REMEMBERING PHUKET

I've had the chance to watch the movie "The Impossible" a few weeks ago and suddenly I remembered my visit to Phuket last year. The tragedy caused by the tsunami back in December 26, 2004 was devastating and I cannot imagine how sad it must have been for the victims and their loved ones.

It has been eight years and I didn't see remnants of the unfortunate tragedy during my visit to Phuket. What I saw was a small island that has learned to get up and start all over again. A second chance - we all deserve one.

My over-the-weekend trip to Phuket was indeed very short but it hasn't stopped me from taking a peep at what the little island has to offer. Trips are indeed extra fun when you're with friends. I owe it to my two good friends Obing and Maki.

We enjoyed authentic Thai street food. I was amazed with how cheap it was and my tummy was happy! (burp burp!). The food was really spicy so I was guilty of drinking two cans of coke hahaha!

Another must do in Phuket is getting a massage. It was so cheap so I had a foot massage and body massage all in a day. I loved it! Just what I needed to prep me up for our trip to Phi Phi Island the next day.

On our second day, we went to Phi Phi Island. On board the ferry, I enjoyed the scenery of tiny islands around and the rock formations.

My first ever elephant ride happened in Phuket! Our tour guide drove us uphill to a place called Kalim.

It was a quite an experience riding on an elephant. A bit scary and exciting at the same time.

I didn't enjoy it much though for the sole reason that I felt sorry for the elephant carrying people to and fro like it's some sort of a transportation. I can just imagine how tired the poor giant gets at the end of the day.

The only consolation is a reward of fruits from the tourists at the end of the ride.

My elephant's name was Dao. Well thanks Dao for the experience.

I remember never losing grip of my seat the whole time especially when we're taking a trek uphill. It was a bit scary.

I just hope these elephants get to have a well deserved rest.

Thanks Phuket for the wonderful experience. I shall return :)

MY VALENTINE 5-4-3

It’s Valentine’s Day and I missed the  bus!

I was feeling really lazy when I woke up this morning. I wish I could buy more time for sleeping. But I can’t and I need to work. Choosing what to wear on a Valentine morning took so much of my time. I couldn’t decide.

FIVE...five is the number of clothes that I took out of my closet and tried on, only to reject them in the end. No, I don’t have  a date (I wish I do) and I’ve been feeling really laid back lately. It must have something to do with the gloomy weather. I cannot remember the last time I saw sunshine. It’s been raining everyday lately so I didn’t feel like wearing something nice or fancy. I didn’t want to wear heels either. So I just opted for something a bit presentable in case I bump into my Mr. Right in the middle of the street. Nah, of course I’m exaggerating. I don’t expect to meet my Mr. Right soon so Feb 14, 2013 will just be another ordinary day. Outfit settled and off I go to work…

I was rushing and running so I could catch our company shuttle. I arrived 2 minutes earlier than the supposed scheduled bus departure but what in the world just happened? The moment I arrived at the pickup point, gone was the bus, and I see no familiar faces around so it looks like Mr.  Bus Driver might have gotten so giddy with V-day and left early, leaving me behind. So I had no choice but to take the public bus which by the way means I have to take 2 buses since there is no direct bus to the office from where I was so I know, I’m going to be extremely late today!

FOUR…four is the number of people that I saw wearing red shirt on board the bus today. It’s like four “Happy V-days” staring right at my face! Or maybe more than a stare….maybe it felt more like a head-on collision I guess hahaha!. Yeah people, I know…I know it’s V-Day and maybe it’s just pure coincidence that you’re wearing the same color or maybe it’s just your favorite color. I’ll put it that way…

Just when I got off the bus and ready for my 8-minute walkathon to my office, it rained. Yeah right! How good can this day get?

THREE…it’s been three years since I last had a date on Valentine’s Day. Feb 14 used to be about flowers, chocolates and cute teddy bears back then. I was one of those people who feel really giddy about Valentine’s Day. It’s that feeling that I know there’s a surprise waiting for me on that day and there’s really something to look forward to. Ergo, waking up was not too hard to do and there’s a big smile on my face embracing the warmth of sunshine.

So what happened between then and now? Hahaha! Maybe I have stepped out of that tiny box that limits valentine to thoughts on superficiality. Maybe I have outgrown the little girl in me and have finally come to my senses that Valentine’s Day is just plain overrated. Hahaha!

But seriously, is it really overrated?

I used to say “I love you” too often but I don’t know if I really meant it every time. We are at some point guilty of that. When “I love you” is just as easy as saying “Good morning” coz it’s a morning greeting we’re accustomed to even though sometimes those words come straight out of our mouth just like how soap comes out of an automatic dispenser. Okay, I don’t know if a soap dispenser is the best object of comparison but something like that hahaha! When you say “I love you”, mean it. Better yet, show it. Meaning it and showing it definitely  goes a longer way than just saying it.

Love is limitless. We feel and show love every day from and to our loved ones. Valentine’s Day is not just for lovers. It’s for everyone. There’s always a reason to celebrate Valentine’s Day. In my case, I should celebrate because I feel the love of my family and my friends and that alone is a great blessing. Something that I should be thankful for every day of my life.

From a not so good morning, I have come to realize the deeper meaning of Valentine’s Day when I have finally settled into my tiny space at work. So I sent a message to one of my friends to invite her for coffee later. I have decided that this day is not going to be just another ordinary day. Yes, gone were the days of flowers, chocolates and cute teddy bears but what I have now is something bigger, better and way more special. It cannot be bought from any shop. It doesn’t take any form or any size….it’s just love, pure love and it’ll remain in the next Valentine’s days to still come.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! (and yes, I mean every single word) :)

SAWADEE KA BANGKOK

Visiting Bangkok added something to my foreign language vocabulary. My memory, being very short term when it comes to foreign language did a fairly good job this time. I visited Bangkok around three months ago and I still have not forgotten “sawadee ka”. That means “hello” in Thai. The variation of the second word depends on the gender of the speaker. “Sawadee ka” when spoken by a female and “sawadee krup” when spoken by a male. Bangkok is very rich in culture and tradition. I was lucky to have a personal tour guide. By that I mean my very good friend Pong who’s Thai and currently lives there. I’ve known Pong since we were young. We were pen friends back in the time when email is still an alien and skype, facetime,YM, imessage, whatsapp and viber were not even words yet. But that was priceless! I was lucky to be part of that generation.

Pong was kind enough to tour me around Bangkok. Among the places we’ve visited are the amazing temples of Bangkok. One was Wat Po which houses the colossal Reclining Buddha. Within the Grand Palace grounds was another temple called Wat Phra Kaew or Temple of the Emerald Buddha, regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. “Wat” is Thai for temple (another Thai word -wink wink)

The Reclining Buddha

A view of the Buddha’s feet

The Grand Palace

A miniature replica of Angkor Wat

Till next time Bangkok! Sawadee ka…