As of November 15th 2011 Nicholas and I have been together for 3 full years. What a ride it has been! Our relationship has been a test from the beginning. We started out long distance, trying our best to see each other every 2 weeks, Then he moved in with me in Jacksonville going from every 2 weeks to seeing each other everyday, then we decided to move to the other side of the world and travel together, live together,work together. Due to my slight fear of being robbed and sold as a sex slave we basically go everywhere together, and sure we have our disagreements from time to time, but we always come out on top.
This year we are lucky enough to spend our 3rd Anniversary in Bangkok. I've been wanting to go to this restaurant since before we even stepped foot in Thailand. I thought it looked so interesting. I had kinda forgotten about it and put it on the back burner, but Nick being the charming man that he is, remembered and surprised me with a dinner at :
Cabbages and Condoms.
This place originally caught my attention because all the decor is basically made with, well, Condoms. I know what you're thinking, great place to go on an anniversary. ;) ;) But the reason this place exist is because in the 70's in Thailand, many people were having babies, spreading diseases, at a rate too fast for the slow growing economy. One man decided to start an organization called "Population and Community Development Association or PDA" According to their website: The organization started campaigns that were tailored to the health of specific target groups such as factory workers, hill tribe villagers and adolescents. In total 12,000 volunteers plus several mobile health units distributed contraceptives to over 10,000 villages.
Today PDA programs cover over one third of the country, helping to lower the national population growth rate from 3.2% to 1%. The thought behind the name of the restaurant came from the idea that condoms should be as readily available to everyone as vegetables...Ie: Cabbages and Condoms
So basically, it is a fun way to promote safe sex, and population control. 100% of the proceeds from the restaurant go to supporting these efforts. The food is delicious and the decor is hilarious, please take a look for yourself:
Condom Family, and for some odd reason they are white.
Condom Santa and family?
The decor was complete with Birth control boarder condom box. If you look closely it says "Republican size" and "Democrat Size" (They were the same size) .
Our meal was delicious I had chicken and sticky rice cooked in banana leaves, and we were entertained by a lovely Thai women playing traditional Thai music!
And of course instead of mints..... Two Condoms were provided!
The service was great and if you are ever in Bangkok, or Pattaya Beach
I highly recommend it :Cabbages and CondomsThey accept reservations Nick even request a nice quiet table with good scenery, it was really sweet and a nice surprise! So
thank you Nick and here's to another 3 years.... ;)
Thai elections were a couple of weeks ago, and some of you may be aware of the situation in Thailand, but most may not. Just last year, there were bombings in Bangkok from protesters. The 2 groups are "The red-shirts" and "The yellow-shirts" point blank because they wear red and yellow shirts. They are basically like Republicans vs Democrats. One supports The King, and the other doesn't.
Years ago there was this man named Thaksin. Thaksin, was prime minister at one point, but was so corrupt that Thailand actually banned him from the country. He lives somewhere in Europe, but is still heavily involved with Thai politics. He owns all the telephone companies, and still has many supporters.
Election time is pretty similar to American politics except politicians are not allowed to have advertisements on the television or on the radio. But that doesn't stop them from plastering signs all over Bangkok to spread the word. Or riding around in cars with recordings being played over mega phones, or supporters handing out flyers etc. The numbers on the posters represent their voting number. Some have a pretty standard and forgettable image while others like this man below takes the cake!
This is Chuvit, made a fortune in Bangkok soap massage parlors, I.E. bubble bath brothels*. He would pay the cops millions of Baht, in order to stay open. Yet, being the true politician that he is, his campaign is "Against Corruption".
Take a look at some of his hilariously funny advertisements:
Message: The government, says
Chuvit, is steering the wrong way!
Chuvit's message:
Baby's diaper needs a change,
and so does the Thai government.
"Trust" You can trust your dog more than a politician these days.
The result of the election was triumphant but scary. On July 2nd, 2554. Thailand officially voted in their first female Prime Minister. A woman no other than Thaksin's sister, the one mentioned above who is banished from Thailand. He even went on record saying, "She's my clone." While she says she wont let him influence her decisions.
The coordinator at my school told me prior to voting that she helps campaign for her province. The following week I asked her if the person who won was who she was campaigning for, she stopped and looked at me bewilderedly and said, " No one has ever asked me that before, in Thailand we do not speak about it." She seemed more pleased than annoyed that I asked her and responded simply by saying "Yes" with a big smile.
During the elections Alcoholic drinks are not allowed to be sold. They don't want to impair judgement or cause any riots. Their way around this? Sell drinks that don't look like alcohol to the naked eye. Sneaky
Thais!
At the end of the day it is kinda refreshing to learn the way their government works. The whole world is screwed up these days, not just America. As horrible as that is its reassuring to hear. We can only go up from here.
[ I hope]
Cheers!
P.S. This is all based on what I could put together from talking to other people and reading on the internet.
With this hot weather, It was time for a change. So, after much consideration I decided to cut my hair short again. Simple task you would think. Go to the beauty salon. Tell them you want a "bob cut" pay the girl and call it a day.
Well, as easy as that sounds, when you are in a different country and the only hair dresser around speaks ZERO English, you have to make due with sign language and the little Thai that I do know.
In the past I have just had a short trim, but my hair was pretty long. Below my shoulders for sure. So I simply gestured what I wanted, showing an angle and short hair! The woman knew what she was doing, but when you are chopping someone's hair off you want to be sure that it is right.
Luckily, there is a little boy that lives in our building who is half Thai half American. Over the past few months he has taken a liken to me, and follows me where ever I go. I thought he would come in handy this time, because he can speak very good Thai and English. So picture it 2 grown women trying to explain to a 6 year old boy what I want to do to my hair.
"Mai Kow Jai" = Do Not Understand.
I think my hair dresser was just very hesitant. I am a forang, she does not want to screw it up! So she left to look for the 1 other person who speaks good English. Luckily she was here. Mai, our apartment manager. She is all of 24 years old, and has her BA in accounting. Very smart, funny and sweet girl! She came in, her English is the best out of everyone but still not perfect. So she tells me to tell William (the little boy) what I want, then William told Mai what I wanted (in Thai), then Mai told the hair dresser!
At this point I was beginning to feel a little nervous, who knows how this hair cut could get lost in translation. When you have 3 people trying to explain in a different language, and one of them being a 6 year old boy!! She kept saying "Bob tail, Okay?"
I'm like a Bob Tail, I hope I don't walk out of here with a rat tail mullet!
Cross your fingers XX
I just told myself, It is only hair and it can grow back.... In the end I think it turned out fabulous!
and for 80 Baht- a little under 3$ You can't complain.
On a side note I haven't dyed my hair since I have been here.
After skimming through an extensive collection of promotions that our guest house offered, we finally decided which excursion to choose. It wasn't too difficult really, when we saw what was included and how much it cost. When you think of Thailand you think of elephants, it's no wonder that the country itself is actually in the shape of one.
Its a side profile... Do you see it?
So what was in store for us this time? For the price of 1,000 Baht [or 30 American Dollars] It was time, and long overdue, for us to ride some elephants! But not only elephants, this trip included transportation to and from, a stop at an orchid and butterfly garden, elephant ride through the jungle, a hike up a mountain to a waterfall, white water rafting, bamboo rafting, and if that wasn't enough a trip through a local village. It all went down a little like this...
7 am, bright and early we made our way to our Song Tao, (the vehicle I described as a truck with "2 Rows" in my previous Vlog) and met the 2 other people who would be joining our group. A lovely French couple who spoke little English. Luckily for them, Cassandra is fluent in French and was able to help them out from time to time. I myself have never had the most politically correct view on the French, and would have to admit, quite an ignorant one.[Freedom Fries All the Way] The more French I meet, the more stereotypical they become...but more on that later.
You know the saying, half the fun is the ride there? Well this could not be more true. Even though it was so early, the 4 of us were very excited for this day we had ahead of us. We decide it would be appropriate to act like school kids on a field trip and sing any song that came to mind. Including but not limited to any 1980-1990 television sitcom theme song, The Macarena, and Party in the USA. At this point I could only imagine what our 2 new French "friends" were thinking, although the girl did chime in from time to time when we sang a song she recognized!
1st stop Orchid and Butterfly garden. This place was very tranquil and beautiful filled with so many different colored flowers and so beautifully arranged. I found it quite necessary to frolic up and down each aisle. A great way to start your morning, highly recommend it! ;)
The flowers were my favorite part of this stop, the butterflies were a little lame to be honest. There were very few, and most were boring colors like brown and black. This is the best one I could find, but it was cool to see none the less!
Next: Elephant Jungle
After a 15 minute walk through fields and over bridges we could see the elephants in the distance!! I was so excited! Finally, going on an elephant ride and who could ask for a better setting? In the middle of the hills/mountains surrounded by only more fields and mountains! So secluded and not flooded with tourists! Two by two we slowly mounted our elephants, first the french couple, then Michelle and Cassandra and finally Nick and I. Except when we got on ours, we didn't have a lovely Thai man joining us.. off we went into the wilderness with out a guide, just me, Nick, and the elephant whose name slips my mind at the moment. Lucky for me I got to sit bare back around his neck, no ropes, no seatbelt... NO-NOTHING! It was pretty scary at first to be honest with you. But once we made our way... it got easier!
This was the best picture I could take, it's quite difficult to capture the perfect image while mounted on an enormous creature! Over the river and through the woods...with frequent stops by our elephant to eat! He didn't listen very well to the other guides yelling at him, but I thought that added character and grew quite fond of our ride.
It was such a cool feeling to be so close, let alone riding such a majestic creature! His skin was so rough, and furry! About half way through I traded with Nick for the safer seat, so he could experience what it felt like to jump into "The Jungle Book".
It was so soothing, and thrilling at the same time!
Nick felt like he was King of the Jungle!
After about a 45 minute trek, it was feeding time! Despite the amount of food our elephant acquired along the way, he didn't turn down any of our snacks. For a "donation" of 20 baht, we fed the elephants whole, un-peeled bananas. You could tell this was their favorite part because their eyes lit up, they got big smiles on their face, and became much more playful!
It was such a memorable experience, and although we hear they do not treat the elephants as good as they could, I'm glad we did it! After we were done, we stopped and had a little lunch, cashew chicken and white rice!
Of course at some point there had to be a women selling her "Handmade Crafts" right outside the bathroom. Although her items for sale were rather unique. I could spot the Herf Jones "Marines" ring from a mile away, she insisted that she "made herself". I chuckled to myself and kindly declined her offer for me to buy it.
After such an amazing time, I would have been satisfied with just the elephant ride! But, our day had just begun! Where to next? An hour hike up the side of the mountain, to a small waterfall where we were able to swim. I however opted out of the swimming, the water was far to cold for my Florida skin. The view was just fine for me! And after the hour hike, my out of shape body could use the break. Michelle and Cassandra dove right in, shortly followed by Nick and our adorable tour guide, "G". For some reason Thai's don't LOVE to swim! Most of the time if they do go in, they are fully clothed.
Next stop on our jammed packed day was white water rafting, and to my surprise they had safety gear!
Even though we looked like complete dweebs, I throughly appreciated the vest and helmet! In our raft and off the six of us go! Down the river, rowing ourselves. We were not the most coordinated group out there. Personally, I blame the French. On the right side of the boat were Nick, Michelle, and I... and on the left was the lovely French couple and Cassandra. Our guide would say "Row, faster, faster!" and we would just go in a circle, on more than 1 occasion I saw the couple put down their oars! It was very frustrating, as I am sure anyone who has ever rowed a boat of any kind, knows that rowing in unison is the key to moving forward. Aside from our lazy companions, we did some how manage to make it down the river.
Out of one raft and onto another. From the blown up raft (that I'm pretty sure was leaking air) to a floating bamboo raft. This one was much more relaxing as all we had to do was sit and float. After a short trip to a local village our day had finally come to a end.
And what a long yet eventful day it was! Such an exciting way to see more of this beautiful country I currently call "Home". Every once in a while there are those moments where you stop and think about what you are doing. Occasionally, I stop and say "Okay, I'm on the other side of the world. Now I'm on an elephant". The longer I am here, the more I grow appreciation for my life and all the amazing people in it. Especially my amazing boyfriend Nicholas Watt.. who was very sneaky during this trip and put together a beautiful video for me.
It showcases the amazing scenery along the way: I hope you enjoy.
It was almost the instant we crossed the border from Cambodia to Thailand, life got better. The food actually had flavor, the scenery went from huts and cows on the sides of the road to beautiful homes/bungalow. Now don't get me wrong, I feel as though I left a little piece of my heart in Cambodia. There was just something about the simplicity in the lifestyle there that I just really fell in love with. Sure the food was bland, but when you are a country just getting over mass genocide, and all the people who could actually cook were killed off, and the crops were burned other than ones that would make the dictator money.... ya have to stop and think.. <3 (Promise to get pictures up from The Killing Fields soon)
Moving on, right after we crossed the border we stopped at this little restaurant, and saw this amazing view. Our teacher/tour guide Rick said to me "This is going to be the worst view you see". I was slightly amazed. After a 4 hour bus ride from Cambodia to Thailand we hopped on a ferry and went to one of the biggest island in Thailand, Koh Chang.
As soon as we got here we went out to dinner, literally on the beach. The waves were coming close to our table! It was really funny we sat down at the table and our chairs and we were all lopsided from the sand, and before we could even complain about it, servers from the restaurant came behind each leg of our chairs and evened it out so we were all sitting evenly.. quality service! After dinner we went to this little bar with a live band that Rick (our teacher/tour guide) said was the best guitar player he had ever seen. I was doubtful, but as soon as he started playing, I could see where he was coming from. Ya know its really funny and somewhat annoying, but I'd say that 98% of the music we've heard has all been American music, or typical music you would hear in any other tropical area or cruise line. IE: Margaritaville, Brown Eyed Girl, Hotel California.. etc. Except when you hear an Asian rock and roller singing it sounds more like " Bown Eyed Giwl" Makes me laugh a little inside every time.
We then had the morning to ourselves and decided to spend the entire day with our feet in the sand. The Thai's come up and down selling fresh fruit we went for the Mango! De-lish! After my stressful day of sun bathing and wading in the water.. I decided it was time for my 3rd massage this week! (HAHA) Except this time, my view looked a little something like this ....
Not too Shabby... Oh yeah and it only cost me $8. Funny side story, after I was done with my massage I went to pay the lady and accidentally grabbed my "Riel" ( Cambodian Currency) and handed it to her.. Aside from the conversion being less to nothing, Thailand and Cambodia aren't on the best of terms right now.. the woman looked at me like I had 8 heads.. we chuckled and I ran back to my towel and got her the proper form of currency. (Thai Baht)
I've never been to an island that had mountains so I was really taking in the views...
Hahahah All of them.... God I love Europeans! <3 Speedos!
Living the life! :)
Swinging over the water...
By around 4 we met back up with Rick, and he took us to this Seafood restaurant on stilts. Here we watched the sunset over the water and did a little shopping! I successfully bought a cute dress for about $7, and haggled the woman down from about $12, all in Thai. It was a very proud moment, as I was practicing how to say "Discount for me please" all during dinner.
After dinner the group decided to go back to the beach for a little hookah, fire dancing, and music!
<3
All in all, I'd have to say, today was a great day. Much needed relaxation before our busy week ahead. Tomorrow we leave Koh Chang and head off to Pattaya Beach where we will be for the next 2 weeks. Here we will finish off our training and observation hours in real class rooms, I think I mentioned that I have been assigned to Kindergarden. I was a little nervous at first, but now I'm just getting excited. They wont know much English at all.. but as I will be taking baby steps into this whole teaching thing, it will be nice to start fresh with them too! Tomorrow, we will head to Waterfalls, and eat lunch at one! Anticipate beautiful pictures! :)
This place originally caught my attention because all the decor is basically made with, well, Condoms. I know what you're thinking, great place to go on an anniversary. ;) ;) But the reason this place exist is because in the 70's in Thailand, many people were having babies, spreading diseases, at a rate too fast for the slow growing economy. One man decided to start an organization called "Population and Community Development Association or PDA" According to their website: The organization started campaigns that were tailored to the health of specific target groups such as factory workers, hill tribe villagers and adolescents. In total 12,000 volunteers plus several mobile health units distributed contraceptives to over 10,000 villages. 
