28/06/2008

I Know, I'm Sorry :)

It's been a long time since I posted I do apologize about four months!!!  Hi-ya!  Well as you can imagine lots has happened as well as the meaning of my blog which I will get into later.  So I last left off at "Moving Sucks" and let me tell ya it most certainly did!

The shipping company came in and packed up everything nicely for me, it's here in Canada, but I'm living in a small room in my parent's place so until I get my own space again can I unpack my stuff, for the moment I'm still living out of my backpack!


It was hard to hand over my keys as it meant much more than that.  I was lucky enough to find new tenants who wanted to buy most of all my stuff giving me some extra cash as well as saving me from the heartache and stress of selling each piece.  But I will miss my apartment however I'm looking forward to my next space as I'm determined that I will no longer rent, but instead own my home!!!  Damn I had better get a job!

Well as you can guess I'm now back in Canada with the folks but they themselves took a big leap this year along with my brother as they met me in Korea like I mentioned in an earlier post.  


It was fantastic to introduce my Korean life to my family who embraced more than I had anticipated which was awesome.  My friends were worried to meet them as they were nervous as the cultural barrier of how to speak or act around elders was really evident but once my friends met my family they realized how down to earth my family really is.  It was awesome!!!

We only stayed in Seoul, if there was more time I would have liked to take them to Daegu and introduce them to my first school and Mrs Cho who has helped me so much in Korea.  After all 대구 was my Korean hometown ~LOL!

Well even though it was great to be with my family it most certainly helped with the harsh reality that I was LEAVING Korea and all my wonderful friends.  It made it a lot easier as I'm still teary eyed knowing that I can't just call up Nado, or go to Hongdae in some club or gallery and meet up with Valthino, Sanae, Joo-young or other friends to party all night.  Or have a girly chit chat in Itaewon with Maryon or be involved in some art show thing with Mary!  I love them all and will miss Korea for it's people and the wonderful memories however I will be back for a visit as I left a piece of me there!!!


So that was that however another part was just beginning as my family and I were off to Thailand together.  I realized that it was the first time that all four of us were together on the same flight, the last time was when we first went to Canada for a holiday when I was 16!


WE had a wonderful time, mind you I think everything caught up with me the first night in Bangkok I was really ill, I've never thrown up in a restaurant, but I think I was under a lot of stress and now I can relax, but my body really went South!  Luckily the next day I was fine and ready to kick some ass as Bangkok's tour guide to the Palace and beyond ~ he he he!

We stayed in bangkok for three nights then flew down to Krabi where we stayed in a small resort that was absolutely the best ever!!!  Sure there were bugs but hey that's what you expect when in the jungle!


We had such a fantastic time going on a picnic with our longtail boats whizzing pass so many islands then picking our own private beach to eat baguettes and drink beer ~ that's the life!  The resort was so friendly and comfortable it was fun to eat dinner with everyone at one large table as well as go sea kayaking with everyone, however my parents opted out instead they took the dogs for a stroll along the empty beach that our resort was nicely located on.  The best place that I stayed in.

Andrew left to go back to work, but the three of us went onto to Siem Reap which I have been trying to go to, and I'm so happy that I got to go with my folks.


We visited Angkor Wat which was amazing, my parents weren't so sure what I was talking about but once we were there they were in total awe!  We had a great time with our driver who was the same age as me but his naiivety was quite cute.  He drove us around for the three days we were there, at only $30 a day I thought it was higher than what was advertised however it was a steal for what he provided for us in the end and what that money represents to his family.
The next day we were off to Vietnam by bus however we had to stop over for a night in Phnom Phen then the next we took another bus to Ho Cho Minh City.

We didn't stay too long in HCMC in fact as soon as we got off the bus we walked straight into a travel agent and booked the first flight to Hanoi.  We got to our hotel quite late, but weren't too pleased being on the top floor of the tall skinny hotel that has no elevators, so carrying all the luggage wasn't the most fun to do in Hanoi!  The next day not only did we find a better place to stay in but we also booked a two day tour in Halong bay.  It's about a three hour drive from Hanoi but Halong bay was worth everything.  However I was most disappointed with the pollution as the junk boats dunk all of their garbage into the sea!!!  :(  We took off to Cat Ba Island, but I wasn't too happy with the place, it was certainly quieter than the other places we had seen in Vietnam, but some of the worst food!!!  We didn't have good food until our last night in Vietnam but that was in HCMC as our flights to Hong Kong was from that point.

*Will write more tomorrow! I promise :)