Thailand vs Malaysia (which is better)

After visiting Malaysia numerous times, and living in Thailand for four years. I have often wondered why more people visit Thailand than Malaysia…
If you wanted to sum up the two countries it would go like this. Thailand the hot younger sister that likes to take off her clothes and party, while Malaysia is the more mature older sister, that knows parting and taking your clothes off is not the way to get attention, she is also hot, but it is hard to tell because she is conservative.

Beaches:

Thailand’s beaches are like a worn out towel, you would like to think it still serves it’s purpose, but in reality it doesn’t. There is no end to development on formerly glorious beaches. With buses running up and down the cost any one that can say the word beach is able to travel to a Thai beach. On top of that there are so many different types of moon parties, that most beaches are turned into frat parties.

Malaysia on the other hand still has beaches that are peaceful and far far away from the frat boy party atmosphere of Thailand. With that said, Malaysia has sacrificed some of it’s beaches to the tourism gods, but have saved others from the fury of the gods.

Winner; Malaysia

KL vs Bangkok:

Bangkok: is where all of Thailand meets for various reasons, either looking for work, going to school, or trying to get ahead. Bangkok is a great place to go to get a feel of Thailand. With that said, Bangkok is like another country compared to the rest of Thailand, what drives Bangkok doesn’t always drive the rest of the country. Bangkok has great food, some of the best in Asia. It also has loads of history waiting to be discovered. Bangkok is a big gross city, but it is also home to some of the best malls and poshest restaurants in Asia.

KL: The hopes of the nation are embodied in the Petronas towers. With all of it’s sleek buildings, and well connected public transportation system, it is still a boring city. It is a great place to go to when you need a break from Bangkok, but after a few days you will be longing to go back.

Winner: Bangkok, because it is more interesting.

National Parks:

Thailand, there no such thing as national parks, they are only places where developers with the right sway can build there resort in a lovely natural environment. If you are hopping to enter the wild, you will be sadly disappointed. Every national park, has food stands, resorts, and easy hikes with in ear short of civilization.

Malaysia, is much more wild. Entering the jungle really means entering the jungle. Resorts in the park are almost unheard of. With that said Malaysia has done a great job cutting the natural habits of the indigenous wildlife.

Winner: Malaysia

Closing thought.

The purpose of this posting wasn’t to trash Thailand, but to challenge Thailand overdrawn reputation. At one point Thailand was a true wonderland, but at this point it is worn out, and needs a break from the travel gods love. Malaysia on the other hand is just as wonderful as Thailand if not more, but for some reason doesn’t have the love and affection of the travel gods. Malaysia should be cherished because it is not like Thailand. It has become a wealthy nation not by exploring tourist, but nature.

Traveling as a Couple is Awesome!

5. It’s cheaper.

The benefit of traveling as a couple is being able to split costs. Instead of staying in a $7 hostel you can now stay in a $20 hostel without killing your daily budget. Having two people can also be useful when traveling in  countries that serve large portions. Splitting meals is a great way to save money (Nine curries in Sri Lanka, this meal is to big for any normal travel, but is a manageable size for two travelers) .

4. Someone to talk to.

When traveling in countries where your native language is not widely spoken, it is nice to talk to someone who understands you. It is also useful when traveling in stressful situations,can make stressful situations bearable.Also having someone to share your experience with is better than writing about them in a journal. After a day of doing amazing stuff, it is nice to talk about the days events with someone who is important to you, instead of chit chatting with fellow travelers whom you may have no personal connection with.

3. Locals love, Love.

Being in a relationship automatically makes you more trustworthy when traveling in traditional countries.

2. Good Cop Bad Cop

When traveling as a couple there is no need to explain why you cannot do something, or why you will not pay that price. Just play good cop bad cop (I’m sorry sir my wife won’t pay that price.” or “My wife isn’t interested in your tour…sorry”)

1. It’s always better to hangout with an awesome person!

This needs no further explanation.

Top five countries I visited in 2012

5. Thailand

Thailand

4. Malaysia

Malaysia

3. Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

2. Burma/Myanmar

Burma

1. Lao

Lao

Top 5 cities from my travels in 2012

5. Singapore

4. Bangkok

3. Luang Prabang

2. Rangoon/Yangon

1. Paris

Tale of Two Cities.

New York

When I visit either New York or Paris I can not help but see the similarities between the two of them. Each one at

one point in history was the city to live in. Each one has been the center of culture, and each one is teaming with an infectious energy. This energy draws you, and keeps you enthralled with the charms of the city. Each city has also its problems, yet when people visit these places they can not help but to fall in love with the city. I have had this experience with both cities, when ever I visit (which is not often enough). I leaving wanting to move in a live there forever.

Both Paris and New York are mirror images of each other, they both embody the era in which they reigned as the capitals of the world. When walking the streets of Paris you feel as though you have stepped back in time, to a time when writers came to the city to be inspired by the “City of Lights”. Paris embodies a time when Europe was the center of the world, and France was the center of culture. Walking down the streets you can feel the pride and arrogance of this time period. Even to this day there is this feeling that if you spent enough time in Paris you would become a more cultured person (possibly write the next great novel). There is an energy that flows through New York as well. It is an optimistic and audacious energy it is everywhere in the city. This energy is best embodies the in the massive building that stretch to the heavens. When in New York you feel like you can achieve your dreams.

Paris

Each city has its icons. New York has the Empire State building. The Empire State Building embodies the optimism of New York. It stands tall and proud of its achievements. Paris has the Eiffel Tower, it is a symbol of European audacity. It too embodies the feels of the era, that the achievements of modern technology were limitless.

Food is also central to each of these cities. In Paris it is the cafe, a place to ponder or discuss new ideas over coffee or a drink. In New York it is its delis, these represented the diversity that made the city great. People from all over the world came to New York in the hopes of finding a new life. They also brought with them different ways of preparing food.

Both New York and Paris are cities to fall in love with, there charms will lead to personal discovery.

 

 

What type of expat are you?

1. Colonizer

Colonizer

This person has traveled to a distant country to dominate the resources of that country. when Colonizers arrives in new “home” the first they do is  find locals to aid them in their goals. Second they make use of their local contacts to make their life as comfortable as possible. Colonizers will have comforts you did not even know existed with in a matter of weeks of arriving. Meanwhile you are still trying to figure out how to buy milk. Colonizers will develop a system of contacts to help them maximize their time overseas.

2. Homesick

Home sick are always trying to find ways to make their host country, like their  home country. They will spend all weekend looking for the kind of chips they use to eat in their home country. Their lives are dominated by their need to stay connected to their home countries culture. They will only cook their own food, they will only use stuff from their home country, and will spend all of their free time on social media in an attempt  stay “in the loop”. When the go home they will bring empty suit cases so they can fill with food and products to bring back to their host country.

3. Gone Native

Going Native

This group is the complete opposite of the Homesick groups. They have abandoned their old ways and adapted the ways of their host country. They will often go years without returning to their home country. The Gone Native groups also shuns other expats because they have not embraced the local culture the way they have.

4. The Vets

They are the typical expat found in a local bar. They have lived in their host country for far too long. Often times they have married a local women, and have settled in her wife’s home town. The Vets are eager to tell you all of the short comings of their host country, they will often times have few nice things to say about their host country.

5. The Hybrid

This group has not forgotten its home country, but it has also adopted and adapted to their host country. This group has maintained their national identity, but have abandoned activities that are not practical in their host country, they have also adopted new ones from their host country.

6. The Hater

Haters are people who just hate their home country. All they do is make comments about how uncivilized their home country is, or how stupid and ignorant their home country is. They are difficult to talk to, especially if you are from the same country, since most conversations will revolve around how ignorant their (your) home country is.

7. The Bar Fly/Sexpat

The Bar Fly’s only goal is to spend their twilight years drinking cheap beer, and picking up cheap women. They spend their days hangout in local bars, drinking and picking women.

An Ode to Bangkok

It has been five years since the I first moved to Bangkok. Over the years Bangkok has changed almost as much as I have. When I first arrived I knew no Thai, and I ate Khao Pak Gai everyday from six months because it was the only dish I knew. This did not stop me from falling love with Thailand. Adopting Thailand’s “mai ben rai” attitude helped me to accept how radically different Thailand was from my home.

After living in Thailand for two years I decided that I was going put a full effort into being “Thai” I adopted as many of Thai habits as I could. I learned how to read and write and I only ate Thai food for an entire summer. To my disappointment I could never move beyond being the “White Guy”. This realization lead me to adopt a hybrid life style.

My neighborhood off of Ramkamhang also changed with me, much in the same way I changed. When arriving to my new neighborhood I was surrounded by lower class housing, Thai food and karaoke bars. Over the years they began building “lifestyle plazas” and middle class housing. Over the years my neighborhood also adopted an hybrid lifestyle.

Even though living in Bangkok was not always easy. I eventually became my home. Over the years Bangkok was transferred from a city of filth to a city filled with fond memories, and full of friend I love.with memories and friends I love.

Fantasy Vs Reality.

There are two realities that would be travelers face. The first being how they image their dream destination. The second being the realities of said destination. Seeing a given destination as your dream destination, and not an actual place inhabited by real people, leads to disillusionment.

Dream destinations are often developing nation. We travel to this countries for an opportunity to connect with the past. Too often we find that in these “Dream destinations” the citizens of “dream destination” wish for their country to be like our home country. Full of malls, fast food and iPhones. We are baffled by their desire to live in a first world nation, we only see their home as a “dream vacation”. We fail to see that the citizens of said “dream destination” want the same things we want.

The other side of “dream destination is when we reach it, we discover that we don’t like being away from WiFi and our creature comforts. We complain about how uncivilized our “dream destination”. Instead of embracing isolation we were craving, we long to be home again.

We all have out expectation for a given destination. We have been planning and saving for months (maybe even years) for our “dream destination”. Since we have idealized it, we fail to see it for what it is. Traveling is not about our expectation but about being open to the experiences and expectation of our destination. Embracing the realities of destination is key to fully enjoy your “dream destination”

How I almost met Aung San Suu Kyi and David Cameron

Location:

Shwe Dagon, Yangon Burma.

Event:

David Cameron visiting Shwe Dagon with Aung San Suu Kyi.

Story:

While visiting Shwe Dagon, I heard a rumor that David Cameron and Aung San Suu Kyi were on their way. My plan was to hang around until they showed up, and try to meet them. It was a historic moment and I wanted to be part of it.

After waiting for over an hour for their appearance, a security guard approaches me to tell me that Shwe Dagon is now closed.

The following is how our conversation went.

Me: I would love to see David Cameron.

Security Guard: It is closing time, you must go!

Me: David Cameron is my Prime Minister, I would love to meet him.

Security Guard: It is time for you to go!

Me: I’m English (This was a lie) and Cameron is my Prime Minister.

Security Guard: Mr. Cameron is our guest YOU ARE A TOURIST!!!  YOU MUST GO!!! (with a dismissive hand gesture)

Me: You don’t need to be so mean about it, I was just asking.

Afterwards I ran down stairs and tried to meet them before they entered Shwe Dagon, only to find out they just entered…….

Sabaidee Lao

After living in Bangkok, Laos is like a welcomed oasis of cafes, bliss and nature.

The street of Vientiane are quite and dusty, shops are closed by 6pm. It could be one of Asia’s most unassuming capitals. My favorite activity in Vientiane is walking the streets looking for the best cafe to drink coffee and read a book.

After spending a few days unwinding, I enjoy walking to the different temples located near the city center, with stops at cafe peppered in between.

As great as Vientiane is, Lunag Prabang is a marvel. It’s biggest draw is strolling the streets exploring ancient temples. Followed by coffee at one of the many cafes located near the “city” center. Topped off with a sunset cruse of the Mekong River.

Laos is a place to relax, and fall in love with life.

Thai Flood Bangkok

The fear of the Flood has gone through several stages over the last month or so.

1. At first everyone believed that Bangkok was safe from flooding. So Bangkokians continued with their lives.The biggest news in Bangkok at this time wasn’t when or where the flood will hit, but the opening of Terminal 21. Everyone was going to Terminal 21 to check it out, all the “hip” magazines where talking about it, and Facebook was filled with people taking pictures in the different styles of bathrooms in T-21.

2. Panic swept Bangkok when the flood threatened to wash away Thamasat University. The News was telling us that everything would be ok, then minutes later would tell us that Bangkok is doomed. This led people to either deny the reality of the flood, or it led people to panic. As situation became bleak for Thamasat University, people began to stock up on water, instant noodles, and snack food. 7-11 was restocking their shelves everyday to keep up with the demand. During this time period people began evacuating to Pattaya or Hua Hin hopping to escape the flood, only to find themselves  having to return to the city a couple of weeks later.

3. As news agencies and government departments continued to change their minds on whether Bangkok could be saved, people began to get frustrated by the lack of information. Schools also began to close in the fear that the flood would wash away their schools. Parent began to pull their children from school, so they could flee the city. With the flood becoming a reality to most Bangkokians, the city began to prepare for the flood. Homes and Business built walls, and sandbags were everywhere,  people also started to hoard water, instant noodles, and snacks. Grocery stores began to have empty shelves, and signs limiting  purchases to two per person.

4. After Thamasat fell to the flood, Bangkok thought that it was safe again. Until it became clear that the sandbags were not working the way they had hopped. each day the flood inched closer and closer to Don Muong Airport. Until one morning we a woke to the headlines the airport was lost, soon followed by parts of Lathprao. It became clear that Bangkok was not safe from the flood. It was no longer a question of if the flood will come, but when and where.

The Thai Flood 2011 has brought out the good in Bangkokians. Large portions of the city were mobilized  to help in the flood relief in some way or another. Citizens are making food, and finding ways to deliver that food those trapped in the flood zones. Groups of young people are going out everyday to help fill sandbags, to help ease the flow of water. Sections of malls are being used for packing food. Everyday people hitch rides on large trucks heading into the flood zone, to help bring supplies and relief to those left stranded by the flood.

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