Mu Koh Surin

Top Four Reasons Why I Like Traveling With Thai People:

1. Well, let's go for the obvious first - it's much easier to travel with people who know the language and the region.
2. They care as much about skin protection as my mom. I never needed to worry about remembering to reapply sunscreen and got only slightly burned after three straight days in the Thai sun!
3. They travel like I do - go to great places, have a great time, for less!
4. They always come prepared with snacks and planned meals - some friends brought camping cookers also!

I'll probably add to this list as time goes on, but these are the big ones from my recent trip.

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Briefly, I went to Mu Koh Surin last weekend, taking an overnight bus Friday night and returning very early Tuesday morning (fanciest overnight bus ever). Blog post of pictures, because there's really no other way to describe...

At Black Canyon Coffee, in the Southern bus station, waiting for our bus

(P'Boo, Me, Phillipe, Jip, O)

In Phang Nga, on a truck between the bus and boat (Thi, Me, Dr. Mike)

I can't decide whether I'm hot or cold... because it's 5:30 in the morning!

 

At the marina

My abode for two nights

My view from the tent

 

Me and the view

Getting ready! (Anchala, P'Boo, Thi and her husband)

On the boat, going snorkeling for the first time (me and Jip)

no photo editing here :)

beautiful water

 waiting for the boat to go snorkeling

Nemo!

I think this is a barracuda... if not, I definitely saw a gang of them towards the end of one of our dives. I tried not to move as they passed, then quickly called the boat over!

Shark bait hoo ha ha!

A lobster! (or, at least, its antenna)

A flying lemur (colugo) - I have a video of it flying too! (I'll try to post that soon.)

The spicy noodles they made me try first and laughed at me when I turned bright red. Then they tried some and turned bright red!

The group

Our boat

On the boat

That'd be me

Beautiful yellow fish

Dory: I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine. Come here Mr. Squishy! Come here little Squishy! Come here dee ba dee ba ba! ZAPP! Ow!
Marlin: Dory! That's a jelly fish!
Dory: Bad Squishy! Bad Squishy!
Marlin: Shoo shoo shoo!

Do you remember what happens next?

We got attacked by a swarm of them (what DO you call a mass of jellyfish?) Luckily, we all managed to climb back into the boat without any stings.

Wonderful trip!

Some basic information, taken from a display at the Phang-nga marina:

Background
Mu Koh Surin was designated the 29th national park of Thailand on July 9, 1981. It covers an area of 141.25 sq.km. 77% of the area is marine. The park consists of 5 islands and also includes the nearby two rocks. Between the months of June and November, there are large waves on the seas and heavy rain. Between December and May, the weather is better, with calm seas and clear skies. This season is suitable for tourists to visit the National Park. The tropical forest and coral reefs are regarded as one of the most valuable natural classrooms in Thailand. About 14 km to the east of Mu Koh Surin is the famed SCUBA diving site known as "Richelieu."

North Surin Island
Tourist bungalow and the restaurant are located at the Park Headquarters on North Surin Island. The hire of snorkeling equipment and long-tailed boats is also available here. The beaches of North Surin Island are rather small, but the island boasts several picturesque peaceful bays. The most popular spot for swimming and camping is Ao (bay) Chong Khad. This bay is also the most scenic location for observing the sunset.

A new campsite has recently opened at Ao Mai Ngam, where a park restaurant and bathrooms are available (this is where I stayed). Tourists can relax, swim, and camp in this huge newly developed area, which is not only the best site for vacationing tourists but also remains very rich in natural diversity. Visitors can reach the bay by long-tailed boat or by following the nature trail from the park's HQ.

South Surin Island
South Surin Island has several interesting sites, though it is necessary to take a boat from North Surin Island to reach them. Ao Satok and Ao pak Kad are very beautiful, while Ao Tao is the site where turtles are most often seen.

Ecosystem
Mu Koh Surin National Park is an invaluable site of natural heritage, not just the destination for tourists to exploit for their own pleasure. The area boasts a rich biodiversity that ranges from the largest fish in the world, the whale shark, to rare birds such as the Beach Thick-Knee and the Nicobar Pigeon. Mammals such as the Malayan Flying Lemur can also be easily seen.

Travel Information
The park is located in Phang-nga Province and is about 720 km from Bangkok. Take any bus from Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai) that passes Amphur Khura Buri. Get off and catch a taxi. The park is open from mid-November to mid-May. There is a daily ferry service from Khura Buri Pier to Mu Koh Surin at 9am and takes approximately 2 hours. The return journey leaves the island at 13:30pm daily.

You wouldn't hang out with the carnies, would you?

Sometimes, I think expats feel special living in a different country. I admit - occasionally, I feel that way. We're the adventurers, the ones who can leave behind those comforting feelings of normalcy, the bonds of long friendships, and the ties to the familiar, to explore, create, begin anew, reveling in our ability to move constantly.* During a recent club meeting (a mixed group of expats from different countries with different backgrounds and nationals), we were talking about this feeling being both beneficial (all those change the world types) and damaging (can you say sexpat?). For some people, their experiences are eye-opening, leading them to delve deeper into their new culture, realizing that something can be learned from everyone encountered, regardless of their station in their culture. For others, this experiences seems to solidify prejudices they already have.

I had an unsettling experience with the latter this week.

As a quasi-member of the US Embassy in Bangkok, I was quasi-required to go to a security training seminar. You're supposed to go within the first two weeks of arriving - I was a little late. But, I trudged down to the seminar (after a lovely overnight bus back to Bangkok from Mu Koh Surin... more on that later), thinking "it can't be that bad."

But it was! I was told to constantly watch my bag, because "people here in Bangkok will grab anything they can... keep it close to your body because they'll cut the bottom with a razor." Thank you, sir, for giving me basic, living in a city advice. Then, we were told not to use ATM or credit cards because "someone's always watching and there have been cases of stolen cards from Villla Market [a grocery store] and hair salons." The piece de resistance was when he told us not to ride motorbikes 1) because they are unsafe and if there is a helmet, do you really want to put it on your head after 10,000 other people have, and 2) because motorbike drivers are the "carnies of Bangkok. You wouldn't want to hang out with the carnies, would you? They sleep on the street and their breakfast is a Red Bull and dinner is vodka." Not five minutes later, he was talking about purse-snatchers who ride motorbikes. "But, you know, the motorbike drivers won't let them [the purse-snatchers] wear their uniform.** They won't let them hang out in the same area either."

Now, I don't know about you, but some of the nicest people I've met while traveling (and the most helpful) are the people you wouldn't expect. The drug-dealing next-door neighbor who makes sure you can safely walk home or the somewhat crazy-looking woman who drags you out of a crowd to point out that your bag is open. Yes, sometimes there are people who you don't want to hang out with, but judging them based on their job just isn't fair. And, the bike drivers I know (yes, I do take motorbikes frequently, so often, in fact, that most of the drivers on the corner of my street know me) are generally kind and very helpful. They laugh at my Thai, then teach me to say something else. They make sure I don't get ripped off by other drivers. They give me directions. They generally drive safely (more carefully then some crazy, fancy-car drivers I've seen).

So, yes, I would hang out with the carnies.

* Please note that I don't always feel this way, or for some of the characteristics, ever feel this way. Living in another country is sometimes as great as it is idealized to be and sometimes it stinks (like not being able to find the only cough medicine that makes you feel better or getting utterly frustrated at not understanding [everything, shampoo products, signs, people who are supposed to be speaking English] or the constant rotation of friends and colleagues).
** Drivers must pay to buy a vest that is usually bright orange, yellow or purple.

Holiday Time

Sawatdee ka! Happy New Year!

As some of you may not realize, February is a pretty holiday-full month. So to start off, some February holiday trivia for you (answers at the bottom of the email):

1. How many holidays are there in February?

2. What should you give your romantic partner on February 14th?

3. Which color should you wear on February 14, 2010?

4. How many New Years are there in Thailand?

I begin with Happy New Year! This weekend was the Chinese New Year celebration and there were plenty of festivities, especially in Chinatown (or Yaowarat). Over the weekend, the price of oranges skyrocketed (bring wealth and good luck, depending on the type), many people wore red (which is unusual), and the main road in Chinatown was closed for pedestrians to explore the food, displays, and shows (pictures attached). If it were not so hot during the day, I would have spent most of the day exploring. I realized in my last email, I boasted about being able to wear flip-flops and t-shirts... probably not the best idea considering the temperature will only rise in the coming months. April is apparently the warmest month of the year, with temperatures rising over 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). But for now, while most of the US is covered with snow (I heard the other day that 49 of 50 states had measurable snow on the ground!), I am still basking in the warmth that, for now, I adore.



This month, I was able to explore a different side of Thailand, traveling southeast of Bangkok to Koh Samet, an island in the Gulf of Thailand. It's a popular destination with Bangkokians, because it's fairly close to the city but a peaceful respite from it. There are frequent buses to Ban Phe, the launching point for boats to the island, and it's easy to take the ferry or smaller chartered boats directly to the island. The beaches were beautiful, especially those that were slightly secluded from the larger resorts.

In late January I had some unexpected but welcome friends come stay in Bangkok. In a strange, this-really-IS-a-small-world series of events, I met up with my family friend's family friend's daughter and her friend. Don't worry about figuring out the connections! Her friend was brought to Bangkok because of a health condition, before being sent back home. Without knowing the friend's full name and just having a basic description of the daughter, I made my way to a local hospital to try to find them. As luck would have it, I did (to their surprise and mine!). While meeting them under such conditions was not the best, it was very nice to meet both of them and share some quality time in a Bangkok hospital.

I also had some visitors from Phnom Penh come over the holiday weekend (i.e., President's Day, because I work for the USG). I exhausted them with the grand Bangkok tour and frequent trips to American fast food restaurants. There are not many American chains in Phnom Penh, so they were craving some trans fats and cholesterol ;) Luckily, Bangkok can supply that, as well as an absurd number of malls, ranging from outdoor markets that just happen to be inside to the most luxurious malls I've ever seen.

I think that may be all of my updates and world trivia for today. There are lots of pictures  posted on Facebook and Flickr. I head to Koh Sarin this weekend for some snorkeling, then to Vietnam sometime in March or early April. In related news, my work (the reason I'm in Thailand) is going well. I submitted an abstract for the International AIDS conference in Vienna and hope to hear a positive response sometime in early April. I also almost definitely will be staying in Bangkok for another year (until October 2011). So, more time to plan visits and explore Southeast Asia with me!

Sawatdee ka,

Katie

1. Well, let's see... if you're in New Orleans, there's pretty much a holiday every day up until Mardi Gras, but most places are only closed on Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras, so we'll say two. If you're in Thailand, there's Chinese New Year, which goes on for about two weeks, but really the first three days are important, so we'll say three. If you're in the US, there's Washington's birthday and Lincoln's birthday, which used to be celebrated separately (see Holiday Inn starring Bing Crosby for highlights) but are now celebrated as President's Day (=1). And if you're in any country where Hallmark or the maker's of bird's nest beverage sell their wares, there's Valentine's Day (=1). And, let's not forget about Punxsutawney Phil, whose shadow predicts the next 6 weeks of weather in Pennsylvania for Groundhog Day. Who knew February was such a jolly month with 8 holidays?!

2. Bird's nest beverage, of course (you were thinking chocolate?). No, the delightful taste of a swallow spit will make him/her swoon.

3. Red! Not a trick question here... Red, the color of love; Red, the lucky color of the Chinese New Year. Just make sure not to wear it another day in Thailand, as it's also a political color.

4. Three - there's New Year according to the Gregorian calendar (so we are in 2010); there's the Chinese or Lunar New Year (Year of the Tiger); and there's the Thai New Year, or Songkran (in mid-April). If you are Vietnamese, you also celebrate Tet (which occurs around Chinese New Year).

Geaux Saints!

Just a quick post because I'm so excited the Saints won the Superbowl! And, I got to watch the whole game live, starting at 6:30 this morning (being Monday). Although there were no commercials (thank goodness for YouTube) and The Who's half time show was a little off (the audio was about 10 seconds ahead of the visual), it was tons of fun watching the game.

Oh yeah, and there's a live camera at Jackson Square... when I last checked (5pm Thai time = 4am Nola time), there were still people out and about :)

(me and my Saints' colored Zulu coconut last Mardi Gras...

this was also my expression when the Saints won today)

Adventures in Bangkok

Some pictures from my latest adventures in Bangkok...

Temple around Wat Suthat and the Giant Swing

Giant Swing

Wat Suthat

Buddhas inside Wat Suthat

Me (I'll get better at self-portraits!)

Klong (canal)

Democracy Monument

Golden Mount /Wat Sakhet (beginning of the steps)

Bells along the way

Rama VIII Bridge (as seen from Wat Sakhet)

Top of the Golden Mount

Praying

Chinatown phone booth

Why we should all do good

I think one of my favorite NY Times' writers, Nicholas Kristof, put it very well in his recent Op-Ed column - we should all do good because it makes us feel good. But more than that, trying to help others is an important gift that, I think, makes humans so unique. More than our ability to think, our opposable thumbs, or our hairlessness, our ability to feel compassion for others, empathy for those we have never known, makes us unique and we should use this gift. If you are religious, just look to Mattew 25:35-36:

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

So, on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the United States, let's all try to follow the words of Coretta Scott King:

The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members, ... a heart of grace and a soul generated by love.

Whether it's texting "HAITI" to "90999" to donate $10 to the Red Cross, donating to one of the organizations listed below, dedicating your time to organize humanitarian efforts (in whatever form they take), or just helping support those that do, you are helping others and yourself.

(This list was taken from the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene's website.)
A number of organizations are collecting donations and providing relief and aid to Haiti in this time of crisis. Please consider offering your support. If you aren't able to help at this time, please know that the rebuilding process is a long one, and the need for aid will remain great going forward.

UNICEF - Along with UN partners, has begun relief efforts.
Hôpital Albert Schweitzer (HAS) - HAS provides medical care and community health and development programs for more than 300,000 impoverished people in the Artibonite Valley of central Haiti.
Doctors Without Borders - Members of Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres) are treating the injured.
Partners in Health - This group dedicated to providing the global poor with preferential health care options is collecting donations to provide supplies to hospitals and health groups in Haiti. Help is urgently needed.
AmeriCares - A disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, AmeriCares has pledged $5 million to the people of Haiti.

The following humanitarian agencies also request support to respond to the earthquake's aftermath:

• Catholic Relief Services 
• Direct Relief 
• Friends of the Orphans 
• Health Empowering Humanity 
• Heart to Heart 
• Samaritan's Purse

Getting lost in MBK

I do not like malls. Ask anyone who's ever come shopping with me, needed me to get something, or, in general, discussed purchasing items that cannot be had at a grocery store. However, Bangkok likes malls. A LOT. Along the BTS, there are malls at Phrong Ponh (Emporium), Ploen Chit (Ploen Chit), Chit Lom (Central and Central World), Siam (Siam Paragon, Siam Discovery... and another Siam something), National Stadium (MBK), and Mo Chit (JJ Mall). These are just the malls I know of along the BTS.

Before Christmas, I headed to MBK to get a camera for a friend staying in Cambodia. She wanted a Nikon camera, and I'd seen the store while perusing MBK for Christmas gifts. I thought it was on the third floor, near where the BTS entrance/exit is.

The thing about most malls in Bangkok is that while there may be a directory or map, it is usually not all that helpful. Also, in MBK especially (which is almost like a market in that there are lots of small shops with ritzy decorations that all look strikingly similar), it's very easy to miss a store as you shift your eyes from one side to the other. After circling the third floor four times, heading up to the fourth and fifth floors (where I had been earlier), circling around those floors, asking at information, cycling back down multiple escalators and getting completely disoriented, circling the third floor again, and asking at information again, I finally found the store... within eye-site of the BTS entrance.

I don't like malls.