ditto!

I read this quote off the facebook page of my friend, Kenan Al-Husseini.

One day your life will flash before your eyes.

When that does happen,

hope that you have led a life that is worth watching.

I think it is a true reflection of why I'm doing this trip. I hope it will encourage you to take more risks, as the rewards are more plentiful!

Koh Lanta, Thailand

Left: our favorite seat at the bar

Right: typical sunset we would watch everyday

Lauren and I got great advice from her scuba instructor, Tim. He recommended Koh Lanta because it's how the "old Phuket" was, before it got commercialized. When we got on the boat to the island, we were bombarded with a dozen locals trying to get us to stay at their bungalow. It was intense. Lauren had a good feeling about Emerald Bungalows, so we went with them. They try to rope you in by saying you'll have a free ride to their bungalows from the ferry and you can decide then, but make sure you choose a place you'd be remotely interested in because it takes a lot to go somewhere, look around and leave to do it all over again. Thanks to Lauren's good hunch, we fell in LOVE with these bungalows and the people. We made instant friends at Ting Tong (means crazy) bar. They gave us all sorts of tips about the island and (my favorite) they would always share their food with us! We loved it so much, we stayed an extra day. :D

(from left to right: Toffee, Lauren, Pauline, Jackie, Meow)

my skype id: fraisegrl2

My colleague, John Riordan, has been on me for 2 years now about skype. He's said how easy, inexpensive and magical it is. I fought it because "I couldn't be bothered" - and most others feel the same way. Don't knock it until you try it!

It's a great way to keep in touch with others. You can send random text messages for dirt cheap, so it makes it easier to stay in touch. The only problem is I need the phone number - which is only in my cell phone that I'm not using on my travels. Please email (pauline.tran@gmail.com) me your cell if you want a friendly text from Vietnam!

I was really proud when Mama Dellinger could use it! On her very own! It was the CUTEST thing in the entire world when Mama and Papa Dellinger set up skype in their living room, hooked it up to the TV and had a real microphone set up! I hope they can use it more often to communicate with Lauren from across the country. :D

It actually works really well on the iPhone, too!

memories

This evening I was walking through the streets of Hanoi people watching. The locals gather around small tables on plastic stools drinking and eating bowls of soup. As I passed a car, it was blaring old school Vietnamese music - the kind I remember hearing on weekend mornings in Springfield, VA. I would wake up and walk downstairs to see my parents cooking or cleaning to this joyous music. It's been awhile since I've heard it, and it brought a huge smile to my face. :D

It's always nice when you are reminded of the past from a sound, smell, feel, taste, or sight. I've been trying to buy one small souvenir from every place that I've been so far. They aren't necessarily "nice", but they are usually everyday items like a lighter, purse, t-shirt, etc. It's a thin line between junk and a tasteful travel collection. The question I try to ask myself is: Will it just sit there and collect junk? If that's the case, I'd rather spend my money on an experience that I will remember forever.

Updated Itinerary

Hi Folks! Sorry I haven't been writing - I haven't had much down time. In the meantime, I wanted to let everyone know my itinerary. I've been thinking about what I'm going to do when Lauren heads back to the States.

Hi everyone! As you know, I'm in southeast asia right now. I wanted to give you all an idea of my travel plans in hopes that we can cross paths!

Here's my basic itinerary:

My friend Lauren and I have been in Thailand most of August and just got to Laos earlier this week. We did the Gibbon Experience (www.gibbonx.org) in the Bokeo Provence, near Thailand. We were in Vang Vieng and (of course!) went tubing TWICE. It was a blast! We parted ways in Vientiane - when Lauren flew home via Bangkok and I flew to Hanoi.

By mere coincidence, there are a few people that happen to be in Hanoi the same time as me. Jama (Ted's good friend is on business), Andrea (Singaporian friend I met in Hong Kong summer 2008), and Van (John Riordan's friend who works in Saigon). I'm looking forward to meeting a French-Canadian girl I met on the slow boat in Laos, Michele. We will spend 2-3 weeks making our way to Saigon.

I'm considering spending the month of November in northern Thailand with a program called "Monk for a Month". (www.monkforamonth.com) It's a bit pricey, but they have teachings in English and it's an organized program.

I hope to spend December traveling India, Nepal, Bangladesh and go to Dubai to meet up with a friend for the holidays. I'm not sure I can make it to all those countries or that side of the globe, but I'll try. If only I had a private jet! :P

Ted is coming to visit January 2. (our first year together!!) We plan on going to Bali and spend most of the time in Vietnam. My two older brothers are coming to Vietnam for the first time and we will all meet my mother's family together.

This trip is going to be a real treat! A number of folks on my mom's side will be coming through Saigon around the same time.

• My mom and 2 older brothers, Pierre and Paul
  
• My oldest uncle, Bac Hai from Paris, France
  
• His daughter, Chi Dzet, from Houston, Texas
• My cousin, Anh Nathan, from Sheperdstown, West Virginia
• My cousin, "Chi" Diana, during her 2-month winter break from grad school in Geneva (maybe her sister?!?!)
  

Not to mention, my cousin (dad's side) Hiep from New York should be arriving that month for her 2-year stay in Saigon.

My mother will be in Vietnam through February so it will be nice to spend time with her in her homeland. I also plan on signing up for a vietnamese language course - something to distract me, as 24/7 with anyone's mother could be a recipe for disaster! :D

Brigitte, Katie Ridd and Jaime (high school friends) and Michelle and Maggie (middle school friend and soon-to-be sister-in-law) and hopefully Trang and Lauren (again!) coming to Vietnam around March and April! I plan to travel in around Singapore, Malaysia, Phillipines and if I'm lucky, Burma these months.

I've told Ted that this is my 8-month long "bachelorette party" [this is a joke! i'm not engaged!] - but it's really just my really long vacation, and you're invited! :D

I'd love to meet up and enjoy this journey with you. See you in Saigon!! :p

I'm not Thai!

Everyone here swears I'm Thai and will start talking to me. When we were having dinner (3 white girls and me) in Phuket Town they spoke to me in Thai but clearly stopped when I didn't respond. It's nice though, kind of like I have an "in". They are very nice about it, too - saying "You look like Thai lady". It happens very frequently, so I learned how to say "I don't know". My roo kah! It was actually pretty funny because my friends at Ting Tong bar taught me to say it and make a frowny face after. It's pretty effective, haha.

Phuket

August 16 - Saigon > Phuket

• miss flight, but still arrive on time (ouch!)
• relaxed at pool while waiting for friends
• checked into top 5 nicest places I've been to
• bali knock-off movie night: The Proposal (with shadows of people stretching)

August 17 - JW Marriott (1)

• lazy pool day
• met scuba dudes Simon from Holland and Tim from Canada (Tim is now our Thai brother)
• partied in patong

August 18 - JW Marriott (2)

• half-day adventure: kayaking , james bond island, temple with reclining buddha and got stuck in a rain storm
• celebrated Stacey birthday with homemade (spicy!) pasta and cookies and cream ice cream cake

August 19 - JW Marriott (3)

• got authentic locals lunch where workers eat
• got $10 Thai oil massage on the beach
• dinner in phuket town (saw first identified ladyboy)

August 20 - JW Marriott (4)

• intro to scuba diving course - saw a murray eel and blowfish
• met England Lauren and Josh
• had dinner at cute tiki bar on the beach in Kamala

August 21 - JW Marriott (5)

• lazy pool
• met Pat and Jay from Australia
• partied in patong

August 22 - JW Marriott (6)

• lazy pool day
• met DJ Bosco

August 23 - Kamala (1)

• checked into Kamala beach
• raining all day, so played beer games with Aussies, Brits and Americans

August 24 - Kamala (2)

• went to Kata beach
• goodbye dinner at Oh La La - Kamala! - had authentic thai fondue (hybrid community hotpot and grill) that was soooo good!!

Rookie Mistake

My wounds have finally healed... so I will tell you the incredible disaster that I made. It's one of those times in life when you just wish you didn't drop the ball...

I mixed my arrival and departure times, so I arrived as my plane was leaving. It wasn't any fault but my own. What killed the most was the $350 ticket that I had to purchase so I didn't miss my connecting flight to Phuket. Looking back, it may have been smarter to wait to arrive later or go the next day, but it's kind of scary when you're traveling alone and DYING to meet up with your friends. I will wipe my wounds and move on, but it still hurts to think about what I could have spent with that money.

simple thought: Setpectations

Expectations are deceiving. Your mind has already decided on an outcome you cannot control. I have decided to focus more on goals. If I think my outcomes through (which is the difficult and time consuming part) then the end result is much more rewarding and not a pleasant surprise.

Expectation: the act or state of looking forward or anticipating

Goal: the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end

Around HK

It's really neat to be able to come back to a bustling city like Hong Kong. This was my third week-long visit (previously in 2004 and 2008) and they get better everytime. I can see why some folks enjoy going back to the same place for vacation - you don't get lost every turn and you still find new excitements each go-round. Here are a few things I noticed:

Where you lodge is the area you're most familiar and know best. Don't get me wrong, you go out and see sights and such, but you usually end up discovering the best foods and drinks around your accomodations. My only point is when you're only somewhere for a week at a time make sure you pick a good location - it's not really worth the extra trekking no matter how much you save.

The "shock factor" decreases. I remember my first step in downtown HK - boy did it STINK! This time the smell didn't even phase me. Being familiar with the smells of trash in 100 degree weather, consistent sounds of cars driving by, or the random drips of AC water on your forearm allows you to be more comfortable. Which leads to having more fun... i mean, who hates fun?

You learn interesting facts that you just don't get the first time around.

• You can charge your cell phone battery for 30 minutes at ANY 7-Eleven for $1US
• If you see a tall, skinny model-ish looking woman she most likely is a model, but they apparently haven't "made it"... yet
• The airport is outside of the city, so you can check into your flight at the downtown mall (IFC) - this is especially nice when your check-out is at 11am and you leave at 8pm.
• It's more convenient to get off a metro stop further away and taxi home because of the one-way streets
• Pulling your luggage up the Central-Mid Levels Escalator is fine - carrying your luggage down the stairs is not so fine (my, how my arms hate me...)

Hong Kong

I rushed to Trang's house at 7am to get the clothes I had packed to wear on the plane out of her car... they were accidently put in the pile of boxes to be put in storage. Michelle brought me Cinnabon and saw me off with Ted. It was really difficult to say goodbye, but I keep reminding myself I will see them (and everyone!) shortly. Ted and I had a very eventful and fun week together so I am thankful I have those memories (and skype!).

Travel has been pretty easy. A slight delay at IAD (but I was running late anyway), hopped right on my flight (same terminal!) at ORD and then straight to Hong Kong. I was lucky to have an empty middle seat between myself and my new friend, Gunter. He has been traveling back and forth to China the past 8 years working with manufacturers. He mentioned his company opened a factory in Vietnam - I think I will hear a lot of similar stories in the next few months. Gunter and I chatted until we got sushed by the flight attendant, then I passed out until we landed. (Secret weapon: red wine)

I made it to my friend Roger and Kate's "flat" easily and will be staying here until Saturday. They have started a company (http://www.artisteventscompany.com) to showcase the raw talent of local and international artists in the HK area. One aspect is that they host a montly live forum called "Speak Up" that brings in a wide array of untouched creativity. I have high hopes for them - they are a very complimentary team and their love for each other has blossomed into a passion they share: e.v.e.n.t.

Yard Sale #2!!

I convinced Michelle to have a yard sale last Saturday! I like her neighborhood better. The people took the (more than fair) prices as they were. I only had a few people bargain me down hard - one woman tried to give me 25 pennies. Not cool. Her parents and sister came by and they might have one next weekend. I wish I could get in on that one too but I may be yard saled out. $200 more dollars for my Asia Fund and Ted made $50! My huge profits from my last yard sale must have inspired him. :)

Yard Sale!!

I crashed Elisabeth's yard sale last Saturday. It actually worked out really well - we were tag-teaming the customers! They were trying to walk away with every item for $1! And if we said $1, they wanted 50 cents! Ridiculous. I sold most of my items, but not all of my clothes. Only my tops sold - to mother's buying for their 8 year old children...

I'm really glad we got to do this because it's started my packing process. I have 2 weeks to get all my belongings in (hopefully) a dozen boxes... okay, 20?