Sas is digging the sun

Bangkok day 4. This morning I moved from a swanky hotel to one of the very few hostels in town. Nice homey feel, they even do a new years gift swapping thing the 31st. Loads of comfy chairs and stuff and a large room (en suite, by myself, my dorm days are well and truly over). All good. Will miss the pool tho, how nice it is to lay on a 16th floor rooftop sunbed overlooking the city! New place is in a slightly seedy street off Sukhumvit. "We offer confidential and massage" (sic) kinda signs in the shops. The sex tourism is one thing I will never ever get used to, it is so disgusting. And there's a fair bit of it in this part of town. And my god, the men are ugly. If not by nature, than self inflicted. As much as I love tatoos, a tattooed had is just a no. Also like to be able to see some skin on upper body and arms.

Finally decided what to do after coming back from Hong Kong. Decided I do need my beach fix, so booked a flight to Krabi to stay in a simple resort that you can only get to by boat. Not as 'The Beach' as it sounds, pretty touristy, but should be fine for 2.5 days.

Update:
The buggers were fully booked. Half an hour later I still hadn't found anything decent on the net apart from the Sheraton. Fourtyfive minutes later I had booked the Sheraton. Sod it, I'm on holiday. And on the euro rather than the pound (who'd have ever thought that'd be a better option?!). So five star resort....I am ready!

Bangkok

"My name is Saskia and I have an internet addiction." "You're so brave Saskia." (is that what they say at AA meetings?) Ah well. After two 6 hour flights and very (very!) little sleep, this is a good way to stay awake for another hour or two so jet lag won't kick in too badly. Gatwick was deserted yesterday, even most shops were closed (which is probably not a bad thing considering I have a lot of shopping time in Bangkok and Hong Kong). Flights were fine, and I got to watch Mamma Mia (James Bond can't sing to save his life which makes it all the better, what a fab film), listen to Pete Murray's new album and to Estelle's not so new album. Emirates chucked in The Economsit, InStyle and Hello magazine as well. The new Patricia Cornwell was finished in no time too. Dubai airport wasn't as fab as Abu Dinges (as bro calls it), but the sheiks in their headthingies are a pretty awesome sight, I felt like taking part in a Tin Tin cartoon.

Being the keen traveller that I am, I managed to have five currencies on me but the Baht. Which I didn't discover until I handed the cabby 1000 riel for the highway and he asked if I had any Thai money. Aaaargh. Luggage guy at the hotel was so kind to pay my taxi from his own wallet (and I reimbursed him of course). Saved me a 20m walk to an ATM which the cabby and luggage dude decided was no option. Cabby was the sweetiest guy who spoke very little english and seemed utterly unimpressed by my Thai (after six visits I can still only say hello and thank you). Thought it was pretty cute he kept referring to NYE as Happy New Year. Apparently the place goes off on that night. Cannot wait to celebrate with Scott and Anso.

Merry christmas all

Not x-massy, but one of my fav songs (from the Dublin-made film Once, with Frames singer Glen Hansard) and the melody is right for this time of the year!

Almost there

Two more sleeps and I'll be on that plane to Bangkok. And man, do I need it. Was I fine with years of not going on hols at uni, since I started working I do struggle to go for a whole year without going on holiday. This year a lot of my time off was used to pack, move and find a new pad. Three days in Italy were lovely, but not enough to recharge. Two more work days and off I am. Can. Not. Wait.

A bit of Bridget?

For years, my uncle has been comparing me to Bridget Jones. I'd always written it off as a bunch of b*llocks, assuming he hadn't seen the film. Then again, neither have I. Yesterday, a friend compared my London life to that of Bridget Jones. So I thought I'd do some research, and see how much of a BJ I actually am. Not much, I decided.

1. I do not fancy my boss. Nor do I fancy a man who wore a reindeer jumper when we first met.
2. I do not own a rabbit suit.
3. I do not keep a diary of ciggies and alcohol intake.
4. I do not own a pair of grandma knickers.
5. I never answer the phone saying I am a sex goddess with a very hot man between my thighs.
6. I've never had to leave my job cause I shagged my boss.
Then again, I am completely useless and utterly immature when I fancy a man. I am an appallingly bad public speaker. And I have once had two men physically fight over me....

Take that

Unlike many girls, I was never a Take That fan. I didn't shed a tear when they broke up. Take that was for utterly stupid girls who knew bugger all about music. Shamefully, I have to admit that I now quite like them. They were on the beeb yesterday, and I am now rewatching the show (not for them, but because I missed the first 1,5 hours) and actually think they're quite cool. Then again, I also think Girls Aloud are pretty cool. Would my musical taste be deteriorating?

Christmas party

Well well, I am still eagerly awaiting experiencing a proper english x-mas party. Yesterday's party was nice, but very demure. Noone got very drunk or embarassed themselves. One guy did manage to spil beer over my Mulberry bag and new coat but he was clumsy rather than drunk. It was all lovely, and we were given a small bottle of Moet on the way out but a proper english office x-mas party? Nope. Maybe next year?

Single

The whole single concept does suit me. Loads of hobbies and heaps of friends mean I am never bored and not having another half taking up time means loads of time for gym and friends. However, there are times being single sucks. Like at weddings. And like moments when you are really thirsty, really lazy, and really have your eyes glued to the footy. And when there is noone you can ask to make you a cuppa. Damn.

Freedom

Papers and tele today talk about a London doctor in her early fourties who went missing. Or missing...police suspect her parents are holding her against her will, forcing her into a marriage in Bangladesh. I feel for her, and it is awful but somehow it didn't quite surprise me so much as the convo I had with a Singaporean colleague last week. She is going home next month, after a year in London. A year of freedom. When she goes back to Sing, she will move back in with her parents, aged 29. There is just no alternative. If you are single, you live with your parents. Easy as that. So from total freedom in Europe she goes back to very little freedom, despite the good relationship she has with her parents. She told me one can't even legally buy a house in Singapore as a single under-35-yo. One of the things I most treasure in life, is my freedom. For the past 16 years, I have lived by myself. Made my own mistakes. Celebrated my own successes. Being increasingly less dependent from relo's and more so from friends that I turn to in times of trouble (and fun, of course). I feel for my colleague, and for the Bangladeshi doctor. How hard must it be having known so much freedom and losing it?

And I was working from home today :-)

"London News: Tube bosses warn Friday 5 December will be the busiest day ever in the history of the Underground

COMMUTERS face Tube hell as bosses warn today will be busiest day ever in the history of the Underground.An estimated 80,000 additional passengers are expected on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines alone – the equivalent of Trafalgar Square filled eight times over."

Good timing, Saskia. The Jubilee line is the line I take every day. And I so do not like feeling like a canned sardine!

Boring babe

Another week gone. A partly fun week, as Elena stayed here for two nights. But a boring week otherwise. Work, gym, sleep, or work, read, sleep tend to be my standard days. Next week won't be any different. Even my weekend will be gym, read, sleep, although am meeting friends for Dim Sum on Sunday. I just so want to go on holiday. In less than three weeks I will be in my beloved Bangkok. And when I come back, I hope to be a re-energised, not so boring babe!