And here I am back at the airport in Korea at same internet lounge  I blogged from prior to my flight to Thailand.  Only  this time it’s HONG KONG!!!  Natasha just made a McDonald’s run because she didn’t want to eat junk.  I’m like “Natasha??”  “Well I need meat. I’m so hungry I’d eat kimchi… you could feed me a burger through an intravenous.” SHe’s currently downing a hash brown.  As for me, I can’t seem to handle any greasy food these days.  STAY AWAY!

I must say the view is absolutely beautiful through the giant glass walls with snow covering the ground. 

Well I’d best get to the gate so Ican sit around while a ton of people stand in line in front of me.

 I’m so glad I’m taking this opportunity. 

Till we blog again.

Hong Kong bound Aimee

In order to prep mentally for our trip, we went to Kyobo bookstore in Seoyheon last night where I bought a copy of Lonely Planet: Hong Kong and Macau City Guide.  I’m attempting to cram it all in over the next 24 hours.  It’s a bit overwhelming right now because of all the choices.  Things will come together when I give it a once over and then bust out my highlighter.  Hong Kong offers so much.  As you know I had my heart set on Disneyland but I’ve just now read about another amusement park, Ocean Park, which is also home to two famous pandas, gifts to Hong Kong in 2007.  Plus the park has a traditional Chinese village area… Decisions decisions. 

I had a fuzzy recollection of a some commercial and now I’m not sure if it was just a figment of my imagination.  Didn’t people get really excited and shout, “I’m going to Disneyland!” in a succession of ads??  Didn’t they???   I’m seriously considering insanity.  No, not because of that… because of the kids-duh.  Can I get a boom boom chish?

Two days ago I had given up going anywhere for the Lunar New Year.  We have this coming Monday and Tuesday off.  After many a travel sight and even a travel agent it seemed that no flights “home” existed on the 27th.  And so I had told John not to even bother his travel agent friend.  But something inside of me felt really guilty about NOT going anywhere instead of the other way round. 

Luckily I went with my gut (that sucker fluctuates up and down 25 pounds like mad) and low and behold there was a flight for my friend and me just waiting to be nabbed.  And so yesterday I withdrew a GINORMOUS sum of money from the 7-11 near school and headed to the bank.  I paid for both mine and Tash’s ticket since there was no room for delay.   She reimbursed me in full later that evening.  And then we did our victory dance.  Or at least I did.

I even did a performance for my kids.  I told them at block time because I knew THEY’D understand.  I felt like Will Ferrel’s character in “Elf” when he went through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops and into the Lincoln Tunnel. 

I decided to start off our class with my BIG news.  All eyes were on me.  And so I began.  “On Saturday,” I said VERY SLOWLY, my eyes wide, “I am going to fly, ” and I assumed airplane position, “in an airplane, to…” pause for effect, “HONG KONG… to DISNEYLAND!!!!!!!”  And I clapped my hands and shreaked with delight!!!  It was dress like a kid day for teachers so why not just play the part?  Besides what adult would take me seriously?  (Natasha – and that’s why I’m bringing her with me.) 

oh DAMNIT!! MY ENTIRE BLOG JUST GOT ERASED!!!!!!!! I’M NOT HAPPY!!!!!

yeah… I’m such a slacker… will fill this one in… hopefully before I get to Hong Kong this weekend!!!  Ok yeah… that didn’t happen… but i do have a ton of pictures so patience please!!!!

THIS POST IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION 

 Once we said good-bye to the elephants and assorted animals we got back in the truck and had a windy yet scenic ride to the port where I’d be parting ways with my friends and heading solo to Bangkok. But first – we dined.

Yes we found a nice little place…

 THIS BLOG IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Happy New Year 2552 (the anniversary of Buddha’s birth)

Yes I welcomed the New Year in on an elephant!  ANd it was glorious.  Seriously I think elephant trekking provided me with some of the most beautiful views of Thailand.  The greenery and foliage was breath-taking. 

New Year’s Eve, Koh Samui, Thailand.

Melissa was up early this morning.  Her friend Gen (short for Genevieve) from NJ needed to be picked up from the airport.  I had decided not to add the island on my flight itinerary because it was an extra $300 I chose not to spend~ thus all the ferries and trains.  I lingered in bed a little longer after my night “sleeping” on the sand.  Eventually Mike and I kind of putzed around the bungalow.  Sitting outside on the front “porch”, we met people from all over.  I struck up a conversation with this man and his 2 year old son who were originally from CA (I think…) and currently live in China – maybe Shang Hi?  I also spoke to this British couple who were probably approaching their 50s.  I found myself to be the striker on this trip – the person who starts the convo and then kind of drifts.  So I guess I was also the drifter…  DUDE…

Mike and I had finally starting making our way back to the main road to get some eats when Melissa and Gen rolled up in a taxi van.  Because that’s the way they roll.  Get it?  Eh hem.  Melissa asked us to go swimming with them but Mike and I were on a mission for food.  We ended up going to a restaurant we had eaten at the day before.  Still good it turns out. 

When we got back I didn’t go into the ocean right away.  When I finally decided to everyone was done and ready to shower so Melissa insisted on coming with me.  A storm was brewing and I love when the water starts to get a little rough.  It was calm as could be until that point.  Melissa was getting nervous but I kept distracting her with stupid questions like what is your favorite song? haha.  We managed to get out before the rain hit.

And did it hit us!  Just as we were leaving the bungalow for the ferry to Koh Pha…  Mike wrapped his guitar in trash bags and the cab driver came with a giant umbrella for the rest of us.  Kind of like that commercial for traveler’s insurance with the big red umbrella that carries people everywhere.  Ok not really – the umbrella wasn’t THAT red. haha. 

The handle on my suitcase was broken on top so everyone that ever tried to help me with my bag had to fumble around.  (Actually I’m not sure which day it broke as I am now writing this in retrospect…bad Aimee.)  The streets were really filling up with rain but luckily the ferry was still on course.  I took notice of travelers from all walks of life.  (That should have been the name of my blog: All Walks of Life.)

Melissa was feeling a little sea sick again and quite honestly it was hard for me to keep my balance without hanging on to a pole or Melissa!  I did manage to get to the front of the boat to take some scenic shots.  Unfortunately it was foggy a majority of the time so that my pictures aren’t as clear as i would have liked.  On the other hand, the drizzling didn’t really put much of a damper on my trip.  Ok well I guess I had to drag my suitcase through mud and sand but… I broke that sucker in! 

Land-ho!  Once we set foot on Koh Pha-nang we got ourselves some tasty Thai food and I did a little video-age.  Planning to take the boat the next night, I went to a travel agent to make it official.  

Enter my own personal little black rain cloud and Winnie the POO.  Well guess what?  There was no night boat so my plans had to be altered and I must admit I was somewhat cranky about it.  I’m not sure why… it wasn’t THAT big of a deal.  Anyhoo I now had to leave the next day on the 12:30 pm ferry in order to make the night train on time which would then bring me to Bangkok… yada yada.   The sunshiny moment – all of us got to leave our bags safely with the travel agent so we didn’t have to drag them around. 

We did a little shopping, chilled on the beach a bit and then, for my sake, we went to a nearby bar with COMFY COUCHES where I believe I managed to nap.  

As for Winnie the POO, none of the food had been sitting well with me and I was ready to just stay on that couch for the rest of the night.  Screw New Year’s.  Ah, but I couldn’t just do that.  I was in Thailand, not home on my couch watching downloaded movies.  So I finally pooped and I was back.  That food had been weighing me down all day and it was finally gone!! 

As a group we decided to stay on the beach where about 20-30,000 New Year’s enthusiasts would be ringing it in.  I didn’t really drink too much that night but we danced like crazy just the same. 

Around 9:30 pm we Tuktuked it to a tiny tiny island called Koh Ma.  Actually we had to walk across an incredibly long sandbar to get to there.  I was leaving sleigh marks in the sand with my suitcase. ha ha. 

I don’t know that there were really any other people on the island other than the small contingency at Mike’s friend’s bar.  So really, the island was quite peaceful.  Well until Jen sprained her ankle on the stupid stairs (which I must say were a bit of a hazard).  Even the countdown was “chill”.  It was fast approaching midnight but the music wasn’t pausing for a countdown.  There were these guys from Brazil jamming and watching them were some Brazillian models.  I think they were traveling together.  Everyone’s like they’re so hot. And I’m like why do I want to hang out with a bunch of gorgeous chicks when I know I better drop ten ASAP?  But whatever. haha.  Well back to the countdown.  

Quite worried I asked if there was to be a countdown.  One person’s watch seemed to indicate New Year’s had passed.  Another guy said we had two minutes.  I’m thinking what is this? haha.  So we started on own countdown at approx. midnight which was the end of celebrating as far as I was concerned. 

The plan had been to stay wtih this hippie couple that Mike knew only we didn’t have a way of getting there.  Eventually I mentioned to Melissa and Mike that I thought Gen should go somewhere more comfortable for her ankle.  They had been hoping to maybe just crash outside by the bon fire (this island was gorgeous mind you) but it was drizzling.  I had utilized my physical therapy skills to elevate and ice Gen’s ankle and kept reminding her that it was crucial to take it easy for a of couple days.  I’m curious to see if it turns out ok after her trip is over on the 11th.  I’ll be a little sad for her to go back home.   Finally we set off across the sandbar and back to Koh Pha-nang where we amazingly tracked down a taxi-van to the hippie couple’s house.  The girl actually reminded me of you Kelly… her looks (though a bit taller and had dreads) and even her glasses plus she was so sweet just like you!  (Kelly is one of my best friends from college~a helpful tid-bit for my loyal readers.)

The place was situated in a quiet jungly area and while I could have slept on the floor inside I chose instead to sleep on the bench of a picnic table hut right outside.  Another night of bumpy sleep but worth it as the scenery was paradise to wake up to.  Actually I woke up to a dog licking my face.  Haha.  But that’s another blog: New Year’s Day 2009. 

Thai police to charge club owner over deadly fire

By DENIS D. GRAY – 

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — The owner of a Thai nightclub where at least 62 revelers perished in a New Year’s Eve fire will face criminal charges over the blaze, which was likely sparked by a countdown fireworks display on the stage of the jammed nightspot, police said Sunday.

Wisuth Setsawat, a Thai-Chinese businessman, broke down in tears as he offered apologies to relatives of the victims Sunday before being questioned by police over the disaster at his Santika Club.

The fire raced through the two-story building with victims succumbing to the blaze, smoke inhalation and injuries from a stampede as hundreds of revelers tried to escape through a single main door.

Police Gen. Jongrak Jutanont said Sunday that Wisuth would be charged with carelessness leading to the deaths of others. He has already been charged with allowing in an underage customer, a 17-year-old high school student who was among the dead.

“More investigations will follow to pinpoint everyone who is responsible for this,” the police officer told reporters, adding that more than 100 witnesses have already been interviewed.

Earlier, police said 13 people were to be questioned including Wisuth, managers of his White and Brothers Co., and staffers of a company hired to put on the countdown fireworks display on the stage of the Santika Club, which Jongrak said probably sparked the blaze.

The death toll rose by one to 62 on Sunday with 31 others in critical condition having sustained burns over 70 percent of their bodies, according to Narenthorn Emergency Center.

A total of 78 patients, including 47 in stable condition, were still being treated at Bangkok hospitals with 17 of them foreigners, the center said. One Singaporean was confirmed dead.

Police Col. Nithi Banthuwong, who is in charge of identifying the dead, said nine severely burned and disfigured bodies had yet to be identified.

Accompanied by his lawyer and friends, Wisuth reported to police Sunday afternoon after failing to show up at the station on Saturday. He denied fleeing, saying he has suffered from smoke inhalation after the fire started.

“I’d like to apologize to the relatives for the dead people and the injured,” Wisuth said as he raised his palms in the traditional Thai prayer-like “wai” gesture. He broke into tears as he tried to continue talking to reporters.

According to his lawyer, the club’s 31 business partners have decided to set up a fund to help those affected by the tragedy and some compensation had already been paid to relatives of 11 dead and injured victims.

The lawyer also confirmed that Santika has not renewed its fire insurance, which expired four months ago, and thus police could rule out any foul play related to insurance claims.

Mourners, including tourists and relatives of the Thai dead, have come to lay flowers at the parking area in front of the charred club. Buddhists among them lit incense sticks and chanted prayers for the repose of the souls of the departed.

Teenagers have also been coming to the club at night with cameras, hoping to capture ghosts in their photos. Belief in ghosts is widespread in Thailand, with some saying they can sometimes be seen on photos but not the naked eye.

I feel extremely guilty because I’ve been home since yesterday at 7:45 am and have not blogged.  It’s Sunday evening and I’m pretty beat.   Just got back from the movies.  If “The Day The Earth Stood Still” is on yer list, I’d certainly skip to the next one though I always find it funny to watch Keanu Reeves speak in monotone dialogue.  No – I’m being serious.  It’s quite funny. 

My stomach has been uneasy all week and I’d love to just curl up in bed but blog I must before the details float away.

So please join me and we’ll all go back to Koh Samui.  Trust me – you’ll love it there!

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On my way back I made sure to get my cds from the Kodak guy who told me that my camera was making the pictures too big for some computers to handle.  And I guess it’s nice that I know how to use that feature now (my camera was an early bday present from my parents when I left for Korea). 

When I finally got back to our bungalow (remember I had gone out running and then went to the PC place where I wrote you last…) Mike and Melissa were swimming in the ocean.  I ran inside to put on my bathing suit and jumped into the water right away since they were coming toward me and would have pulled me in anyways.  The water was beautiful and I had a nice swim.  It didn’t last long as we were hungry.  On our way back to the bungalow (aka walking on the beach and then like 10 seconds on a path) we had some fun with coconuts. 

We found a little restaurant in town in the direction I had explored earlier that morning.  We ordered fruit slushies which were really cheap (like $1 or something) but tasted a bit watery.  Ok very watery. 

I ordered green curry and Melissa taught me how to eat it.  Basically you scoop some curry out of the bowl onto the rice and mix it in.  Then you push the food onto the spoon with your fork and eat off the spoon.  Apparently that’s the method in Thailand though I don’t think they do that with noodles.  Too impossible.  I even watiched a guy to make sure.  But that’s neither here nor there. 

After lunch we caught a bigger version of a tuktuk but since I can’t remember it let’s just call it a Tuktuk with a captial T. 

We didn’t bother to go home and change because that would just be more time and we’d be ok with swimming in the water fallwith our unmentionalbles on.  Oh yes… waterfall.  We had decided to go to a waterfall.  It happened to be on the opposite side of the island so it didn’t really matter which way we went around. 

To make a long story short we had an inefficient driver and never actually made it to the waterfall.  We were close but we would have had to get another ride and as it was getting late there was no guaratee the waterfall was still open (well waterfalls don’t close but you know what i mean…) or that we’d find a cab back.  I was thinking… well we’re driven for over an hour… why stop now?  Yet I also was happy to just get out of the Tuktuk.  I was a little bummed we had spent a potential beach day just traveling. 

While the ride itself was rather long, we met quite a few interesting people.  Luckily for them they would get on, chat with us,  and then GET OFF at their stop while we just kept get going like gypsies. 

For the most part I would start up a converstation with someone asking where they’re from and then just zone out letting Melissa and Mike do all the talking.  Part of the reason for this was my stomach.  Probably not accustomed to the food or to all it’s fattiness, my tummy was a little merky.  You all know the “waves” I’m talking about.  When they got too powerful I just clung to the metal bar nearby and told myself, you’re gonna get to this damn waterfall Aimee.  You’re not getting off this Tuktuk until you do.  (Wish I had known we wouldn’t be going to the waterfall as I could have avoided that anguish. haha.) 

When the driver pulled in to a gas station I jumped off the Tuktuk and dashed to the restroom where I stood on line for at least 10 minutes.  As I’m waiting for my turn I realize, this whole Tuktuk is gonna be waiting on me and they’ll all know I had to do a number…like…five! I remember thinking I’m gonna kill Melissa for not coming with me.  If there were two of us it wouldn’t have been nearly as embarassing.  They might even think we were chatting in there. 

Anyhoo… when it came time for the TP I noticed that there wasn’t any. I immediately recalled the story Melissa had just told me about her mother, an avid biker, who once had to wipe herself with a $10 bill and I quickly reached for the newspaper on the wall.  I know that sounds extreme but as I began to rip off a piece I realized that there was a very good chance it WAS the toilet paper.  I mean it had a hole punched in it so it could hang from a ribbon.  Besides it was from September so you know no one’s interested in reading it.  Old news. 

Once we arrived at (I forget the name of the beach area) we contemplated going to see “grandmother and grandfather rock” but settled for chillin’ on the nearby beach with a couple of dogs.  (No, I’m not talking hairy women. Haha.) 

Dogs, or canines to be clear,  are everywhere.  I think one of the two had a collar but my memory fails me at the moment. I called “mine” Jersey and the one that was sitting with Mike I named Captain KoJack.  Well he had started out as KoJack (I have no logical explanation for this) but since he only had one eye captain was more fitting. 

It was quite nice actually.  Good conversation and good company.  We discussed the book “The Darwin Files” and Melissa ended up trying to bury one of the dogs in the sand.   When it got dark we launched one of these big balloon things that they sell on the beach.  You light the fire on the inside and eventually it rises up and away.  Traditionally they are only to be launched once a year or so but I bet it’s a good money-maker out here.  The further the balloon goes the better luck it is supposed to bring you. 

On our way back to our side of the island we got some Indian food from an Indian restaurant and I made a couple of videos (one for Bijal – yes that’s an Indian name- and one for Brittskys).  It’s a good thing I did do some recording.  I can’t remember what any of that food was called but it sure was delish!! 

FYI – Red Bull is originally from Thailand and the Thai version is supposedly illegal in the US.  I of course bought one to try it but felt slighted because there was no carbination and therefore it didn’t feel like an energy drink whatsoever.  I’m still not even sure if energy drinks give you energy or just serve as a health hazard.  Let’s see how hard your heart can race before your body shuts down. 

Melissa likes to sing whenever the mood strikes her and so our Tuktuk rides were filled with the most random songs.  Like Frank Sinatra, Alainiss Morrisette, The Beatles, Live, Pearl Jam, the theme song for The Fresh Prince of BelAir – whatever!  I think I was still in noo-ree-bong mode from Christmas (see Christmas blog).  When we got back we continued our rendition on the beach and it was quite fun. 

That night I decided that since it wasn’t drizzling I was going to sleep outside on a couple of towels since i had never really slept on the beach before.  Not the best of ideas.  Do you ever lay around and when you finally get up you’re not sure if you actually ever fell asleep?  Well that was what happened to me.  It was probably 6 am or something and it was drizzling again so I went inside on the comfy bed I had paid for.  And so my 3rd day had come to a close.