I think I’ve sort of forgotten what pics I have posted and which ones I haven’t. So, there may be some repeats. For now, I’ll just put up the pics that aren’t related to anything in particular (mostly food and driving scenes!) to catch up. I’ll cover the ‘themes’ next!
-T π
I’m a little behind in sharing what we’ve been up to other than our daily studying, swimming and overall enjoying of vacation.
So, I’ll try to catch up a bit.
Last week, we caught a break in the rainy weather and decided to head over to Phuket Town, which is quite close in terms of distance. It was about 5km away and took just about 20 minutes to get there by scooter. We were on our way to the Bangkok-Phuket Hospital for R to get some dermatological things taken care of.
Just as we were talking about leaving, the rain returned and so we decided to get our teeth cleaned in hopes of the rain stopping before we headed back to Patong.
It was a cleaning experience like none I had ever had before. Normally, I have no fears or issues with going to the dentist. They always tell me how nice my teeth are, but the lady who cleaned my teeth – old-school style – was not gentle and caused newly experienced pain. When I went to spit there was so much blood that it freaked me out. I asked her why it was so bloody and she explained that I had a lot of plaque and gingivitis. When I explained this had never happened before, she retorted by saying that most dentists don’t clean thoroughly and just scratch the surface, but it’s better to get in deep. I partially believed her and partially wanted to just not like her for the poor experience. π In any case, my teeth were cleaned and though traumatized, hopefully, are a bit healthier….
Despite a slight break in the rain, it started to pick up again, so we made a pit stop at the Tesco Lotus supermarket, which seemed to be a larger mall-like center, which we didn’t get to check out saying we’d go back another time.
That was the excitement for our day. Below are some random pics:
Okay, so yesterday I posted about my little annoyance towards ‘self-help’ writing that seems to be the more popular way of getting published quickly. I expressed that I wanted my writing to be about the art of storytelling. This is STILL true; however, I must admit that it is a little bit hypocritical of me to be too harsh on the ‘self-help’ genre when I really do enjoy travel writing.
Travel writing by nature or at least the kind of writing I’ve been doing is of the ‘self-help’ variety by offering tips, sharing reviews or thoughts on hotels or places to go while traveling. SOOOOOO…, I guess I might have to retract on what I wrote yesterday.
With that, I had previously written for a site calledΒ Suite101, which allows you to receive funds for your articles if they generate enough traffic that people also click on the ads that are integrated into the article. You benefit after your revenue hits 10.00USD. Well, the pressure of having to write so many articles every three months and not really getting any monetary benefit from it, I sort of slagged off a bit and ventured into other areas to share my writing.
Since I generally only write during holidays or when procrastinating from my dissertation work, I sort of put off the travel writing pursuit. Then, a few months ago, the administrator ofΒ Smart Travel InfoΒ – a travel website – contacted me asking if I would be interested in writing for his site as he liked the articles I had written for Suite101.
It’s a kind of a start-up site at the moment, but is a collection of tips, stories and so on for traveling, which goes quite well with my own philosophy of travel writing. Of course, I agreed to write for the site. One cool thing is that I can put the articles I wrote for Suite101 on there as enough time has passed since I last published and get new exposure for the old articles while I write up new ones!
Now, I just gotta re-adjust my daily vacation schedule a bit so that I include some travel writing as well! π
-T π
So, lately I’ve been going between reading, writing for my dissertation, wishing I were doing more travel writing, wondering if I should be writing my life stories, and giving up on all of it by taking a long nap after playing some games on my iPad! π
I’d like to say I’m joking about the above sentence, but it’s no joke.
Usually when I am on holiday, I do try to re-acquaint myself with the writer in me. I often dream of being able to make my living writing by telling the stories of my life and travels in this world. This vacation started off no differently. I even began by reading a book about writing, then I started following some ‘writers’ and aspiring writers on Twitter, thinking I might find some motivation and inspiration that way.
Then, something happened…. I got frustrated. From what I can tell and the advice being given on how to become a published author quickly is mostly by writing ‘self-help’ books. There’s little said about the art of writing fiction. It’s all advice about getting your name out there, offering free copies of your work so people will know you and then you’ll have followers and that will bring you the fame of being a writer. However, there’s almost no talk of how to write artfully so that your stories touch your readers.
I don’t want to write just to make money or to be the next James Patterson or Mary Higgins Clark. I’d love their ability to write so prolifically or perhaps even their name, but the truth is that they’ve written so many formulaic books that the art of writing and weaving a story in their novels has long been lost.
However…, despite my sentiments about ‘self-help’ writing, there’s a catch….
Next post!
-T π
One of our discoveries in the JungCeylong mall in Patong is The Wine Connection. When we discovered it, we thought it looked like a chain, but thought the menu looked good especially with their deal of being able to pick a bottle of wine from the shelf and drink it with your meal.
When I found a bottle of Cotes-du-Rhone there, we decided to try it out. This happens to be one of my favorite types of wine, but it is quite difficult to find, for some reason. It has a very light flavor, thus making it quite easy to drink. π However, R wasn’t as much of a fan…more for me!
Anyway, we also enjoyed some of the food and have been back. In our explorations of the island, we’ve found more branches, which means that it seems to be doing well. π
Here’s our first visit:
And, our second one:
I’m long overdue to post some pics. Sorry…
The really good news is that the rain seems to have broken for a bit and we’re back in sunny weather. The past couple of days we’ve been out on the scooter for most of the day exploring the island of Phuket. I’ll post more on that when I get the pics uploaded.
For now, it’s time to put my computer into lower temperatures before it explodes from the heat!
More to come – promise!!!
-T π
_Fat Loss for Beginners_ by Vic Magary
Okay, so not really my usual kind of reading material. However, a friend of mine from high school posted it on his FB page promoting it for one of his friends. Plus, it was free on Amazon Kindle, so why not, right?
It’s a very short read and a compilation of Vic Magary’s blog posts (a new trend in Kindle books). However, it reads well enough and has some good tips for people who are new to the weight loss realm. His main points are to eat simply and well cutting out dairy and carbs, plus having a regular circuit training program, which is not really very strenuous even for those who are ‘allergic’ to exercise. π
Anyway, if you’re looking for a quick and easy read with some pretty practical tips, check it out. π
_The Lost Years_ by Mary Higgins Clark
It’s been quite a while since I’ve read a Mary Higgins Clark novel and I can’t recall liking the last one so much, but I continue to give my favorite authors a chance when new novels come out.
Since I’m still on vacation mode and can’t work on my dissertation 24/7, I am still going through books like a crazy person. π
So, this story was more interesting and engaging with the murder of an archaeologist, historian. His wife is the prime suspect although she has advanced Alzheimer’s disease and the daughter is confused since the family had been somewhat estranged since learning that her father (the murder victim) had been having an affair with another woman. The plot thickens by incorporating a jewelry robbery from a neighbor’s house and the thief happens to be there when the murderer flees from the house. Of course, there’s a love story mingled in and a few twists and turns as the real culprit is discovered.
As Mary Higgins Clark has gotten older so have her characters, it seems. She continues to try to have young-ish characters mixed in, but it is interesting to note that it must be easier to write characters who are more around her own age group. The main problem I have with the stories lately is that they are incomplete and conveniently formulaic. Of course, it is easy to be a critic and as I’ve not published anything on my own, I can’t be too critical. Still, I would enjoy a bit more depth and breadth of the story development…; however, I should remember the kind of book I am reading and the main purpose really is to pass time, which it did. With that said, I’m talking in circles and will end here.
Overall, it was a decent read. I’m starting to run out of books…. π
Okay, so I’m having a bit of a pity party on my behalf. So, if you’re not in the mood to read my whinging or just don’t feel like reading anything down, this is not the post for you!
First, there really is nothing in my life that is so bad. I have a great family. I have a wonderful boyfriend. I have some wonderfully kind and good friends. I have a well-paying job that offers ridiculous amounts of paid vacation time. I have traveled parts of the world. I am attractive enough and age is still a reasonable friend to me. So, I recognize all this.
HOWEVER…
I often feel alone and extremely lonely. Most of the time, I feel that no one truly understands me and that if I disappeared tomorrow, who would notice? There are many days when I think that I could have no contact with anyone and not a single soul would stop to wonder what I’m doing today or give a thought about my life. Honestly, why should they?
My therapist said that I think about the world – something I learned to do to survive through my past. However, as an adult, I expect other people to be the same as me and the reality is that there is no one like me. (Thank goodness, right?! :P)
Still…I think is it so wrong to wish for more from people?
Did you know that my 36th birthday came and went without my BF acknowledging or realizing it? I didn’t say anything because I don’t believe that I should have to tell anyone that it is my birthday. Of course, I don’t like to make a big deal out of my birthday. I don’t like the attention it draws to me – though I love a good party (my birthday is just an excuse for it). π Still, is it enough of an excuse that he doesn’t find birthdays important and would forget his own if I or his mother didn’t remember? Shouldn’t it be at least expected that he can remember at some point just to say “Happy Birthday and I’m happy you are a part of my life”? Is that too much?
Of course, I don’t take for granted that my mother, BFF and a few other good friends did remember and sent me lovely messages. (Thank you!)
Still, I am led to wonder what is the point of this life that I lead? I have no husband. I have no children. I have nothing that will be a legacy of my life on this earth. I am in a job that while gives me great benefits also thinks I am expendable at any moment. So, what is it that I am doing in this world?
Before, I tried to accept that my purpose in this world was to follow God and to do His work. Now…I doubt that as well. So, I am pathetically lost and depressed. Sometimes I think that if I were a more courageous person I would spontaneously leave everything behind and do something crazy or dangerous to remind myself that life is precious or die. However, I’m too cautious and weak to do that…instead I whinge in writing on a blog that anyone in the world can read and probably no one actually does. How is that for irony?
Anyway, here ends the pity party. If you read this far, good on you and I appreciate it. π
On to happier thoughts….
-T π
I gotta say I’ve had enough of the down pouring rain. This Oregon-girl left it behind because of the rain…. For the first couple of days I was staying positive about the change of pace and climate, but four days straight of this nonsense is starting to give me a little cabin fever and grey skies blues.
It doesn’t seem to look promising in terms of clearing up, though…guess that’s the risk of being in this area during the low season (aka rainy season). π At least it has been reasonably quiet in the evenings so that we are still able to go out and enjoy dinner out and riding around.
So, here are some videos and pics of nightlife:
Main street along Patong Beach
Main street along Patong Beach
There are always scooters or cars for rent
Our wheels
Bangla Street - Tiger land
Smacking Ass fun in Suzy Wong's (there's even a Suzy Wong's II!)
Scooters everywhere!
Banana - perhaps the only real discotheque in town
