24 May 2008

Lazy Saturday. Went to have noodles at the hang out and stocked up at Seven (as they say it)

Watched the junior soccer team for about 2 hours under the tree on the platform, babysitting Got at the same time. It was too much fun watching them play. Pi Tham asked me to join them, in Thai and Jek was like, no, say “fuuutbooll”. OOOye.

Katik came home from the fields with a doll in his mouth, he tried to wake it up. Before we knew it, Sockie had tore the doll into parts. The cows grazed over to our center and when Sockie ran forward to chase them out, the cows chased him away instead.

Em and Ode came over with bubbles, and while Em doesn’t understand that I don’t speak Thai (she just keeps going on and on), Ode, slightly older, speaks to me in hand signs.

25 May 2008

Second Sunday here. Set up for church seems so familiar it’s strange.

Every other minute now, Ode runs forward and grabs my hand screaming Pi Becky Pi Becky! And points to something somewhere that we need to go play with. This is so unlike a week back, where she hardly spoke to me. In the Sunday morning rays, we hung out at the treehouse.

Got and his friend, Ton, came to church today, without shoes. Pi Tig was picking the kids up on the bike she saw them playing in the neighbourhood, she called out to them, and they jumped onto the bike. That’s an entire week of getting to see my buddy. Ton has eyelashes that every girl would kill to have.

The language barrier continued, and even more so today cause both of them went on and on in Thai, with tons and tons of questions that of inquiring four year olds! Maybe important ones I had to answer! I just wanted to cry.

That aside, what truly puts a smile on my face now is when the kids wai to me. When they wave bye from the truck until we can no longer see each other no more. When the older kids want me to stay in their class.

We checked out the Andaman sea gypsies (known as the Moken) area, this evening. These aboriginals saw signs in the waves, and managed to escape before the Tsunami could claim any of their lives. We have some Moken kids at the ASC. They’re definitive.

Before heading to Bang Sak for dinner once more, we went to the coral beach. The entire beach was covered with washed up corals and I spent some time with Em picking up the prettier ones. I was taking it all in, I was.

Tonight’s dinner, probably the most sumptuous in the past 12 days. We had khao neo (sticky rice) with papaya salad, pork, calamari, butter prawns, gai, and a whole lot of other stuff we were just putting in our mouths and letting the flavours burst through.

We sat directly next to the water this time around so I spent a lot more time looking out while eating. I was taking it all in, I was.

I did not come here for a vacation.

But somehow living in Phang Nga, I think everyday could become one. Despite the adversities, the hard work, the Sodom and Gomorrah-ness of this part of Thailand, that is part of the package deal of living here, the beauty in most of the people, all of the food, the landscape, much of the culture – everyday could become a holiday here.

I still believe I have an affinity with Thailand. Chai, I’m minah in looks, cina in speech, and Indian in dramamamaing. But my fourth time here to this country, I’m more than convinced that this is the next place, after Singapore, I could reside in. I will return, with knowledge of the language. If someone from emeffeh is reading this, I don’t mind a posting to Thailand.

26 May 2008

Bao’s band came in today to jam in the music room. They came in one by one in their bikes with the whole vroom vroom entrance. Then the Thai Rock commenced. It was quite good la cause I found myself moving my feet to the music from the office. Very reminiscent of Malay weddings. Same kind of sound, chord progression, shouting.

Got came to ASC crying today. I saw that Pi Tig wasn’t pacifying him so I just had to be indifferent too. Broke my heart to see my buddy, the child with no top row teeth, cry, with so much agony; he had his shirt in his face, and he was crying and crying, and yet I couldn’t pull him to a corner and hold him and say mai pen rai cause he’d need to learn to grow up now that he’s a big boy. So this is somewhat how parents feel when their kids cry and they have to harden their hearts and not give in? That’s very tough – I have a lot of respect for my mom and dad for pulling all that off :)

The teacher from the public school next door brought durians and we devoured it with the kids in seconds. I heard Jek coughing the entire day so while he was opening the durians, I offered him some of my lozenges (Bao thanks me everyday for them). Pi Tig gave me a new title of doctor becky. That’s the closest I’ll ever get to that.

We spent the evening teaching one of the Thai girls various forms of pronouns. We had no idea what we were saying either, but we tried. She’s in the Nam Kem ver. of pre-uni and if she gets the answers wrong, she’ll get hit. They can’t even pronounce proper English words and they want them to know the types of various forms of pronouns (without even teaching them). They hit pre-uni kids. And I rant about the Singaporean education system.

Not ready to go home, but it’s about time.

28 May 2008

I didn’t sleep a wink last night. I found myself chiding myself constantly that life had to go on, detach detach.

I’ve tried to have no goodbyes to this departure because I say I will be back. So why is there sorrow? Pi Lek knocked at our door late last night and gave me a photo collage. I could only say khorb koon kah, khorb koon kah, going back to bed, having to restart the entire mental detachment process again. Didn’t work.

The last day was eventful in many ways. We had a big fight in the school. Bao’s brother punched Gei (female student) from music class; so many people saw it. A relative of Gei was mad furious and this whole drama soon erupted. Relatives rode down to CDC, demanding some sort of punishment for the kid. This was just 20 minutes before I gave Bao a note in Thai and a bag of sweets/candy/chocolates for the kids, wishing them to be good students, and that they might become successful musicians one day.

Bao rode back in the evening, visibly upset by the whole thing. Pi Tig said that as he spoke, he had tears in his eyes. Broke my heart.

Hurts. I don’t know what the outcome will be but surely one of them will stop coming for music class and there goes a talent; morale of the class drops. I hope that Bao won’t be discouraged by the kids being so rebellious of late. I just wish that I could stay a few more days, to see this resolve.

Why do I always manage to choke up on plane rides?

I gave half of what I brought in my backpack. I feel like if I just allow myself one day to wallow, then tomorrow onwards I get busy busy busy, I’ll be okay.

We fly above the clouds. The sky is clean. The paddy fields below us. The clouds, they look perfect. There’s so much to look forward to. There’s camp, Shanghai, Germany, Sweden, graduation.

If I don’t think about the fact that I didn’t get to see Got for the last time, hear him laugh so hard I can’t help buy laugh so hard too; if I don’t think too much about the pretty sunsets, like last evening’s – the skies were streaked with orange, we rushed down to the beach and what a way to remember Nam Kem by; if I don’t think of how I think I’ve managed to connect with Jek; if I don’t think about the kids and the silly games we play.

If I don’t think about this scenic pristine village and how it's almost perfect in its imperfection, how I get to see it everyday while sending the kids home on the bumpy gravel with the wind in our hair – the 2 hour truck ride with Pi Oh to the airport, watching the monks walking along the skid of the road, our windows down, Thai music blasting through the JVC stereo and Pi Oh singing along in his high-pitched voice – if I don’t think about the dogs, and how when I left today, Katik and puppy followed so closely as if they knew; if I don’t think about our moments at the platform under the tree, eating 15 baht ice cream and letting the dogs lick some off; if I don’t think about these pretty things, there shouldn’t be a reason to choke up, to want to relive that 14 days, cause it’s 14 days of the past, and now life goes on. There are some things to be thought about though - what is it that's left in my heart. Why this ache. What is He trying to tell me, and what did He open my eyes to?

Till next time, Nam Kem, you’ve got me hooked.

Missed, but never forgotten.

19 May 2008.

Vesak day. The Thais were on holiday but the center continued work. We had a mid noon snack of Thai homemade ice cream, pumpkin, nuts, grass jelly, sticky rice. It was like Pow! And then 2 hours later, when slushy man came, we ran out to get more street food.

We had potluck for dinner. Pastor Jason made laksa. Jek received Christ, and we had a mini celebration. He took home a Bible and we hope that he truly believes and will live a life of testimony.

The one thing that has been bugging me for a bit is the whole concept of “relief”, “assistance”. There’s a whole group of youth volunteers here, helping in other ministries in Nam Kem. Yet, there are many packing up to go too. We just saw one organisation move out the other day.

When we, of a different culture come into a village, in hope to walk alongside them (that’s how I see it – a partnership, walking alongside. Not “assistance” nor “helping”), I think no matter how good the intentions are, some of us will definitely be coming into this with intentions of self-enhancement.

Do the impurities that we possess, rub off on these locals that don’t need more adulterated stuff in their midst but the presence of volunteers contaminates what could otherwise be a pristine community?

Been seeing quite a lot of stuff on a daily basis that upsets me. While I shall refrain from dishing it all out here, it has to do with the whole “savage-victim-saviour” complex/ white man’s burden. This “us”/”others” complex, optimistic bias about one’s own competence – why such a state? Why always this dichotomy of us and others, why don’t they ever realize that they aren’t that special and we are fundamentally the same?

***

The most beautiful man in the world.

**

20 May 2008.

Daily staple of noodles, 10 dumplings and coconut slushy. School opens, and the kids came in today.

Got, Jek’s brother is this mini-him and today was his first day in school. The minute I saw him I knew this one was going to be a darling. Toto White tried to put on a dress in the play corner and started shaking his Thai bon-bon I think I saw something in the making.

We made little guns out of lego and had a mini battle in the classroom.

Peem started playing the piano, totally getting into the whole Thai pub singer act.

We tried to get Got to use his right-hand so I drew him shapes and had him colour inside of them. I think I love him already.

Bao invited me to sit in his music class again today even though I don’t need to film the class anymore. I don’t think I’ve laughed so much since I got here.

In the evening, Ice challenged me to badminton. She’s like a street fighter chun li. I taught her how to further scare her opponents with Bruce Lee moves. She learnt well.

Followed Pi Tig on the bike when she sent the kids home. Gave me a chance to really see the village better. We drove into the new housing area. It was very suburbia, funnily. Some of the kids got dropped off at dilapidated houses built next to bungalows with pools. The gap. Even here.

As we rode, I ask myself today if I will be back.

Already, I’m thinking of how things are going to be different soon as I start work and will have the financial ability to give and support the work here.

And on the total flip side I casually ask myself if God should call me, if I could live here, and just before I dismissed that thought, I told myself not to.

Do I always just say these things?

It rained so hard and so heavy today, but it was incredibly cosy.

***

21 May 2008.

Went to the market with Pi Tig yesterday, after we dropped off the kids. At 6 p.m. they still had fresh food, and I was so Thai-dressed (big shirt and Thai skirt and flip flops) that I think I managed to blend in like some housewife until I started speaking that is.

The language barrier is starting to kick in. After 2 days with the kids at ASC and somewhat of a connection established, they’ve just been speaking to me non-stop now in Thai, and all I can say is “Mmm”, “bin”, “chai”, or “mai chai”. They ask questions, and all I can say is “Mmmmmm”.

Conversing with the young adults is an even bigger challenge cause they are the ones who approach and start speaking English, and then you reply in English, and they nod, and then you go on and then you have to stop cause now they're smiling and their eyes are puzzled, and you realize they don’t understand a thing you just said no matter how Thai the English sounded.

It’s frustrating (I’m not frustrated with them, I’m frustrated with myself) because there’s just so much I wanna say and all the simple phrases are not enough to get by. The gift of tongues. That would be very awesome right now. But I don’t suppose it should come this easy.

We travelled to Khao Lak for dinner, to a place called Vikings. This Dutch Lady (not the brand, oye), married a local – stayed on in Thailand and opened this restaurant selling Scandinavian food to cater to the throngs of Swedish/Dutch tourists that occupy Khao Lak even at low season.

I talked to her about Denmark and how we’ll be there in July and perhaps what I saw was a tinge of nostalgia in her eyes.

***

22 May 2008.

Fishermen and those living near the sea thought they saw a hurricane approaching today they started to evacuate. Jek cycled back to tell us. Pi Lek immediately called Bangkok. We went out, the kids were pointing – I thought I had saw that somewhere before in Singapore.

A water sprout. Now how’s that for an almost-adventure.

Later on as the rain continued to hit hard on the zinc roof, I stood next to Jek at the gate and we just stared out into the rain for about 10 minutes. He gave me a weak smile; a smile as if to say this is how it’s like here: the constant fear that it could happen all over again but life goes on.

At ASC, we played pretend robots.

Drove to the slum areas to drop Sam off. That area is predominantly occupied by the sea gypsies. People were just sitting around and apparently according to Pi Tig, they sit around the whole day.

Went back in time to watch mini Thai soccer live action. People were watching from the sidelines, and this bunch were goofballs who were very sporting, entertaining, fast and swift, and 20 times better to watch than S-League.

I spared him some lozenges today (just like how I spared Tig my axe oil I’m very proud of my comprehensive first aid kit) cause he is losing his voice and then I immediately regretted it, wondering if he’d have an adverse reaction to it, then, then, I can just dig a hole and jump in.

The funniest thing though was when we passed his place while dropping off the kids, he didn’t seem to want to be seen. As if ashamed of his place, thinking that someone like myself would think of people in terms of socioeconomic statuses when that’s really the last way I ever think of people. Perhaps it was something else, but if he truly felt that way, then that sucks.

I’m leaving Wednesday, I need to remember that.

While bringing out the thrash tonight, Pi Lek invited me into his house, and showed me the tsunami-memorial souvenirs he made. They were lovely, I bought 20, and the kids were making Thai desserts so they brought some over later. Sumptuous neighbour lovin.

***

23 May 2008

When it’s hot here, it’s like Pow! The length of hair is really not suited for this grimy, no make-up, fast showers look. Wait till Shanghai and Europe and blazing summer – I need to find something to put this entire lock of hair in.

Today was video day and we showed the kids Veggie Tales but not even mid-way through they were visibly bored cause it was in English and they could not understand a thing the film was saying. So immediately we reverted to plan B and brought them outside, under the scorching sun, to play. With shoes off, played soccer with Got and he was delirious I could not stop laughing. Dream & Peem (who was role-playing again today; indoors he was walking around with this box and stethoscope, a doctor) joined in. Peem had a pretty nasty fall and when I ran over he quickly assumed his role of pro soccer league player and the 4-year old was saying, mai pen rai, mai pen rai, wiping the sweat off his forehead, raring to go again.

Toto Black tried his hand in Frisbee and the girls beat me flat with the hula. After school, the badminton tournament began again. Jek played beside me and he and his little boy opponent were making pretty funny Thai noises.

At 6 p.m., Pi Tig revved up the engine to the bike and asked if we wanted to head to the beach. Put on my shorts (first time since I got here cause this is the only occasion you’re allowed something above the knee).

What an evening. The sun was almost setting when we arrived.

Next to the beach is the tsunami memorial. 2 walls shaped like waves were constructed and slates of memory tiles were plastered on one side of the walls. My heart sank.

The entire beach was redone though they left some remnants of the wreckage. But it was a picture of serenity, the entire landscape.

Went down to the water; our little dog needed to bathe in sea water cause of his skin condition. We picked shells to make into bracelets and I will probably make a chain out of one of them to remember Nam Kem by. Watching the sun set below the horizon behind the clouds, the presence of a Creator could not be felt more vividly. Dogs were running on the beach, kids picking at the sand, parents sitting watching. It was a picture of serenity.

On our ride home, we kept bumping into so many familiar faces as we rode past, many wais. The village life is much coveted. We stopped at Lay Lek’s house, which was directly opposite the orange + blue boat. The orange boat was the “devil” boat that killed many people and destroyed many houses during the tsunami. The blue boat, “angel”, too was sent slicing through the village during the disaster, and despite travelling miles into the village, it did not hurt a single soul. I went up to the boats though would have definitely much preferred to have seen them at their original landing positions.

More neighbour lovin tonight as Pi Tig made coconut desserts that were ka-pow.

Chan rak Nam Kem.

14 May 2008.

The backpack already weighs a ton (and it’s only 10.4 kg) I did brave taking the train, and carrying it a long while, to the airport, so I do think it’s going to be ok.

Love love airports. Love more the idea of walking through alone. Love love the idea that everybody is either in transit, or going somewhere. Love more just watching – the typical white traveller with flags sewn on his travelpack; the tranny going back for her next operation; the retired couple who look like they do this seven times a year; the Chinese uncle with his flower ah beng shirt going to phuket for some lovin. Stereotypes and the pictures in our heads. Changi is an amazing place to be stranded or delayed.

Yesterday was just a weird feeling. The family threw me a too expensive farewell dinner cause i’ll be gone for a bit starting today and I knew I was a bit nervy, eating, despite the crazy spread in front of me. It’s been a while since I’ve done this. And today will just be the beginning of a two-month pseudo adventure. I think it felt especially weird because I’ve been so ostentatiously comfortable for a while and breaking away from the routine of being home for 2 whole years will be awkward, though I expect, in return, refreshing. It’s precisely this comfort that I want to avoid getting used to, that I am compelled to travel.

***

It was a 2 ½ hour ride into Phang Nga from Phuket airport. Along the way, Pastor Jason stopped the Ford Escape at some of the key places – the highest point in Phang Nga overlooking the Andaman Sea, which currently serve as an evacuation zone; Bang Niang (location of washed ashore police patrol boat TOR 813 that guarded Prince Bhumi Jensen. The prince died in the tsunami). We drove through Khao Lak and the city is in a semi-modern state, the weird kind. Still, I was glad to see the place doing well 4 years since the disaster.

Arriving at the CDC, I had Oopsy and Katik, 2 out of the 4 dogs in the centre, welcome me. It was, not that bad. We immediately headed out again to Phuket (long story), 2 hour ride, then bought furniture for Auntie Sally’s new home in 2 hours flat. We entered a store at their closing time, and the staff was still very gracious in assisting us - chai yen. Phuket also have this really nice furniture store (much better than IKEA) called Index that sells the very gorgeous furniture. They should ship. Had KFC at 9.30 p.m, (I never had Thai KFC) and the chicken (gai, ไก่ ) was literally oil-less, such a departure from what KFC stands for, but it was good! No wonder Thais are so thin.

***

The CDC – not what I imagined it to be. In the early morning and evenings, it’s beautiful here. I imagined the centre to be in isolation, amidst bareness. But it’s in the midst of this chilled out, laid back recovering community; the centre overlooks a big field, where really thin cows graze. The dogs run around throughout the day, protecting the centre from strangers and other strays. Their tails wag in unison when you return from a ride out. At the back of the centre, sits a shrimp farm. The sun sets there. A little tree house is built on the biggest tree, and a swing drapes from one of its sturdy branches. In the next few days, I am to learn that this place is truly a lighthouse for the village of Nam Kem.

***
15 May 2008.

Today is my first official day volunteering at the CDC. I meet Chantel, Tig, Lek and his little girl Ode. We started work quickly, in preparation for school’s reopening next week. Mid-way through, we took the bike out to the local public school, cause Tig needed to speak to the teachers about the After School Care Program. The bike ride was madness! I like. Lunchtime, we travelled out in the truck to lunch. The transportation here is grand. I like very much. I had Ba Mee Heng and Cha Dam Yen for lunch; with flies landing on our food every ten seconds, it was still very yum.

In the evening as we carry on our work in the office, the guys play soccer in the sand, and the kids in the music class strum their guitars to the C, Am, F, G progression, in unison. 2 out of 14, I feel like I’ve been here long enough, but I have not.

Come evening, go sit out in the gazebo with Chantel as we watch the Thais play soccer. The breeze is to die for and over the distance, we hear alongside the crickets, an opening ceremony – the launch of a newly constructed estate for tsunami victims. The man yells through the loud hailer and the people clap. They sing Thai ktv for the rest of the night in semi-drunken stupor.

We head out for dinner on a really neat raft and I had my mini fear factor dealing with 4 cats dashing to and fro from our table – taking turn these things. The prawn fritters were classic and I had my second cup of Cha Dam Yen. If I keep up this beverage addiction, I will be Type-C diabetic by the time I leave.

***

16 May 2008.

Managed to get a little closer to Ode. When we were evacuated for fumigation, she made me a leaf flower by the treehouse. She’s matured for her age, but extremely shy (trait of the thai).

Sat in for music class. Everyday, for an hour, these kids come by CDC. A jamming room was constructed and 10 guitars + drumset + amps were purchased. This was funded by an external organisation and it’s such a great platform for the kids to pursue their love for music. Bao, their music teacher is a video rental store owner by day, entertainer by night and in-between, he teaches these kids music the way he knows it. His method is such a good one and Yamaha Singapore should just adopt it. Every kid in the class can play the bass, git, and drum and these kids are between the ages of 10 – 14. I was genuinely blown away. I was wearing a CNN t-shirt while filming them and they asked if I was from CNN and I said yes.

We went to Yim Yim for dinner, talked about King Bhumipol, HIV in Thailand, and the court hearing. Pastor Jason is a pseudo politician here. I joked that he could be mayor of Nam Kem and they would love him. He’s no farang missionary and the people see his sincerity by he and poh lai living humbly among the people of Phang Nga, dedicated to staying here for the long haul.

When we came back, (there are no street lamps where we are) the Escape’s head lights shone through the darkness and we saw Katik fighting with some ugly stray. The dogs were going crazy so we came out to help by throwing stones at the ugly intruder. I finally felt some connection with the doggies, understanding their territorial instinct and actually feeling some sort of emotional attachment to them for their paternalistic attributes. Yeap that was me talking about doggies. You heard it here first.

I seriously underpacked. I only brought those big junkie t-shirts and shorts (and here, you can’t wear anything above your knees). So, my wardrobe for the next 12 days will rotate between my cargo pants, thai skirt, and auntie sally’s funky hip hop Bermudas. Awesome.

***

17 May 2008

We slept in. Er, till 8 a.m.? Spent the entire morning with Pastor Jason talking about the promo materials. Lunch was a drive out to Prani – best phad thai. Ever. Hands down. Win. It was, legendary. And of course, cha dam yen. Type-C hello! As we sat under the atap restaurant, a horse grazed just to our right. A black beauty. Oh, one of the church members then passed the restaurant, stopped, and past us 3 durians.

Pastor Jason then took me to the “District 10” of Nam Khem. The bungalows had pools and what nots for the farangs. Today was exceptionally warm. We drove with the roof down and I attempted to film a tracking shot only to forget to press the record button.

Close to end of day, I filmed the soccer kids. It was such a sight. There was the fat kid who was trying so hard and I knew he was going to be the best player one day; there was the kid with no boots; there was the really good kid who dribbled like he walked; and there were the coaches, who all tried to action as I filmed them. Along the way, they took off their shirts to show off their bronze bodies. These 19-year old men who are already fathers, come here almost everyday to play soccer. I sit at the gazebo looking at the shrimp farm and the grass plains but they think I’m checking them out. See la, male egos, everywhere the same.

Tonight, we went to Sam See for dinner. This eating house was on the beach, our table was in the sand, so as you can imagine, it was definitely wiped out by the tsunami. Once again, I allowed the dogs to past me and sit next to me. This was a German shepherd. I think I’m close to conquering a deep-seeded fear. The people at Sam See predicted that I was Thai. I wish I didn’t have to prove them wrong.

***

18 May 2008.

The day went past so quickly with children church in the morning. The kids arrived in the truck and bikes and the minute they set foot on the CDC they started running around, passing you bats, inviting you to play.

It takes about 5 minutes for that connection. Before you know it, they’re all over you.

They were so eager to learn. So eager to answer the questions. So eager.

New Light Baptist Church service was in the noon. It was peculiar because mid way through the singing, I got a bit too emotional. I saw Tham, big burly fisherman, singing at the top of his voice, Jek, the young janitor, not yet a believer, street kid on this route to wanting to find out more about God... and I couldn’t help being overwhelmed by the fact that despite us being different, speaking a different language, we adore the same God, and it was just capitulating to see the people of Nam Kem, broken spirited before because of the tsunami, now rebuilding their lives and worshipping our Father.

We spent another evening in the gazebo. Talking about what comes to mind. Then we set off to Bang Sak for dinner by the sea. It felt as if we were just a mile away from the sun falling below the horizon. The waves were crashing so loudly we had to speak above them. The big dogs came by to check up on us as we ate our fish, prawns, squid and gas-less coke from the bottle. The moon surfaced from the clouds, the waves still crashing loudly. Bang Sak is definitely a beauty.

Seeing that this is the last few days before I lose track of time, day, live out of a backpack, and not sleep on my own bed, I should say some sensible stuff.

The days have been very mystifying. I think it’s largely cause I’ve heeded too much of the words from A New Earth. Perhaps blogging in itself is not good for the “awakening” process, because you kind of have to step back in to the past to recollect. But while I’m not ready to let go of that yet, I’ve been trying very much to live in the moment, focus on the present, smell and savour. It surely has been good.

The week was a mash of, another photo shoot I swear I’ve sold my backside to NTU, my last moments of tutoring, going in search of the Eagle Creek, making myself lots of nice breakfasts, cringing for the first time watching jason castro :( finally being able to join Pops on his JB 2-hour escapes where I got to stock up on Aik Cheong coffee bags, race down the empty aisles of Malaysian supermarkets in search for Axe Oil and Poh Chai pills, dash out of the car to buy putu mayam from the Indian uncle selling from his motorbike at the corner of the petrol station; having Shan secretly plan a meet up at what could be my now-favourite place, Keppel Marina, and sip illy's coffee “as if we have already made it” as Shan said and I laughed agreeing and wondering where we would be reminiscing ten years from now. in bkk? heh. p/s i miss you already :(

But what would have to be the mash of the mashes this week was the outrageous amount of research I’ve done – 27 hours just this week! In the process, I’ve enjoyed the process of observing the lwin-awesomeness, enjoyed being thrown a curve ball and reworking the tired brain. But regretfully, I’ve had to turn down meeting up with the sleepover gang (has a name now!) and I wish I could spend more time with my geek number one friend a.m.t now that she’s back. Muy lo siento.

In between the mashes, I’ve tried to settle some travel-related stuff. But the one and only thing that I had set out to accomplish in the past few weeks (this is The Holiday so I had not set out to do anything except this) - brush up on espanol – did not happen man. Que pasa!

I’ve found more great music. The mash is almost complete.