Thailand...

If my online absence is any indication of how busy my life is, then you may guess that I haven't even had time to think let alone write. I'll do my best to update, as there have been some items of mild interest, though most of them may just be lost in translation.

THAILAND, March 19-28:
We are not by any means talking about glitz and glamour, but good fun does not always necessarily take G&G. Anyway, I had B&L, Becca--high school friend and current globetrotter--she's been traveling around Australia, Southeast Asia, and now Japan since November; Lionel--big, hairy French friend of S, who had planned a trip to Thailand for a soccer tournament and took some extra time off for a vacation. The three of us made one, very awkward but funny threesome. The dynamics of this manage a trois were perhaps the funniest part of this trip. Becca brings out the wild side of me with her spontaneity and spirit, and Lionel, well, Lionel is just a big teddy bear who I think was just thoroughly entertained by these two out of control vibrant, young girls.

The trip began in Bangkok where strange smells and kooky travelers seep out of every crack and crevice of the brutally hot city. We hung out around the traveler's area, called Koh San Road, where anything and everything was for sale at various prices, depending on one's ethnicity, language skills and negotiating prowess. After our fill of being ripped off a few bhat here a few more there, on Day 2 we headed to the island of Koh Samet (to get ripped off somewhere else), which was a 3-hour bus ride and 1-hour rickety boat ride from Bangkok. According to Becca, because of the tsunami, prices have gone up and more Thai are vacationing in Koh Samet. We found the only bungalow left, as it seemed, at the resort with the big beach "discotechque." One tiny cabin with no hot water, no flushable toilet, and what I thought was a dying rooster in our vent (it turned out to be a gecko), and one small bed... for the 3 of us. Lionel was in heaven (obviously), but it turned out to be more funny than anything else. After teaching the Frenchman the meaning of "spooning," I observed that we were positioned much more like butter knives than anything resembling spoons. The days were spent lounging on the beach, snorkeling, gorging ourselves with fresh seafood and sipping banana milkshakes. The nights were spent being extremely drunk or taking care of the one who had gotten extremely drunk that night. My night was the last one, full moon party, where I ALMOST (but didn't!) had a regrettable run-in with another long-haired Swede. More memorable was the return to Bangkok the next day, on a non-air conditioned mini bus, on which my stomach was grumbling and gurgling something fierce. I just HAD to get off that bus and said so about 5 times, but the driver, having been commissioned to stop at only one particular rest stop, inhumanely forced me to wait about an hour and a half until I could finally relieve myself of pure misery.

The remainder of Bangkok was spent once again shopping, this time in the weekend market, where Becca and I spent 5 hours and bought more than we could carry, all at the damage of only about $100 each. Triple strand freshwater pearls for $15--I call that a bargain! I also got S all of his birthday presents, which turned out to be a pretty big hit. Our last day (Becca's birthday) was spent at a tattoo parlor, where Becca got the tattoo she's always wanted (see the pics!) and the night at a trendy club called "Bedd"--great DJ, and in true Jo-chan fashion, I convinced Becca to dance at the front of the club on the speaker with me. Is it true you're not supposed to dance on a stage in Thailand with a mini skirt on? If so, pardon mon faux pas, s'il vous plait.
Finally finally, we flew to Singapore, which should perhaps more appropriately be called SimCity. I never would have imagined a place so well-groomed and thoroughly planned could have existed in the same hemisphere as the land of 7,000 funny smells called Thailand. More shopping and eating, and I was ready to return to a hot shower and temperate climate. But don't worry, I got it all on camera!