Krabi, Part 2

Before I get into talking about snorkelling, I should apologise for not having any actual snorkelling photos.  That is the greatest pity because I'm sure despite any descriptions I can conjure, I will never quite be able to capture the essence of what I saw.

At any rate, for the third day of our holiday, we decided to look for a package deal that would take us out to the Phi Phi Islands.  There are many stands along the road offering the exact same packages by the exact same company for different prices.  I have no idea how they reconcile all the different charges but we found a stand willing to sell us a tour, for about $40, that included about eight stops.

We took a large speed boat out to several islands including Monkey Bay, Phi Phi Don and Maya Bay where Leo DiCaprio had filmed some movie about frolicking naked in the sea.  Our very jovial tour guide kept saying over the throb of the engine, "At the back of the boat, we have a mass snorgle, in case you want to snorgling."  I wondered for a little while if we were going to enjoy a group hug until I realised he was talking about snorkelling masks.

On the boat, the tour operators, lithe and sinewy in bright red shirts clambered up and down the tarpaulin roof with the agility of monkeys.  This particular hero dived into the sea to rescue my snorkel mask after I carelessly knocked it into the water.  Those things sink fast and even after Jonathan started panicking because he couldn't see it anymore, Homeboy rooted it out easily.

On the way, we saw Chicken Island - name hopefully self-explanatory.

Our claim to fame on Maya Beach.  The sand was soft and white but I'm not a Leo DiCaprio fan and there were way too many tourists to do anything, so we snapped a couple of pictures and went on our way.

Mel and I picked up these awesome bathing dresses at a shop along the Ao Nang stretch.  They're literally little halter dresses made of swimsuit material with bikini bottoms.  It was awesome.  You don't feel too exposed, you just throw on a shirt afterwards, and you're ready to go!

Monkey Bay was just beautiful.  I have never, in my life, seen water this blue, stretching far as the eye could see.

We started snorkelling here in a little lagoon.  I've never snorkelled before, except in a swimming pool with a straw (growing up, my brothers and I were clowns, okay?), and the moment I dipped my masked head into the water, I squealed loudly into my snorkel.  There were fish all around me, large silver ones, amazing vivid purple ones with green patches on the head and yellow stripes at their throat, black and white butterfly fish.  I even saw what looked like a lion fish in the deeper part of the shallows fighting a territorial battle with several black suckers.

I'm going to tell you something a little nerdy now.  My excitement over the fish, combined with some hard swimming and heavy breathing into my mask was making me hyperventilate a little bit and I started to see tiny gold flecks.  It was beautiful, but a little bit alarming.  Nerd to the max.

We stopped for lunch on an island where I found a litter of kittens and this little guy to be my buddy.  He really enjoyed being carried and fussed over and when I finally put him down, he followed us for several yards.

After lunch, the boat went out into deeper water and we watched the crew feeding brilliant gold coloured fish with bread over the side. Eventually, we docked at a place behind Phi Phi Don where we could snorkel in deeper water.  If I was bowled over before, nothing could prepare me for this.

I can't explain how weird and wonderful it was to plunge into the deep blue water and instantly be surrounded by literally thousands of fish.  We were right in the middle of three schools - and here is where I wish to God I knew something about fish or I had at least a camera because I've been googling like a madwoman and can barely recognise anything now - long, plain silver fish, rounder silver fish with a yellowy tint and navy stripes and thousands of little minnows.

I found that if I lay on my front and stayed very still, the fish came near the surface and swam all around me, sometimes almost into my face.  The minnows swam in a long silver stream and did the beautiful trick of all suddenly steering in a different direction so they flashed like coins.  Below me, the sea started at a ten metre drop and fell off to even lower depths that I couldn't see.  Amid little alcoves between corals big as cars and sea fans, there were angelfish, other kinds of butterfly fish and even sea urchins, some with pale lilac spines that gently ticked in the current.

All I could hear was the sound of my breathing and the prickle of little bubbles in my ear.  As I swam, fish kept appearing out of the current - a flat one with a long nose that looked like a tape measure, a huge mottled brown and white one that stayed well out of my way.  My heart was completely full.  At that moment, there was nothing to do but look, and see, and learn. 

I know places like this are disappearing.  The wonder of observing it made it feel even more precious.  I know coral reefs are under massive threat and I was probably not doing the area a huge favour by visiting it.  But I can't help it.  Just once in a little while, I hope I'll get the chance to do something like this again.

Krabi, Part I

I realised last night that I have so many pictures that to put them in one post would be overkill.  So I thought I would just write about the holiday in general, and put another post aside for one of the highlights of the trip: snorkelling!  I could yak on about snorkelling for hours, so I'll spare you for now.

But the hotel we stayed in was pretty lush too - awesome pool with a slide, bar in the water and a great spa.  This was lucky because we got hit by a few tropical storms and nothing is better than being indoors under a dark purple sky, cocooned by scented oils.

Every morning, as part of the free buffet breakfast we were given, I had a huge salad and a bowl of cut fruit with plain yoghurt.

Just outside our hotel, there was a long stretch of shops by the beach at Ao Nang and we spent a lot of time walking up and down, buying little things and wetting our feet in the sea.

There was a large metal dragon outside this fish restaurant and it lit up every night!

Also very enamoured with this strange skeletal horse and long-tailed boat in the nightlife area.  There were loads of staff members dressed in either really flashy costumes or in drag - some of them were gorgeous!

I find that whenever people are on holiday, they are always a little bit shy about buying things until they make the first purchase.  Then, BOOM!  I started the buying, as Melissa put it, with a 40THB friendship bracelet to tie around my ankle.  I'm a big fan of jewellery that never has to come off and that marks special occasions, so I got one in pink, olive green and black to remind me of Krabi.  She snapped a picture of me tying it next to some bushes.

The shopping is the usual stuff you find in seaside towns in South East Asia, but it's good for several things - light dresses, simple and cheap decor items, waterproof bags, sweet t-shirts, straw purses and the like, and what I like to call "flappy pants" - huge relaxed fit cloth pants that are perfect for weekends.

Food of course, was pretty delightful.  I'm a big fan of Thai food and because there are so many expats in Krabi, we also got to try a little bit of Swiss food.

We had very reasonably priced fondue at a Swiss and Thai joint run by a Swiss man right across from our hotel.  The cheese was hot and slightly boozy, and we dipped everything into it.

But my favourite food, most places I go, is street food or hawker food and there was plenty of that.  There was a row of street food vendors along the main street where we were, selling amazing Thai street food or bastardised versions of Western food like thin, crispy pancakes brushed with Planta and coated with Ovaltine powder and condensed milk.

The corn was also incredible, grilled to caramelised perfection and sprinkled with crunchy grains of salt.  One of our favourite things was to buy a juicy chicken thigh and a whole roasted catfish and eat them with our fingers, soaking them in a salty, pungent chilli dipping sauce.

Seriously, LOOK at that monster.  He had the hardest head I have ever seen.  Fear not, little guy, you did not die in vain.

On the first night, as Mel and I were walking the streets, we saw a beautiful line of orange lights floating up into the sky.  We were so intrigued that we chased down the source.  They were paper lanterns, sold on the sides of the streets for about 80THB and the vendors helped us set them on fire and release them after we had made wishes for health and happiness.

There is something magical about watching the beautiful lantern float upwards, flickering and burning until it becomes a star.  Every time someone set off a lantern, others would decide to join in and the sky was filled with small clusters of lights.  It was tonnes of fun standing on the shore, clapping our hands and shouting "Hot guy!  Hot guy!" (just me) heavenward. 

I leave you now with a picture of the resort, the sea and me.  Jonathan took my photo and said that he was going to upload it to a matchmaking site at once.  So there you go.  If you know someone who might be interested, feel free to point them in my direction.  Thanks!  

Closer

I'm back from Krabi and I'm happy to say it was an amazing trip.  Everything was very slow and quiet and perfectly measured.  We spent the rainy moments indoors and even when we were lying out in the sun, we did everything at our own pace.  

If you're reeling from something - a break up or loss or rough times in your life, I strongly recommend gathering a couple of your most chilled friends and just heading for a place where the water is ridiculously blue and food is cheap and spicy and piquantly delicious.  If you can do it, it really helps.  

Other things I learned while on holiday included the fact that I have the discipline to write anywhere if need be.  Melissa and Jonathan (whom I went with) were incredibly understanding and supportive and sat and knitted and watched TV in the hotel late at night as I tapped the words out.  I got most of my words in places where there were no distractions or the only distractions weren't visual in nature - while getting a foot massage or during the crowded wait in an airport. 

Three days more and it looks like I'm actually going to finish this thing.

Finally, a quick instagram of something I really enjoyed during the holidays - while walking along the street in the dripping aftermath of a monsoon shower, we spotted a hole-in-the-wall Black Canyon coffee outlet and sat there, taking pictures and giggling with each other.  When the coffee arrived, I was delighted to see that it came with awesome latte art and goldfish-alike crackers that included other marine species too!

Proper pictures soon, but for now, I'm going to enjoy one of the other great pleasures of going on holiday - coming back to your very own bed. 

Matchy matchy

I talked earlier about how I love accessories.  I used to have a blog detailing what I wore on a daily basis (I know, right?) and while that enterprise has (possibly thankfully) ended, I thought it would be pretty to look at some of the jewellery I've put on in the last week, together with the fabric I wore it with. 

Sweet gold bow studs with interestingly-coloured plaid.  I felt very demure in this combination.

I really like wearing intricately crocheted or knitted tops over a plain base colour because my office is so cold.  This mint green one goes quite nicely with a fringe necklace from Forever21.

My mom made me these interesting tasselled earrings after I designed them on paper.  So much cheaper than buying them from a high street store!  Worn with a translucent black blouse from my friend at the office, Bird.

Even when I'm lounging around the house in a grey slub tee or yoga pants, I still like to have something interesting dangling from my ears.  I'm all about drama and for some reason, wearing earrings always makes me feel more put together.  In fact, I can skip necklaces and bracelets, but I feel naked if I leave the house without at least some studs on.

Finally, my rings!  I wear the Claddagh ring on my right hand constantly, only taking it off for showers or moisturiser application.  The heart, crown and hands symbolise love, friendship and loyalty.  To wear it on the right ring finger with the heart pointing outwards means that the wearer is open to new love.

And of course, the two "Barely There" rings I mentioned in my previous post.  I like that they're subtle but classy and that once you notice them, you can't stop looking.

Also, that plant, a present from someone, really squicks me out.  It's one of those self-sufficient organisms where new leaves basically grow from the serrations on the old ones, like some sort of creepy reproducing alien.  I get that it's the miracle of life and all, but for some reason, looking at it makes my skin crawl.  On top of that, the leaves are extremely sappy, something I found out the hard way after taking these pictures.  Damn nature, you scary!

Away

Tomorrow I'm flying off with a couple of friends for a short vacation!  I don't think I've had a truly slow, relaxing, chilled out holiday in about a year, so this is coming at a great time.  I'll be with friends that I've known for almost ten years now, hopefully lying in the sun and just chatting lots.  Work has been so busy that I haven't had a chance to pack, but I finally got round to putting some jewellery aside.  

Yep, jewellery.  I'm such an accessories hound that I took all my jewellery out before I even got to looking at clothes.  I'm one of those clowns who likes to change my earrings up every day, even when overseas.  (Hopefully this time I remember to pack all the necessary things.  I once flew on a week long holiday to Perth with ONE bra.)  

The assortment is mostly plastic and silver because I imagine I'll be spending lots of time near water.  From top to bottom, left to right:  Silver rings from Terrastratum, bead bracelets from Rubi, gold and orange bird earrings from Becky, blue thread earrings, Swarovski butterflies from Helen, plastic rings, shark's tooth necklace from a beach holiday a long time ago, elephant's backside pendant from Perlini's, my mother's earrings, silver Perlini's bracelet.

I miss the days when Perlini's existed!

I'm also really excited by my newest jewellery, these super thin sterling silver Barely There rings from a shop on Etsy called Terrastratum.  They can be sized to fit any finger, are very delicate and unobtrusive and there are other iterations with stones like aquamarine, or amethyst and sets of stacking rings that look like candy, all for fairly reasonable prices.  The best part is that because the jeweller is in Singapore, the rings were sent to me within three days without any shipping charge.

Finally, I'm going to be bringing this patterned hoodie from the men's section in Uniqlo that my brother, HW, bought for me.  He's leaving for Canada soon and we went to Uniqlo to get some Heattech and v-necked wool sweaters for him.  He brought a couple of sweaters into the changing room and came out looking confused.

"The fit is really weird," he said, "they only come down to my ribs.  Japanese men must be really small."

"What?  Where did you get the sweaters from?"  He showed me and I had a massive laughing fit because they were fitted jumpers for women.  Turns out homeboy is completely incapable of choosing his own clothes.  We finally left with three men's sweaters and hoodies for the both of us.

Well, I'm off to start packing, by which I don't at all mean that I'm about to take a massive afternoon nap.  At all.   

Over if you want it

I can't be the only one who marks the advent of the holiday season by Starbucks' range of Christmas merchandise.  It's the one place where I feel the spirit, hackneyed and commercial as it might be, with its candy cane handled mugs and softly melting Toffeenut Lattes, a shiny whipped cream ski slope into fragrant foam.  

I don't do holidays very well and apparently right after a break up, they're even worse.  In the first place, my family doesn't celebrate the end of the year.  While others hold gatherings and enjoy ham and turkey and warmly lit trees and good cheer, we chill on the couch and my father, a staunch atheist, grumps persistently at the various functions.  When I was much younger and belonged to a cheesy female acapella group, we were invited to sing at midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.  I thought how lovely it would be to be surrounded by song and laughing people for once.  I wasn't allowed to go.

In 2010, on Christmas, I met with some new friends from around the world on a snowy, desolate English campus.  There was no roast but we made our own magic with alcohol and instant Chinese food and a mini tree dangling with wooden baubles.  One of the boys drank a noxious mixture of rum, hot water and pepper to stave off a cold and the kitchen made my nose prickle.  We fought, fiercely happy, in the thin layer of snow on the lawn outside and came in panting, long past midnight, drunk on being young.

Last year, when the ex and I were still together, we lay in bed and Skyped and laughed.  He texted me a picture of his parents smiling and hugging on the couch.  He showed me all his stocking stuffers and the Kindle that I had convinced him that he should get.  It became a running joke between us, that the guy who had shunned the thought of electronic reading out of principle had become an even bigger Kindle advocate than I was.  He joked that he was so in love with me, I could convince him to do anything.  In January, I was going back to graduate with him in England and everything in life was looking up.

This time, my parents won't be at home for half of December.  One brother will be finishing school overseas and the other will be leaving for four long years of University halfway round the world.  The house will be empty and too quiet and I will be imagining people thousands of miles away, celebrating the season with everything they have ever dreamed of and everyone they've ever loved.

And I will work through the whole of December as I always do, to try and rack up leave for Chinese New Year or another festival that is more meaningful to me.

But I don't say all this to earn pity points or because I want to wallow.

Rather, if there's one thing I've come to learn from the grief process, it's that the fear of things is almost always worse than the things themselves.  I can't be any sadder than I am when I'm grieving.  Not as its happening.  After all, what is worse than already reliving the moment again and again?  And even though these weeks will be difficult and occasionally lonely, dealing is invariably better than dreading.

Sure, it'll be tough, but I'll have Starbucks, and silence and moments for reflection and writing.  I'll have friends and thunderstorms and fleece ponchos and scented candles in every flavour.  And I'll get the rest that you so badly need when you're trying to make peace with yourself.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if someone out there is reading this, if you're going through the same thing, hang in there.  We're all doing it, alone together.  It's not a bad thing to just sit with the sadness and let it work itself out.  And no matter how bad the idea of the holiday seems, thinking through, writing about and ruminating on things can end up being unexpectedly healing. 

Facing your hurt head on can be pretty tough.  Often, it's instinct to push it away or sweep it under the carpet just to keep the pain at bay, even if it just balloons there.  But now, instead of expending all my energy trying to fend off the thoughts, this Christmas, I'm just going to go there.