So pretty much my school's rule is, if you don't show up, you don't get paid. Which is completely fine!! They told me during the summer break I didn't have to do the summer school and could travel as much as I wanted but I would only get paid for the days I worked. I strategically planned my holidays so I would work 2 weeks and travel for 2 weeks so I would get half a paycheck. This made sense... but with only half a paycheck and travelling more than I usually do I went through that money fast and savings from back home... soo then I was broke. I get paid on the last day of each month so once I got back from Australia I really had no money!!! The rest of May I was struggling (which in Thailand isn;t really struggling because I can eat a meal for $1). Then when I got paid in May it was still only half a paycheck so then for June I had to live off half of what I was used too. So travelling was not a luxury I could splurge on during this time so I hung out in my lovely city of Bangkok. Which isn't so bad, except Bangkok is also very expensive. So here is a run down of what I did during those weekends I was broke.
Week 1 (May14-15)
This was the weekend after getting back from Aussie so I had lots of laundry to do and cleaned my apartment while I was at it. For a small space my apartment gets dirty quick! Dust collects on the daily and I truly did not know how much hair I shed until I am the one cleaning it up weekly (sorry mom for all the years of you doing it)! How am I not bald yet!!! I was also a little sad this weekend because after leaving a place that felt like home, made me miss home. Coming back to Thailand felt like home at first but I miss having conversations with people who speak English everyday. I also went to the movies this weekend and saw Bad Neighbours 2. It was really funny! I love seeing movies here! The theatres are huge and the seats so comfy! I also have found I really enjoying seeing movies by myself. At home I don't think I would have ever imagined going to a movie by myself... how embarrassing. But honestly I love it and think I will continue my little tradition when I get home... unless I mean someone wants to come with me, then I would also love that!
Week 2 (May 20-22)
This was a long weekend for Visakha Bucha Day so we got the Friday off school. I did not know this until the Thursday before so I couldn't plan a trip to do and oh yea I was broke.... My friend Jenna also had this day off so I went to her apartment and hung out with her for the weekend. She teaches at an international school so her school years runs at the same time as the Canadian school system so she had lots of marking to do and I offered to help. We marked ate junk food and watched Gossip Girl for most of the day. Then on Saturday we sat by her pool and read our books. It wasn't the nicest day as we were just at the beginning of the rainy season, but it is always hot as hell in Thailand so the pool was still refreshing but I couldn't work on my tan. The next day I went for lunch and got sushi and ended up getting food poisoning. I was throwing up and my stomach was in the worst knots. I called in sick for work on the Monday because I still wasn't feeling the best.
Week 3 (May28-29)
Did the normal laundry and cleaning of my apartment but other than that I watched Netflix. It's become a bad obsession... I am embarrassed to say how many different shows I have started from season 1 and completed the whole series. A weekend like this once in a while is nice though to just be lazy and watch tv and google the next places I want to visit in Thailand when I do have money. I also went to the movies again but this time with Jenna. We went and saw Money Monster. I had no idea that this movie even existed Jenna picked it, but it was pretty good. Not what I was expecting but I had a good time! We also went to a theatre that is closer to home that I've never been too before, so I think I will go here now when I see movies.
Week 4 (June 4-5)
So I finally got a paycheck! Even though it was small it was money!! This was the last weekend that my friend Jenna was in Bangkok before heading home for the summer. Her work was having drinks at W-District right by my place so I stopped by for some drinks and to say goodbye after work on Friday. Since Mary left Jenna is the only other person I see on a weekly basis so I was sad she was leaving for 6 weeks. I don't mind travelling solo, I get to meet so many new and exciting new people but it's nice to meet up for dinner with Jenna during the week just to talk. Her flight left early Saturday so I said my goodbye Friday night. The rest of the weekend was boring.... I went for a walk around my block and got groceries for the week. The closest market is about a 20 minute walk. I used to walk there and back but now that it has gotten hotter I will usually get a motortaxi back. Just imagine me on the back of a motorbike in shorts and a t-shirt, no helmet, not holding on because I have grocery bags in each hand, swerving in and out of traffic and around cars.... yes I still can't believe I do this too! Wow life is going to be so different when I get home!
Week 5 (June 11-12)
Every Friday now after school I have been teaching the teachers English. The principal makes the worksheets for me to do with them. It's simple classroom phrases or frequent questions that are asked to the students. Friday isn't the most ideal day because I'm stuck at school until 6pm and it makes it hard to catch buses after that to travel, but I get paid for it and it is hilarious! Now I know why the teachers laugh at me when I speak Thai. Listening to them try to say L's is the best thing of life. On Saturday I went and saw the movie Me Before You. I had just finished the book and it was the best thing of life, so I was very excited for the movie. They had some great actors in the movie as well! It wasn't as great as the book but man it still made me cry like a baby! I knew the ended so I feel like the whole movie was extra sad because I knew what was going to happen! I highly recommend everyone reads the book then sees the movie. On Sunday I did The Rainbow Run at Lumphini Park. This run was raising money for the special needs community in Bangkok. I had to call a taxi at 4:30 am to get me to the park for 5 am registration. Thousands of people came to support this awesome cause and were full of great energy! The race began at 6:00 am and it took me just under 1 hour to do 5km. I was happy with this because I don't run un Bangkok ever and it was hot as hell, even at 6am. We got a completion medal and swag bag with snacks inside. This event made me so happy and I was glad to give back and help the community raise money and awareness.
Week 6 (June18-19)
This was the worst and hardest weekend I have had in Thailand. I had to say goodbye to furry best friend Daisy. When I had left for Thailand I knew she wasn't in the best condition. She was 16 years old and starting to slow down. I was just praying that she would make it one more year until I returned to give her one last hug and lick. This unfortunately did not happen and on Friday June 17 my mom and Sean had to take her in after work to have her put to sleep. She wasn't eating and had lost a lot of weight. I am so thankful for my mom and Sean. They are so incredibly strong and I knew her leaving was extremely hard on both of them. I looked upset at school on Friday knowing what was going to happen and my teachers noticed and tried to cheer me up and were extra nice to me. I woke up at 4am my time on Saturday to saw a final goodbye to Daisy. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I spent the day crying and thinking of poor Toto too who also lost his best friend. Saturday night I went to the Finding Dory movie solo to try and take my mind off things. Super cute movie and brought me back to my childhood days! Sunday morning was another early morning as I called home to my Dad to say hello to the family at Sarah and Greg's wedding! It was nice talking to the newlywed couple! Very sad I missed the wedding it looked beautiful!
Week 7 (June 25-26)
It is now really into rainy season and rains almost everyday, and when it rains it pours!!! You always need to bring an umbrella or you will most likely get caught in the rain. Was on my way into the city centre on Saturday for some drinks in the party area and yup I got caught in the rain on a motorbike. We were so close to the sky train and then it started to pour so he pulled out and we got stuck under a patio cover at some closed down business. He didn't speak English.... and we were stuck there for an hour! I was like a 5 minute walk from the train but it was pouring so hard we weren't going anywhere! If only I brought my umbrella I could have walked and only got a little wet, but nope I had to encounter one of the worst hours of my life! We still got soaked then I was cold and didn't want to go out now because I was wet and uncomfortable. I still went because I hated being cooped up in my apartment but the night didn't last long because I just wanted to get on dry clothes and go to bed! Other than that my weekend was uneventful. I use motorbikes to get everywhere so rainy season has also ruined my life for me because the taxi's suck around here and take forever!!!!
Week 8 (July 1-3)
Canada Day!!!!! I originally thought I was going away with the teachers on this weekend but when I arrived at school with my bag on Friday they all laughed at me and told me no next Friday..... they only told me Friday no date so how was I suppose to know!!!! I then got super excited though because now I could celebrate Canada Day!! This one bar I go to called Sway was doing a free poutine and cheap beers so what better way to celebrate the homeland then with my favourite food and drink! Free poutine was only going on until 6pm so I got ready after school and rushed over! The poutine was small and not the best but it was free and I loved every second of it! The beer was great too and cheap until 8pm for happy hour so I was chugging them back! I was by myself so figured get drunk early and leave early so I could have a good drunken sleep. Well nope... I ended up meeting this couple and the guy was from Vancouver! His Thai girlfriend was so nice and told him to come over and talk to me because I was by myself and then invited me over to have a drink with them! People are honestly so nice here! I travel solo a lot, but I never feel alone because people are always inviting me to sit and drink with them or go out with them so I am always surrounded by great people who then become my friends! Matthew and Kookai were so much fun and we all got way to drunk, which was fun at the moment but sucked the next morning... Thai beer gives me the worst hangovers ever!!!! Saturday was a write off because I could barely leave my bed. Thank god I had just gotten groceries because I was not leaving my room to get food!!! Sunday I thought one of the teachers was coming to pick me up for lunch party at her house but I guess I didn't hear that right because she never showed up to pick me up and I didn't have her number.... not that she would even be able to talk to me on the phone. I love my teachers but sometimes the communication between us is frustrating. So I just spent the Sunday in my neighbour hood and went for dinner at W-District!
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Australia Part 2!
I will apologize in advance again for how long this post will be, but these blogs are also for me to look back on and I don't want to leave anything out! I hope you enjoy reading them!
Friday was our first full day of driving. It is about 850km from Melbourne to Sydney but we spilt it up into 3 days so we could do some sight seeing as well. We started our day off early and had breakfast at home and packed some food for the trip ahead of us. As we began our drive I noticed that Australia is more green and lush than I imagined it to be! Highway drives in Ontario are not exciting with a boring flat scenery (well most that I do). This highway drive was amazing with hills and tress everywhere! It was honestly very surprising but made me fall in love with this country even more. Our first stop was in Glenrowan to see the famous Ned Kelly statue. This was the city where his outlaw ways began. Learning about all this history really made me feel more connected to the cities I was visiting. I am happy Ross and Barbara decided to plan this wonderful trip for me. Back in the car we went and then stopped at the Brown Brother's for lunch. This is a winery that Ross and Barbara have been to before and the food was amazing! We got some different plates to share and had some cheese and meat spreads and salads. I was in heaven... I have missed cheese so much! The property was also beautiful! I can't wait to explore wineries when I get home. We then did the long drive to Gundagai where we were staying for the night. We stayed at a farm homestay and it was one of the best places I have ever spent the night! It was a little two story cottage feeling building that we stayed in, right in the middle of nature. The girl running the homestay that night took us out on the 4-wheeler around the farm. While driving up the hill we then spotted wild kangaroo and chased them! There were hundreds and I'm not exaggerating!!! It was amazing to see them jumping through the trees. Then we had a wonderful mean prepared and delivered to us. They prep the food and then Ross barbecued the steaks while Barbara and I put the salad together. We also had potato bake which is the most delicious thing I have ever had in my life! It was a perfect evening with a perfect sunset. I had the best sleep that night because the air was cool and there was a heated blanket on the bed!!! Made me feel like I was home. We had toast, coffee and left over potato bake for breakfast before we hit the road again. We spent the morning driving to our next destination which was the lovely city Canberra! Canberra is also the capital city of Australia! Our first stop in Canberra was at the old parliament building. We got to do a walk through and see all the different wings of the building. It was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be! It has really made me want to visit Ottawa and check out my own country's parliament building. We then went to the National Gallery of Australia to see Sidney Nolan's series of pantings on Ned Kelly. They were beautiful and gave me more information and visuals to the life of the famous outlaw. The gallery had a lot of paintings as well completed by the Natives of Australia and they were amazing. If only I had more money I would have bought copies of some of these traditional dot paintings. Then we went to this nice spot on the water and had lunch. It was a beautiful sunny day so we had a nice little picnic. Then we drove to Red Hill viewpoint to get a fantastic view of the whole city! You could see the new parliament and old parliament buildings, it was beautiful. Then we went and settled into our apartment for the night. It was really cool to stay in a place like this because it allowed for us to each have our own room but also be in the same apartment. It also included a nice living room area and kitchen! We got ready for our dinner reservation at Belluci's and gave me time to message home. Then we walked to the restaurant because it was just around the corner. The restaurant was really nice and busy! It is an italian style restaurant and we had wine and amazing food! I had a salmon salad that was to die for! I seriously can not believe how much I missed a good salad! Then we headed back to our apartment for the evening and called it an early night. Once again it was an amazing sleep!
Started off our next day with muesli and fruit for breakfast in our room and then packed up the car and headed to the new parliament building. There are free tours at scheduled times so we put our names down to do the tour. Again it surprised me how much more interesting government can be. I learned so much about the electoral process and how to pass a bill. The building was also mind blowing! It is built into the hill and you can walk on the grassed roof of the building! It was raining but did not ruin the roof walking experience! Canberra was a perfect stop before Sydney! After our tour ended we drove around and looked at all the embassy properties and they were beautiful and huge! Then our drive continued to Sydney. We arrived in the late afternoon and instantly I fell in love with this city! It is breath taking being right on the water and we arrived right at sunset making it seem magical to me! Sunsets make things so much more beautiful. We went to our hotel and got settled in and then walked around the harbour looking for a place to eat. We found this greek restaurant on the water front and it was yummy yummy yummy. I feel like every meal I eat is great but I'm not picky and had been living off of noodles and rice so changing up my food groups excited me! Also wine!!! So much wine and champagne, it was amazing! Thailand isn't really a wine place but I can tell you Australia sure is! After dinner we walked back to our hotel and planned the following day and then called it a night. The Ibis hotel was amazing and the rooms so nice! I got my own room so I watched a movie before bed and had a great sleep! We had the buffet breakfast at the hotel and it was great! Eggs, bacon, croissants, and fruit; I loved it so much! We then walked down to the harbour and the pier. There are ferries that run on a schedule and take you around the city of Sydney but on the water. It was my favourite way to travel while we were here. We got on the ferry and went to the pier closest to the Opera House. When we came around the bend and saw the Sydney Opera House I got goosebumps. It was beautiful, especially seeing it for the first time and being on the water it was indescribable. The Sydney Harbour Bridge was also a sight too see, and watching people climbing up it was crazy! I really wanted to do it but was not in my budget. Living on a Thai budget has really made me a cheap ass hahaha. We headed straight for the Opera House because we had a tour booked to see the inside of it. This was something Barbara and Ross had never done either so all three of us were very excited! WOW!! Words can't describe how beautiful the inside of it is. It is now a dream of mine to go back and watch a performance in one of the theatres. It was more incredible than I could have ever imagined. So much hard work and detail was put into the creation of the Opera House and I loved learning about it. That will forever be a day I remember. The weather was overcast all day but the perfect temperature for walking around the streets of Sydney. We stopped for afternoon tea with salad and soup for lunch at this cute cafe. We then went and saw some historic buildings and the parliament building in Sydney. They were beautiful buildings. Then we stopped for a rest in a park by the fountain. People watching is fun no matter where you are in the world. Then we went back to the hotel and took the subway instead of the ferry back. We rested and got ready for dinner where we met up with Ross and Barbara's friends. We went to the Meat and Wine Co. for dinner and it was delicious! I got a chicken kebab which came on this huge hanging stick with my salad underneath, so cool! The wine was also great as always! I will never complain about wine. They were very nice company and we had a lovely evening. After dinner we walked back to the hotel and packed my bags for the trip back home the next day. My flight wasn't until late so we still had a full day but had to take our bags and put them in the car after checkout.
We did breakfast again at the buffet with amazing real coffee! The instant Thai stuff is fine but I was getting sick of it. Then we went and loaded our bags into the car and then walked to Town Hall and got a train from the station there to Circular Quay, where we caught a ferry to Manly. This ferry ride was longer but the beach was worth it! It was the beginning of the winter season when I arrived so we couldn't really go swimming but I went and touched the water still so I could touch the South Pacific Ocean. The waves were huge here!!!! There were some people surfing and I was scared for their lives! We had morning tea at a restaurant on the beach and then checked out some of the shops along the boardwalk area. Then back on the ferry we went to CQ and then bussed to Bondi Beach! This beach was beautiful! The waves once again were huge and this beach was actually busy! People were laying out in bathing suits working on their Australian tan, but still way to cold for me! We grabbed some take out sushi and sat at a bench on the beach and had lunch enjoying the view. Then back on the bus and our next stop was Watson's Bay. We had coffee in the cafe on the dock and waited for the ferry back to Darling Harbour. I loved the ferries it was so nice to be on the water sitting in the sun with the wind blowing, I was very happy. It was the perfect last day in Australia. Then we headed to the car and drove to the airport. They dropped me off at 6:00pm and my flight left at 9:30pm. Ross and Barbara planned the most perfect trip for me and I am so thankful I got to spend 10 days with them in such a beautiful country. I hope to visit again very soon!
The flight back was really bumpy and I couldn't sleep much but that gave me the chance to stare at the stairs. It was breathtaking! Being above the clouds with a pitch black sky and so many bright stars. I was at a loss for words and felt so small. Felt good getting back on Thailand soil, felt like home.
Friday was our first full day of driving. It is about 850km from Melbourne to Sydney but we spilt it up into 3 days so we could do some sight seeing as well. We started our day off early and had breakfast at home and packed some food for the trip ahead of us. As we began our drive I noticed that Australia is more green and lush than I imagined it to be! Highway drives in Ontario are not exciting with a boring flat scenery (well most that I do). This highway drive was amazing with hills and tress everywhere! It was honestly very surprising but made me fall in love with this country even more. Our first stop was in Glenrowan to see the famous Ned Kelly statue. This was the city where his outlaw ways began. Learning about all this history really made me feel more connected to the cities I was visiting. I am happy Ross and Barbara decided to plan this wonderful trip for me. Back in the car we went and then stopped at the Brown Brother's for lunch. This is a winery that Ross and Barbara have been to before and the food was amazing! We got some different plates to share and had some cheese and meat spreads and salads. I was in heaven... I have missed cheese so much! The property was also beautiful! I can't wait to explore wineries when I get home. We then did the long drive to Gundagai where we were staying for the night. We stayed at a farm homestay and it was one of the best places I have ever spent the night! It was a little two story cottage feeling building that we stayed in, right in the middle of nature. The girl running the homestay that night took us out on the 4-wheeler around the farm. While driving up the hill we then spotted wild kangaroo and chased them! There were hundreds and I'm not exaggerating!!! It was amazing to see them jumping through the trees. Then we had a wonderful mean prepared and delivered to us. They prep the food and then Ross barbecued the steaks while Barbara and I put the salad together. We also had potato bake which is the most delicious thing I have ever had in my life! It was a perfect evening with a perfect sunset. I had the best sleep that night because the air was cool and there was a heated blanket on the bed!!! Made me feel like I was home. We had toast, coffee and left over potato bake for breakfast before we hit the road again. We spent the morning driving to our next destination which was the lovely city Canberra! Canberra is also the capital city of Australia! Our first stop in Canberra was at the old parliament building. We got to do a walk through and see all the different wings of the building. It was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be! It has really made me want to visit Ottawa and check out my own country's parliament building. We then went to the National Gallery of Australia to see Sidney Nolan's series of pantings on Ned Kelly. They were beautiful and gave me more information and visuals to the life of the famous outlaw. The gallery had a lot of paintings as well completed by the Natives of Australia and they were amazing. If only I had more money I would have bought copies of some of these traditional dot paintings. Then we went to this nice spot on the water and had lunch. It was a beautiful sunny day so we had a nice little picnic. Then we drove to Red Hill viewpoint to get a fantastic view of the whole city! You could see the new parliament and old parliament buildings, it was beautiful. Then we went and settled into our apartment for the night. It was really cool to stay in a place like this because it allowed for us to each have our own room but also be in the same apartment. It also included a nice living room area and kitchen! We got ready for our dinner reservation at Belluci's and gave me time to message home. Then we walked to the restaurant because it was just around the corner. The restaurant was really nice and busy! It is an italian style restaurant and we had wine and amazing food! I had a salmon salad that was to die for! I seriously can not believe how much I missed a good salad! Then we headed back to our apartment for the evening and called it an early night. Once again it was an amazing sleep!
Started off our next day with muesli and fruit for breakfast in our room and then packed up the car and headed to the new parliament building. There are free tours at scheduled times so we put our names down to do the tour. Again it surprised me how much more interesting government can be. I learned so much about the electoral process and how to pass a bill. The building was also mind blowing! It is built into the hill and you can walk on the grassed roof of the building! It was raining but did not ruin the roof walking experience! Canberra was a perfect stop before Sydney! After our tour ended we drove around and looked at all the embassy properties and they were beautiful and huge! Then our drive continued to Sydney. We arrived in the late afternoon and instantly I fell in love with this city! It is breath taking being right on the water and we arrived right at sunset making it seem magical to me! Sunsets make things so much more beautiful. We went to our hotel and got settled in and then walked around the harbour looking for a place to eat. We found this greek restaurant on the water front and it was yummy yummy yummy. I feel like every meal I eat is great but I'm not picky and had been living off of noodles and rice so changing up my food groups excited me! Also wine!!! So much wine and champagne, it was amazing! Thailand isn't really a wine place but I can tell you Australia sure is! After dinner we walked back to our hotel and planned the following day and then called it a night. The Ibis hotel was amazing and the rooms so nice! I got my own room so I watched a movie before bed and had a great sleep! We had the buffet breakfast at the hotel and it was great! Eggs, bacon, croissants, and fruit; I loved it so much! We then walked down to the harbour and the pier. There are ferries that run on a schedule and take you around the city of Sydney but on the water. It was my favourite way to travel while we were here. We got on the ferry and went to the pier closest to the Opera House. When we came around the bend and saw the Sydney Opera House I got goosebumps. It was beautiful, especially seeing it for the first time and being on the water it was indescribable. The Sydney Harbour Bridge was also a sight too see, and watching people climbing up it was crazy! I really wanted to do it but was not in my budget. Living on a Thai budget has really made me a cheap ass hahaha. We headed straight for the Opera House because we had a tour booked to see the inside of it. This was something Barbara and Ross had never done either so all three of us were very excited! WOW!! Words can't describe how beautiful the inside of it is. It is now a dream of mine to go back and watch a performance in one of the theatres. It was more incredible than I could have ever imagined. So much hard work and detail was put into the creation of the Opera House and I loved learning about it. That will forever be a day I remember. The weather was overcast all day but the perfect temperature for walking around the streets of Sydney. We stopped for afternoon tea with salad and soup for lunch at this cute cafe. We then went and saw some historic buildings and the parliament building in Sydney. They were beautiful buildings. Then we stopped for a rest in a park by the fountain. People watching is fun no matter where you are in the world. Then we went back to the hotel and took the subway instead of the ferry back. We rested and got ready for dinner where we met up with Ross and Barbara's friends. We went to the Meat and Wine Co. for dinner and it was delicious! I got a chicken kebab which came on this huge hanging stick with my salad underneath, so cool! The wine was also great as always! I will never complain about wine. They were very nice company and we had a lovely evening. After dinner we walked back to the hotel and packed my bags for the trip back home the next day. My flight wasn't until late so we still had a full day but had to take our bags and put them in the car after checkout.
We did breakfast again at the buffet with amazing real coffee! The instant Thai stuff is fine but I was getting sick of it. Then we went and loaded our bags into the car and then walked to Town Hall and got a train from the station there to Circular Quay, where we caught a ferry to Manly. This ferry ride was longer but the beach was worth it! It was the beginning of the winter season when I arrived so we couldn't really go swimming but I went and touched the water still so I could touch the South Pacific Ocean. The waves were huge here!!!! There were some people surfing and I was scared for their lives! We had morning tea at a restaurant on the beach and then checked out some of the shops along the boardwalk area. Then back on the ferry we went to CQ and then bussed to Bondi Beach! This beach was beautiful! The waves once again were huge and this beach was actually busy! People were laying out in bathing suits working on their Australian tan, but still way to cold for me! We grabbed some take out sushi and sat at a bench on the beach and had lunch enjoying the view. Then back on the bus and our next stop was Watson's Bay. We had coffee in the cafe on the dock and waited for the ferry back to Darling Harbour. I loved the ferries it was so nice to be on the water sitting in the sun with the wind blowing, I was very happy. It was the perfect last day in Australia. Then we headed to the car and drove to the airport. They dropped me off at 6:00pm and my flight left at 9:30pm. Ross and Barbara planned the most perfect trip for me and I am so thankful I got to spend 10 days with them in such a beautiful country. I hope to visit again very soon!
The flight back was really bumpy and I couldn't sleep much but that gave me the chance to stare at the stairs. It was breathtaking! Being above the clouds with a pitch black sky and so many bright stars. I was at a loss for words and felt so small. Felt good getting back on Thailand soil, felt like home.
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