Only in Thailand does the hair salon double as a wedding gown shop and a dry cleaners. And only in Thailand does my view from the chair contain shabby store fronts, tin roofs, and banana trees.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
HAIR CUT
Despite all warnings from friends, family, and every foreigner I can imagine, I decided to get my hair cut in Thailand today. Actually, my (farang = foreigner) friend Lindsey recommended the woman that she and our Thai friend Vallapa go to, and my hair was so beyond gross that I figured something was better than nothing. 8 months with tangles, humidity and split ends was creating desperation. Luckily, it turned out really well!
Only in Thailand does the hair salon double as a wedding gown shop and a dry cleaners. And only in Thailand does my view from the chair contain shabby store fronts, tin roofs, and banana trees.
Only in Thailand does the hair salon double as a wedding gown shop and a dry cleaners. And only in Thailand does my view from the chair contain shabby store fronts, tin roofs, and banana trees.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
IN AND AROUND THUNG SONG: THE RIVER
This is the first in a series I'll be posting the next few weeks called In and Around Thung Song. I've got a couple of posts lined up that deal with the sights I see on a day to day basis where I live. Then eventually, I'll get around to posting pics from my travels :)
A few weeks ago my friends Pieter, Leandi and Terri took me down to the river for the first time. It's about a 20 minute drive out of town, an interesting and picturesque drive with plenty of typically Thai sights to see. The last time we went out there I noticed a child with a kite that was soaring 20 meters in the air easy, a cemetery, a handful of men walking their cows down the side of the road, a brand new mansion complete with a fountain out front, a graveyard of scattered and broken spirit houses, and a house with a monkey chained outside. You know, the usual. I'll try to follow up with a picture post of the drive there because all jokes aside it really is a scenic drive that is so lovely and typical of the the gorgeous Thai landscape.
A few weeks ago my friends Pieter, Leandi and Terri took me down to the river for the first time. It's about a 20 minute drive out of town, an interesting and picturesque drive with plenty of typically Thai sights to see. The last time we went out there I noticed a child with a kite that was soaring 20 meters in the air easy, a cemetery, a handful of men walking their cows down the side of the road, a brand new mansion complete with a fountain out front, a graveyard of scattered and broken spirit houses, and a house with a monkey chained outside. You know, the usual. I'll try to follow up with a picture post of the drive there because all jokes aside it really is a scenic drive that is so lovely and typical of the the gorgeous Thai landscape.
So these photos are from two separate occasions, when I went out the first time and Terri's birthday. On the latter occasion, we brought beer and paint supplies; the boys bantered back and forth on the rocks while Louise, Terri, and I produced some beautiful art work! It was a lovely afternoon spent in a great spot and I must say we'll probably return often.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
THE ONE WHERE WE USE THE BALCONY AS AN OVEN
Alex and I share a tiny studio apartment so we often have to get creative with how we use our space and appliances, or lack there of. We have a fridge, but for cooking all we have is a panini press (a hand me down - don't ask).
Yesterday we wanted to eat the baguette we froze, but we didn't want to wait for it to thaw, nor do we have a microwave/oven to heat it up. Thai improvising: let's hang it outside in the sun to warm it up!
McGuyver over here, setting up our contraption:
Check out that Thai engineering: And here's our multipurpose balcony / bakery / laundromat / greenhouse:
The best part is, it totally worked! Within 45 minutes our bread was thawed, warm and ready to eat.
(Points to you if you got that the title was a reference to Friends, which we've been watching a lot of lately)
Yesterday we wanted to eat the baguette we froze, but we didn't want to wait for it to thaw, nor do we have a microwave/oven to heat it up. Thai improvising: let's hang it outside in the sun to warm it up!
McGuyver over here, setting up our contraption:
Check out that Thai engineering: And here's our multipurpose balcony / bakery / laundromat / greenhouse:
The best part is, it totally worked! Within 45 minutes our bread was thawed, warm and ready to eat.
(Points to you if you got that the title was a reference to Friends, which we've been watching a lot of lately)
Sunday, January 5, 2014
NEW YEARS EVE
For New Years we had a five day weekend, so Alex and I took off to Ao Nang, Phi Phi, and Phuket with our friend Richie.
I didn't take many photos because I already have a lot from those places, which I'll put up eventually. ^__^
Phi Phi was lovely, albeit crowded for New Years. Yet again, on Phi Phi we end up feeling like we're on Mount Olympus - I don't know why but for some reason it feels like the worlds most beautiful people only hang out there. As usual, the highlight of our weekend was the food - so many good dishes we don't usually get. We stumbled upon an amazing Middle Eastern place and chowed on hummus, falafel, and salad - and in Phuket we found a great Irish place that served pub type food, but for someone in desperation for french fries and gravy it was essentially the best thing I've ever eaten.
We also rented scooters in Phuket and tooled around to some of the other beaches, where we tried and failed to play beach paddle ball.
It's always an adventure in Thailand - this weekend's shenanigans included a lack of any running water for 2 of the 3 nights we stayed in Phuket, so we ended up taking baby wipe showers on NYE. 2014 - or the year I learn to be low maintenance :)
We went to a party on the beach for New Years, and it was crazy busy - but in a good way. People were walking around selling fireworks, so we bought one and set it off. So did a lot of other people near us, which resulted in a stunning fireworks show that also had you slightly concerned for your life. Mai pen rai, this is Thailand.
Here's Tom setting off the firework we bought:
And here's video of the crazy fireworks show.
I didn't take many photos because I already have a lot from those places, which I'll put up eventually. ^__^
Phi Phi was lovely, albeit crowded for New Years. Yet again, on Phi Phi we end up feeling like we're on Mount Olympus - I don't know why but for some reason it feels like the worlds most beautiful people only hang out there. As usual, the highlight of our weekend was the food - so many good dishes we don't usually get. We stumbled upon an amazing Middle Eastern place and chowed on hummus, falafel, and salad - and in Phuket we found a great Irish place that served pub type food, but for someone in desperation for french fries and gravy it was essentially the best thing I've ever eaten.
We also rented scooters in Phuket and tooled around to some of the other beaches, where we tried and failed to play beach paddle ball.
It's always an adventure in Thailand - this weekend's shenanigans included a lack of any running water for 2 of the 3 nights we stayed in Phuket, so we ended up taking baby wipe showers on NYE. 2014 - or the year I learn to be low maintenance :)
We went to a party on the beach for New Years, and it was crazy busy - but in a good way. People were walking around selling fireworks, so we bought one and set it off. So did a lot of other people near us, which resulted in a stunning fireworks show that also had you slightly concerned for your life. Mai pen rai, this is Thailand.
Here's Tom setting off the firework we bought:
Lighting our Firework NYE '14 from Nikki Elizabeth on Vimeo.
And here's video of the crazy fireworks show.
NYE Fireworks from Nikki Elizabeth on Vimeo.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
SHALL WE BUILD OUR ARK?
As promised, here are some visuals from the flooding this past weekend. The first two photos were taken in the morning, in the neighborhood we pass every day on the way to school. The rest of the photos are from the local park - some show the flooded roads and some show how intensely the river was flowing.
And here's some video. This is the bridge we cross on the way to school every day.
And this is the flooding at the park.
The best part is all the water has completely disappeared, so Thung Song is slowly getting back to "normal"
And here's some video. This is the bridge we cross on the way to school every day.
River Flood from Nikki Elizabeth on Vimeo.
And this is the flooding at the park.
Flooding at the park from Nikki Elizabeth on Vimeo.
The best part is all the water has completely disappeared, so Thung Song is slowly getting back to "normal"
Friday, November 22, 2013
FLASH FLOOD FRIDAY: A TIMELINE
7:00 am: Wake up. It's still raining.
7:50 am: Depart for school.
8:00 am: Make a stop at 7 Eleven for yogurt and notice Alex's Assistant Teacher, who informs me that there's no school today due to flooding. I go to the school gates to wait for Alex to arrive behind me and watch all the guards turn away the parents who are dropping their kids off and don't know.
8:15 am: Wet and relieved, we make it back home.
8:30 am - 12:00pm: Movie day! Not too concerned, have only seen slight floods nearby, none near us.
2:00 pm: Rain stops. We get takeaway for lunch.
4:00 pm: We check out the local park, which we heard was flooded. Got some great video and photos of it, enjoy the novelty of it, even do some fun scooting through it before we head home.
6:00 pm: Rain is back on.
8:00 pm: Venture out in the rain for dinner.
9:00 pm: Boys take off (in the rain) to Tom's house for video games and I head to the girls' to watch a film.
11:00pm: Rain stops. I head home.
1:30 am: Text Alex to see if he's coming home soon.
1:35 am: response from Alex is as follows "The roads are flooded. We're trapped. We saw [our friends] on the side of the road so we're at their place until we can leave. It's bad baby, it's over waist high at the 711 near Jono's house".
1:38 am: Am informed by Alex that they saw some men pull a three foot long python from the flood.
1:45 am: Try to go to sleep.
2:00 am: No sleep. Can hear the river raging nearby and am concerned- so I go to the back of the building to check out the river from back there. Water is almost at the banks.
2:10 am: The shortcut street beside the river is beginning to get submerged…
2:12 am: As I watch I realize the water is only rising.
2:12 am: I start freaking out. Alex calms me by telling me (via text) that there's stars out and it's not raining for a little bit.
2:20 am: Road behind apartment complex is completely submerged.
2:30 am: Check out the front of the apartment complex. All good. Not sure if I'm land locked now or what because I don't dare to venture to the top of the road to check out that flood situation.
2:41 am: Water begins to creep into the apartment complex's parking lot.
2:43 am: Notice the next door neighbor's puppy / stray dog darting around the remaining dry portions of the parking lot, barking and trying to get over the fence to get home. Poor thing is yapping and not wanting to go into the water to go around. Debate helping it- but the lady notices it and laughs, wades through the water to retrieve it. Crisis averted.
2:45 am: Parking lot completely submerged.
2:50 am: Begin panic attack. Alex isn't here, the water level is rising, I don't know what to do about my scooter.
3:00 am: Manage to communicate enough with the security guard to inquire if I should move my scooter. He gestures to the left. I waddle it through the flood to the neighboring apartment and move it to higher ground. Except that the higher ground is also next to the river. Which hasn't reached its banks yet, but will be soon. Every one else has also moved their cars there, so I guess it's the best we can do. Notice that despite the flood and the fact that it's 3:00am, people remain in good spirits. Thailand.
3:05 am: Get in touch with Alex again, our friends have set up a mattress for him so he'll remain for the night. Says that the good news is that the water level doesn't seem to be rising there, but the bad news is that it's getting worse here.
3:06 am: A man who speaks decent English tells me I should move my scooter. I told him I already have, and thank him, and he informs me that never in Thung Song's history have floods been this bad.
3:20 am: Peer over my balcony and see that our neighbor's yards are now flooded. Some look to be knee deep. Check the back balcony and notice that the original river that started flooding now looks to be about waist deep in the flooded areas.
3:36 am: Realize there's nothing more I can do except pray and head to bed.
Update in the morning!
7:50 am: Depart for school.
8:00 am: Make a stop at 7 Eleven for yogurt and notice Alex's Assistant Teacher, who informs me that there's no school today due to flooding. I go to the school gates to wait for Alex to arrive behind me and watch all the guards turn away the parents who are dropping their kids off and don't know.
8:15 am: Wet and relieved, we make it back home.
8:30 am - 12:00pm: Movie day! Not too concerned, have only seen slight floods nearby, none near us.
2:00 pm: Rain stops. We get takeaway for lunch.
4:00 pm: We check out the local park, which we heard was flooded. Got some great video and photos of it, enjoy the novelty of it, even do some fun scooting through it before we head home.
6:00 pm: Rain is back on.
8:00 pm: Venture out in the rain for dinner.
9:00 pm: Boys take off (in the rain) to Tom's house for video games and I head to the girls' to watch a film.
11:00pm: Rain stops. I head home.
1:30 am: Text Alex to see if he's coming home soon.
1:35 am: response from Alex is as follows "The roads are flooded. We're trapped. We saw [our friends] on the side of the road so we're at their place until we can leave. It's bad baby, it's over waist high at the 711 near Jono's house".
1:38 am: Am informed by Alex that they saw some men pull a three foot long python from the flood.
1:45 am: Try to go to sleep.
2:00 am: No sleep. Can hear the river raging nearby and am concerned- so I go to the back of the building to check out the river from back there. Water is almost at the banks.
2:10 am: The shortcut street beside the river is beginning to get submerged…
2:12 am: As I watch I realize the water is only rising.
2:12 am: I start freaking out. Alex calms me by telling me (via text) that there's stars out and it's not raining for a little bit.
2:20 am: Road behind apartment complex is completely submerged.
2:30 am: Check out the front of the apartment complex. All good. Not sure if I'm land locked now or what because I don't dare to venture to the top of the road to check out that flood situation.
2:41 am: Water begins to creep into the apartment complex's parking lot.
2:43 am: Notice the next door neighbor's puppy / stray dog darting around the remaining dry portions of the parking lot, barking and trying to get over the fence to get home. Poor thing is yapping and not wanting to go into the water to go around. Debate helping it- but the lady notices it and laughs, wades through the water to retrieve it. Crisis averted.
2:45 am: Parking lot completely submerged.
2:50 am: Begin panic attack. Alex isn't here, the water level is rising, I don't know what to do about my scooter.
3:00 am: Manage to communicate enough with the security guard to inquire if I should move my scooter. He gestures to the left. I waddle it through the flood to the neighboring apartment and move it to higher ground. Except that the higher ground is also next to the river. Which hasn't reached its banks yet, but will be soon. Every one else has also moved their cars there, so I guess it's the best we can do. Notice that despite the flood and the fact that it's 3:00am, people remain in good spirits. Thailand.
3:05 am: Get in touch with Alex again, our friends have set up a mattress for him so he'll remain for the night. Says that the good news is that the water level doesn't seem to be rising there, but the bad news is that it's getting worse here.
3:06 am: A man who speaks decent English tells me I should move my scooter. I told him I already have, and thank him, and he informs me that never in Thung Song's history have floods been this bad.
3:20 am: Peer over my balcony and see that our neighbor's yards are now flooded. Some look to be knee deep. Check the back balcony and notice that the original river that started flooding now looks to be about waist deep in the flooded areas.
3:36 am: Realize there's nothing more I can do except pray and head to bed.
Update in the morning!
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