Archive for May, 2009

Orbital: Beached

Friday, May 29th, 2009

Orbital’s great track that was used in the movie The Beach, while at times annoying due to the overlay of Leonardo’s voice, really really helps me get over any worries I have about undertaking this trip in the current economic climate and more importantly when I will have just reached 30 and be expected to be all settled and stuff!

For those who havent ever heard it, here it is!

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Big Trip Destinations: Thailand

Friday, May 29th, 2009

On the 6-8 month trip that this site is all about, my first port of call is the Kingdom of Siam, otherwise known to the world as Thailand.

The country itself is a melting pot of culture and cuisine, beaches and ruins and all the things in between.  From the islands in the Gulf of Thailand to the hills of the North I am planning to spend at least 10 weeks in country spread over two 60 day Tourist visa’s. From when I first land in Bangkok to when I leave for Laos weeks later, I know I’ll never be short of places to go and sights to see.

Obviously I’ll be spending time in Bangkok – hey I need to re-arrange my return flight for a later date than it is currently booked for – however, having experienced alot of what that city has to offer, I’ll be getting away from there as soon as I can.

On my list of places to see during all the time I spend in Thailand are:

  • Chiang Mai / Pai / Mae Hong Son:  Trekking, cooking classes and generally a laid back life in the mountainous north;
  • Kanchanburi: Visiting the death railway and WWII cemetary – under order’s from my mother. As well as the Erawan falls and going up to Sangkhlaburi near the Burmese (not Myanmar!) border;
  • Gulf islands: from Ko Chang in the north down to Ko Pha Ngan – home of the world (in)famous Full Moon Party;
  • Andaman islands: The famous Phi Phi Leh – where The Beach was filmed – is one of several destinations I have over this side of the Thai penisula.  Others include Ko Lanta & The Similian Islands;
  • North-Eastern Thailand: Thanks to articles over on Travelfish, I certainly shall be spending time in this area of Thailand, its little visited, has some great trekking and is close to Laos, all in all has a good set of reasons to take some time going through the region.

So as you can see quite a range of places I’d like to visit – obviously despite not mentioning it, I will be going to Sukhothai to see the ruins of former Siamese glory found there.

Other posts will come on the other countries within South-East Asia that I am aiming to visit, so keep on reading!!!

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Big Trip: Phase 1 is done!

Saturday, May 16th, 2009

I have recently purchased my flight out to South East Asia.  I am flying with Emirates and shall be leaving in 253 days on the 25th January 2010!

Finally, this is beginning to feel considerably more real.

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Are you old school?

Thursday, May 14th, 2009

While it has an American bent to it, I read this through and as it turns out, I am pretty old school!

You are Old School if………………………………….

U remember watching Doug, Ren & Stimpy, Pinky and the Brain , and Two Stupid Dogs.

You’ve ever ended a sentence with the word “PSYCHE!

You just cant resist finishing this… “Iiiiiiin west philladelphia born and raised…”

You remember TGIF on ABC. Step by Step, Family Matters, Dinosaurs, and Boy Meets World.

You remember when, 2Pac and Selena died.

You remember when it was actually worth getting up early
on a Saturday to watch cartoons.

You got super excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.

You remember reading “Goosebumps”

You took plastic cartoon lunch boxes to school.

You remember the craze, then the banning of slap bracelets and slam books.

You still get the urge to say “NOT” after (almost) every sentence…Not…

You used to listen to the radio all day long just to record “Your FAVORITE song of ALL time”

Where in the world is Carmen San Diego? was both a game and a TV game show.

Captain Planet. He’s a Hero.

You knew that Kimberly, the pink ranger, and Tommy, the green Ranger were meant to be together.

You remember when super nintendo’s and Sega Genisis became popular.

You always wanted to send in a tape to America’s Funniest Home Videos… but never taped anything funny.

You remember watching home alone 1, 2 , and 3……..and tried to pull the pranks on “intruders”

You remember watching The Magic School Bus, Wishbone, and Reading Rainbow on PBS.

You remember when Yomega Yo-Yos were cool.

You remember those Where’s Waldo books..

You remember the special effects on Mortal Kombat and thought they were the coolest thing ever!

U remember eating Warheads.(those sour candys)

You remember watching the 1st Batman, Aladin, Ninja Turtles, and 3 Ninjas movies.

U remember Ring Pops.

U remember drinkin’ Fruitopia and Surge.

if you memeber when every thing was “da BOMB”

when they made the new lunchables so that you could make tacos and pizza!!

You remember boom boxes vs. cd players

Writing M.A.S.H. notes. (and the twenty different versions of that)

Making those little paper fortune cookie things.. and then predicting your life with them.

You knew all the characters names and their life stories on “Saved By The Bell”

You played and/or collected “Pogs”

You had at least one Tamagotchi, GigaPet or Nano and brought it everywhere

You haven’t always had a computer, and it was cool to have the internet.

You watched the original cartoons of Rugrats, Power Rangers,and Ninja Turtles.

You had a favorite New Kid on the block, and you knew all of there names

Yikes pencils and erasers were the stuff!

All your school supplies were “Lisa Frank” brand.(pencils.notebooks.binders.etc.)

You remember when the new Beanie Babies and talking Elmo were always sold out.

You collected those Beanie Babies.

You remember a time before the WB.

You collected all the Troll dolls

You owned a portable tape player.

If you even know what an original walkman is.

You remember wanting to sit on the orange Nickelodeon couch.

You’ve gotten creeped out by “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”

You know the Macarena by heart.

You remember “American Gladiators” and watched it like a religion.

“Talk to the hand” … enough said

You always said, “Then why don’t you marry it!”

You know the significance of the number 23.

You went to McD’s to play in the playplace.

You remember playing on merry go rounds…at the play ground.

When we were younger:

Before the MySpace frenzy…

Before the Internet & text messaging…

Before Sidekicks & iPods…

Before MIKE JONES…

Before PlayStation2 or X-BOX…

Before Sponge Bob
…Back when you put off the 5 hours of homework you had every night.

When light up sneakers were cool.

When you rented VHS tapes, not DVDs.

When gas was $0.95 a gallon & Caller ID was a new thing.

When we recorded stuff on VCRs .

When we called the radio station to request songs to hear off our walkmans.

When 2Pac and Biggie where alive.

When the Chicago Bulls were the best team ever.

Way back.

when it was all about N64.

WHEN MAKING OUT WAS HAVING SEX

WHEN YOU TRADED POKEMON CARDS FOR A LIVING

Before we realized all this would eventually disappear

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Explore. Dream. Discover.

Monday, May 4th, 2009

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
– Mark Twain

What an amazing quote, really strikes a chord with me this evening while I plan flight options and mull over adding in a month in India to my trip too!

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Babylon 5

Monday, May 4th, 2009

I have just started this half-year’s rerun of this wonderful sci-fi epic, and so it is not lost to posterity am posting the watch order, as I see it here.

Movie: The Gathering
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Movie: In the Beginning
1st 3 disks of Season 4
Movie: Thirdspace
Remainder of Season 4
Season 5 (all but the last episode)
Movie: River of Souls
Movie: Call to Arms
Season 5 (final episode)

In case you have never seen it, its a show about a space station in the future and the intrigue – political and personal – that surrounds it during a time of upheavel across the galaxy.

For those who have seen it, I leave you with Gkar:

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