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Tannin’ on a beach in Ko Phi Phi. This is the life. More ressembles Club Med than the “barrio” type scenes we’ve encountered in the past week. Lots of topless Euros (apparently quite distasteful to the Thais). We’re staying in a little plywood bungalow for 550B/night. Food and drink here cost more than on the mainland, but this is our island experience. We’re staying here until New Year’s day when we’ll head back to Krabi and on to Khao Sok National Park to do some rainforest trekking and to stay in a treehouse. We’re then heading to Kanchanaburi to the bridge over the river Kwai for some historical sites and apparently the most scenic rail ride in Thailand. We’re ending our trip in Bangkok with some Thai boxing, the weekend market, Wat Po and the Reclining Buddha and of course our stay at the Oriental. Quite a vacation. We might blow budget to swing all that though.
This travelling has me thinking about my life and all the possibilities/decisions of the future. Do I want to travel interminably? For 2 more years? 3? 4? I guess ideally I would hook up some writing gigs, some travel journalism, some paid short stories, a published novel and just keep scooting around. I miss things like cooking, setting up a pretty pad, taking yoga classes, and of course seeing friends and fam. But I can’t imagine going back to settle down just yet. Maybe I’ll be ready to take it easy for a few years once we’ve finished our contract in Japan and backpacked through Europe. It’s just that there is so much to see and I don’t want to miss any of it.
Wish I had a good pulp fiction to read on this island. A murder mystery or something of the like. I really have to take life more lightly. Being stuck on a remote island in the Andaman sea certainly makes that job easier.
It’s almost lunchtime. Breakfast consisted of two 20B Thai pancakes—mango-banana and cashew chocolate and a gatorade. Very, very scrumptious. I’m sure lunch will be equally delicious. The food has been great since we arrived.
The next trip we’re planning is Kobe (JET conference) in May, then off to Canada for a few weeks. I definitely want to do a stopover somewhere. China or Korea, most likely. Korea would be good for the shopping. Always lots of shopping everywhere. I always feel guilty with Rod though because he makes it seem so ridiculous. Which of course it is, but girls are very good at justifying the psychological, emotional and spiritual benefits of shopping ;)
I’ll have to go shopping with Tanya and Rachel when I go to Canada.
Aaaahhh…. the Eaton’s Centre; I miss you. I’m such a Gucci bitch
at heart. No idea where it came from. I was born on a farm
in a small village, but ever since I was a little girl I liked looking
good ;)
12.31.01 (Last entry of the year)
Silver bracelet on my arm. Thai silver. Only 1200 baht. Bargained for 650. Probably should have paid 300. But not really if you look at the big picture that I am rich and she is poor. Two clips in my hair. The heat does strange things to my baby-fine locks. My eyebrows are like Frieda Kahlo’s but not as dark.
Today I am sunkissed and wearing silver.
I remember other silver-sunny days when I was far younger and easy to sway. When life was a parting shell and I needed a place to stay.
The sun is fading fast. The sun is fading fast.
I am now entering the summer of my life. Complete with palm trees and one of the last “practically undiscovered” beaches. Time is irrelevant here but still it does not stop. Not even breathtaking green and blue can erase a single day.
Memory is playing funny games with me. As the year prepares its final dance, old places and past friends spring to mind. That yesterday girl finds herself back and forth in a lilting waltz with time.
Auld Lang Syne by: Bobbie Burns
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to min’?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And days o’ lang syne? (1796)