evilcaramel

I’m sure most of us, one time or another, were subjected to the shame of having our parents force us to wear stuff that we absolutely detested. I remember quite clearly one incident back in grade school.

My mom was so proud of these pair of shoes that she claimed were quite fashionable back in her days and very very sturdy. Apparently, she had worn them before and it had survived the test of time and since they were still alive and functioning, she had the bright idea of passing them on to her kids. My older sister was the first one subjected to wearing them. And to my horror, when her feet had outgrown them, they were passed on to me.

Ahhhh…the Famolares. That was the brand of the shoes my mom made us wear. And boy, were the UHG-LY! They were some kind of platform shoes, that were quite hip during the 70’s!! The ones I had to wear were these black bulky Famolares with their signature wavy soles. Needless to say, it was quite an embarrassment for me to be walking around school in those hideous looking things.

During lunch time one day, while walking in my Famolares, I suddenly felt like I wasn’t walking evenly. Somebody tapped me on the shoulder and when I looked back, some girl behind me was pointing to what was the sole of one of my shoes!!! When she asked if I had dropped something, I told her no and quickly walked away. When I was alone, I tore of the sole of my other shoe and threw it in the bushes. Despite my shame and having to walk around soleless for the rest of the day, I was secretly happy to finally have a reason to stop wearing the Famolares.

When my mom asked me what had happened to her precious shoes, I feigned ignorance and told her that I had no idea that I was walking soleless the whole day. She ended up buying me new shoes that afternoon which I was able to pick out myself and that was the end of my Famolares and the last I ever saw of it. Until now, when a friend reminded me of it.

Hehe. I wonder what ever happened to the sole in the bushes, if anyone ever found it and what they might have done with it?

Anyway, here’s a picture of what my Famolares looked like, to give you an idea…

Ok. This is it. The official countdown. 10 more weeks until I leave Thailand for good and go back home. Am beginning to have mixed feelings about it. I remember when I first got here and up until last month, I couldn’t wait to leave and now that the end of my stay is nearing, am beginning to get cold feet about going home.

Funny how you think you want something so badly and yet when it’s finally given to you, you’re suddenly scared that it’s not as good as you were imagining it to be. Life is funny that way…

I’m also beginning to realize how much Bangkok has grown on me. Each thing that I used to take for granted, I now look at wistfully and now always think to myself that these are the last few times I’d be able to see this, do this, buy this, be with this person. Am trying to hold on to things here for as long as I can…taking pictures in my mind, relishing each experience of living here, trying to take in as much as I can on my last few weeks here.

I’m definitely glad to have been given this experience. And even if it was bittersweet, I wouldn’t have had it any other way I’ll remember this experience forever.

It’s almost 2am in this part of the world and for some reason I seem to be suffering from, hopefully, a mild case of insomnia. A bit weird since I was dead tired when I got home from work this evening and I was already dozing off while waiting for my friends to arrive because I was supposed to have dinner out with them.

Anyway, staying up, tossing and turning in bed has given me some time to brood over what I’ve been feeling the past few days. To give you guys a quick backgrounder, I haven’t exactly been the best company these couple of days. I’ve been feeling pretty low lately and feeling like I don’t belong. Which shouldn’t be too much of a surprise considering the fact that I’m not exactly in my own country and my loved ones are so far away. One thing though, that has always helped me cope with these sudden bouts of depression has been the fact that in just a few more months, I will be going back home to where my family and friends are and also back to a job which I enjoyed much more. That thought has always managed to make me feel better, helping me get over the fact that I never really felt like I belonged here. At least there was a place waiting for me back home where I could once again feel like I belonged.

But lately, I’ve been getting this weird feeling that things back home are so different from what they once were before I left. And am beginning to feel like I no longer belong there too…If I don’t belong here and I don’t belong there, then where do I belong?

I wonder if others have also felt the same way? Am I just being paranoid or is this normal for people who have been away for quite awhile?

Haaaaay. I hope I get over this soon…

My stay here in Thailand is almost coming to an end. And some of my other friends here are also counting down until they have to move to Singapore or to wherever their next assignment might be. So little time and still so many places to visit here in Thailand. My friend and I decided to make a list of things we must do and places that we must visit until it is time for us to move on.

Here’s a rundown of the things that we have to do and places we still have to visit:

1. Krabi/Koh Phi Phi – I’ve heard a lot about this beach in Thailand and seen a lot of pictures. Plus Koh Phi Phi was where the movie ‘The Beach’ was filmed. This is one place I really need to visit before I leave.

2. Chiang Mai – This is in the northern part of Thailand. It’s their version of Baguio. People say that this place is a must visit with its cool weather, quaint restaurants and lush greenery.

Lush greenery in Chiang Mai

Night market in Chiang Mai

3. Bed Supperclub – one of the ‘High So’ clubs/restaurants here in Bangkok. Although am not much of a clubbing person, this is still part of our list of must visit.

4. Sirocco – This is a restaurant located on the 65th (or was it 64th) floor of one of the highest buildings in Bangkok. Although prices are a bit steep, you pay for the ambience. So maybe we can do this for after dinner drinks or some dessert.

5. Lumpini Park – This park is actually just at the end of my street and for some reason I haven’t gotten around to visiting it. There’s a lake in the park with lots of joggers and people walking around, doing Tai Chi or having picnics in its grounds. I’ve heard there are even some giant lizards roaming about and sometimes when I pass by on the way to work, I see some squirrels running up the trees. Planning to jog there or do breakfast sometime soon.

6. Learn the language – Living here in Bangkok has made me appreciate the Thai language. We are actually entitled to Thai lessons while living here, just haven’t gotten around to calling up the language school 😛 Promise to do it next week…

So far, this was the immediate list we thought of. Am sure we will still be adding on to this list as the days go by. And although I can’t wait to go back home, am sure I will definitely miss living in this country and I will definitely go back to visit or who knows, maybe work here again… 😛

Just had some friends come visit Bangkok and although it has been a tiring past 2 weeks, I must say having them around has definitely been a blast. Was able to do some stuff in Thailand for the first time since I moved here almost 7 months ago (has it been 7 months now??).

Some of the stuff I got to do for the first time:

1. Hang out in Oriental hotel – Got to check out the Oriental Hotel by the Chao Phya River with Corrie and Cesar. This place is supposedly one of the best hotels in the world. In fact, it was even listed in the book 1,000 places to see before you die. So glad I was able to visit it and take some pictures in the famed Author’s Lounge.

2. Relaxing in the massage chairs in Central Mall after a long day of shopping – After a long day of walking and shopping with my friends, we decided to try out the massage chairs displayed in the mall. Ended up staying there for about 30 minutes! Will definitely do this again 😛

3. River Cruise by the Chao Phya & antique shopping in River City Mall – Decided to try out the River cruise along Chao Phya. It was really relaxing and got to see a different side of Bangkok. It’s so amazing how that part of town is actually part of the bustling city. It all looked so peaceful and provincial with all the houses along the river having small docks and mini rowboats docked along their sides. After the river cruise, my friends decided to do some antique shopping in the River City mall. I’m sure you guys wouldn’t be surprised that I didn’t enjoy this part much. Ended up striking a conversation with a 3 year old kid while we waited for our ‘mommies’ to finish their antique shopping.

House along the river

4. Eat in Erawan Tea House – Got to try some real good Thai food in a restaurant that’s real near my place. Yum!

5. Hang out in Vertigo – Read about this bar located in the 60th floor of Banyan Tree Hotel. It’s on the rooftop of the hotel with a great view of Bangkok. Despite the steep prices, the view and the ambiance made it all worth it.

6. Kanchanaburi – Another chance to go out of Bangkok. My friends and I hired one of the Unilever drivers to take us to Kanchanburi province about 2 hours from Bangkok. Highlights of the trip were the feeding the elephants, taking a ride on them and of course the pictures with the tigers and their cubs. Actually got to pet them (of course the grown up tigers were asleep) and squeeze the paw of a tiger cub!

7. Eat in Blue Elephant – after our Kanchanaburi trip and a good hot bath, we all decided to eat in Blue Elephant, a popular Thai restaurant and cooking school. It was a very quaint place with a bar on top and served very good authentic Thai dishes. Definitely planning to go back.

Outside Blue Elephant

8. Doing the BTS end to end – Planned to do some Chatuchak shopping the next day followed by a trip to the Jim Thompson outlet store. This meant having to go end to end of the BTS Sukhumvit line. We decided to buy a day pass for this and it was actually my first time to go to the On Nut station.

Some paintings in Chatuchak that my friend and I wanted to buy. Will definitely go back to buy.

All in all, despite having a very packed itinerary and very little rest in between, it was a great week! Had so much fun exploring Bangkok and Kanchanaburi and discovering new places and sights. And of course, best part was having my friends come over and spending time with them and catching up. Missing them all…

Friends for life…

Thailand is a beautiful country to be in. So many interesting sights and places to visit. I decided to post some random pictures of my sightings here in Thailand that I was able to take with my phone camera. Check them out…

Elephant Building beside my offic

Can you see why it’s called the Elephant building?

Pixie

One of the cutest dogs I’ve seen here so far (and trust me there are a lot over here!). My friend and I just had to chase her down the street. Can you see the pink shoes??

Lunch

My lunch last week from the cafeteria. It was made of big fat noodles cooked with pork and morning glory (kang kong). My friend said it’s a Chinese dish called Ho Fang (???) or something like that. Wasn’t really too sure since it was written in Thai alphabet. The best part…it was only 35 baht!

A scene from atop the BTS station during the King’s birthday last December 5. People stood outside Central Mall with lighted candles in honor of their King. Such a touching and beautiful sight. I just had to take a picture.

Samed

A picture of one of Thailand’s numerous beaches. Loved it!! It’s called Koh Samed/t and it reminds me of one of the best beaches back home…Boracay…but less developed and more private. And it’s so easy to go to. Just a bus ride and a quick boat ride from Bangkok.

One of the golden retrievers who was part of the retriever club outing in Koh Samed. So cute and fat! I forget his Thai name but his owner said it meant Smelly Dog. Check out the large birthmark on his tongue

I wish I had better and clearer pictures that I could post. But most often am too lazy to bring my camera along. And sometimes, a phone camera will do for those sights that you don’t expect to see everyday.

We’ve always had pets in our homes.  I can’t remember a time when we didn’t have any pets at home.  I remember when we actually had 11 dogs at home (initially they were just 5 but one of them gave birth to 6 puppies).  My mom was freaking out.  Unfortunately for her, she married a man who had animal-lover all over his blood and which he passed on to us kids.  Ironically, my mom’s side of the family hated animals.  There was also a time when we had a turtle, chickens, and some parrots.  Needless to say, our homes have always been veritable zoos. 

However, I’ve always been more partial to dogs as pets.  I never really liked cats much as they always seemed snooty, and snobbish to me.  And of course my bad experiences with them where I was twice scratched by 2 different cats and now have scars to show for it.  My sisters, brother and dad seemed to have taken a liking to them though and have taken it upon themselves to adopt every cat they see (which of course has always been a point of contention with me).  My dad was even featured in some news show where they were doing a special on animal lovers and my sister’s ‘workplace’ used to be shared with 11 cats that roamed about freely (ugh!).  I guess having been exposed to them constantly has made me a bit more accepting of them but I still wouldn’t take one in as a pet (maybe at least for now.  hehe).

Anyway, after a few weeks of living here in Bangkok by myself, I’m beginning to miss having a house full of pets.  I was even tempted to buy a puppy here but unfortunately, I can’t keep any pets in the apartment am staying in and even if I could, no one would take care of it whenever I wasn’t around.

As a solution, I have started to create my own mini zoo here.  Right now they’re only 3.  My stuffed cat named Gary (he was the first and a gift from my boyfriend before he left, so he’s extra special) and then came Babar (my greenish-blue and pink designed, Thai silk beanie elephant) and the newest addition is Pom (a red, black blue green striped (?) Thai silk beanie elephant.  He’s a bit less easy on the eyes compared to Babar so I make it a point to give him an extra hug once in awhile to remind him that he’s still special).  I plan to continue  growing my zoo until I can finally have my own real pets again.

 Hey!  It’s lonely out here!!! 😛

*do you know that i sometimes scream at you in my head and yet on the outside am cold and stoic as if am not listening to a thing you’re saying?

*do you know that i sometimes imagine myself dying and floating around during my funeral checking on the people who attended?

*do you know that i imagine myself being able to wear all those beautiful and sexy clothing without looking fat?

*do you know that i sometimes wish i had anorexia but know deep down that it’s a disease i could never have and it makes me a bit sad?

*do you know that i sometimes just feel scared all of a sudden without knowing exactly why?

*do you know that i sometimes think that people won’t like me once they get to know me?

*do you know that i sometimes think am better than some people and worse than others?

*do you know that am not as happy as i appear to be?

*do you know that i pretend that there’s nothing wrong with my life?

*do you know that i sometimes wish i were somewhere else?

*do you know that i sometimes want to be someone else?

*do you know that i have to remind myself all the time that i have a lot of blessings?

*do you know that there are so many things you don’t know about me?

I wrote this before moving to Bangkok so this pertains to taxi drivers in the Philippines.  I think I need to compile another one about taxi drivers here in Bangkok (I almost think they make the ones in the Philippines seem nice!):

i ride the cab a lot. i’ve ridden with so many kinds of cab drivers, the nice ones who don’t really talk to you but you can tell are real nice, the assholes who ask for extra and who complain all the way if it’s too far or traffic, those who can’t stop talking to you, etc. but the worst are those who are plain freaks! and believe me i’ve had my share. here are some:

Cab Freakoid #1: The Rapist Freak

now this one was probably one of the worst ones. got into this cab with this big lumbering oaf of a driver and as soon as i got in the cab, he starts talking about how he was going to take me to his house or some motel or something like that. of course i was freaked to the bones!! kept on calling friends to let them know what was happening and to scare the oaf off (which unfortunately didn’t). luckily i got to my destination, visibly shaken but in one piece.

Cab Freakoid #2: The Get-Rich-Quick Freak

this is another one for the books…

this cab driver was so obsessed with caputring some fugitive with a million peso reward on his head. he kept on dreaming up these scenarios about how that fugitive would somehow walk into his house and then he (the cab driver) would grab a hold of him and turn him into the police and collect the reward money. and then he launches into what he planned to do with the money. one word…FREAK!

Cab Freakoid #3: The Slasher

the weird thing about this cabbie was he was actually one of the nice guys. he was the only one who stopped for me when everyone else complained that where i was going was too far. so things would have been alright if it wasn’t for the fact that this cabbie had all these stories about slashing or running over criminals who terrorized his passengers!! he must have slashed about 4 guys with his trusty balisong and ran over at least one of them! to make matters worse, those incidents only seemed to happen when he was driving a particular cab which unforunately he was driving at the moment! needless to say i was praying during the whole ride.

so dears…do be careful when riding cabs. always lock the doors and make sure to let somebody know the plate number and the name of the cab you are riding. and as much as possible, do try to stick to routes that are familiar to you even if they are the longer way. you never know these days…

Hehe.  Sorry for the deluge of old posts but I really need to put this one in.  It’s one of my favorite posts plus am sure my sisters could relate to my special mentions…hehe…So here it goes…
i am a certified lover of horror/slasher flicks. i’d watch it all despite the bad reviews and the cheesy actors.

so am giving you my top horror/slasher flims of all time:

1. SCREAM – actually watched it 3 times and still got a kick out of it each time
2. FRIDAY THE 13TH (1 to 5) – after the fifth installment, things got a bit too weird. they should have stuck to the campsite setting. jason in outerspace just doesn’t do it.
3. HALLOWEEN (1 to 4) – actually i only got to watch until the fourth installment. not too sure if they had any after
4. 28 DAYS LATER – the zombies here were really freaky, not to mention the soldiers who turned out to be worse
5. DAWN OF THE MUMMY- how could i forget my first zombie flick which i watched when i was about three. i actually had nightmares after about the mummy eating my leg.
6. TALES FROM THE CRYPT – for sheer weirdness of it
7. DEMON KNIGHT – same reason as above
8. JEEPERS CREEPERS- weirdly disturbing film
9. NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1 to 3) – although freddy got too cliche-ish after the first, i still couldn’t stop getting freaked out by the elm street series.
10. SHAKE, RATTLE & ROLL 2 (particularly the episode with manilyn reynes and the aswangs) – there’s nothing that freaks me out more than seeing people all around you turning into monsters and you’re the only normal one!

that’s it for now. i’ll just update as i go along.

before i end, i must make special mention of the worst horror films of all time:

1. RAWHEAD REX – highlight of this movie was this beast (rawhead rex, spawn of satan) peeing on his victim!
2. THE WORLD OF DRACULA – i can’t even begin to explain…