Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Genocide, Killing Fields and Khmer Rouge This is a depressing post. I thought long and hard before posting this because as the last stop of my Indo-China trip, I was quite hesitated to blog about this tragic history that sent Cambodia 50 years behind time just 30 years ago.This is a school. A high school.It looks no different like every other high school around.With normal classrooms, playground and staircase.Or is it?Year 1975, the Khmer Rouge Regime began.Cambodians were not prepared what was about to become of them. In the next three years, close to 1/5 population in Cambodia were murdered, slaughtered, perished and eliminated. The biggest massacre every to happen in history, worse than Hitler's time; a total of 1.7 million lives were taken.And this school was turned into a prison, called the S21; or Genocide S21.Politicians were captured, tortured and interrogated, and murdered.In the school, you can still see blood stains on the walls and ceilings in some the classrooms.This is the stain from this victim who got his stomach punctured while he was alive.Women were captured and photographed in still form while their kids and husbands were being slaughtered outside.Wife of ambassador and a tearKids were captured because they were either somehow related to politicians, or there was simply no reason at all.These lives were taken without a thought, with no mercy. And no life was taken before torturing interrogations took place. These included pulling their penis with metal grip, pouring acid up their noses, twitching nipples out, slicing skin, whipping, extreme kicking and punching and hitting of canes till the skull burst.Skull burst due to over-hittingAcid from noseLook at this photo carefully, the kid had his skin pierced through when they pinned the tag to him.It was inhuman.A school, transformed into cells.Feeding only one meal a day, many starved to death during their imprisonment here. It was the "least" cruel way to die.There was no shower, you eat, shit, pee, and sleep inside a cell just enough to stand and move about.They wired the corridors, because there was once a girl who managed to run out of cell and jumped from fourth floor and die. The Pol Pot (leading commander, Politician Potential) got angry and decided to wire the place so no one could commit suicide.During the last year of the regime, the Genocide alone killed over 300 people on a daily basis.And this was just the introduction of what it was like during the Khmer Rouge regime.The country haunts me. Cambodia, in my opinion, was a sad, depressing, tragic place that disturbed me gravely during my visit there. I couldn't bring myself to feel happy, to smile; in fact, I was full of tears, anger and a whole mixture of feelings.I spent three days in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia (pronounced as "Nom Pen") studying the history of Cambodia, and understanding the state it was now. Of why it is still so behind time, why there are people on this earth still crave for true freedom and unable to live out their past.I read this book called "Stay Alive, My Son" during my stay in Phnom Penh, a true story about a survivor who lived through the period, losing over 30 members of his family, including his son and wife. I finished the book over night, and cringed the night after, unable to sleep.Wondering why? Asking why? There simply was no answer.I visited the killing fields, a place where they bring people here to die. Mass lives burials were carried out up to few times a month.Studying some of the skulled they dug up after the regime, you'll find skulls with holes and felt the pain of how it was like to die there, in that state.Most times, bamboo sticks were used to save the cost of bullets.Cracked by bamboo stickCollections upon collections of skulls were arranged according to different age group.Skulls of victims age 15-20In 1988, they built a memorial dedicated to these victims. I was only 4 years old.It's the famous tower of skulls, storing all the memories of the past, to remind Cambodia and the rest of the world. And to dedicate a place to these victims for them to rest in peace.I could write the longest post ever about this piece of history, and it took me a really long time wondering how I should begin. I was simply lost of words.There are a lot more to just photos, sometimes it's better to not say it, and simply experience it, hear it, understand it. This is the reason I travel, why I rather go out and see than to sit home and read. And I want to travel more, to learn about the many whats and whys.I left Cambodia, ending my Indo-China trip knowing a bit more about the world, and a little less about myself.To the Cambodians who died during the Khmer Rouge Regime. May your souls rest in peace. Far Away Land: Day Dreaming I sat here, with another glass of wine in my hand. And I am thinking about the things that had happened to me over the past few years, and what I am about to do in the next few.Uncertainties entrap me, despite the love and passion I have towards my work and career, I imagine myself standing at the peak of the mountain, alone, looking into the distance. Wondering why I am alone, wondering why no one understands, and I got lost.Many stood here before, but they left, went to another peak to ponder. I remain, with the same old me, with the same old songs, with the same old thoughts. Why am I here?Wind takes me away far into the clouds, into the distance, into the horizon far beyond my reach. My mind’s there, with the piercing blue sky, the birds and the sun, and a melody that lingers on around the scenic atmosphere. Hundred lumps of the big hill tops and small summits scattered the earth floor with white cotton clouds resting peacefully above. I flew around the white fluffs and occasionally dance through the chilled mist, spinning and turning as I please up and about in the sky.I swerve down into the jungle beneath, running swiftly past thick tree trunks, squirrels and boars giggle as they race around me, moving frontward nonetheless; tall grass and vines hanging from the trees part miraculously as my body advances forward, shadow of the forest flickers through the corner of my eyes whereas my vision focuses on the blindingly bright light ahead that shone out among the sightless trees.I dash out of the enclosed, and come upon a river so wide and vast, gushing to the end of the cliff and pouring down to the earth beneath. I dive into the crystals clear blue, sporting up with the otters playing tag with fishes and big fat salmons that are running away from our grasps. The rays refracts through the surface bedazzling the river bed into a topaz wonder. I swim deeper, with every breath bubbles are formed, wiggling up towards the light. And soon it is a weightless world of endless virgin azure.I dive out of the water and find myself thousands feet above ground, pours jet out from the edge and fall to the depths, I soar above all those, a view of long thin waterline stretches for miles and miles away, a pink sun glaring just above the greenish grey peaks that corridors the ever running river.Freedom, this is how I imagine it to be.-n- Blogged out on Star Metro! *Take a deep breath*....I'M A COLUMNIST I'M A COLUMNIST I'M A COLUMNIST!!It's called Blogged OutOMG, I'M A COLUMNIST FOR THE STAR METRO! THE STAR!!!*Jumps around in joy*This is so exhilarating.If I do remember correctly, and so far reassured by the editor himself (thank you Brian!!!), this is the first time a blogger has ever been given a column of her own in the newspaper in Malaysia.OMFG!!!!A blogger? A column! In the paper!!(This is going down in Nicole's book of history)What is the column going to be about? Well, about blogs of course! (Like duh, what else can a blogger talks about?) And everything related to it. Blog events, blog world, blog 101, blog advertising, blog travels, bloggers, ethical blogging, non ethical blogging, etc.The column will be published in the Star Metro within Klang Valley every Saturday.You can skip reading newspaper everyday but you HAVE to grab a copy of the star every SATURDAY k?! Make it a ritual!! :D :D :DDo it for me~~ *sappy eyes*If you're not from this part of the area (Klang Valley), fear not, you can always go online to read about it.Here's the link to my first article published. It's been heavily edited to tone down my crudeness and non-censored writings (ohh poo...), but basically the contents are pretty much the same.When given the option to feature blogs of interesting topic or bloggers who are influential in the blogosphere, a thousand and one bloggers pop up in mind.But ONE particular blogger stood out among the rest."Mr Mahathir, can I interview you?" I Will Always Love Youuuuuuuuuuu My second Lip Sync Video. Finally~Borrowing voice from this little angel Connie Talbot. And of course... What is the song without a little Whitney Houston. ;) Nicolekiss becomes Tomb Raider at Ta Prohm Lara Croft steps aside, I am the new mean tomb raiding machine!Raiding the Tomb (or pretend to)First a litttle introduction. This is Ta Prohm.One of the most beautiful temple-monastery in Angkor, simply because when it was uncovered, it was almost completely swallowed by the jungle. Its layout's splendor and complexity increased ten folds by its partly collapsed state."The plant takes hold of in a crevice somewhere in the superstructure of a building, usually where the bird had deposited the seed, and extends roots downwards to the soil." Quoted from Ancient Angkor.As centuries passed, the roots gradually become so thick they wedge open the blocks. Eventually, these trees becomes part of the ruin, they support at the same time hold the power to destroy this magnificence infrastructure.And this is where Angelina Jolie (aka Lara Croft) picked a Jasmine flower before falling through the soil into Pinewood Studio.Tomb Raider TreeI decided instead destroying the nature by killing a Jasmine flower, I'll blend in with nature; be ONE with Ta Prohm.Tree Hugger. We are ONE.The monastery ruin is fulled of trees grown so magnificently throughout the centuries, you'd be awed by their sheer sizes.Or even by the size of ONE of their roots,Or the body of the tree,Raiding a tomb ruin is not easy, it takes more than one person's effort. Unlike Lara Croft, we are just mere mortals you see.OK fine! You caught me red handed, guilty as charged! I wasn't ALONE! I was with someone at the ruin!Guys, meet my partner in crime.Nicole.Miraculously an awesome blogger and a wonderful travel partner, Nicole and I clicked easily like bread and butter; chocolate to ice creams.I also have to declare, Ta Prohm is a GREAT place to play hide and seek at, I kid you not.It took forever for Nicole to find me.What?! You don't believe me?!You said there's one more person?!!No really?! There was only us!!!! Just the two of us!!!.....Oh shut it!!Fine, I admit defeat, there was ONE MORE person.Meet our friend, a low profile traveller whose name does not wished to be mentioned in this blog.Seriously, you have to be shameless enough to take this picture. Avoiding stares from tourists around the place queuing to take photo with the tree.Our acquaintance went something like this."Hi, Nicole, meet Nicole. You can also call me Nicole""Oh hi Nicole, it's nice to meet you. Ta Prohm is absolutely gorgeous isn't it?!""OMGOMGOMG, I'm totally like... agree with you! We so like... HAVE~~~ to take photos together yea""Oh yes, what a splendid idea. *clap hands tipping with joy* It must be fate that brought us together in such a magical mysterious place. It's destined that we declare each other as sisters.""Yo sis!! Sisterhood forever gurl!""Yes, indeed, we shall lend a hand whenever one of us is in need.""......"There you go. My two lovely friends from Cambodia.And we continue to run around Ta Prohm, playing spy and and detective on rocks and crevices.Hidden tigressAround the temple, you find lots of code marked stones lying in sequence on the ground.These are stones that belonged to the ruin, but collapsed replaced by the trees.I call them, homeless stones.Okay FINALLY, there IS ONE MORE scene from the Tomb Raider movie that I bet most (like 99%) of the tourists to Angkor have not been able to locate.How do I know? Because I tracked the place down and NOT a SINGLE SOUL was there!Remember the scene where the bad guys broke into the "Tomb" by puling down a polystyrene gate?Iain Glen acting as the evil Manfred PowellIs it NOT at Bayon, despite popular belief.BayonIt IS at Angkor Thom where Bayon is in.Though it is NOT the south gate of Angkor Thom.Where? Not the east entrance of Angkor Thom, but the exact East Gate of Angkor Thom.It was when I finished Ta Prohm that I realised I have not spotted this particular gate, because it was not exposed to the public.Hence I cycled 3km back to Angkor Thom to find the infamous mysterious East Gate.Tracing through the map, I landed myself in some dirt track road that took me into the depths of the jungle. God knows where I was heading to.And the creepy part? There wasn't anyone in sight.The unbearable part? Cycling on dirt track road with a town bike is a PAIN in the ASS!!!!!!!!Ouch ouch ouch.15 mins later. I finally found him!!!!The FaceWoohoo!!! I just cam-whored single handedly with the East Gate. OMGOMGOMG I stood on the exact ground where Iain Glen once laid. o.O *faint*A long way in, but it was all worth it!!Lonesome town bike.I know the photo is slanted, I couldn't find a flat 0-gradient rock to fix it on. But don't you think it's more artistic this way? :DMission accomplished.As the evening drew closer, I cycled out of the Northern Gate and 18KM straight towards the east end of Angkor big circuit to catch sunset at Pre Rup temple, said to offer one of the best sunset sight.18KM on a cycle!!!! This was like chasing the sun before it falls down!! Seriously, I was cursing most of the way!!!When I reached Pre Rup, there was already a crowd.Sunset watchersAs we waited from 5:30pm, the sun began to descend.Pre-pre-sunsetAnd descend.Pre-sunsetHere's a wallpaper.And finally,SunsetAs for me, after what was at least 50KM of cycling since 6am in the morning, I didn't give a damn about the bloody sunset.zzz..."F*ck off, let me sleep" The Angkors and Self Timer Short note: I'm organising Malaysia's first Bloggers Media Trip to Southern Thailand this July. Good news is, I have two one allocation left on this trip. Bloggers with 1000 uniques per day and interested to come on board are free to email me at nicootan@gmail.com. Once, there were the gods,And the asuras (demons), and they cooperated with each other to churn the Sea of Milk to create the elixir of immortality – amrita.AsurasBut the teamwork ended when Amrita was formed and the gods went back on their words to give half a bottle to the Asuras, and hence the Asuras tried to steal it.So is the great Hinduism myth, so you find at every gate of Angkor Thom (this is the Wat where Tomb Raider filmed one of their scenes), the cravings of the gods and the Asuras demons.Why does the demon always look scarier?These were the imprints and cravings at Angkor Wat, as I raised early the next morning and cycled all the way back to the Angkors (I missed the 5:30am sunrise shut up), there was barely anyone.Angkor WatThe front yard of Angkor WatExcept for the few monksIt was the best time to tour the Wat.Inner back gardenIt was so empty, you could even sleep there.Looking at the sleeping travellers.What better time to test your self timing skill than now eh? :D :D :DChilling out in the templeResting and looking aroundOmg I love my hair color in this picture, several wash later it actually became blondish brown T_TRed HeadShadow on Angkor - peter pan??How big do you think this stone stair is?Pretty big~Peek-A-Boo Spider man on rocks! Second take,Spider woman on rocks closer view! Phew, have to jump through gaps back and forth.Okay next, how big do you think this stone stair is? Looking up!Can’t imagine right?Put a Nicole there.I’d say pretty bloody BIG!(This shot I have to run so very far away~ )Walking on the stone street leading up to Angkor Wat, you’ll find many holes on the stones that were made to carry these heavy weights around.Going through the temple, you’ll find yourself on the other side of AW which was meant to be the East entrance to the Wat. Here you can almost visualized how it used to be back in the days when Angkor was built.The original road to AngkorAnd how it was like few hundreds years later the whole Angkors were engulfed by the jungle.BayonFurther up north you will reach Angkor Thom – one of the largest of all Khmer cities (appropriately means “Great City”), or the four main gates surrounding it. This is the south gate, where most people enter and exit through.No this is not the gate where the Tomb Raider evil guy pulled down. One of the most prominent temples inside Angkor Thom is Bayon,pretty much “the most enigmatic and powerful religious constructions in the world” according to this book,This is a good book, not only it describe the details of each temple, it tells what is the best time to visit each temple (best lighting)Which I bought from this girl who approached me during my lunch break.I tell you, she was damn persuasive ok?!More camwhore sessions,First take, too closeHave to place on the top of the stairs and then run down in big steps and pose,Second take, ah.. better!Around the temple you will find a lot of face towers constructed to form an ascending peak.More self timingThis is a difficult angel, an uncle from china helped me take this :DThey say there used to be 49 towers around the temple, but now there’re only 37 left.Bayon, in my opinion, is one of the most visited temple among the tourists, why? Because when you see a bunch of locals in fancy themed costume are out to hunt for gullible tourists for over expensive Polaroid photographs, you know the place it’s over commercialised.Seriously, the way she bent reminded me of these figurine carvings on every possible structure in Angkor.yea bent it baby~Even the monks love to take photograhs :DVery cute Cambodian kidVictory gate, Angkor ThomOn the way to the east entrance of Angkor Thom, I dumped my bicycle in the bush and decided to venture into the field.Self timer on a rockWhen it took you at least 10 mins to set up your camera, you take more than one photo.I need to run pretty far for this shot,first take, ran out of time, so turned around and pose first.Second take, ran faster, leaped down the giant stone steps, across the field and up the stone steps again and POSE!Haha, perfect! I already cropped this photo, I appeared too small in actual one, you can view it here.ThommanonExiting the East entrance (notice I didn’t say East gate, cause the east gate is hidden from tourists), on the way to Ta Keo and Ta Phrom temples, you will come by this little sweet elegant temple called Thommanon.Post card worthy~ Obviously taken by another random tourist This toothless grandma can climb better steps than me!Don’t pray pray Self timer pose at Thommanon!How to take self timer pose at Thommanon!Oh no, now my secrets are out! Ta Keo Now the Ta Keo is impossible to be missed. A giant temple-mountain made entirely, get this, sandstone.It’s massive, tall and extremely towering, and it’s incomplete.Also a playground for local kidsShot of my feetI'm getting used to standing at the edge Resting after an intense climb.The wind up here was magnificient!Pose of myself chilling out at Ta KeoLove the view~!Phew, what a long post, total of 59 photos! I think. Didn’t really count. Lol(I bet there are lame people who will count the photos after I mention it)After so much climbings, so many running back and forth taking many shots of difficult self timing photos, I can feel water evaporating out of my skin.I swear!! Those water drops were constantly there on my nose!!!(more photos on the way~) Kisses from Heaven Took me forever to edit this photo. Phew~Muah muah muah...(I think I can hear someone screaming in the distance)I know, I should be writing my column (and thesis). >_Someone tie me to my books~ Lost in the City of Angels My msn nick displayed “Lost in Siem Reap, Cambodia”. This morning someone messaged me asking if I am really lost in Cambodia? I thought for a moment, and replied yes.He asked again: “does that mean you can’t find your way home?”This got my thinking. Lost, this is what I feel now. I used to know what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go though I have no particular destination in mind, but it never bothered me. I know what I am doing, and I felt good doing it. I have a purpose, yes, a sense of purpose. As long as I keep to my purpose, I know what I want to do is a choice I have decided to opt, no questions asked.Then you showed up, we met and chatted and drank under the stars. Like one of those romantic escape to a foreign city movies, boy meets girl, girl become captivated, attraction occurs and sparks fly. Two weeks flew by in a glimpse, 14 beautiful days and gorgeous moments shared over the virtual mail, the endless nights of phone calls, uncountable amount of texts; and I was back by your side, and how good it felt when I saw you walking towards me, in your work wear after a day’s hard pursuit. We took a day off, you and I, from work and from goals; and cheekily spent a lazy day running about the city in taxis; talked or even flirted a bit over the longest lunch you have ever taken, and chatted endlessly again under the immaculate sky, not even the view to a whole city of brilliant lights that sparkled like a thousands fishing lights on a lake mattered; we had each other’s gaze, occasionally shying away to look into the distance that meant so little to us now. But I have to leave, as to every story there’s an ending, to pursue my journey which I have decided so long ago to ensue, and you to return back to the society I am less than familiar with. I should be happy, to have met and caressed under your wonder, the enchantment of a city in a perspective I have not seen it before; and to be contented that I could once again move on to the journey ahead of me.Little did I know, I left a huge chunk of me behind, back in the city of angels. And the moment I boarded that train, the moment I crossed the border, the moment my phone line could no longer be in contact with you, I felt lost. Like a kitty strayed under the rain in the middle of the night crying for pity. It was almost instantaneous; I cringed inside and wanted to run back to you. I know I couldn’t. You might have someone else, a life I do not understand and could not relate to, and my place is here. Or is it?Home? Home used to be the world for me, I felt at peace wherever I go as long I’m on the move constantly. I wanted to explore, to see more, to experience all there is out there. I was greedy, like a kid who had too much sugar but wouldn’t know when or how to stop. And I still want more. But now my heart seems to have lost its direction, and I don’t know where I should be heading to next, and it doesn’t matter much either. Have I lost my way home?Home is where you feel most needed, wanted, at peace, secured and as a whole. Home, is where my heart had fled. Even if the plan has been listed out, the countries have been decided, and though I do not know where I will be heading to next, I can’t wait to return home. But where is home? I am lost, inside.I understand, but too reluctant to ask, to know the truth, to accept the results. I wanted a place, secured true and solid. An endless pursuit to no where is not what I am aiming for any longer, it could neither keep my satisfied nor fulfilled because somehow, somewhere in the middle, my goals and meanings have changed, I am left with emptiness, nothing but a soul-less body. And my question remains: “Can I call you my home?” How to get a Free Sunset at Angkor Wat? Short Note: Skinning animal alive is not cool. Join pledge with Peta, against animal cruelty.This might come as a shock to many.But Angelina Jolie did not act in Angkor Wat!!In fact, the Angkor Wat is merely the tip of the Angkor iceberg.Angkor literally means “city”, and Wat as “temple”. Hence the city of temples – Angkor Wat. (The queen of all temples)Now I don’t want to start on the history and origin of the Angkors because that would probably cover a book, which I have here in my hand, called the “Ancient Angkor”, a book on the stories and history descriptions of every single Wat they have at the Angkor.You can find the details of Angkor here, and Angkor Wat here.In this entry, I am going write about something more useful and practical, like I always do. Lol.I am going to teach you how to get a free sunset at the Angkor. Why? Because the entrance fee to Angkor is not cheap.For budget travellers like me who can’t stay put for too long, spending three full days at the Angkor is just too much. I bet my petty arse that by the end of three days, I’ll most probably be too templed-out to want to see another similar-looking stone sculpture in the jungle.One day pass costs USD20, but then you only have from sun rise till sun set to cover a vast area of temples, say at least 26 km on the road just for the main temples.I’m talking about just the green line on the map.View the full map of Angkor here.Two days seem sufficient but then I’ll be paying the same amount as I will pay for three days – USD40, that means I will waste one full day, and that’s just not worth the value.Hence the best way, is to buy a one day pass, and enjoy a free tour during sun set the day before the ticket become valid!Now put on your sunglasses, wear a black shirt (it’s dusty!), get a cheap town bike from the city, and off you go.Cycle north of Siem Reap for about 10km or so (if you’re staying at the most southern area of Siem Reap like me, else it would only be 6-7 km at most),and stop by the ticketing counter on the right of the road to wait to buy the entrance ticket at 5pm (after this time the ticket will be valid for the next day).When you obtained your ticket, you will have your ugly exhausted sweaty face pasted on the front of the paper one day ticket.With my ipod onContinue to cycle north along with all the tour buses and cars and tuk-tuk who are too much a loser to take cheap transportation like renting a bicycle. Pfft…Bus driver: “Eat my dust, blogger!”When the brilliant light of the sun turned golden yellow, you will find yourself at a road next to the river surrounding Angkor Wat.Continue to cycle around and soon Angkor Wat will come into vision.“Finally!!! The long awaited legendary Angkor Wat!” I thought to myself.“I’m actually here!”“Great”“Now what?”Don’t you just hate it when you have finally seen the 8th wonder of the world and suddenly all the anticipations just die off because in the end, it’s not THAT difficult as how you would have anticipated to actually be here and see this.Though I have to admit it was a long cycle.It’s like yea now that I am here, ticked off a box in my wanna do list, should I move on to the next?But yea, Angkor Wat!!! Woo hoo!!!900 year old lion!The entrance to the main garden of Angkor Wat after crossing the river bridge,By now the sun should be catching up pretty fast, casting a gorgeous tan on the long stretch of pillarsAnd shadows within the corridors,And synchronised group cam whore in bright pink shirts!!!Haha!!Kid carrying baby asking for money,Not as sincere, I gave them some money and his peer laughed at him cause it was too little -.- (I only have 200 riels with me, hey! I’m a poor traveller k?! Why do you think I cycle in the first place!)Inside the temple, you will find the statue of Vishu, Hinduism god, wrapped in robe asking for donation.I’m pretty much disturbed by this because seriously, it’s a ruin. In my very personal opinion, without offence to any religion, this is a ruin, a thousand year old ruin for that fact; and these locals just barge in to this sacred place, wrapped some golden robe around some ancient statue, put some joss sticks and asked for donation from visitors and travellers around the world. I don’t know, I think it’s just plain wrong.It’s one thing to be respectful, it’s another to “cheat” money off random religious tourists. I met a guy traveller back at the hostel who complained that when he tried to donate 500 riels, the lady who were “responsible” for the donation and joss sticks actually “reminded” him that it was too little!Wtf?!Other than the over-commercialisation, the temple itself is pretty eerie and beautiful at the same time.Really, it’s a wonderful place to experiment with your camera self timing skills.Before you manage to go any further into the temple, the guard would be asking you to leave as it was near 530pm closing time.Get a very last look at the beautiful sun set (that came free!!!) at Angkor Wat,Before making your very own AW jump! (I have a sudden inspiration to do this)Yea baby! Hard Rock café shirt rules!!!Now you know how to get a free sunset at Angkor Wat. Say thank you. Bye~ :D Reader’s Travel Story Short Note: still editing the photos from Cambodia, a lot wei~! *Sweat* Patience~Last year, I threw this contest which I've totally forgotten to select a winner from.There were numerous entries sent in during the period but only few really caught my attention, after ONE LONG YEAR of tedious selection and narrowing down, I've finally chosen a winner?! :DOk fine, I was just slacking and kept putting off the decision to finally sit down and really make a decision.But I have chosen a winner! That’s what it counts right? RIGHT??Here is Travel Kaki’s story on his amazing tale in the Philippines. It’s really fascinating and I did enjoy reading the article. Hope you do too, as for the rest of the readers who sent their entries in (if you are still reading this blog that is, lol), I thoroughly enjoyed each and every entry. :D :D :DAnyway, here’s the story:~*~*~*~*~*~*~Last year, I was in Manila, Philippines (on business, not on vacation...sob! sob!)It was July, right in the middle of hurricane season. So on the day I was supposed to go back, Typhoon Milenyo hit Manila. As my luck would have it, Typhoon Milenyo was the MOST SEVERE to hit the Philippines in 15 years!It's quite a shock for a Malaysian, because to us, rain is rain right? I mean, the worse we get is floods in Kay-El, some branches fall down and that's it.BUT THAT'S NOT HOW A REAL TYPHOON IS!I'm telling u....trees were falling down, cars were being moved down the road, billboards were ripped and roofs were flying all over the place.So picture this, my friends and I were in the car trying to drive to the airport in the crazy weather. We would be driving down the road, then have to stop because the road was blocked (by a tree, then by a car, then by another tree) We'd then have to reverse and try to find another way.When I finally reached the airport, my frens dropped me off and went home (they were worried for their family)Only then, i found out that the airport was closed! (seriously, all flights cancelled)Aaaaarggghh!oh man, it was chaotic becos the airport was full of people standing outside (the doors were closed, can you believe that???!!! I mean, they could at least let us inside for shelter)It was STILL raining like crazy and....the phone lines were down (mobile phones) see, the typhoon was so strong it knocked out the power lines, telephone lines...EVERYTHING! so i couldn't call my frens.n here's the kicker.....I was out of money! (seriously, no more cash! empty! broke!) (It was my last day in the Phils rite, so I had spend all my budget already)the airport was only going to open the next day, so i needed to get a taxi and go to a hotel. but what to do, no money and no way to call my frens.well, so I was stuck at the airport with the rain still pouring down (it would finally stop raining the next day, that's how much water a typhoon contains)I looked at my handphone again and again....no luck though, the system was still down.I guess it must have been the look on my face (a mixture of puzzlement and irritation) but a man approached me.(Background : Now at Ninoy Aquino Airport, there is no official taxi or limo service. You get out of the departure hall and then get one of several taxi counters there)So this guy came and talked to me; asking"Wat's wrong, sir? Need a taxi?"(Nice thing abuot the Phils, is that they will call u a sir or ma'am, its kinda polite)Anyways, I wasn't sure of what to do since I was out of money. I debated for a moment, then decided that I had nothing to lose.So I told him, how this was totally unplanned, how I couldn't call my friends and how I was out of money. Surprisingly, he smiled and nod his head vigorously."Yes, its too bad. Even the electrical power supply has been cut to Manila city. How about I take you to a hotel, sir? Which hotel you like?"Sheeshhh, didn't this guy hear me? I'm out of money!"That's ok sir, I run a small service for temporary loans. You have a credit card?"Well, yeah, I do.....but isn't the phone lines down? How am I going to swipe my card then????"Don't worry sir, you come with me, I take you to a good hotel"Anyway, I was getting quite wet and miserable, well, what the heck, I thought, so I followed him to his car. He got into the driver's seat and I got in the back.(By the way, the guy's name was Tito)Immediately, another guy came, opened the door and got on the car with me. He smiled at him, obviously he was a partner of Tito. In my mind, I was thinking already, headlines of the Philipines Inquirer tomorrowMalaysian Man's Body Found In the Pasig RiverWith my heart thumping, Tito drove and we once again braved the streets of Manila and the after effects of the typhoon.So we drove to Tito's office, it was a just plain ordinary Ground Floor of a office shoplot kinda thing. In his office was 2 young Pinays (in Phils, a lady is called a Pinay, whereas a guy is called a Pin oy)One was a secretary or adminstrator of some sort.The other was obviously a lady of the night *ahem*(Yes, it was obvious to me, don't ask...)So anyways, Tito bade me to sit down and asked his secretary to get me some coffee (not brewed lar, just 3-in-1) Then we got down to business.First, he made a copy of my passport, then took a picture of me. Then he took my credit card (Thank god I use Citibank, it's recognized everywhere) Anyway, do you remember when the old credit card machines? You put your card on it, and then with a swipe, a copy is made on carbon paper.So that's how he could do it, even with the phone lines down. Basically, he was keeping all my data, numbers etc etc. so that when the phone lines came back on, he could do then debit my card. And since he knew which hotel I was going to stay in as well as my flight tomorrow, there was no place for me to run."All done Mr. Tan! Thank you very much! So I have booked you into the Palmville Hotel (I hope I remembered it correctly, it's a 3-star hotel in Malate) for the night. I've also included the fees for today's taxi ride as well as the fare from the hotel to the airport tomorrow.""Will there be anything else?"So Tito and his partner was smiling at me and well, the other Pinay was also smiling at me. Well, you know..............No lar, I didn't go for it!Anyways, to cut a long story short, that's how I managedto get a room for the night and made it till my flight tomorrow.*******It was my first time dealing with a Filipino without any guides or frens around. Overall, I think they are honest folk, very friendly and polite. I don't think they are as warm as say the Thais for example, but still if you are straightforward and firm with them, no worries.When I checked my credit card when I got back to Malaysia, it was debitted exactly as Tito said. I also got his mobile phone number, just in case I ever needed his services again. *wink*Well, that's my story, hope you like it!*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Hahahaha.. briliant~! Nicolekiss Banner! I'm running off to Genting now, be back tomorrow. Will see you guys when I'm back k?Here are a few teaser photos from Langkawi.As some of you might have noticed, it's also my new banner :DThough the resolution isn't too good, but I really love the photo.Because it fits the theme Nicolekiss!!!!Yes? No? It’s Alive!!!! Not. **Content below is strictly for people who are eating, about to eat, or have just eaten. Nicolekiss does not hold responsible for any undesirable outcome.You have been warned unethically.Muahahaha.On with the show. Now it’s commonly known by my peers that I will try (to eat) anything at least once. And I mean anything.Be it life worms (which I so wanted to try but never had the chance to) or dead spiders.Call it a dare devil thing, I’m just adventurous in the food sector and the curiosity of wanting to know how each food taste like drive my enthusiasm in fear factor food tasting.This was no different when I travelled to Cambodia.In my hostel room with my new hairView from toilet. The wonder of self timerAs I was cycling around the town of Siem Reap following my previous entry, I came across this group of Cambodian ladies squatting in a corner in front a tourist shopping centre stuffing their face over something.So I went up to ask them in SLOW English what they were doing.Turned out, they were surrounding this vendor lady selling some sort of eggs.Holy shit, isn’t this the duck fetus egg I have been seeing and hearing everywhere in Indo China? You know, the egg where the fetus has matured into a baby duck but not fully a duck form yet?I know I have sworn to NOT eat one of these things due to the many things I heard from friends that this devilish stuff can cause a hell of a stomach feud.Next thing I know, I was squatting among them waiting for my very own, and first, duck fetus egg.Yes, why not, serve with a bit of salt, garlic and chilli, it looks “delicious”~ *barf look*I was taught how to eat one of these things.First, you crack open the shell on the top like you would with half boil egg for breakfast.And it will expose a layer of membrane revealing the boiled (cooked) yellow yolk underneath.Peel it off and stuck a spoon in it.Sick, I know.Now spoon it out.If you’re about to barf now, perfect.What you are looking at now it’s the feathers of the semi deformed baby duck (or fetus), you have probably scooped the eye, beak, brain and bones out for all I know but it would be too mixed up to really recognise it.I’ll show a different angle.Because it’s still in a fetus form, the bones are pretty soft you can actually gorge the whole thing down with ease.Now, you have to trust me on this. IT DOES NOT TASTE AS BAD AS IT LOOKS. In fact, to be really honest, with a bit of lime, chilly sauce and salt, it’s actually pretty damn good! Albeit bit high in cholesterol.Cheers mate~So why not have a duck fetus egg when you travel to Cambodia, Laos or Philippines? It's all over the place, remember to look for the stalls or vendors who boil their eggs properly or you might be spend the night on the toilet bowl.Now the last photo I’m just being pretty mean and if you have not barfed at this point, congrats.Can you see the wings? O, and I think I spotted a beak?Quack~! (evil grin) After Travel Pamper *free giveaways ahead!!*After all those tiring walks, cycles, endless journeys that have turned my feet into beggar’s feet.I can feel my foot soles hardening this very instant.The best thing to do after a LONG travel is not to go back home and eat proper food,Not to be able to access your 1Mpbs broadband like it’s the fastest thing on earth,Not visiting the cinema and watch countless movies till the conductor knows your name,Not head out and shop till you drop for beautiful clothes because you can’t wear them during your travels, basically you’re already broke as it is.The best thing is to do is actually to……..Visit a foot spa.Yep, so few days ago I visited Kenko Fish Spa once again, this time at their newly launched branch in Mid Valley!!!Haha!!! Now I don’t need to travel all the way to KL already!! You know KL is so far from my house and the parking is so expensive?! (for me la at least)Kenko Mid Valley has a rather different concept compared to its sister’s branch.very Zen~Targeting more on families and couples who’re tired of a day’s shopping and wanting to relax, they not only provide foot spa and massages, apart from the fish spa, they serve light snacks and drinks too.Sit down for a drinkJapanese mom and son enjoying foot spaI drank as I let the fishies work on their magic on my hardened soles.Damn Tai-Tai like that~Hey, even travellers gotta pamper themselves sometimes.One thing about Kenko, they never throw away their Garra Rufa fishes, or Fish Doctors if you prefer, which is good for the fish. A Garra Rufa can grow up to 6cm (3 inches?) long, and in Mid Valley, there’s an additional fish spa to what I personally termed as “Heavy Duty Fish Spa”.Ahhhhhh~~~~ fish chomping on me!…. erm… this actually feels niceNow if your father or boyfriend or brother with legs of skin rough enough enough to scrape their bed sheets off when they rub their feet against it and hairy enough that little baby fishies like this would get lost inside the tumble of bushes,Then you need the “Heavy Duty Fish”I reckon my feet to be under this category right now.Fully Grown Adult Fish DoctorsLooks like the fish my mom served on the tableHaha, it’s really a funny sight, usually if I were diving and a school of palm size piranha-hungry looking fish swam towards me, I would have freaked to half death.Here, you welcome it.Click video to see giant fish doctors chomping on my feet. Well, I kinda saw this sign at the last bit.Other than that, you know what would be nice? A refreshing nice foot bath!!This is very unique and different from the other foot spa I’ve ever done.Apart from the very cute masseur beneath you,His strong hands on your footOMG, I can die in peace nowEh hem, it’s actually very very soothing to be dipped into the jelly-like “magic water”.When I got my feet up, they felt minty fresh and cooling under the aircond. Ahhh~~~~~ (this is me expressing my comfort, not moaning k)Oh, and I HAVE TO introduce their amazingly delicious sandwich. Something which I used to eat everyday but when I told my friends they would think I’m sick!The right one is BBQ salad focaccia sandwich, which is the nice but focus on the right hand side one. No no, it’s not just banana sandwich. It’s BANANA WITH PEANUT BUTTER!!Oh my heavens I swear these are the most amazing inventions ever, they are utterly delicious and I used to think I was out of my nutters since I was the only one who ever enjoyed such concoction on my sandwich, but hah!! See!! People are selling it!! And they’re a hit~!!!Mother’s day is around the corner and father’s day is right next to it, Kenko Fish Spa is once again having a giveaway contest to all Nicolekiss’ readers! How good it is to be a Nicolekiss reader eh? (ok I’m gloating, let me gloat, shut up) Everything comes for free for you guys one~ (still gloating)Contest 1: Two special Family-Package-For-Two worth RM300 that last 150 minute long to be given away to TWO readers out there who can gives the best comment on How they’re going to celebrate Mother’s Day with their family at Kenko. Please leave your email in the comments below as you complete the slogan.Wa… so many massages.AND that’s NOT the last of it. When did I ever leave out the good stuff?There is another contest specially for, not one, but TWO bloggers. YES!! Another one!! A more extravagant one!!This one I’m even more jealous if you get it because not only I never get it from Kenko, I can’t even if I want to because they have not offered it to the public yet!BEHOLD!! THE FULL BODY FISH SPA!!In your very own private room!!!Contest 2: (bloggers only)The two winners of this contest open specially for bloggers each get 1 Full Body Fish Spa and 1 complimentary 45 min Signature Foot Massage (both redeem at Pavilion).The catch: write an entry about Mother’s/Family day and relate it to Kenko Fish Spa, post it on your blog and link back to Nicolekiss.blogspot.com. No title, no topic given, you are allowed to let your creativity spill. Send in your entry title to nicootan@gmail.com with the title “Nicolekiss Kenko Bloggers Contest” once you’re done.Both contests end 20th May 2008. So if you want to be Tai-tai for a day, post your comments and email or send in your blog entries in now. :DTai tai *point to above*If you’re a guy, now’s your chance.Heavy Duty SpaWho said spa is only for girls?! These are hard core spa OMFG they are SO COOL!!!! Late nights Short note: Haha, MAS airlines is jumping on the bandwagon of cheap budget flights. Now they're giving away 1 million free seats for domestic flights. Woo hoo, cheap 5 star seats here I come.My bags remained unpacked at one corner, several items have been unloaded. A bottle of wine stood next to my lotion on the floor.Just returned from Langkawi 15 hours ago and now I sat awake in front of my PC with no one to chat with on msn at this hour. A box of chocolate given from Langkawi laid half eaten at the side of my cpu.Sun is rising, but being on the highrise building, there are no cheery birds chirping that I used to hear from my hometown. It's almost to mother's day now, less than a day away, I haven't bought anything for mom yet, though I have prepared some small gifts that I brought back from Langkawi. Will go back to Melaka today.I opened my mailbox, several mails remained unread, will reply tomorrow, maybe. I opened a new mail, ready to compose, but I lost words, hence I came here instead. To announce to the world that I miss you, and despite my lost words, I want to tell you that I want to write to you, even if I have not received the usual emails I used to receive from you.There's an article I would like to publish here, you know well what article it is. I shall not announce it, it's already published in my "more" personal blog anyway.As each day passes, I'm holding back more and more, I wonder if this is a symptom of withdrawal. Counting down to the days we meet, I anticipate at the same time fear for the same thing you worried before. I don't ask for fancy gifts or flowery words, but I wish you could look me in the eye and tell me that I meant something to you.It has been a while since I started writing any personal entries like this, entries that meant nothing and has no purpose. Makes me miss those days when one could write just about anything and any shit without fearing to offend anyone.I met KinkyBlueFairy two days ago, her hair was looking gorgeous, I wished we went to Langkawi on the same day, Diva Kee Hua Chee was a sight to see, crudely hilarious. I wondered how did the sail went on the second day, mine was wet. Chic Wern and ChengLeong were great companies. Personality Linda was a miss, though I accidentally had a peek of her showering the other day (tee hee) . Being a diva with Francis was fun, we should go out for more drinks, he'll be one of the reasons I drink, just so I could see him drunk. lolThis is getting pretty random, I probably have another entry coming up today, but I couldn't resist blogging. It's just me. Three days away from Internet is depressing me already. The Chant Who wants a Big Mac and RM10,000?I do I do I do!!Double Big Mac is just for illustration purposes, more impact.Now repeat after me.“Two All-Beef Patties,Special Sauce, Lettuce,Cheese, Pickles, OnionsOn A Sesame Seed Bun!”Repeat this 100 times or till you can achieve this within 4 seconds or less.“Two All-Beef Patties,Special Sauce, Lettuce,Cheese, Pickles, OnionsOn A Sesame Seed Bun!”“Two All-Beef Patties,Special Sauce, Lettuce,Cheese, Pickles, OnionsOn A Sesame Seed Bun!”“Two All-Beef Patties,Special Sauce, Lettuce,Cheese, Pickles, OnionsOn A Sesame Seed Bun!”“Two All-Beef Patties,Special Sauce, Lettuce,Cheese, Pickles, OnionsOn A Sesame Seed Bun!”“Two All-Beef Patties,Special Sauce, Lettuce,Cheese, Pickles, OnionsOn A Sesame Seed Bun!”Am I getting through your head yet?“Chant with me” says Ronald McDonaldNow record yourself doing the chant in the most creative way possible, in the shortest/longest/lamest/cheesiet time if possible, that’s is not too difficult is it?Good, now you’re on your way well to your first ten grand. :DWhy am I asking to do this? Well because McDonald is giving away 10 thousand ringgit to a winner with the most creative video of themselves doing the “Big Mac chant”. Upload it to youtube and send the URL to BigMacChant@nuffnang.com and wait for your call. Contest ends 28th May 2008.They are also holding a contest for those with a coupon (which you can obtain when you buy a McValue meal) to chant the chant within 4 seconds at the Big Mac Chant Challenge counter located at your nearest McDonalds Restaurant during the day from 3pm till 8pm, if you manage to do that, you can walk away with a free Big Mac.I’m not a junk food person, nor do I eat fast food. But I love McD, don’t ask me, it’s a conflicting relationship.Do you know that Ronald Mcdonald is actually… A clown.Who doesn’t like McD?It’s my childhood, my 12th birthday celebration, my family’s day, my aiming high score exam day. Everything I can think of since the age 3, it has always been McD by my side and with me throughout the years. I know it’s corny, but you know I know it’s the truth.I can’t think of anyone who didn’t grow up with McD, everyone did (as far as I know).You better act fast, because I’m submitting my video in and I’m so gonna win it!! Driving and recording and chanting very creative what? No? Crossing the Border to Cambodia and Hair Wash 4am, my alarm rang.I hastily traced the source of sound in the dark for my phone. Switching it off, I slump my head back to bed face forward.4:15am, my snooze went off. I dragged myself out of bed, with the heaviest feet, I plopped out of the room and into shower for an awakening call.Cold water always does the trick, and as much as I hated the cold shower in the wee hours, I needed stimulation to my senses. I have not packed yet, as always.Back in the room, I stuffed left right centre all my scattered clothes around the floor into my backpack, chucked chargers and cables into a separate compartment and before I left the house, I took a last glance around the room for any left behinds. And I was out on the cold dark street alone, dragging what was at least 16kg of luggage over my shoulders.At the street, I waited impatiently for a cab, aware of the time as the seconds ticked. One spotted me from the street across, eager to make his first baht of the day, he speedily made a U-turn in front and screeched to a halt in front of my in no time.“Hua Lumpong”, he nodded. I think my Thai is getting better, I can speak street names now.There are several ways to get to Cambodia from Thailand. The safest and most un-Nicolekiss way is to fly (loser~~). You can fly from Bangkok to Siem Reap through Bangkok Airways.If you’re looking for a cheaper option, you can always catch a bus straight into Siem Reap. Note: it’s well known that buses that run from Bangkok to Siem Reap are full of scams. Many agencies will cheat their passengers to pay extra visa fee at the border (visa for foreigners outside ASEAN is USD25), reach Siem Reap too late at night so you need to stay at their designated guest houses.To avoid this, don’t buy bus tickets from Khao San Road, get yourself a bus ticket to the border at Aranyaprathet, cross the immigration to Poipet, then take a shared taxi or bus into Siem Reap. Bus to border will cost around 250 baht (RM25) and 4 hours.Now if you wanna do it MY WAY (which is usually the most pathetically cheap and local way), catch a 5:50am train at the Hua Lumpong train station in Bangkok at the rate of 48 baht (RM4.8), 6 hours journey to the border.I don’t know why, I find thrills in cheap travels. I’m sick, I know.Taking the public train before the sun rise is actually very cooling; I didn’t even realize there’s no air-conditioning till around 10am when the sun started to burn. The train passed through fields of padi and clover buds flew in through the window, by 9am, the whole train was full of clovers. It was a romantic scene.Pulling in at Aranyaprathet, I got off the train heaving my oversized backpack and hired a tuk-tuk to the border for 50 baht, which was roughly 6km from the station.Immigration at Aranyaprathet to Poipet You will find many cart traders lining up to get into Cambodia here.Beware of Thai people trying to con you telling that the bus ride on the other side of Cambodia to Siem reap will cost 600 baht and that it is impossible to get a ride once you crossed the border, just ignore them. There’re always cheaper rides on the other side.If you’re white skin, beware of people trying to tell you that the visa will cost USD40, it’s a lie. Pay for your own Visa at the entry in the immigration. Do not go through anyone else. Other than that, travelling from Thailand to Cambodia is as safe as it can get. :)As for the rest, all you need to do it just walk across into the Kingdom of Cambodia~! :DOn the other side, you will find many casinos settled at the border. Many Thai people come here on weekend for gamblings, like Genting Highland for us.My only mistake in Cambodia, after having avoided ALL of all the scams mentioned above, was that I forgot to check on the conversion rate for local Riels from US dollars. Which is USD1 = 4000 riels.I was ripped off at a money private money exchanger for changing USD1 to 3200 riels!!! ARGH!!!Since I changed a total of 100 dollars, means that for what I can get at a local bank in the city, I can get 80,000 riels more than what I was given in exchanged at the border exchanger. That’s a blinking 20 US Dollars!!!! ARGH… kill!!!!Then later I found out everyone deals in dollars in Siem Reap. MORE CURSES!!!!!!!Sigh…One thing about Cambodia I have learned was that the most ripped off money exchangers are at the airport and private outlets, which is the total opposite of Laos and Vietnam. Hence in Cambodia, change at the bank, you will get the cheapest rate.Once over at the other side, board a free shuttle bus to a taxi and bus station and rent a shared taxi with other travellers to Siem Reap, which is three hours drive away on rocky red earth road (there’s not really a road).My taxi buddies – Hiroshi from Japan and Andrew from CanadaAndrew was ripped off twice for a 500 baht bus on the Cambodian side and USD40 for Visa on the Thailand side, he was pretty pissed. He then left us to argue with the bus agency for his money back and we went off in the shared taxi with another two Japanese passengers.Despite all that, reaching Siem Reap wasn’t so hard, was it? *Big gleam on face*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~The next morning, I woke up to a free buffet breakfast at my hostel that costs me USD10 a night.I wanted to splurge a bit on myself in a swimming pool hostel with free wifi access, oh how I can’t live without wifi, wifi is the most amazing thing ever invented. :DBlogging at breakfast, seriously, I need a therapist.Ants invaded my breakfast while I blogged away.After breakfast, I decided to cycle to town to look around.Here in Cambodia, they drive on the wrong side of the road (like how the French does), so keep right. And look left first before you crossed the road. Nearly got me killed the first few times.Everything in Cambodia is cheaper than Thailand, more expensive than Laos and slightly in between Thailand and Laos in the development sector.You get Absolute Vodka selling at USD8.50 here (RM27!!!) in Mini Markets!!!!Just imagine all the cheap alcohols~~~~Airport duty frees in Cambodia is at least twice the price of those in Mini Marts.USD8.50 for a bottle of BacardiI’d said Cambodia is more developed and commercialised than Laos simply because in Cambodia, you find Starbucks! Well, not exactly the outlet.But hey!! Still Starbucks ok!Cycling in Siem Reap is anything but dusty, like really really dusty. I don’t know why (maybe because of the lack of proper roads) but I can easily classify Cambodia as the dustiest country in the world.Most people wear a mask or a scarf around their head hereThe old Market is smacked in the middle of the town - my first visit in Cambodia (apart from the stupid deceitful money exchanger at Poipet).80% of the things you see sold here come from Thailand. And 80% of the things you see in Thailand come from China.Hence, Chinese rules.Now… in Cambodia, you HAVE TO VISIT THE SALOON. Don’t ask, it’s just a must.Because a hair wash in Cambodia is DIRT CHEAP (quoted from Zen).How cheap? Say~~ 2 dollars? (less if you haggle, my god, RM6 for a hair wash?!!!)You’ve guessed it.That was exactly the first thing I did in Cambodia. Get a hair wash. Not only that, I had my hair coloured!!!For 13 dollars!! (Including the wash, I found out later in Phnom Penh, you can get your hair dyed at 10 dollars!)That’s like RM40!!!! And my hair is at least up till my waist! In Malaysia, the cheapest saloon I go to charges me at least 3 times the price of that!!!! 6 times if you’re in KL!!Choosing coloursAfter two hours of tagging and pulling and massaging.*drum rolls*….……......Wait for it~~~Wait for it~~~....*continue drum rolls* (hey I haven’t visited a saloon in almost a year k?, this is big).....Teng teng!!!Nice or not nice or not nice or not nice or not?!!Let hair down a bitDifferent angle a bitAngkor wat, opps, I just revealed my next post~It’s Copper Red! Ho HO!!! I finally dyed my hair!Say nice damn it! Cost me RM40 ok!!!Though I realised it’s not a good idea to colour your hair before your decision to cycle around town full of dust.Riding into the sunset.I need my 2 dollars hair wash tomorrow. I don't feel like writing about travels today *Purely just blabbing**update, view bottom*I am emo, on something I am not sure of.Tonight I went to drink at the bar alone, crowds were wild and people were dancing, it's a Saturday night. I was alone, with my bottle of beer which I sipped only too slowly, the singers were good, they were hyper, then they were emo, and hyper again.And my mood lifted and dropped as they please.Glances were thrown my way more than several times, guys pushing each other to usher their way towards my direction, I ignored them, and continue to sip on my beer.Ugh, why is this beer so horrible. Why do people like to drink beer anyway? Maybe it's getting warm, that's why. But still all alcoholic drinks are horrible. It's only a liquid to get intoxicated. I asked for a breezer, they didn't have it. It was either beer, or liquor. I chose beer, only because it's cheaper.I didn't feel like doing anything, the music wasn't doing any good to me. But I listened on, hoping it would somehow lift me up. I looked at my phone, several times an hour at least, it's already 1am, I doubt anyone will be messaging me at this hour, but I needed an echo, a voice to get me out of my trance.Being emotional is difficult when you have no idea what you are emotional about. Some say love and relationship are always the source to these emotions, I couldn't relate, but I want to be depressed, to feel somewhat emotional about something negative so I can sulk over, however I am not depress. I am neither sad nor happy, failed nor achieved; empty nor fulfilled. I'm just in between. Which is the depressing part.Friends are probably partying up in Penang Music Festival that I am clearly absent from at this hour. The other bunch are probably halfway in their dreamland by now. I started to feel sleepy, thus, with a last struggle, I swallowed the remaining of my beer and left, giving up wondering why I was feeling this way till I reach home.I am still emo.*I think I just realised the reason behind my emo-ness, today is my first day of period, the *toot* * Bangkok, Finally Short note: I have added new labels to indicate the different countries I have documented in my blog. Hope that eases your searches :)oh and please help fill in the survery in my nuffnang poll on the right. Sekian :DOnce more I returned to Bangkok from Mae Sai before my cross over to Cambodia. I decided to stay on for a few days.Dino and his girlfriend offered accommodation and it was nice to be able to have proper shower with heated water once again.The other day a friend just reminded me that I never really blogged a proper post about Bangkok before.And I realized, it’s true. I have so many titles for Bangkok, but never really a full on entry introducing the city. I guess I love the city so much, that I forgot what or where to start writing about it. There’re a lot of things I like about Bangkok and Thailand that made me keep coming back for more.Small things you can find in some place or other parts of Thailand, you can find them all in Bangkok. Thus the city becomes a generalization of the whole country. Representation, in a way.I’ll make a list.1. Chatukchak Market (or the Weekend Wet Market)or จตุจัก (oh look I can type Thai!)Easily the largest Market in South East Asia, and possible the world, is a 35 acres market consists of 15,000 stalls receiving more 200k to 300k of visitors a day. You can reach there on the skytrain (BTS), just take it to the last stop Mo Chit and follow the crowd.I also like to call it the “you name it, they have it” market.Anything. You. Can. Think. Of.And everything you can’t think of, they have it.It’s amazing.My favourites are the special crude T Shirts.What’s on your mind? Haha!The ridiculously large array of earrings.I wonder how many earrings a Thai woman has.The place never ceases to amaze me each time I visit, because it is impossible to finish all 15,000 stalls even you have visited Bangkok more than 100 times. Each time I get in, I get lost (literally) and can never find my way back till at least 4 hours later.But it’s a fun journey getting lost inside. I always seem to spot things that thrills me.Like this Lord of the Rings shop.No hobbit, just rings.Or this giant dyper pin.Baby want a bottle?Or even this very suggestive metal mug.One of my favourite section in the market is the pet market (the place where Kenny bought his illegal immigrant rat hamster)This is a very fat baby Chihuahua3 dollars baby bunnyAnd omg I love this puppy so much I want to smuggle it back.Omgomgomg, she winked at me!!!I just died.2. Praying Ronald McDonaldOh yes, I love their Mcdonalds because they have cheesy fries!! Why don’t we have cheesy fries? And don’t you just love the Ronald McD that is religious?! *points to photo above*And pork burger! I love my pork burger, and I don’t even like burgers! Or pork! (read here)3. Cheese Popcorn!!Yes yes and yes!! The day I discovered cheese popcorn through darling Zen is the day I know I will never sleep well without catching a movie whenever I’m in Bangkok!!This is what you should do and expect when watching a movie in Thailand.Expect a bigger, more comfortable, more luxurious economy seats in the cinema of Siam Paragon.Expect your camera to be taken away from the security upon check in. (to return after movie so no photos of cinema seats)Expect to stand up in respect to a 5 minute documentation of the King’s history prior to the screening of the movie. Yes bloody hell, salute to their king when you watch a movie! The documentation nearly put me to tears k!! So kam dong! (trans: touching)Me dressing nicely for movie in BangkokFinally, expect to buy yourself a large cheese popcorn with extra large coke to complement the salty taste. YUM!!Cheese and sweet popcorn mix in one4. PockyMy one and true love. My only food source in Thailand, the only thing I consume. Hence 7-11 became my refuge.There are many other snacks we don’t have either. Pretz, Picco, Toppo, etc. All chocolate sticks la :pAlso like the strawberry shortcake my Malaysian friend seeks high and low for. :D5. Thai seafood Enough said.6. Pretty Thai girlsAnd lady boys.Where else can you find Lady Boys Spice Girl group band? :DClick to see their awesome MTV – Visa for love7. Awesome car parking skillDo you know that when a person double park in Bangkok, the one who is blocked can single handedly “push” the car aside to allow his car to get out. And this is totally acceptable in Thailand. Double parker CANNOT use handbreaks.How come we don’t have that? Oh yea, right, because someone might just pushed the entire car awayyyyy. -.-8. SkybarsExpect the expected, I am going to blog about, not one, but TWO skybars in Bangkok. A place to fall in love with, a place where I fell in love :pFirst skybar, is the famous DOME. Everyone heard of this one I’m sure. Above the State Tower of Bangkok.Dress code: casual formal, no sandalsTake the lift up to the 64th floor.And boom, enjoy the view.I heard the food is overpriced for its quality, so why not go for a 300 baht drink ($10, RM30). Just stand around at the bar for it’s view and the wind,or hide in their very nice toilet.Second one, which I took more photos of because the night was clearer, was the Vertigo bar on the 61st floor of Banyan Tree Hotel.Dress code to Vertigo bar is also casual formal. However, they offer sarongs and shoes if you don’t have them on you.With sofa and couches, and also a restaurant to dine at, vertigo bar sets a more comfy cosy ambience as compared to the classily expensive feel and romantic Dome bar.Guys, I present, the night of Bangkok.I made a wallpaper of this scene too. You can download it here. Pair the night with Sex on the Moon. It’s a nice drink.If it’s get too windy, head down to the Moon Bar on the 59th floor.There’s a tree out in the open on the 59th floor. Must be the highest placed tree in Asia. (this comment is completely made out of no proof at all)9. FinallyBangkok is the place where I got this super nice dress from. :DYou like?Kop Khun Ka~ Mae Sai, Portal to Burma - I have made it!!! Immigration to Burma at Mae Sai I have officially crossed the whole of Thailand!! All on buses alone, travelled vertically from Kuala Lumpur, through to Hatyai, cross Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and finally Mae Sai!!! Woo hoo~~~!!! 3900km and 37.5 hours of bus rides in total!!37.5 hours on the red lines.I feel so achieved!!!My bum hurts.Important facts:Hatyai – Bangkok = 993km (RM75 on second class bus, 13 hours)Bangkok – Chiang Mai = 656km (RM42 on second class bus, 10 hours)Chiang Mai – Chiang Rai = 191km (RM12 on first class bus, 3 hours)Chiang Rai – Mae Sai = 68km (RM3.5 on public bus, 1.5 hours)Upcoming facts:Mae Sai – Bangkok = 924km (RM65 on first class bus, 13 hours)Bangkok – Aranyaprathet = 275km (RM4.8 on train, 6 hours)Two weeks ago I took my last journey up north from Chiang Rai and into the border town of Mae Sai, the most northern town in Thailand if you don’t know.On the tuk-tuk to Chiang Rai bus station.Bloody tuk tuk costed more than my bus ride to Mae Sai. (RM5) -.-Tuk tuk driver brought me right in front of a public bus which I got on without a second thought the moment the conductor told me it only costs 35baht to get to Mae Sai. (what a sucker for cheap ticks)Two hours later, I was blogging at my guesthouse looking into Burma.O.. there’s burma~ Mae Sai is a beautiful little town with little to offer except for sheer serenity and peace & quiet. Many small family run guesthouses are set up alongside the river separating Burma and Thailand, the one I stayed in was run by a British man.There’s a small market here, where Burmese would come over during the day and go back in the evening to earn a small living from the occasional travellers who come here to renew their visas. You can find more locals here than foreigners as Thais love to take a weekend visit over to Burma for some cheap buys.Here, I met Steve (an old Australian drug dealer/trader who has earned his fair share and decided to live in Thailand for the rest of his remaining life, funny old guy) and Dino (a German who came to Thailand and decided never to leave, set up his business in trading and retailing online and earning three times the salary his country pays).Me and Dino hooked on pretty fast (since both of us are living off the internet) and decided to tour Mae Sai on a motorbike.Giant scorpion on top of a temple hillEnjoyed the night scene of Mae Sai on topNice isn't it?Our very cute motorcycle key holder.We also went to a street side steamboat,Give a whole new meaning for food on the road That served a lot of bloody meat.Dino and I had a fun time chatting and exploring new areas and opportunity what internet could bring.And cam-whoring as well. Dino taught me how to ride a motorcycle!! Yay!!! I managed to get as far as 500m!!!The next morning, I woke up with a little (big) surprise on my face.Somehow in the middle of the night I got stung by an incredibly horrible insect which I know nothing of and my eyes has swollen reducing my eyeball to half its size!!I looked in the mirror in horror, nearly shriek to death thinking that my face was permanently destroyed, which of course I didn’t.I have to become a timothy-to-be with the eye-patch I bought from a local pharmacy.arg.... Shiver me timbers..But still it’s still looked very palpable. So I resort to a Chanel by the street.Nothing beats a good shade to protect your ugly appearance. Steve and Steve brought us youngsters to see a home they bought in Mae Sai some distance away. A acre of land and a three storey house!! I want to retire too!!That very same day, I went to Burma for a stroll! :D (Raj, you can tie me to a pole and call my mom now)Almost everyone who comes to Mae Sai was here to cross this immigration border.Monks crossing to Burma Now for a day’s pass to Burma, you need to pay $10.I’m Rambo! And you’re on your way to the city of the Golden Triangle.At the other side of the border, you’ll be able to find a lot a lot of imitation goods, that to my presumptions most probably come from China. There’re many small handicrafts and trinkets sold too. But every other shop was selling almost the same thing over and over. So the price was pretty much fixed. But it’s good to haggle too.Be prepared to get harassed by kid beggars though. There were lots of them roaming around the street barefooted begging for money, it’s a sad sight to see.Burma is clearly a little less developed as compared to Thailand, you can pretty much see the instant difference the moment you crossed the border.It was a little too unbearable to see really. I got back just before the immigration closed at 5pm.That evening, I boarded a bus back to Bangkok. Half an hour into the journey, the bus stopped and police and soldiers came abroad to do a check up. To spot for illegal immigrants from Burma, said Dino.Policeman posing for my camera before asking for my passport -.- (so vain) The control was really tight. No one was left unchecked. Not even Dino.Soldier checking Dino’s plastic bag. Just when I thought it would be another blind check.A guy was called forward from behind. (A Burmese I presumed)He was holding some documents when he stepped off the bus after the police.The bus soon departed, without him.It’s really depressing when you imagine how these people wanted to badly to come over to Thailand to make a better living just because they can’t find one back home. I heard from Dino that just few weeks ago, nearly a hundred Burmese illegal immigrants died hiding behind inside a bus due to suffocations while crossing the border.This journey into the golden triangle, third world countries, and countries I would not have known through discovery channels and misunderstood because of Hollywood block buster movies has really opened my eyes.Till now, I couldn’t forget the face of that kid who begged me for money the day I visited Burma. Moon Set To stretch on budget and time, I have done enough night travelling to discover the existence and beauty of moon set.Rounder, bigger, pale with yellow, sometimes even appear to be a bit more orange-y and apparent with details (of its crevices) as compare to its facade at midnight; the moon setting near the border of the earth shone out enchantingly like a big block of yellow cheese, hung lowly over the black, sometimes starry, night.During the early night, occasionally even before the sun sets, you will discover it climbing up from the other side of the soil apposite the fire planet, glowing in its pale silvery shade, shying away from the bright blazing evening sun that stood out like a phoenix’s burning feather.But once the sun crosses the border, drawing its last streak of light over to the other side of the sphere, the moon will shed its layer of satin pearl, often pallid with a hint of grey, and replace it with a lucid lustrous white coat. Tracing the same path its masculine half surfed through during morning, the moon will crawl over the globe and across the land, as though pursuing after an elder brother like a younger sister would in a game of tag, before maturing into a ginger-yellow as it is now.Moon set, unlike sun set that usually burns menacingly and mercilessly at all the planets around it, wields a melancholy feel that entices you to stare mindlessly into its solitude existence that stood out in the pitch black.My Ipod is playing “A love that will last” from Renee Olstead, one of my favourite tune of all times. How am I here? Why am I here? On this long winded journey and is taking me to no where, coming from places of so few memories left for. Fresh pieces of memories sweeping over the old, and I begin to embark on another journey before the new piece becomes old again, replaced by yet another fresh layer of land and people.“I don’t desire a complicated past, I want a love that will last. Say that you love me, say I’m the one. Don’t kiss and hug me, and then try to run, I don’t do drama, my tears don’t fall fast, I want a love that will last.”Complicated past? How true. This seems that I am running away from the past or seeking for a new one. But no, as much as I left my past behind me, they will forever remain in my heart, good or bad. It had been thrilling to have many short memories shared with numerous people whom I know for sure will never meet again in my current life. But I’m tired of short span of memories that will make no impact on my life. I want something more, and I’m moving forward~“I don’t want just a memory, give me forever, don’t even think about saying goodbye, coz I~ just want one love to be enough, and remained in my heart till I die.”What am I looking for? What do I seek in this journey? I have the answer, but reluctant to reveal it even to myself. It’s almost irony how this song is replicating my inner thoughts. Something permanent than mere diminutive existence, bitter sweet memories.“I~ m not the kinda of girls to complicate the past, I want a love that will last~ I want a love that will last~”This is getting cheesy.The bus continue to advance on a dark lightless straight road, going over an occasional bump that will shake the whole board of passengers awake, who in no time, will tilt their heads and go back into snooze. Swaying left to right like a boat due to its massive body weight and height, unable to sustain balance for the upper and rear deck, the bus will gently (or aggressively) rock, like a boat, to woo me to sleep.As the air-conditioning wind crept up the goose pimples on my arms and slowly wriggle its way “into” my heart, I wrapped the thin washed-up cotton towel about my shoulders in poor attempt to hide myself from the merciless cold blasting from the two holes above my head; which seems to be impossible to shut off the egress of the air no matter in what angle I direct the cylinders at.I endeavour another attempt to hover myself into slumber, marvel in excitement to wake up at daybreak to find myself again in an unfamiliar, unexplored, brand new piece of land. Two Chiangs - Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai So as I arrived at the Chiang Mai bus station, my guesthouse has arranged a pick-up waiting for my arrival at the station, with my name on a cardboard.The guy looked shocked when he saw me, thinking Nicole is a name of some “farangs” (what Thai people call caucasions, literally means “long nose”, lol, worse than our “gwai lou” – “ghost”) but saw a Thai-looking Asian girl walking towards him, followed by a white dude, Simon.Chiang Mai is overally, very new. Or at least that was the impression it gave me.Everything is just so wonderfully beautiful here, the trees, the river, the roads, the “castle stone” gates, etc.If you look at the map, Chiang Mai city is basically a square, surrounded by artificially made river.Don’t think the square is tiny, that’s a 2-3 km wide square you’re looking at. Rent a bike or curse like me when walking from one end to the other end thinking it would be no more than a few steps to reach.My guesthouse is especially a lovely place to stay in.Gong Kaew Chiang Mai Home (quite a mouthful) is 4 months old, according to the owner, is a family-run home. They have few rooms and dorms settled on a lovely garden with fruit trees of all sorts, hand plucked and eaten to your delight (lychee, mango, banana, etc), serve free toasts and jam all day and free wifi! (yay!)Air-conditioned with hot shower, RM25 for a bed at the female dorm is most worth hostel guesthouse I have stayed in so far. (Super clean too)This is the place where I sit and blog/chat all day. :DThere are two dogs which I especially adored during my stay there. A Shihzu called Brownie, and her daughter Panda (a poodle and Shihzu mix, omg so cute). There’s Toffee the grandma too and Porkie the poodle father.Panda on my lap, Brownie lying beside me.I have never seen a Shihzu and Poodle mix before, curly hair with brown patches all over. Panda is my all time favourite.We blogged together.Web cam together.Panda looked bored. And cam-whored together.Simon loved Panda too.But panda was giving no response, lol. Chiang Mai has a lot of Wats (temples), you will spot one every 100 metres you walk.It was the Songkran hence many people came here to pray.Giant Joss Sticks I prayed too.Or at least I tried too. The police that came here to pray was eyeing me suspiciously. So I stopped playing praying with the gong.But guess what I saw?! He cling wrapped his gun for songkran!! Hahahaha!What if there’s robbery and he needs to shoot at robbers? Slowly unwrap the cling? Actually I shouldn’t be laughing, because I plastic wrapped my camera too. LOLOne thing I couldn’t forget during Songkran in Chiang Mai was the ice.RM5 per block. Most expesive H2O ever.All that ice cold water throughout the day, it’s amazing I haven’t got sick yet. To be honest, I don’t know whether I should miss the festival or thank the god that Songkran’s finally over!I mean, I missed the time and expressions of the people when I splashed ice cold water at unexpected motorcycle and tuk-tuk drivers who thought my water was just plain warm water from the tap/river.But I really froze when someone did that to me. -.- which you would come back with a vengeance with more ice and more water repaying other people and hence making the icemen very very rich.At the end of the day, Simon and I realized that we should have gotten our passports cling wrapped too. -.-There’s a famous hill temple 8km from Chiang Mai – the Doi Suthep Hill Temple. My suggestion is to rent a bicycle/bike, and ride out to the zoo, park there and take a tuk-tuk up the hill which would cost you 40 baht (another 30 baht to return) instead of 500 baht if taken from town.Locked our bicycles at the big ass poll. Once up there, it’s a 309 steps climb up the hill,Little girls in H’mong tribe costume: “100 baht each photo please~” where you get a see a lot of golden monks and monuments.Note: Never stand higher than the monks, kneel down when you approach them Rub the big gong.Count the bells in the temple15 baht each, spotted a price tag behind, tee hee.And a magnificent view of the city of Chiang Mai.To be honest, Chiang Mai was rather foggy.It’s the dry and hottest season, so I have been sweating every single day since I arrived in Thailand.Sweaty Simon and Me. Many people came here to pray, I think it’s overrated, with all the tourists and foreign visitors, there wasn’t anything special worth looking at here.There’s a lot of things sold here.One of my favourite buy in Thailand.Seriously, no pineapple in the world beats the pineapples in Thailand. Every one I have tried here so far is juicy, sweet and juicy, and sweet. :DThere’re also cups of strawberries that cost 20 baht each.At night, cycle out of the “square” to a night bazaar located in the East. Chiang Mai night bazaar is somewhat well known in South East Asia if not.Hundreds of stalls selling everything can be found here. Almost like the weekend market in Bangkok.Samurai swords! I found this really cute candle which I was so tempted to buy. But I know it would be just those spur-of-the-moment-buy-no-use-leave-on-shelf-to-rot items.But they were really gorgeous.During my stay in Chiang Mai, I also visited the Orchid farm and Elephant Nursery camp (do not attempt to cycle here, it’s suicide up-the-hill mission).40 baht to enter Orchid Farm.I love orchids, don’t you?I’d say skipped the whole bloody Orchid Farm. I have just shown you possibly all the collections of Orchids they have there.Unless you want to buy a side gold plated orchid.Or butterflyWhich in my opinion was rather cruel. But do visit the elephant camp, the show was very entertaining. 120 baht each.There’s a show at 8:30am, 9:30am and 1:30pm. And I can bet my 10 dollars bill that you will catch the afternoon show than waking up 7am in the morning.Ripley’s Believe or Not once showcased an episode about elephants painting flowers and trees on a canvas. Yep, this is the camp where you will find the priceless elephant paintings that cost from a minimum 2000 baht to NOT FOR SALE.The artists marching out. And then my camera died. -.-So no photos here. T_TI stayed four days in Chiang Mai, and move up north to Chiang Rai – a suburb small town with nothing but peace and quiet to offer. One of my favourite place in Thailand. In the late 80’s, many wealthy businessmen spotted opportunity in Chiang Rai and came here to invest.A park with old folks doing synchronized aerobics It’s easy to get around town on a cycle.This is becoming a habit. The only way where you can get cheap transport. My guest house offered free bicycles for rent. :DThey also have free pick ups from the bus station to the guest house.My backpack chucked behind the truckBtw, I stayed in Akha River House (recommended by Lonely Planet).That’s my room on the second floor, 150 baht per night. It’s facing the river, which was nice.With a construction going on next to it, which wasn’t so nice.That night, I did the same as I did for every town. I scouted the night bazaar in Chiang Rai,which said to offer some exquisite jewelleries.But not before dining at this super nice restaurant.It’s said to help promote awareness of AIDS/HIV with the concept that condoms are as easy to obtain as cabbages.The flasher, LOLOLOL This restaurant has a really nice ambience to dine at.And a lot of quirky, but cool board tag lines hanging all over the place.At night I stopped by Doi Chaang café for a drink.Actually I was halted while cycling because I was so captivated by the beauty of this café.Not even KL’s café and beat the gorgeousness of this little corner coffee shop that serves ice chocolate at the price of 40 baht each.I decided to order a drink here. Just for the sake of drinking and sitting next to an artificial waterfall in a rural town.What does a traveller like me with tight budget order from this café?Water, that’s what.What? Drinking water very ‘throw’ Malaysian’s face meh? Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Sai and back to Bangkok Just reached Bangkok 6am Thai time this morning at the bus station, feeling fatigue.Rushed from Chiang Mai, to Chiang Rai and then to Mae Sai and back to Bangkok. Woo~ syok!Shopping in Burma is nice~~~~Will update in a bit, going to catch a nap now.*ah.. haven't update such a short entry for a long time* Monster.com.my *Growl~* Short Note:Chilling at the guesthouse looking into Burma separated by a river not wider than three cars, I have landed in Mae Sai, the most northern town in Thailand. Stayed a night in Chiang Rai yesterday after leaving beautiful Chiang Mai. It's still very hot everyday. Might cross over to Burma/Mymmar for a walk tomorrow. :DHere's Commercial break.Let me impress you with a few interesting facts (which you probably you don’t know)Monster.com.my is not a site about monster.Despite of it’s weird yet uncommon look, I realized it does look cute after looking at it for a bit longer. It is, however, the largest global online careers property site. In other words, a job hunting site.What’s more, Monster worldwide is ranked among the top 25 most visited sites on the internet.Are you impressed yet?In China, it is the number 1 most visited career site with 15 million page views a day. Own the largest database of CVs in Europe (13 millions). And last year have visitors spending a total amount of 178 million hours on monster sites globally and more than 50,000 new resumes posted every single day.That’s a lot of time and effort people spend looking for jobs.It’s a huge market.Well, in January 2008, Monster has come to Malaysia to eat up all human alive.No really, but US based Number 1 most visited career site has decided to stretch its limbs into the Malaysian market and help Malaysians look for the jobs of their dreams; and to help employers look for their left and right arms.Since it’s establishment, Monster.com.my already has many large corporations signing up to get the best of Malaysia job hunting platform; HSBC, Atos Origin, Tyco, Maxis, Mitsubishi…etc.Almost reminds me of Nuffnang in its initial stage.Look how far you guys have grown.Never underestimate a new site, especially one with such an impressive background. You never know how big it can grow in a year’s time.Hence, I decided to give it the site a try.Hey, no harm trying right? :D Surprisingly, and impressively, it did return me with few search results.Close enough. LOL. Travelling alone, not really. Lying on a spacious sofa in a garden at my “guesthome” in the hearth of Chiang Mai city with a laptop in front of me early in the morning is something I have not done for a long time (if you were to exclude the requisite location of Chiang Mai).I have been travelling since late march and though have returned to home for a week to recuperate from my sickness after Laos, have not felt a slightest hint of homesickness.Maybe because I have always been in close contact with my family and friends over the phone and internet and that blogging has always linked me back to civilization, I never felt that I was really away. Reading comments becomes a past time and I felt that despite my distance, I’m never too far away from my home – Malaysia.The odd thing about travelling alone, is that I can never seem to find myself alone.As early as travelling in Laos, I have always been able to find a companion to travel with, whether they just land themselves in front of me, or it is god’s will to let us meet.Three months ago, Raj called one night asking if I was interested to go to Laos, Airasia was throwing the once in a year free seatings promotion. With almost no delay, we booked a return flight to Laos that very same day.And then I was browsing by the site and realised a single return flight from Cambodia would only cost me RM75. Out of enthusiasm, and I embarrassingly admit, I booked a one way ticket from back Phnom Phen at the end of the month of April (when I was to return from Laos on the 3rd) and made my plans to travel around Indo-China like I always wanted.Yes it was an overnight decision, but it was a long night k?! I thought LONG and hard and didn’t sleep on it.As read before in my Laos entry, when I parted with Raj in Vang Vieng, I was soon joined by John in Luang Phrabang.But then I fell sick and couldn’t proceed to travel from Laos to Chiang Mai (as they were so near each other), hence with the privilege to choose to fly back from Vientiane to KL on my return flight ticket, I flew back to KL for recovery.On my first night up to Hatyai on a night bus from KL, I was seated next to this really friendly Uncle who talked to me about his life and his marriage to his Thai wife. How he befriended the Thai bus conductors because he has frequented Thailand back and forth so often. He then helped me to buy a Bangkok bus ticket at the bus station before meeting up with his wife in Hatyai.Quite comfy la~On my second bus ride heading up north, I read through most of my books since it was day time and I have had enough sleep the night before (not that I ever sleep much when I travel). Shawn from Kuching emailed me one day telling me he would be in Bangkok the same time that as I, so we arranged to meet up as soon as I were to set my foot in Bangkok.On my arrival in Bangkok Southern terminal, it was already midnight, and most bus services have ended. I met this Thai guy while waiting for the same bus to the city (pointless wait) and we chatted with the bit of English he could manage. He found out I was to look for a hotel and assisted me in taking all the public transport in Bangkok to reach name of the hotel I’ve shown him. It was my first time taking a public bus in Thailand, and he even paid for my 10 baht bus fee! (Though in the end I were to discover he led me to the wrong hotel -.-)For the next few days, I spent my days travelling with Shawn exploring the bits of Bangkok that I was ever so familiar with, showed him around Chatukchak and he offered to bring me to the aquarium knowing I couldn’t afford such a price on my tight budget long term travelling.Nicole the flying mantaCome and get me shark!As you can see I’m quite proud of this shot. Shawn loves food, so do I. So we made good travelling buddies, but terrible finance consultants, we will splurge on every single good looking food we come across, including this exotic localised desert in Swensens.Mango ice cream with pandan sticky rice and cream, oh my heaven~Thin Pocky!!! God’s gift to mankind!Zen emailed me announcing that he’s a reader of Bangkok on my first official day in Bangkok, I asked him out for a drink. On the second night, we met in my first love location Soi 38 for dinner, with Shawn of course.Shawn, I think we over ordered I love you Sticky Rice with Mango and Coconut Milk!! I love you pad thai too! Will update my food blog soon.That night, he brought me out to Skybar on the 64th floor of the State Tower, the only place I ever regretted not visiting during my last trip here (ran out of time ma).Zen looking so cool on his PDAWe chatted the night through over the scenic night view of Bangkok that took my breath away.We talked about everything, relationship, my travels, his work, life, studies, goals, future, past. Pisces, can you blame them for being so romantic and long-winded? (Btw, Shawn is a Pisces too. Yay, Pisces reunite!)We also went over to Booze, a famous club that most Thai young adults like to visit. You will find very few “farangs” here. And drank Bacardi Breezer which I so missed since my hey days in England.Fourth day in Bangkok, as I checked out of the hotel with my night bus ticket to Chiang Mai in my pouch, I surfed the internet chatting with random msn-buddies at the lobby with the left over wifi-time I bought the night before. And Simon messaged me.Simon is a British who has been working in Malaysia for two years and is now training for a course in Bangkok, he is moving in between apartments and hence will be homeless for a few days. With the Songkran Festival going on, he has a few holidays to spare. The next thing I know, he was sitting in front of me at the hotel lobby waiting to head to Chiang Mai together that night.It was madness, both of us got so wet in Chiang Mai during the Songkran. The difference between Chiang Mai and Bangkok on Songkran, is that Chiang Mai is much wetter and the volume of water used is more, erm, immense.Icemen!!!By immense I meant it’s a war between the river warm water (which comes endless) and the trucks’ ice water.Unlimited supply of water!!Water guns became rather useless then, because everyone uses buckets. Small squirts and room temperature water just don’t quite cut it anymore. Seeing that I COULD NOT get any wetter than I already was, it all down to how cold the water was to spice things up.The water has finally entered my camera and fogged up the inner lenseIt lasted the whole day, party, music, lady boys and lots and lots of ice water down your back from behind, over your head from trucks, in front of you when you walk pass. My highest record was to get hit by 12 buckets in one go (which instantly soaked me). Sigh, Thai people seemed to like to wet me~This is the end result.Drying my dollars under the evening sun.Just two days ago, we cycled 8km out of town to a hill temple and took a LONG sweet relaxing ride down the hill on our way back.Last night I cycled 3-4km out of town to a night bazaar with a Jaclyn, a British lady travelling with her friend (Ruth) who got ill, and had an enjoyable night scouring the stalls and haggling over cheap goods.Simon left for Bangkok last night, and I’m back to being alone once again. Waiting to catch a bus up to Chiang Rai at noon, I anticipate the next person I will meet on my journey.ps// Songkran in Chiang Mai rocks! Songkran (Water) Festival, Bangkok Also known as the Thai New Year, falling on the 13-15th of April every year, is a festival similar with Chinese New Year in a lot of ways.Balik kampong (back to hometown), visiting and paying respect to the elderly, visit temples to serve food to monks and pray for a better year and rid of previous year’s bad behaviour.Some even travel out of the country for holidays.But as most of you would have already known, Songkran is famous for it’s splashing of water on anyone that comes by your way on streets of the city, hence its alternate English name – Water Festival.The tradition of pouring water over someone’s shoulder or hand becomes a gesture of paying respect to others, but because Songkran is set in the hottest time of the year at the end of the dry season, throwing water at people also helps to cool temperature down.A water fest held in front of Siam Paragon So yes, if someone splashes water at you, remember to say “thank you” (in thai: “khawp khun ka”, or “kap” for guys).Therefore if you walk out onto the street, do not childishly think you can head out for a short stroll (by short I mean 50 steps from your hotel) without getting wet.Now, things have evolved. With technology, tradition improvised.We use water guns.Faster, further, harder.Bigger, better.It can hit you anytime anywhere from any direction. You can turn a corner of a street and expect 10 water guns all directing at you and next thing you know you’ll be drenched.Zen, 26 year old hot blooded Bangkok male (he asked me to write this), Nicolekiss reader from Bangkok whom I met on my second night in Bangkok, suggested a trip to Sala Daeng street for the Songkran.Handsome chap isn’t he? Very sweet guy, he offered to show me around Bangkok and its night scene. We visited SkyBar. :DSince Zen wasn’t in town that night, I have no choice but to head out to experience Songkran on my own. Not knowing what to expect, I prepared some water bottles filled with tap water and went out.Catching the BTS (skytrain) alone, I spotted some really wet Thai dudes stood casually nearby like it’s the most normal thing to stand in a train in fully wet clothes holding water guns.As the train pulled into Siam station, I made my switch to the line heading towards Sala Daeng, and realised I wasn’t the only one. The group of wet guys earlier was heading the same way, joined by another wet group, and another, and another.By the time I got onto my second train, the cabin was packed with groups of wet Thai people, some older wet “farangs” and other dry and nicely dressed passengers who seems to be quivering at one side.“Next stop, Sala Daeng~~~~”, the speaker announced.Everyone fled the train.The moment I got onto the platform, I heard distant shrieking and screaming and yelling and a whole combination of noise from the station.I ran to the side of the station to a view of this!And this!Holy Mother of Sweet Jesus’ Mary!!!It’s a wet flesh war down there!!!People hiding on the bridge I kinda underestimated the term “Water FESTIVAL”.No kiddin.Suddenly my water bottles don’t look so threatening anymore. T_TWater guns sold nearby, ermmmm… Now one thing about Songkran that most non-thai people don’t know is that Songkran is more than just water.Oh no, it’s a whole lot of more than water.We have powders too.So I decided to get these instead.Mix with waters and hence it becomes a white mud paste which you can splat/rub/squash onto someone’s face.10 baht for the bowl and one packet of powder, each packet of powder cost 5 baht. (For water is 5 baht per bottle, don't pay for more than that, go for the ice cold one. :D)The correct and “polite” reaction to someone’s action to rub this paste (gently or aggressively) onto your face (they will enquire a “please” (or not) first) is to nod your head, stretch your cheek (left or right is completely up to your preference) out and let them chafe as little or as much paste on your face.Remember, always say “thank you”.By the time I got from the bridge to the other end of the bridge at the end of the row of shops (give this 70 steps), I was soaking right through my undies, with paste all over my hair.By the time I reached the next station half a km away.I was looking ghastly.Some of the perks I experienced during this Songkran have to be being splashed (or worse, poured over) by icy cold water, being rubbed extremely minty toothpaste mix powder paste onto your face that can sting tears right out of your eyes, shoot at everyone including the police on the street, rub white dirt over a spotlessly clean Mercedes that drove pass, shoot water guns on a passenger on a tuk-tuk next to you as you tour bangkok.Or the more extreme,Rent a truck with some friends with a huge pale filled of ice and water and hose-splashed the crowd while the truck drive through the street.I was victim to all of the above. Sigh~My face became so pasty that I was forced to wash my face in the middle of the street with my own water because the paste was caking a thick layer of mask on my face and it was blocking my sight.5 minutes later. I was looking like this again.Seriously, I have never have SO MANY HANDS touching my face SO MANY TIMES in one single night (or in two hours) I felt like my cheeks were skin raped, especially my left cheek.Almost every single major streets were closed to traffic to this festival, from the East Sukhumvit, to the South Sala Daeng, to the West Khao San Road; music booming everywhere, it’s like a gargantuous street music party all over Bangkok.The best thing about a street party is that you can just head to your local 24 hour mini-market to buy cheap booze for the price of 55 baht (RM5.5 or USD 1.8), that’s how I got my Bacardi Breezer for the night, which would cost 150 baht easily in a bar.A crowd in front of 7-11 at Phat Phong Street.Shawn, another Nicolekiss reader from Kuching who happened to be on a break in Bangkok, joined me later after midnight and we wrestled the crowd with every ounch of our strength.I love Songkran.Ps// going to celebrate songkran tonight again in Chiang Mai. Woo hoo, two places in a row! Happy Songkran Festival! Update tomorrow.Rushing to Chiang Mai now, catching another 10 hours bus ride tonight. Ta ta~ Bangkok, again Munching on my duty free blue crispy M&Ms which I bought at the border of Kayu Hitam connecting Malaysia and Thailand after my dinner indulging in my leftover Pad Thai which I couldn’t finish the night before in Soi 38, (Oh yes Zenhao I finished the damn thing, lol) I sat thinking to myself what else I can blog about Bangkok which I haven’t already.I wonder why I keep coming back to this polluted, congested city. I never really like big cities, not the metropolitan girl I used to see myself as a year ago. But Bangkok is different. It’s more than a city.After all the places I have been to and fell in love with, Bangkok is like the subtle liking that appreciates itself into something more, almost love, or maybe it is. It was never love at first sight, no. I was here for work, then for leisure, it was hot and sweaty, dirty and crowded, reasons enough to put me off,but somehow somewhere its charm crept its way into my heart. And I find myself coming back for more.Don’t you just love shirts with quirky tag lines Back to the night on the 11th, I arrived at the southern bus terminal of Bangkok a bit too late in the evening due to the major traffic jam around Bangkok. Many are leaving heading back home for Songkran festival (it’s balik kampong for them).I’ve always preferred traveling on buses, anytime anywhere. It much cheaper, save on accommodation (when you travel overnight) and gives you a lot of time to think and finish reading that book you never seemed to be able to finish at home.After three separately 4, 6 and 11 hours of bus rides in Laos, this time I took a RM60 (more expensive during Songkran Fest) 10 hour journey from KL to Hatyaiand another 750 baht (RM75) 13 hour journey from Hatyai to Bangkok.Total amount to reach Bangkok: RM135One way flight to Bangkok from KL on Airasia: RM219Save: RM84Wasted: One dayGain: Finished a book, had enough sleepAfter Laos, everything in Bangkok felt like a luxury. The bus felt like it’s made from heaven, aircond, spacious seat and steady ride, thank you god; the food, glorious; the people, smiley; the weather, Siam Paragon offers unlimited air-conditioning.But to add chocolate syrup to chocolate sundae, it’s the Thai New Year today in Thailand so it couldn’t be a better time to be in Bangkok/Chiang Mai right now.Some random guy with water gun in Chatukchak market, who shot me with water after this photo -.-Enough chit-chatting, it’s 10pm now here and the party has begun out on the street! Songkran here I come!!Who needs water gun when you have water bottles!! Grrrr!!!! Surfing Wherever You Go Short Note: My back is about to break, my butt sore like nuts. I can't believe I just sat through a 24 hours bus ride from KL to Bangkok! just before the Songkran Fest!!!! Holy shit! I'm in Bangkok!!! Cheap massages here I come!!Btw the three winners to dine at Tasting Room Contest are blogger William, blogger Su Ling and public winner Mei Yee. Congratulations guys. See you guys at dinner! :DInternet browsing, who hasn’t done it before.As a blogger, it’s what I do for a living. I breathe, live, sleep, excrete internet, if I can, I’ll make out with it.Because of the need to browse the internet constantly, technology has advances itself to suit our need many times over.Broadband, WAP, GPRS, Hotspot, Wireless system, wireless laptop, wifi PDA and now even wifi phone.It’s only a matter of time before they come out with a wifi watch.Oh wait, they already did.Fine, it’s a detector. But it’s only a matter of time.To think when I was in high school, broadband was a luxury.Personally, I think the best ever digital merge was to combing mobile phone with internet.Think about it.We practically do things more than call and sms with our phones nowadays. Take photos, edit photos, listen to mp3, watch movie, play games, browse cinema showtimes (WAP), etc.With internet, now we can blog, watch youtube, chat on MSN, google stuff and even download Edison porn pics.Who needs that bulky laptop anyway. *pfft*Nicolekiss will show you the many creative and ethical ways of mobile surfing through Maxis.1. Analyse the stock market.This is actually brought up by a friend who has vast interest in finance. He checked the stock market every time he’s away from his PC.2. Browse, check and book cinema tickets.“Anyone watched Jumper yet?”It’s genius, now I don’t need to be at home or at Starbucks to buy the movie tickets to avoid all the long queues in Mid Valley.3. Always be prepared for the weather Weather forecast can never be more portable. The weather-man can retire now.4. Youtube/Read a blog Youtubing is fun. Everyone loves youtubing. What better way to access random videos and watch funny jokes, or blog/comment on a blog from wherever, whenever you are. It’s easy, simple, and efficient!Now if you wanna know how Sapa looks like, just youtube and check out what others do while they visit Vietnam. Who still reads blogs~ bah~Yes, remember, it’s nicolekiss.blogspot.com. Do drop by whenever. :D5. Download Lyrics (or MP3) to learn singing.I actually have a friend who’s a Wing’s Café singer and there’s this one time he forgot to bring his lyrics, so he used his mobile and download the lyrics from the internet and sang from the mini screen of his phone. LOL6. Romanticise your date with your dream girlJust whip out your mobile and order Domino’s for immediate delivery.Calling for orders spoils the mood. Mobile ordering is so much quieter.7. Find your way out when you get lost“KL roads, I’m not afraid of you anymore!”Mobile browsing can get as creative as you want it to be.As much as we could enjoy the privileges of mobile surfing, there are, however, some not so ethical things you shouldn’t be doing with your mobile internet service.Unethical Thing No. 1Finding your way when you get lost while driving!Holding the phone to browse the street directory and driving at the same time is a STUPID STUPID thing to do. Do you have four eyes?!Unethical Thing No. 2Download porn Playing facebook in the class..It’s only ethical when you’re not caught. It’s wrong!Unethical Thing No. 3Chatting on mobile msn with your girlfriend during a date.Without your girlfriend knowing who you’re talking to.Unethical Thing No. 4The final and most most MOST unethical thing to use your phone to surf the net isReading other blogs other than Nicolekiss.blogspot.com.What? A Beng Blog? Who the hell?! Luang Phabang, Laos – I bought Opium at 10,000 kip! For every country, there’s a prize town/city/state, the one town that sets itself apart from the rest, known internationally and locally for its beauty, extravagance or monumental history background.Or for their women.In Laos, it’s Luang Phabang.Mekong RiverA city intersecting at the curve of the famous Mekong River which separates Laos from the Thai border, Luang Phabang is a gorgeous river city that puts you in awe, not to mention extremely romantic.Posing with the localsYes it sucks to be traveling alone right about now. As I left Raj in the city of sports – Vang Vieng, I made my way up north, this time on an aircond bus for the price of 85,000 kips, to Luang Phabang.Little did I come to realize what a small world indeed we all are living in. Remember that Irish guy John I met while tubing? Well, I met him on the bus and then we began to travel together for the rest of my Luang Phabang journey.There’re few things you have to do in Luang Phabang, whether if you have time to travel out of town to visit the plain of jars (a trek that takes three days to visit a village full of hundreds of jars. errrrr.. sounds…. interesting), or to climb the Phu Si hill to see the sun rise (which I did, Phu Si hill. Tee hee hee…)But there’s one thing strongly recommended by a friend whom I met in Sipadan that has traveled in Laos for a month, is to rent a tuk-tuk and head out 29km south of town to this amazingly gorgeous KuangSi Waterfall for a swim.And I did.On the tuk tuk to KuangSi FallsYou can get tour agency to fetch you there on a minivan, but then it would have cost each person USD6. My advice is to get a group of travellers and rent a tuk-tuk to the falls, and spend as much time as you wish playing with the water. The minivan usually don’t let you play for more than an hour.I know it says 200,000 kip for a whole tuk tuk but it is possible to haggle down to 150,000 to 180,000 kip the ride.Prepare another 20,000 kip for the entrance.Come to think of it, every tourist destination I went in Luang Phabang cost me a blinking 20,000 kip! What a rip off!!!But for 20k kip, you can see some bears and tigers.And some really nice flowers.Eat some raw plants stem shown by the locals.It might be poison but I wouldn’t know.Taste rather sour.Take some really nice shots of nature.O shit, it’s going to rain. Again.Not before the tedious trek up the waterfall on some crazy steep rocks.But then at the end of the day, the best of the journey is you get to play in the freezing cold water under an amazing waterfall.No kidding the water was cold as ice. If I have balls, they would have froze.But it’s all worth it.Me and rainy (her boyfriend help took this photo)View from the edge of the waterfallSquatting at the edge of the waterfall, omfg.Diving inside and behind the waterfall with John, ultra zoom in shot.It's beyond words, but I had the most grand time in KuangSi fall, highly recommended to visit. Btw, don't forget to bring dry towels and food.I also tried Lao lao, Laotian whisky given by the locals. Aweful drink. Aweful aweful drink.With more trekking, you can reach the top of the waterfall where the flow is steady and slow.And a view not to be missed.In the evening, when I finally had all the fun, a slow cooling ride on a tuk tuk back to town was just what I needed.At night, you can take a stroll in the famous night market of Luang Phabang, selling all sorts of tribal accessories and handicrafts.Remember to haggle till your jaw dropped.Prices of everything you see here has been hiked up for tourists around the world.I bought two of these. They’re soooo comfortable!Situated at the Golden Triangle, Laos, Thailand and Burma were famous for being one of the largest opium production region after the World War Two in the late 80’s, producing close to 3,900 tons of Opium every year.That’s a lot of drug to get you high.Nowadays, you still find that influence all around Laos. With shroom shake, “happy” shake, weed and opium selling at every corner of the town, it’s hard NOT to try it.Even for a person as careful as me, who shun drug like it’s AIDS to the far corner of the earth, became a victim of the golden region.I got sicker that night you see (with all the cold water in the afternoon, it’s no wonder I never recover, duh)So I went to a local pharmacy to buy some cough syrup to cure my phlegm problem. To my dismay, they only sell some dodgy thai cough syrups which I have never seen before.Which looked like sewage water, and by god I swear taste like one too!!UGH! I can’t believe I drank it.For 10,000 kip, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. (Afterall it’s only RM4)Just when I finished two spoonfuls of it, I turned the bottle around to speculate the ingredients, wondering what in the world makes this liquid taste so foul.I swear. I didn’t know! Zeus got angry that night It was to be my last night in Vang Vieng, I wanted to go out, to party and hang out in bars on the island; but my body was saying no.I got up, and crumbled back to my bed. Steadied myself up at arms length, and rolled sideways back into my blanket. The night was ever so enchanting,the music nearby was just so tempting and I didn’t want to waste another precious minute in this stupid fan hut.I want to be out and about, dancing with my tubing mates I met that morning, drink till the cows come home and sing silly songs around the bonfire and maybe push someone into the river nearby. Maybe.But I was too weak, and I knew it. I wasn’t ready to admit it, and fever was catching up.*cough cough* ugh, I hate phlegm. You either want to spit them out or swallow them in. Both are considerably gross output. Ugh…And then it happened.*Groooonggggg* first it was a small lightning, then a loud thunder. Followed by another, and another.I opened the door to have a peek outside, half a tree (or bush) flew by in front of me and I shut the door with such intensity and flung myself back into my blanket.If that’s the wind before the storm, I didn’t want to hang around to find out what’s the storm like.And before I knew it, everything in front of me went dark. Pitch black. For a moment there I thought I turned blind.A black-out.Great, just what I needed.But I still want to go to the bar.*Grroooonnnnngggg*Maybe later when the storm stops..*GROOONGGGGG*OK fine fine! I’ll stay! Stop shouting!I quivered in my blanket.Everything around me was dark as a dark chocolate, but darker. I couldn’t even see my own fingers, nor the moonlight, nor anything else. It’s as though the whole town just experienced a major power cut (which I found out in the morning, it did).It was bloody dark. And I even have the picture to prove it.See?SEE?!!! It’s so dark even the watermark can’t be seen. That’s how dark it was that night!Hence there’s only one thing one could do in the dark in the middle of the storm like this.Sleep.And slept I did.In the middle of the night, something woke up me. The door was still shut, but I heard something scuffling nearby, over my books and bag next to me. I leapt from my bed and nearly screamed, but decided to look for my ipod and “borrow” its light to trace the source of the movement.I was freaking out, terrified to find out the truth, what if it’s a human. Or a big rat, or a ghost! At this point I almost dropped my ipod.Turned out, it was this little creature scratching the door wanting to get out.God damn it ninja cat, you scared the day light out of me. And how did you get in here?!Next morning, I stepped out to the calm morning it was outside.Except for the few fallen poles.The grass was green and wet as ever, but something made me gasped.Holy shit! That could have been me?!!!This is me with the hut I slept in.This is me next to the hut that crumbled two huts next to mine.And I was pretty sure someone was in there when it crumbled.Hope anyone that was in there was alright.Zeus, next time when you asked me to stay in, I shall not test your power.