The past few days have really made me aware of some of the huge differences between life in Thailand vs. life in Maine. Not that I haven't been aware of the insane incomparabilities since I got here, but a few new things popped up that just reiterated this thought. Most noticably was my Monday. I was working in the afternoon and it kicked right off with my first real dog fight. It's easy to forget that these dogs weren't born into a life of pethood and many spent the first portion of their life surviving in packs on the island, trying to find food and competing over resources. One of our newest dogs, Bones (named because she came in with absolutely no meat on her), is still not completely adjusted to the fact that she will have meals everyday and went nuts on Michael, the dog I wrote about last time, in a fit to eat first. Don't let this put you off though, if anyone wants a dog right now I can hook you up. Following this incident I took the two older puppies, Beijoqueiro ("kisser" in Portugese) and Rocket for a walk to the river. Along the way they were sniffing in the grass just off the side of the road when they both lunged after what I assumed would be a frog or gecko. But no, a King Cobra rose out of the grass and towered over the puppies, hood up and fangs ready. I yanked them away as swiftly as possible, though the two were all for playing with the cobra. No harm, no foul, but beyond what I was expecting. Of course everyone else is quite jealous that I should see a Cobra after 2 1/2 weeks, when some volunteers have been here months, but I could have done without.
More excitement the next day on a walk to the river. I was with another volunteer, Sam, and we had three dogs altogether. A bike was coming towards us with a dog chasing the bike. Upon seeing our dogs, this other fellow tried to cross in front of the bike and come over to us but he collided with the bike which sent the driver into a ditch and the second guy flew off into the road. Luckily both were okay and the dog seemed to be as well, but one of our dogs, Chilli, slipped her harness and ran off with Sam chasing. In the end she just went home and once again, all's well that ends well.
For the most part I really enjoy Thai people. They're friendly and kind and have a wonderful sense of humor where they poke fun at you when you get rained on or sunburnt but in such a cheerful way that you don't feel upset or made fun of. Although when it comes to driving it's every man for himself. It doesn't matter how good or safe a driver you are, your life is dependent on how well you pay attention to what everyone around you is doing becuase usually it's something stupid. Between the few pedestrians, the fewer pedal bikes, motorbikes driven by all levels of experienced riders, tuk-tuks (essentially a taxi; a cart attached to a bike), and cars there isn't always a lot of room on the roads and people drive quite fast for the most part and a bit recklessly. These guys on their bikes must feel invincible based on their behavior, that or they like feeling especially vulnerable and surviving. I always feel so out in the open and unprotected, but it's a nice, liberating feeling. Especially on these hot-hot days where the breeze might be the main purpose for going for a ride.
In between shifts I've probably been spending most of my time at the beach. I don't know what I'll make of Sand Beach when I get home. Come to think of it, I also don't know what I'll think of flushing toilets, hot showers, and driving on the right side of the road (hopefully I adjust to that one quickly!). One of the best things about the beaches, and the island in general, in my opinion, are the massive eagles that fly everywhere. We had one at the shelter last week because it was injured but we just released it the other day. Speaking of birds, all I hear in my head when riding my bike is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np0solnL1XY .
You know how I said everyone was leaving at the end of the month? They're not anymore! Sylvia and Eva, the Polish vets, are trying to extend their stay by two weeks; Camilla and Miriam were leaving next week to Australia/New Zealand but their visa's haven't gone through so they'll be here up to another month; Sam and Mitch decided to stay at least a month instead of the original two week plan; and Justin and Meaghan also decided to stay an extra two weeks or so. Only Marcus is leaving as planned but that's not nearly as bad as I was prepared for. Hooooray!
I don't have too much more to report. My cobra story is my claim to fame around here so that's really what I wanted to write down. I did find out that there is a horse rescue on this island (how did I manage that?) that I intend to check out as soon as possible. Also, this Friday, a bunch of us from the shelter are going in a boat to a series of cavernous, chambered caves. The way it was described to me by the organizer sounds amazing and possibly a little terrifying. I am having flashbacks to the descent into the crater in Israel; from what I've been told, to enter the third chamber you have to crawl through a tunnel so small that anyone on the larger side of a bit wide of shoulders wouldn't fit. I'm pretty claustrophobic but I will hopefully be able to persuade myself through it. There are your highlight of the past few days; I'll write again in not too long providing I don't get stuck in a cave tunnel and can no longer make it to a computer screen.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Two Weeks - Dengue Free
Sawadee Ka!
I left off last Tuesday so let me catch you up on what's being going on since then. It's been a really great past few days that are just racing by. I'm over two weeks into my stay here; a quarter of the way finished my stay in Thailand. I know six weeks is still a long time but it feels like not enough. One of the things that's been on my mind a lot the past few days is that this trip feels too planned out and pre-booked. I'm wishing partly that I could extend my travels for a bit longer. I don't necessarily want to stay in Koh Lanta for much longer than two months but I don't know that I particularly want to go home. Though two months is still a good amount of time so I'm sure I'll feel different towards the end and just be ready to go home and see my friends and family, but at this moment I don't want to stop.
Anyways, back to what I've actually been doing, Tuesday was Jon, the volunteer coordinator/shelter manager's birthday and we threw him a surprise party at the center. All the volunteers came and we put up balloons and his girlfriend and fellow volunteer, Julia, ordered cake (which is a true rarity here) and it was just a really nice time. We spent a few hours there and then went to Pangea, the same bar where the full moon party was last week. I'm coming to look forward to Tuesday's very much because of Pangea dance party nights. Not to mention that I had Wednesday off work so I stayed out until 5am with a few other volunteers. All in all it was a good night and I think Jon was happily surprised.
The mission of Wednesday was to locate new shoes since mine broke the day before. Anywhere close by only sells cheap, plastic ones that I really don't like so I drove to Saladan, the town at the north of the island and most touristy place. That's one of the most interesting things about this island; it's not very big and yet it has a huge range of cultures and languages and financial backgrounds. It's not a main tourist spot so it's not crowded or dirty, but it's touristy enough that most store owners speak a little english and you can get what you need generally. I'm staying about 15ish minutes south of Saladan on a road off the main one. If I drive to the main road there are restaurants and minimarts and if I drive north there are an increasing amount of stores and tourist attractions. However, if I walk 10 minutes down my road away from the main street there are small woven houses and children bathing in the river. Back on the topic of Saladan, I was finally able to locate some cool, locally made shoes for about $3. I did a bit of shopping for food and other things as well and felt like I was spending a lot of money, but then I did the math and realized I'd spent less than $15. It's easy to forget that $1 is about 40 baht so you're really not spending much money ever.
Thursday was my first day working with one of the new couples, Sam and Mitch. They're from London and I really like them so it's nice that they're staying for a month or so. We worked in the morning and spent the rest of the day at the beach - such a difficult life it is here. It's completely beautiful and insanely different than anywhere I've ever been but I still don't think I could spend an indefinite amount of time here. I love it but I think I would go a bit crazy on an island if I was there for too long. Friday was the last day for Rebecka before her return to Sweden. I made shakshuka for the first time for a few of us and it remarkably turned out edible. It's interesting shopping for groceries here, and probably this is part of the reason we eat out so much, but you can't just go to a supermarket with a produce section. You have to go to fruit or vegetable stands or the market which is in a different location everyday (on Thursday's it's right by the shelter). I also kind of like this, though. I really want to cook more, as in at all, when I get back home.
At night we went to Chill Out House which is a bar/restaurant/tree house sort of establishment. The owner built it himself and it is the coolest building I've ever been in. There aren't really walls, there are branches that create an enclosure with seats built in and around the branches and hammocks hanging from the "ceiling," if I can call it that. They're starting an organic farm there and sadly my roommate was asked to leave today because they don't think she's putting enough work in so she's gone to stay there and work at the farm. I have a room to myself again but I liked staying with her and we were leaving on the same day but now she might leave earlier. It's a bit of a shame. Suddenly it feels like everyone is leaving. She and Rebecka are gone, and two volunteers are leaving next week, and then four or five are leaving at the end of the month. I know I kept saying that I didn't really feel like part of the group but now I do, just in time for that group to disperse. I'm hoping there'll be more volunteers coming but it's also getting towards the end of the high season so there may not be so many.
I wrote about a few dogs I didn't like last time so I thought I'd write about my two favorites today. They are Michael and Denver. Michael has an expression and built a bit like my dog, Gulliver, but he has golden eyes and a tail as curly as a pig's. He's a bit shy but really sweet. Then there's Denver who is between 6months and a year, I'm not sure, and his paws and ears are way too big for the rest of him. He's a bit of a floppy puppy but very cute and you can just carry him around and he sits on your lap like a cat. I had a scare this morning when I walked into his kennel to feed him and found him lying on his side whimpering in pain. The vets checked him out (hooray for attached clinic) and think he has a blood parasite which makes him very tired and sore. It takes about a month of treatment for him to get better, but he might not be so easy to carry around or willing to sit quietly on my lap once he feels better. There's also 15-20 cats who wander the premises, free to come and go. No one is going to stop you from letting one (or six) sleep in your room at night which I love. There's one cat, Batman, who sleeps with me and he's so good at night but as soon as my alarm goes off he's up and begins attacking my feet. I guess it's good in that it makes me get up, but I can only reason that out later in the day.
I'm just about out of time. The volunteers are going to Time For Lime tonight, the restaurant owned by the woman who started the shelter and we're supposed to leave in less than 15 minutes. Tonight is my night sleeping in the shelter with the dogs which ought to be fun (does sarcasm come through in writing?). Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!
I left off last Tuesday so let me catch you up on what's being going on since then. It's been a really great past few days that are just racing by. I'm over two weeks into my stay here; a quarter of the way finished my stay in Thailand. I know six weeks is still a long time but it feels like not enough. One of the things that's been on my mind a lot the past few days is that this trip feels too planned out and pre-booked. I'm wishing partly that I could extend my travels for a bit longer. I don't necessarily want to stay in Koh Lanta for much longer than two months but I don't know that I particularly want to go home. Though two months is still a good amount of time so I'm sure I'll feel different towards the end and just be ready to go home and see my friends and family, but at this moment I don't want to stop.
Anyways, back to what I've actually been doing, Tuesday was Jon, the volunteer coordinator/shelter manager's birthday and we threw him a surprise party at the center. All the volunteers came and we put up balloons and his girlfriend and fellow volunteer, Julia, ordered cake (which is a true rarity here) and it was just a really nice time. We spent a few hours there and then went to Pangea, the same bar where the full moon party was last week. I'm coming to look forward to Tuesday's very much because of Pangea dance party nights. Not to mention that I had Wednesday off work so I stayed out until 5am with a few other volunteers. All in all it was a good night and I think Jon was happily surprised.
The mission of Wednesday was to locate new shoes since mine broke the day before. Anywhere close by only sells cheap, plastic ones that I really don't like so I drove to Saladan, the town at the north of the island and most touristy place. That's one of the most interesting things about this island; it's not very big and yet it has a huge range of cultures and languages and financial backgrounds. It's not a main tourist spot so it's not crowded or dirty, but it's touristy enough that most store owners speak a little english and you can get what you need generally. I'm staying about 15ish minutes south of Saladan on a road off the main one. If I drive to the main road there are restaurants and minimarts and if I drive north there are an increasing amount of stores and tourist attractions. However, if I walk 10 minutes down my road away from the main street there are small woven houses and children bathing in the river. Back on the topic of Saladan, I was finally able to locate some cool, locally made shoes for about $3. I did a bit of shopping for food and other things as well and felt like I was spending a lot of money, but then I did the math and realized I'd spent less than $15. It's easy to forget that $1 is about 40 baht so you're really not spending much money ever.
Thursday was my first day working with one of the new couples, Sam and Mitch. They're from London and I really like them so it's nice that they're staying for a month or so. We worked in the morning and spent the rest of the day at the beach - such a difficult life it is here. It's completely beautiful and insanely different than anywhere I've ever been but I still don't think I could spend an indefinite amount of time here. I love it but I think I would go a bit crazy on an island if I was there for too long. Friday was the last day for Rebecka before her return to Sweden. I made shakshuka for the first time for a few of us and it remarkably turned out edible. It's interesting shopping for groceries here, and probably this is part of the reason we eat out so much, but you can't just go to a supermarket with a produce section. You have to go to fruit or vegetable stands or the market which is in a different location everyday (on Thursday's it's right by the shelter). I also kind of like this, though. I really want to cook more, as in at all, when I get back home.
At night we went to Chill Out House which is a bar/restaurant/tree house sort of establishment. The owner built it himself and it is the coolest building I've ever been in. There aren't really walls, there are branches that create an enclosure with seats built in and around the branches and hammocks hanging from the "ceiling," if I can call it that. They're starting an organic farm there and sadly my roommate was asked to leave today because they don't think she's putting enough work in so she's gone to stay there and work at the farm. I have a room to myself again but I liked staying with her and we were leaving on the same day but now she might leave earlier. It's a bit of a shame. Suddenly it feels like everyone is leaving. She and Rebecka are gone, and two volunteers are leaving next week, and then four or five are leaving at the end of the month. I know I kept saying that I didn't really feel like part of the group but now I do, just in time for that group to disperse. I'm hoping there'll be more volunteers coming but it's also getting towards the end of the high season so there may not be so many.
I wrote about a few dogs I didn't like last time so I thought I'd write about my two favorites today. They are Michael and Denver. Michael has an expression and built a bit like my dog, Gulliver, but he has golden eyes and a tail as curly as a pig's. He's a bit shy but really sweet. Then there's Denver who is between 6months and a year, I'm not sure, and his paws and ears are way too big for the rest of him. He's a bit of a floppy puppy but very cute and you can just carry him around and he sits on your lap like a cat. I had a scare this morning when I walked into his kennel to feed him and found him lying on his side whimpering in pain. The vets checked him out (hooray for attached clinic) and think he has a blood parasite which makes him very tired and sore. It takes about a month of treatment for him to get better, but he might not be so easy to carry around or willing to sit quietly on my lap once he feels better. There's also 15-20 cats who wander the premises, free to come and go. No one is going to stop you from letting one (or six) sleep in your room at night which I love. There's one cat, Batman, who sleeps with me and he's so good at night but as soon as my alarm goes off he's up and begins attacking my feet. I guess it's good in that it makes me get up, but I can only reason that out later in the day.
I'm just about out of time. The volunteers are going to Time For Lime tonight, the restaurant owned by the woman who started the shelter and we're supposed to leave in less than 15 minutes. Tonight is my night sleeping in the shelter with the dogs which ought to be fun (does sarcasm come through in writing?). Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Rain and Rufus
Immediately after I finished writing my last post the storm clouds rolled in with a final warning and I hopped on my bike to head home. That's the thing about bike as transportation - when it rains you really don't want to be going anywhere. It rained all of Thursday so my day off was spent divided between my bed and a sheltered hammock. I suppose there are worse ways to spend a day. It was still raining in the evening when we went to the Laanta Lanta Festival so it wasn't such fun, but we got good food and had a quick look in some nice booths before giving up and returning to the truck.
Friday night was my first night sleeping in the kennel and it was just about everything it's cracked up to be. The evening begun with Sanchez, a tough looking dog covered in battle scars, whining fearfully at things moving in the night. To quiet him down I brought him into the kitchen where I was sleeping and let him curl up with me, but then Rufus the Terrible figured that if Sanchez got to be in the kitchen then he ought to be as well. And so he begun howling loudly, and Rufus is the kind of dog who enjoys being yelled at and punished so it's really hard to shut him up once he gets going. He became the greater of two evils so Sanchez had to return to face the night demons (frogs and kittens) and Rufus took his rightful place in the kitchen. Have I mentioned that I really dislike Rufus? He's this huge dog who isn't aware of his size or the fact that he's no longer a puppy. I took him for a walk the other day and he wanted to play with some strange dogs but I wouldn't let him so he turned and bounded at me. I saw my life flash before my eyes. Anyways, with Rufus in the kitchen I was able to get a few hours of sleep before they started barking at 3, howling at 4, and getting up at 5 to prevent them barking during the Muslim prayer. It was a less than enjoyable night, but only 7 more of those to deal with.
In the past few days there have been a lot of volunteers coming and going, and more are leaving in the next few. Toni left for Australia, Rebecka is about to leave for Sweden, and Josh is going...wherever Josh lives. A new couple came on Saturday from Canada and another couple came just last night from London. They all seem like good people but it meant I lost my single bedroom. I moved in with Terezia yesterday but she's cool and we get along so it should be fine, but so much for settling in a bit these two months. I feel like I'm getting to know all the volunteers a bit better. We all get along well but it's not like when I volunteered at the farm in Israel when we were all tight after a week. I think part of the reason is that I'm so much younger (over twice my age in some cases), and also a lot of people came with a friend or as a couple so there's automatically some division. But no worries, when we do hang it's great and I also really enjoy doing my own thing.
So my bike...is kind of a piece of shit. I say that affectionately but honestly. It's old. It's a gas guzzler. The brakes suck. It often refuses to start for several minutes. The motor doesn't start well so it kicks and almost throws you off the backseat everytime you get it going. I thought I was just a really bad driver but I let someone else drive it yesterday and they fell off when it kicked so I feel a bit better about myself, but slightly concerned that I'll now have to pay for a cracked mirror. Regardless, it gets me around though I'm eternally teased about my slow driving speeds.
Not much else has been new at the shelter. There's the income of animals for treatments, the daily walking of dogs, the routine chores. None of its hard but my most common phrase might just be, "This is probably the grossest thing I've ever done." Still I'm glad for something to fill part of my time and to meet people through volunteering. The beaches are great and the parties are fun, but I think I'd be a bit bored if I didn't have anything else to do during the day. I suppose a lot of tourists feel that way because everyday we have dozens who visit and walk a few dogs for us.
I guess that's all for now. Tomorrow's my day off and since I worked a morning shift today I'm officially free. I'll write again soon, hope all is well with everyone.
Friday night was my first night sleeping in the kennel and it was just about everything it's cracked up to be. The evening begun with Sanchez, a tough looking dog covered in battle scars, whining fearfully at things moving in the night. To quiet him down I brought him into the kitchen where I was sleeping and let him curl up with me, but then Rufus the Terrible figured that if Sanchez got to be in the kitchen then he ought to be as well. And so he begun howling loudly, and Rufus is the kind of dog who enjoys being yelled at and punished so it's really hard to shut him up once he gets going. He became the greater of two evils so Sanchez had to return to face the night demons (frogs and kittens) and Rufus took his rightful place in the kitchen. Have I mentioned that I really dislike Rufus? He's this huge dog who isn't aware of his size or the fact that he's no longer a puppy. I took him for a walk the other day and he wanted to play with some strange dogs but I wouldn't let him so he turned and bounded at me. I saw my life flash before my eyes. Anyways, with Rufus in the kitchen I was able to get a few hours of sleep before they started barking at 3, howling at 4, and getting up at 5 to prevent them barking during the Muslim prayer. It was a less than enjoyable night, but only 7 more of those to deal with.
In the past few days there have been a lot of volunteers coming and going, and more are leaving in the next few. Toni left for Australia, Rebecka is about to leave for Sweden, and Josh is going...wherever Josh lives. A new couple came on Saturday from Canada and another couple came just last night from London. They all seem like good people but it meant I lost my single bedroom. I moved in with Terezia yesterday but she's cool and we get along so it should be fine, but so much for settling in a bit these two months. I feel like I'm getting to know all the volunteers a bit better. We all get along well but it's not like when I volunteered at the farm in Israel when we were all tight after a week. I think part of the reason is that I'm so much younger (over twice my age in some cases), and also a lot of people came with a friend or as a couple so there's automatically some division. But no worries, when we do hang it's great and I also really enjoy doing my own thing.
So my bike...is kind of a piece of shit. I say that affectionately but honestly. It's old. It's a gas guzzler. The brakes suck. It often refuses to start for several minutes. The motor doesn't start well so it kicks and almost throws you off the backseat everytime you get it going. I thought I was just a really bad driver but I let someone else drive it yesterday and they fell off when it kicked so I feel a bit better about myself, but slightly concerned that I'll now have to pay for a cracked mirror. Regardless, it gets me around though I'm eternally teased about my slow driving speeds.
Not much else has been new at the shelter. There's the income of animals for treatments, the daily walking of dogs, the routine chores. None of its hard but my most common phrase might just be, "This is probably the grossest thing I've ever done." Still I'm glad for something to fill part of my time and to meet people through volunteering. The beaches are great and the parties are fun, but I think I'd be a bit bored if I didn't have anything else to do during the day. I suppose a lot of tourists feel that way because everyday we have dozens who visit and walk a few dogs for us.
I guess that's all for now. Tomorrow's my day off and since I worked a morning shift today I'm officially free. I'll write again soon, hope all is well with everyone.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Letter From A Hammock
I'm beginning to fall in love with my island. I love how none of the restaurants have walls. I love taking naps in the hammock outside my room after work. I love the parties on the beach, the fruits I've never seen before, the delicious food, taking off your shoes before entering buildings (though I rarely wear shoes to begin with). I even love the thirty minute thunderstorms every afternoon that completely soak you in seconds, and the heat that presses down on you 24 hours a day, and I even don't mind that my toilet doesn't flush - you pour a bucket of water after you go to flush it. The more I see of Koh Lanta the more I like it.
Time moves differently here. The days drift into one another lazily and it feels live I've been here longer than almost one week. The only things punctuating my days are work, meals, and the reapplication of bugspray. The work at the shelter isn't hard; it's a little gross at times between keeping the dog and cat areas clean but I knew what I was getting myself into. I've been mostly working the morning 7am-1pm shift since I got here but for the next few days I'm doing the afternoon 1pm-7pm shift. Also tomorrow night is my turn to sleep in the shelter to keep the dogs quiet during the night. Someone sleeps there every night because the neighbors complain a lot about noise. Today is my day off! It couldn't have come sooner. I've been out pretty late the last few nights and really needed the 13 1/2 hours of sleep I was able to get last night. It's still early though, not even 12. I've already been to the beach for a while and went swimming. It's so strange swimming in an ocean that's warm. I'm so used to freezing in the Atlantic, but the Indian is practically bath water. The rest of the afternoon is unplanned but tonight is the second night of the three day Lanta Laanta Festival on the other side of the island. I didn't go last night because I was sleeping, and like I said tomorrow I have to stay in the shelter from 7pm onwards so tonight is my only chance.
During the day when we're not working most of the volunteers are at the beach, and then almost every night we go out for dinner and then there's usually a party at some bar along the beach. I've never lived like this before. I hardly ever eat out at home but here it's so affordable and so delicious that it's worth it. And while the other volunteers are quite a bit older than me and seem to be regular partiers I rarely stay out so late so many nights in a row. On Tuesday night there was a full moon party on the beach (and the moon wasn't even full) and that was really fun. I met a lot of cool people from all over including Greg from Australia who I hung out with yesterday after work for a few hours.
A couple of days ago I rented my motorbike which I am still getting comfortable driving but I love it. It's purple. And it means I'm independent. Here you drive on the left side of the road which I still have to consciously remember but it's getting easier.
So that's me up to date I believe. Island life is good, though very different than anything I've experienced before. Good thing I have a long time to get used to it. Tomorrow marks one week down. I can't believe it; sometimes it feels like I've been here forever and sometimes it's like I just got here yesterday. Like I said, time moves differently here. And for some good news to wrap up with there have been no new cases of Dengue Fever in about a week which means the threat might be over, and there have been no more creatures in my bathroom since the gecko.
Time moves differently here. The days drift into one another lazily and it feels live I've been here longer than almost one week. The only things punctuating my days are work, meals, and the reapplication of bugspray. The work at the shelter isn't hard; it's a little gross at times between keeping the dog and cat areas clean but I knew what I was getting myself into. I've been mostly working the morning 7am-1pm shift since I got here but for the next few days I'm doing the afternoon 1pm-7pm shift. Also tomorrow night is my turn to sleep in the shelter to keep the dogs quiet during the night. Someone sleeps there every night because the neighbors complain a lot about noise. Today is my day off! It couldn't have come sooner. I've been out pretty late the last few nights and really needed the 13 1/2 hours of sleep I was able to get last night. It's still early though, not even 12. I've already been to the beach for a while and went swimming. It's so strange swimming in an ocean that's warm. I'm so used to freezing in the Atlantic, but the Indian is practically bath water. The rest of the afternoon is unplanned but tonight is the second night of the three day Lanta Laanta Festival on the other side of the island. I didn't go last night because I was sleeping, and like I said tomorrow I have to stay in the shelter from 7pm onwards so tonight is my only chance.
During the day when we're not working most of the volunteers are at the beach, and then almost every night we go out for dinner and then there's usually a party at some bar along the beach. I've never lived like this before. I hardly ever eat out at home but here it's so affordable and so delicious that it's worth it. And while the other volunteers are quite a bit older than me and seem to be regular partiers I rarely stay out so late so many nights in a row. On Tuesday night there was a full moon party on the beach (and the moon wasn't even full) and that was really fun. I met a lot of cool people from all over including Greg from Australia who I hung out with yesterday after work for a few hours.
A couple of days ago I rented my motorbike which I am still getting comfortable driving but I love it. It's purple. And it means I'm independent. Here you drive on the left side of the road which I still have to consciously remember but it's getting easier.
So that's me up to date I believe. Island life is good, though very different than anything I've experienced before. Good thing I have a long time to get used to it. Tomorrow marks one week down. I can't believe it; sometimes it feels like I've been here forever and sometimes it's like I just got here yesterday. Like I said, time moves differently here. And for some good news to wrap up with there have been no new cases of Dengue Fever in about a week which means the threat might be over, and there have been no more creatures in my bathroom since the gecko.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Creatures In My Bathroom
Three plane rides, two ferry boats, and one taxi later I've arrived on Koh Lanta. What a disorienting trip. I got on a plane Wednesday night and arrived in Taiwan 14 hours later. Then there was a 4 hour flight to Bangkok and a 1 and a half hour flight to Krabi. From there a 2 and a half hour taxi ride that encompassed the two ferry boat rides. By the time I arrived at the Lanta Animal Welfare shelter it was about 7pm on Friday. On the ferry ride over I saw my island for the first time and smiled as I thought of my home for the next two months. It seemed so surreal...and then reality hit.
In my state of exhaustion and confusion I had a pretty pessimistic outlook upon arriving and viewing my surroundings for the first time. I could only focus on the negative, such as the cockroach in my bathroom, the cobwebs on my bed frame, and the fact that five recent volunteers came down with Dengue Fever. I also couldn't get my Thai cell phone to work so that I might call home, and there isn't actually an onsite communal computer as I was led to believe. In that moment, sitting in my room, I felt the most alone and scared I have this entire trip. That was the first time I really thought to myself, "I don't know if I can do this."
But that's not the right attitude to have. So I killed the cockroach in the bathroom, swept the cobwebs off my bed, and gave myself a good coating of bugspray. After much frustration my parents and I were able to talk on the phone, but I was still feeling pretty discouraged by the time I fell asleep. However when I woke up I was able to see things in a new light. Yes, these are some of roughest living conditions I've experienced, but they're not bad at all. I have an attached bathroom with running water (it's cold water only, but with the temperatures here that's all you want). There's electricity. I have a fan. I have a bed and clean sheets and a room to myself. It could be infinitely worse. And the living situation isn't the reason I came. I came to volunteer at the animal shelter. Priorities.
After my first shift yesterday morning from 7-1 I feel like I'm really putting my time to good use. The shelter is a bit understaffed right now and there are a lot of animals that need to be taken care of. There are about 20 cats and 30 dogs. I'm sad to say that I've never seen so many animals missing limbs or eyes or tails; it's heartbreaking. This place and these people work so hard to make these animals comfortable and keep their environment clean; it's really a wonderful effort. After my morning shift with Marcus from Germany and Fon from Thailand I went out to lunch with Fon, which meant I got my first motorbike ride! I haven't rented one yet but I think I have to. There just isn't any other form of transportation and things are too spread out to walk. That also means I need to learn how to ride one, but how hard can it be? The lunch we got was so delicious and cost less than $2. That's the amazing thing about Thailand - things are cheap. Really cheap. Afterwards we went to the beach and lay there for hours under our covered rest place, drinking beer and watching a thunderstorm rage around us as the afternoon progressed. This is undoubtedly the wildest place I've ever been.
As far as food goes, it seems that the volunteers typically buy lunch and dinner out and pick up a few groceries for breakfast. I haven't figured out exactly if I'm going to follow that same guideline but we'll see as time progresses. Yesterday for dinner I went out with all the volunteers to a market in Saladan, the main town on the island, and ate fried food off a stick. I kid you not that everything was on a stick and fried. Vegetarian options are limited but available and I found some battered quail eggs (fried and on a stick) which was weird but not too bad. The rest of the volunteers went out to a bar later at night but jetlag insisted I go to bed. Seeing as they didn't get back until 5am I think my decision was a good one. I'm trying to fit in and be part of the group but everyone is considerably older than I am and much more alcohol-oriented than me. Everyone seems really nice though and there's always an invitation somewhere.
I think I can do this. It's had its ups and downs in the time since I got here, and I'm sure it will have more, but I think I'll be okay. And the island itself does seem pretty cool. From my drive-by's there look to be a lot of cool stores and there's a huge amount of delicious food. We'll see how it continues, but for now that's all I have time for since I'm in an internet cafe and being charged by the minute (though cheaply, since this is Thailand). Also, this morning, I found a gecko in my bathroom. I don't know how he got in there since it is sealed everywhere as far as I can tell. He and the cockroach are in cahoots.
In my state of exhaustion and confusion I had a pretty pessimistic outlook upon arriving and viewing my surroundings for the first time. I could only focus on the negative, such as the cockroach in my bathroom, the cobwebs on my bed frame, and the fact that five recent volunteers came down with Dengue Fever. I also couldn't get my Thai cell phone to work so that I might call home, and there isn't actually an onsite communal computer as I was led to believe. In that moment, sitting in my room, I felt the most alone and scared I have this entire trip. That was the first time I really thought to myself, "I don't know if I can do this."
But that's not the right attitude to have. So I killed the cockroach in the bathroom, swept the cobwebs off my bed, and gave myself a good coating of bugspray. After much frustration my parents and I were able to talk on the phone, but I was still feeling pretty discouraged by the time I fell asleep. However when I woke up I was able to see things in a new light. Yes, these are some of roughest living conditions I've experienced, but they're not bad at all. I have an attached bathroom with running water (it's cold water only, but with the temperatures here that's all you want). There's electricity. I have a fan. I have a bed and clean sheets and a room to myself. It could be infinitely worse. And the living situation isn't the reason I came. I came to volunteer at the animal shelter. Priorities.
After my first shift yesterday morning from 7-1 I feel like I'm really putting my time to good use. The shelter is a bit understaffed right now and there are a lot of animals that need to be taken care of. There are about 20 cats and 30 dogs. I'm sad to say that I've never seen so many animals missing limbs or eyes or tails; it's heartbreaking. This place and these people work so hard to make these animals comfortable and keep their environment clean; it's really a wonderful effort. After my morning shift with Marcus from Germany and Fon from Thailand I went out to lunch with Fon, which meant I got my first motorbike ride! I haven't rented one yet but I think I have to. There just isn't any other form of transportation and things are too spread out to walk. That also means I need to learn how to ride one, but how hard can it be? The lunch we got was so delicious and cost less than $2. That's the amazing thing about Thailand - things are cheap. Really cheap. Afterwards we went to the beach and lay there for hours under our covered rest place, drinking beer and watching a thunderstorm rage around us as the afternoon progressed. This is undoubtedly the wildest place I've ever been.
As far as food goes, it seems that the volunteers typically buy lunch and dinner out and pick up a few groceries for breakfast. I haven't figured out exactly if I'm going to follow that same guideline but we'll see as time progresses. Yesterday for dinner I went out with all the volunteers to a market in Saladan, the main town on the island, and ate fried food off a stick. I kid you not that everything was on a stick and fried. Vegetarian options are limited but available and I found some battered quail eggs (fried and on a stick) which was weird but not too bad. The rest of the volunteers went out to a bar later at night but jetlag insisted I go to bed. Seeing as they didn't get back until 5am I think my decision was a good one. I'm trying to fit in and be part of the group but everyone is considerably older than I am and much more alcohol-oriented than me. Everyone seems really nice though and there's always an invitation somewhere.
I think I can do this. It's had its ups and downs in the time since I got here, and I'm sure it will have more, but I think I'll be okay. And the island itself does seem pretty cool. From my drive-by's there look to be a lot of cool stores and there's a huge amount of delicious food. We'll see how it continues, but for now that's all I have time for since I'm in an internet cafe and being charged by the minute (though cheaply, since this is Thailand). Also, this morning, I found a gecko in my bathroom. I don't know how he got in there since it is sealed everywhere as far as I can tell. He and the cockroach are in cahoots.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Redwoods and Sea Lions
One of the nicest things about being back in the US is that I've been able to talk to all my friends back home. Just knowing they're there and that I have their support is so wonderful. When I was in Scotland I was feeling especially distanced and homeless, but talking to everyone just reminded me that everyone is still there. I feel content to go off to Thailand for two months knowing that will still be true when I get home. I wrote about loneliness during that same patch of doubt in Scotland, but I also really love being alone. I love waking up and going out at my own pace. No need to confer with anyone else on where to go or what they want to see or if they need food or anything else. Just me and my own wants and needs; it's incredibly freeing.
Ironically while everyone began their spring break, I spent my first few days here on college campuses. My first day wandering around Berkeley was beautiful and warm and sunny. These neighborhoods are gardens; every yard is filled with flowers and bushes and, in some cases, lemon trees. My sister's apartment is in a really wonderful location close to Downtown Berkeley and the UC Berkeley campus, of which I explored both my first day. The college campus is very beautiful. After walking through neighborhoods filled with houses and stores the campus feels quite removed. It's got trees and grassy areas and wooden bridges; all in all a good place to sit and relax - especially since there are no places to sit in Berkeley except for bus stop benches.
On Friday, my second day, Jack had a meeting at Stanford so I went with him to bond and meander the campus grounds. Another really beautiful campus in a completely different way than UC Berkeley. It's almost like a medieval castle. There are stone archways and a courtyard and just really beautiful architecture. Give me that, a hidden bench in a small wooded section, a book, and 70+ degrees and what could be better? By the time we got back it was the start of Shabbat and Noa invited over a few friends. One of whom was the girlfriend of Jack's older brother, Benj, who we are having dinner with tonight. That will bring my total of Cohens met in person to 3 out of 5. So it was a really good dinner with good people and good food.
Saturday was a relaxed day. I walked around Berkeley a bit and hung out with Noa and Jack. Sunday was an awesome day. Noa and I were invited hiking by one of Jack's roommates, Yosef. One of the other hikers, Dan, picked us up early to go to a farmer's market to get some lunch. Not only was it a really nice farmer's market, but we got very delicious cheese from our new friend Jessie, and bread and apples. We picked up Yosef and another girl, Shlayma, and headed to the Oakland redwoods. What a lovely hike! And I got to see my first redwood trees! Yosef, keeper of the map, got us a little lost but no one minded. It was too beautiful out for us to want the hike to end. But of course it did end, and we all went home happily sore. Noa and I then proceeded to make the best lentil vegetable soup ever and roasted brussel sprouts. We popped in a movie around 8 (to which I promptly fell asleep) and that was our day!
Yesterday, Monday, Noa's roommate from college, Nikki, drove down to see us. While Noa worked during the day Nikki and I went into San Francisco. We walked along the ocean front and went to Pier 39 for a while. Did you know there are sea lions routinely chilling at Pier 39? Me neither. Then we wandered into the hills, which are appropriately named, and climbed through the neighborhoods until we reached Coit Tower and were rewarded with a view of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. We met up with Noa not so much later in Downtown Berkeley at a cafe and hung out there until Nikki had to go home. By the way, if you need a photographer Nikki is your girl. http://www.sorella-muse.com/
That brings us up to present moment. I'm still chilling in Noa's apartment with no defined plans at the moment, but later tonight Jack, Noa, and I are having dinner with Jack's brother, Benj, and girlfriend, Amanda. Should be good! And did I mention this is my last full day in California? I leave tomorrow night for Thailand! Crazy. I can remember last summer when I first found out about Lanta Animal Welfare and e-mailed them with a "might as well" mindset. After receiving an e-mail and application within 24 hours I called my Mom, who was away that week, and declared that I was going to Thailand. Of course that was when I was still in the trip planning process and often declared I was going to New Zealand, Argentina, Jupiter, etc so I wasn't taken too seriously. But now...it's tomorrow. And I'm actually going. I keep flip flopping between elation and jitters but overall I can't wait to get there and start volunteering. Also, I miss my cats and dog so I'm really excited to play with the ones there. If all goes well I'll arrive there on Friday. Got to love 14 hour flights, layovers, and a 15 hour time difference!
Also, there are more pictures here which you might be able to look at even if you don't have Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150664255149680.455198.773189679&type=1
Ironically while everyone began their spring break, I spent my first few days here on college campuses. My first day wandering around Berkeley was beautiful and warm and sunny. These neighborhoods are gardens; every yard is filled with flowers and bushes and, in some cases, lemon trees. My sister's apartment is in a really wonderful location close to Downtown Berkeley and the UC Berkeley campus, of which I explored both my first day. The college campus is very beautiful. After walking through neighborhoods filled with houses and stores the campus feels quite removed. It's got trees and grassy areas and wooden bridges; all in all a good place to sit and relax - especially since there are no places to sit in Berkeley except for bus stop benches.
On Friday, my second day, Jack had a meeting at Stanford so I went with him to bond and meander the campus grounds. Another really beautiful campus in a completely different way than UC Berkeley. It's almost like a medieval castle. There are stone archways and a courtyard and just really beautiful architecture. Give me that, a hidden bench in a small wooded section, a book, and 70+ degrees and what could be better? By the time we got back it was the start of Shabbat and Noa invited over a few friends. One of whom was the girlfriend of Jack's older brother, Benj, who we are having dinner with tonight. That will bring my total of Cohens met in person to 3 out of 5. So it was a really good dinner with good people and good food.
Saturday was a relaxed day. I walked around Berkeley a bit and hung out with Noa and Jack. Sunday was an awesome day. Noa and I were invited hiking by one of Jack's roommates, Yosef. One of the other hikers, Dan, picked us up early to go to a farmer's market to get some lunch. Not only was it a really nice farmer's market, but we got very delicious cheese from our new friend Jessie, and bread and apples. We picked up Yosef and another girl, Shlayma, and headed to the Oakland redwoods. What a lovely hike! And I got to see my first redwood trees! Yosef, keeper of the map, got us a little lost but no one minded. It was too beautiful out for us to want the hike to end. But of course it did end, and we all went home happily sore. Noa and I then proceeded to make the best lentil vegetable soup ever and roasted brussel sprouts. We popped in a movie around 8 (to which I promptly fell asleep) and that was our day!
Yesterday, Monday, Noa's roommate from college, Nikki, drove down to see us. While Noa worked during the day Nikki and I went into San Francisco. We walked along the ocean front and went to Pier 39 for a while. Did you know there are sea lions routinely chilling at Pier 39? Me neither. Then we wandered into the hills, which are appropriately named, and climbed through the neighborhoods until we reached Coit Tower and were rewarded with a view of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. We met up with Noa not so much later in Downtown Berkeley at a cafe and hung out there until Nikki had to go home. By the way, if you need a photographer Nikki is your girl. http://www.sorella-muse.com/
That brings us up to present moment. I'm still chilling in Noa's apartment with no defined plans at the moment, but later tonight Jack, Noa, and I are having dinner with Jack's brother, Benj, and girlfriend, Amanda. Should be good! And did I mention this is my last full day in California? I leave tomorrow night for Thailand! Crazy. I can remember last summer when I first found out about Lanta Animal Welfare and e-mailed them with a "might as well" mindset. After receiving an e-mail and application within 24 hours I called my Mom, who was away that week, and declared that I was going to Thailand. Of course that was when I was still in the trip planning process and often declared I was going to New Zealand, Argentina, Jupiter, etc so I wasn't taken too seriously. But now...it's tomorrow. And I'm actually going. I keep flip flopping between elation and jitters but overall I can't wait to get there and start volunteering. Also, I miss my cats and dog so I'm really excited to play with the ones there. If all goes well I'll arrive there on Friday. Got to love 14 hour flights, layovers, and a 15 hour time difference!
Also, there are more pictures here which you might be able to look at even if you don't have Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150664255149680.455198.773189679&type=1
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Bed #15
Flights 9 and 10 brought me to Bed #15, which happens to be the most crowded bed so far in that I share it with the lovely Noa Silver (no complaints there). Yesterday will officially be recognized as The Day That Wouldn't End. Nothing is more disorienting than waking up at 4am in the dark and the rain in Scotland, spending 18 hours either in airports or airplanes, and emerging to a warm, sun-filled afternoon around 2pm in California. Noa and I danced down the street into each others arms and she led me to her apartment. It's a lot bigger than I expected. It's the upper floor of a house and has rooms for 4 girls, plus a decent sized living room, dining room, and small kitchen. So far I've met 2 out or the 3 roommates and they're both really nice. Also, Noa's boyfriend, Jack, came over for dinner and though I was only clinging onto wakefulness at that point it was great to see him, and to eat non-plane food.
Upon reuniting, one of the first things Noa said to me was, "So I got bored at work today and made you a list of some things to do." Great, I thought, expecting a few suggestions. What I have instead is a day-by-day schedule of what I might choose to do or who is going to be around, since Noa has to work during the week. Today's assignment is to explore Berkeley, and the sunshine streaming in this window next to me is already enticing me outside. Noa finishes work around 3 and gets back to her neighborhood at 4ish so we'll meet up then and maybe hit up yoga at 4:30 and then locate ourselves some dinner. Not too shabby. I think it's going to be a good week here.
Upon reuniting, one of the first things Noa said to me was, "So I got bored at work today and made you a list of some things to do." Great, I thought, expecting a few suggestions. What I have instead is a day-by-day schedule of what I might choose to do or who is going to be around, since Noa has to work during the week. Today's assignment is to explore Berkeley, and the sunshine streaming in this window next to me is already enticing me outside. Noa finishes work around 3 and gets back to her neighborhood at 4ish so we'll meet up then and maybe hit up yoga at 4:30 and then locate ourselves some dinner. Not too shabby. I think it's going to be a good week here.
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