Archive for the ‘South East Asia’ Category
Street Stall Eats & Losing my Pants
I live on street food. I love almost anything that comes out of a stall. The faded stained umbrella shading the meats, veggies and greasy cook tops pique my curiosity and the smoky heat makes my mouth water. Great big vats of steaming noodles, batters being poured out in big swirls.
Mystery meats covered in spicy sauces, strange weedy greens piled wetly on the side. The fish sauces, the chilies, the vinegars. Soft french baguette sandwiches. Crispy falafels, messy donairs, the random things with a raw egg cracked over it. Plates of rice and red beans with everything. Fruits bought by the handful that I clean on my jeans and lick the juices from my fingers. Roasted nuts, steamed corn on the cob. Keep reading..
The Magic of Don Det, Laos
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The Mekong river winds a natural border between Cambodia and Laos. In the Mekong sit tiny islands, slightly off the beaten path. One of my favorite places in all of SEA was one of these tiny islands called Don Det. There are no motorized vehicles and the generators hum the power into the few restaurants and the internet cafe after sunset. In the dark, swinging in my hammock, I light candles and listen to the roaring silence. Too dark to read, too peaceful for music, I settle in and count the quivering stars. Keep reading…
Starting the Life of a Digital Nomad
I was one of those super-organized, life planning kinda people. I could tell you what I was doing 5 Tuesdays from now at 10 am. I had a ridiculous daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, 5 year, 10 year and 15 year plan. I had an amazing job working with the most influential surgeons in Canada., Keep Reading…
Culture Shock and Frog Shows
[simage=2748,320,c,left,]Oct 6,2008… Backtrack to the first day of my trip….Day One of my Adventure Extraordinaire! Visiting the country of Thailand a second time changes the perspective somewhat. I am more easily adapting to their style this time. I’m not stressed sitting in smoggy traffic and I no longer pee on my feet in the squat toilets. I’m not shy to fold my hands in front of my forehead, bow deeply with a sawadee-ka or kawpkoon-ka. (hello and thank you) I am slowly being reminded the intricate details of travel and how very different it is from vacationing. I have been here now for 3 sleeps, into my fourth day and its coming back to me in snippets and flashes. Keep Reading…
Bhutan Photos
The beautiful indigenous country of Bhutan is tucked high up in the Himalayas. There is no independent travel there, so this Buddhist country is virtually untouched by tourism.
Cobra Over-Reaction in Thailand
When I was in Bangkok, I was looking for a daytrip to the incredible Floating Markets. Being the beginning of my trip, I was easily suckered. I believed the drivers when they said “No, markets closed” (oldest trick in the book) But they had a better deal for me that included a snake farm. I’m really not a fan of zoos, even the environmentally-simulated, 10,000 ft2 roaming cages found in the west. Not thinking clearly with jet lag and innocence, I went along. The snake show was good, cobras and pythons and whatever else would impress a westerner. I was quietly keeping to myself when the handler started swinging the King Cobra into the crowd. I was glad I was alone and didn’t embarrass anyone close with my over reaction.
High Priestess
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The costume was a playful day in a Thai mall where I donned the dress and headdress and posed with props. Same as we can do the “Wild West” in our malls, they do Asian Royalty. Not the tourist malls that have Chanel and Dior…the local malls where you buy meat on a stick. A beautiful transvestite did my make up. Nobody knows how to wield a mascara wand like a Thai lady boy!
