bags.
as we are about to leave thailand so many things jump into my head. so many things that have become part of daily existence but i haven't talked about at all. for example: bags. malaysian, thai and myanmar people are crazy for bags! whenever you buy anything you get a bag. something the size of coaster warrants a bag. fruit that is already in a bag neccessitates a bag. they try to pour your drinks into bags so you have to carry it around by the handles and drink it with a straw. every time, everywhere there is a frantic waving of hands and "o no no no! i don't need a bag! it's ok!" then they look at you out of the side of their eyes and slowly, ever so slowly, put the bag back down on top of the other bags and smooth out the creases, seemingly full of suspicion. it sometimes makes people feel a bit better if you show them your backpack so that they can be assured that you won't be doing something ridiculous like carrying an object directly in your hand. luckily bags are useful for cutting fruit on. bags.
so we are almost on our way to myanmar. there is no internet access there so i will not be able to blog to you all. possibly a good thing, as i have begun to talk about things like bags... we can send email from there but not from web based accounts so if you see any weird myanmar email address in your inbox give it a look see. also, i will not be able to check my email so if you have any questions please ask them now and i will try to get back to you before i leave. o yes, and mumsy and dadsy- i will try to call you before going to say hello, as international calls can apparently cost US$1 or more per minute from myanmar.
also, dad- what is a snow worm? i am as confused as vanessa....
you're all nuts.
so we are almost on our way to myanmar. there is no internet access there so i will not be able to blog to you all. possibly a good thing, as i have begun to talk about things like bags... we can send email from there but not from web based accounts so if you see any weird myanmar email address in your inbox give it a look see. also, i will not be able to check my email so if you have any questions please ask them now and i will try to get back to you before i leave. o yes, and mumsy and dadsy- i will try to call you before going to say hello, as international calls can apparently cost US$1 or more per minute from myanmar.
also, dad- what is a snow worm? i am as confused as vanessa....
you're all nuts.
posted by natalie at 8:20 PM
13 Comments:
bags rule.
truly. one can never have enough bags. in fact, when I left victoria, I believe I had compressed many hundreds of plastics bags into 4 fully stuffed meta-bags. I was hoarding bags. most likely for the apocalypse. good ol' apocalypse.
in other news, I am also desirous of a phone call. I don't think the 'rents should get all the fun. some fun, definitely, but not all of it. that wouldn't be fair.
we'll give it a go! but i warn you that thai phones are a tad finnicky.
by finnicky i mean that they don't work.
but i love you all even if you don't get phone calls. it is the truth. promise.
jenya- when do you and harmonkey leave for your own grand adventures???
March 16th!!!
and i am very excited less then a month and only 20 working days left!!
I think that they have disappeared into the depths of Burma, which means no updates to the Blog (unless Nat knows that she can update via email).
If we get nothing for a few days, I think one of us should hack into her account and update for her. We can make up stuff. It will be great. They will spend one day saving Burmese princesses from enraged alligators and the next gorging themselves on slightly hallucinogenic, but very spiritual, edible flower petals that only grow on one specific mountain peak. To get to the petals, which are guarded by fanatical warrior monks who can only be calmed by a magic flute, they will have to whittle said flute from the branches of an old teak tree which grows in the desert.
They will also drink tea and look at temples. They may pet Burmese Mountain Dogs. (http://descy.50megs.com/akcj3/bmd.html)
Anyone else got any ideas for adventures?
hmmm... drink tea and look at temples? that is pushing it a little i think.
Mountain Dogs, however...
do you think they are in any way related to mountain goats? perhaps a cross between mountain goats and wild wolves? or tasmanian devils that somehow escaped tasmania (a real and unusual place, i assure you)
yes. i think so.
did you know that cinnamon trees are delicious? who knew eating trees could be a pleasurable experience?
this is what happens when you go to burma. trouble makers fill up your blogspot with annoying babble about crocodiles.
however, anyone who has something called a 'blog' deserves to be pestered a little bit. no?
beware. an entire month in myanmar is a lot of time for pests to do their thing.
oh man, the last few days have been an absolute riot for NatEben.
The Full moon of Tabodwe, stepping in the Buddha's footprints Skwesettaw Pagoda, the glutinous rice contests on the first day of the Mahamuni Pagoda festival. The only disaster was Natalie's first attempt to use a crossbow at the Moebye Pagoda festival. Poor Eben, will he ever be the same?
Festival season slows now, although it picks up again at the end of february. In the interim, much relaxation, but also socially responsible hope-bringing to the oppressed under the non-elected military junta.
Perhaps some are interested in why NatEben are not able to post properly: "There is no independent judiciary in Myanmar and political opposition to the military government is not tolerated. Internet access is highly restricted. The state uses software-based filtering from US company Fortinet to limit the materials citizens can access on-line, including free email services, free web hosting and most political opposition and pro-democracy pages."
But for those of us who are worried about our intrepid friends be aware that tourism is actively encouraged by the government, as long as the tourists are good (no photographing military stuff). But that is true of the US as well. And many previous travellers say that it is very safe. One woman traveller said "I would like to encourage all women intending to visit Myanmar on their own." So that is good.
And, one should not forget that Burma remains the world's second largest producer of illicit opium. That has got to be good for something.
opium. my my. this may explain eben and natalie's curious disappearance. my bet is that they are at this moment in a steamy dark room decorated mainly in red velvet, with hot young myanmarians preparing their pipes. natalie is probably wearing some lovely dress made from crocodiles and mountain dog fur, whilst eben is totally nude.
they'll probably never even make it to india.
indeed, the myanmarian dens of iniquity are quite famous.
I want to design a dress made of crocodiles and mountain dog fur. I think it could be amazing. I am taking the fact that you suggested just the skin of the mountain dog but the entirety of the crocodile to heart. No crocodile skin for this dress. mainly fur, but a full crocodile striped across the side. heavy, possibly unwieldy, but as haute-couture as you could want.
I also want to design a nude eben.
I am going to post anonymously, but I bet we can guess who I am.
crocodile gowns for all!!!
i can guess who you are! i can guess! pick me!
-anonymous
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I know You two are back in thailand now so..... why no post yet- come on i got a call from ebe no post even from you.....
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