poor bkk

my triumphant return to the workplace was not nearly as bad as i had anticipated (it never is when you have great supervisors) and although my plate will be full, i am a linchpin in the workings of our department now and it feels good to be valued and appreciated.  but not so good to be needed when you are gone...

and it seems that i left bangkok at just the right time.  after leaving hanoi, i had a day to kill in bangkok and i was initally really excited about visiting some of my favourite shopping districts and wandering the crowded streets of one of my favourite cities.

instead, i had to avoid some of the best spots in bangkok and headed to the area where my favourite silver bracelets are sold (more than a few to me or my friends on my behalf!), but even in the areas further away from the red shirt protests, about every fourth shop was closed and the people i spoke to said that with the closure of public transit systems and the drop in movements of all kinds of people, businesses were suffering and the economy had gradually slowed down over the past two months.

i was tempted to check out the main red shirt protest site outside of siam paragon, but read the english daily and found out that foreigners had been shot in the chaos that had emerged this past week.  often, no one knew who was shooting and what their targets were, so it was easy to get caught in crossfire.  in fact, a former calgarian was shot yesterday.  i decided i liked all my bits too much to risk them for a voyeuristic impulse and instead went for a manicure and pedicure and then met a friend for a delicious dinner in a suburban neighbourhood.

it makes me sad to see such a vibrant city so quiet and to hear the concerns of the taxis drivers and shop owners that i chatted with during my one day in bangkok.  i still don't fully understand the ins and outs of the political situation, but i don't believe that this protest has been in the interests of thai people and it will have done more harm than good when the government regains control of the city.

i just hope that that is soon.

buckling up

i am back from a wonderful trip where i had a lot of learning, a lot of solo adventuring, and a hell of a lot of thinking.

and i came back to emails saying that i had better get my cape on as i have to hit the ground running at my day job.  blech, this was not what i had in mind after all of my preparing and goal setting.

my day job hasn't really required much of me since i started there a year and a half ago, but i suspect that this is all about to change and i am not sure that i am ready for it.

i guess it does mean that i have worked myself out of any concerns that i would get the lay off or be the one called upon last due to lack of experience in the private sector.

fading on day 4

4 days down, 2 more to go.  including a full day simulation.  full day.  simulation.  and to prepare for this we have to have an additional session this evening for more group work.  group work!

part of why i feel as though my energy is fading is not because i spent last night in the sex tourism capital of the world (the walking street of pattaya shocked me and it would take more to shock me than the average person strolling through a sex tourism district in thailand), but because i am still not terribly convinced about this whole un thing and my role and future in it.

i have a new friend (who, incidentally, is considered throwing in the human rights towel and taking up floristry as a career path) so that is keeping me going at the moment. 

don't get me wrong, i think this training is going to be invaluable.  but 4 solid days of humanitarian reform, cluster systems, ohchr/unhcr/rc/hc/wfp/icrc/irc/amc/ocha/wash/gbv/iom/nrc/iasc/idp/drc/icouldgoonandonwiththeacronyms, strategic planning, programming, advocacy, interviewing, etc (etc again, if you are kenyan) is numbing my brain's capacity to fire on command.

and there's no way around it but through it.

1 day down, 5 to go

i arrived in thailand to be reminded of how much fun i had here last summer and how wonderful the city of bangkok is, even if its airport is fortified with military and police to prevent another shut down as they had a few years ago during similar city-wide protests.

i checked into my little hotel after travelling for 21 hours and promptly requested a foot massage because it just seemed like the right thing to do.  and it turned out that it was as i fell right back to sleep after having slept soundly (and not drooling or leaning on the japanese man sitting next to me) on my flight from tokyo to bangkok. 

i met the group that i will be training with at another hotel and we were ferried here, to pattaya, where we banded together to start a contest that whoever can identify the most sex tourists by the end of the week gets a prize.  no one knows what the prize will be just yet, however, but i am taking suggestions. 

and who says people who work in human rights have no fun?!

it seems that my recent experience in the private sector is of great interest to many of the people here who have never left the ngo/un/government world.  and it cracks me up to think what they think industry should and should not do and the types of stereotypes they have about life in the business world.  i have got to admit that i was likely touting the same opinions a few years ago, but i hope that i have a more level head now and am realistic about how the world really works.

for the most part, the other people i have met are not arrogant, not pompous, and not all woe-is-me while at the same time bragging about how hard they have roughed it.  is this really a un sanctioned event?! 

it seems that the week will be jammed with a lot of thinking, working, and group work (yippee!), but i will be very well fed and meet a lot of great people who will surely be great contacts to have.

all of this is not without the typical social anxiety that comes from meeting a whole group of people who are sizing every one up and down, but it just so happened that on the way here i sat with two lovely, young women who seem to have knowledge and experience of human trafficking and great attitudes and senses of humour to boot.

here's hoping my first day is a testament to the rest.

bullets kill in many ways, apparently

things i really like about the past week:

• sorting out my vietnamese visa (this might be a bit premature as i am hoping what i have tried will work)
• having 10 committed volunteers put on a flawless event to raise awareness about our organisation and human trafficking
• a 20km run
• time off last night to get a cheap and cheerful pedicure as i plan on wearing a lot of sandals very soon
• my herb garden sprouting 10 sprouts
• being interviewed by cbc radio
• the new plants & animals cd
• dinner and drinks with two girls that laugh at my jokes
• tim finally got voted off american idol.  finally.
• ironing to destress
• a new white cardigan, which i call an INVESTMENT
• having a contact in pattaya AND the hotel i will be staying in in pattaya

things i could've done without:

• the verbal attack directed towards me by someone at the event who was clearly misinformed and out of turn (she later apologised and acknowledged we knew what we were doing)
• the 1 review of the event that personally attacked me (apparently i now have enemies) out of about 50
• meetings where people talked over one another
• other meetings that lacked leadership
• stubbing my toe really hard on my suitcase (which illicited fears that my 20km run was not going to happen due to a broken toe) and then whacking my elbow really hard on the corner of my wall (which just really hurt)
• arrogant people who affiliate themselves with international development causes and then act all high and mighty as if they know everything
• grenade attacks in bangkok that killed 3 people
• yesterday's work-related anxiety
• today's tax-related anxiety
• tomorrow's packing-related anxiety (ok, a bit premature here, but i know it is coming!)

29 + 2

a few days early, but i wanted to reflect on the work to my goals for 2010 before i jet off again this weekend.

1 - conquer my anxiety, or at least win a few battles against it.  april has been a good month.  a really busy month, but as far as anxiety is concerned, a good month.  it probably helped that any anxiety felt was because i was utterly swamped with life and work and that type of stress can be overwhelming, but i have always had an easier time dealing with this type than anxiety coming from uncertainty, emotional turmoil, or the feelings i get when i feel stagnant.

2 - be more thoughtful of others, especially around special events, days, occassions.  i haven't done anything particularly effective in april towards this, but have plans to prepare thank you cards and give a good friend who just ran the boston marathon a card to congratulate her on that incredible accomplishment.  this goal is most important and timely as i had 10 committed and hardworking volunteers who made the screening of call + response yesterday a success!

3 - continue making visiting family and friends a priority.  i am booked to visit my papa on vancouver island in june and in an unexpected twist of events, i will be meeting up with and appreciating the hospitality of a friend in vietnam.  i had seriously considered a trip to chicago, but unfortunately, that will have to be put off for the time being as i don't know that i will still have a job if i don't show up for more than 2 consecutive weeks at a time!

4 - nail down some sort of short-term career goals.  nothing nailed down, but this course that i am going on in thailand will certainly open doors and help me solidify if i want to work in emergency situations again (i think i do) and i am really looking forward to meeting the other participants and the facilitators and learning from them and making more connections.

my day job is also gearing up lately and although it is not necessarily exactly what i would like to be doing in years to come, i continue to get more work and opportunities so i am happy to stick it out and have it pay the bills for a little while longer.

5 - lay a nest egg to accompany my nest.  failing.  utterly failing.  but should be meeting with my accountant to sort out my taxes before i leave the country again.  but apparently, international travel is not cheap!  but i promise to get on that nest egg as soon as i get back home.  really, i mean it this time.  this means no more shopping for dresses or eating out at delicious spots or pretty things for my nest.  for awhile.

6 - eat more balanced, regular meals.  i am getting better at this, especially because i have been cooking more often and then eating my leftovers (even for lunch a few times to save my pennies!) so i always have decent food at hand.  i also have been more careful of what i eat the evening before big runs and immediately before a run.  this past weekend i ran 20km and was absolutely starving by 16km though so i still have some more to learn about how to fuel my body properly.

and it pays to mention here that i loved the food in mexico, as i had expected after being away from the country for a few years.  guacamole, pico de gallo, chilaquiles, machaca, oaxacan cheese!

7 - sleep an appropriate amount.  it was great to sleep in mexico (although in a rather uncomfortable bed) and not have to get up to head to work or out for an early morning run.  since i returned, however, i have been sleeping enough (well, barely), but not very restfully.  i have been having dreams about what i have to do the next day and am having some anxiety in my sleep!  not quite like dreaming in bollywood, is it?

8 - maintain my priorities.  wow, this month gave me a run for my money in the priority department.  sadly, i let my running go this past week as i gathered up all the stuff for the event yesterday and picked up deliveries from the bus station, and organised volunteers.  in this same week, i had my car serviced,  lost and found my wallet, attended the volunteer calgary awards (even though we did not win), baked my boss cookies for his birthday, went out for a lovely dinner at san remo (yum!), did an interview with the cbc, went for another dinner at una (yum!) and 3 bottles of wine with my girlfriends, and managed to tidy my nest and do a lot of laundry.  it was a struggle, but i think i managed my time well and was careful not to make too many additional commitments over and above what i was capable of (apart from the cookies, that was excessive, but i need favours as i am taking time off again!)

i am hoping that i can have some more much needed downtime (i know, i know, i just got back from a week in mexico with my family...) in vietnam.  oh, did i mention i am going to vietnam?  well, i am!  a little add-on vacation after my time in thailand, which i am very excited and a little nervous about.

9 - keep asking for what i want.  i am going to thailand!  to stay in a 5 star hotel!  i was supposed to go to bangkok for the training that i mentioned last month, but they changed it to pattaya after the grenade attacks in bangkok last week.  i was a little disappointed as i really like bangkok and was looking forward to doing some shopping in my favourite districts, but i will just have to explore a new city instead.  one that just happens to be on the beach!
 
all of this came from applying to be included in this training, so i think that asking for what i want is paying off!  i also had to ask for time off (although as i am a contractor, no one can really say no) and that wasn't much fun, but had to be done.  next up, ask my volunteers to plan another kick ass event!

what's my middle name?

how was mexico, you might ask?

it was fantastic!  i have lots of great photos to post, which i will likely put on facebook, and a few hilarious stories to tell, but it seems that as soon as my plane touched down last saturday, i have been running at full tilt.

one of my pet peeves is when people talk about how busy they are.  and i am as guilty of it as the next person.  i also thought that my life would be able to slow down just a titch once i returned from mexico and this weekend's film screening is out of the way.

but no.  oh, no, no, no.

then this training opportunity in thailand came up (which is still a big, old yay), i decided to go to vietnam after the training, and i have become some sort of 'right hand man' to my boss at my day job.  i am not sure how any of this happened.

except the part where i thought, 'wait, i am going to be in thailand, which is ever-so-relatively-close to vietnam, where i have always wanted to go AND i have a friend living in northern vietnam right now.  is that not sort of like a sign from the universe that i must go?'  and i quickly answered my own rhetorical question by booking my return flight nearly 2 weeks after the conclusion of the training...

in the midst of finalising the details of this saturday's event, i am now up to my eyeballs in meetings with people from all over the company during the days, i am living in an absolutely pigsty because my house is a tip, and i have no idea a) how much i owe in taxes or b) how exactly to figure this out if my accountant doesn't return my phone calls.

but 2 of my herbs in my herb garden have sprouted!  and even though the training location has had to be relocated outside of bangkok due to those protests, they assure me that the possible venues are 'very attractive' and i booked my first night's stay at bangkok airport in a hotel that has 24 hour massage facilities.  and although i am sure they would hook me up with that kind of massage if i requested, i am sure i can get me a nice (and legitimate) rubdown in the middle of the night as i will be jetlagged and wide awake at 4am.

unfortunately, this trip will mean that i will miss the first of 2 half marathons that i am registered in and my fitness will certainly take a hit from not running for 2 weeks.  but in exchange, i will receive an incredible networking opportunity, excellent training, a week in some swank hotel in a beach town, and then 10 days in vietnam.  there will be other races.

waking up to opportunity

after weeks of having no idea what i want to be when i grow up, i woke up this morning to two emails.

one telling me that i have been selected to participate in a week long training to be part of ocha's protection capacity roster in bangkok.  there were only 5 spots for canadians and i got one.  thank you norwegian government.

and another inviting me to be interviewed for a position in uzbekistan with one of the few un agencies that i would like to work with.  i am really not sure it is the right fit for me, but i will answer their questions about my strengths, weaknesses, knowledge of trafficking of persons (lots) and drugs (none) and see what they have to say.

so, yay.

and decisions.

and a little bit of eek, too.

but mostly, yay.

29 + 2

1 - conquer my anxiety, or at least win a few battles against it.  after a challenging month in february, i managed to do quite well in march on the anxiety front.  not much new to report apart from learning more about how to manage anxiety medicinally and risks involved in doing so.  i also learned that my life will likely never slow down to a pace where there is not something i won't be even just slightly anxious about, and god help me if it did.  i like being busy, i don't like being overwhelmed.  ebbs and flows.  such is life.

2 - be more thoughtful of others, especially around special events, days, occassions.  i wanted to find a most meaningful and thoughtful gift for the wedding that i went to last weekend, but i ended up with a gift card, which did not meet either of my criteria.  but i have recently ordered a book online to give to a friend who i know will enjoy it and i have another little something waiting in my home office to be popped into the post.  slow and steady will win this race.

3 - continue making visiting family and friends a priority.  my trip to visit my dad on vancouver island is all but booked and in that short hop over to bc i am also hoping to see a cousin.  i am making headway into plans to visit dc this summer, but that will also depend on others' schedules.  i have a standing invitation to visit israel that i could possibly take up, but for now, i am going to focus a little closer to home.  or at least stick to my own continent.

4 - nail down some sort of short-term career goals.  as i mentioned here yesterday, i have been a networking machine lately and the nice thing about being so busy this past week (so much so that i didn't know my own middle name) was that  i also didn't have to time to wonder, 'what next?' or 'what if?' or 'when?' and just got stuff done.  my thoughts are that the stuff i have completed recently is enough to keep me content where i am.

i could use a little more motivation in my day job, but whenever i have meetings with my bosses they seem completely content and satisified with my work so instead of caring if i am performing up to my own standards, i should just stop worrying or caring and concentrate on making progress in other parts of my life that could lead to more focused jobs in the future.  maybe.

5 - lay a nest egg to accompany my nest.  red light and parking tickets are really not helping my cause here.  dieter and i need to be a little more careful on the road.  i am going to mexico in two weeks' time with my family and i am thrilled that the price tag will be more than worth the fun and time we will have.  but other than that, i am trying to save my pennies for tax season.  then i will get myself properly sorted in the saving/investing/general finances zones.

6 - eat more balanced, regular meals.  i was running around the city last week and in doing so, ate a lot of crap.  delicious, but unhealthy food.  i have next to nothing in my fridge or pantry at home so the first step to addressing this current situation will be to go grocery shopping tonight and plan a menu for the coming days.

i also need to stop eating the Sausage, Egg & Cheese on English Muffin from Starbucks and any of the Manuel Latruwe croissants served at Phil & Sebastian...

this is becoming increasingly important as i am preparing to run a half marathon in early may and am playing around with my pre and post running meals and snacks.  so far, eating at least an hour before i run and eating something packed with energy seems to be getting me through with a few little pick-me-ups of some sort of processed gooey energy bites.  i am still confused as to what i should eat after a run though, some people say something packed with protein, others say something packed with carbs.  i generally just need to put something, anything in my mouth and then follow it with a latte.

7 - sleep an appropriate amount.  i sleep when i need to.  this sometimes includes napping.  in my napping outfit (just take off your pants and voila! napping outfit).  it also includes sleeping in when i have been out drinking tequila at weddings.  or getting up early when i need to get into my office for an early morning meeting.  still doing well.  but still not regular at all.

8 - maintain my priorities.  i was tested in this regard recently.  and i came out on top.  or so i think.  i have had a lot of responsibilities lately and the only thing that i felt i really dropped in the process was my punctuality and organisation as i was late for something that i swore started later than it did.

through my recent scheduling madness, i kept up my running, i kept up my socialising with my friends, and i kept up the communication with my family.  i took a step back from my day job with intention and judged where my time and energies were best spent before making any changes or decisions.  like i said, i think i did ok with this over the past month and i am hopeful that i have set myself up for some success in the coming months because of it.

9 - keep asking for what i want.  well, i haven't had to ask for things that i want lately.  but that could possibly be that i am not sure what it is that i want.  i am really good at asking when i do know that i want something (like a week long training provided by noraid in bangkok coming up in may that i am waiting to hear back on), but i am less inclined to give something to universe and ask for what i want that way.  lack of confidence to hand over control, i suppose.  but i have held on to my power without fail in 29 so there is something to be said for that.

wow, that was sort of a cryptic recap, sorry about that.  hope it is interesting reading, even if you have to do it between the lines.

some of my current favs

i have been meaning to write product reviews of a few items i have found and been using recently.

the first is clinique's full potential lip gloss. i have it in sugarplump and i first found out about it when a trial size was included in the spring clinique bonus set. i am not one to spend a lot of money on make-up, but i loved the way this gloss made my lips look shiny and more full than normal, so i went back and bought the full size version. love it.

when i was in thailand, travelling with my japanese canadian friend, he introduced me to gatsby oil clear sheets, thin blue sheets that come in a handy little paper case that can be used to remove the oil from your face after long days at the office, shopping in bangkok, or just the general grease and oil your face produces when you wish it wouldn't. i have yet to find them in canada (but haven't searched much, to be fair) and i have heard that there are some north american brands that do the same thing, but i bet you won't find them for the same price point as i did in thailand...

i love to floss my teeth (and have been known to do it at my desk if i don't think anyone will be looking) and crest glide comfort plus floss. the unflavoured stuff is my favourite and i feel that it gets my teeth clean, doesn't shred, and doesn't make my gums bleed like some others.

i have been encouraging my hair to curl this summer (because it is easier than straightening it and it is beginning to get long enough that it could potentially look cute with some controlled body) and i picked up a new hair care product in thailand and was happy to find it here at the drug store the other day. l'oreal's studio line extreme dirty clean paste helps my hair look less flighty and feathery the first day after i wash it, weighing down my mop top and helping it to form chunks that curl(ish).

6 month goal update

1 - get enough sleep. this continues to go well, but perhaps at the expense of other things. things like making it to work on time and waking up early enough to be prepared for my day.

2 - buy a home. done! and eek! and wow, i am an adult! and yay! and scary! but i think i will love my new nest and i cannot wait to be poor while i fill it with the things you need to live like a kitchen table, the internet, and other essential, pretty things.

3 - reduce my level of anxiety. i am winning this battle so much so that soon i will get to take less medication for it and return to my natural state with a few more tools in my toolbox on how to handle sticky and stressful situations.

4 - take better photos. i have been told that the best way to take better photos is to take MORE photos and as far as this goes, i am doing fantastically well. i have some favourite photos from san francisco and thailand and will surely collect more as the summer progresses.

my next step is to find a photography class in the fall to learn more about how a camera even works.

5 - become financially confident. with recent purchases, including a new nest, i am not so sure that i can have confidence in my financial decisions, but i think that is goes along with the enormity of this purchase in comparison to my past financial decisions so i am ok with that. and hello, a new nest! my very own nest!

6 - be happy where i am. although this city can get to me at times, it has been pretty hard not to be happy where i have been lately. things are good. really good.

7 - visit friends who live in other places. i continue to crap out on this goal, but in my defense i did travel around thailand with a fabulous friend and we are now much closer because of our 3 week intimacy of sharing the same room, nursing one another through tropical illness, and overnight train journeys that tested patience.

in addition to thailand, i am also going houseboating with a friend who i've known for years and our relationship has really matured and developed since i have moved home, which i think is equally fantastic. and i hope to have a few new friends at the end of this long weekend, and who doesn't love new friends?!

in a reverse of this goal, there is also a friend from england who seems quite serious about coming for a canadian visit this winter, which would be splendid.

8 - make the best dating decisions for me. (the goal formally known as sort out my relationship). at the moment, this is the goal that frightens me the most, but one that i have made considerable progress on. and by progress, i mean i have been on a lot of dates in the past few months and have met some pretty wonderful men. i am not one to divulge the secrets of my relationship to the world (aka, the internet), but let's just say i have made some good decisions. and we will see where those decisions now lead. and, yay.

all you get is this list

• i promise that i have more posts about thailand in me. i will get to them as soon as i am ready to fight with blogger to post photos again
• my hair had a dye job today and i am a lot more blonde than i anticipated!
• another saturday afternoon spent on the banks of the lake at the cabin, ahhhhhh...
• i found a house i want to live in. and now for the stressful part, i will let you know how it goes
• after a month long hiatus, i went for a run. it was tough, but at least it was 6km
• i am going houseboating this weekend with a bunch of women i don't know. sometimes i make spontaneous decisions. most often they are the best decisions
• dating lots of men is fun, dating only one might be a titch more difficult

beginning to understand why it's called a pandemic

my newest question for the universe is: how much snot can one body produce?!

so gross, but i have been sick with what seems to be some sort of manifestation of the piglet flu that i picked up, along with all my great buys, in thailand before returning home. it has been over a week since this cold started and it still does not seem to be improving one lick.

i think i am feeling better so i get up and do something, only to end up right back on the couch within a few hours.

my symptoms include: congestion (as always), aches, intermittent fever, lack of energy, chest tightness and inability to get a full, deep breath, and constantly plugged ears and muffled hearing.

sounds great, doesn't it?

i was banished from my office and told to work from home so as not to infect anyone and although i have toyed with going to the doctor, i was told by one such professional that there is nothing they can prescribe for the h1n1 flu, if that is what this is, apart from rest and isolation.

and this shouldn't have been a surprise as i was mildly concerned i would be quarantined when arriving in canada, hacking and sneezing, which earned me some skeptical and accusatory looks from the canadian customs agents.

so here i am, on a gorgeous afternoon, stuffy and snotty and hoping that i regain my health so that i can enjoy a hot, sunny albertan summer weekend at the cabin.

kit-bit-s

hands down, my favourite shop that i found in thailand was in chiang mai and was called kit-bit-s and had the most lovely designs. i got this shirt (and i bet it is really this VERY shirt) and the most adorable jewelry roll from the label they carry (and maybe design as well?) ton tub tim. i must find a way to get these clothes to me in canada because it is like anthropologie meets thailand meets handmade one-of-a-kind pieces! the lovely designer who was working at her so-cute-it-is-edible shop (and listening to the best itunes playlist, to boot) gave me the address of her blog and although it is written in thai, i insist that you go over there and check it out because her clothes are scrumptious.
the clothes are all designed by a team of three sisters based in chiang mai (which i am assuming is the inspiration for the name of their label) and they sell their wares on etsie, so that might be my next stop when i need a retail fix!

jaspal

about that shopping thailand... i now understand why it is considered a tourist shopping destination. and those annual sales didn't hurt either...

a shop i found that i wanted to share with the masses was one by the name of jaspal. i fell in love with their clean lines, natural fabrics, and updated cuts.
i would make it a regular stop on my rounds of the bangkok malls, if i lived there and this time 'round, i held myself back from buying up the whole store, but could not say no to this shirt and a dress that looked similar to this yellow one, but it was not yellow, had a different hem, and was a charcoal grey. you'll just have to use your imagination, i suppose.

or meet me for a coffee and i will sport it once this awful calgary weather improves enough to wear a summer dress!

who wants to move to bangkok?

i had expected to enjoy the capital city of thailand, being the city girl that i am, but this big, stinky city was more than i anticipated and i continually pictured myself living there one day. seeing a city of that size (over 6 million people) that has a functioning public transport system, comparitively clean city streets (apart from the rats that i saw in the evenings...), and low levels of crime made me rethink development as far as i knew it, and a challenge to your beliefs is always an opportunity, as far as i am concerned.

i stayed in two different areas of the city and my first hotel, baiyoke boutique hotel, catered towards asian tourists and the second was cute with its mildly schizophrenic design styles meshed together to make it a 'boutique' hotel. my second abode was salil hotel and it was a lovely old building with creaks and cracks and a complimentary golf cart service from the main road (but the best part was that we had to go into the 7-11 at the end of the street, pay 1 baht, and call the hotel for our pick up on the corner, which was really only a 10 minute walk).

the staff at both hotels were accommodating, helpful, and always had a little something for you on your arrival, from flourescent coloured juice to elephant key chains!

if you don't love the grand palace's sharp guards dressed in white, wat pho's awe-inspiring reclining buddha, or wat phra kaew's itty bitty emerald buddha, the city has a plethora (and i mean plethora) of places to shop!

cheap electronics, designer knock off's, gorgeous malls full of trendy thai shops and japanese department stores, tiny boutiques full of one of a kind styles, floors upon floors of homeware, pirated music and dvds, tacky tourist tat, silk and gorgeous fabrics, flower markets, fresh fruits and vegetables, fried fish, shoes, shoes, more shoes, jewelry, and every other thing you could possibly find yourself needing (including an adorable 'cloth pouch' that i picked up for my sister!).
apart from the traffic jams, i enjoyed zipping around the streets in tuk tuks and finding little spots to eat or grab a coffee throughout the packed streets. i loved the little alleyways and the toll roads to blast you to the airport when you are afraid you will be late to check into your flight.

a special mention of the cream tea at the oriental hotel, which was absolutely divine and made me feel as though i was a colonial woman in a huge dress, holding a fan and seeing thailand as it once was. again, the service was impecable and the chocolate buffet was something i will be talking about for months!

most of all, and i think that this is what can easily make or break any destination, the people in bangkok were courteous, welcoming, helpful, and i never felt like someone was taking me for a ride or trying to rip me off (apart from that one wingnut who drew all over our map...). blending into the local scene was largely effortless and i think bangkok is a place i could live without constantly feeling like an outsider or being frustrating with the way things work.

and a little shout out to my favourite taxi driver who ended up offering us a free ride because he misunderstood where we wanted to be dropped and then saw us on the street later and came over to say hi and make sure we were not lost!

get your baht to bangkok and i am sure you will love the city as much as i did!

*does anyone else find it painfully difficult to upload photos to blogger?? i want to punch mr blogger in the nose after this most recent episode of blogger headaches. if you are remotely interested, i am posting all my photos on facebook in the coming days.*

just as it should be

i began to get a titch of the overwhelmption earlier this week (potential new home purchase, trip to lake louise, upcoming trip to thailand, lots of dates to coordinate, and summer plans to make), but then i took a deep breath and reminded myself that if i am not content with the way things are NOW then i will constantly be waiting until things come together.

this is not a perspective i historically have been too comfortable with, but am getting better at calming myself down and realising that things happen when they should and that all the planning in the world can be for naught when you don't know the future.

i am taking a step back and giving this one to the universe. i need a home. i need to go to thailand. i need to have a good summer. and i will, one way or another.

my time on the rock, booked

i've printed my ticket to go to alcatraz, i have narrowed potential spas down to 3, and i have booked my hotel (recommended in my guidebook, unbeknownst to me before i made the reservation). i am excited to go to san francisco! i just need someone to drive me to the airport and i will be fully sorted.

this is good because in a moment of overwhelmption earlier today, i decided to count down the number of days until i leave and it is only 14 days. that would not be such a big deal if i weren't going to thailand 2 weeks after returning and spending 3 of those interim days at a work function in lake louise!

but it is all good and i am really looking forward to the next month (and entirely missing the calgary stampede this year)!

just needed a reminder 95 days in

1 - get enough sleep. i had let this one slip, proving that it will be a lifetime's challenge to continually get enough sleep. but last night, i took a nytol and went to bed at 10 (after watching american idol, but of course) and woke up feeling rather refreshed and perky this morning. what a difference a good night's sleep makes.

2 - buy a home. we have progress! well, a phone call with one mortgage broker, a meeting over coffee with another, and the necessary documents collected. not to mention a few perusals on the mls website. but i would gladly subcontract the entire mortgage broker/realtor/nest selection process to someone, i really do not enjoy it.

3 - reduce my level of anxiety. still going strong on winning this battle. not that i do not get anxious any longer, but that i am better able to recognise anxiety and do something to prevent or alleviate its symptoms. like running.

4 - take better photos. i don't think i have make one lick of progress on this goal as yet. but i am hoping my upcoming trip to san francisco will remedy this. bring on the photogenic city!

5 - become financially confident. i am feeling pretty confident about this, which i suppose is the entire objective of this goal. not that i think this feeling will last all year, but i am feel as though i am in a position to travel, to buy a new nest, and call my own shots. pretty sweet deal, if you ask me.

6 - be happy where i am. this one comes and goes as my mood changes and my mind daydreams. however, i have really come to terms with where i am and how i got here, even if it wasn't the way i would have ever planned. i like where i am, i like what lies ahead, and that seems like a way to obtain happiness.

7 - visit friends who live in other places. i am crapping out on this one. i had hopes of visiting with more people. but at least i had two out of town visitors recently. and i am going to thailand with a friend, who i think will be a good travelling chum. and that is something, right?

8 - make the best dating decisions for me. (the goal formally known as sort out my relationship). i am learning how to date again, with all its excitements, disappointments, and challenges and i don't suppose this is going to stop anytime soon so for the remainder of my 28th year, i would like to improve my dating decisions and ensure that they are the best ones for me. i think that i have done this so far, but will just need to keep this in mind moving forward.

theme-less list

• i have two potential blind dates to look forward to. my dating advice? tell everyone you know that you are dating and that you are open to being set up.
• time at the cabin was wonderful over the easter long weekend. reading books, preparing training materials, winning at monopoly (even though my opponents forfeited), drinking beer in the afternoon, sunburns, dog walks, podcasts, mmmmm...... delicious
• i came into my office building this week to find all the windows painted to cheer on the flames and rogue pucks painted on the twirly doors. who doesn't love nhl playoff season?!
• that billy bob thornton is an ass
• that thailand better get these protests under control. don't they know i am coming?
• my next spanish class is starting up this week. level 6, baby!
• i may need to institute the indicator pants again...
• i purchased a new pair of shoes made by a company called Blowfish. i am really enjoying them and although i cannot link to the exact pair i bought, they have this rather interestingly shaped heel that makes walking easy. now i do not look as though i might topple over when i wear heels (or hopefully i do not appear as unstable as i feel). and yes, they are leather.
• anyone have any good recommendations (or suggestions on where to avoid) for a hotel in san francisco? (or does anyone want to join me? ahem!)
• i am a sneezing machine lately, which i will take over the congestion any day.

UPDATE: there is a really good globe and mail column that makes an interesting comparison to the cbc and media in the states when interviewing celebrities, including billy the bob. article here.