some dinner ingredients, a group of the girls had planned a meal whereby each guest would bring a dish and they were all going to be western.  What a delight!  Having eaten rice and noodles daily for almost a month I was craving something closer to my own home cooking.  Don’t get me wrong, the food here is great but when rice, noodles and a bucket load of spice is your only option you become weary of the same cuisine day after day.  I never thought I would EVER tire of Thai food, but you know what they say, too much of a good thing…  So we’re pootling along the streets of Nakhon Sawan on the chicken chaser, feeling like characters in some sort of computer game, the goal being to mow down the farangs.  Sounds like fun, huh?  Not when you’re in the middle of the road with a gazillion mopeds swerving in and out, not to mention the numerous Toyota Hiluxes cutting you off.  The rules of the road are defunct here in Thailand, they have their own unwritten rules which are made up as they go along.  I have discovered it’s kind of like a game of ‘chicken’ - whoever is the bravest gets the right of way and that’s that.  Forget what you learned at home, that shit don’t fly here.  I’m getting better at crossing the road now and have adopted the ‘Evil Knievel’ persona that most motorists possess, my four year old nephew would be appalled at my hypocritical abandonment of the safe cross code.  We picked up our western goods and set off home to calm the nerves.

Dinner was at a colleague’s house, a Kenyan lady who has been in Thailand for two years and rents a palatial house near the school.  Owned by a local policeman, who's now stationed in Bangkok, this house is a far cry from my bedsit across the road so a real treat to be in a home dining on a western meal.  Dinner consisted of chicken in paprika, cooked by a creative lady from Connecticut, mashed potatoes by native Bostonian (and my motorcycle chauffeur), Chappatis and a Kenyan rice dish by our hostess plus my attempt at good ol' English Trifle, made with what ingredients I could find – UHT whipping cream which came out a little lumpy (how does THAT happen??), a substance resembling custard which was so sweet it was akin to licking Willy Wonka himself and vanilla sponge soaked in a synthetic flavoured grape jelly (I’m not a fan).  The others complimented it, I was grateful for their blatant lies…  

My splurge on a two course meal needed to be worked off, and I am planning for a beach trip, so there’s only one thing for it, that easily accessible exercise I talked about.  I joined in on an aerobics class in the park one evening, all kitted out in my new fitness gear and ready for action.  My lack of co-ordination put a kibosh on the plan however, the aerobics lesson comprised of an hour of several sequences, kind of like the zumba class I took back in Bristol (http://sineadnua.blogspot.com/2010/10/around-world-in-11-dances.html).  The other people in the class were flying around like pros while I hopped from one foot to another flailing my arms about hoping that by pure fluke I would hit the nail on the head.  I was sure that I was providing great entertainment to the rest of the class but I am so used to being a spectacle here in NS I was beyond caring.  Plus, my beach visit is looming and my bikini has not seen the light of day in a while, nor has my torso.  Head down and jump, it’s all exercise right?  The next evening I took part in a boxercise class in the local gym.  Now we’re talking!  I sweat out about as much as I did on my excursion up the temple steps.  Bikini body, here I come.  We punched and kicked the air along to a loud rock playlist while the (particularly attractive) instructor monitored the room to ensure we were kicking ass with all our might.  Attractive man, rock music, kicking ass, happy Sinead Nua. 

Week two of summer school is now taking shape and I am researching fun Hallowe’en themed games and crafts for the kids to partake in, I’m not sure who’s having the most fun - them or me.  Today’s craft was to be culinary, to tie in with a food vocab review.  After a peruse through Pinterest I found a great little creation – Witch Hat Cookies, made from Oreos with a Hershey Kiss on top, held in place by a dollop of peanut butter.  There’s no shortage of American treats here although that Hersheys chocolate isn’t chocolate, it’s chocolate’s evil sister dressed up to look like  a tasty treat but ready to laugh in your face.  Give me a Galaxy any day.  The Witch Hat Cookies were a hit and with the help of the sugar hit I think I’ve made a few little friends, happy faces all round.  As I type, the teachers are busily planning a mass trick or treat sesh within the school for a Hallowe’en party on Friday, with games galore.  Any recommendations from readers?  What Hallowe’en games did you play?  Feel free to post them!

Images: Sinéad Millea, Samantha Rey