Sunday, December 17, 2006

koh samui / koh phanang / koh tao

We flew onto Koh Samui on Friday morning and quickly found some accomodation, thanks to the Lonely Planet "southeast asia on a shoestring". Next thing was to hire a moped to get us around and a visit to the beach. Unfortunately we haven't seen the island at it's best due to the weather, which has been overcast with occasional glimpses of some blue sky through the clouds, or bucketing down with the monsoon rains.

We're hoping our next week on Koh Phangan and Koh Tao will give us a bit of that swimming and snorkling weather we had on Boracay. It sounds like they're receiving the weather here coming from China, so I guess that's a good indication to take on, as well as site we have been checking for weather warnings.

After our experiences with the typhoons in the Philippines, we're trying to stay clear of those strong weather conditions. I'm really not looking forward to getting cabin fever!

Last night we went to the well-advertised Thai boxing event (read: loud-speaker from the back of a jeepney driven around and around town announcing "tonight, tonight, 9pm, 9pm, get the seats earlier, get the seats earlier, fight, fight, tonight ..."accompanied with music I associate with a 'Jaws'movie), known as Muay Thai. We saw eight fights, with the competitors age starting from about 6years old. The main event was held at about midnight, and we stayed until the end seeing three full-on knockouts where the loser was carried out of the ring. Not normally the type of sport I would be interested in, but it was a good event even to watch the punters at ring-side. Maybe if it were a blood-sport I wouldn't have stayed, but this is part of the Thai culture, and the amount of training and committment that surrounds the sport has to be respected.

Tonight we're going to a dinner and Thai dancing show. Gotta keep the balance : )
posted by megnmog at 6:11 PM

1 Comments:
Anonymous said...
Meg - we are loving the photos. Not so sure about all that pork. Thank you very much for your card and photos and gifts for the girls. They are on our photo board in the kitchen. Pop will get a kick out of the koala on a straw. He had a great day on his 80th. We all did. Lots of love to you and Henry from all of us. xxxx The johnsons.
8:09 PM

megnmogblog
Tuesday, December 05, 2006

boracay
We left Bongabong at 12:30am on the 3rd December after a few hours sleep, with seven of us piled into the trusty van we've had the use of ~ along with Henry's uncle Honie or cousin Christopher as our drivers and tour guides ~ since arriving in Manila on the 20th. Four of us were going to get on the ferry at the pier in Roxas (an 18km drive) and two people were going to keep the driver company on their 30 minute return trip after dropping us off.

The ferry was scheduled to leave at 2am and to arrive in Cataclan at 6am, but everything runs on Philippino time so I think we left closer to 3am. It is an open-sea ferry and huge, carrying tour buses and cars as well as about 500 passengers, with facilities such as an air-conditioned seating section and an air-conditioned rest area, where they have gym mats that you can get some good rest during the journey. We had our hopes set on sleeping through until the morning in the rest area, but it was already full of tour-bus drivers, families with crying babies, and generally anyone who got there about an hour before we did ~ we've settled quite well into Philippino time, ourselves : ) Instead, we settled on the open-air-conditioning in the economy section on the upper deck right next to the huge diesel exhausts, and in the broken plastic seats ~ automatic recline, at least! We probably got more sleep there than with the crying babies anyway, and our trusty head-scarves and hankerchiefs doubled and trippled as eye-masks, breathing devices and ~ when we went through a thunderstorm and the roof started leaking on us and the wind got really cold ~ as sopping-up and rugging-up garments.

After arriving in Cataclan, we then caught a smaller boat that took us over to the white sands of Boracay (Boracay means 'white beach' in Filipino), and Christopher (Toper) organised some decent accommodation for us all. It's high season here, even though it's rainy season as well, so the prices are apparently 50%-100% higher than usual. We're not staying in anything flash, but it's comfortable, and 100 meters from the water's edge, so we're really happy. You can definitely 'splurge' here, though and stay in one of the beautiful resorts or bungalows on any of the beaches. I don't think it matters what you're paying on accommodation, though, I don't think anyone escapes the touts and vendors every 5 meters .. "boat trip, ma'm", "Rolex, sir", "Sunglasses, ma'm ~ Gucci ma'm .. "

It's hot here, but luckily it hasn't rained since our first arrival and with our bungalow so close to the water we've been in and out of it the past few days. This side of the island is protected from the wind, so the bay is calm and an amazing turquoise colour. The sand is like many exclusive Australian beaches, clean and white, and the water is so clear you can see the bottom even when it's over 6-foot deep and you're easily 200 meters from shore. We have taken up a few of the touted offers and went on a boat trip around the island yesterday, with a snorkel at crocodile island ~ no crocs, though, just colourful tropical fish (The shape of the island looks like a crocodile). Half of the trip around the island was calm and restful, but the eastern side is not protected from the wind and so turned out to be very invigorating as we rose and fell with the waves and got saturated by the spray. After stopping in at an eastern bay we quickly got into the whiskey that Honie and Toper had packed, and this soon calmed the nerves and the nausea so the rest of the trip was back to feeling relaxed even though we were still in the chop.

A couple of days later Hank and I spent a few hours on a sailboat with another couple of snorkel stops, followed by an awesome parasailing experience ~ with a couple of daring speedboat out to the platform and back.

It is very popular with tourists here and many of the sea-side cafes, and restaurants make a real effort to make the area look beautiful, so the beach is clean and some of the palm trees are decorated with colourful strips of material, and at night the tables on the beaches can look really pretty, or take on a tribal 'Survivor' feel, with candles and table-cloths set up. Buffet and all-you-can-eat set-ups are very popular, with lots of fresh seafood and budget-friendly cocktails.

Other than the main beach, we explored the island a bit by tricycle, and were taken out to a popular nightspot by Toper and some of his friends. I think I was one of only two western chicks there, but most of the local ladies and lady-boys (bakla) go there to shake some booty and pick up a visiting man-thing. It was fun to have a dance though … we were drinking illusion-shakers!
We would love to go back again some time as it is one of those beaches usually just seen on postcards and is really affordable, but it is no deserted island ~ at least not when we went there, and I can only see the place developing more as it becomes more known.
On the return trip to Roxas we were working on American time, so we were able to set up camp in the rest area and get some good sleep. We were able to return to Bongabong a bit browner than when we’d left, and a lot more relaxed.

posted by megnmog at 9:30 PM

My 30th Birthday

I recently had my thirtieth birthday and after a whole week of celebrations am now enjoying a more quiet life and heaps of leftover birthday cake!

My actual birthday was on the Tuesday and on my way to work found out I had the first hour blocked off for the morning, so I got to go and have a nice big brekky to start the day. I took myself to Chai in Bondi Junction. They do gourmet, organic and gluten free foods, and their tips go to an organisation that provide literacy programs to underprivelaged communities. The food was great, and I also had time to enjoy chatting on the phone with my beautiful friend Kate ~ who's in Melbourne ~ and send good vibes to other wonderful people in my life.

I had two awesome clients in the morning after breakfast, then had a tea-break with home-made chocolate mousse Tamara had bought in, and opened gifts I received from work friends. By this stage I was feeling pretty high on all the birthday vibes I was receiving.

I was getting ready for another client when I saw my friend Jocelyn with a helium balloon in her hands, and in her sultry, gorgeous voice she was singing Happy Birthday. "I've got a surprise for you" she said, at the end of the song, "You don't have another client, you're my client. I've come to pick you up and I'm giving you a massage!" Hahaha, how cool!

So Joce made us a beautiful lunch back at her place, and I got a fabulous birthday massage ~ very well received ~ before heading back to the 'sham where I had boxes of flowers waiting for me. I LOVE receiving flowers! The house looks so great now, with flowers around every corner.

I was only home to shower and get dressed up before meeting my sister at Buzzzbar in Newtown (she introduced me to this place a month ago, on her birthday, and we love it). We had a great catch up on her recent three-week holiday to Indionesia (Java and Sumatra) over a gin martini (yummo). Hank met us here for a drink as well, before taking me off on our dinner date to the fabulous Oscillate Wildly where we'd also had a fantastic night back in May when I took Hank here for his birthday. Better the devil you know ... Hank fell in stomach-love with their pork belly then, and has been bewitched ever since.

Hank had organised a beautiful bunch of lillies that were waiting on the table for me when we arrived, so he got a few appreciative nods from other diners ~ I was well impressed, too. He loves making an impact with flowers! They change the menu regularly, so there was no pork-belly this time, but we both enjoyed our three courses over a bottle of wine. (more yummo!)

My parents came down from the Coffs Coast the next day and on Thursday we spent the day together around the harbour and took the ferry to Watson's Bay for fish and chips and a bottle of wine in the park. It's so beautiful over there.

That evening they cooked up a beautiful big roast dinner for us and we also had Emily and Adam over. We were all extremely well fed, and could barely fit in the amazing chocolate truffle birthday cake after the previous three courses as well as champagne and wine!

On Saturday we were up early to pack up our bed and other bits and pieces into mum and dad's ute for them to take away for storage while we're overseas. I also had lots of help preparing for the afternoon, as I was having a few people over for a couple of hours before we went out to meet friends for a dance.

It was a really lovely evening, with my gorgeous friends Melissa and Marcus up from Melbourne, a few close friends, my family, and Hank's aunt and uncle who are also like family to me. I think everyone enjoyed themselves, and it was lovely to introduce my family to Henry's. Hank's dad and sister are in Ecuador at the moment, but his brother was able to make it for a feed and a nap before we went out : )

He needed it, though. I don't think he was off the dance-floor all night! We went to the HQ bar on Parramatta road for Sounds of Seduction, and it was so cool to see so many beautiful friends who came out to celebrate with me and have a dance to some great music ~ well, I enjoyed it anyway. No ... I had a fantastic night!

I've had a fantastic birthday week, actually, it's been a great time to spend with family and friends, and it's great to be 30! I give heartfelt thanks for all the birthday cheer I received, I couldn't be happier xx

i am my own wife

By chance of timing I acquired 2 tickets to see 'I am my own wife' at the Drama Theatre of the Opera House. Not so much a play or a monologue, the show is performed by Jefferson Mays who uses the slightest intake of breath or change of posture to transform from one of his 30 characters to another, giving each the opportunity to tell their story.

The stories they tell are of the real-life main character, Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, an 80 year old transvestite whose colourful life was quietly lived ~ to the public, at least ~ in Eastern Germany through WWII and into the start of this new millenuim. The uncovering of her story was like discovering a perfectly kept piece of antique furniture hidden in the back corner of a cluttered tinker's shop and with it the letters of it's previous owner, written over half a century ago ~ telling of war, gaol, opression, underground parties, corruption, and discos.

She wears a simple outfit of black head-scarf, black dress and stockings, and clumpy orthopedic shoes ~ also black ~ and a string of white pearls. This is, therefore the costume of each character, save one other costume during the performance. In the performance, during a description of this outfit, it becomes a character in it's own right, but then only shows itself to the audience when being used by it's owner as she reaches absent-mindedly to her chest where the pearls fall. On all of the other characters their own manarisms and personalities overpower the visual sensation of the costume. It wasn't something I even thought of at the time, but is so fantastic to me that a barking German soldier, or threatening Neo Nazi was able to get away with wearing such an outfit. Is there something more philisophical in this? A rose by any other name? A man in any other frock ... ?

One great line that stands out for me was when Charlotte is introducing the basement of her museum to the jounalist ~ and writer of the show ~ Doug Wright. It was here she had held parties for her friends, artists and celebrities during the Cold War. She is explaining the mechanisms of the Eddison machine and the saphire-tipped needle which gives the clear sounds, when she walks over to the wooden table in the middle of the room. "If I could put this needle to the table, what stories it could tell."

I wish I knew the actual line, but I'll paraphrase for lack of memory.

elephant

We walked the beautiful procession between Tamarrama and Bondi Beach for last year's sculpture by the sea. We left it until the last weekend so we missed most of the Newtown Festival in favour of some fresh air, a little exercise and art. It was a great day. I think we'll try to plan ahead this year though, to avoid the crowds.

no tooth fairy

Am feeling fine now after having an eventful day at the dentist yesterday. In the morning I went and had a root-canal treatment on my lower left 5 ?? then had to return in the afternoon for an extraction of lower left 7! I wasn't sure if they were going to take the wisdom tooth out next to it as well, but they decided against that, and now I'm really keen for the wisdom to come up in place of the huge hole in my gum. My jaw is still a bit sore when I move it ~ particularly side-ways, or if I yawn or smile ~ because he really put a lot of pressure on my jaw getting that molar out. Otherwise I was just feeling quite shaky and exhausted after the operation, I think due to the adrenalin that was injected into my jaw during the anesthesis process. Should be fine after another good sleep.