Phuket, tiny bras, diving
Hi!
Hope you are all well. I am wondering if my email is not working as i have emailed you, Susanne, and my sister Suss, and have gotten no replies. What is up????
Been pretty busy walking every inch of this town and other beach towns nearby. Went to the famous "Patong" beach and it is so full of tourist even though the Tsunami wiped out the whole oceanfront block. Karon beach was impacted about the same. Piles of rubble abound and bulding is going on everywhere. Kind of strange feeling there..... The Thai people think I am pretty funny that I like to WALK around. The women/girls from massage class would always offer me rides on their scooters, sometimes I would agree, other times I just liked to walk, especially after a long day indoors. I have gotten to pretty adept at riding sidesaddle on the taxis if wearing a skirt. It's such a way of life here, and when I finally get used to the way traffic moves (driving on the left side of the road from the right hand side of the car) I will get a scooter like everyone else in Thailand. Passed the exam and graduated on Saturday the 19th. I'm now certified to give Thai Yoga Massages! Actually had the opportunity last evening..... Was returning on the little bus from Karon Beach about 5pm yesterday when I noticed a felllow traveler type and struck up a conversation. HIs name was Kazu from Japan. He said his flight didn't leave for Bangkok until 11pm, so I invited him to pass his time at my hotel in the pool. We hopped on motorbike taxis and he trusting me without even knowing me, followed me to my hotel. We swam and played with the kids (Oht and Baht) from the hotel owner and then as he was upstairs showering he noticed my Thai massage book. When i came up to shower, he asked for a massage. After we went to get some great Thai food and shopped for a towel for me for the dive trip to come, I gave him a quick 1/2 hour tune up for his stiff neck and shoulders before the hotel owners took hom to the airport. He was impressed, and I was so happy to have it all be soo natural feeling to design a program to help him. Most Thai yoga massages are about 2 hours in length. It was so nice to meet and spend an evening with him even with our limited English conversation!
About the hotel... I moved from my old hotel last week. I was out walking one eve, and came across a new hotel in a nice, quiet neighborhood. I checked it out and it was great! Had a pool, nice clean rooms about a month old, only 100 Baht more than my old roach hotel ($2.63 more), and the families that own/run it were so nice. So, they came and got me at my old hotel and I moved in! The place is PJ's Inn on Soi Surin #1 in the Eastern part of the city of Phuket. I will publish the phone # next blog. I LOVE the place! The other night, the owners kids came to my room with a bag of sweets and hot soy milk to go with them! I swim with the kids, chat with the family and this am, Lynn, the woman who is1/2 owner of the hotel, took me to breakfast at the local Dim Sun place (her background is Thai/Chinese) and drove me around up to the hill park and out to the bay, etc. We chatted and have lots in common and I will definitely be in touch with her as she feels like a new friend. In the morning here, I see the monks walking the neighborhood recieving their bowl of rice and food from a household giving. It is a beautiful ceremony and it is surely a way to get a good perspective on what is important to do in the day=give, recieve and be thankful.
Everyday I end up going shopping. I marvel at the array of small bras. Finally, I am in a place where smaller cup cotton bras are the norm. Forget about finding any C or D cups here ladies, so, for my friends (Shawna, Linda Pearl etc.) this is bra heaven for us!
Tomorrow I leave for a 4 night/4 day live-aboard dive trip to the Similan Islands!!!!! Wow. I am so excited that I got all ready to go today and just found out that I am a day early!!! Will go back to the hotel and check in and relax. The trip leaves from the northern part of Phuket island and travels out to arrive at the islands in the am on Thursday the 24th. We do diving all day and night dives too and should see many manta and whale sharks too. So, I'll be back on land Sunday afternoon the 27th. Will stay in the area and then fly back to Bangkok on Monday. Will again stay at Dieter's condo and he, his mom who is visiting from Germany, and I will go shopping for many bushes and trees for the many lanais he has. We will then talk business and what part I will have in developing the school/training center for therapists here in Thailand,. At that point , I will have an idea of where I will be going to language school, and where I will be living for awhile. THEN you can all figure out when you will be coming to visit, yes??!!
I am so much enjoying the people of Thailand. The only downers are the people in the tourist areas where they are jaded by the tourists and have taken on the mentality of "get what you can" from the tourists. Since I frequent those areas so little, I have have little exposure to them and continue to have great experiences one after another (including getting fed doughnuts and sweets by the police men at the police station-which is another funny story)..... There are many to tell and each day brings more.
Please know that as much as I am enjoying this new epsode in my life here, I do thinnk of you all and miss you very much. If you ever thought of visiting Thailand or SE Asia, or if you have dreamed of ruturning, now is the time, 'cause as soon as I have my work plans settled, I would love to entertain you here!
Well, off to experience some more!!
Will check email tomorrow before diving, then blog after the scuba trip with more tales....
Hugs to you all-Monk
posted by Monica @ 4:07 PM
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