Day 1

I decided to embark on a journey for two weeks with two strangers and a girl I have only met once in my life. It didn’t feel as crazy then as it sounds now actually. Jolene’s mom came to my place for a visit and invited me to go back with her to Penang last February; I had just finished my grade so I figured why not. We took the midnight bus and I arrived as a Valentine gift for Jolene. That was how we met. 

Jo is an English teacher. She studies law but her passion she realized, is to teach. This trip to Thailand was her idea, and she planned and made arrangements for our entire journey. Her purpose for this trip was simply to bless; with her teaching, with our presence wherever we went. I kept a journal and here it is. 

Day 1 – 3/8

We left Butterworth on the 2^nd of August at 2.45pm. The day before we packed a huge bag of toys, stationary, reading cards, etc for the children we were going to visit. We had our backpacks on and at least another two or three bag on each hand. Thank God it wasn’t fully occupied in the train else we wouldn’t have had place to sit after unloading our load. The air conditioning wasn’t working that afternoon; you know when that happens anything public feels a lot dirtier and unpleasant. Maybe this had to do with my train ride to Perhentian two weeks before, the café wasn’t air conditioned and there were cockroaches on the floor, table, ceiling.. Anyway, Alex’s mom was very kind to prepare food for our 22 hours ride. It was delicious even when chilled (the aircond worked in the evening later), there were 4 dishes! 

Jo and I were actually unwell before our journey started. She was having scabies and I was having very bad gastric pain from two days ago. So Jo covered herself and made sure no one touched her throughout the ride. My pains came and go every few minutes; it perplexed me so much because my gastric pain never lasts for more than a few hours. I couldn’t really sleep that night cause the pain was bad; all I wanted to do was to fart but it didn’t come! Oh, I informed the group beforehand don’t worry. 

We had devotion the next morning in the train and arrived at Samsen at 12pm plus, 3^rd Aug. It really set in then when every billboard and shop names I saw (can’t say ‘read’) were written in Thai. It still looked like home though, people had the same skin color and familiar features. We were welcomed by Aunty Chat and we took two taxis back to her place. We washed up and were told that we would be visiting an orphanage that evening. I then came across James 1:27 – “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world”. But we didn’t end up going.

The plan was to leave for Chiang Mai the next morning but there was a bad flood and all train tickets were refunded. Everyone else opted to take the bus instead so tickets were sold out too.  Nonetheless we were grateful. We later took a stroll out mainly to get some Eno for my silly gastric and were charged a little extra for it. When we found 7 11, it was like… somehow you could see a ray of light shining on it.. simply beautiful. They’ve got pork burgers, pork boxed rice, pork hot dogs, pork hot dogs wrapped with pork bacon, you name it. But that wasn’t the point. We took the bus to Victory Monument to get a sim card that night.

Aunty Chat was hosting a guy named Bince, pronounced ‘Bin’ who is an ex drug addict. He’s 19 and he was nice, he helped cleaned up our rooms which were used as storerooms. We slept on thin mattresses which were okay, but it wasn’t okay that the bind couldn’t be closed and the building opposite us looked haunted. Jo and I agreed that it would make a perfect bedroom scene for a scary Thai movie. The walls were stained with what I imagined to be struggling handprints. The boys on the other hand had a pleasant view of the King’s palace and his little garden AND their air conditioning was working. Yes, the King lived opposite us. That night I couldn’t sleep, I had a lot of disturbing images in my mind and felt really uncomfortable. I told Jo and she too, was having them. We took some time to pray and we later had a good rest.  

Life in technicolour

Stop stealing my heart away

Chances are worth taking. If you were wrong, time will heal. But what if you were right, isn't it worth it all?

Don't be afraid. Your heart is the strongest of you.

You just don't know it yet. 

Playing along the sidewalk

Today my little brother said this to me, while I was asking everyone if they were hungry because I was, though we ate at the same time; "Guys can't even lift you that's why they don't ask you out on dates." With a cookie in my mouth I replied "But I can lift them!", while flexing my muscles ( I swear I have them, it's just modestly hidden). That's when my eldest brother said "Now that's the scary part."
Well you may find this funny, so do I, but it's not suppose to be. But leave the not suppose to be to me.

My girlfriend's boyfriend asked me to arm wrestle with him, I told him to bring it on! This brings me back to the schooling days. I could never forget this one time my guy friend faked a tie with me in front of class because he knew winning was important for me. I don't think I'd be able to forget that, cause come on he is a guy, and he didn't mind bruising the ego, how very sweet. Hmm, I wonder if he'd do the same now. Because I mean, you know, I'd fake a tie for him too ;)

We feel the same things

As you know my fondness of indian bangles, I was wearing them today while at dinner at this store by the road. While eating, I decided that I'd like to give them to the two indian girls that asked me about it earlier on, they worked there. They were probably between 14-16years of age. But the thing was, I didn't know how to do it, that wouldn't make it seem like an offense. I walked over once I was done and I asked if they use such bangles, and refreshingly enough, she answered me instantly "yeah, give me two". I told her to take it all, and to divide between her sister. There were probably 12-15 bangles. We said bye then I trailed after my parents. They are made of glass, so I could feel the weight off my wrists, and I could also feel a little weight off my heart. I shall have a good week. :)

 

As you can see,this thing sucks big time. It was suppose to be 50 secs long, and not just of Daniel's screaming. :/

In the dark we steal

We try very hard to put up a front, because we think that's what others perceive as being normal. Truth is, others are waiting for your transparency so they could do the weird things they do and feel normal. Our biggest enemy is ourselves, none of us are actually weird, we're just being human.

"He who has love, is in God, and God is in him, for God is love".

Just keep me where the light is

When I was young, I would never apologize if I knew I did nothing wrong. But then later I did that thing called growing up. I am learning a lot this season through my very humanly mistakes, but maybe knowing my own rights is not as important as doing what is right? The line is rather fine, most of the time we don't see the reason in crossing in. It is one of the most difficult things to do, but it has to be done; because I am very afraid to live in a selfish world.

Heart and seek

"What women do and how they feel often have no logical connection at all."

True story, boys.

I was hoping you'd say yes

The thing is not to make yourself enough, you could never feel enough; it is to love yourself anyway.

Prometo amarle

Pssssssssst... I secretly think that I was meant to be Spanish.
Truthfully. Well, I -
1. Love the language. Por farvor Senorita!  I could say this all day long, no kidding.
2. Love pasta. (yes I realize it's Italian)
3. Love the tango, and the many other dances. (though I can't do de tango! yet)
4. Love the word Barcelona. As a matter of fact, every other Spanish sounding things/places/people
5. Love the whole setting of the country.
6. Love their Bohemian dressing.
7. Love their music.
8. And of course, I love Spanish men.

Haha, okay maybe not the last one. I prefer slightly cleaner cuts and am not cool about tight necklaces and hairy chests.
Yes, so with these, I am convinced that I was suppose to be a señora española! Noche buena mi amor :)

Stranger things have happened

My time is being robbed. Okay, maybe the only difference is I'm giving it away very willingly. To make things simpler, I am wasting time. Oh temptations!

A place in my heart

Now these are my babies; we share a very special connection.

Don't worry baby i'll be near

So, my fear of loosing loved ones has been causing me nightmares. People I love and care for are dying in my dreams; and I'd wake up because of the pain in my chest. My heart would just ache so much I'd wake up because I couldnt take it. Be it road accidents, sickness, being arrowed, being thrown off a ship; they die. I will stop freaking you out right now, by telling you a 'yo mama' joke -

Yo mama so fat people jog around her for exercise.

Shit why did I ever bothered bloggin.

We'll do it upside down inside out

There are times when we are placed in places we don't want to be or think we're not ready for it. When the road is just too steep or situations too overwhelming. Sometimes we can't help but to learn to fly.

A feast

Hey you guys, whats kicking? Besides having a very active and excited right brow that hasn't stopped twitching since last week, i've been doing goooooooooood! A few of the highlights besides my very cool eyebrow, is the fact that I've gotten the ticks for Hong Kong in June, this superb shoes that I got for free, having found a good place to study, receiving my scuba license, being finally taught how to do the butterfly the right way, spending my Sunday wrapping almost two thousand wan tons (no I do not sell wantan mee) and the return of my brother from Sipadan and the fact that I KNOW I will go there someday. I plan to work so I could just travel travel travel. That will be the bomb for me. It'll be even hotter if travelling IS my work. Anyway, again (being a tad jealous but excited) here are some beautiful, beautiful pictures. I hope it takes your breath away like it did mine. It being one of the top spots in the world, the advise is, to safe the bests for the last. Enjoy.

If you love food and travelling as much as I do, we should get married. :)

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