Another Day, Another Rock to Dive (Near the Phiphi Islands)

Today I saw a cuttlefish.

Yo' Peeps Check My Crib

Indian Ocean Touch Down

Today, I got to go swim in the ocean! I moved hotels from Phuket City to Patong Beach.

I have to move again tomorrow because my current hotel doesn’t have very good wireless internet. While it makes sense that they aren’t catering to business travelers, for me it’s annoying that they don’t clarify they don’t have it in the rooms but only a single connection that may or may not work from where you are. It can be up to 11 dollars a day for internet on Phuket, but I’ve heard it’s scarcely better in the capital. I’m going to research if Malaysia has better net access from the beach.

I chose the wrong part of Thailand to visit, because all of the scuba destinations from Phuket require at a minimum a whole-day 8-10 hour trip. And the trips are more expensive than Lonely Planet lists (but I guess it was written in ’04). So, because of that and my lack of decent internet today, I’m going to have to wait until next weekend for my first expedition.

But today was relaxing, other than the hilly drive over from Phuket City. Here’s the first rule of taxi- worry when the driver feels the need to have a religious icon of his persuasion ride shotgun.

But walking along the not-so-pristine, but living beach of Patong my worries were erased. I had a smile on my face today. I walked the length of it, counting the hermit crabs and other crusty critters (I say all of this with an Oz accent, R.I.P. Steve Irwin). I think I’ll try to take a beach walk every morning. How long, before I become numbed to it? I’m considering trying to spend the next few months living on the beach. A scientific experiment – will I ever chill the Phuket out.

The hotel I’m probably moving to tomorrow is brand new. Some of the buildings next door are debris-strewn and under construction. The area I’m at took a direct hit from the tsunami, but I think the bulk of the casualties were elsewhere in Thailand.

I wonder when the first Tsunami novel will come out (if it hasn’t). Or the first movie. Daydreaming a year ago, my thought was to write an update of Voltaire’s Candide. The provincial disaster of Voltaire’s time, the global disaster of our own, that arrives in the wave form (in a world interconnected in real time by mastery of waves). Well, shoot. I can write the book jacket at least.

My mental space has been vacant of late. I’ve watched too many stupid movies on Star. I started watching “Numbers (sp?)” on AXN where these math geniuses help solve crimes using mathematical principles.

I have a futurology book by a neurobiologist, but the author made so many factual errors early on, and has such banal insights it’s hard to read on.

Thoughts from a Terminal (Last Week)

I miscalculated. I thought that Chiang Kai-Shek airport would have the right brand of wireless so that I could get some work done. And that KLM would be accepting my bags four hours before the flight. Oh sorry, they just renamed it last week, Taoyan, taoyuan, Tao-something airport. So my readerz I give y’all an update from where else but a Starbucks in Terminal 2.

Today I schlepped my green mule-pack across the street from my hotel to the bus station. I feel like Rambo every time I put on my 3000 cubic inch backpack. I’m starting to think that a business suitcase with rollers wouldn’t be a bad idea. But maybe it’s not a bad idea to look like a broke backpacker when traveling. Particularly when you are a broke backpacker.

I’ve been jettisoning stuff as I’ve been traveling, trying to lighten the load. I bequeath books, screw drivers, networking cable. It’s a challenge to live out of a back pack.

I sent back my winter coat from Hong Kong. (Oh yeah, the skiing one I stole from you bro, so when they assign you to scenic Buttkrackfreeze, Alaska you can take it with you.) Tropical places from here on out!

I’m starting to like VOIP. I had to call ahead to Thailand to make reservations, and I often call the US with it (I don’t think there’s a cheaper way other than IM). But I had to buy a headset to get a decent microphone. The only drawback is you have to have a decent connection. My hotel room connection was flaky at times, so I was a little stressed about making reservations last night.

On Friday there were rallies to depose the current President of Taiwan about two blocks from my hotel. “Depose A-Bian!” They closed off streets and people marched in the thousands, dressed in red T-Shirts with thumbs down and with headbands. One of my friends here took part, and I met with her at the rally for a little while. The basic gripe is a series of scandals, and reports of corruption.

Yeah, big stuff happening in the world, but I’m tuning it out. Phuket! I’m going to Phuket. Eurkel laugh. (Useless pedantry: pun doesn't work with the way Thai is really pronounced.)

There’s an international airport in Phuket, but I’m flying into Bangkok, and then staying in an airport hotel. I’m all cultured-out, so I’m making a run for the beach straight away.

Run Thata Way

Business as Usual

Well, BBC and commercial television are back on the air and the dust already seems to have cleared.

So, we return to the program previously in progress. I really haven't had a chance to get out much, so I'm hoping this weekend to be able to do something fun. I have to find a hotel closer to the beach.

I like the Thai food I've tried so far. New dishes: Chicken Radna - Kale, Vegetables, Spicy Broth, Rice Noodles; Chicken Pad Se'ew - Fried Rice Noodles, Vegetables; Larb Kai - spicy salad with herbs mixed with ground chicken.

Other than some indigestion from adding too many peppers and chilis to my dishes, I haven't got sick yet, my excuse for eating only hotel food until this weekend.

I'm off to try out the gym. Room service and mini-bars are ruining me.

What's on the Tube

BBC News. "Searching for signal at 12561 MHz"

So far I haven't seen any attempts at internet blackouts, but BBC is no longer broadcasting to my hotel.

It reminds me of the scene from "Signs" where the little kid says, "Daddy all the stations are playing the same thing."

Here's what's on the coup d'etat music video play list tonight, a tribute to the King:

"To his people, near and far. Millions of others cannot compare. Our Greatest King..."

"The greatest king of kings...History beholds his reign...Heavenly gift to all mankind...As his fame for all time will remain....King Bhumibol!" And then it went back to Thai.

Hmmm....Maybe I'm going to have to cut this trip short.

I just left Bangkok yesterday to come to Phuket, and tonight I heard from BBC there is a possible coup attempt, and that there are tanks and possible martial law in the streets of Bangkok. The Prime Minister who is abroad, has called a state of emergency. When I turn on Thai channels, they're all playing the same thing, showing pictures of Royalty with music.

It's too early to tell if there will be violence, but I'm going to start examining exit routes if things get worse. I just registered through the State Department website. Maybe I should go to Malaysia. I don't think it's a good idea to go back to Bangkok, and they have an international airport in Phuket. Maybe there's a boat route to Malaysia from Phuket city. Problem is that there were recently bombings in the South, so it might not be a smart route to take out of the country.

To make lemons out of lemonade, I do think my hotel rooms will be cheaper if I decided to tough it out. Hopefully the situation won't get any more serious.

Phuket Town- The 17th Floor View

Poetic Tribute to my Taiwan Experience

Oh Taibei! City of a thousand 7-11s and not a single Slurpee™ machine!

Family Mart. OKMart. AllthesametomeMart. Never shall I want for gelatin-laced treats.

Stinky tofu! Stinky tofu! Rage against the pale bean.

Scenes from a Starbucks

A lot of the Starbucks in Taipei are two or three story affairs. I was looking out a second floor window overlooking an intersection when I saw one of the local wildlife making a mad diagonal dash. It was the biggest rat I've ever seen.

Yep. That's the most exciting thing that has happened this week. I spend my days in Starbucks after Starbucks mainly because they had the brilliant insight to install a decent amount of electrical outlets so people can use their computers. And I like comfy chairs. There are Japanese and local coffee chains that have better prices and selection, but even if they have wifi many of them don't have outlets in sight. My two-and-half year old laptop goes through its battery in about an hour.

It's 15 dollars a month for unlimited wireless through WiFly which seems to blanket quite a lot of the city since I can get a good signal in my hotel room.

I'm learning how to be a mobile road warrior. My first battle was that my computer would crash randomly when the fan was running. My initial thought was to get a good can of duster and clean out my notebook's vents. I'm not sure why I don't try the simplest things sometimes. I wasted a day voiding any warranty I might have left by taking apart my computer, when my first thought solved the problem.

I have to leave Taiwan because I've decided not to get a job here and my visa expires. I found the cheapest airfare to Thailand, so I'm off to there in two weeks.

I'm going to come back and start studying Chinese in Taiwan, but I decided that I might as well hang out on the beach and scuba dive since I still haven't found an apartment in Taiwan, so I'm staying for a month. I better get planning.