M I S S T H I S

02:07 nm 0 Comments

I've been living on my own since I was 17. The call for adventure took over me and I had to go see the world. At the same time, my Mom and her husband had a similar calling. They moved to the Middle East. When I arrived back to Canada I had to figure out how to live in an adult reality. Although my family was so far away, I always felt their presents and support. I knew no matter what I was never alone or stranded.

Recently, I called my mom to share my concerns about my new adventure. With the magic Momma touch she made me instantly feel better. In my speech about the uncertainties I was facing I said "What if I get home sick?". My Mom started laughing. She reminded me that I've never been home sick.

Okay maybe I've been home sick before, but never enough to actually DO something about it.

I had this mock homesick feeling yesterday evening after taking a cab with two friends. The two women I took the taxi with are close, good friends. They were speaking in Thai, I've been really good to listen carefully hoping that I might pick something up. In this instance I stopped listening and started thinking. In my radio silence I could only think of the cab rides home with my friends, or walking into my old apartment to be greeted by the people who know me best. Even though I am surrounded by amazing and kind new people I still have a nagging feeling to be around my friends and family.

Giving my friends and family a hug isn't an option. I've come up with a few ways to remedy my sad gal emotions. Firstly; a solo run in the park followed by good music, a great outfit including my moonstone bracket (the hocus pocus stone that balances emotions), and cute Cafe. Where I'll drink a blended and sweet beverage and do something creative like write or draw. I also tell my people how much I miss them and send them cyber hugs. It's a simple solution to help me feel surrounded by my friends and family who are miles away.

With some practice, I've got this down pat. Missing people is the worst, but helping myself feel better and with the kind words of my friends this moment will easily pass. Enjoy the time with your friends and family this holiday season and give them big hugs (cyber and real)!

0 comments:

B K K

08:00 nm 0 Comments

When I was living in Vancouver I found it easy to complain about working too much and not playing enough. I made the effort to work my 40 hours then spend my extra time doing something that was good for me. I used my days off to hang with my roommates, making dinner and binge watching Buffy The Vampire Slayer. My plans for when my (f)unemployment kicked in, was to just do whatever the hell I wanted. To try new things and use every moment to soak up where my adventurous heart took me. I wanted to make up for the time when I was working my buns off in Canada.

(F)unemployment has been a little different then planned. Truthfully, a lot of my days are spent hanging out in coffee shops; writing and trying to plan what my future in Thailand might look like. That might not sound exciting for you, but I'm having a great time doing it. These days need to be broken up with adventures. That's what I'm here for right? Adventures!

I've been lucky to make some great friends who don't want to see me rot away in coffee shops and want to show me around Bangkok. Yesterday was the best BKK adventure day yet. Mae took me to some amazing places. We started our day out at Hof Art Gallery in Ekkamai. Where we admired local artists work. We picked our favourites and tried to use our artist eye to dissect an abstract oil painting.

Next we walked to Benjasiri Park to people watch and eat street fruit and vegetarian spring rolls. This park was small but relaxing. Mae and I chilled and watched people workout while we sat there and stuffed our faces. Mae found the park cat (she's a cat whisperer) and we played with it till it found someone else to love.

Next we hit up Art Box Market. I originally wanted to go home and change. When I saw this market I begged to look for just "2 seconds" that quickly turned into half an hour. We were craving something sweet so we treated ourselves to Umeshu frozen yogurt. Umeshu is a super sweet Japanese plum liqueur. I definitely recommend to try it if you like to sip on sweet drinks. After satiating our sweet tooth; Mae wanted to bring me to a secret spot for dinner. Desert before dinner, that's how you know you've successfully made it to adulthood.

The secret spot will remain unnamed. Partly because I don't rememberwhat it's called and partly because it's a local hangout. I'd hate for it to be a tourist spot on account of this post. I love having a local gal to show me around and share these sweet spots in Bangkok. Mae and I watched the sun set and ate the spiciest soup I have ever put to my lips. It caused us to gladly drink 3 big Leo beers to cool off our dragon tongues.

You'd think that the day would end here but it didn't. Next we took a taxi to China Town. Here we walked the main street and the small surrounding Soi's. Looking at the sizzingls street meat and the bright neon lights. This was the first time I've ever seen shark fin meat for sale. I died a little inside. It reminded me of a Chinese restaurant on Main Street in Vancouver. Where they sold shark fin soup. For weeks there were protesters asking people to not eat there and raising awareness for sharks. After realizing there were no protesters and shark lovers, I had a rude awakening that I was not in Kansas any more.

After several frowning moments, Mae suggested that we change our scenery and grab a drink at Tep. Tep is a authentic Thai bar with a modern twist. There was an amazing four piece band playing flutes, drums and chimes. They sang traditional Thai songs which the crowed sang and danced to. We drank yadong, a flavoured Thai whiskey. Yadong is to be taken like tequila; chased with pickled mangos and pandan water. I really enjoyed the entire experience.

After a full day, I was ready to go home. I felt like cranky toddler. Completely exhausted by the day's activities and on the verge of a too tired temper tantrum. Despite my moody attitude, I was happy and grateful for the day I experienced. Adventure is everywhere. Even if you know a city inside and out, or you're a tourist. There is something to do and something to see. It just might take a little push to get outside the house and your mind to seek what's waiting for you. Give it a try! You'll never know what you'll find, and when the day ends you'll have the best sleep of your life.

0 comments:

A R I L I F E

00:52 nm 0 Comments

I love having a home. There is nothing like your own bed covered in sleeping cats and their fur, a closet full of clothes that you hate/love and the option to eat dinner in the nude. Living in hostels, you don't really get to channel these comforts. Actually, you probably could, but there would be some heavy complaints. I'm excited to say that I have a new home in Bangkok that has all these amenities and more!

I'm living in an area called Ari. It's located in northern Bangkok between Victory Monument and Chatuchak Market. I love living in trendy areas with chill places to have tea and do a little work (call me a hipster, I dare you). Ari has a great mix of trendy cafes, restaurants, local artists and entrepreneurs that call this area home. In addition to the hip vibe, the true Thai experience is still alive with fantastic street food vendors and fruit and vegetable markets. There is a park with an outdoor gym, a small walking track, tennis courts and a curious giant lizard that skids across the track spooking unsuspecting walkers. For my Vancouverites, Ari is the equivalent of Main and 14th. Although there are no local breweries or artisan doughnut shops for beanie clad locals to loiter.

My life in Ari consists of waking up and heading to the park to go pump some cement blocks and persuade myself to run around the track "just one more time". On my way home I pick up a fresh coconut water that a local vendor packs into bags and I make the hunt for fruit from the guy around the corner. He has the best pineapple.

At home I am greeted by 2 fur babies (Flappy Bottombee and Kiss TidTurbo) who try to escape when I struggle to open the door. The apartment is a mix of fashionista gone wild (clothes barely contained) an artists office and a jungle patio. It was easy for me to call this apartment home, along with the people and kitties in it.

Just around the corner from the apartment is Ease. A quiet cafe with real coffee, a fantastic selection of herbal teas and one of the best green house patios I've relaxed on. I like to go here to write and sit in the air conditioning and listen to relaxing jazzy beats when I need a break from the city heat. The staff are so friendly and accommodating. It's chill vibe is infectious and I've noticed people like to hang around for hours.

I have a few favorite places to eat in Ari. On Thursdays and Fridays, The Spring Roll Ladies (dubbed by me) set up shop on the street by the BTS skytrain station. They make great raw spring rolls and the wasabi they serve is blindingly hot. AKA perfection. The rest of the week I hit up the vegetarian food counter called Suan Phai. Located down one of Ari's many alleyways. I like going here because I can select whatever I want without the fear of accidentally eating meat. Despite my best efforts at shyly saying "man-za-we-lak" (without meat) there are moments when my lunch suspiciously tastes like animals. It's comforting to know Suan Phai has my back. Most importantly the food is amazing and inexpensive.

Within the winding Soi's (streets) there are laundry mats, hard wear stores, clothing shops, food trucks, bars, the list goes on! I am only covering what I've discovered of Ari so far. There is so much more to be seen.

I am feeling pretty lucky to have fallen into such a wonderful opportunity to live here. I'd like to say that I am surprised that I quickly decided to nest instead of backpack, but this has been brewing for a long time. The timing is perfect. I have inspiring people surrounding me, an opportunity to learn a new language, a rad place to call home and it's 30 degrees here while my friends and family are covered in snow. Life is bliss I say!

0 comments:

Y E S , I G U E S S

03:57 nm 1 Comments

Although I haven't been posting, I've still been writing up a storm. Whenever I have a spare moment I'll grab whatever I can find to write on. I scribble my thoughts down to get them out of my racing noggin. I've been stuck on a certain topic. Every time I take a minute to write for this blog, I decide I want to write about the power of yes.

The intro to the piece is full of imagery and makes you think about the lovely, tingly exhilarating sensation you get when you take a leap in agreeance. I wanted my writing to inspire readers to go outside and scream "HELL YES" at the top of their lungs then go kick garbage cans around in bad ass "yes" bliss. When I go to complete the rest of the article, I feel like an even worse poser then Avril Lavigne in her pop punk days. That's saying something.

How am I suppose to encourage people to take a chance and say yes when I am living a daily struggle to do the same? As much as I want to inspire readers to be daring and confidant, I can't write acting as if I am. I am not a pop punk poser, I'm trying to live authentically. That means I must write authentically.

Please don't think I am sitting on the side lines in Thailand; humming and hawing over fun opportunities. I've been shocking myself everyday with my yes saying abilities. I've said yes to things that are completely against my old ethics (nothing terrible, scouts honour). Like eating a black egg. Google it. I find that this always happens. The moment you say "I'll never..." You literally jinx the whole situation, so be prepared to do it my friend.

The most recent challenge I've faced was saying yes to moving to Bangkok and starting a 6 month Thai language course. If you go back a few posts, you'll read that I didn't like Bangkok and I couldn't wait to get out of the city. I am the Queen of Changing My Mind. When I was little my Mom used to ask me what my favorite colour was that day, I was never consistent. Sitting at the Thai language school in freezing air con, I closed my eyes and pushed my visa over and signed my future 6 months away to learning a new skill. I'm excited! But more in the way I feel like I might pee my pants out of uncertainty.

This was not how I described saying yes in my rough drafts. Realistically it's more like: "You hold your breath because it feels like an elephant just walked across your chest. A bead of sweat runs down your neck and your eyes frantically flicker around the room in hopes there is something to distract you for a moment. Then it happens, the inevitable gurgling that rumbles your stomach. Your mouth hangs open and "yes" inaudibly falls out. "That wasn't so bad, I guess" you think to yourself. You clear your throat, take a deep breath and say "Yes, okay!""

To be fair, I am new at this practice. It's hard but maybe when I start saying yes more it will get easier. I won't feel like I am going to lose my lunch or have a bodily reaction that makes me look like I just stepped out of a hot yoga class. At least I'm not indecisive, and I am trying to change my life to take what I want from it. No sweaty palms will stand in between that.

I regards to my travel alterations, I'll be headed to Vietnam for a month before starting school, so you'll still get to read up on my travel adventures. Once I am Bangkok bound, my blog may take a turn from a documentary to a confessional mixed with special places I find.

I hope this was somewhat inspirational. Saying yes can be a bitch, but I have a feeling it's worth it.

1 comments:

L O I K R A T H O N G

22:18 nm 0 Comments

Before heading to South East Asia, I had nothing planned except where I was spending the first few nights. There was an important moment where I couldn't just say "I'll see what happens". My Grandma, an eternal worrier, couldn't understand why I would do such a thing. I quickly started googling photos and reading her clips from Wikipedia about Thai culture to show her that Thailand isn't what she thought it was. This is when I discovered Loi Krathong.

Loi Krathong is a celebration that happens on the full moon in last month in the Thai lunar calendar (November). It traces back from the Hindu festival Dipawali, a celebration for the Ganges river. As per my World Wide Web research, Thai culture adapted it to honour Buddha. I've asked several people what the festival meant to them and I got some mixed messages. I was told that it is essentially a Thai New Year, that it's to celebrate water, or its a time to forget the past and bring in new opportunities. It could be all of these combined or its up to interpretation.

Chiang Mai is a popular spot to celebrate Loi Krathong. Traditionally there are paper lanterns released into the sky and krathongs are set on the river. A Krathong is made of banana leaves and the wood of the banana tree. It's decorated with flowers, incense, candles and some people leave offerings like locks of hair or money. I also saw some krathongs made of coloured bread shaped in animals and colourful ice cream cones. Which the fish can eat! The lantern and the Krathong are symbols of the past years sins, or misfortunes and wishing to bring in a wonderful new year.

I didn't send off a lantern. All I could think about was being responsible for burning someone or someone's house. That would be a brutal way to start a new beginning. Although I do want all the good luck I can get. I opted to set two Krathongs on the Mae Peng River. The first night of the festival I set them off with some new friends I made on my travels. I felt a little rushed and didn't have the experience I as expecting. The second night was magic. I had made my own Krathong at my hostel. I decorated it with banana leaves, daises, and orchids.

Getting to the river on the second day was an adventure itself. My new friend Sophie and I were surrounded by people, street food carts, an elaborate parade, fireworks and of course lanterns being launched. Every where I looked there was something to be in awe of. At one point Sophie and I were constantly staring up. There were THOUSANDS of lanterns capturing the sky with the light of the full moon. Photos couldn't capture the beauty of it. You truly have to be there.

When we arrived to the river, we snuck under a bridge and set off our creations. Sending my Krathong off was ceremonial for me. I had the toughest experiences of my life last year. Having a symbol to see my challenging year leave my hands, along with thousands of other people's was emotional and much needed. After my mini cry fest, Sophie and I went to eat amazing street food. The best way to celebrate a new beginnings.

I could write a novel about my experience at Loi Krathong. I felt like I've changed a from it all. Nothing is more beautiful and inspiring then seeing a sky filled with lanterns, a river with floating candles and smiling people everywhere. Thailand, you friggin rock.

0 comments:

N O R M A

00:29 nm 0 Comments

When I left Vancouver, I decided that I was going to be a gross backpacker who didn't shave her legs or armpits. I was so ready to give up my possessions and live simply. It sounded so appealing. I struggled being a grunge babe. It was either "omg, this dress is so wrinkly" or " I wore these shorts 3 days in a row now...". I've come to terms with it and I've accepted it. I am a diva who shaves her legs and armpits.

Since I've been in Chiang Mai (ps. I'm in Chiang Mai) I've had a huge hankering to do some shopping. I've been asking locals where the best place to thrift and find the hidden gems that make people ask "Where did you get that?".

On one of my afternoon wanders I came across a micro boutique called Norma. Norma is located in the heart of Chiang Mai near the Som Pet Market. The store has been open for only two months but while I was browsing there were many curious shoppers doing their shopping thang.

I asked the owner, Nara, what inspired her to open up her shop. She told me that she had been living in Bangkok working in upper management in a hostel business. It was always a dream of hers to open up the store. When the rhythm of Bangkok started to wear on her she decided that she needed to move North and make some life changes. She found Chiang Mai to be the perfect place to recover from Bangkok life. Her new location was easy to adjust to. The charm of Chiang Mai made her feel loved. I can agree with that, it feels like home.

Norma is a team effort. It's not only a cute boutique but a tasty sandwich bar. Nara's best friend Mameaw owns the other half of the business. Norma Sandwich Bar is located only a few shops away from the store front. After hearing Nara's story, I had to know about her best pal.

Mameaw left Bangkok for the same reasons, the city was stressful on her and her job wasn't feeding her. She was working for a successful coffee shop called Casa Lapin. She found that managing the shop was starting to fall into a boring routine and wanted to shake it up. Mameaw's family was supportive of her, she shares a passion of cooking with her father. It only seemed natural to share their gift. She spent some time in the UK, studying sandwich restaurants and perfectly creating what she wanted out of her own business. After hard work, patience and some negotiations she is doing exactly what she wants with her life.

I was getting hangry (when am I not hangry?). I decided to sit and have some lunch. I had a mug of the rosella juice, and the mixed salad. Delicious, refreshing and light for a hella hot day in Chiang Mai.

I deeply recommend that you check out these places when you're next in Chiang Mai. Nara and Mameaw are kind and inspiring young women, I know you'll enjoy hearing about their passions and seeing and tasting their amazing gifts.

Follow them on Instagram! @normachiangmai

0 comments:

P A I 4 E V A

06:36 nm 0 Comments

Oh Pai, how I love you.

Pai was a vacation from the vacation. We spent 8 days up in the lovely jungle (I am sure of this now). We did a lot of hanging out in hammocks, eating delicious street food, checking out live music cafes and finding Jenika real coffee. To sum up the rest of the Pai trip would be hard and I feel like my words would not give it justice. Read everything I write as if you're a kid whose parents just let them binge at the local candy store.

For a change of scenery we moved hostels from Darling View Point to Spicy Pai Backpackers. Spicy's dorms were open air, with bamboo walls and huge doorways. We slept under mosquito nets, or princess beds as Jenika called them. Spicy was super clean for being open to the outdoors, there is also a great patio loft where you can find hungover backpackers sprawled across the floor eating free toast. The dorms were about a 10 minute walk from town, in a middle of a rice field with a gorgeous view of the mountains and the white Buddha.

Close to Spicy there is a bar called Sunset, the atmosphere has a 60's psychedelic neon vibe, the tables are low and laying on the ground is your best option to relax and take in the wicked artwork, wax piles of old candles and scenic view. We decided to head there one evening to get a little wavy, when we met a new crew of people.

We call ourselves the 7-11 crew. Compiled of Juliette, Elise, Marit, Fabio, Rense, Jenika and I. We all shared a mutual love for the shop and how if you're lost, scared or just need a feeling of warmth you can find it at 7-11. I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long long time. We tried to write a short story about green flies with nose rings, we hid a creepy Thai gnome around the bar, we shared wasbi peas and took some hilarious photos.

Now that I think of it we did quite a bit of partying in the last few days. One night we found a flyer for a wear-house party, promising deep house, techno and funk. When I saw the word funk, my response was "take my money, let's go!". The gathering was at an art filled bar called Overhear. The great thing about this extra fun dancey time was that there were locals there too. Meeting local people is one of the best ways to hear about fun things happening in the area. We heard a fantastic local DJ and I met a few artists and shop owners. It was really great to talk to someone without a tourist perspective.

For our parents sake, I will let it be known that we did not party around the clock. During the day we were lovely young women shopping for thrifted pieces, we spent our afternoons in writing in cafes, chatting and I even made business cards (let's get this blog dream rollin'!). To answer your question parents, no we're not partying our faces off. Yes, we are being well behaved and keeping our family names clean. Now on to the next party story...

We ran into the 7-11 crew again minus a few and plus a few new people. We were convinced to change our evening plans of YouTube documentaries and chilling to heading to an jungle party. The party played a mix of reggae, house and techno. There were fire poi spinners and a bunch of drunk hippies. The whole night was memorable but the most fun was the ride home, we piled too many people to actually be legal into a taxi and "sang" ( I'm using that word very loosely) our own slurred rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody.

We've had the best experiences in Pai. The locals are so friendly, helpful and kind. I can see why, they have a beautiful place to call home. We met lovely people and spent our days doing exactly what we wanted to. Thats what life is all about isn't it?

If you're ever in Thailand, go to Pai. Spend a week, you will not regret it!