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It's the fourth of July! Here in Phuket, the day is just like any other as other American holidays, passing by without the same exclusive spirit as felt back in the states. Though I suppose at Patong and the other major beaches on Phuket's west coast, some establishments with American clientele might cater for the holiday tonight-another excuse to party, drink, and get laid-though anyone who has ever been to a place like Patong would know that no excuse, let alone permission is needed to party all night long in such a special zone. And now, the Siamerican Wanderer lives up to the 'Wanderer' reputation, as I now prepare to make a new transition. I've agreed to go back to my old teaching job in Mae Klong, or as the province is officially known, Samut Songkhram. I will commence teaching on Monday, July 9, thus will take a bus this Friday night, arriving there on Saturday. I have been feeling melancholic these past few days as I shall embark this trip alone, without my family. Perhaps after a month or two, I can fly my family down to Bangkok or fly myself to Phuket for a weekend, however, such a lone arrangement is only practical for the time being. I will take clothes, guitar, computer, and my Kawasaki 130 cc motorcycle. Transporting everything including myself will run me about 2100 baht (about 60 bucks), of which the motorcycle transport costs 1500 (about 43 bucks). I did consider driving the 800 plus kilometers (500+miles), which would cost less than 600 baht (about 18 bucks)in fuel, but such a trip would have to be safely spread out over 3 days. Besides, even if I drove the bike so far, I'd still have to transport my other belongings, which would still end up costing a lot figuring lodging and shipping costs. So I'll just do it all in one leg on the tour bus. On Sunday, I went wake boarding at the Cable Ski park in Katu district. It was my second time ever and though all my muscles are sore and aching for the last few days, I am content with my performance. The first time I went was about two months ago. I was barely able to get standing on the wake board, falling off more than a dozen times during the take off. Even then, I was so worn out from swimming to shore so often, that I didn't accomplish making a full revolution of the lake, let alone the first turn, telling myself I'd get it next time. And so, this time, I was mentally prepared and made two full revolutions on my first go! Wakeboarding at a cable ski park is one thing, but the next water sport accomplishment that I have yet to conquer is surfing. After going wake the first time, I rented a surfboard with my friend Kit at Kata beach on several occasions, determined to learn the waves. From the combined 6 or so hours on several occasions on my learning attempts, I might have caught the force of 4 or 5 good waves, but even then, I wasn't riding on top of the world like the beach boys, but more being carried by the waves' force towards the beach, kneeling, laying, or squatting, before my ultimate wipeout.
Surfing is one of the most physically demanding activities I have done in a long time. Not so much the surfing itself, but the paddling against the incoming waves, just to get out into a position to catch the swell. While Phuket isn't a haven for world class surfing, it's still to be reckoned with, offering ideal conditions for novices and experts alike during the Monsoon season, when the swell picks up. Anyway, further attempts will have to wait till a later date--waves to indulge throughout the waves of time and opportunity. So, anyhow, better move on to something else for the moment. Keep checking here for Jao Moragoat's latest updates, anecdotes, and outlooks on a variety of topics and experiences here in Southeast Asia ! END OF LOG FEEDBACK For this blog entry? Click the Contact link above. Once Jao Moragoat has accepted it, he shall post it here.
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