I almost have all my travel stuff sorted, except that the hotels want to know when I’ll be arriving. I only have my flight to Bangkok confirmed, and I’m still trying to decide whether or not I’ll take the bus or fly to Chiang Mai. Yeah, flying is faster, and I might get motion sickness on the bus . . . but I love long, scenic rides. So I can’t confirm when I’ll be in the city, thus guesthouses are reluctant to reserve rooms for me.
Also found this spa in Ko Samui. I’m worried about all those tourists (wondered about Ko Tao and Pha-Ngan), but Shelley convinced me to stick with the most popular of the three–she even thumbed through my Lonely Planet guide for hotels and resorts. She went last year, but with her sister and friends, so my experience will be different.
Why do I always travel on my own? Yeah, it’s empowering and I don’t have to compromise (I’m still pissed about that time my girlfriends dragged me out of the Louvre only two hours after we arrived, and Paris was six years ago), but it sure would be nice to share these two weeks with someone. I could totally see myself doing Thailand with my parents–but they went for their 25th anniversary.
Anyway, I have tests, syllabuses, phone teaching and report cards this week. I can only take one yoga class a day, and I’m bitter, getting zits (changed facial cleansers when my face got too red and sensitive) and reaching for the chocolate. Shelley’s dear mum sent a care package with two Cadbury bars, including Fruit & Nut! So Mummy can crash on the couch any day she wants, provided she keeps fattens me up with my favorite candy.
And, just in case my relatives (and, uh, generous friends) still read my blog (it’s gotten dull around these parts, I understand), here’s my wish list!
1. Long johns.
2. Leg warmers. The more 80’s, the better.
3. Warm socks.
4. Wool sweaters. (See a theme here? And no, a sweater can never be too outdated or dorky for me–as long as it gets me warm, I’m chipper.)
5. Preacher volume 3, 100 Bullets volume 3, Fables volume 7 or 1001 Nights of Snowfall. Actually, I want to know why my sister Marbs won’t pony up the latest issues of Runaways. She must still hate me for eating all her Pop Tarts.
6. An electric blanket.
7. A one-month stay in India or Nepal. Hey, a girl can dream, right?
P.S. Tomorrow we’re taking the kindergartners to Outback Steakhouse. Christ! What a shitty field trip. Why don’t we just shuttle them to McDonald’s, at least we won’t have to leave town.
I mean, isn’t there any other way to introduce the kids to western culture? As if Americans don’t get enough bad press in Korea, and now we’re imposing our bad diets on future generations of Asians.
Plus, Outback is as Australian as Taco Bell is Mexican. I don’t know why so many people, Korean and foreigners, like eating there. I had dinner there two weekends ago and ordered cheese fries, a salad and two cups of coffee–twenty bucks.
I ended up eating six loaves of that wheat bread, because after I ate three fries my arteries clogged up. I’ll never eat there again–I’d rather go to the crowded, sleazy meathouse that is Gecko’s, where the food tastes great and would less likely cut my life expectancy by fifty percent.
End rant.
Musings from the Orchards 