Anyway, I'm back to it tonight before I head to Bangkok again this Friday and London/Amsterdam the following weekend! Now or never, I'll just spurt out a few of the highlights and keep it crispy.
Flashback to late December, when I was on my annual Christmas trip to Hong Kong to visit family and friends. It's always nice to get back to Sai Kung and chill out with my little brothers when I can. The pace of my life has accelerated so fast since I left college, I almost need a slow down every few months just to keep sane, smell the flowers, take a breather, or [insert another vacation break cliche here]. This time I was joined halfway through my trip by Nick, Mona, and Kae.
*Chillin' in Tsim Sha Tsui with Nick, Mona, and Kae
Having company in HK can only be a positive - it's such a vibrant city with so much to share in terms of eating, drinking, and shopping. Best done in a small, enthusiastic group (like most trips really). Always good to catch up with my brother Dar and my honorary brother Brian too. A part of me really wouldn't mind living in HK for a few years, and the other part of me knows that would take twice as many years off my life!
*Hiking with the family
*Hiking with the family
I've roamed these hills in our backyard countless times, but it never gets old. So hard to find the time and/or location to do this regularly in Singapore.
*Hiking with the family
My Dad and close family friend Paul never cease to rag on me about various embarrassing and mostly childish topics from years ago. "Oh you want to play a game of Risk with us and cry again because we ganged up on you hmmm?" Okay, I get it, that was 13 years ago...and you did bloody gang up on me you cheating b*&t^#ds! haha. Can't forget the steroids jokes or quips about Thai ladyboys. Sigh..
*Ocean Park with the boys
Ocean Park, another classic destination with my brothers. I used to go here as a kid...and the food is STILL terrible. That said, never a boring day - but the trick is to go on a weekday to avoid the clog of tourists, mostly from mainland China.
Did I mention my little bro James has joined facebook? He is 12. What has this world come to? I'm slightly scared by the fact that he will see all of my somewhat misleading party photos and think he should start up soon, but I know he is sensible and hates the taste of beer...for now.
*Catching up with the Brians at Dragon-I
I celebrated Dar's Christmas Eve birthday a night early with Brian, and ended up out until 9am. Those karaoke rooms with no windows and all whisky really get you. At the time, I needed that though. I didn't need the Mcdonald's delivery at 3pm when we woke up, but nonetheless, I scarfed that lard down. Grease and hangovers, they go hand in hand.
*Central
With the Bangkok crew I paid a visit to my usual HK stops - Mongkok, Tsim Sha Tsui, Sham Shui Po (Golden Computer Center - an electronics haven), and a Japanese/Korean bbq place called Moriachi. A few sakes bombs later (which were totally new to Nick/Mona/Kae), and we were drinking beers in front of a Kowloon 7 Eleven, laughing our heads off!
*Kae's first sake-bomb, yes it's THAT exciting
Randomly one day I bumped into my bud from the Philippines, Reggie, on the streets of TST. Out of all the people in the huge swaths of sale crazy crowds, he walks by and says what's up. It's a small world after all...
*Bro's at New Year's Eve
HK at New Year's...packed, messy, and overrated. But fun regardless!! Andrea and her gang, as well as Kristina and Mike, ended up joining the action at Fringe Club. We met a Singaporean lesbian named Ling that mingled with us all at first and later revealed she really liked my girlfriend. Free flow cheap house pour spirits is a dangerous dangerous party feature. I was carrying Kae home by 3am, only 2 minutes after getting to the after-party :) I had a worse hangover than her the next day though, which really turned me off to drinking. I even put some alcohol restrictions in my New Year's Resolutions, which were promptly all broken or bent by March. I AM trying though! Perhaps my resolution list shouldn't have been so ambitious.
*New Year's Eve party in Lan Kwai Fong
Random thought: I never truly had full view of how much some sectors of the finance industry renumerate their rank and file. I mean, is that lucrative level of compensation really necessary to be competitive in attracting the best relevant talent, or is there a bit of an old boy's club element going on here, from historical precedent of pocket lining and elitism? AIG is just one example of compensation injustice (not that I'm claiming that the world is a fair place - far from it), made compoundedly more detestable by the fact that arguably undue bonuses are being paid for largely by middle income taxpayers, most of which don't even understand the current economic crisis at the most rudimentary level. A friend said that perhaps with the latest exodus of top financial talent, the world might become a better place with those homeless folks moving into NGOs, industry, and/or government. Maybe...but after more thought, the little pessimistic part of me wants to say "no, those guys are all too greedy and their skill set actually doesn't fit very well in other sectors where they aren't given the same firm-specific tools and formula's that they are used to." That's being quite generalist, negative and closed minded, but I still have my doubts as to the society-wide value that the average bunch of disgruntled ex-finance professionals will graciously add after what they have gotten used to. Times were very very good for a while! And most still got huge redundancy packages as a farewell thank you note. Again, really necessary? How do they get away with this? HR must not be very ruthless with OH controls.
I read somewhere that the average Nintendo employee gets paid roughly US$100k a year and returns the bottom line value of $1.3m. That looks like a damn good business, and generally a win-win situation. The average guy at Lehman Brothers made US$500k a year and returned about $1.2m. And now the validity of that returns figure comes into great question given the range of asset types that may have made up that valuation that now are almost worthless. Does that ratio really make sense? I know it's not really directly comparable but regardless, the numbers stare anybody in the face and should at least spur some questions about fair value and viable business models.
Most folks will never get rich working for the man...except in some parts of finance apparently.
*New Year's Eve party in Lan Kwai Fong
I managed to dig up some ancient childhood photos from my Dad's dusty albums at home. It's a funny, pleasant feeling staring at your toddler self. I was particularly happy to see photos of my grandfather, who passed away before I reached 10. He was a sturdy, simple man of great character and I wish I had gotten to know him better. I still have a picture of him in his 1938 British Grenadier Guards uniform framed at home. He was the regiment's boxing champion and a 6'4" beast.
*With Grandpa and my little sister, I was around 3 years old
On the way back to Singapore, I reflected upon the positive fact that I stayed away from facebook most of the time, and felt refreshed to head back into the office. The middle seat between two very overweight snorers annoyed me, but good thing I was on a holiday high.
I discovered something about myself over that vacation - I enjoy planning things. Whether they be marketing plans for the next year, a party get together, or a holiday with friends. Most people look at thorough planning like a chore, but I think of it differently. I'm not quite sure why, because the event itself is always the real fun. Maybe I just want to get the most people I know doing something I feel is particularly enjoyable? Maybe it's because I'm so damn busy doing SOMETHING all the time, sitting back and planning helps keep my head level and my mind at ease. I do hate stress, last minute changes, and flakiness. Oh well, planning ahead can't be a bad thing, but I gotta sense check I'm not planning everyday of my life for the next 3 years instead of just taking it easy when I've got free time. God knows I need more of that though.
*Butter Factory with the twins and Ciroc
Of course, what do I do only a week after being turned off to drinking? Butter Factory! Hey, it was closing down it's old location soon, is that a good enough excuse? Good by me. The wandering around Zouk afterwards til 5am, tired and tipsy like a zombie? Not so good.
Forgot to mention, I celebrated my 24th birthday in Hong Kong with the family and received a bunch of thoughtful presents. I also tried to get a Blackberry Bold for myself and Kae, but a million problems with the Mongkok stock I bought later and I was completely turned off to getting one. Maybe next year. I need less time online anyway.
*Butter Factory
*Butter Factory
At work we had a South East Asia workshop in Singapore in January to review our performance thus far (not so great) and initial planning for the fiscal year beginning July 1st. Exciting and motivating stuff, considering how deflated many of us felt with the economic crisis beginning to strongly affect our business.
*My security guard asleep
Oh Telok Blangah, convenient for Vivo, Sentosa, and St James but right next to a huge smoggy road and not as close as I'd like to be to the office. I decided to move in with my mate Nick 5 minutes walk from One George Street and directly across the street from Cafe Iguana on the opposite side of Clarke Quay. Chaching!!! So far, so good. I get a bit more sleep in the morning and a lot more time at night. That said, I've been spending longer hours in the office just because my apartment is so damn close I don't have to worry about wasting time commuting.
*Superdog Chilli Cheese Fries at Vivo City - delish!
What would a month be without a trip to Thailand? Back in Bangkok in mid January, I spent my weekend catching up with friends at a beer garden, Boone's birthday party @ Fit, and BB gunning outside of town. I caught "Yes Man" at the movie theater too, which was quite funny but nothing special, like many Jim Carrey movies. I did like a quick Third Eye Blind plug when Carrey starts singing the chorus from "Jumper" to get a dude off an apartment ledge.
*The ambiguously gay duo
*Boone's birthday party at Fit
*BB Gunning in Bangkok
*BB Gunning in Bangkok
*Ice cream and beer, the perfect way to end a long day's work
Before heading back to Singapore, I had a bite to eat at the Centara Grand Red Sky rooftop wine bar with Kae. Absolutely amazing view! We spent so much time there I almost missed my flight, checking in just 45 minutes before take off.
*The second best thing to come home to after work!
Back in SG Anson had his birthday at, low and behold, a Thai disco club in Singapore. It just ain't the same...but I won't deny it, I had fun!
At Muay Thai we had a particularly grueling elbow workout that week, which left mine both bleeding and extremely raw for days. Need a bit more practice on the strike positioning!
*Rendezvous on Samui on a beach restaurant
At the end of Jan I decided to take a quick holiday to Koh Samui, Koh Nangyuan, and Bangkok to visit friends and Kae. I hit the jacuzzi and water basketball to unwind with the gf first (nothing is more stress relieving than a monster block on someone taking a feedble shot at the hoop - too bad it was poor Kae on the receiving end of that Shaq attack).
*I promised Troy we would end the night with vodka-red bull buckets on our heads
Of course I had to party with Troy and Tam who were still both living on the island at the time. Who doesn't enjoy a good cheap bucket in these grungy island bars from time to time? I guess for them it gets old really fast, but not that night!!
*Brazilian capoeira in the middle of the restaurant on Samui
There is a Brazilian buffet restaurant with authentic performers on the main road in Chaweng. If you ever head there, I really recommend it if you aren't eating Thai that night.
*I'm coming for you Lebron (and Kae)
Koh Nangyuan is a little romantic getaway island next to Koh Tao. We took a 3 hour ferry from Samui to get there, and the wait was well worth it. We had a quaint little air conditioned bungalow on the side of a small mountain, overlooking one of the most picturesque beaches I've ever seen. This is truly a hidden paradise..
*Kae praying at our room on Koh Nangyuan (sneaky photo)
Kae and I spent a couple days hiking, kayaking (well I did most of the rowing while she sat there moaning about the big waves and how much her arms hurt), snorkeling, and watching DVDs (they had a bunch for rent at reception! this is a hotel that didn't even have extra towels).
*Kayaking around the whole island
*Snorkeling
*Monkeying around / King Konging.
*Beach glamour babe
*Ready to pounce
Kae and I, for a couple that has been together for a good amount of time, haven't had the chance to spend many quality days alone given our lifestyles and locations. This trip was a great chance just to have fun and relax with each other.
*A couply moment in the sun
*This is for you karate kid
Kae even showed me some yoga positions while we were on Nangyuan. Only on a tiny abandoned island was I willing to give yoga a first try, out of sight from gawkers. Oh wait, a huge Chinese New Year tour group stopped by one morning, the morning I was trying yogo. Doh! I did teach her some Muay Thai as well, which she excitedly practiced on my hands at first, then my arms, then my chest and stomach. I unleashed a monster with a devilish cackle in response to my moans.
*A gift from Singapore, hehehehe
*Sunset on Koh Nangyuan
I did get some time to write postcards to family and friends back in the States and UK too - a huge rarity. I'm sure my Great Aunt Pearl in Staffordshire was pleasantly surprised to see my letter!
*Khao Yai
Back to Bangkok, I had a night of partying at Jet with Brian Lu and Brian Busse. Thai band joints never get old for me, but the songs get newer and I can't sing them all! You lose tough when you aren't living in the country anymore, yanno?
Kae wanted to head up to Khao Yai for a day before I returned to the real world. Khao Yai is a hilly countryside area a couple hours north of Bangkok that surprisingly looks like California. The main draws involve a small amusement park with a variety of random activities..
*Khao Yai
We tried ATVing first, and Kae was very eager to race me. It was my first time so I refused to bet anything. I should have called her out though, cuz she flew out the gates as slow as a snail, scared of all the bumps and jumps that I speeded over out of carelessness and competitive spirit. Eat my dust suckerrr!!!! I mean, you can do it baby!
*Khao Yai (Kae ATV-ing...very slowly)
We also got involved with some people-friendly parrots, archery, and shooting practice (Kae loves shooting weapons, it's really scary actually, the grins she gets on her face when she pulls the trigger...I try to tell her to aim higher, at least up near the target's chest, but she's too happy hitting below the belt).
*Uma's Baby Shower in Bangkok
Uma was about a month away from giving birth so some friends decided to throw her a surprise baby shower. What kind of baby shower involves speed drinking games? MY KIND of baby shower! Hah. A nice event to hang with BKK homies before again running to the airport in the nick of time.
*Uma's baby shower..with drinking games
Remember how I used the "closing soon" excuse to go to Butter Factory already? Well why not a second try. Yep, back again for some sick hip hop and top notch booze.
*Butter Factory's last weekend
*Butter Factory's last weekend
The night would not have been complete with a visit by Emerald, who moved to Manila for work not a week later. I miss you girl!!
*Butter Factory's last weekend (Emerald's too)!!
Tommy and Kae came down to Singapore for Valentine's Day weekend, a holiday I generally scoff because of the commercialism but dare not skip because of all the expectation coming from a certain significant other. That said, it's a good excuse to do cool things with your date/girlfriend, cash-busting aside!
*Clarke Quay on V Day
Clarke Quay on V Day
*That's my girl! Represent Ciroc and Johnnie Walker :)
Isn't clubbing so romantic?
*Clarke Quay on V Day
Broke the bank for Kae's Valentine's present, which I felt would fulfill her fashion needs for glamor and functionality. You don't know how many pairs of designer shoes I looked through before settling on these, and that was with feedback from 3+ other girls!
*A pair of Stuart Weitzman's for Kae
I always wanted to try the fish spa's (where little fish nibble in hordes at the dead skin on your feet, those fiendish fetishists). It was really ticklish actually. Kae whimpered with fear for the first 10 minutes, poor girl, but eventually she played good sport and stuck those feet in one at a time, albeit while screaming in the supposedly quiet and relaxing "spa".
*Singapore's famous fish spa treatment.
*Kae was a bit scared of the fish
*Okay we gotta have a Valentine's pose
After that Brazilian buffet on Samui we had to do it again a month later. Popped the Christmas champagne here too.
*Brazilian buffet at Chijmes
Kae loves dolphins, but had never seen one up close. What better way to end the weekend of hyper-romanticism than swimming with a few? Admittedly this was also a present for myself, as it's always been on my list but never checked off.
*Swimming with dolphins on Sentosa
Their skin was a bit slimy, and not so smooth and perfect like their cartoon images. Still, they truly are fun loving and intelligent animals. It was so easy to command them to do jumps and vertical "dance" twists. Jumping on their fin for a swim/drag was the most fun though. I think Kae would argue the kiss she got on the cheek was better. I'm not really into animal smooches.
*Swimming with dolphins on Sentosa
*Swimming with dolphins on Sentosa
*A year after my TINY cameo, Street Fighter finally comes out ! Why wasn't I in the ad? hahaha. I still haven't even seen it.
If you haven't been to Howl at the Moon in Singapore, you should definitely check it out. It's a dueling piano bar with a great live band/comedy act, that routinely drags out audience members for participation/embarrassment. This sort of stuff is NOT common in Asia for cultural reason, but I'm happy to see there is room for one such watering hole in Singapore. They take songs by request and can sing almost anything. Every request for Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" gets charged after the first time though...and people still pay!
*Howl at the Moon - an awesome alternative entertainment choice!
Back to Bangkok in late Feb for Typhoon and Anun's stunning wedding at the Le Bua hotel (where Sirocco lies on the roof). This couple is so friendly, good looking, and well-liked. It's a perfect match and I was really impressed with the whole get-up. Good luck you guys! Cya in Mukdahan before the end of the year, as promised :)
Kira was born shortly thereafter, the little ball of fragile joy. A bunch of us visited her at the hospital and we watched the delivery video, which was pretty graphic, but thankfully was shot from the angle of Uma's head downward!
*Anun and Typhoon's Wedding at Le Bua Hotel
I've been getting into all sorts of guns lately, I don't really know why. BB, Paintball, Shooting Ranges...guess it's better than sitting on my ass on the Xbox 360 at home with virtual guns.
I also got up to some karaoke again in Bangkok, which involved a lot of alcohol. One person, who shall not be named, ended up being extremely sick before the clock even struck midnight. Too much fun? Too little singing confidence? They were fine the next day at least.
Sometimes I feel that those of us working for corporate in Diageo sometimes lose sight of what our business is really all about. The picture below says it all.
*Friday at the Diageo office bar in Singapore
In Feb I also headed to Jakarta for a few days of marketing work with the team there, which was really interesting and hectic all the same. It's a crazy town, not quite at the level of Bangkok, but definitely underrated and unexpected.
My homie Lea from BKK scored a marketing job at Proctor & Gamble after she graduated Uni in Canada, and moved to Singapore. I'm so proud of her! If only there were entry level positions in Diageo, I would have totally referred this talented young lady. Hope she'll like the lion city..
*Nancy, Lea, and Nigel at Attica, the night I flew down the stairs backwards and head first.
Yeah, one night at Attica I flew down some stairs behind a curtain in a really awkward position. No serious pains until the morning though! And not enough to sue, haha.
We did get to chill at Km8 one last time before it closed. It's nice having a beach 10 minutes drive away from work, even if it is a bit fake and crowded. I actually tossed around an American football with Mel's boyfriend Van for the first time since I moved to Asia. I think only yanks will understand how that really feels like. Satisfaction in a toss.
*Chillin' at Tanjong beach
I worked myself up to try Hot Yoga in Bangkok with Kae. I was one of 5 guys in a class of 50, most of which seemed like damn experts, human pretzel style. News just in: I am NOT flexible. It was a really refreshing workout cuz of all the heat induced sweat though, and I would definitely do it again. Not sure if Kae would appreciate me heading to yoga class every weekend without her though (not that I worked up the hungover motivation to do so on Sunday mornings yet).
*Yoda's a fan of Johnnie Walker too. This is a random shot, huh?
My Uncle Junie made it to Singapore for a couple of days between his trip home to Manila from Barcelona. We grabbed a bite at Jumbo Seafood - love that messy chilli crab.
*Sylvia's birthday dinner in Singapore. I'm liking the ratio...
Kae visited Singapore twice in March so we definitely made the most of our time. To the shooting range!! Not wise to teach your girlfriend how to handle a shotgun. Oh well, I'll take my chance. I was a much better shot anyway =P
*Kae flying back as she gives the shotgun a try
*Clay Pigeon shooting at Bukit Timah Gun Club, Singapore
St. Patrick's Day came along, including all the Guinness related festivities. I probably drank 10 pints that week. Yes this beer does make one feel full. It's intimidatingly thick to some. That said, it has less calories than a glass of orange by volume, so stop using that as a lame excuse night to try a pint of the black stuff. It's a bloody good and old beer, and one of the most successful, popular, and recognizable brands out of Ireland, ever. If you're new to the brand, try to drink big gulps through the perfectly foamy head, with 3 pints in a span of 5 days. You are much more likely to start appreciating the taste that way.
*Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Had to make another trip up to Hong Kong at the end of March for the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament, but believe or not this time I was taking my little brother for his first time (so no drunken debauchery)! He just started playing organized rugby and is a budding little England fan. The games were fantastic and I know he really enjoyed it. I probably enjoyed it more but what the hell, I'm pretty full on about most things I do/get into.
*The infamous South Stand during an England beat down
I did manage a night out with Brian again, where he ended up shirtless on a Sunday in Lan Kwai Fong dancing with an ugly college chick. Love you bro! That's dedication right there.
*James enjoying his first HK Sevens
The office got a bit hairy in March with doom and gloom news about restructuring and some redundancies. All a natural part of the business cycle I suppose but of course sensitive and emotional when it comes to big organizations and people's livelihoods. Things are looking a bit better now at least, but are still going through the cost cutting process. I better visit the downtown London office before we move the entire HQ to the newer building on the outskirts!
*Giving a presentation to our biggest customer - yes, this is NOT a party photo!
My primary customer had a region-wide gathering in the Singapore HQ earlier this month for an annual dinner and full day workshop I put together. It was a great chance to catch up with guys I hadn't seen for a while, and meet a load of new people that I only knew by email. These guys are at the front line, so their face to face feedback is always a much appreciated reality check on the marketplace.
*Two of the big guns enjoying the good stuff at dinner. Lee Harle, General Manager of my division, and David Lee, CEO and Chairman of our largest customer in the world.
*At the end of the day, a great company to work for with amazing brands and fantastic people
Damn, I haven't been to Mimolette in a while!
*Monkeying around at Peter's in Bangkok
Random thought: after a while of being away from a country, you start to notice who really still thinks about you / gives a crap if you are alive back there. The rest, kind of fade into memories of past bonds and friendship that certainly doesn't cheapen what they were WHEN they existed, but definitely reminds you of your truest relationships. Out of sight, out of mind can only go so far as an excuse for laziness / indifference, both of which I really can't appreciate as character traits in anybody.
*Someone's gotta make the drinks
*BB Gunning in Bangkok
*Kae gives me a little warning. Thai women :-)
Every year I have promised myself to go to Thailand for Songkran, the Buddhist New Year celebration, until I get bored of it. It's an all out water war for 3+ days straight on the streets and in the clubs, all day and night. It's one of the most underrated parties in the world and definitely my favorite. People are shooting you in the face, getting shot in the face, and having the time of their lives, with generally no incident. This would NOT fly in California.
*Kae with her parents on the first day of Songkran
I also got to meet Kae's family for the first time, which wasn't too scary or uncomfortable at all. They seemed like really nice folks and didn't mind that I couldn't speak much Thai to them (they don't speak English). Phew!
*A very adorable girl (unlucky to be cross-eyed) enjoying her Songkran
A few friends from Singapore came up for Songkran as well - bloody good of them to march out! Most Singaporeans were scared off by the media-overblown protests going on in isolated parts of the city, which ended on the last day of Songkran anyway when the previous night's violence got out of hand and a couple people were killed.
*Taking on the fire engine in Silom
The soreness in my eyes and the deep wrinkles in my hands - worthwhile battle scars.
*The Songkran gang in Silom on Day 1 of the Thai New Year
I'm already excited about next year. This is one hell of a time to be in Bangkok. Chiang Mai was great last year but the party stops at night. In the Thai capital, the party gets even crazier in RCA, where I spent two insane evenings battling drunk people outside of Route 66. You would think that the male-female ratio would be a sausage fest like most other countries, but no, this is Thailand and there were girls everywhere. Not that I was interested. But my single guy friends always have a better time with a "preferred" ratio! Are you buying that? I hope so.
*Preparing to attack other motorists in Bangkok
*May getting crazy on the Route 66 stage
*Songkran at Route 66, RCA
On the last day of Songkran I set off with 6 others on our long planned journey to Vang Vieng, Laos, a backpacker's little paradise town along the Nam Som river where the activities of choice are inner tubing, perilous treehouse swinging, and watching family guy after dinner. I sent the invite out to as many people as I could, knowing that by human nature and skepticism that only a handful of those truly interested and motivated would go. We got the right people on board and had a freakin' blast!! If anyone was considering this spot before but wasn't sure what to think, well here you go:
*Van getting ambitious on one of the swings along the Nam Som River in Laos
*Paul and I about to jump off that treehouse via zipline
Some of these riverside swings and slides are not the most safe, but the adventurous locals diving in headfirst by the ankles will tell you where to leap and where to hold on. The lack of regulation, barriers, and proper hospitals is definitely a major part of the thrill. I always dreamed of this type of holiday, and the fantasy was definitely fulfilled here. Such a super-chill, beautiful spot in South East Asia. Everyone I know who had been there had raved about it as a top destination..there were so right. It's off the beaten track and a pain to get to, but if you don't feel like a shopping/clubbing holiday in some big city while lodging at an overpriced hotel, put this one at the top of your list for cultural/adventure trips. It's a bit of a pain to get to but damn cheap.
*Tubing on the Nam Som river
Good thing we had Kae come along since Laos is very similar to Thai, and she functioned as a very convenient translator. I frankly get quite tired of hearing "huh?" when I speak rusty Thai to countryside locals.
*We found a random bunch of puppies and chicks along the river..
Beer Laos is a natural attraction in this country. It's got a bigger influence than Beer Chang or Singha in Thailand, and I'm convinced it is a better quality lager. So drinkable and refreshing! I don't even LIKE lager in general.
*We ALSO found a load of Beer Laos!
We found a gigantic slide along one of the many river stops. The sheer length of it and the height of the drop could NOT pass waterpark standards. Cowabunga!
*Flying off the mega slide. This thing knocked the wind out of Kae and she had to be rescued by Estelle.
The whole river tubing takes about 3 hours during the dry season if you don't stop much and go all the way down from beginning to recommend end (where it's easy to jump up shore and find a tuk tuk back to Vang Vieng town). We did it two days in a row, with a third day of land and cave exploring/chilling.
*Watching Family Guy in a Vang Vieng restaurant
Amazingly, none of us endured any crazy injuries, luckily enough. Kelly did get a bit of food poisoning on the last day and I did get a rock waxing of a bunch of knee skin/hair in an attempt to walk across slippery shoreline with two beers in hand to protect from falling. Reminds me of an ugly scar above my wrist inflicted when I slipped playing street American football and wanted to protect the ball from hitting the ground, by sacrificing my own flesh. Strange instincts...
*Eating munchy-cramming roadside cheese n' egg pancakes in Laos! Thanks France! That's enough French culture though... ;)
*Vang Vieng sunset
The mountains in town remind me of pictures from Guilin, a pretty little Chinese tourist destination in the west. Except I had no idea I would see this type of terrain in Laos. Let's face it, they need some better marketers and/or a bigger budget. I'd much rather see an ad on the natural wonders and freedom of Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng than one more dressed up "Malaysia, Truly Asia" commercial aimed at slightly ignorant/naive western tourists.
*Biking the outskirts of Vang Vieng
I'll be getting some intern support at work in a few weeks, which is truly welcome. Work/life balance needs a checkup. Speaking of which, I had my first dentist cleaning in 2 years the other week. No my teeth weren't falling out, but it was about time I talked to some sort of professional about them.
I've finally unpacked 99% of my stuff - all that's left is my drum set. Can't wait to rock out again like I'm an angst ridden emo teen with more energy than I know what to do with. Oh wait, I already felt like that jumping up and down at the Fall Out Boy concert last month. Happy to say that I didn't feel old, despite knowing that in the mostly pencil-necked teenage crowd, I probably stood out a bit. Whatever, I've liked FOB since they were a local band in Chicago just beginning to break out. You gotta admit, their music is still persistently catchy, even if more commercial and production assisted nowadays.
By now you are probably bored/annoyed of my blabbering, especially about Kae and I which to the single folk must be borderline irritating. Sorry, I'm trying to keep it down here! Those of you reading this that don't see my very often photo updates on facebook will at least get a small kick out of what the hell I've been up to for these past few M.I.A. months. I've been flying like paper, gettin' high like planes..that song is so addicting.
Promise the next update will be before end June!! Party on people.
*P.S. Good luck to Rachel at the Singapore Miss Universe competition. Root for her guys!
