Look forward to summer!!

British summer




When people asked me about the weather in Thailand like how many seasons are there in Thailand, my merely answer is that there are 3: hot, hotter and hottest...I confirm!!reallyyyyyyy hot over there!!! And that makes me leave open-mouthed and puzzled whenever I see a flow of foreigners hasten excitedly to a tourist-laden beach. Imagine... a beach full of blue-eyed, blond-haired women, wearing polka-dotted colorful bikinis lying down beside a macho guy who neatly applies the sun lotion with SPF 30 to her and they both indulge themselves under the sunlight.......
Well, after I came to England, I started to understand why Westerners in general yearn for sunlight and I would never complain again about 'too hot', 'too sunny' coz the sun rarely visits this part of the world, I think! Summer in Britain is short-lived, so at the very least, I have to make the most out of my summer!

It's extremely difficult to choose where to spend a summer vacation coz I have long lists in mind about the places for vacation...which are, for example...
1) Cornwall and Land's End+ rent a cottage and stay there doing nothing but just sleeping, cooking, driving around, chatting, listening to good music... taking a glimpse of British rural life somewhere around
2) Bonjour Paris et ses merveilles! Imaginez! Vous vous installez au petit bar/ cafe au boulevard celebre en buvant a petites gorgees un cafe creme+ croissant/ brioche chaud!! C'est vraiment superb!!! Plusieurs patisseries!!!!I love Paris...it's a culturally enriched place.. wanna visit art museums and buy some books from FNAC.. Or go to Nice/ Cote d'Azur..spending luxurious life like a millionaire (who has only a wallet full of penny coins, not big banknotes!!)
3) Netherland and Keukenhof..actually it's in spring from April to May...to see loads of flowers+ visit Amsterdam and try weeds! hahaha kidding and heading to Hague..probably visit Nong and her newborn baby..um good idea but will have board meeting in June!!!
4)Budapest..I have heard that it's nicer than Prague and Prague itself is wonderful, well balanced of cultural and natural places, so Budapest will be more fantastic but cheaper, I guess!
5) Italia, ti amo! (fourth time) I went there three times and I had really really good time every time with good friends and good food!! I really love the adventure of the first time (sleeping on the train or in a six-bed hostel room mingling with others, trying to go to every place the guidebook recommended, and practise running from places to places). I miss funny conversation I had with my friends whom I went with in the second time. I dreamt of assorted flavor of gelato and authentic Italian food I tried in the third time I went there...Well, this time, I wanna go to Sicily, Tuscany or Southern Italy//Aosta and Genoa as well... I and my friend from the first trip, we both miss Italy so much and think of going there again. He's in Texas now and I'm here.. how can we make it then? but we both agree that one main obstacle of visiting Italy again is $$$$$$$, €€€€€€€ and ₤₤₤₤₤₤₤₤₤... do you know what it is? It's vitamin M(oney)!
Well, still haven't decided yet but definitely won't stick here in Colchester...DEFINITELY NOT!!


Italy, Firenze (July 2005)

Luang Prabang...sanctuary for the soul(4)

Sang Hai 'brewery'



Buddha Images in Ting Cave








2 impressive places from our 2nd day
We had international buffet breakfast (which means American, Thai, Lao) at the hotel..hehehe... Unlike other hotels downtown, where breakfast is served on the first floor/ mezzanine, breakfast here was served in a garden... so morning walk before 'gulping down' some food.

'We started our trip at 9 am and our plan was to visit several places such as Sang Hai village and Ting cave and we opted to travel by boat. The boat could carry altogether 10-12 passengers, I think, but that day, just the two of us... '


Well, actually I should not be a person who is keen on travelling at all because of motion sickness of all kinds so this time I was a bit scared when hearing that it would take around an hour to get to Ting Cave. (I was reluctant even when my colleagues asked me to have lunch at Siriraj pier, which was just 3 min.by boat across from Tha Phrachan where I worked but I was always seduced by hundreds of food stalls and nice iced coffee there!!).

Well, miraculously, no seasickness this time...because of 1) fresh air 2) felling asleep for some time 3) nice scenery....and finally we got there, Sang Hai village.

Sang Hai village
Thailand and Laos share long lists of resemblances, one of which is language--especially in terms of word cognates; the name Sang Hai in both languages means to mold an earthern jar (Sang means to build; Hai means an earthern jar). Once the village here was famous for molding different shapes of jar but these days what villagers do for a living is brewing and selling traditional alcoholic drink and weaving silk and cotton.

Once stepping into Sang Hai village, which is situated by the bank of the river, we were attacked by a strong smell clinging in the air around us. We sniffed around and around, discussing what a smell was! And eventually when we looked to the left and saw bottles and bottles and bottles lining up on the table, we totally got it! The smell of liquor! (This reminded me of the first line of Emily Dickinson's poem 'I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed').

Traditional way of brewing liquor was so impressive as they would not require a huge flock of child labor like in a capatalist factory but just 'few good men' who seemed industrious enough and had a good husbandry of the 'brewery'. The way to brew the liquor was to steam sticky rice until it's done then put the rice into the earthern jar and then brew. Well, the material was also important!!If the selection of exactly ripened grapes is the ultimately crucial secret recipe for making the loftiest wine, the quality of rice is the equivalent for brewing liquor! The nice smell of alcohol pervaded all around the village and I could hardly resist the temptation to 'taste the liquor already brewed' hahaha!

Ting Cave
We took the boat around 30 minutes from the village to Ting Cave. From afar, we could see a huge cliff and cave with several steps leading to a semi-open entrance...Though approaching nearer and nearer, we still could not guess what was hidden inside the cave. If you took a kid with you, they would definitely think it was a 'treasure island' and to enter into the very heart of the cave, you should cast a spell like ' Open Sesame' !!
Well, just climb up a few steps we would see what was there!

Loooooots of buddha images of assorted size in a huge stalactitic cave, I would say. How come this place housed thousands of buddha images was unknown. However, according to the tour guide nearby, in the past Ting Cave was a place where occultists came to perform ritual ceremonies and to pay homage to spirits, souls and gods. Around the 18th-19th century, thousands of Buddha images were accidentally discovered and housed there since. Wow!!

3 unforgettable things from the 3rd day





Three following things I would mention may seem so commonplace for many readers and you may think why I was so crazy in being impressed of these three things...Anyway, one has his own's taste, doesn't he?

1) Offering sticky rice to the monk:
Actually, I should not be so excited to offer food to the monk in the morning coz it is supposed to be a common practice in any Buddhist country. But I would say the religious belief, practice, faith and devotion in Bangkok has been terribly faded with the changing facade of the society where money is instead every one's God and life is extremely hasty! I really had a nostalgic feeling for charming things in my childhood--my family and other neighbors often got up early to offer food for the monks, at least ten monks per day, and they gave us a blessing which comforted our soul and was a sign of kicking off a good day. But these days, it is likely that everyone is so busy busy and busy and forgets what they did in the past (of course including me!!).
Well, strong religious faith of Lao people in Luang Prabang was really touching; kids helping their parents/grandparents carrying ' kratip' (container) of sticky rice, staying in line waiting for monks. Around 100 monks will parade through the street every day and the oldest monk will come first and the youngest last. Even young novice seemed so calm and respectable.

2) Morning market+ morning coffee
Very colorful and vibrant market...Vegetable of every color+ high-pitched sound of kids of every age shouting to attract customer's attention and helping their parents doing ' business'...running wild through the market...

Also we both went to one famous coffee shop...no no the name is not something like 'cafe de Paris au boulevard de St. Germain'!! The name is much striking ' Raan Cafe Pracha Niyom', which means coffee shop which people favor and the reason is the coffee shop owner always smile and make a friendly conversation with customers.

They sell Lao-styled coffee, tea and Pa Tong Koh (sth like Chinese doughnut). Everyone has to sign the guestbook as well... hip, isn't it??

3) East-Meet-West baguette
I named it! This is one of the specialty here.. It's East-Meet-West because they used French baguette but stuffed with Lao-styled sausage, chilli sauce, chilli paste, crispy pork and mayonnaise..I like such a fusion food sometimes...it is like to do whatever to suit your palate and taste!!

Luang Prabang...sanctuary for the soul (3)

On the way up to Phra That Poo Si







Night market
Phra That Poo Si and sunset scenery









We wandered around the 'high street' of Luang Prabang for a little while to take a glimpse of temples and monasteries around there and when it came to the close of day, we hastened to go up to pay respect to the Lord Buddha footprints up there.. I said 'up there' because we had to climb up almost 300 steps (I was trying to count but unfortunately, I was busy chitchatting with my friend and couldn't count the steps properly) to arrive at the top of the hill. Aside from being a landmark of worship for Buddhists, this is in itself a place where you can capture a panoramic view of Luang Prabang...quite nice but too crowded (We saw the heads of people rather than the view itself!) Well, this reminds me of several religious sites on earth where you can simultaneously run the eyes over what's going on below. Examples of such places are Duomo in Florence (I remembered I was almost faint climbing up there--I was just 22 years old at that time!!), Angkor Wat (I was 23 at that time..felt worse than climbing up Duomo), Po Lin temple in Hong Kong where the big Buddha image was housed (you can see natural beauty of HK..really beautiful and contrast to Nathan road or Tsim Tsa Tsui!!), other several places in northern parts of Thailand (Doi Suthep etc.). Anyway,it's like killing two birds with one stone!being a good Buddhist and good tourist..hehehe

We came down after several shots of photos and that was the time when night market got going! It is quite a relaxed atmosphere compared to night market/ night bazarre in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, where you can select from a pool of products but fail to bargain the price with 'professional business owners'. But here, lines of products were quite limited, just textile (specially weaved silk and cotton--tablecloth, scarf, blanket) and lanterns made from 'Saa' paper but the price was approximately the same and they let you bargain the price--successful or not depends on ur trick!!(The trick that I always use in bargain the price is just to tell them that 'if u don't sell me for that price, which is sometimes extremely low (heheh I know), I won't take that'. It works out well many times though...

Well, I was impressed with the way things were sold and bargained here. My friend is a real shopaholic (she herself confessed) and she tried on scarves of every pattern and color and while she was asking me for comments, the seller told her in local language (also with a heartfelt smile) that 'whatever color suits a beautiful person like you' hahaha.. and definitely, lured by her compliment, my friend did not hesitate to buy three of them. I couldn't help smiling both because of my friend's overjoy of being admired and the seller's innocent way of attracting customers... 'The shopaholic gangster was easily seduced this time!' We just realized when arriving at the hotel that we were both handful of shopping bags and we bought altogether almost 10 scarves!!! huh..

(To be continued, Mekhong 'cruising', Ting Cave, Waterfall etc.)

Luang Prabang...sanctuary for the soul (2)

(continued)





There's a Thai proverb saying that 'Kong Tab Dern Duay Tong', which means an army can proceed only if soldier's stomach are filled with food..and we both as well...after eating up everything, we started to explore Luang Prabang, a jewel of Asia.

I was so delighted that UNESCO was 'quick enough' to reserve Luang Prabang as one of the world's heritage sites so there's still a sanctuary on earth where the 21-century technological advancement and a cultural reminiscent from prehistorical periods onwards are harmoniously blended. We could stay comfortably in a hip, posh hotel whose architectural design follows the 20th century minimalist (and other) movement but just a few steps from there we could also take a glimpse of ancient Laos/Lanna-styled temples with luxurious embellishment of gold. It's a place where words like 'cunning, tricky, hectic, traffic jam, pollution' were of limited use...I wish I could turn back time and we could reserve Chiang Mai like that as well...But life has to go on, doesn't it? Better look at what to see in Luang Prabang...






Wat Xiang Thong







I selected Wat Xiang Thong as my first destination as it is claimed to be one of the oldest temples here. From afar, we could see the shimmering of the gold on the roof contrasting with the outstanding dark red-colored facade.
This specific architectural style reminded me of some Lanna-styled temples in northern parts of Thailand I ever visited.


--the roof








mural decoration--


There is another hall situated nearby whose walls depicted several anecdotes from Ramayana, a famous Asian epic (if I remember correctly) Into my eyes, the use of small pieces of glass to retell the story is a very creative artistic means. Apart from that, I really admired the intellect of our ancestors who could mix practicality (or utility) and aesthetic together. They made use of every square inch of the wall to convey a moral lesson or express the beliefs in Buddhism.

Also, this mural art made me realize the ingenuity of mankind and the universality of art. We had first mural painting since prehistorical era but in not as sophisticated as it is now..just use the color or whatever material that they had to narrate what was going on...And was it just a coincidence that man from different corners of the world had quite similar inventiveness to portray the story given that globalization didn't come into play yet?...hahaha with head, heart and hands...we can create everything (hopefully i can create a nice PhD thesis!!!)

Well, I visited other monastries in Luang Prabang as well... I was not so good at history so don't expect me to give a precise historical account of which period those temples were built. You may find guidebook more informative than I am...But here are some of my most impressive scenes from monasteries in Luang Prabang.

first left-depiction of the story (mural)



second- 'thep' (god and goddess)







--routine of the monk--cleaning the temple,



--signalling the time by the drum





(My first day hasn't finished yet..to be continued!)

Luang Prabang...sanctuary for the soul (1)

Kati and Tae in Luang Prabang








When I was young, Laos was the last destination on earth that I would ever thought of for travelling, partly because of my own cultural naivety--I really didn't know what to do or to see. My merely impression for this "beloved" neighboring country was that I would be able to eat authentic Som Tam Pla Ra (papaya salad with fermented fish)..That's it!! Apart from that I really had no idea...Until the time when Laos became the most desired destination for foreigners and I saw several ads around me, I couldn't help being seduced by peaceful, scenic view of the Mekhong River embraced by several gigantic mountains and stunned by the magnificently decorated temple. So, no need to hesitate...pack my bag and kick off my trip with Tae, one of my dearest friends.

first day first day first day first day first day first day first day first day

Well, if Luang Prabang were a guy, I would definitely fall in love with him at first sight because of his gentleness, innocence and douceur...I fell in love with Luang Prabang since my first step at the airport.

It was totally a sharp contrast to other modernized, high-tech airport in either Hong Kong or Singapore where you could shop (till you drop), picking this and that from lines of brand-name counters, and feel the westernized, business-oriented atmosphere...Luang Prabang airport was a simple one-storey building, partly air-conditioned and open air. No hundred lines of luggage belts, no grim and stern look from immigration officer (who is ready to examine every single spot on your face!!), no complicated baggage check... Instead, you would receive a sincere smile from immigration officer and a friendly greeting in local language and wish you a pleasant stay there...

After all official immigration process, we went straight to leave our stuff at the hotel, the Grand Luang Prabang, which is real 'GRAND'--superb facilities (I really like Laos TV program!) and formidable service...
**The most important** the terrace of my room faced the river.. Just sitting there is a real blissful moment...swept by continuous current of warm breeze, hearing little voice of birds and squirres, letting your eyes wander around to indulge urself with unlimited natural resource and thinking of happy moment in your life...and then falling asleep hehehe...Well, I woke up a bit later because my (and my friend's) stomach began to signal that it's lunchtime already!!

food food food food food food food food food food food food food
Laotian food is quite similar to Thai, except that the test is much milder (don't believe me that much about what is spicy or not... I eat extremely spicy compared to other Thai). We ordered four dishes together.

Rice--several countries in Asia eat rice but rice differs from place to place. Laotian rice is bigger and stickier than Thai's.
Fried egg--Fried egg is one of my most favorite dishes.Wherever I go, I always order fried egg and my family always give me a strange look and say 'come on you can eat it at home'. Anyway!! Fried egg here, it's like Thai-styled omelette which the egg is seasoned with fishsauce and semi-deep- fried. I didn't really like it here coz it's not crispy and fluffy like in many food stalls in Bangkok...but every place has its own style, i believe!

Tam Bark Hung or Som Tam(papaya salad)-- I dreamt of eating Som Tam in Laos for a long long time and it didn't disappoint me at all! The light green slice of raw papaya (which the restaurant owner claimed that papaya itself was freshly picked up and grown without chemical fertilizer) was blended perfectly with half-sliced cherry tomatoes, fish sauce, chilli, garlic, peanut, sugar, and I was told that for original recipe you should put Kapi (or shrimp paste) as well. You can also add Pla Ra (fermented fish) if you feel like (** be careful for those who have never tried it b4..it's a bit salty)

Laap-- It's a minced pork salad mixed with spices, Laos coriander, chilli and rice grain (original one should be made from sticky rice), fish sauce... You will get an assorted taste--salty, sour, spicy...

(Will continue this later... i'm so sleepy now...piles of work needs to get done...so lazy and not really motivated to study these days... don't know why..mayb because of Korean soap operas!! don't start watching it otherwise you couldn't stop)

Travellers..Come in and share our experience!

If you met "Kati... The Laziest Dude" when she was in school, you would never think that she would become a backpacker (or even a traveller) at all.. The only few sources of pleasure that she had were just 'eating in' or 'dining out'... Travelling in her personal definition was merely restaurant tour!! .......But that Kati was transformed to be a bit more 'active Kati' when she found ultimate enjoyment in travelling to a hilltribe village in undergrad life and that was the first inspiration of roaming around to gain unlimited experience from every single precious journey.

Well, this blog welcomes all those who adore travelling and if you want to share experience of your journeys (well, not only 'journey' in literal sense but spiritual journey, life journey, academic journey(!!!!!) or others as well) , please feel free to do so... I will keep posting some anecdotes of my travelling experience...Last but not least, I agreee with Emily Dickinson that 'there's no frigate like a book to take us lands away' but for a lazy reader like me travelling is undeniably a good alternative!

Amphawa..Floating market, Food, Foot massage, Fireflies and Friends!

Travelling is one thing in life that I always give a priority to especially when I feel really tired of my hectic, commonplace lifestyle and want to re-energize myself or seek for a private 'realm'. This time, friends of mine who were fed up with Bangkokian lives asked me to go to Amphawa and yes, it's the right choice!

Well, don't expect series of brandname shops on a high street or a statue of a famous person there! Not too much tourist-laden, it's just a small village where you can experience a floating market, wide varieties of food, foot massage, and a boat trip to see fireflies at night. But the most important thing, you can sit back and relax and feel a touch of warm, friendly atmosphere.

Floating market+ Food
Unlike other famous or touristy floating markets, sellers here do not wear typically similar uniform or price the things unbelievably high; on the contrary, everything is unrealistically cheap!! Imagine the canal full of boats, where there are wide selections of food..like boat noodle, Thai fishcake made from banana plant, grilled king prawns and squid, satay, Thai-styled spicy salad.. Oh my god, I'm mouth-watering right now..

Fireflies
If you don't know what a firefly is, it is just a small insect which can shine at night. Through the darkness you can see loads of tiny living creatures with golden bodies moving back and forth!! It is as if we had twinkling golden little stars close at hand...

Foot Massage
Foot massage here is exceptional..Not only the magic of Thai massage that can fantastically cure muscle pains and strains but also a nice warm breeze that can lull you to sleep and wipe out your stress... Believe me.. after the massage, you will no longer frown but put a very big smile on your face..

Postcard shop
Actually the owner of the shop is my friends' friend, who is an artist. Familiar scenes from everyday life were shotted, portrayed, and given a title...Can't believe that just a simple photo with a string of right words can convey a philosophical insight into reality of life..some thoughts that we would never think about when we are preoccupied by unnecessary errands in a hasty city life....Sitting back, relaxing, chitchatting, observing people around..that's enough, isn't it?

Last but not least, thanks all my friends (Yod, Namon, Eh, Kookai and P'Jack) for this...