19th December: My Twin and I

19th December is a special day for me and my sister, Daisy.

We are born around 3pm in the afternoon in 1977, 15 minutes from each other. Two of us are twins, but our characters, interests, likes and dislikes are poles apart. Phew! Lucky I came to the world first, coz I can't imagine having such a girlish name that of a flower- Daisy.

I like olive green, blue, strips and avoid floral prints or laces of any sorts, and pink - yucks! Daisy loves Hello Kitty, pink, white and red, and her cupboard is filled with very "sweet" tops, floral-printed tops and dresses, things that you would never ever find in my possession.

I love bee hoon of any sort, given a choice between bee hoon or mee, I would choose bee hoon, no doubt. Daisy dislikes bee hoon, she prefers kuay teow or yellow mee over my favourite bee hoon.

I'm brown as the brownie and stands at 1.68m. She's fair as "tau-huay" and is half a head shorter than me, at 1.6m. Since young, we have maintained that height and colour difference.

I enjoy outdoor sports, whitewater rafting, camping and backpack trekking. Pulau Ubin and East Coast are my favourite haunts. Daisy hates going under the sun, she prefers shopping at Suntec City or just staying at home.

My ideal holiday destinations are exotic countries such as Mongolia, Nepal, Tibet and places that are lesser trodded by tourists. Daisy's definition of a holiday is one of a luxurious treat, with good hotels, fine dining and shopping, so places like Hong Kong, Australia and Taiwan are her obvious choices.

Backpack travelling is what I love most as it allows me to immerse myself in the cultures of the people in the foreign land, travel and see the sights at my own pace. I enjoy the uncertainities and the occasional surprises and discoveries along the way. Daisy once said that she would never ever go backback travelling, as she prefers to have her itnerary planned and the confirmed schedule at her fingertips.

I once did an experiment with my twin. Given $3000, would you use the money to go for a holiday or buy a diamond ring or necklace?

Sister chose the diamond necklace without hesitation. Why? Her rationale: Memories will fade, but if you buy the diamond ring, you'll get it keep it forever. As for me, I would choose the holiday trip over the diamond ring anytime. Coz I don't like diamonds, think it's a waste of money and I love travelling. Even if memories fade eventually, at least the experiences are eternal. More so, then any stones or diamonds can offer.

It's amazing sometimes how two persons who are born to the same family, spent six years of education in the same primary school, eat, drink and breathe the same kind of air can be so distinctly different.

Daisy's newborn, Baby Shermaine is now almost 8 months old. Sis will be spending her birthday this year, with her husband, Peter and her beloved baby Shermaine.Here's a look at my twin sister's blog and baby Shermaine, http://www.our-humble-life.blogspot.com/our-humble-life.blogspot.com/

As for me, I've just returned from a weekend trip to Jakarta with Arlina and Weichean. It was a short holiday, but nonetheless, meaningful and enjoyable. We did the usual girlie stuff, going for massages, spa treatment, tried the infamous Cermara gado-gado, ate at roadside stalls and restaurants.

Arlina also brought me to the slum area near the railway tracks to see a contrasting but real sight of Jakarta, where many families live in poor living conditions, in small makeshift shacks along the tracks. These people are poor, but nonetheless, happy and friendly. One Indonesian "ah-peh" warned us not to go to a certain area, for fear of pickpockets.

Sometimes we lament about our lives and how it can be better. But when one goes beyond the comfort zones of Singapore and witness the harsh realities of life and see how people survive in such dire circumstances, it makes you rethink your life again.

My birthday resolutions this year- To travel and see the world, to document my travel adventures and involve myself in more charity projects such as the Club Rainbow's Camp Sunshine project I've participated last year.

PART SEVENTEEN: True Confessions of The Solo Traveller

Confession One
I slept with a 23-year-old Canadian boy, Justine, two days after I've known him. With Justine, in the same room at Mae Hong Son, coz it was 200 bahts per room and there are two beds inside. We had a great time chatting with two German gals who were teaching English in a nearby village school who were staying in the same guest house. I was greatly entertained by Justine's numerous "no thanks" and a Thai lady's persistent attempt to convince Justine to go to her house to spend the lonely night.

Confession Two
I followed three strangers on their motorbikes less than 20 minutes after we chatted on my first day in Pai and downed three shots of Thai herbal whisky, something I normally wouldn't even lay my hands on back home.

Confession Three
I drove the scooter without a licence. I had no clues how to ride a scooter. I befriended a 31-year-old Thai man while eating at the roadside stall and made him my "teacher". In Pai, they don't even ask you for your motorbike licence. All you need is 100-120 baht per day, and you'll get the motorbike for the entire day. You can do whatever you want and visit some of the nearby villages, hotspring or just cruise around the little town.

Confession Four
I drooled over my Thai rafting guide, secretly. With a neatly tied pony tail, tanned and atheletic hot bod, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the famous heart-throbber, Takashi Sorimachi, who acted in GTO and The Beach Boys, at least to me. I'm sure he will sell like hotcakes and will swoon many girls over if he's born in a different land, I thought to myself.

Confession Five
Muddleheadedness is a trait of mine that many close friends of mine would know. I left my favourite Nike trackpants in the Lahu village in the Northeastern part of Thailand after the two-day-one-nighttrek in Chiangmai. For one who had left my small haversack at the airport in Rome, after carrying my huge haversack and realising the "boo-boo" only 150 metres before I left the airport, and who had dropped my passport, without even knowing it, the loss of my trackpants during this two week break was considered a huge achievement. Hopefully, the tribal villagers would be able to put my favourite trackpants into good use.

Confession Six
I receive a marriage offer and an boyfriend offer, one from Mr Potato, a 60-year-old village man,and when told that I am single, he said, "how about you be my wife?" We had a good laugh and I confessed in an almost Thai-style fashion, "I like Made-in-Singapore, not Made-in-Thailand.

Nonetheless, I threw myself willingly into this arms, literally, as the kind Potato gave each of us a good Thai massage and literally tucked us into bed, under the comfort of the mosquito nets. The other marriage proposal was from an old Romanian fella, who asked "Hey lady, where are you going?" while I was walking along the street. "Going down the street, I replied. Are you looking for friends, a lover, or a boyfriend?" I said, "No, thank you, but minutes later, I was sitting around with them, chatting about the atrocities of war, the Thai people's culture and everything under the sky.

Confession Seven
I was offered to smoke marijuana by a South American traveller, who had been staying in Thailand for several years. I must confess that I was tempted. Drugs is a taboo in Singapore and I have no clues where to find marijuana in Singapore. But I decided not. I thankfully declined this one in a life-time chance for the heavenly puff.

PART SIXTEEN: Dos & Don'ts

1) Follow your heart. Don't feel obliged to visit the must-see temples, or follow the guide book to go the must-go places unless you really want to. You're on holiday and so long as you are enjoying your holiday, it doesn't matter what you do.

2) Don't forget your flashlight. One night in Pai, a little hippie town, 3 hours drive from ChiangMai, we experienced 3 blackouts within the same night. The torchlight would have come in handy, but incidents can sometimes be nice, because I met the wonderful owner, Amido, the best pizza-maker in Thailand, as quoted in the Lonely Planet, when both of us were standing outside the provision shop. We ended up having a very nice conversation, about his life experiences, his deceased wife and his daughter whom he has never seen for the last 14 years.

3) Don't expect punctuality, except when you are travelling by the railway train.
My guide told me to wait at 8.30am at Mae Aw, the Chinese village, as he would be bringing tourists to the Chinese village and would be able to send me to the bus station at Mae Hong Son. I waited till 10.30am but still see no sight of my driver.

4) Do switch your "brain" to a different time zone, Thailand is one hour
before Singapore time.

5) Don’t use this phrase easily, “Bar Bar Bor Bor”, though it sounds really nice. It means Crazy Man. Unless you are absolutely sure that the person is out of his mind, refrain from using this phrase.

PART FIFTEEN: My Last Day in Pai- Zero Stop

I booked my bus-ticket at 550 bahts, from Pai to Bangkok at the Duang GuestHouse just about a 5-minute walk from the bus station. The bus was scheduled to depart at 2pm. In the morning, I went to visit Amido at his restaurant for the last time.

I had wanted to eat his pizza but he told me that it was not possible, because he usually only heat the oven at 6.30pm in the evening. He suggested me having beef lasagna instead. I had the refreshing lemon grass tea as well for the last time.

Amido and I had become good pals just in the last couple of days. He did not allow me to pay for my breakfast despite my insistent requests. We took photographs together with his scrambler bike and I promised that I will send the photographs to him when I return to Singapore. Amido offered me a ride on his scrambler, even though the hotel is only a 5-minute walk away. I took up his kind offer, and went for a brisk ride on his "grasshopper-green" scrambler bike.

I went back to my villa, packed my bagpack and headed to the main street. I went for my final massage in a run-down Thai salon. The Thai lady was very nice and was busy spraying repellent for me to prevent me from getting bitten by the hungry mosquitoes. Language was a big problem. The Thai auntie couldn't speak English much, but she was very kind, conscientiously spraying her home-made insect repellent from a make-shift bottle onto my feet, muttering, "Mochito, mochito. Ooooh.....mochito...".


I had wanted to do the bare-backed elephant riding and river crossing but couldn't manage to do so as I did not have a partner and would need to pay double the price, (600 bahts) instead of 300 bahts.That was equivalent to 24 Singapore dollars for the 2-hour ride with the elephant.I had a little mental debate with myself, and decided that I would the elephant riding out this time.

The combination of friendly locals, relaxing pace of life, meandering river, lush-jungles, great restaurants and cool nightspots, make Pai a magical gem in Northern Thailand, and my favourite place in this trip.

Bye Bye PAI. (read as Bye) And as for riding on the elephant bare-backed and
crossing the river, I'll do it the next time.

I can't wait to get back to Singapore to whip up an authetic Thai papaya salad
for my family and friends.

PART FOURTEEN: My First Attempt on the MotorBike in Pai- Scootering in Pai,12 October 2006, Thursday

After spending several hours in the comfy Pai villa hut, I decided to take a breather and grab a quick bite before returning to the room to continue on my travelogue.

When I was enjoying my fried rice at a roadside stall underneath the tree, a young man, Pong came up to me and started talking in Thai. "Chan Mai Chai Kong Thai (I'm not Thai in Thai language)", I replied swiftly, whipping out the phrase that I've mastered over the last few days. I told him I was not Thai and we chatted. He asked if I had visited the hot spring which was only 6 kilometres away from Pai. I told him that I didn’t know how to ride the scooter. He suggested that I could rent the motorcycle from his friend’s shop and he could bring me to the nearby waterfall, hotspring and the Chinese village and teach me how to ride the scooter.

I said yes to Pong’s suggestion. Not because I really wanted to see the waterfall, or the Chinese village, but I wanted him to teach me how to ride the motorbike. I have been eyeing the scooters for the past few days. Pai is probably the only place in Asia where you can rent a motorbike or scooter without a licence. Knowing myself, I would most likely crash into some flowerpots or knock some poor dogs down if I handle a scooter on my own. He rode the first part of the journey, and when the road was smoother, I said, “Okie, now we change. I want to learn. You teach me.” We switched positions and I took over the bike. Pong was holding on to the brake most of the time, but kept giving words of encouragement, “You learn fast, you very good.”

Poo brought me to the nearby waterfall and we stopped at a local pub owned by his fren, Boo, a cool Thai lady, who married a Frenchman. Boo was playing pool with a few of her customers from Italy. One of the Italians recognized me and said that we have met at Amido’s Pizza Garden the night before.

I bought Pong a bottle of coke and he had a pool match with Boo. Boo invited me to go to another part of her little pub which offered a spectacular view of the mountains. I was happily using my camera to capture these beautiful moments, when I felt a tug at my pants. I looked down to realize that it was a kitten. I have a phobia for cats and the little kitchen freaked me out. I took a step back and it thought that I was playing with it and gave chase. I ran further. I turned my head to check on the furry one.

I kept a safe distance of about two metres from the kitten. The kitten stood still. Some people say that animals can sense emotions of human beings. I decided to engage in a short yet intense staring session with the kitten, to exert my authority over the little creature. My attempt failed miserably, the kitten sprang towards me. I think it sensed my fear more so and I had to forsake my beautiful scenery.

It soon started pouring and we had to seek shelter before we go back to Pai. Pong and I made a pact to meet at 7pm for dinner outside Pai de Villa, my guesthouse. After 10 minutes of waiting, I decided to walk to the main street on my own. He was having his dinner and didn’t realized that it was 7pm. I told him that it was alright and I would walk around on my own instead.

Soon after, I bumped into Amido, the Pizza Man and Terry, sitting at the same place we met the last time along the main street. Terry is from England and teaches English in Bangkok. We had a nice conversation about the atrocities of war, discrimination and Thailand for about an hour, before I made my exit to go back to the room to continue with my travelogue while the rest of the folks made their way to Be-Bop, the popular live-music pub in Pai.

PART THIRTEEN: Pubbing in Pai- The Buffalo Exchange & Quirky Shops in Pai

For Singaporeans who are on a shoe-string budget but enjoy pubbing, Pai is a
great place to go. No cover charge, for ladies night. Everyone can just come
into the pub, and you only have to pay for your drink, the cheapest of all, the
Singha beer, which costs 50 bahts. I went to The Buffalo Exchange, an intimate
cool pub. No fancy decorations, or super stereo surround-sound systems. It was
Open Mike session in the evening. In this cozy pub, musicians or aspiring singers flaunt their vocals and guitar skills to a hippie audience who are willing to give them a shot at fame, or simply a listening ear.

Quirky Shops in Pai
Check out MU and Saibadee Gallery along the main street of Pai. These two quirky
shops which sells an electic selection of T-shirts, jewelleries, postcards and
artworks by two young talented Thai designers. I went window-shopping at MU and Saibadee Gallery numerous times and got some really cute keychains and postcards for my dearie friends and colleagues.

PART TWELVE: A Beautiful Tale About Amido, The Pizza Man

In my two weeks’ backpacking trip, I’ve befriended Amido, one of the most interesting person I’ve ever met in my life.

He worked as a spy for the Algerian Army. He was the boxing king in Europe for three consecutive years, in 1976 and was a renowned chef. He owned his own restaurant, his hotel and was much sought-after for his culinary skills.He had a beautiful wife and lived in a big house.He owned posh cars, such as Lamborghini, Porsches. He had loads of money.

But he didn't spare time to enjoy them. He worked non-stop for 35 years in the kitchen, everyday, round the clock. His luxurious cars were a mere mode of transport, bringing him just 6 kilometres to and fro from his home daily. He decided to call it quits, sold all his properties back home and came to Southeast Asia for his first time seven years ago. He brought 18,000 million bahts to Thailand, and lost most of it in less than 4 months.

The Thai Conman and Conwoman

He befriended two Thai lawyers and they encourged him to invest in land in Bangkok. Thinking that it was a worthwhile investion, he forked out a large amount of his month after they showed him beautiful images of the land that he would soon be the owner of.

He signed the documents (in Thai) and weeks later, went to his new "home".

When he was walking towards his "new" house, he saw a police car and two army trucks parked just outside. As he neared the gate, a short, moustached General approached him and asked what he was doing there. He told the General that he had bought the land.

The General sneered and laughed. "I have the documents," Amido said,as he dugged into his briefcase for the documents.

"Ok, you show me," said the General. When Amdo finally showed him the documents, he laughed.

The contract that Amido had signed actually stated that he is entitled to 2 weeks' motorcycle rental in Phuket. Amido tried to seek for assistance. "You wait, I call my lawyer friends", he said, pulling out his handphone.

"You no need to call," said the General. There is no lawyers." He pointed at the police car and said, that is my daughter and that is my son. Amido's supposedly lawyer partners are in cahoots with the General.

Amido had no choice, but to leave the house, carrying nothing but his briefcase, and a heavy heart."I didn't have a choice, and I didn't want to go to jail," he recalled.

He called some of his friends back home for help, and some flew to Bangkok to help him tide over the difficult period. He then went to Pai and established the Amido Pizza Garden, doing what he's best at.

Settling Down in Pai

He is happy now, in Pai, with his little Amido Pizza Garden. Lonely Planet rated his pizzas as the best in Thailand." Thailand, I'm not sure, but in Pai, oh yeah, I'm sure."

His wife died 15 years ago but he chose not to remarry. Many Thai people in Pai questioned why, they asked him, “Are you gay?” Do you like boys?“

Amido said, "No, I’m not gay. I’m perfectly straight”, and his Thai friends argued that,“It’s not normal”. :What is normal?", he asked with a cool expression. "So long as you feel happy, it is alright. She has died, 15 years ago, but I cannot get her off my mind, he shared, pointing his finger to his mind."You can put the most beautiful Thai woman in front of me. I would say yes, she is very beautiful, but I can’t do nothing with her.”

Many friends tried to persuade him to go back to Europe but he declined.He sells a good 33-cm inch pizza for about 150 bahts to 200 bahts, made using the best imported ingredients he can find. He only earns about 40 bahts per pizza, but he is happy. "I don't care, if I want to make money, I would not be in Thailand, I would be in Europe."

Spying during his Teenage Years

Born in Algeria to a father who worked as a colonel in the army, Amido was selected to be in the special squad to work as a spy during his teenage years for the Algerian army. He witnessed death, and killed people, all not within his choice. He witnessed deaths, war atrocities and experienced war two times in his life. The special squad moved around in groups of five. Each leader was appointed, depending on the specialization of the leader and the task assigned.

Recalling the past, Amido, said, “ When the chief says, "Clean the village"- it literally means to wipe out everyone and killed everyone. Amido is a great man with a big heart. Despite all the ups and downs in his life, he strongly believe that life is beautiful. At times when he had no choice, he had to follow the leader. “When he had the choice, he secretly let the innocent women, old folks and young children off. He recalled once when he was tasked to clean this village, when he reached the village, all the men were out working. The only people left in the house were the helpless women and old folks and innocent children.

“Nobody in this village dies, we let them off, if you go back to camp and tell this, I will kill you myself.”,he threatened. Amido saved hundred of innocent lives, putting his own life at risk. He could have been killed if he was discovered.

Despite all the ups and downs that he has faced, he said to me, "Life is beautiful. It is sometimes the stupidity of people that makes it otherwise."

PART ELEVEN: Cooking Up A Feast At BeBe Wok n Roll with Tee & Carlos

Impress your mom with your new Thai dishes by taking a one-day course at Bebe Wok "n" Roll.

You'll learn how to make your own chilli paste, the 7 different kinds of Thai curries and best of all, be entertained by the smiley hippie chief, Tee and his assistant, Carlos who bears a striking resemblance to Santana. Bearing a moustache, a goatie, his long mane of hair neatly tied into a long pony tail, Tee looks more like a hippie rocker than our stereotypical perception of a typical "Bebe" in the kitchen.

The class usually comprises only 4-6 students and the best part is you'll get toinvite a few guests for dinner. His lovely dog, Ginger, affectionately called his "daughter", is one of the most human-like dogs. A cross bred between a Golden Retriever (her dad) and a Dalamation (her mom), it explains the beautiful golden mane, and distinctive white spots. Ginger, is very friendly and loves to be patted and caressed. She walks around in between the gas stoves and pots at ease.

Accordingly to Tee, Ginger is a food connoisseur herself. She loves chicken and Tee has to mix the chicken and rice well, if it’s not well-mixed, she would just take a consolatory bite and walk off. Many times during the lesson, she would just place her face on your lap, waiting for a nice stroke. At times, when you are stroking her, she would even put her paw onto your hand.

PART TEN: About Pai- The Backpackers' Haven

It's no wonder why the much-trusted travel book Lonely Planet says that Pai is a backpackers' haven.

Romantic, Relaxed and Charming.

Pai has an irresistable charm that makes backpack travellers slow down their pace. Pai is almost like a fairytale land come alive, where people are always smiling, stopping to catch up with one another and "farangs" and natives living harmoniously together.

In fact, you can be walking along the streets on your own one second, and sitting with complete strangers who are just chilling out by the roadside, for a good one-hour chat, the very next second. This is one of the unique charms in Pai. The little place is like a crossroad junction where travellers from different continents of the world meet and befriend one another. It's no wonder, they have T-shirt with the word, 0 kmPai- meaning everything begins in Pai. Pai is especially nice for couples on honeymoon, or big groups of friends who just want to chill out at pubs filled with like-minded travellers. For the foodies and pubbers, you'll never go hungry or thirsty in Pai. There are loads of restaurants and roadside stalls to whet your taste buds.

PART NINE: Sleeping in the Chinese Village, Mae Aw Chinese Village

Mae Aw- A Chinese Village in Thailand

22km north of Mae Hong Son, on a mountain peak at the Myanmar border, Maw Aw is a Chinese KMT (Kuomintang) settlement. The scenery from Mae Hong Son to Mae Aw is breathtaking, with lush tea bushes neatly nestled on the plains of the mountainscape.

Being a Chinese, I had initially planned to go to Chiang Rai, and head to the Mae Salong Chinese village. I thought it would be fun to meet Chinese people, speak Mandarin and feel “Chinese” in Thailand. I was hoping to speak to the old comrades and hopefully can get a real-life account of how these soldiers and their families have moved from China to settleThailand. As time was not on my side, I decided to explore the smaller-scaled version of Mae Salong, Mae Aw village instead.

Savouring Yunanese Delicacies at Mae Aw

Most tourists would come to Mae Aw for the specially brewed Chinese tea and the Yunan cuisine. For me, eating infamous stewed pork with herbs and the man tou (steamed rice flour cake) on a rainy night was a great treat. But chatting with the Chinese restaurant owner and getting a personal invitation to visit their house was the real highlight for me. I have always wondered how a typical village house would be like whenever I travel in the jeep, peering through the window, as the vehicle cruises along the dirt tracks of the villages. It is a great feeling when you feel the sense of trust for strangers and them for yourself.

Meeting Kind Souls in Mae Aw- My New Friend, Ah Zhen & The Restaurant Owner

Ah Zhen was the restaurant helper I met during dinner at the restaurant. I had initially hoped to see some old Chinese comrades and listen to their war-time stories and how they fought the war, but I understood from Madam Lin that the earlier generations, like her father, are mostly deceased or in their late 80s.

The restaurant owner, 61-year-old Madam Lin Chang Zhi has been staying in Thailand for more than 50 years. She got married at a late age of 38 years old, and has two children, one elder daughter studying in the university in Chiangmai and a teenage son. Her husband was from the 93 Battalion and many of them came from Yunan to settle in Thailand. Many chose to stay in Thailand after the war instead of going back to the communist state motherland. Ah Zhen, on the other hand, is born in Burma and was married to her husband at the age of 18 years old. Her husband is from the Akha village, and both couldn't write a word of Mandarin. She's thirty-two years old and has two sons, one 13 year old and another 8 years old. She has spent most of her time taking care of their vegetables, their pigs and chicken.

She now works in the restaurant and can whip up authetic Yunan cuisine, without batting an eyelid. She earns about 1700 bahts a month (about S$78). During the peak season, Ah Zhen sometimes have to work till the wee hours of the morning, around 2am before heading home for a night's rest and to get back to work before dawnbreak. Her house is about a 25-minute walk from the restaurant and the city centre. My guest house was at the midpoint leading to her house.

Peaceful Life in the Village & A Special Invitation

Life is the village is very tranquil. By 8.30pm, most of the people are already nestled in their own homes. After dinner and a nice conversation with the smiley restaurant owner, Mdm Zhang, Ah Zhen offered to walk me to my guesthouse as it was dark and I had no torchlight.

When we reached my guesthouse, she asked if I would like to go to her house, since I was planning to leave tomorrow. I didn’t quite get her invitation at first because of the language barrier. When I realised, I was thrilled by the unexpected invitation. Shyly, I told her that I would need her to walk me back later as I would not know how to find my way back to the guesthouse in the dark. I asked if she would be too tired to do so. Ah Zhen, smiled, and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll walk you back again.”

Like a happy lamb, I followed her and her husband and we chatted about her children, her husband, her family along the way. Her husband keep a distance, but was faithfully and sweetly, tailing behind us, shining the torch on the dirt-track, to point out puddles of water and muddy spots to avoid. Their newly furnished cement house was built by Taiwanese craftsmen.

No fancy decorations or plush sofa set, but nonetheless cosy, in a very primitive way. Her two sons were at home watching television. I tried to “chat them up”, but they were extremely shy. I guessed it must be the first time they have ever seen a foreigner in their house.

Feeling the Chinese Warmth and Hospitality

Ah Zhen disappeared for a short while and re-appeared with a plate of western sponge cake and specially home-brewed Chinese tea.I guessed it must be her way of reciprocal to the plastic bags of tomatoes I had given her during dinner. During my “chat-up” attempt, a wrinkled face appeared from the bedroom, with a wide sincere smile. I guessed I must have been too noisy, and woke Grannie up, as she walked out from her bedroom.

Grannie is Ah Zhen’s mother-in-law. We couldn’t understand each other, but the body language speaks it all. Grannie came to the table, where we were sitting, just outside the house, to offer me a pack of biscuits. Without speaking, she gently took out a few pieces of biscuits from the plastic bag and placed them onto the plate which holds the sponge cake. It was her humble way of extending her hospitality to a foreigner like me. I was touched. Ah Zhen shared their family photographs, of her deceased father and her brother with me.

One interesting fact I've learnt from Ah Zhen is that it takes about three months to grow and harvest the maize plant. Once harvested, the maize plant will die and the planting routine repeats itself again. I have always wondered why crops of maize plants often wither together and Ah Zhen’s explanation helped solved this mystery. I took numerous photographs of the family and promised them that I would send the photographs to home when I returned to Singapore.

After staying in the house for about an hour, I baded goodnight to the family, so that they can have a good night’s rest. I was deeply touched by the family’s hospitality and warmth extended to me, a complete stranger. The visit to their home made the stay in Mae Aw worthwhile, better than what any packaged tour can offer. To make my trip for memorable, I accidentially slipped and landed on my butt while trying to catch a glimpse of the twelve pigs that Ah Zhen reared, just 2 minutes before I left their home.

PART EIGHT: MAE HONG SON AND THE ONE-DAY JEEP RIDE AROUND

Mae Hong Son

Justine and I chose to stay in Mae Hong Son while Becky and Sue opted to return to Pai by the jeep. We said our goodbyes and promised to exchange photographs.

Mae Hong Son is a small town, about 44 kilometres from Pai. Most of the activities in Mae Hong Son centres around the lake and the nearby tribal villages. I checked into the Friends Guesthouse with Justine and paid 200 bahts for a room.

I spent about one hour roaming the streets, checking with the travel agencies, to see if there were any existing 1-day tour or 2-day tour around Mae Hong Son that I could register myself for. I went door-to-door from one travel agency to another, in search of an arranged tour, but in vain. It seemed like I was one of the rare tourists during this low season. I was told that the peak season would usually start in November and December.

I befriended the friendly beardy owner of Mae Hong Son Travel who has been in the trade for over 20 years., I paid a hefty 1500 baht to hire a private jeep and the driver for a one-day tour, which include the admission to the long-necked village and the big-ear village, the suspension bridge, the Fish Cave and ending the trip at Mae Aw, the Chinese village populated by migrants from Yunan.

One-day jeep ride at Mae Hong Son

I met my driver, Thorn, 66 years old, at 9am. Thorn used to be a photographer for over 10 years. He shared that he used to take photographs in Phuket and had printed his photographs onto postcards and T-shirts. However, because of the advancement of digital photography, many tourists to Thailand were about to take their own photographs and the sales of the postcards and photographs plunged by over 40%. He has just started working as a driver about a year ago and showed me his neatly-written notes about the tribal villages in Northern Thailand.

Thorn has a son who works in Bangkok as a lawyer and a daughter who is in the third year in university.

No Show at the Fish Cave

The Fish Cave is a unique must-see in Mae Hong Son, highly recommended by many guidebooks. There is a constant stream flowing out from the cave and the fishes have a beautiful bluish tinge. There are many brook carps residing in the water, and these fishes are considered sacred fishes for the local people. The Fish Cave is under the administration of Tham Pla-Pha Sean National Park that covers most of the tourist attractions in Pang Mapa district and Mae Hong Son town. Do visit the Fish Cave in the early morning. Our visit to the Fish Cave was a little disappointing as the fishes were too full in the afternoon and were not the least attracted to the fish feeds and vegetables we specially bought for them.

Putting on Mud-Mask

My driver then brought me to another place which is owned by a Thai entrepreneur. He has discovered the natural mud resource in his plot of land, and converted the whole place into a beauty salon which offers special mud-masks and facials. I chose the 20 minutes mud-mask, the cheapest and the shortest, so that Thorn didn’t have to wait for me for such a long time. There was a ladyboy with beautifully manicured fingernails who was enjoying his facial massage when I went in. The de natural mask worked its wonders and my face felt very cleansed and good.

“Long-Necked” Karen Village (Ban Nai Soi)

As part of my private tour, my guide, brought me to the biggest Padung village. This is one of the three long-necked Karen villages near Mae Hong Son town. Ban Nai Soi is located near the kilometre mark, 199, on highway 1095, about 17 kilometres from Mae Hong Son town. About 50 families come from another community called Ban Nam Diang Din. These women are usually in Thailand by choice, having fled a potentially worse fate in Myanmar amid ethnic war.

Some of these young girls start applying their brass coils at an early age in order to elongate their necks. It is said that this custom may have to do with imitating dragons and wearing the coil around the neck is considered to be attractive as well. In this village, the women wear a continuous brass coil around their necks. The coils are very heavy and can weigh as much as 22 kilograms. From the admission charge, the “long necked” people receive a small portion of the money collection from the admission, and the remaining money is controlled by Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP).

In the past, the wearing of the metal coil around the neck is only limited to those who are born on the 15th of the month, or during the full month. But, increasingly, to attract more tourists to come to the village, the “long-necked” people have modified the practice and allowed their children to wear the coils regardless of the birthdate.

It's a double-edged sword when it comes to my feelings for these tribal people after my chat with new-found friend, Amido. Unlike the other hilltribes which still retained a certain level of privacy, the long-necked villagers and the big-ear villagers have throngs of curious tourists and Thai people visiting their villages flashing their cameras in their faces daily.

Amido likened the experience of visiting the village, as similar to that of visiting the zoo, and the admission charge equivalent to paying money to see someone shower in her very own home. It’s sad, but if tourists and Thai people do not visit the villages, their handicrafts would not be sold, and their main source of income threatened. He said that the first time he visited the village, he felt very sad for the long-necked people. The least we could do, as tourists, is to support them, by buying their hand-made textiles and handicrafts.

PART SEVEN: Love & Friendships Transcend Geographical Boundaries and Nationalities

Somehow I have an affinity with older folks. The first day in Pai, I met three past-prime folks, two of whom are from South America. One of them has been staying in Pai for more than four years and has a lovely mute girlfriend who sells delicious roadside snacks in a pushcart. He looks easily over 55 years old, and his girlfriend not more than half his age. Asked whether he is ever going to go back to South America, he said, "No, I have my house here, my girlfriend is here and I'm happy."

How did I meet them? I was just walking along the street by myself on my first day in Pai when one of the foggies chilling out for an evening chat outside the provision shop, called out to me, “Sarwadecar", which means “Hallo” in Thai language. I smiled, and shouted back, “Chan Mai Chai Kon Thai”. (I'm not Thai in Thai language). He signalled me to go over to their table, and started to guess which country I was from. It was a fun country-guessing session, he splewed terms including South America, Korea and many others, but it was his friend, the quiet musician who guessed it right.

He is a very free-spirited person. The way he interacted with the local children, and the advice he gave me when I tried my first shot of the home-made Thai whisky. "We're going to bring you to this local pub that has rarely been visited by foreigners. Don't worry, you would be very safe with you tonight, nothing bad is going to happen to you, he reassured. I trusted them, simply because you can feel the "niceness" in them. I then hopped on into his scooter, and with the rest of his friends, we scooted to the Buffalo Pub.

At the Buffalo Pub, the owner, makes very good Thai whisky with herbs. His home-made whisky guarantees to knock one out completely after three shots. The trick to combat this, according to my new-found friends, is to drink lots of water, after each shot, to avoid suffering from any hangover the next morning.

PART SIX: Making New Friends in a Foreign Land

Chatting With Strangers & Looking Like A Thai

It is never the culture in Singapore to greet strangers with a "How are you?", Hallo", let alone to strike a conversation with them. My first travel mate was Kirby, a tall big New Zealander, whom I met on the train during breakfast in the train on my way to Chiang Mai. Kirby works as a music teacher for double-bass in a high school in the countryside of New Zealand.

With tattooed arms and a towering height, Kirby can easily be mistaken as a mafia chief and someone that you should not meddle with. Walking alongside with Kirby was quite a funny experience. The Thai people will approach me first, often speaking in Thai. Kirby will go "She's not Thai", at every attempt that came across. I was joking with Kirby, that people might think that he has "gotten" me from Patpong, Thailand’s infamous red-light district. It’s a common sight in Bangkok to see “farangs” with exotic Thai girls, especially in Patpong where prostitutes freely ply their flesh to the curious and “farangs”. He said in jest, “Yah, very expensive, 1000 bahts”.

PART FIVE: 2-day-1-night White Water Rafting Expedition From Pai to Mae Hong Son

Cruising the Pai River

The largest and most important river in Chiang Mai is the Ping River, which originates in the mountains of Chiang Dao and flows southward for 540 kilometres (337.5 miles). It is along the banks of this river that Chiang Mai's flat, fertile valley area lies. 2-day, 1-night rafting expeditions along the Ping River are easily available from the numerous travel agencies in Pai.

The rafting expedition includes a one-hour drive from Pai to the rafting site, 3-4 hours rafting along the Pai River on the first day, one-night stay at the bamboo hut along the riverbank, and another 4 hours of rafting along the Kong River.

Participants can choose to return to Pai after the rafting or end their expedition at Mae Hong Son, if they are keen to explore the town, catch a glimpse of the long-necked people and the infamous Lod Cave and Fish Cave. The water may not be crystal-clear, in fact, it looked more like teh su-su (tea with milk), and at certain parts of the river, bubbling teh su-su, but it was great fun cruising or rather bobbing down the river, nonetheless. We had a small group, four people, an interesting mix of people who would never have crossed paths, if not for the common passion, to venture into the unknown, through travelling.

My White-Water Rafting Mates

There's the ultra fair-skinned and super-tall 28 year-old Susie from America who works as a doctor and was on a one-week holiday after her voluntary stint in India. Sporty and caring Becky, 24, who works as a nanny in America. The family that she has been with had decided to move to another part of States and she decided to take time off to travel in Southeast Asia beforeheading back to school to study therapy. And rounded 23-year-old Justin, who could easily pass off as a 35-year-old, who is on a 2-month break from work and was planning to go Laos after Thailand. Justin works as a colourist technician in Canada.

The Raft Commander- Poo

The most important man of the expedition, our guide, 34-year-old Poo (read as Boo) has been working as a rafting guide for more than 14 years. He was an eye-candy and bears a slight resemblance to the suave Japanese actor, Takashi Sorimachi (The Beach Boys). Our petite assistant-cum-cook, who studiously whipped up delicious dishes during the trip. It was amazing how they maneuvered the raft along the choppy water, with great ease. Our feeble attempts to "combat" the rapids was great fun too, though we were sure, that they wouldn't have made much of a difference anyway.

I managed to tuck my feet in the underside of the raft and kept myself safe on the raft, but that didn't prevent me from losing my balance and taking gulps of the teh-su-su through my nose when the choppy water lapped the raft. Some of the rapids were extremely exciting, you'll feel at times, the same kind of adrenaline when you're on a roller coaster.

It’s All about Trust

By around late afternoon, we stopped at the bamboo hut by the riverbank where we would spend our night.

Here, we met Mr Potato, or so he called himself. Though he didn’t speak much English, he was a very caring and sweet host. Susie and Becky changed into their dry outfits, while I chose to take a shower along the nearby stream. Bathing with icy water by the river was quite a refreshing experience.

Mr Potato gave each of us a heavenly Thai massage after dinner when we were just chilling out and playing card games. It was a strange feeling when you lie in the arms of a 60-year-old Thai man you have met just a few hours ago on the bamboo bench, giving him the liberty to come into such close bodily contact as he stretched your tired muscles. I don’t think I have been in such close contact with my own father back in Singapore. I decided to reciprocate by giving him, what I called a Singaporean massage. I love massages and never fail to go for massages whenever I travel. After my self-proclaimed “Singaporean massage”, he turned and smiled, exposing the yellow-stained teeth, and said, “Strong fingers.” I grinned, and felt like I’ve been given a distinction in class.

After dinner came a very heavy downpour. Together with Potato and Poo, the four of us spent a mind-boggling session under the candlelight, trying to outwit one another, to instructions such as “Move three sticks to form three triangles.”The next morning, after the sumptuous breakfast, we bade farewell to kind Mr Potato, Susie gave him a bear hug and we started our “bobbing” journey along the Kong River.

PART FOUR: Chiangmai and Its Charms

Heading North & Going Back to Nature

Northern Thailand is not a very popular holiday destination for Singaporeans as compared to the shopping paradise, Bangkok. Living in an urban jungle like Singapore where nature is scarce and jungles curated, Northern Thailand makes an ideal vacation destination for Singaporean families, and honeymooners alike who love the nature. Populated by many ethnic minority groups, including Akha, Lisu, Hmong, Karen, Northern Thailand exudes a tranquil charm distinctly different from its Post Besides having a good selection of eateries, you can take part in a wide range of activities, including white-water rafting, bamboo rafting, elephant riding and visit hilltribe villages and temples within close proximity.

Chiang Mai

One of Thailand’s prime tourist attractions, Chiang Mai is blessed with magnificent mountains and forests and beautiful scenery. It exudes a totally different charm from the bustling Bangkok. A large part (69.31%) of Chiang Mai's land is covered by mountains and forests.

Chiang Mai’s Night Bazaar

The Night Bazaar in eastern Chiang Mai has long been known as the epicentre of the Northern Thailand shopping experience. Walking along the rows of shops selling sourvenirs, quirky T-shirts and lighting was fun, but the more memorable part of the night bazaar was not it. Kirby and I received our first traffic summon for illegal parking of our motorcycle along the roadside of the Night Bazaar. We had to make our way to the police station and ended up having a nice chat with the police officers. The policeman shared that people born on Monday are considered lucky, as the well-respected King of Thailand is also born on Monday. Ironically, we had to pay 200 bahts as a first-time offender for the illegal parking on a Monday night.

Part THREE Tuk Tuk & Hualumphong Station

Making My Way to the Hualumphong Railway Station..(Part III)

After spending one night in Bangkok, doing the usual shopping, decided that it was time to proceed to the next leg of my travel. I had initially intended to have dinner with my sister, Daisy and my travelmate, Christine, before heading for the last night train to Chiangmai, which was scheduled to depart at 10.30pm.

The “happy” receptionist at my guesthouse kindly assisted me to call the railway station to check on the availability of the tickets. As the 10.30pm train was fully booked, I had to catch the 7.30pm train if I wanted to leave from Chiang Mai that evening. While waiting for her to make the call, I chanced upon many happy Thai men and their western partners, going in and out of the apartment.

I left my friend, Christine, who was completely knocked out by her flu medication, in the gay-infested Silom hotel room with a short note, called my sister to cancel our dinner appointment and made my way to the Hualumphong train station.

Taking the Tuk-Tuk

It’s a great way to feel the pulse of Bangkok in a tuk-tuk, but your guard has to be constantly up. The tuk-tuk drivers are often not trustworthy, though super-friendly.

The Hualumpong Station was only three stops from Silom and costs a mere 17 bahts.
Blur as ever, I walked towards the wrong direction to the Silom Station, and had to seek help from a nearby seller along the pavement. She couldn’t speak a word of English and asked a nearby tuk tuk driver for assistance. The driver then got another driver to start the bargaining business with me. As I was running short of time, I decided to take the tuk-tuk instead of finding my way to the train station. “100 bahts” was the starting price, offered by the tuk tuk driver. I halved it to 50 bahts to the Hualumphong train station.

After 15 minutes of driving around the roads, the English-illiterate driver stopped the tuk-tuk at Silom station, smiled, at said “Silom Station.” Expecting him to send me to the Hualampong station, I was flabbergasted. “No, this is Silom Station, I was just across the street on the other side of the road.” With a wide grin, he pointed at the signboard at the station, and said, “Silom Station, with a wider grin and added, Hualumpong Station, far, far.” I was not willing to part with my 50 bahts to the dishonest driver. I grabbed my big haversack and my small day-pack in a swift move, put 10 bahts near the driver’s steering wheel, and said, “ok, 10 bahts,” and ran down the escalator, fleeing away from my predator like a frightened rabbit, for fear that he would give chase.

I bought my 17-baht ticket at the Silom train station and went to the platform to await my train. I was greeted by long queues of Thai people and foreign travellers who are patiently waiting for their tickets at the Hualumpong Railway Station. There are several classes that one can choose from, depending on your budget. The Overnight sleeper compartments are clean, comfortable and you’ll get to save on one-night accommodation. The overnight sleeper train with air-conditioning (2nd class) costs 771 bahts for the upper deck of the sleeper bed, you’ll need to pay a little more if you choose the lower deck to be further from the corridor lights. It takes about 12 hours to go by train from Bangkok to Chiangmai. You can have a good night’s sleep and by morning, wah la, you are already in Chiangmai.

Most Singaporeans often flock to Bangkok to do their shopping and indulge in the 199-baht purchases at Siam Square and Mah Boon Kong. I've been to Bangkok about six times but I’ve never ventured beyond the shopping districts. This time I’m determined to see more of Northern Thailand than the shopping malls. I’m going back to the nature.

PART TWO: Venturing in Bangkok and Heading Up North

Venturing In Bangkok & Heading Up North

After the three-hour flight on the Jet-star plane, we landed in Thailand’s spanking-new airport, Suwanapoom Airport. It was the second day of the airport’s operations. Though the military coup had ended, the person who mooted the airport still couldn’t come home. Just two weeks before my trip, pictures of the tanks and armed soldiers outside the Prime Minister’s office splashed across the papers and broadcast media in Singapore and around the world. Thailand was declared a state of emergency when the military forces took over the Prime Minister’s authority when he was overseas. Fortunately, the king, the most well-respected figure in Thailand gave his blessing to the coup and peace was restored, at least on the surface.

Thaksin had spent millions on this airport, but now, he would probably not be able to see the fruit of his labour in the near future. I’m determined to find out from the Thai people what they thought of Thaksin and the coup. My colleagues were joking with me, “You better not tell people in Northern Thailand that you’re Singaporean, because they are very supportive of Thaksin. They would probably beat you up.”

Two “Happy” Dazes in Bangkok

Christine and I took the 150-baht shuttle bus from the airport to Silom. Christine’s uncle had highly recommended us staying in Regent Apartments. Accommodation in Silom is generally more expensive than other backpackers’ area, as it is right smacked in the red light district, Patpong. When we found the apartments, we realized why her uncle suggested two single gals to stay there. Not because it has extra-ordinary facilities or super-friendly staff, but because we will be ultra safe there as nobody will even take notice of us in this part of the redlight district where the gay community were and gay nightspots plentiful.

Staying in Silom is great as it offers you an interesting glimpse of the ever-prospering night life of Bangkok. We had a really fun time stuffing our faces with the delicacies of the roadside stalls, watching the gay people flirting with one another, and Thai women making advances at the “farangs”. Christine and I were amusingly entertained by a sexy 30-over-year-old Thai prostitute and her Western man, who was in his mid 50s at a coffee house. The woman’s palms were all over the man’s chest, toying with his chest hair and the man’s face was unfazed. It must have taken a lot of determination for her western client to remain or at least pretend to be unaffected by her numerous caresses. 10 minutes later, they left the coffee-house, and the rest was free for imagination.


We also went to another night bazaar, Suan Lom, with my sister and her colleague, who happened to be in Bangkok on a business trip. Suan Lom Night Market is the night version of ChatuChak Market, but a lot neater and less crowded. There is also a huge fairy’s wheel and a great variety of eateries and restaurants. It’s existence is threatened as the Thai government has plans to close the market and use the land for other development.

PART ONE: My First Solo Adventure to Northern Thailand (30 September to 14 October 2006)

10 days off work. 14 days in Northern Thailand.

This is my first solo adventure trip on my own, thanks to my friend, Christine, who dropped a bombshell on me five days before our trip, telling me that she had to change her booked flight to Thailand to 2 days instead of 2 weeks for a work trip to Manila. I was thrown into few choices, One- Postpone the trip, Two- Find a new partner, Three-Cancel the trip and Last- Go on my own. I debated these options and decided I really needed a break.

The decision was made.

I’ll venture to Northern Thailand on my own. Many “What If” scenerios surfaced in my head, what if I drop my passport and can’t get my way back, what if I get burglared in the room while we were sleeping like in Nepal?, “What if the guesthouse I’m staying in is haunted?...All these “What If” thoughts lingered in my brain but they remained very much as haunting thoughts, as the trip date neared.Going on my own for the first time, I felt the tingling sensation and a sense of fear and uncertainty, the same feeling I used to get during the wee hours of the morning before the examinations, trying to cramp all the last-minute information into the malfunctioning brain.

Getting Ready to Set Off

It was a frantic day at work the day before I left for this trip. The Museum hosted the The Art of Cartier exhibition opening at very evening, with Minister Lee Boon Yang as the Guest-of-Honour. By the time the event ended, it was already 10pm. At 3am, I was still frantically typing my hand-over list in the office.

My flight was at 9.20am the very next morning. Dead-beaten, I hailed for a cab just outside the museum at about 3.15am. The driver said, “strange to come out of the Museum at this time, hor.” I replied, “yah.”, too tired to strike a conversation with the driver by then. “Where you want to go?”, the driver asked. “93, Stamford Road,” I replied without much thought. “Huh?”, the driver said. I realized my mistake, I had given him the Museum’s address, instead of my home address. “It’s very scary if that is really your address”, he joked. The old Museum has often been associated by many Singaporeans as a spooky place where old items are stored, and owners of these items, long-deceased people’s spirits lingered.“Sorry, sorry”, I apologized, “It’s Serangoon Avenue 4.”

I reached home at 3.40am and started on my half-filled backpack. By the time I finished it was already 4.30am. It was only about one hour before I head for the airport. Eager to rest my tired mind and feeble limbs, I decided to nap, even if this was only for that short time.