Malaysia!

I flew from Bangkok to Malaysia on May 6th, with the plan to catch my flight to Banda Aceh the next morning. But, I then realized that I would have to get a visa extension once in Indonesia because I've already booked my flight out of Indonesia...so, I decided to stay in Malaysia for a bit longer and then go to Indonesia just in time for my Vipassana (May 21st).
I stayed in Kuala Lumpur for a few days, but was overwhelmed quickly and had to move on. I walked all around the strange and relatively flashy city, taking in the difference in culture (do to the large Muslim population). It was such a completely different feel in KL as anywhere else I had been in SE Asia.
Next, I traveled southward to a small town named Melaka (Malacca). That too was so strange! It was a quaint town, with a "China Town" (Jonker Street), and a "Little India", and a nice canal running throught the town. It was kept so clean and combed, and I can only assume that that was only for those tours and crowds of tourists (usually in funny matching shirts). But I had a good time there, eating lotsssss of ethnic Malaysian food, and met some cool people!
I then decided to go to the eastern side of Peninsular Malaysia, to Pulau Tioman (Tioman Island). I spent almost a week there, enjoying the quiet island, and then after a few days I decided to do the training and get my Open Water Diver License! I had held off from doing it for so long, but then just decided that I am coming closer and closer to the end of this journey, and I've been budgeting so well, so I may as well spend a bit more money and do it instead of regretting it forever. And I must say, it was such a great decisions! I had so much fun and diving is such an incredible thing!!
Yesterday I left the island and am currently in Mersing, Malaysia. I am quite sick (high fever, trouble breathing, cold sweats, etc.) so, I'm just trying my best to rest up and get better in time for the Vipassana!
I won't get another chance to write for a couple weeks now, but don't forget about me ;)
Spread the love!!
~Iolani

Northern Thailand! Songkran and other adventures

I arrived in Chiang Mai on the 11th of April - one day before Songkran, the 3 day-long Buddhist New Year (a huuuge water fight) was to start. It was very fun, but even after just one full day of running around, soaked to the bone, throwing bucketfuls of water at anyone and everyone within splashing-reach, we were overwhelmed and exhausted! And, if you're wondering how a 3rd world country can come up with enough water for this kind of craziness: there is a moat surrounding the "Old City" in Chiang Mai. All the water came from there and went back into there (along with many other things), so, needless to say it that sanitation was not one of their concerns. This went on for 3+ days... and there was no possible way to avoid it, or to go outside anywhere without getting soaked almost immediately! 

There were markets full of incredible foods and various arts. The temples were all decked out and had set-ups of small cups of water (sometimes "special" water that one had to buy) which you were to take and splash on a Buddha statue for good fortune for the upcoming year. There were many parades with elegant men and women dancing, and huge Buddha statues on trucks or being carried on the shoulders of men, being splashed/sprayed with water for good fortune. People were also drinking alcohol day in and day out, which always adds a twist... So, we were out waterfighting all day, and then went out for the evenings, dancing and enjoying! It was a veryyy different kind of New Years celebration from any I've experienced (in USA, Chile, and Germany), but to me it felt wonderful! People were just smiling and cheerfully (apart from the occasional grump who had just had enough) spraying water at each other and wishing one-another a Happy New Year!! 

But, as things go, it is hard to go crazy and have such a great time with so many people without some damage :-/ First of all, in all of Thailand (pretty much just Bangkok and Chiang Mai) over 400 people died over the course of those few days of Songkran. Most were motor vehicle accidents, some involving alcohol as well (which was the cause of an injury of mine), but they were also pulling bodies out of the mote for the next couple days after Songkran. That was a sad way to end such happy times.

After Songkran, I stayed in Chiang Mai for a few more days so that I could meet up with none other than Kels :D and another friend from school, Charlie! That was so great! So strange too being together, out of the normal element, and after we'd all been through so much.

Next I made my way northwest to Pai, a town in the mountains which is a favorite amongst backpackers. I explored waterfalls, ate lots of local foods (as usual), helped myself to litchi when I found myself in the middle of a huge orchard. I even joined the fire and acrobatics performers for one night putting on a choreographed show at the big bar/club in town! It was a "cool and chill" time, but bedbugs got the best of me, so on April 22nd, I took a bus to Chiang Mai, and then Bangkok.

Once in Bangkok, my first order of business after finding a decently priced and equally clean place to stay, was to work out my Thai Massgae training!!! I found the place again, and had a short discussion about details with the teacher, Noi, and left as happy as a clam! My course was to be 150 hours of training 1on1 with Noi (starting early the following day), for only 7,000THB ($210), and I would come out being skilled and Thai certified in Traditional Thai Massage!

So, the next morning it began! Reading books on all the various techniques, books on the many energy lines that run along our bodies and how to treat each one and when, learning step by step all the moves to a Thai Massage, etc., and then after our 8 hours of study and massage together were over I'd go back to my room at my hotel and studyyyy in order to have the 20 or 30 moves I had learned that day ingrained in my head so that I could then focus on technique. But that's not all that I did for those weeks in Bangkok. After the first couple days, Boi and the other masseuses asked me if I'd like to stay at the massage studio with the rest of them. So I did! At first I wasn't sure what that want or what to expect, but most of my questions were answered on that first night (as I wouldn't have proven effective to ask the ladies because no one spoke a word of English...apart for Noi whose broken English made our training a bit challenging at times). Once we closed our doors and finished giving the last massages, we all (7 of us) slept on the hard massage mattresses on the floor close next to each other and shared one bathroom (in which they all showered twice daily). It was cozy! We cooked and ate odd, spicy, salty, fishy, gross, delicious, Thai foods together, and even went on a nice day trip out of the city on a work holiday! I also started taking up roles in the massage place, as is my fashion, working the reception and other odd jobs around the place, all the while learning a lot of really great and useful things about general business as well as massage business management...I top of my massage training of course! It was all a very strange experience for me, having a relatively strict daily routine after so long of doing what I wanted when I wanted to, and being surrounded 24/7 by almost only people who didn't speak a word of English. 

On May 6th I received my Traditional Thai Massage License, and on the 7th bid my wonderful new friends and the bustling city of Bangkok fair well and hopped on a plane to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

~Iolani

I am so sorry for the infrequency of my posts leading to my need to do such short recaps... but I thank you for reading!  :D