Black belt in Karaoke!

Like most people, I hate publicly humiliating myself, so consequently, I hate karaoke. I'm not much of a singer and after watching a video of my high school musical a while ago, I am convinced that the world does not need to hear me sing. This can be a bit of a problem in Asia as most people love karaoke.

On the team's last night in Thailand, everyone was keen to head to a local bar for some drinks and karaoke. With around 20 people there, I figured I could just hide in the masses and let everyone else do the singing. There was one small problem. The bar was owned by a European gentleman who had a large collection of English and Thai speaking karaoke songs. For some, this meant that there was very little to choose from. First up was one of the team managers who sang a duet in her native tongue of Chinese.

With no one in the team able to speak Thai, this meant we were left with English songs only so I slunk into my chair aloing with the other Australian, hoping that no one would ask us to sing. Unfortunately, this was not going to happen. As Michael Jackson's 'Smooth Criminal' began to play the microphone was pushed into my face. I batted it away and claimed that I didn't know the words as I contemplated what my next move was. I didn't have a choice. I was going to have to sing.

As others attempted to sing songs in English, I went straight to the bar. If I was going to sing in public, I needed some courage. I ordered a bottle of rum and some coke (a bottle of rum in Thailand is only AU$3.50 so it wasn't an expensive evening).
 

After one glass, I searched the karaoke machine for a song that didn't really require a good voice, then drank another glass. One song and another rum and coke later, my song came on and with a lot of encouragement, I belted out the best rendition of Queen's 'Bohemien Rhapsody' that anyone had ever heard.

Eventually, the social lubrication kicked in and I sang around a half a dozen songs. I can't remember what they all were but apparently I was okay. I just hope that there is no video evidence floating around out there!!

And by the way... the other Aussie was too embarrassed to sing a song so he just sat there and refused!! I should have taken that approach.

China in Thailand

Why is China Town always considered a bit of a tourist attraction in which ever city you are in? I travelled all the way to Thailand just to end up going to check out China Town!!! Despite the endless amount of Thai culture around, I stumbled into an area that is purely there to mimick another country!

Nonetheless, I walked around and took photos of all of the Chinese buildings and architecture, fully aware of the fact that there is an almost exact replica 10km from my home in the China Town in Brisbane.

Yet, do I go and take photos there??? Of course not. China Town in Brisbane is where you go if you want to buy some crazy spice or pick up some treats from the Chinese bakery. You don't go there to take photos of buildings and Chinese culture.

Then why did I do it in another country???

Wheelchair Scooter!

In Australia, if you are in a wheelchair your vehicular mode of choice, I assume, would have to be a car. (well, I can't really say but i am yet to see any other options anyways)

However, in Thailand, they have found a fantastic alternative. Scooters are used by everyone and for just about everything, so it is only fitting that those in a wheel chair get the same opportunity.

Whilst roaming the streets, we stumbled across this contraption for a person to roll their wheelchair up, strap themselves in and ride away.

The handlebars where offset with a couple of bars welded together with some hinges.

Ingenious.

The iPhone has ruined other computers for me!

When I am travelling, the iPhone is my best friend followed very closely by free WiFi. It has everything I need; email, skype, instant messaging, web browsing, youtube, games, translators, music, movies, file storage and a camera!! All in one conveniently sized package (this is starting to sound like an apple plug).

I spend alot of time on my iPhone and I mean ALOT! So much so, that whenever I use another computer, I forget that it is not a touch screen. Just this morning I tried to zoom in on the screen of an ATM by using two fingers. It took about three swipes before i realised.

Whenever I use another device with a small screen such as a camera, someone else's phone, netbook or mp3 player I always assume it is a touch screen and tap away frantically getting more frustrated as it does nothing. Anyone that has an iPhone will know what I am talking about and would have done this at least once.

There are some downsides to using my iPhone so much... Staring at such a small screen for extended periods of time can result in your long distance vision going a little blurry. It is usually at this point when I think to myself, 'Damn, I need a break!'

I am not the only one on the team who feels this way about their electronic device and free WiFi. Everyone on the team has a WiFi enabled mobile phone and usually a laptop as well. This causes some major problems at night when 20 people are trying to connect to the same network and everyone complains about how slow it is! Eventually, you resort to finding a cafe somewhere that will let you mooch off their free wifi.

Extra K's

When ever you get a new bike there are a lot of adjustments to be made. Unfortunately it's not as simple as taking the measurements from your old bike and applying them to your new one. Every manufacturer has different geometries for their frames so there are always small differences.

For me, I don't really care too much. Put the seat up, lower the bars and away you go. Adjust as needed but purely by feel.

Others are different. Simon, one of the team's hong kong riders, is slightly more pedantic. So much so, that every day he rides for around 1hr longer than everyone else. Going around in circles on the street making millimeter adjustments to seat height, handlebar position etc etc etc.

To make matters worse, to accompany his new bike, he also bought new pedals and shoes which, admittedly, take some getting used to but he took it to a whole new level.

After a six hour ride on one particular day, he spent a further 3hrs riding in circles making tiny changes. By the time he came inside, everyone was ready for bed!

Even After ten solid days of riding and adjusting he still wasn't happy and I am sure he is at home right now fixing something on his bike.

Death of the fanny pack.

When you plan a long journey, especially a trip overseas, for some strange reason (now be honest with yourself here), you contemplate the need to get a fanny pack. You ponder its convenience, the added security of your valuables being right there at your fingertips. Then you realise, fanny packs or bum bags, are just plain ugly and out of fashion.

Sure, in the mid-90's you would have been cool and placed your fanny pack along side your mobile phone belt holder (if you were fortunate enough to have a mobile phone back then) but not anymore. The only people I see with a fanny pack are those older, more seasoned travellers and even their fanny packs are starting to look a little old and worn.

Some still cling on to the hope that fanny packs will one day be cool again and wear it over their shoulder in an attempt to make it look like their fanny pack is, in fact, not a fanny pack. But their is no disguise. Every now and then, a young traveller will pass me with a fanny pack on and I can only think two things... Their parents made them get one because they used one when they travelled and they probably have a money belt strapped to them as well.

Fanny packs can be convenient. You can put your phone, passport and wallet in it but hey, a pocket will do the same thing. Fanny packs are a thing of the past, let it die. They should stay where they belong; with carnies and ticket inspectors.

Return Trip...

Today I began my long journey home from Thailand. Due to my original stopover at Singapore on my way to Hong Kong, my return trip was going to be a long one. From Chiangmai, I had a 1.5hr flight to Bangkok where I arrived at middight and had an 8hr stopover. I had a hotel room booked so that I could get some shut eye and refresh. Unfortunately, thanks to a delayed flight and the need to check-in 2hrs before the flight, my time was very limited.

After checking in at 12.40am, I managed to get about 3hrs sleep before checking out at 4.30am and heading back to the airport. This made my total time in the hotel 3hrs50min; the least amount of time I have ever checked into a hotel. Normally, when you hear about paying for a hotel room by the hour, it is a very different type of hotel, but this was thankfully not one of those hotels.

On the bright side, the whole thing including transfers to and from the airport only cost USD$25!!! When you are travelling, you take any chance you can to freshen up so the small amount of time I had at the hotel was worthwhile.

I am currently sitting in the Singapore Termingal for another 4hrs before my final leg of the journey. I am pretty sure i have around 2hrs before I start to smell... time for a change of clothes. Can't wait to arrive in Brisbane at 1am!!!

Taxi vs Tuk Tuk

In Australia, when you catch a taxi somewhere, you never really know how much it is going to cost. There are a multitude of factors that can affect how long your journey is going to be and how much it is going to cost. Traffic, road works, traffic lights and even the time of the day can add $$$ to an already expensive trip. And let's face it; taxis in Australia really aren't that cheap. Well, not in my expreience anyway.

This can cause some problems, especially if you are a drunk uni student trying to get home at 3am after a night out on the last few $$$ in your wallet. Not only do you have to stay awake to watch the meter, but also so the driver doesn't take you on the extended route.

Yesterday I experienced a better form of public transport. Instead of getting into a taxi and the driver telling you how much you have to pay once you arrive at your destination, you decide on a price before you leave. In Thailand, the tuk tuk's all use this system. You tell the driver where you want to go or in our case, point to it on a map and he tells you how much it will cost. The best part is, you can barter the price. No surprises, no change in price, no guessing.

We had four groups travelling from Chiangmai back to the resort. The first group caught a taxi and paid 600 baht when they arrived. The next group caught a tuk tuk and got the price down to 400 baht. I was with 3 others and we managed to get a tuk tuk for 350 baht but the last group played hardball and bartered their trip down to only 300 baht; half the price of the taxi!

Sure, the trip takes longer in a tuk tuk, the seats are not as comfortable, you can barely fit four people in and the tuk tuk feels like it is going to roll over evertime you turn a corner but it is worth it. The wind is in your hair, you can take the small back streets and if you are lucky, you can get a pimped out tuk tuk with a stereo and flashing lights!

Sight Seeing and Eating

After 10 days of solid training, we were lucky enough to get a rest day to do whatever we desired, so we decided we would finally get out and do some sight-seeing.

The resort bus dropped us off in the heart of Chiangmai, were we went straight into a McDonalds for a Big Mac & fries. I never thought I would see the day when I said I was sick of Thai food but here it was. Back home, Thai food is something you went out for and savoured but on this day, I was looking forward to a burger.

We then ventured behind the walls of the old city of Chiangmai. We all started snapping away with our cameras at the traditional temples and buildings but 3 cafe stops and 8 temples later, it dawned on me... Unless you are into getting drunk very cheaply or getting a traditional Thai 'massage', there is not really much to do in the city.

Every ten metres was an advertisement for 'massage' or a bar but that was about it. Eventually, all of the temples looked the same and I was beginning to get a little disheartened by our trip.

We walked around for about 3hrs and finally stumbled on some more family friendly attractions. We found the flower markets which was hundreds of stalls selling fresh flowers and then some fruit markets with every fruit you could imagine for sale. Here, I ditched the cavendish banana for her more sweeter cousin, the lady finger. Better still, is the battered and deep fried version from the stalls in the street.

We moved on to lunch in a market place that made your mouth water as soon as you walked in. BBQ meat, fresh donuts, fried chicken, noodles and custard filled pancakes. I was in heaven. The best part of it was... for about $10 Australian, you could eat until you vomit.

In Australia, eating out is somewhat of a luxury as you could make the same meal at home for less than half the price you would pay in a restaurant. In Thailand, it is quite the opposite. There is no way that you could buy fresh ingredients and prepare a meal for less than what you would pay at a stall or restaurant so you are much better off eating out. This suited me just fine.

Uncomfortable Dining

Last night we went to a 'traditional' Thai restaurant and show where you ate 'traditional' Thai food and watched 'traditional' Thai dance and music. I use the term, 'traditional' loosely, as it also included a 'traditional' Thai light/lazer show and a musician was using a 'traditional' Thai bass guitar. It was blatently obvious that it was designed for tourists but we all knew it and went along with it. Everything that you can think of that is a Thai cliche was there, and we were all happily posing and taking photos of each other.

When we entered the eating area, everyone had to remove their shoes, which is custom in Thailand. We placed our shoes in one of several large racks with nothing stopping you from coming back out and taking any pair of shoes that you desired. I was happy knowing that my shoes were unlikely to be taken as they are two sizes bigger than the average thai persons' foot. (In one shoe store, they had only two pairs of shoes in the entire store that were big enough for me but that is another story.)

As we were ushered into the eating area, we immediately noticed that there were no tables. Everyone sat on the ground (as is the tradition) on small individual mats with a small back rest. At first, I thought this was fantastic; a chance to enjoy real Thai dining. Then it hit me...

Thanks to many long hours exercising and very little stretching, I cannot sit with my legs crossed. Scoff if you will, but I am not the only one. Several riders on the team are so inflexible, that they physically cannot sit with their legs crossed. This caused some major problems when trying to sit down for dinner.

Personally, I hate being uncomfortable while I eat. In fact, it boggles me that people will sit red-faced and covered in sweat while their mouth is on fire from eating a hot curry. Why not just have the same taste without the spicey heat??? Eating is an enjoyable and relaxing past time, it is not supposed to be tedious. And this is exactly how I felt while I sat in some weird new yoga position while I ate. It ruined the whole experience for me.

Many of the others sat and enjoyed the meal and the entertainment while I shifted and squirmed on my mat, trying to find a position remotely comfortable. Eventually, those less flexible, including myself, were sprawled around the dining area as if we were at home laying in a bean bag in front of the television. It may not have been very pretty, but dammit, I was comfortable.