good things come in eight.

New Pictures!

2008-08-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

Hey!

We have new pictures up! Check them out!

Singapore's Top Ten

2008-08-03T19:49:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Sabrina here! We are currently in Hoi An, Vietnam and fly to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) this afternoon. From there, we head to Hong Kong on Tuesday.

After Malaysia, we headed to Singapore. We flew into Singapore on July 13th and flew out on July 19th and headed to Cambodia. I have compiled a top ten from the time we spent in Singapore.

Singapore's Top Ten

10. Little India

We stayed in Little India for the majority of our stay in Singapore. We ate some amazing Indian food and went to a 24 hour mall called 'Mustafa'. Mustafa is comparable to Costco and Yorkdale combined in the sense that it has every product imaginable that you could ever want to purchase. Now imagine, all of the products found in a regular shopping mall, plus all of the products in a Costco, combined in an area the size of a Costco. That is Mustafa!

9. The biggest! The first! The most prosperous!

We took an oper-air bus tour around Singapore for a day to see the city. The tour guides boasted of Singapore's prosperity and all of the new developments that are continuously growing in Singapore. Singapore has the busiest port in the world, as it has no manufacturing industry and does not yield any natural resource. It imports everything (which is why everything is so expensive) and has the most massive and impressive shipping yards.

Singapore is also home to the Singapore Flyer ( similar to the London Eye) which is currently the tallest of its kind in the world. However, the tour guide did note that China is building one that is taller, so Singapore will have to find a way to beat them! The tour guide also noted that Singapore had the largest hotel in the world - twenty years ago! Being the biggest and the best is clearly something Singapore is proud of.

8. Survivor Singapore

Apparently Survivor has been thinking about hosting a series in Singapore. However, I am not sure that Singapore is a difficult place to survive in. It has all of the luxuries of home and then some. Perhaps Survivor is switching gears to see how many brave souls can survive the safe streets of Singapore, and who dies first of a shopping and eating induced coma.

7. 4 nights. 4 different places to stay

In most places we have visited we have been able to arrive in a city, and seek out accomodations once we arrive. Up until we arrived in Singapore we had never had trouble flying by the seat of our pants and hoping for the best. However, Singapore has a chronic shortage of beds. When we arrived, there were no beds available in any hostel, so we had to stay in a deluxe hotel room ( I know - poor us, right?), which was tough on the backpackers budget! In Singapore you typically have to reserve accomodations a week in advance, which we found out upon arrival! Some receptionists at the Inn Crowd (where we ended up staying for two nights - in two different rooms...) helped us find a place to stay for the other two nights. We can safely say we have tried a variety of accomodations in Singapore including deluxe hotels, private rooms and dorm rooms. Let us know if you need any recommendations!

6. Shopping

This is perhaps what Singapore is most famous for. We spent three full days wandering large malls, small malls, street vendors, markets and restaurants. It was actually exhausting! July was also the Great Singapore Sale, which meant 2 dollars off most purchases - what a deal! The prices definitely were not always low, but there was a lot of variety in terms of things to buy and places to go.

5. Prostitution

Like Amsterdam, prostitution is regulated by law in Singapore. Therefore it is far less visible to the average person than it is in Thailand (which had a fair share of open prostitution not sanctioned by the law), and there is a designated district for this industry.

4. Singapore Sling

Singapore is home to the Singapore Sling. Having never tried one before, Amy and I indulged. They may be my new favourite vice.

3. Clean enough to eat off the floor

The rumour about Singapore being clean is absolutely true. It is illegal to litter, spit and even chew gum. The streets were immaculate, and unlike some other Asian cities, trash bins were scattered everywhere so there was really no excuse to break the law.

2. Transit

The Singapore subway and bus system is like a well oiled machine. It was so easy to use, clean (of course) and fully air conditioned. Let's just say Singapore took the New York City subway as a model of 'what not to do' and made a world class transit system. The funniest moment was when we took the subway to the airport (it goes directly there! Toronto needs to step it up in this department...) at RUSH HOUR. Our backpacks likely hit each and every passengar in our cars! We ran into one sympathetic Canadian on the subway, who was working in Singapore. Everyone else just gave us scowls for our large baggage.

1. Charles!

Charles is a friend of mine from Western, who has been living in Singapore for a few months. He has been working at an interior design firm for the summer and we pulled him away from his desk to hang out a few times while we were in town. We met his girlfriend Karina (who is lovely!), and went out for dinner. Charles played the guitar and sang with the band for the first time since he left his guitar in Canada in April - it was amazing to see him back in his element! Seeing Charles was a big highlight of our stay in Singapore.

Malaysia!

2008-07-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

Hello from Vientiane, Laos! Sabrina here!

Recently, we have updated the blog with our travels to Thailand and have posted more pictures on flickr of our trip thus far. The updates ended when we were in the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. Since then we have been to Singapore, Cambodia, Laos and are heading to Vietnam tomorrow. I will update on our adventures in Malaysia in the following post.

The Cameron Highlands were absolutely beautiful. We signed up for a tour up to the highest elevation of the highlands (heights - again...), a trek through a mossy forest and a tour of a tea factory. Our tour guides picked us up in retro Land Rovers and we headed for the hills. The view from the highlands was incredible.

The Mossy forest is over a thousand years old, and the ground we were walking on is basically metres of mulch and moss that has been built up over the years. In order to walk through the forest, we had to step on tree roots and branches and in some cases had to crouch through spaces that were only 2 feet high.

The trek through the mossy forest was described to us as similar to a 'walk in the mall'' before we left our guesthouse. Amy and I wore Birkenstocks. There is a picture in our gallery of Amy's feet about halfway through the trek. The picture speaks for itself - this was not a walk through a mall at all and Amy had the pleasure of stepping into some of the softest and muddiest ground in all of Southeast Asia! It was hilarious!

We headed to Penang after the Cameron highlands. It is an amazing island, and we stayed at the YMCA. I think we were the ONLY tourists there, as it appeared to be a place where local people stayed and played badminton (which was right down the hall from our room!). We signed up for a city tour, and the next morning were picked up by a man named Rodney, in an unmarked car. As it turned out, we were the only people who signed up for the tour, and he was technically an 'illegal' tour guide. Rodney told us this, and then instructed us not to ask questions that are too difficult that he could not answer, and to be discreet about him showing us around. At east sight he would usher us in, give us a short shpeel, tell us where to take a picture, and tell us when to leave. He was a drill sargeant! Rodney turned out to be an incredible man. In three hours, he brought us to 7 different sites in Georgetown, taught us how to detect counterfeit money, brought us to the best money exchange in Little India, and drove us to Batu Ferrenghi.

Rodney also has a daughter, who he insists is not allowed to have a boyfriend. Any man who she is interested in can only be visible to her as a picture pasted into her school textbooks, according to Rodney. He is serious about education. What a guy.

Batu Ferrenghi is a beachtown on the island of Penang. We met a couple from Holland - Andrew and Tessa. They were in Malaysia on a backpacking tour as well. We ended up taking the overnight bus to the Perhenthians with them the next day as well.

The overnight bus to the pier near the Perhenthians was both a blessing and a curse. It was a SUPER VIP bus, with plush seats, air conditioning and leg and foot rests. It is super luxury! There are photos of us on the bus in our flickr account. The bus ride was scheduled to take 8hours. however, our bus arrived at the pier at 3am, which was only 5 hours into the ride. We were herded into a travel agency and told to sleep there until 7am when we were to take a speedboat to the Perhenthians. So we did. And by 'sleep'I mean we hung out with Tessa and Andrew and basically contemplated whether or not we were getting ripped off by the travel agency owners who were trying to sell us boat tickets. It was a bit of a nightmare, but we were glad when the sun came up and we got on the speedboat in time for a beautiful sunrise.

We arrived on the Small Island in the Perhenthians, and stayed on Coral Bay. The island is paradise. It is so remote that there are no ATM machines and the entire island is run on generators. The people were friendly and the weather was incredible. It was perfect for relaxing on the beach and we spent a lot of time swimming on Long beach, which had the most beautiful water.

During our 5 day stay on the island we went on a snorkelling tour. We swam with MASSIVE sharks and turtles - it was unreal! Before the trip I had a massive fear of sharks as well. I have happily cnofronted both my fear of heights (on more occasions than I would have liked....) AND sharks - this has been an exciting turning point! We also saw barracudas, nemo fish and tonnes of parrot fish. It was some of the best snorkelling I have ever seen. Our guide Leemee was amazing and showed me and Amy the sharks, while Singh swam around and saw 7 sharks!

There was a group of 5 Malaysian people on our snorkelling tour who we ate lunch with. They told us about the education system in Malaysia. One of them is native Indian and he applied to medical school. He said that in his entire medical school, there were 150 spots, 20 of which were designated to Chinese applicants, 5 to Indian applicants and the rest to native Malays. In addition, he had to do an additional year of school and pay more, because he was not a native Malay. They told us about the difficulties he faced in the education system, because he is Indian and how the system is designed to give preference to Malaysians.

Malaysia was amazing overall and definitely one of the highlights of the trip so far. We ended up spending nearly 2 weeks there and I am excited to go back and visit again one day to see some of the things we missed.

More updates are coming soon! Love and miss you all!

we are alive! here is proof!

2008-07-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

Click here for new photos of Amy, Sabrina, and David - happy, healthy, and with all limbs intact!

Read Below

2008-07-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

I was slow in posting from Thailand, but do check below on some updated posts!

Best

David

thailand's top ten

2008-07-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

david here (At last!)

well I have been quite terrible at keeping up with this whole blog thing as we've navigated through thailand. luck for me and for you those reading Amy and Sabrina have kept up in keeping you all up to speed.

So as we prepare to leave Thailand i thought it would be fitting to recapp my thailand top ten. So in true letterman style here are the top ten memories of my trip to thailand so far:

10. English Signs
As we meandered the streets of every stop so far we've always been highly entertained with the Thai's interpretation of english and their attempt to capture our attention with unique phrases. It really doesn't translate well via the internet, so you'll just have to come for a wander around to read the signs.

9. Animal Surgery at the Bar
Now I wasn't a direct witness of this, but as the girls waited in the bar for me to finish my scuba course they witnessed reconstructive surgery on a dog. Most likely the patient was a stray that got into a scuffle with another stray and simply need to have some stiches in its ear. Some of the dive instructors or some seemstresses passing buy decided to help the dog, sedated it, repaired the ear and did all of this 10 fee from the girls table. When I cam down from my class the sedated dog recovered in the middle of the restaurant and happy proceeded without notice. Only in Thailand!

8. sa-wa DEE kah
This is the standard Thai greeting used by servers, shop keepers, street vendors, hotel staff, and every people you meet. It has a great little ring to it and the classic chyme you'll hear as you walk by in the market. It is almost always accompanied by a very large, ear to ear thai grin and just another marker of how friendly and welcoming the thai people are to tourists.

7. Beaches
Now people rave about the beaches in Thailand and we've travelled through the rainy season and the beaches are still amazing. I've seen both above on the sand below in the coral as I got my scuba license. Funny story with that is I was reminded of my lack of love for the water and continued fear of deep water depths. Regardless of my fears, I was excited to complete the course. We are off to Malaysia which apparently has some beaches to rival those in Thailand. I'm an excited!

6. keep stirring. keeping smiling. cooking class.
Now you'll have to read the next blog for full details. But this one was a great day in the countryside outside of Chiang Mai. Brother Chef took us on a great tour of the market followed by a great 5 hour lesson on how to make Pad Thai, Spring Rolls, Stir Fried Vegetables, 3 Kinds of curry, and Mango Sticy Rice. After cooking we got to taste it all --- not quite as good as the locals, but pretty close!

5. long boat ride.
We took 4 or 5 ferries while in Thailand, but none compared to the stormy longboat ride in the long boat in Koh Phi Phi. There are several islands that make up the Island of Koh Phi Phi. The best way to access them is via long boat. Imagine a boat similar to a war canoe with a salvaged diesel car engine attached the back with a 15 foot boom with a propellar on the end. Now imagine monsoon rains, 10 foot swells, and 8 tourists and a boat drive trying to navigate the sea. Few times in my life have I ever questioned my future, but this one was a great reminder how great it is to be alive and on land! I still consider it a must for all visitors to the island though!

4. UBC acceptance.
It was in a dingy internet cafe in Chiang Mai that i recieved my acceptance to the Early Career Masters program at the Sauder School of Business at UBC. It was definitely a great surprise and releif to get and I'm excited to spend the next year of my life (perhaps more) in beautiful British Columbia studying.

3. Chang beer.
There beer in Thailand is cheap, cold and unpredictable. Apparently, the bottles always have an alcohol content written on them, but it is really just a suggestion. Each batch they brew is unique and the alcohol content ranges from 5% to 12%. Again...only in Thailand!

2. Chai + Chia-O.
In Chiang Mai we took the Flight of the Condor challenge and zip-lined across 2 km of Jungle canopy and repelled vertically downwards for more than 100 ft. A great day and thanks to the great instruction from Chai and Chiao-O our instructors we safely conquered the day!

1. same same, but different.
Growing up in a West-Indian family with roots in Guyana strange sayings were nothing new. However, the 'same same, but different' saying was a classic. Basically it means similar; however, it was a generalization that was so common for sales people. Really something you'll have to explore for yourself when you visit here.

All in all as we leave Thailand I am sad to say goodbye and would definitely reccomend this place as a great place to visit.

Keep Stirring! Keep Smiling!

2008-07-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

David here...

For those who know me well, know that an episode in from a TV would not be complete without a glimpse and the food network. So when I heard about the chance to be in a real life cooking show (or sorts) I knew I had to go!

Sabrina and boared the red-bus (really just a pickup truck with a cabin in the back and some benches). Our travel mates our cooking adventure included two Americans from North Dakota (Big ups Fargo!), Bud from London, UK, 3 travellers from Northern Ireland, 3 others from the UK, a couple from China (we think!), and a backpacker form California.

Our first stop was the market where our instructor "Brother Chef" walked us through the market and litterally turned every market stall into his classroom. Armed with a pairing knife he sliced and diced open all the fruits and vegetables and then allowed us to use all 5 senses to really understand what we were cooking for.

We then boarded back on the bus and headed out to his kitchen in the country that was the perfect setup to teach us how to cook Thai-Style. Using a skillful interpretation of the english language Brother Chef guided us through Tom Yum Soup, Vegetable Stir-Fry, Spring Rolls, Red Curry, Green Curry, Yellow Curry, and Massaman Curry, Pad Thai, and Sticky Rice with Mango.

The most exciting dish of the day was the Pad Thai. I have to make special mention to Andrew Mes (Food and Beverage Manger at the USC) who has a bittersweet love for Pad Thai and Frank Miller (Manager of Hospitality Services at UWO) and wanted to hear about some tips and tricks. I'll send a copy of the recipe book, but for now please enjoy the flare of Pad Thai below.

By the end of the day Sabrina and I were so full, but felt so accomplished. We left with a certificate, extremely detailed cookbook and an invigorated passion for Thai cuisine.

Check out a bit of the action!

A Sad Good-Bye to a Sweet Hello !

2008-07-06T04:44:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!!!

It is Sabrina here - I hope this blog finds you all well in the Western world. Amy, David and I are currently in the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. It has been awhile since we last wrote, so I will fill you in on our last days in Thailand, and our first in Malaysia.

We flew from Phuket to Chiang Mai on Friday June 28th. If any of you are thinking of travelling to Asia and going to and from different cities and countries, I highly recommend flying with Air Asia. It is affordable, comfortable and the service is friendly. Anyhow, we arrived and checked into the Top North Hotel (not to be mistaken with the Top North GuestHouse). Christy and Courtney were staying in Chiang Mai as well and we thought they were staying at the Top North hotel, but they were in fact staying at the Top North Guest House, which resulted in some confusion. We eventually ran into them at the Night Bazaar, figured out the confusion and spent some time together - again! It is amazing how we keep bumping into them!

Chiang Mai is an amazing city, in the sense that it has a lot to offer in itself, and there are plenty of excursions you can book at your hotel which are located just outside of the city. In just a short drive, you can enjoy the sites and sounds of nature and can return to Chiang Mai at the end of the day.

David and I signed up for a Thai Cooking course at The Master Thai Cooking school. It was a full day of shopping at the fruits and vegetable market learning how to select produce, and then we hit the kitchen. we learned how to make 6 dishes: Tom Yam Soup, Fried Vegetables, Spring Rolls, Pat Thai (that is how they spell it in thailand - when it is not spelled in symbols), Curry (Massaman, Green and Panang) and Mango with Sticky Rice. We ALSO learned how to create a MASSIVE flame while cooking - which was amazing! David and I did it simultaneously and got an unreal video filmed of it. We will load it when we have a chance and link it to the Blog so you can check it out. At the end of the day we got to eat all of the food ( which was amazing - not to boast or anything...), and received a certificate and a cook book. The Master Cooking School was amazing. IT is a family run business and the details of the day unfolded like a well-oiled machine. Each student had their own cooking station, and all of the ingredients were prepared for us, so we could learn many dishes and well...eat while the food was still hot! It was an incredible experience.

If Andrew or Frank are reading this - let us know if and when you would like us to come and teach Michael's and The Wave how to cook Pad Thai in true Thai fashion - we are officially iron chefs.

We also did a Zip Line tour called the Flight of the Gibbons. I had done what I thought would be similar in Barbados in December and was excited for another shot at a zipline adventure through the rainforest. I assumed it would be ziplines that started at one tree, went through a rainforested area, and then landed at the platform of the next tree. I also assumed all of the lines would run horizontally. Piece of cake. For someone who is scared of heights, I figured it would be 'just like Barbados'.

It wasn't.

There were three large drops in the course. Instead of your harness being attached to a cord that was attached to two trees horizontally, the drops went from one platform to another below it, VERTICALLY. Essentially, we were hooked onto a cord that was being belayed (spelling?) by our tour guides, to the platform below. It was like free falling in the rainforest with a cord. I was scared to say the least. The adventure truly tested my tolerance for heights! It was overall an incredible day and we saw an amazing waterfall before heading back to Chiang Mai. It was a worthwhile trip for sure. Our tour guides - Chai and Chai Wai - were absolutely hilarious. While they treated some moments as jokes (when scared people like me did NOT find them funny....), their good humour really added to the experience. They also got a kick out of David every time he ziplined and shook the rope vigorously as he went across - it was very funny!

Amy and I went on an Elephant Trek as well. we rode elephants, watched them play soccer (yes - they are that smart that they can be trained to do that), and went on both a bamboo raft ride, and an oxcart ride. The Oxcart was likely the bumpiest ride I have ever been on! IT was an exerience for sure. We also got proposed to by our hilarious bamboo raft 'paddler'. He was the only person I have seen so far wearing a winter toque - it was hilarious! Why would someone do that in Thailand? We tried to ask him, but the language barrier came across as us wanting his hat, at which point he joked and said we could have it for 100 baht ($3USD)!

David and I also decided to 'lighten our load' in Chiang Mai. I sent home a 10 pound package with some things I had packed ( and truly did not need) and some souvenirs for the people I love. Mom - look out for the package in the next week or two. Finally, Air Asia let me fly without paying a massive fee for my baggage being overweight!

Overall we had an amazing time in Thailand. I will miss the sound of shopkeepers, tour guides, servers and new friends saying 'sawa-dee Ka!' (pronounced so-de-kah)which means 'hello' in thai. The Thai people were extremely friendly and kind. While we met some scheming taxi and tuk tuk drivers, overall Thailand had the warmth of home that is comforting when you are this far away from the people you know and love. I Will also miss Amy in rage when people guess what her ethnicity is and they all guess Japanese or Korean. Once, Singh and I were walking ahead of Amy and all of a sudden we heard her say (with hostility!), 'No - I'm Chinese!'. Amy kept being mistaken for every ethnicity but her own - and David and I got a kick out of encouraging people to ask Amy where she was from, simply because it got a rise out of her. If you know AMy, you would know she is extremely mildly mannered, so to see her get worked up about this was well...pretty amusing!

What I will not miss is being 'mocked'. There was a funny incident at the pier at Koh Phangan involving me, 'stale' pretzels, a street vendor, and her posse. We were waiting for the boat to Koh Tao and I bought a bag of pretzels. After tasting them, I could have sworn they were stale. I had purchased them from a small vendor and I sort of insisted with her that they did not taste 'right'.

Big.

Mistake.

She looked flustered, tried one, showed me the expiry date and glared at me. The pretzels were JUST fine according to her. To make matters worse, she brought the bag over to her friends on the Pier, told them what I had said, had them ALL try one, and full-out mocked me. Then she handed me the pretzels.Without speaking a word of English, she put me in my place.

I learned my lesson. I will never complain to a vendor Ever Ever again. If I dare do so, I will expect to be utterly embarressed in a language I don't even understand among people I do not even know!

We left Thailand on Wednesday July 2nd and headed to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We checked into the Alpha Genesis hotel in Bukit Bintang ( a popular area in the city. If any of you travel to Kuala Lumpur I highly recommend both this 3 star hotel and the area it is in). Bukit Bintang is filled with everything you need - Indian restaurants, street food, Starbucks, McDonald's, Russian food, Lebanese food, Italian food, shopping centres and of course a 24-hour KFC. People in Malaysia LOVE KFC - I have no idea why. There are LINES there late at night, and during the day. LINES people. Lines. Maybe it tastes different in Malaysia?

We met Alex Paterson and Laura Tribe soon after our arrival. They are friends from Western, working at the Centre for Independent Journalism in Malaysia. They have been there since April and live in an amazing apartment right around the corner from our hotel. They were our companions and tour guides for the three days we spent in KL!

KL appears to be very developed, with some impressively level sidewalks (which still did not curb my tripping and clumsiness that seems to be the trend of the trip), mega-malls with every north-american store you can imagine, and every convenience you would need as both a citizen and a tourist. Everyone in KL speaks English for the most part, which made our travels a bit easier than some moments in Thailand when there was a more significant language barrier to overcome. overall, KL is far less driven by tourism, so it felt more like we were visiting a place that was not expecting us - in a good way. It contrasts Thailand significantly in that way, as the majority of the people we saw even in designated 'tourist' areas, still appeared to be native Malaysians.

After meeting up with Tribe and Alex we ate some serious street food. Malaysia is known for their food, and with good reason. There is SO much variety and the mix of Chinese and Indian food is fantastic. The country is made of people who are mostly MAlay, Indian and Chinese. Food at street vendors is a reflection of this. We headed to an Irish pub afterwards and had a great night catching up.

Over the course of the three days, we visited several malls, bought some inexpensive and good quality bootlegged DVDs, bargained at the night market, went to the top of the KL Tower (the fourth largest in the world -nothing beats the CN tower of course...), and visited alex and Laura at work. Some highlights included Singh bargaining with a vendor for a pair of sunglassess. He offered him 6 ringett ($2USD) and a Lychee. the vendor declined, even though it was the end of the night. He had NO desire in half bartering for a Lychee!

We also indulged in some fine Italian wine at an Italian restaurant, which was a delicious treat. It is rare for a menu in either Thailand of Malaysia to have a wine list. It was great to see our friends and have our own personal KL tourguides! hopefully we will see Laura and Alex again on our way out of Malaysia, before we head to Singapore.

we are in the Cameron Highlands, and leaving this inland place tomorrow morning!! More updates will be to come soon!!

Love and miss you all!

- the southeast asia trio

Pictures... at last!

2008-06-28T00:45:00.000-07:00

G'day friends,

Hope you are all doing well. The trio arrived in Chiang Mai last night and plan on spending our next few days getting to know this little city. I've opted to take a pretty laid back day that has consisted thus far of watching a fair bit of Thai MTV, pretending to read a Thai newspaper in a coffee shop, wandering through some textile markets, and currently sitting here in an internet cafe attempting to upload my pictures.

Yes, that's right friends - pictures! What you've all been waiting for!

I've created a link below to our flickr account with all of the photos I have managed to upload. Not going to lie - it's slightly confusing. If anyone knows how I can directly upload a gallery ONTO our blog, please let me know. I am a bit perplexed!

But for now, I hope you enjoy these. We will try to upload more in the near future - it's just a bit of a slow process and, well, the sun outside awaits!

Photos Here!

enjoy and we'll update you with more soon,

Amy

A Thai Style Western Reunion

2008-06-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

Hello!!!

Sabrina here! I am writing from Koh Phi Phi! We got here about 3 days ago and have been having an amazing time!

Last time Amy and I checked in we were in Ko Tao awaiting Jay. He finally arrived (actually, moments after Amy and I headed to the beach...woops!) and we had three great days on the island. Koh Tao is an amazing little place, with two main beaches and a myriad of travellers who are excited about either getting certified to scuba dive, or those who are already certified who want to see some amazing wildlife under the ocean.

David did the scuba diving course and now has his open water certification!! However, I do not think he will ever dive again - the course was not his favourite learning experience, but he was a trooper and made the most of it. Amy and I decided to 'take it easy' and hung out on the beach, took a yoga class, met some interesting people from Manchester, and soaked in some rays. Perhaps too many rays. We also went up to the viewpoint on Koh Tao and saw some pretty amazing sights from the top of the island. Overall, the weather was great and the food was delicious. Barbeques are common at the restaurants on Tao. WE basically ate some of the largest Kebobs and corn on the cobs we had ever had, and it truly was delicious.

Amy and I also tested our friendship. Amy wanted a haircut and had been talking about it since we got to Thailand. So, I offered up my 'skills' and gave it a try. What was supposed to be a small trim to the back of her graduated bob, became an all-round haircut - my very first one! Those who know me well know that I am a hairdresser's worst nightmare. I am not a trusting customer unless a hairdresser has proven their skills, and was truly impressed that Amy trusted me enough to cut her hair! I am happy to say that it did not turn out half bad, and we are still friends, despite some nervous moments on both of our parts. Let me know if there are any other takers when I return home...anyone? anyone?? Maybe this experience will make me a more 'relaxed' client when i am under the scissors for my next trim...

Amy, Jay and I went to a Thai Boxing match as well. Thai boxing is a common sport in Thailand and most cities and islands have an arena. We watched several matches and it was interesting to see. Each boxer wears a specific head dress associated with where they are from and does a particular bow before they begin the match. Music is also played throughout the match and it sounds like a cross between thai and indian music. While it is ultimately a violent sport (which is not normally my cup of tea), it was a very interesting cultural experience.

We left Koh Tao and headed to Krabi on our way to Koh Phi Phi. We stayed at Ban Chaofa on the way. It was a nice little guesthouse with some friendly staff. Among them was Tuz. Tuz has the ability to light up a room with his smile alone. He helped set up a cot in the room we were staying in and kept saying 'oh...my life! there is always something new!' His mantra is simply to make people happy and he did his job with pride. You could tell that service was his forte and that he had found his calling greeting guests and welcoming them to KRabi. The next morning, Singh decided to shave his overgrown facial hair. When he went to the guesthouse lobby to check us out, Tuz looked at him, tapped his hip and said 'ah..without sexy!'. Apparently sexy is the equivalent of facial hair to Tuz and he was unimpressed with Singh's new look!

That morning we took a VERY choppy and nauseating ferry ride to Koh Phi Phi. When we got here, it was pouring rain. We quickly booked a room at the Guesthouse our friends Courtney and Christy had mentioned they were staying at - P.P. October. Upon arrival, we looked across the way and saw Laura Burke. For those USC readers, you will know Laura as a long time devotee to student government and she happened to be on Koh Phi Phi at the same time as us! We all walked around the island together and caught up, and ran into Christy and Courtney at a local bakery. It was an amazing coincidence and a better Western Reunion than we could have ever expected in Thailand!

Together, the six of us headed up the Tsunami evacuation route, which doubles as a path up to three INCREDIBLE viewpoints of Koh Phi Phi. Despite the overcast weather, the view was spectacular. It gave us an amazing perspective of the island. There was an informative sign along the way that indicated where the devastation was from the Tsunami. Most of the island has been rebuilt, but it is still visibly in repair from the devastation. It was quite the hike to the top! Our legs were mosquito bitten and shaking by the end.

That night we all went to an AMAZING restaurant - Papaya - for dinner. After eating a delcious Thai meal and laughing hysterically at a cat who decided to nap in the fridge at the restaurant, we headed to Tiger Bar for 2 for 1 buckets. Laura and her friend Jade had yet to try a bucket in Thailand, and so we felt it was our duty to ensure they enjoyed at least one before they left Thailand! It was a fun night to say the least. Jade ended up really liking buckets.

Yesterday, David, Amy, Christy, Courtney and I went on a Longtail boat ride. These boats are long and made of wood panels, and are run by a car motor with a small propeller at the end. The motor even said Toyota - so it was CLEARLY meant for inside the hood of a car, and perhaps not for the open waters. We went to Monkey Island on our tour around Phi Phi and met some very friendly and sophisticated monkies. One of them was so friendly, it decided to jump on Amy and almost completely pulled down her bikini bottoms!! After that we headed to some other islands and took a tour around Phi Phi Ley. Unfortunately, we could not go to the beautiful sister island of Phi Phi because of the weather. It turned out to be a very stormy day and by about 4 pm we were freezing and the winds were so harsh, we asked the driver to pack it in for the day and we headed back to Phi Phi.

Last night we ate at a James Bond inspired restaurant. There is something here for everyone - truly. At each of the islands we have been to so far, there have been so many restaurants and businesses geared towards tourists and the comforts they are used to in their native country. Every menu has American style food options, and each restaurant plays English music and movies. Movies are played all throughout the day and mealtimes and are ideal for rainy days. Last night we watched Blood Diamond after dinner at the restaurant. I know it seems like a strange thing to do while you are in the tropics, but it was a nice break from the wet weather and it did seem like a little taste of home, which can be nice when you are so far away.

It rained all day today so we basically chilled out, booked our travel out of Phi Phi, and went to the used bookstore. Tomorrow we are heading to Chiang Mai to do some trekking, take a Thai cooking class and hopefully ride some elephants. Christy and Courtney headed up there today so we look forward to reuniting with them again soon!

We love and miss you all and hope you are well! leave us comments as we would love to hear from you!!

much love from Thailand,

Sabrina, David and Amy

A Little Thai Narrative

2008-06-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

AMY: Hello from Thailand!!!! I've had four beautiful days in Thailand thus far and the trip has been fantastic. So far, we've been to Bangkok, Koh Pha Ngan, and we're currently in lovely Koh Tao. Sunburn count is currently at ONE. Bangkok was a busy city to start the trip on with Singh and Sabs but we managed to see a few neat little places. Our craziest experience as of yet has absolutely been the Full Moon Party on Koh Pha Ngan. But I'll let Sabrina tell you more about that!

SABRINA: Amy and I have chosen a narrative approach to this blog -letus know what you think! Anyhow, the Full Moon party was insane!. With nearly 10,000 people on one long beach scattered with retail stands selling buckets of mixed drinks, mayhem is bound to ensue. Our evening began with some pizza with two freinds we made at the bungalows we were staying at, and Jay. We painted our bodies with colourful paint that glowed in the blue lights on the beach, and then headed down to the crowded beach area. The bars along the beach had techno music BLARING and even tall somewhat sturdy wooden stages for extremem dance moves. We tested one of these out, just to make sure they were 'safe' - of course.

Mostly it was a great celebration of the full moon with our new, 10,000 friends - both tourists and thai alike.

AMY: We've met some fun people along the way - many English and also plenty of Canadian! My favourites thus far have been one girl who was travelling by herself and originally from England. We also met a couple of really fun girls from Montreal (new friends for Simmonds!) and partied with them for half of the night. Sabrina and I also had a lovely encounter with a couple of Texan fellows. Naturally, we engaged them in talk about politics and their "wonderful" state of Texas.

SABRINA: I may or may not have convinced a texan, Republican who works for a Petroleum company, to vote Obama :)

AMY: It's true. Sabrina is a wonderful salesperson. Go Obama! Anyway, we met these two boys at one of the many body paint stations along the sand where they had just gotten matching tattoos on their chest of the American flag. Ty-pi-cal.

The shopping and locals in Kho Pha Ngan were also delightful! We had time to peruse some stores and all picked up a few knick knacks along the way. Singh officially became "Summer Singh" when he purchased a white linen Jesus-like shirt along with a neon green sweatband for the party. He even got himself a piece of jewellry in the form of a braided bracelet! Go Singh!

The locals are all very pleasant and speak a little English. They also love a good bargain. Or, from our perspective, often a good rip-off. But, such is Thailand!

SABRINA: The food has been pretty good so far! My general rule is that I will try anything Amy does, as she is just so knowledgeable and well versed in her willingness to try new foods. I thought I was more willing to try anything until I got here. However, pad thai and soups for breakfast are common. I had a penang curry for breakfast the other day which was delicious. We had burgers for breakfast today, as most menus are very tourist friendly and provide great variety for travellers who want a bit of home.

In Koh Phangan we rented Sea Doos (yes mom - I wore a lifejacket. It was safety approved and quite comfortable). I LOVE SEA DOOING WITH A PASSION. WE saw some amazing rocks and different parts of the island from the water, thatwe would not have seen otherwise. It was a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of the shops and tourists. Also, Amy let me drive the whollleeee time which was amazing!

AMY: That's right, I happily let Sabrina drive while I clung on for dear life! Let's just say my shoulders and inner thighs are sore today from being so tense and stressed on the boat. Althought it did somewhat take me back to the good ol' day of driving in Sabs' SUV back at Western. Just without the Tegan&Sara or Burial blasting!

But really, all in all, the SeaDoo ride was great and at one point, we were on such open water that all we could see in front of us were the waves and the sky. I felt like I was falling off the edge of the earth and was probably one of the exhilerating things I have ever experience. Very, very cool.

Our other Sabs&Amy combo experience was our first time on a motorbike! This time, I was behind the wheel. Thank God. Just kidding.

Although a little rough to begin with (my first time revving the engine resulted in Sabrina and I falling off the bike because it went so fast and also into a tree) we quickly got the hang of things! Don't worry Mrs.Sdao! By the end of the excursion, we were smooth sailing and only hit a few potholes along the way. We were so good of a team that everytime I drove particularly straight and smoothly down a hill, Sabrina would literally give me a pat on the back and tell me how proud of me she was. Yup, positive reinforcement is a beautiful thing!

SABRINA: By the way, we are writing a long post today because we're waiting by our hotel for our good friend Jay. Who is late. Very late. Maybe we should leave him a note that says where we are, instead of waiting in this air conditioned room.

AMY: Good idea, let's go buy some sarongs instead!

SABRINA: Jay if you are reading this by chance, as we have no idea where you are, we are on the beach by the hotel. Amy will be the one running, I will be the one sleeping.

AMY: And on that note, we will sign off for now! Thanks for reading and we hope you are all doing well back home or wherever you are.

Love,

Sabrina and Amy

and probably Love Singh but he's currently underneath the ocean somewhere scuba diving.

We have arrived!

2008-06-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

Sabrina here! Hello to everyone! I am writing from Beautiful Bangkok and wish you were all here with us.

David and I arrived in Bangkok last night, after a 15 hour flight from Toronto to Hong Kong, and a race to our connecting flight from Hong Kong to Bangkok. The 15 hour flight was somewhat gruelling - I was anxious and nervous all at the same time which made it go by at a snail's pace! Needless to say, Cathay Pacific was an amazing airline and I would highly recommend it to anyone flying to Asia. The Service, Comfort and meals were by far the best I have had on an airline thus far - we even got bumped up to business class for our landing in Hong Kong, so we could rush off the plane and make our connecting flight - now THAT is service!

While David and I arrived at the airport just fine, our lonely backpacks did not! They were left in Hong Kong. We finally received them this evening and are pleased to say we now have clean clothes and mosquito nets!

Bangkok is a bustling city with taxis, tuk-tuks ( small carriages), tourists, thais,and a bargain to be obtained on every corner. It is colourful, live and blistering hot. I think the Toronto weather last week however, rivals this heat. If you are thinking of travelling to this neck of the woods and are famliar with a Toronto or London hot and humid summer, you will know exactly what to expect from Bangkok in terms of weather.

Our Hotel is right on Koah San Road - in the heart of the tourist area of Bangkok. It is a beautiful boutique hotel with air conditioning and American style bathrooms. The service is friendly and breakfast is included. This had me and David avoid the McDonald's breakfast, being served just below the hotel. Its location is convenient, but lends to some noise coming from the crowded street below. During our nap today,The Cranberries started blaring from a local establishment ( Daniela will appreciate this as the album they were playing is the one you and I listened to throughout our childhood. I thought of you!). While the music was nice, I was tired and well - the nap ended at that point!

Today, was our first full day in Bangkok. After our first sleep at the hotel, (or shall I say a first night when I attempted to sleep and didnt succeed all that well...) we went to the Grand Palace and saw the Emerald Buddah - WOW. It is an incredible sight to see and one I would highly recommend for anyone travelling to Bangkok. afterwards, David and I ventured to take the Skytrain to a Chatuchak market - a market only open on Saturdays and Sundays. The Sky train is like the TTC Subway but the tracks are raised well above ground. I am in love with this transit system - it is the equivalent of one dollar per ride each way, air conditioned, spacious and has televisions to distract you from your travels. The Market that we went to is called Chatuchak Market and it is the largest, hottest, and most interesting market I have ever been to. I could have brought NOTHING with me on this trip, headed to the market, and purchased anything I Would have needed and more (including a knock-off of my travelling backpack!) It was also filled with a number of aromas coming from the many different food vendors and many sounds from the dozens of people singing Karaoke for donations.

Amy arrives in Bangkok tomorrow morning and then we are off to the island of Koh PhaNang to meet Christy, Courtney and Jay (three friends from Western)for the monthly Full Moon Party. I am excited to see Amy - It has been two weeks since I have seen her and I am so excited for our travelling trio to be complete.

across the stage. around the world.

2008-06-10T15:32:00.000-07:00

It was a long and sweaty trip across the colourful stage of the Kingsmill Room at Huron University College and the stage at Alumni Hall at the University of Western Ontario this past monday at Western's 291st convocation ceremony. At the end of the journey was my well earned Honours Bachelor of Arts diploma and two beaming parents. A great first trip for me, but not for my parents who are seasoned veterans at the whole convoking ordeal.

It's been a great trip these past five years with more memories than I can count. Most of all I leave with an amazing group of friends whom I'll cherish for the rest of my life. With our adventure to Asia this summer I can keep the flame alive with two of my favourites Sabrina and Amy!

I had a slight detour preparing for my trip as I finished my USC work and studied for my GRE (Graduate Record Exam). Chris Reynolds (long time friend and college roommate) and I are both applying for the Early Career Masters at UBC that is launching for its first time ever this fall. So I needed to get this exam finished up so I could complete my application. I'll find out along my travels, so my fingers are crossed as we embark.

Now my pre-trip committments are almost all complete and I can start getting ready. A backpacking trip just wouldn't be complete without a good conquest of Mountain Equipment Co-op. What a great afternoon with my mom (and Dad's VISA...thanks Dad!) where we really did stock up on all the great gear to keep me safe, comfortable, and in good style too! Hey I went to Western, style counts! We've also talked to all the embassies and have our VISAs. My banker, Allison, was a great help this morning as I got all my travel cash sorted out and even a Power of Attorny for mom. Any trip home to Guelph just wouldn't be the same without a good stop at good ol' Pharma Plus to see Pharmacist Joe and get all my supplies. I still have to go to chapters to get a few more books to keep me informed and entertained. Grandma and Grandad have given me loads of great advice and some very handy clothese pins for hanging laundry. Grandma just always thinks of great things!

All in all, I'm leaving filling pretty prepared, but am excited to have a lot of loose ends to tie together as we weave our way through the Orient. I'm excited to have a good base, but even more excited to make some mistakes and hopefully great memories with two very competent and compensating women!

So as I leave I'm thinking of one of my favourite books and authors (The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman) where he wrote that 'it is better to have more dreams than memories' and it's on page 451 Amy. I'm so thankful for the life I've led, the friends I've met, and the memories I've made, BUT (and this is a very big but) I'm even more excited about the dreams that will come with tomorrow.

See you in Asia!

The Plan

2008-06-04T22:42:00.000-07:00

It's tough to say when all of this planning initially started. The idea of travelling Asia always sounded exciting, adventurous, and romantic. A couple of months passed by and we soon realized this was the ultimate summer trip. A must-have for 2008.

8 countries. 8 weeks. 2008. Good things come in eight.

We know, we know, most of you are probably scratching your heads thinking, "Aren't they sick of each other yet?". In fact, we probably are. We are sick of Work Amy, Work Singh, and Work Sabrina. But Summer Amy, Summer Singh, and Summer Sabrina? There is still much fun to be had with those three.

Besides, what better group to travel with than a couple of friends whom you know inside out and whom know you down to a science, as well?

In many ways, this trip will be an education - of ourselves, each other, and of a side of the world we know little about. Screw the critical paths, the meeting agendas, and the rubrics. It's summertime!

More to come soon...