Day 3 (8/24) Snorkeling

It was hard to get up this morning. I was chatting with Nora and surfing my facebook, it was a great quiet night. Ko Tao is a wonderful place for scuba diving, snorkeling, and a good place for couples to enjoy. I have no girlfriend and I don’t really want to have one at the moment, but this kind of atmosphere still charged me with some kind of energy. That means: I stayed up too late last night! I should have gone to bed earlier!
After having breakfast with Chan who was setting off to the immigration to renew her visa, I rent a motorbike and then set off to New Heaven Diving School. The responsible person was Chad an American guy, whose style was pretty much like Emilio: same hair style but different color, same eyes, same way of talking, the only big difference is Emilio speaks Spanish and good English, and Chad’s a native English speaker. He told me there had been no manufacturing bio-diesel fuel since a couple of weeks ago (wth!) because of the election in Ko Tao Island, but the activity of the day was snorkeling and spotting Coral Reefs and jotting down their life conditions, which is a survey as the amount of Coral Reefs are decreasing year by year. The survey is going to help people realize how the situation is going and what people can do to stop making it worse.
It was a good sunny day today. We were on water surface and I was totally into the blue world. Though in the beginning I didn’t get used to breathing in and out through mouth as well as the snorkel because it kind of made my gum feel painful, but it turned into easy soon after and it felt perfect floating and drifting on water. After sometime when my survey was done, a guy who was not a part of our group asking me if I want to see a shark, then before I gave him a nod he was leading me ahead. And then, before I could see any big or tiny Shark, he turned around and then disappeared!
In my group there are folks from the UK (majority), Greece (one), and America (one), and other countries (some). The thing that frustrated me a lot was I still couldn’t understand the slang they were using and it was really hard to catch them up. We were talking about teaching tomorrow after getting back from the water but there were so many spoken languages that I couldn’t get. To be honest I have no idea how I’m going to deal with it tomorrow but let’s see. I felt kind of lucky that teaching now is just a small part of the activity. Ha~When I got back to my bungalow, I saw myself in the mirror, tanned skin except for my bum, which is totally the way I want! Haha! Wish tomorrow there would be enough time for more sun bathing.

Me and Chantelle my coordinator who said it was very bad timing to photograph a girl in the early morning.

On my rent half manual motorcycle to New Heaven.

Here it was.

Set of after Chad's excellent presentation about Coral Reefs.

Me with snorkel, one shot before jumping down.

Toe peeling off. It was resulted from last week's long walk while carrying daily necessity to Shan Mei tribal village.

"Ko Tao" means turtle, so there is a sea turtle at the shore.

Day 2 (8/23) Koh Tao Island

Steve told me a few days before that I would have a busy schedule on Sunday so I must leave the hotel at 5pm. I didn’t realize why it had to be in such a rush but I did now. On the ticket it said I will arrive at Ko Tao at around 2:45pm…”what the…! It’s 6am now, and it means the whole trip will take 9 hours totally!” As Steve was going to office for some other business so I would be on my own the whole trip to Ko Tao, exciting!
But I still could not believe I had slept for 2 hours only and managed to wake up at 4:30am. After 20 minutes lie-in I took a quick shower and then went downstairs waiting for Steve. He was already there well before me, being beaten by mosquitoes 5 times in 10 minutes while surfing internet, crazy! The trip would take a long time though, it was good for me to take a nap. Actually I had been sleeping on coach and ferry. Thailand is of course bigger than Taiwan, it’s normal to take some time to the next place, but anyway it was good.
I was extremely impressed by the beautifulness as soon as I got to the ferry port: clear and sunny sky, different scene from Taiwan’s, and more than that, a bunch of hot girls! This did give me more expectation of Ko Tao Island, and indeed it doesn’t let me down. Water activities are quite popular here, and were there enough time I would really much like to try scuba diving and snorkelling…unfortunately, scuba diving takes 4 days training, and I would be here for just 4 days more! Shit, I hated my boss!
Chan Tao was the coordinator of my project, she was a very lovely girl. My ferry was delayed for an hour, however, as soon as I got off and walked for one minute or two I saw her lifting a board with my name written on it just like Steve did last night. Chan Tao was very chatty, kind, lovely, with beautiful British accent, were there any chance I would wish us going out. I needed to sleep now as I was feeling tired. Tomorrow I was sure there will be a lot more going on. I would meet a guy named Chad from the United States and I would be working the project with him. Things getting more exciting and I was really looking forward to it!




Feeling bored on the coach


Finally got to the ferry port at Chumpon. It was gonna take two hour ferry to the island.


Mae Haad bungalow.


No air con though, it gave more atmosphere to the volunteering.


The muzzle covered one kept barking at me, but i was really in the mood and when i got closer to him and was gonna touch him, soon he was quiet down. The Black one was like a good friend, very gentle.


See!! (100 bhat for licking me alright!!??)

Day 1 (8/22) On The Go!

Today was my first time coming to Thailand. Coincident was that Fa happened to come back from China today. I’m not sure if this is okay or not as there was still an odd atmosphere between me and Fa.

But anyway, I was here at a hotel in central Bangkok now. I met Steve at Exit Door 3 at Bangkok airport as planned. He told me that there had been an incredibly heavy rain the whole day. When he left the hotel the water level was nearly knee high! Fortunately rain was gone before my arrival, and the rain made the temperature a bit cooler and pleasant, still humid though.
I had been warned by family and friends as soon as they knew I was going to Thailand, things like food hygiene, crime and of course sex trade. Ron told me a scary story about three Taiwanese students experiencing sex trade while travelling through Thailand probably around two years ago and last year they graduated and were ready for military service. Before joining the army they had blood check and then…bingo…AIDS…imaginable that they panicked, one guy said he even didn’t know how to tell his girlfriend about this as they had had sex without condom…gosh…

Other stories like my elder sister was sent straight to the hospital after landing because of food poisoning as well as her colleague having diarrhea since the first day of their travelling.
All these stories now were circling around in my mind making me feel sick. Imagination or subconscious are a powerful thing. I kept recalling to make sure I didn’t do anything wrong while walking around downstairs. Made sure what I had bought (water and a mug of Whisky Mixed with Glass only), made sure I didn’t call a girl. There were many taxi drivers having asked me to have sex trade, it was really annoying. I wasn’t sure if my imagination was too powerful or not, I had one diarrhea before hopping on the airplane and twice after getting in the hotel. Was the Whisky dirty or the water I bought from the 7-11 downstairs? Or was it because of the bbq octopus from my younger sister? Whatever it could be, my stomach didn’t feel quite right now.Time to sleep. Will have to get up really really early “later” (two hours later). Steve is a very nice British guy who was chatty and kind and smart. Will talk about more later.

The place I spent my first night.

The room is not bad, with satellite TV and different foreigner channels, good for every English learner; just it has no wireless internet service.

Night life along the entire Khao Sum Road was noisy and energetic. The street was busy with countless taxi. The numbers of 7-11 are much denser than that in Taiwan. Four to five can be found on only one street.

Many people still keep wrong impression about Thailand that it is a less developed country. For me there is no much difference between Thailand and Taiwan. More importantly, much more people in Thailand than in Taiwan can speak English (at least basic to medium level), which is quite competitive.

Almost all singers at bars can sing American country songs very well, as if they themselves are from the United States.

Morakot Night

Last Thursday afternoon before getting off from work, the radio released a news of no work no school on the next day the island wide. All folks were excited and started preparing to go home except for me because my stuff and dirty clothes were still in my accomodation. The shuttle bus was about to set off in a half hour, and it would take probably more time for me to pack up. So i decided to stay up sometime and go home on my motorbike.

The rain had been heavy when i was about to leave office. Just when i was on the way to accomodation it became to pour and my jeans got really wet up to my underpants. That night I wasn't able to leave because the rain and wind were too strong. The next day I spent the whole day on reading the story book "Outcast", listening to ICRT, making a song request, having instant noodles. I fell asleep around 4pm and didn't wake up until 9pm and i found the electricity supply seemed to have stopped for some time. The darkness of the room and outside gave more atmosphere of typhoon day which most of us had experienced during our childhood. Still, noodles, radio, less heavy rain but still strong wind blowing...man~ there is nothing better than this moment!

Electricity supply came again around half past 10pm. The weather forecast on TV said that the eye of Morakot was not coming just yet, but the damage resulted from rain and wind would get worse in the next two days.

"Two days......today is Friday, two days after comes Sunday, which means I can't even go home!"

"Typhoon eye is coming in.........hmmm......" thought my mind.

What happens in typhoon eye is usually not as terrible as that in other areas, or it can be said in a typhoon eye is usually stillness or peace. With hesitation, I started up my motorbike and set off. It was about 1am.

Actually the weather was much better than i expected, except for the wind was so strong as to make my motorcycle sway. It was even worse when riding on a bridge. With carelessness my motorcycle and i might be blown to smash the fense and fall down to the churning river. Except for this all was good! No rain all the way to Taipei, sometimes there was even a glimmer of moon light!

The next day Saturday the weather turned bad again and i was grateful for God's protection all the way and for the best timing. It's great to be home.

The video was recorded when I just left my accomodation.

Spot of the company I am currently working for.

The photo was taken this morning before passing through the company gate.

I do treasure and enjoy my off-work time because during which I can totally space out, both before stepping in the boss's "turf" and after crawling out of it.

What I love to do during my leisure time are: reading, listening to songs and singing out loud, getting on my bike and flying to anywhere my feeling or intuition tells me, lying on bed and dozing off without a shower <----usually nonpurposely...oh~ and drooling!

shu~ I might have made good use of my time if only I could have thought of it during student life. Now available time is not sufficient ever since getting job.



(Now listening You're Where I Belong ft. Trisha Yearwood)

The happiest time is...

The happiest time in a day is when that day's work is over, you can enjoy yum yum dinner! hahaha!!

Beef noodle with dumplin flavoured with chilli sauce. Chilli, hot one, I~ luv it!!!!!

Oh, and yakult, awesome match!

peaceful sunday afternoon

i went to a coffee shop right after the sunday service, but it didn't take long until i stood up and went back home. it was much earlier than usual. Unlike before, i stayed out hanging out with friends until like 9 or 10pm and then took a quick shower before going to bed. I am changed...


My niece got all the stuff she wanted, milk, drink, hand-washing cream. She is really energetic and like a non-stop motor always running!



She was making a pose while seeing me photographing her.




trying to open the can.

Argument

ongoing outside in the livingroom.i hate this, wishing to go out for fresh breath

Halapeno

(original article is deleted by the author)

wish

wishing my life could be as dangerous yet exciting as Torak's

Cremation

Still the very same Saturday, our beloved family member left for the other world. This morning we went to the vet hospital for farewell. My sisters had been cryingfrom home all the way to the vet hospital. I didn't really sob until seeing him putin the box with his toy and clothes around.He was a dog...and now what I saw was...him being wrapped with a black plastic bagand a deep reddish paper case...I sobbed while seeing the doctor taking him into aroom, waiting for cremation...He had just slept by my side not long ago!One thing I am happy for him is that he doesn't have to bear the decaying fleshanymore. He has no deafness, his right rear leg is wonderful now, his heart is healthy, kidney stones can never bother him at all...For this, I am happy for him...

Xiao Mao

Still couldn't make it......don't wanna remember what had just happened...it was too sad...To Xiao Mao:Thank you so much for having us in your life. You had brought us so much happiness.You are truly an angel and just want to let you know we love you so much.

A moment like this

Last wednesday was the first time Xiao Mao fainted, I didn't seethat because i was in San Yi. I came back home on friday eveningand was welcomed by Xiao Mao's energetic and ecstatic barking as usual, Waving tail, moving around, he was so cute.Next day when i went back home from speed dating event organisedby Goldie and Vicent, when i was climbing up the stairs, my sisterElsa who was rushing down with Xiao Mao told me that Xiao Mao faintedout of breath again and they had to get to vet hospital as soon aspossible. That night I didn't see Xiao Mao recovered...On Sunday Elsa and me took Xiao Mao to a famous vet hospital near Taipei 101, and the doctor decided that he had Uremia, due to thelack of water drinking and peeing. But the situation was not gettingbetter even taking medicine. The night before I set off to San Yi,dread and sadness came down to me and Elsa. We were very sad to seehis situation like this, and yet there was nothing we could do. Thatmade us feel very sick...On monday morning, before I completely wokeup, I heard a sound coming up from under my bed. It was Xiao Maostaying there. Without knowing what he was doing, but it was a sadsituation again because an online article said that animals seemcapable to sense they're going to die, they would find a place tohide themselves. We saw Xiao Mao doing this which reminded me ofthat article and I truly wished I had never read the article.Monday afternoon, Elsa told me she took Xiao Mao to the hospitalwhose doctor had done leg surgery for Xiao Mao. This time, the truereason why Xiao Mao didn't drink and eat and pee was finally found.Kidney stones were blocking the passage from his blade or between blade and Kidney. He hadn't peed for nearly two days and probably that caused him Uremia. The doctor helped him pee using a conduit.The pee was successfully released though, it had been sometimeuntil the kidney stones were found, Uremia is still there. He nowhas to accept an intravenous drip everyday, the doctor has to makesure Xiao Mao's blade and kidney are not damaged...We can't help think of what might happen to Xiao Mao afterwards,the times he has been with us keep appearing in my mind...I havebeen asking God to save him...Xiao Mao, you will be getting better. This weekend don't forgetI will take you out for a walk in the stadium. Please get better...I miss you so much......

Long way down

End of August, to Ko Tao Island.Next year? I'm aiming at volunteering in Republic of Sierra Leone, but this tripis still not made sure yet.And next year, haha! Of course not sure yet....But bright is my future which is certain, I will be going long way down to it.