Southeast Asia Vacation - THAILAND

Thailand. Oh, Thailand! How I have fallen in love! The gorgeous sights, the delicious food, the friendly people. Honestly, how someone couldn't fall in love with your charm is beyond me!

Unlike Cambodia, where I entered not really having any expectations, there was a lot of pressure on good ol' Thailand to hold up to the standards that other people have put on it. I had a lot of assumptions about Thailand and I had a lot of hope that it was going to be one of the most memorable and best trips of my life. And boy, was I not let down for a second. 

Originally, the girls and I had planned to go to Bangkok, then on to Chiang Mai, and finish in Phuket. However, in the months prior to our departure, Thailand (specifically the city of Bangkok) was experiencing some political disruption and turmoil. There was to be a fairly important election happening on the day of our arrival, which if things didn't go the way of the people, could end in some serious protests and unrest. Actually, even before the election there were some pretty intense protests happening in Bangkok that were making the daily news all over the world. A few days before heading to Thailand, we concluded that it would be in our best interest to skip over Bangkok and just spend the extra time in Chiang Mai. So, this is where my two weeks in Thailand (AKA - "Paradise") begins.

Chiang Mai is an amazing city. I experienced some crazy bucket list moments while I was visiting here. The two things everyone kept insisting I do while in Thailand was to see the elephants and to take some time to soak up the sun on one of the many, many, many beautiful beaches. In addition to those two activities, I wanted to see and cuddle with my all-time favourite animal: the tiger, to eat all of the curry, and try authentic pad thai, to take a Thai cooking class, and to try NOT to get a sunburn all the while. Well, I succeeded at all of those items...except the sunburn. Oh, the sunburn I got. But I'll get to that later.

The day we spent with the tigers was so surreal. I LOVE tigers. They are so regal and majestic. I think they are the most beautiful, handsome, unique animals on the planet. I had heard that there were places in Thailand where you could get in a cage with a tiger and pet them. I did some research and learned that many of these places in Thailand treat the animals badly, and they are often chained up and given a sedative to keep them calm. As much as I wanted to be that close to a tiger, I couldn't enjoy it knowing that they were being treated that way. However, I got some great advice from other fellow travelers about a place called Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai. They don't believe in drugging their tigers, and they don't tie them up in chains. I was sold! We paid the price to visit the babies, the small tigers, and then the big tigers.

We visited the babies first. They were the cutest! We were slightly disappointed though because while we were in the cage all set to play with the tigers, all they wanted to do was sleep! Prior to entering the cage, we watched from outside and saw others playing and getting pounced on by these playful creatures. They couldn't get them to sit still long enough for anyone to even get a picture with them. All they wanted to do was play. However many minutes later (probably close to 30/45), we entered for our turn and it was like someone clapped their hands and the tigers conked out. Zzzzz! Nothing. But, we petted them and got our pictures taken anyways, and then moved on to the small tigers.

My favourite and most anticipated visit though was with the big tigers. The papas. The full grown grandaddies! Oh man, they were beautiful. Upon my first pet, I got all teary eyed and could have cried. I don't know why, but all of the emotions just poured over me. I held it together though and took in every minute of my 15 I had with these animals. PS - tigers love getting their bellies rubbed! Pet and cuddle with a tiger: check!

The next biggest thing I needed/wanted to experience and accomplish during my week in Chiang Mai was to pet, bathe, and ride an elephant. Travel tip #1 for all of you wanting to go to Thailand and plan to spend some time with elephant friends: book in advanced. We had a moment of panic when we went to book our day trip with the elephants through the hostel we were staying at. While we were in Vietnam, we got a great tip from some of our new friends we had made to use a specific adventure company for our day with the elephants. We would ride bareback, the mahouts (trainers) were extremely nice, we got to bathe and swim with the elephants, and the price was right. However, we tried that company and there was no space. Neither was there space with the next company we tried. Nor the next one. Eventually, it got to the point where we had to call any and all companies just to find out if they had enough room for three people to spend the day. We ended up with a company named Chang Siam. And we definitely lucked out!

What better way to spend a day in Thailand than with some beautiful elephant friends. We learned their names, had lots of time to interact with them in the sanctuary and feed them bananas. We spent a large part of the time with the momma elephant and her baby who was about a year old. They were adorable, and the baby was so curious and playful. There was one point where one of the mahouts was rolling around on the ground with the baby wrestling and playing. Even though it was a baby elephant, I can't imagine having him lay on top of me at a whopping 300lbs. After spending the morning interacting with the elephants, we had a wonderful lunch of curry, rice and fresh fruit. Then we were set and anxious to take our ride through the jungle and to the lake where we would bathe and swim with the elephants. However, as we waited and paced and began to get worried that they had forgotten about us, we learned that there was a funeral across the field in which we had to wait for to end. You see, in Asia the locals love their fireworks displays. Fireworks are shot off for every and all occasions: birthdays, weddings, funerals, because it's a Wednesday. It's not uncommon in my little village in Beijing to be woken up on a Saturday morning at 6:30am to the bangs and bursts of fireworks on the other side of the gate. It makes me happy that they are so attached to these magical and happy displays, but at 6:30am...really? Anyways, this funeral would most definitely feature fireworks and they would startle the elephants. I was okay waiting for the ceremony to end as I DID NOT want to be on an elephant when it happened to get startled. Nope, that's okay. As we waited, our mahout asked us if we wanted to go to watch the funeral. Some people agreed immediately, but I stayed back and was hesitant. I didn't want to intrude and I thought it would be awkward to have a bunch of westerners gawking at this funeral we had no connection to. But as more and more people wandered towards the ceremony, I decided to go along. As solemn and sad as the ceremony was, at the same time it was extremely beautiful and at times sent chills down my spine. It's hard to explain in writing what I saw and experienced. But what I can express is that even though I had no connection to this young girl who had tragically passed away, the combination of the gorgeous colours of the temple, the offerings of flowers and monetary donations to monks to be passed on to the families, and the fireworks display and burning of the temple and coffin was mystical and it took my breath away. It does now as I write about it. What an interesting experience to see how someone is laid to rest in a different culture. And how different it was.

As we walked away from the funeral towards to the elephants, I was worried as to how I was going to enjoy this adventure now that I had just attended such a sad and solemn ceremony. But, as we got on the elephants and they began to play and trek through the jungle, I was in awe that I was actually having this experience. To have been so immersed in the nature and to be interacting and creating a bond with my elephant (who happened to be the Momma that I wrote about earlier), I got choked up and once again had my breath taken away at the experience I was having. It all felt so surreal. They were the exact same emotions I was having when I fulfilled my dream of interacting with the tigers. I think the pictures will speak louder than these words that I type...

The last week of our four week adventure was spent on the island of Phuket in Thailand. We specifically planned this part of our vacation for the very end for a reason: the only thing we really intended to do was to bum around on the beach for an entire week. To relax, to put our feet up, and enjoy the sun before coming back to Beijing and getting back to work. To breath. And that's exactly what we did.

Phuket is beautiful. The water is so clear with beautiful colours of blue and green. The sky is as clear as glass, and you could see for miles. A nice change from the smoggy winter days in Beijing. It was extremely hot, too (not complaining!). And of course, my fair-skinned ginger self got sunburnt quite badly despite 4 layers of sunscreen. Chinese sunscreen though. Very unreliable. I spent one day in the hotel room sponging myself with cold water and staying under the air conditioning and out of the sun. However, regardless of that day in the hotel, the week in Phuket was probably one of the most relaxing weeks I've had in as long as I can remember. Take me back?

I have completely fallen in love with Thailand. HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE, guys! It is the most beautiful place I have ever been and I'd jump at the opportunity to go back. There is so much I haven't explored. And in all honesty, I'd go back just for the food. Curry, pad thai, sticky rice and mango, spring rolls, curry, Tom Yam soup, more pad thai, and more curry. Drooling.

Thank you for the memories, Thailand!

Paddy Murphy, Mustang Sally, and a Wagon Wheel.

Sometimes you just need a little taste of good ol', hometown, country fun! However, that is hard to come by when you are living in Beijing, China. I mean, not many local people here can tell me what a "hick" is or what a "barn dance" is. I usually get a good head tilt to the side and a "Shénme? (What?)". I'm not gonna lie - I miss those times where I say something and someone replies "Oh, you are most definitely from Carleton County." It's always going to be a part of me. Home. 

This past Friday (October 18th) my friend Craig, who is an intern at BCCSC, was singing with a band at a bar called the "Hot Cat Club" in the Fangjia Hutongs. When he explained what kind of a set list they would be playing, I was easily convinced that this was the place I needed to be on that Friday. So off Erin, Brittany, and I went on a search for this little "hole in the wall" I guess you could call it. It's not the fanciest bar, and it is definitely worn out in some areas (like the squatters...I leave that to your own imagination). However, the atmosphere was perfect. Absolutely perfect! 

How can you go wrong when you mix a small bar filled with Canadians, an ice cold beer, plaid shirts, a few french men, an acoustic guitar, a fiddle, and amazing live music featuring tunes like "Wonderwall" "Wagon Wheel" "Chicken Fried" and "Paddy Murphy." Mind you, I was slightly disappointed that the three of us girls seemed to be the only Canadians who knew the song "Paddy Murphy." Guess it's just an East Coast thing maybe? 

I danced, I laughed, I sang at the top of my lungs. And I smiled like a little goof ball the whole way home. My heart swelled. For just a couple of hours I forgot where I was and genuinely felt like I was home again. It's always good to be home.

Hopeless Wanderer.

What a fantastic concert! 

Back in March, I wrote a post about how much I love going to concerts and listening to live music. After seeing Maroon 5 at the Saddledome, I wasn't sure how I felt about "big stadium" concerts. I loved seeing Maroon 5 and being in the same building as the gorgeous Adam Levine, but it wasn't as intimate and "special" as the smaller venue concerts I had been to. And then I went and saw Mumford & Sons...

AMAZING! 

They played at the Saddledome too, and the show was absolutely sold out. In fact, when the tickets went on sale a couple of months ago they sold out in roughly one minute. Listening to their music, I just didn't think they were the "stadium" type. I felt like their concerts were meant to be in smaller venues with that personable touch. And I'm sure a concert like that with them would be spectacular, but the concert I went to Tuesday night with Katie, Sam, and Mollie was equally as mind blowing. 

I have to take a minute and thank Cara and Amanda, two of the greatest friends, for introducing me to this beautiful band. Between listening to them in Cara's residence room in Vanier, to cruising through the state of Maine heading towards Vermont with Amanda, they began to grow on me. So much so that I downloaded their albums Sigh No More and Babel when it was released. So ladies - THANK YOU! 

Magical is probably the best word to use to describe this experience. They played every song I wanted to hear (except Broken Crown). During their encore, they moved to a stage closer to our seats (I freaked!) and did their version of a Bruce Springsteen classic, I'm On Fire. They also sang a cappella. Enough said. Also, I've never seen someone play a banjo as furiously as they did! What a work out. During their last song, Marcus Mumford sang his last note and dropped the microphone and its stand to the ground. And the crowd erupted. Just spectacular! 

This concert just reaffirmed my love for live music and saw my love for Mumford & Sons grow 200%! 

PS - THANK YOU SAM FOR THE INVITE! 

Music Fills My Heart and Soul.

I love music. I love listening to it, I love dancing to it, and I love singing along to it (even if I'm off key!). Everyone has a song (or several) that they connect to. A song for every feeling and occasion. Many of my memories of the past are formed around a song or take place in the presence of music. Parties at 860, road trips to Vermont, sleepovers in high school at Sara's, battling the loss of a loved one, nights out on the town, the list could go on forever. Listening to music is one thing, but being there to hear it live is another. 

Two weeks ago one of my favourite bands of ALL TIME were in Calgary. Tegan and Sara have a special place in my heart. My best friend, Sara, introduced them to me in high school. So many of their songs resonate with me. "Walking with a Ghost" was the first song I heard by them back when I was 16. I always think of Sara when I hear this song. "Where does the good go" reminds me of Grey's Anatomy and how Sara and I spent many an evening watching episode after episode of Grey's in my basement. The whole Sainthood makes me feel nostalgic for my university days and living in Holy Cross. This was when I first saw them live at the Playhouse in Fredericton with Sara and KP. So, when I heard they were coming to Calgary, I asked literally ALL of my friends here if they were interested in going. Thank you, Mollie!

They were amazing. Their quick banter back and forth was the cherry on top of some amazing music. They played ever song I wanted to hear, and man did I ever sing loudly! I danced, I got choked up, and I smiled a lot. I was extremely tired at work the next day, but I didn't care one little bit.

Then, only a short week later, I went to see Maroon 5 with my good friend Jenny. The thought of being in the same place as Adam Levine made me very excited (no one can deny that this man is very beautiful!) I've only ever been to one other big stadium concert, so I didn't really know what to expect. What I didn't know was that there would be a lot of people and a lot of screaming! And I was very right! But that certainly didn't take away from the fun that I had. The concert was at the Saddledome - the big arena that the Calgary Flames play in. Jenny and I were seated at the back way up in the nosebleeds. Thank goodness for Jumbotron's! As soon as the band came out on stage, Jenny and I were on our feet dancing. And there I stayed for the remainder of the night. My voice was so horse and dry and sore for the rest of the night and into the next day. The band played every song I wanted to hear and I had such a good time. Worth every penny and dime. 

I took lots of videos from both concerts and attempted to share them on here, however, my computer doesn't seem to want upload them. Or maybe Blogger is being stubborn. And my pictures aren't that great as it's hard to capture a good shot with the lighting of a concert. But I have the memories...

Traditions.

This week in class we are discussing with the students how the holiday season is celebrated in different cultures. Today, I had a chat with the students about some of the traditions they have at home on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I was interested to know how many of them woke before the sun and had their presents opened by 8am. I would say more then half the class fit into this category. I then shared with them how my family goes about Christmas day and it was amazing how many of them were shocked at my traditions. I think some of them thought they were pretty bizarre compared to their traditions.In telling them my stories, I got a pit of excitement in my stomach to see my family and share the joy of this holiday season with them.

In our family, Christmas truly is an all day event. It's been a rule since I can remember that the presents do not get opened until after breakfast and all the dishes are done and the turkey is in the oven. So, while enjoying a coffee, tea, or hot chocolate as a family we open our stockings. When that's done and we've oo'd and aw'd over our trinkets, Dad starts cooking an enormous and divine breakfast. Uncle Mark and his family venture over from around the block, and we usually sit down to dine on a wonderful breakfast feast around 9:30 or 10:00am. Just thinking about the deliciousness of that morning is making me drool here on my keyboard!

Afterwards, the grandkids usually clear the table and dishes get underway. Another round of coffee or tea is poured, and we cram into Grandmom and Grandad's living room. Rachel and Rebecca (my younger cousins) begin to distribute gifts, and one at a time we open our presents. No two people open a gift at the same time - we want to see what everyone gets. By the time we finish the present opening, it can be sometimes almost 2pm or later. After a nap (cause the morning and early afternoon is exhausting!), we begin eating again - app's and a delicious turkey dinner with ALL the fixings.

As I'm telling my class this, I see their jaws drop in amazement. Many of them yelled out "I couldn't wait that long to open my presents!" "That sounds brutal!" "How do you contain your excitement?" I reminded the class that my brother and I are older now (Brad is 19, I am 22 - soon to be 23!). After explaining the age situation to them, I had one of my eager beavers yell out "But you wouldn't have time to play with your toys before your turkey dinner!" I laughed out loud and couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I gently explained to him that because my brother and I are older, we don't get toys anymore - mostly clothing and gift cards. His face turned to utter shock! "What's a Christmas with no toys to play with?" I smiled again, and said "Thanks for your concern, sir. But I love the gift cards I get. However, my favourite gift has to be spending the time with my family." He agreed that that was a pretty spectacular gift in itself too.

Day after day I am amazed by the intelligence and kindness that my students show. With less then a week left with them, I am coming more and more to the realization of how much they have impacted me, taught me, and how much I'm going to miss them in the new year.

On a different note, as I write this blog post I am enjoying the music of Michael Buble and his Christmas album. Currently, this has to be my favourite Christmas song this holiday season (you were right mom, a tear jerking song - but it just hits home):

Happy Halloween!

Any excuse to listen to Michael Jackson is a good excuse. 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!