Koh Phan Ngan

These were my last days in Thailand.. I don't think that I need to say much and I don't really know what to anyway. I have enjoyed myself thoroughly and right now, being back in Europe, I miss the life style that I had so much, it makes me sad. However, I am grateful to have met that many interesting people and I hope to stay in touch with you guys!

Last days in Chiang Mai province

I have been getting highly exited and nervous because too many things are happening and changing again in my life. I will be leaving Chiang Mai soon, far too soon for my feeling, to go for some “real” holiday to the islands Ko Phan Ngan and Ko Samui. Afterwards, I will leave to England, stay there for some time and eventually go back to Germany, where I will start my new job in Mannheim in October.

I only have a few days left in Chiang Mai and for the last four weeks I have been on a mission. I have had the urge to see and do everything I hadn’t seen or done yet, whilst being very busy at work, having to finish my project. This means that I have had a chronic lack of sleep and coffee overdoses every single day. However, I am enjoying myself so much and have constant flashes of sentimentality, because everything is “the last something”, like the last Saturday night out, the last jam session at the north gate jazz bar, the last trip into the mountains, the last dinner at the Suthep Vegetarian restaurant, the last time seeing a friend that I’ve spent a lot of whole time with, the last day at the office, and so on. Every time I ride on my motorbike I am thinking how much I love it and how much I am going to miss this feeling of liberty when I ride the bike through the city, with the warm air blowing in my face. Life is easy and convenient. Hungry? Okay, just go to the next street food stall. Wanna go somewhere? Just hop on the bike or some songtaew taxi. Feeling lazy? Hang out in one of the cafes in the sun or shade, as you like, or go for a swim on a hotel pool. Nothing is really expensive. Work stress doesn’t get to me as it does in our Western societies, the atmosphere and lifestyle here makes it impossible. And the best is the nature near by. Not far from here, there are the mountains and waterfalls (where you can have a swim) from where you have a great view over the valley of Chiang Mai with the high mountains near the Burmese border in the back.

Last weekend we went up to Chiang Dao, which lies further north towards the Burmese boarder, where we stayed in a nice resort, facing the foot of a steep mountain and in the middle of a banana tree garden, surrounded just by nature. The weather was misty, there were clouds hanging pretty low in the mountains, which gave it a mysterious touch. Beautiful!

Jazz and basketball heroes

I am enjoying it more and more here in Chiang Mai. It is much more difficult to socialize with the Thai people, because their culture is just so different. They are vey polite, but reserved and engaging in a conversation, exchanging phone numbers or arranging to meet up is nothing easy to achieve! However, I have my circle of friends, or family as they say, in a Jazz Bar here and I love being with those people. Yesterday one of the best Jazz-Saxophone players of Thailand (apart from the king) joint the band plus a 13 year-old genius. Seeing the proud faces of his parents was the most beautiful thing of the evening.
I am also getting better with my basketball skills, reducing the gap between my skills and the skills of the male team from humongous to huge ; ). However, as long as they pass the ball and I don't embarass myself like the day before yesterday, when I had to quietly sneak off because I couldn't take the blame, it is alright! The other day, when the group of about 20 Thai guys was obviously talking about me in their strange tonal noises and than laughing out loud, I decided to tell them that it is not the most comforting feeling for me and asked them to only talk about me in English. I also mentioned the fact, that I'm not only a "Farang" but that I also have a name. They laughed again, but I think, they respect me a bit more. Thais are very shy (if they are on their own - but big-headed when they're in a group) plus girls are supposedly even more shy and weak, so I think they were shocked and impressed by a girl telling them her opinion. In general, the more Thais get used to you, the more they treat you as a special guest and it is amazing, how friendly and helpful these people are.

New Home

I have decided to move into less humid and insect infected grounds... I'm living in a "condo" now, with tens of other Thais in a room that is far too big for me. I feel kind of lost inside and have hung up everything I could possibly find to make it look more "furnitured". During the day it gets so hot here, it is unbearable, but forget about taking a shower to cool down! The water tanks a built on top of the roof, so if the weather is hot, the shower is boiling! Smart thinking. So I lay on my bed, arms and legs spread into all directions, keeping the fan on full speed. What a life!

Meanwhile I'm fighting against the heat, Thailand has other problems and the political situation here in Chiang Mai has been going crazy. The "Thaksin party" has been forbidden because of electoral fraud, there really only is one democratic party left and there have been ongoing discussions about the new constitution. Too much for me to keep track! Good news is that the mayor of Bangkok is doing a lot to improve measures against greenhouse gas emissions and is instigating projects to raise awareness amongst the people. For example every 9th of each month in 2007 companies and households switch off lights and unnecessary electrical devices for 15min to save energy and make a point in terms of mitigation of climate change. That is unusual for a Thai politician.

Chiang Mai

I have finally made it to Chiang Mai and started working for an NGO in the field of climate change and energy politics. It is very interesting, but it was hard to switch from traveling and doing nothing, especially not using my brain, to a 9 hour working day in front of the computer! Not that working here would feel like “real” work, though. I am living in a wooden flat on the office compound which is also completely made out of wood and set in a beautiful garden. My desk is outside with a view over palm trees, flowers, Geckos, Chipmunks and only has a roof above. It feels fantastic! I have a Gecko as a flat mate who likes to shit right in front of my toilet or in front of my door which can be a pretty uncomfortable experience considering that I’m walking bare foot all the time... Recently I am a bit worried that I might even have a snake living with me (they have Boas and all kinds of nasty ones here), because I found an old snake skin IN MY ROOM!! Yes, how comforting. I have not really chosen the best time of the year, because the rain season has set in a bit too early this year (climate change!!) and it really does rain ALL the time. When it doesn’t, I go and play basketball with Thai guys who don’t speak a word of English and keep calling me “Farang”, which means European foreigner. I am also enjoying the Thai food, especially the pancakes, fresh fruits and juices : )!! On Friday I went out with some guys from work and we went dancing to Thai disco music, it was much better than I expected! But there’s some kind of discrimination going on here. I, as a foreigner, am not allowed to wear clothes that show too much skin. But Thai girls, on the other hand, are wearing the skimpiest and tightest cloths ever! They go out in hot pants and high heels and are all skinny like crazy, making me feel like a bulldozer. They look like 15 when they’re actually 30 years old, I don’t know how they do it. Anyway, it was great fun and I’m looking forward to the next weekend!!

Hua Shan, Chongqing, Guiyiang, Kaili, Chong'an

Wow, Iif you are reading this, I have FINALLY managed to click on the right Chinese symbols in the right order, to get this written and posted! I am so happy and proud of this success, you don't believe it. Actually, everything that works out travelling in China feels like a big success. I'm currently in an internet cafe in Guiyiang, which is "starring country". People get together in crowds and stare at you like you're some kind of freaky creature they've never seen in their life. The second reaction is either a continious cow-like gaze or a blatant laugh which will make you feel like an idiot. Surely, a lot of them don't mean to make you feel bad, I don't think they realize that it makes you feel like you're an exotic animal in the zoo.
I now feel like the real travels have begun. We went to Kaili, which is famous for it's minority cultures and market and got to know some Chinese who showed us around. We got to know two Chinese on the train, but by the end of the sight-seeing we were seven. It was a brilliant evening and lots of fun. They forced me to run around in some Miao minority dress which exists out of loads, I mean LOADS, of HEAVY silver rings and necklaces and an even HEAVIER crown which makes noises like the bells of a cow and like this I had to walk around and have pictures taken... it was great fun for THE OTHERS. I felt light like a feather when I was finally released! : ) Well, when we said good bye they were so sad, it was absolutely cute. Next day we went on to Chong'an, what a picturesque place!! Wonderful!! It is only a very small village along a turcoise river and it's warm and there's a lot of green nature (not all brown like in the north). The "hostel" we stayed at was more like the home of an incredibly friendly old Chinese guy real cheap and so lovely! It is on a little hill and the room had a big window with a yellow frame overlooking the river and some bamboo trees. Like a painting. We took some walks into the countryside and joked around with five Geija minority girls. I gave them some tictacs and they gave us some raddish in return, which they carved skillfully with a sickle! They were so friendly and so happy, it was wonderful to meet them. I can only say very few things in Chinese, but together with gestures it is enough to get by and make them laugh.
Alright, time to go again! Hope you're all well!

Macau, Shanghai, Beijing, Datong, Xi'an

This is so annoying! I have been trying to get some pictures (and text) on this website, but there are massive hurdles in this country!! First of all, it is not easy to find a fastish internet. If I do, it is most likely that there is no CD or USB entrance to load up some pictures. And on top of it all, the blogger website has been presented in Chinese, so I did not know what to click on!! Luckily, a Chinese guy who speaks English and was smart enough to find out how to change the settings, changed the language into English. Honestly, it is the most complicated country I ever travelled to. Usually people will speak some English or at least I can read the words and know or remember what it means. That turns out to be a little difficult with the Chinese caracters! Speaking, however, is a little easier. I know a few things now, that make life much easier here and I have met a few Westerners who speak more or less fluent Chinese!!! That is quite shoking and I feel like there is some pressure on me now to learn it too (if the English can do it...). It is already late now, so again I won't be able to write a detailed story. In short: In Hong Kong, people like to do picnics on holidays and sundays in the middle of a traffic square, next to a six lane road. Macau was interesting, a lot of Portuguese architecture, but very smoggy! Shanghai was quite a bit colder and not the best weather, but an interesting place too. Everybody tries to annoy you and wants to practise their English with you. Beijing - I love it! Great place and especially the old parts of the town, the "Hutong", which are the little streets which have not been changed into the modern China. There you can still find the little houses and typical Chinese architecture. They sell dog meat on a stick, grilled chicken feet, mini sharks, sea horses and sea star on a stick, and whatever else you can (or cannot) imagine. And obviously we went to the Great Wall which was fantastic, absolutely stunning! It is so long, it just dissapears into the horizon and it looks like a dragon because it goes up and down along the hills. I wish I could upload a picture! We walked about 10 km of it. After Beijing we went to Datong where we visited some Buddha temples that were built into a cave. We had some troubles to get money here, because there was a nationwide system error with the banks and their computers, ATMs and whatever can provide you with money. The staff of the Bank of China seemed to find it very amusing and was more busy with asking us where we're from instead of helping us. Anyway, now we're in Xi'an which is a great place. It is not as freezing as it was up in the north and people are very friendly here. The city has a wall around it which makes it look a bit like out of a movie or something, very beautiful. Of course, as the Chinese love lights, the wall is light up at night time. And there is one of the eight's world wonder here, some terracotta worriors. It is actually amazing, man sized terracotta soldiers, horses, waggons etc. representing the army of a king which were burried here in a massive field very many years ago. Tomorrow we're leaving to the mountains, hiking some 2160m to see an apperantly stunning sunrise too early in the morning. Alright, I'm going to bed now, hope to write some more soon! Good night.

Hong Kong

...I'm gonna write in English so everybody will be able to read my wonderful lines : )
Hong Kong is really cool, we (Aaron and me) are staying in the district Kowloon and everywhere looks like on the typical Hong Kong pictures with all these lights and signs, completely packed with them! The city is amazing, never in my life have I seen that many skyscrapers spread over such a huge area. What makes it all so beautiful is that Hong Kong itself is an island or rather many islands and so when you cross the river to get from on side to the other you have those skysrapers all around you. It is especially spectacular at night time when everything is light up. They really have a thing about lights, the skyscrapers themselves are flashing and beaming and in the evening there is a light show from the top of the skyscrapers on both river fronts. Great! I will upload some pictures as soon as possible but it was rather difficult to find a cheap internet place that also has USB access, better say it was impossible. That is the bad side to Hong Kong, it i quite expensive. In some areas food is more expensive than in Germany and we had to totally rule out going to pubs : ( Well... for my birthday we went to a Chinese restaurant and the food is delicious. In Hong Kong most people do speak English, but it is already a hustle to make sure I get my beloved vegetarian food, I am frightened how it will be in China!! (Don't ever make the mistake to tell a Hong Kong person that he is Chinese...) On the islands around Hong Kong there is also a lot of countryside and it is quite hilly, so you can escape the city if it gets to much. Tomorrow we will leave to Macau, which used to be Portuguese and still has loads of Portugese influence (second language) and its own currency but is only about 30 squaremeters big. I'll tell you more when I've been there. On Friday we will take the train to Shanghai.
Well, it feels wonderful to be travelling again and I can't wait to get to see the "real" China!