I essentially never see my parents because we live on very different continents. When I do see them it is always a surprise of how they are much different from what I thought they were like. I tend to forget. Or maybe use selective memory. The mental preview of a parental visit usually revolves around glasses of wine to be drunk and do-you-remember-when conversations to be had. I tend to forget however that after the first evening of wine and chat comes the first morning of scrutiny. Sentences starting with the words "not that I want to tell you what to do" can only be explained as being rooted in memories on their part of me being small and silly. The fact that we do not own six matching plates is construed as something that is due to us not knowing that we need to want and that we need to have six matching plates. In no way does it enter the maternal side of the parental unit's mind that we are not lacking six matching plates (or clothes lines or coffee tables or side boards) because we fail to realize that we need them which in their minds we clearly do, but rather because we really, truly are happy without said items. The senior believe that their way of life, full of matching items, planned out meals and swiffered floors is just a little bit superior to ours and the reason we are not living it quite their way can only be because we don't realize that it is superior. Therefore they must educate us. Persistently. A little bit every day. Surely one day we will see that we are mistaken.
Sunday, 4 January 2009
Monday, 29 December 2008
Beach Storm
Lone boat with approaching storm, Ko Phi Phi island, Thailand
Originally uploaded by .Anton
A storm just caught us sitting under a make shift internet hut on the beach. The cold Singha will have to wait because when it rains, it really rains.
Phi Phi has been a return to a younger than Koh Lak and more party lusting crowd. Also I met a lady who I think I could be if I were not so prissy. We went diving with this gnarly looking, freckled all over, wiry Ozzy woman who talks like a dike and splits her time teaching skiing and mounteneering. Sadly I can't ski. I do hope that if I end up weathered and cowgirl-esque in a decade or so to carry it with such grace.
The beach here is littered with wonderful bars spilling out their big pillows onto the sand, stoners singing soul music, Thai ladies giving massages right on the beach for 300 bhat and long tail boats showing up every night with the freshest fish. I do love Thailand.
Friday, 26 December 2008
More on Beach Chairs
We arrived in a parent friendly and us friendly resort north of Phuket when there was not a soul in sight. Sun chairs littered the abandoned beaches, speedos were a rare sight, soft boiled eggs stayed behind at the breakfast buffet. Then the Germans came. A lot of them. And some Finns too. And I do think they deserve their soft boiled eggs piled high on their breakfast plates and I will not deny a man his right to choose a white or yellow speedo of the "banana hammock" cut and style but the beach chairs. Puhleeeeaaase. One morning, shortly after the towel cart opened, fancy and I were strolling along the lovely, sandy, white beach (so much better than the beach chairs!) being happy campers when it occurred to me to take a rest and sit on one of those fabled chairs after all. Not a soul was in sight and so I figured what I nice moment to gaze out upon the ocean and be luxurious. Except there was not a beach chair available. Oh yes, there are about forty of them lined up throughout the resort, in little coves and hidden under palm trees, but upon careful inspection I realized there was not one that did not have a carefully placed towel on top of it. We walked by a row of forty beach chairs, all toweled down with the same purple hotel beach towel. The owners were still piling soft boiled eggs onto breakfast plates and were not to be seen. How I wonder do they know which one is theirs? Who I wonder had to get up early and strategically place these? Is it the youngest child? The eldest? What I wondered would happen if I moved one?
I saw, without having to lift a finger, the anger this imprudent action would inspire. A few hours later, a white speedoed, bulldog faced fat bellied German family man (mini bulldog in a blue speedo watching intently) was directing some Thai guys to carry beach chairs clear across the resort in order to replace one that apparently had been stolen from him. It was not my doing. Yet watching him command these poor guys around I lost my taste to try to trick the Germans. You can't beat them, you have to join them?
Or you can just sit in the lush white sand and drink mojitos. I think I can! Pictures to follow.
Today is the four year anniversary of the tsunami and people in the resort have put down postcards and flowers for the people who died in the area (5000!). To think that the turquoise bay could part and send huge waves into our bungalows is hard to imagine. I guess it's always luck to be at the right place at the right time or not to be there.
Monday, 1 December 2008
No Longer Idle
27/365 Idleness gets the job done
Originally uploaded by Christiane B
The time has come to admit that in the previous months I had come close to having to state my occupation as being housewifery. Upon our arrival in SIN city any illusion of independence had been crushed along with that little bit of self-worth that comes with the ability to be independent. When I say independent I mean that before I moved here I was able to get myself a cell phone at my leasure, I was able to sign a lease, I was even able to open a bank account. Not in SIN city, at least not on a dependent pass. And that is what I was: a dependent. Someone who had to call her Cuban fancy to sign for her to get a phone and someone who could not even dream of applying for a credit card in her very own name. And lets be honest, asking a Cuban for help in anything money or credit related is obviously pretty much forbidden by law in most countries.
Well, the only reason I can admit to this gut wrenching situation is that it has now been remedied. As of a few days ago I am proud holder of an employment visa by a company that only narrowly escaped being named "Little Me Incorporated". Either way, I convinced my company to hire myself and turns out I was very convincing and now I am free again. I might just go out and buy myself something useless, just because I won't have to call fancy to sign for me. Yay!
Worth a Visit
P1090897
Originally uploaded by stevenjude
This is how much fun you could have. If you come visit us. Or come live here.
Apparently Air Asia is going to start flights from London to KL in March and from KL its only one awful long bus journey or one little puddle jumper hop on an aeroplane to us in Singapore.
So what are you waiting for?
Thursday, 20 November 2008
Lack of Clarity
The time spent swimming a few laps in the tropical downpour is about the only moment of clarity I have in a day. In the meantime I am scrambling to make some money while the money lasts. On one hand the world bank should be flooded with requests for projects right about now, making me a very rich woman on the other hand I fear soon there will be nobody to shell out the cash needed. Other than maybe Saudi Arabia but only if they get their super oil tanker back.
Then there is the big question of holy shit, will I go to grad school next year? Do I have the brain power to get some applications out and oh, is that a good idea or a rash and silly one? This weekend I have my debut as a children's photographer, which might plunge me back into the obsessive wishing to make a living as an "artiste" momentum or maybe not.
SIN city and its tales of chicken-rice and expat sluts does merit its own post. Soon. Very soon.
