Friday, October 21, 2011

Please remove your footwear...

all aboard, the white manta!

and what an experience it was. i'm debating just exactly how to chronicle the whole thing, with pictures, videos, stories per day... or maybe just one post.


let me start off by saying simply this:

we were asked to remove our footwear as soon as we stepped on the boat. the entire time living aboard, there were not shoes. no slippers. nothing...take of this what you would - all i can say is that it was one step (pun intended?) towards a true vacation. no connectivity. no internet. i mean, no friggin' shoes for chrissakes!


Sunday, October 2, 2011

Bangkok Surprise Visit!


this is what i love about now living so close to home. i can, at the last minute, decide i want to go home and purchase a ticket to fly the next morning. no checked bags. 1hr time difference. a little bit of public transit. and boom bada bing, within 6hrs i am DOOR TO DOOR.

4:30am in a cab to Changi
5:30am checked in
6:10am boarding
7am-9am in flight (but due to time difference its now 8am in Bangkok)
8am-9am visa on arrival (i really need to apply for my longer term tourist visa. to come HOME? haha, sigh. yes to come home, i need a tourist visa).
9am-10am public transit but more of this time was spent waiting a bit on trains and walking through people traffic, not stuck IN traffic. which is great. train from the airport home!

and then the simple surprises :)
on a motorcycle into the soi (street) i see dad in the car on the way to work and wave at him. he is utterly confused... i arrive home and ring the bell and mom greets me with a "huuuhhh?" and Rex with his unusually active tail wagging in the wind. (before he pissed on my chappals!)

and some random pics...
first meal - MAMA PHAK! (that's ramen w veggies for all you non-thais)

KAI YAAAAAAANG - bbq chicken

Som Tam - Papaya Salad

AND Beyond the eating, there's obviously relaxing to be had... 
What the elders do while the sons are away - Mom & Dad playing Words with Friends (against one another). Rex playing Words with himself in his sleep

And that's a wrap.


Yep. We each get our own beds. (you can see Rex, I'm sure ;)