photo credit Duncan McKenzie
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Sink or Swim
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Thailand
Sharks Bay, Koh Tao
We have been in Thailand for three weeks now and it’s been a beautiful whirlwind of island hopping. As you know, we started off in Railay Beach and island hopped through the three main islands in the Gulf of Thailand. It was as awesome as it sounds. We stayed in this tiny bungalow on Bottle Beach in Ko Phangan for a week while reading (Shantaram is an amazing book), eating (not me, the food has been making me sick), swimming and watching storms roll in day after day.
Ko Tao (turtle island).
View from our bungalow in Bottle Beach, Ko Phangan
Bottle Beach, Ko Phangan. My favorite place so far.
After a couple weeks on the islands, we headed to Bangkok to sort out our Indian visas. It’s pretty crazy here, with chaotic transit system.
Public ferry transit.
And shopping malls are impressive.
We are getting eager to head to Vietnam and Cambodia from here. But before then, how cute are these?!
Up and at ’em
I really struggle when it comes to getting up in the morning. Always have. I’ve just never been a morning person. But with summer rapidly approaching fall, I’m finding myself motivated to get on a better sleep schedule – and perhaps even create a morning routine. Wouldn’t that be novel?!
(sunny bedroom image via pinterest)
I was recently listening to the “Try something new for 30 days” TED.com talk by Matt Cuts, in which he explains that new habits can form in 30 days time. He talks about how giving something a go for thirty days enables you to actually become the kind of person who _______ (insert whatever it is you aspire to), instead of just admiring that trait/activity in others. So that’s my plan. Thirty days, here I come.
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What would you try for 30 days? Have any tips for getting up in the morning?
What’s on Our Plate?
To my wonderful friends who love food – love the smell, the sight and the taste of it, the food is wonderful and vibrant here in Thailand.
Take a look at some things we have been eating:
Watermelon Shake
Pad Thai
Lychees
Tum yum soup
Fried Rice with Sausage
Picturesque
Hello. Hope you enjoyed your weekend. Thanks to everyone who sent us pictures this week. We hope you enjoy them!
Katie – Boston, MA
Reflections on the Esplanade.
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Ryan – Chicago, IL
Colorful assortment of locally grown tomatoes at Logan Square Farmers Market
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Juani – Dominican Republic
Tubagua Eco Lodge
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Becky – Ohio to West Virginia
On the bridge that connects West Virginia and Ohio.
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What moments are you capturing? Share some with us. We’d love to hear from you.
Lauren (at) sisterdisco.com
One Word, Two Ways: New
Every week we choose a word and each do a post based on that word. This week’s word is New.
(image of Thai motor-tricycle driver found here)
I got to choose this week’s word and the word I wanted to choose was New. Mostly because of all the new things that I have been doing. Everything is fun when it is new. A pair of new shoes, a new love, a new perspective, a new interest. The list goes on and on. This week I have realized that sometimes when things are new they can also be scary, intimidating and confusing. I’m finding the combination of all these things is what makes the natural balance and rhythm of life.
Check out these collages of old and new Hollywood icons merged together by George Chamoun. They almost come off like an optical illusion. Who do you see first, the old or the new?
Dance, Dance, Dance
(photo via Flickr)
I desperately miss New York. I can’t believe I am saying this, as I spent the last year cursing all the things I hated about it. I think most of that was to psych myself up to leave that grand city. New York was my home – the place where my lovely bedroom was and all my wonderful friends are. Sure, I didn’t see them as often as I wish; that’s the way the city life goes. Sometimes months would pass without a word from a friend. It’s a wonder that you actually make real friends in NYC, given how fast time flies in that wonderful city.
Mostly, I miss dancing with my friends. I am talking about sweaty, five hour dance sessions in pitch black rooms filled with people letting loose. I have flashes in my mind of certain songs that just brought it out of us some nights.
Here are some songs I hear in my mind when I think about those sweet, sweet New York nights. The kind of nights you sometimes need so badly you can feel it in your bones.
Homies of the Day: Amber and Graham
We met Amber and Graham a couple of days after we arrived in Gili Trawangan. They were the perfect people for us to meet and at just the right time, since they have been traveling the exact route that we are headed on. They gave us tips about visas, scams, places to stay and to eat, etc. We also laughed hysterically and had a blast spending time with them.
Where are you from?
Amber: Victoria, Canada
Graham: Newton Hill, Scotland
How long you have been traveling?
For 14 months now. We left Scotland on June 8, 2011 and have been traveling through Southeast Asia ever since.
Favourite place?
Sri Lanka. The people are some of the most friendly we met during our travels. Also, the food was amazing and cheap.
Biggest lessons learned?
Amber: I have learned to let go. I have also realized what home really has to offer. All the answers are inside, not outside.
Favorite book you’ve read on your travels?
“Shantaram.” It’s amazing! It is about an Australian convict who escapes to India. We literally split the book in half so that we could both read it.
Amber: “The Art of Happiness” by the Dali Lama was another one of my favorites.
Craziest place you stayed?
We couch surfed most of our way, which saved heaps of money. Staying at a Polish guy’s apartment in the ghetto of the Philippines was pretty scary.
What’s the first thing you will do when you get home?
Amber: Eat scallop potatoes and ham. My favorite!
Graham: Wear jeans and play with my dog, Nelson.
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We had a great time chilling on the beach with you guys in Gili T. See you soon!
Dîner en Blanc
On Monday evening after work a few friends and I (dressed all in white) hauled four folding chairs and a folding table to the corner of 73rd Street and Amsterdam Ave. to meet up with a small group of fellow participants in New York’s second Dîner en Blanc. From there we were led to the event’s secret location to set-up for an elegant, outdoor picnic in white. Keeping the location secret until the last minute is one of the defining characteristics of the Dîner en Blanc, which started in Paris several years ago but is now held in several cities around the world.
We were told to be prepared for a 10-15 minute walk with all of our picnic supplies and suspected that we might find ourselves smack in the middle of Central Park’s Sheep Meadow. While Central Park would have been a lovely location, we were quite pleased to instead be led to Lincoln Center.
Once our group arrived, we – along with over three thousand others – set up our table and unpacked the plates, glasses, silverware and food we’d brought along (no paper or plastic allowed).
We drank some wine, snapped a ton of pictures and made friends with our neighbors.
After the sun had set, and people had finished eating, the music was turned up and a bit of a dance party ensued.
C’était une belle nuit et je suis impatient de participer de nouveau l’an prochain!
Bookworm
There are moments on this trip where I read every second of every minute for days straight – and then at other times, not at all. There are book exchanges at homestays or small bookstores filled with stories that backpackers left behind. And so it goes; you end up reading whatever random book calls out to you and is a decent price, aka less than $2.
(photo via Flickr)
I have noticed that the last 3 books I have read all relate to India in some form or another, which is psyching me up to have at go at backpacking through that contradictory country. I have also noticed that I end up reading books about a place right before going there, only to wish that I still had that book in hand while in the place itself. Most of the books are fiction and by the time I finish, I am obsessed with the author, and desperately need to know the story of his/her life.
These are my reads so far:
(Don’t hate)
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I would love to hear any recommendations you have for books I should keep an eye out for.
sisterdisco.com 