In Which Cat Lady Reunites with Her Favourite Feline Friend

All is good in my life again.
Well, at least all is more complete

Our first encounter was a little rough- after a 6 month absence she wasn't entirely sure it was me (and with 36 hours of plane rides/airport-ness on me, I can't blame her).

She proceeded to show her affection the way only Buttercup knows how to- which was a little too much for me to handle.  

But we settled on a comfortable togetherness.*

A lot of purring (hers, not mine) occurred. **

Tomorrow I shall be turning a quarter of a century.
Yikes! I've hit that mark in life.

But hey, things only get better, right?
Happy Weekend!

* As in we-will-not-be-parting-for-a-while-but-will-bask-in-our-human/feline-warmth-and-mutual-love kind of thing....

In Retrospect

My days in Bangkok are coming to an end. 

Today I had my last Thai class. This marks my last weekend here. Monday will be my last full day in Thailand.
And I do not know what to make of this!

Although it's not terribly exciting on why I spent 6 months in Thailand*, it has been an incredibly gratifying and unforgettable experience. I pride myself in being adaptable (even though there were times the language barrier / cultural differences got the best of me) and I can truly say Bangkok was my home.

 If only for a while.

I did not master the Thai language but am able to leave understanding every other word and have become sensitive to speech.** I've learnt to eat phet (spicy) and with nothing but a spoon and fork. 

I rode on tuk tuks and motorcycles (clutching to the seat for my life!) and favoured the BTS (Skytrain) over a car- traffic jams are the real deal here (and I've also discovered Fruit Ninja is the best game to play in traffic).

Asia has helped me free my kawaii/cute side, something I rarely owned. And it feels good.

One of the main reasons I was looking forward to coming (apart from always wanting to come to Thailand, that is) was to TRAVEL. Here I was going to be, for the first time, in Asia. And here I was going to be with all these new countries right around the corner.
*sigh* Everything looks closer on a map.
And one forgets about air fares. And accommodation. And other important travel expenses. And Visas. And... you get the point.

That's not to say I am going away "empty handed".
Here's a sneak peak at my recent travels/re-discoveries.... (not in chronological order)

Laos: Kouang Si Waterfall & Mekong River

Thai Sights

Ko Samed

Cambodia: Ta Prohm, Siem Reap

I will be writing sparsely in the coming weeks as I settle back home, cry a little over being a year older (not really), return to classes, visit my family and take everything in, calmly. 

Changes will come, blog-wise. ***

When I think about it, if anyone has had an overall good and happy life, I can say I have.

And to say I am grateful is an understatement.

Hope you all have a lovely and beautiful weekend!

* My father was transferred here for work and I just tagged along. My 24 year old self. Jobless. 

** That's what five tones in one language will do to you!

*** So far, this blog is nowhere how I had wanted/imagined it to be. That's neither good nor bad. I think it's a reflection of my airy-fairy personality, which is something I'm actively working on.

Short (but Sweet)

I've mentioned how malls in Bangkok are a big deal, right? And they are abundant! Apparently, that's still not enough!

A couple of weeks ago, Ekamai's Gateway had its soft opening. 

Having read that it was Japanese themed, I had to go see it myself. *

We had lunch at a yummy (yup- what else?) Japanese restaurant that had a buffet Japanese style salad bar, unlimited drink refill and green tea/vanilla ice cream for dessert.  

Where there is cat(s), there is cat lady.

MEOW.

Why should you go? JAPANESE PHOTOBOOTHS. #FTW
Ever since I went to Japan, I've been obsessed with them.
The picture taking is where the fun begins, but it's the photo decorating (kawaii all the way) that really gets me hyped up. Again, I need one of these machines in my house. ASAP.

**************************************

So, if you're in Bangkok and want a little taste of Japan, hop on the BTS and get off at Ekamai. 

It's that easy!

* This is how they pull you in- every mall seems to be unique in its own way, so it's always a different experience, it doesn't matter if you walk out empty handed!

"Ya look a little ... stiff."

WAX FIGURES.

They can be fun and a little unsettling!

While this post is a little on the GPOY* side, I am here to remind you that er- taking pictures is fun?

And that if you ever become famous enough, you will be made into a wax figure for random people to delight in and photo-bomb you. C'est la vie.

Lady Di wax figures are my favourite. I am always astounded by her height! As you can see, I'm a little on the short side.

Silk & Wax

Leaving the Bangkok sights to my sister's last two weeks in Thailand, we made our way to Jim Thompson's House.

Jim Thompson was an American businessman who helped revitalize the Thai silk industry in the 1950s and 1960s -- Wikipedia

The now-Museum was where Jim Thompson lived during his years in Thailand- made up of 6 traditional Thai teak wood houses along the canal, nowadays you forget you're in modern day Bangkok!
Jim Thompson disappeared in the Malaysian jungle. He was 61.







If you'd like to see some more pictures, click HERE. Afterwards, we got our pop culture on.

Hua Hin: The Weekend Getaway

What I love most about beaches in Thailand are the trees- these big, broad leafed, green trees by the shore. I guess I'm just so used to the 'exclusivity' of palm trees that anything else is pretty much alien.

With the rainy season inching its way nearer 'round these parts of the hemisphere, we took a chance and headed to Hua Hin- the perfect beach weekend getaway.*

We were greeted with the most-annoying-of-rains** upon our arrival and whilst the sun decided to call it day, it stopped drizzling and we walked around the town. We even made it to the Night Bazaar sans rain (but a little wet)!

Rain, Rain, Go Away.

Come again until September! (When I am no longer here)

Actually, I don't mind the rain when I have no place to go and can sit by the window and watch. The rain here certainly is spectacular, in my opinion.

The raindrops are suspended in the air and dance around, up, down, side to side, in circles, in zig zag.

The rain becomes a veil, hazing* sights that were just there a second ago. And the winds, they howl with all their might! 

It's time for a book and a cuppa tea, methinks.
Happy weekend!

* Totally verbing a noun. 

I'm Not There (Or Am I?)

I have a good excuse for my recent MIA to which I partly wholly blame my sister and nephew- after all, we've been busy running around getting as much done as we can. Sadly, the bustling ended today and they'll be leaving tomorrow morning. *

I can't stress how much fun I've had and how wonderful it is to rediscover Bangkok (et Thailand). There's not been a day where I don't feel blessed and incredibly lucky to be where I am and doing (or not-doing) what I have. 

While I recuperate from all the fun and sun and get off my lazy ass (many pictures will be coming up), I leave you with this week's finds and obsessions. I promise they're good! **

Uno. Chloe Sevigny for Miu Miu

I've had a girl crush on Chloe Sevigny since... a long time.
This video and this campaign puts two of my favourites together: her and Miu Miu.
I'd love to pick out clothes from her closet...

Dos. Mumford & Sons

I can't wait for their next album!

Tres. Cartoon (Cartoons)

Source: myfuckinglifeasanthony.tumblr.com via Anthony on Pinterest

Lately I've been missing the good stuff, like The Powerpuff Girls, CatDog, Angry Beavers, Hey Arnold!, Pound Puppies, Thundercats, etc... With my nephew around and some quality TV time with him, it was hard not to look back on my favourite cartoons of the past (and not so past).
This also meant I discovered a couple of gems (Adventure Time, The Regular Show, The Amazing World of Gumball...).

Cuatro. Chicks with Hits

Last, but not least, THIS MIX. Parts One and Two are up.
This will definitely get you groovin' and going "I REMEMBER THAT SONG" and time travel all around in moments of your life.
LISTEN.

So, was this all you expected and more?
I hope so :)

Happy Weekend!

* T - 19 days until I go back to Mexico though!
** Okay, don't take my word for it...

Another Less Agreeable Countdown

It's exactly a month away. My birthday.

                                                                       Source: vintagemeohmy.com via Keath on Pinterest

My Twenty-fifth birthday.

The big 2-5. 

Goodness, I'm going to be a quarter of a century old!

Waaa.