Finding Your Place

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Having heard this so many times, it makes you think, do we really need to follow the ways of others when in a foreign country or place? After 3 years in Bangkok I learned that by doing as the Thais did, it wasn't only about respecting their culture and their way of life, but it was also about survival. 

Bullying the Young One on a Trip to Koh Samui

When I first arrived in Bangkok, I was polite, courteous and in general nice to everyone. But as the months went on and through the exposure I had with my friends, I realized that being nice was not getting me anywhere; I had to learn where and when to be nice and when to be.... not so nice. Slowly I felt myself becoming stuck up, mean and doing things just to get what I wanted. But at that time, I just thought I was adapting to my surroundings. 

Then, I came here to Melbourne. Things were different. I realized I didn't have to have my guard up so much. I was able to calm down and relax. People were nicer; or at least they didn't hide behind a facade the way they did in Bangkok, so you knew when you need to take your stand. I could become a person I, myself, actually liked once again. 

And this big change that I could see in myself made me think whether we need to find places that suit us. And by suiting us, I don't mean going to a foreign place and fitting yourself into the culture and environment, but finding a place that brings the best out of you. Changing to suit the new place is inevitable; but if you're changing for the worst, you really need to stop and think if this is the place you want or rather, should be. 

Finding the Right Place with the Right Person

Shoes for Sale!!!!

The other day I went and bought a pair of shoes which I knew wasn't really me... but thought I'd give a try...

And now I've realized it's better that I find someone else who would cherish these heels. 

These golden Guess strappy heels look ultra sexy and sleek... so why am I selling them?

Well I'm not sure if it's the same for those of you reading this, but for me, I have a certain "type" of shoes, clothes and bags that when I look at just scream "URNA". And I guess that's why we all have our own sense of style... every now and then we all want to explore and try new things (that's what I did by buying these shoes); sometimes it works and we adopt a new style and sometimes it fails and we end up throwing very good things away. 

So if you are looking for a pair of GORGEOUS strappy heels (or know anyone who is), please go to my Ebay page and make sure these heels get shown off! 

On the page there is just one picture so I've put more pictures below!

I'm back!

It's been quite a while that I haven't written anything and as each weekend goes by I feel this nagging feeling inside me that reminds me that my blog is just sitting there, untouched, unread, and if it were a notebook it'd be literally collecting dust! But week after week one thing or the other kept popping up leaving me with little or no time (and energy) to sit down and write something worth reading.

Even this, I'm not sure how worthy it'll be, but thought I'd write a little something to explain my absence!

My New Car- Punte!

Well about a month back I started a new job (which is probably obvious from my previous posts ~changes~, full time vs. part time and even ~phases~ in it's own way). And a few weeks into the job the Programs Manager (who I was to be working with) resigned.... which meant I was doing a little more than what I thought I'd be doing. As if the stress of a new job and two people's work wasn't enough I had my driving test as well (which I passed with flying colors)! 

I slowly and steadily got passed those hurdles, just to realize that I was coming down with a cold. One of those colds that makes your whole body ache. But did I get a chance to relax and take it easy? Nooo... everyone else was falling sick so I had to make sure I could fill in gaps wherever needed. So much of relaxing and recuperating!

Shrija, me and Pranita

And finally when I felt like I was starting to feel better, two friends from Sydney dropped by for a Hen's night here in Melbourne. Friends from Sydney + Hen's night certainly does NOT equal to getting any rest! I had a great weekend, no doubt, but certainly no rest (let alone the time to sit and write anything).

So here I am, on my RDO... having finished a long overdue house clean up... writing a few lines just to show that I'm still here and have a quite a few topics in mind I'll be writing about soon! So hope you'll be back to read more :)

Cheeeeese!

~Phases~

It's funny how life changes you and your priorities. This actually crossed my mind when I was going through my email inbox. I'm one of those people who don't like deleting emails or throwing away letters. Yup... I have separate folders for each year and all email received in a particular year is moved into the respective folder!

So ya, the other day I was going through my email and just skimming through some of the mail from the previous years that I exchanged with my best friends. And it was quite remarkable how the topic of the emails have changed so much!

New Friends Circle in Bkk

During the first year that we all went our separate ways to start Uni life, the topic of the emails revolved mainly on our new lives- new friends we made, new places we visited and how much we missed each other. Looking back, our main concern was having enough money to travel and shop! And slowly as we got used to our new lives, conversations gradually shifted to the topic of cute boys and crushes!

What a Difference!

As each of us began to finish our undergrad degrees (each at different times) emails started to be mostly about asking each other what to do next. "Should I work a little before starting grad school or just do my masters and get it out of the way? Help me guys!" Yup, each of us went through that "Oh my god, I'm done with college, now what!" phase. That also slowly started to pass as each of us pursued our educational calling. And then emails again were about how different a masters degree is and how different the place is (as we all ended up doing our masters at a different university and different place than our undergrad degree).

Source: OG Love

Soon enough our conversations loomed around love... and meeting the one. Boy oh boy was that a crazy time for all of us! Without giving away too much, let's just say there were many ups and downs, but looking back now we each have stories to laugh about. And now... conversations are about careers and jobs! And I have a feeling... verrry soon conversations will be about marriage (and babies- hopefully that will still be several years away!)

I guess this ties back to my earlier post about changes. Things in our life are constantly changing and to cope with these changes we need to re-prioritize to make sure that we are moving ahead. But I must admit it's funny how one day you're biggest priority is deciding which subject to take up at Uni and the next thing you know you're having to decide what career path to take!

Pictures:
OG Love: http://keturahweathers.theworldrace.org/?filename=og-love

~Piece of Cake~

The other day I received an email from my mom just checking to see that I'm still okay and wondering why I haven't been in touch. Along with that she forwarded a powerpoint slide. The forwarded powerpoint slides that my mom normally sends are interesting; but last night (after a long working week) when I saw yet another slideshow I just felt like, okay not really something I want to go through at the moment. So I just ignored it and went to bed. On waking up this morning I thought, my mom thought I'd enjoy it so mind as well have a look. And now I'm really happy I did go through it because it made a lot of sense to me.

So.... I thought I'd share it with everyone here. I just want to declare that none of this was written by me; it's all from a powerpoint slide show which I thought is worthy to share. On occasion I have paraphrased the words from the slides as the slideshow is largely about God and his mysterious ways... So for those of you not believing in God per se, you can look at it the way I did- not God's doing but just life and karma. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Sometime we ask ourselves: what did I do to deserve this? Why do these things happen to me? Here is a little story to illustrate why. One day a daughter tells her mom how everything is going wrong for her. She's failed an exam; her boyfriend has dumped her for another girl. And her mom, like all moms, knew just how to make her daughter feel better. She gave her a big hug

Raw Ingredients

Mom: Would you like a piece of cake? Daughter: Of course! You know how much I like cake.

Mom: Here drink some of this cooking oil.

Daughter: Eww yuck!

Mom: How about a couple of raw eggs?

Daughter: Are you kidding me?

Mom: How about a little flour?

Daughter: Mom, I'll get sick!

Mom: All of these things uncooked taste horrible. But if you put them together, what do you get? A delicious cake!

Life works in a similar, yet mysterious way. When horrible things are happening to us we don't realize why they are happening or where they will lead us. Most of the time we'll find that we don't need to settle for those raw ingredients of life, but rather, if we are patient we can be assured that something rather delicious is bound to come along.

At the end of this powerpoint it really made me think, how true is that! This is something that I have been talking about with my friends for quite awhile now. Whenever something bad happens to any one of us, we all agree that there is a reason that such a thing happened and something good will eventually come out of it (though at the time you think that nothing good could ever possibly come from that). And a few weeks later or even several months later we thank God, or what ever greater force there is out there, for making things the way they are.

I couldn't find the Walnuts so ended up decorating this Mud Cake with Skittles!

Pictures: Oil http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/how-olive-oil-works.htm/printable Eggs http://www.virginmedia.com/homefamily/fooddrink/food-poisoners.php?ssid=5 Flour http://www.myrecipes.com/recipes/gallery/0,28548,1859001_1798718,00.html

Full Time vs. Part Time

Recently I've started a new job... a full time job. And this weekend marks the end of my first week at this new job. Right after being accepted for this new job I was thinking how great things were working out as I got this new job when I needed the extra savings and was ready for a new challenge in life. I was super excited! Then, a week or two before starting this new job I started to think... hmmm a full time job means I no longer get my 4 day weekends... I no longer get to go shopping and meet friends simply when I felt like... and I no longer got to roll around in bed deciding what to do next!

I have no doubt that pros outweigh the cons because I'm ready for this new challenge (of learning new things, meeting new people, growing as a person, earning the extra money and so forth). But then... saying good bye to a 4 day weekend (that is something I still can't get out of my mind)! 

But nevertheless it got me thinking about whether part time work is better or full time. So here are my pros for the two:

And the cons for either would obviously be the opposite of the other (so a con for Full Time would be less time, more stress and so on).

But then, I realized if you're working full time in a job that you are genuinely interested in and passionate about, you tend to look beyond the cons; the cons don't really stand out much and dissolve into the background so that the only cons about the job turn out to be waking up early in the mornings or not getting to watch your favorite morning show!

I guess in many ways deciding the pros and cons really depends on you as an individual. Though part time work appeals to me in many ways, I would have to say full time work appeals to me in many other ways. (Let's see what I have to say a year from today!)

Aireys Inlet- January 2010- the beauty of part time work!

~Changes~

Note: this post comprises mainly of just some random thoughts that have been swimming in my mind for the past few weeks. It might not really hold your attention for much... but felt it's something to ponder.
How many times have we decided to change something about ourselves? Whether we're changing because we're tired of the same old thing day in-day out or because we want to be a better person, there is always some point where we want a change.


But then changes can be scary... changes lead to something different... If it's not broken why fix it? So why are people looking for changes- whether it be a new hair style, a new job or even a new city?

Source: Art Therapy Blog

In my personal opinion, and through what I've experienced, I've begun to feel that the want for change comes from people's longing to grow and to learn new things. Or more simply, it's just a part of humans that are never satisfied with what they have. 


Let's imagine you get a job in a new city. This would be one heck of a change. You're not only getting a new job (most likely a better pay, better benefits and it'd probably be something that you really are passionate about otherwise you wouldn't really be ready to get up and leave everything you already have), but you're getting a whole new life as well! So the day you get the news you've landed this job is usually the happiest. You can't believe you actually got the job; you think of all the excitement in store for you; the world is basically your oyster.


Then slowly as the days pass by you begin to realize all of the things you need to do- find a new place to live... figure out your daily commute to work and back... learn a new language (if the new city entails a new country)... work out all of the paperwork... make new friends... and the list seems to continue. Then you start to think, why did I want this change? Is THIS big a change really something I wanted? 


I mean in the end everything is most likely going to be fine, if not great. And you'll adjust to your new life and realize that making this move was a really good decision... but it's just the fact that until this new change becomes an everyday part of life, you tend to constantly wonder if this was all a good idea. 

Random Pic... but sure shows changes in people!

Picture of "Changes Next Exit" from Art Blog http://www.arttherapyblog.com/c/art-therapy-ideas/

Island Hopping Continues

During the Thai New Years in April, a few of us decided to go to Koh Phangnan which is world famous for its Full Moon parties. We didn't actually plan the trip FOR the party but decided if we're going there then might as well make it fall during one of the parties.

Unfortunately for us the party was the day we arrived. That was after 11 hours on a bus (with little or no sleep as it was too uncomfortable to get any kind of sleep) and then another 3 hours on a boat under the April sun (which is probably the hottest time in Thailand reaching well into the 40 degrees Celsius range).

Yes we made it to the full moon party... all dead and tired... 11 hours on the bus and then another 3 hours under the Thailand's April sun= dehydration and utter exhaustion

We stayed at a resort called the Charm Beach Resort- the picture on the right is the charming beach view we had... and frankly this resort was everything but charming!

Snorkeling!

Our supposedly 'Air Con' train- covered with dust and filth!

Destination: Koh Samui

Sleeping Beauties- on our way to Koh Samui

My Dashing Dai

Catching some waves-- notice how it looks like I'm drowning and no one really seems to care

My first elephant ride- we got the grumpiest guide of the lot!

Bell-head

Mumified Monk

Destination: Krabi
One thing I realized about Krabi is that the pictures all turned out far better than the actual view. When we were there we were thinking, ah okay this place isn't too bad, but we prefer some of the other islands. The water was a funny color, a lot of jellyfish and worst of all was that the water felt strange against the skin. But when we got home and looked at our pictures we were shocked- are these really our pictures? The water looks a perfect shade of blue, perfect skies, perfect postcard pics!

After arriving in Krabi- I like my hair here :)

Posing along the beach of Koh Phi Phi

Protecting themselves from the ocean's sprays

Emerald Lake (or so it was called)

Fishy fishy fishyyyyyyy

Flowers abloom! - my first long island iced tea :)

Koh Tao and Kanchanaburi

As a year passed by in Bangkok, my friends and I realized that we needed to start exploring. We had already used a year to get accustomed and decided we couldn't afford to lose any more time. And so began our days of what we called "Island Hopping".

Every holiday we got we decided to go to a new destination. And being from Kathmandu (land of mountains and hills) we decided to go to places that we would go to places that we couldn't go to back home, ie the beach!

Our first trip was to the tiny island off of Thailand's mainland- Koh Tao. 

Posing before getting our fins on

First time going snorkeling- how exciting!

Shark Island- here we are looking for the "small" grey sharks that are found lurking in this area

Two Legs Good... Four Legs Better? 

Water Gymnastics

So that was a little summary of our trip to Koh Tao. The most picturesque photographs are all stored away on discs back home in Kathmandu so had to choose from a limited number.

Below are pictures from Kanchanaburi (a small town a few hours West of Bangkok). It is most popular for the Bridge on the River Kwai (on which more than half of the POWs building the bridge during WWII died from diseases and accidents);  Tiger Temple- temple where you can actually pet and take picture next to tigers and The Erawan Waterfall- which consists of 7 layers of waterfalls each more spectacular than the previous.

Of these three attractions we did not make it to the Tiger Temple. Below are some snippets of our trip to Kanchanaburi. Pictures from the War Museum and cemetery have been left out because they just feel too depressing.

On-the-Lake accommodation in Kanchanaburi, Thailand- was super excited when we arrived as I'd never slept in such a place before, but soon realized it's not for those who easily get sea sick. Anyone walking to their room or a boat passing by set off the feeling of 'is it just me or is the room moving?'

On the River Kwai Bridge 

Taking a ferry ride across to a Thai Buddhist temple- the color and the smell of the water was terrible- had to be careful not to get any on you!

At the top of the Erawan Waterfall

Cats!

I've never really been much of a cat person after I had a cat slide down my leg with its claws shredding my brand new tights at the impressionable age of 5. I don't mind cats... but after that traumatizing experience, I decided cats and I didn't go along too well (unless of course the cat in question was Garfield).

So when I woke up this morning after having dreamt of cats, kittens and more cats you can imagine the shudder that went down my spine. Yup! I dreamt that I walked into a room where I kept finding cats of all different types- new born, full grown, brownish ones, yellow ones, grey ones (but no black or white ones). And you can imagine how startled I was to see a cat staring at me from my neighbour's yard as I walked to catch the bus this morning.

The whole way to work I kept thinking about that darn dream and what it meant. When I finally got here I couldn't help but Google CAT DREAMS. There was quite a bit of information online- some which made me think could it really mean what they were saying was true while others made me hope that there was no real meaning to that dream.

Most dream intepretations stressed on the meaning of cat dreams being related to the feminine side of the dreamer - okay that makes sense as we tend to relate cats and women... The following are the intepretations I came across:

1. Bella Online The Voice of Women: "Cats are still associated with mystery, perhaps because their behavior is so aloof and difficult to interpret. As mysterious, aloof creatures, cats symbolize the intuition, and when they appear in dreams they may be asking us to use our intuition more, to rely on our gut feelings and instinct."

2. Global Oneness: "Cats- To dream of a cat, denotes ill luck, if you do not succeed in killing it or driving it from your sight." And here basically they described the different forms of dreams that are possible and the different types of "ill luck" that would follow (yikes!) But then I realised none of those really applied to me. So... I scrolled down a bit further.... "Cats have both positive and negative connotations. You need to consider all of the details in the dream in order to obtain accurate interpretation. The cat can be a symbol of sexuality, femininity, prosperity and power. A cat is also an independent animal, and in your dream you may be associating yourself or someone else with these characteristics. Usually the dream is telling you about yourself and not others. Historically black cats have been symbols of evil and bad luck. If you are a cat lover and have one as a pet, the symbolism may not apply to your dream. Old, superstition-based dream interpretations say that a cat is a bad omen and that you can expect deceit from those that you trust."

3. Suite 101.com- "Experiences with domineering, smothering, coddling, or over-protective women lead to negative anima association. Femme fatale anima images result in self-sabotaging ideations leading toward destruction. Another way a negative anima association manifests is in unrealistic feminine images that no waking life woman can ever live up to. Cat dreams symbolizing negative anima images include dreams of stalking cats or tigers, hissing cats, cats climbing all over the body, a stalking cat the man cannot avoid, or even cat dreams where the dreamer is devoured by cats." Yup, the cats were all over me and others in the dream! But who is this domineering woman I'm dreaming about?

4. Dream Moods: This is usually my dream bible... I go here everytime I have a weird dream. "To see a cat in your dream, symbolizes an independent spirit, feminine sexuality, creativity, and power. It also represents misfortune and bad luck. The cat could indicate that someone is being deceitful or treacherous toward you. If the cat is aggressive, then it suggests that you are having problems with the feminine aspect of yourself. The dream may be a metaphor for "cattiness" or someone who is "catty" and malicious. If you see a cat with no tail, then it signifies a loss of independence and lack of autonomy. To dream that a cat is biting you, symbolizes the devouring female. Perhaps you are taking and taking without giving. You may be expressing some fear or frustration especially when something is not going as planned. To dream that you chase the cat away, signifies that you will overcome your obstacles. (Woo Hoo!) To see a white cat in your dream, denotes that you are going through difficult times. To see a black cat in your dream, indicates that you are experiencing some fear in using your psychic abilities and believing in your intuition. You may erroneously associate the black cat with evil, destruction, and bad luck." So all in all... it seems all dream dictionaries are telling me about some obstacles... some ill luck that I'll need to face.... Do I listen to what they tell me and prepare myself (whatever that may mean) or do I tell myself that it was just a dream? References:

1. Dream Moods. http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamthemes/animals.htm

2. Global Oneness. Meaning of Dreams about Cats http://www.experiencefestival.com/meaning_of_dreams_about_cats

3. Ireland, A. (2010). Cats, Cats- Dream Symbols. http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art10577.asp

4. Ireland, A. (2010). Cats as Dream Symbols. http://spiritual-growth.suite101.com/article.cfm/interpreting-cats-in-dreams

Pictures:

1. Garfield http://www.myfreewallpapers.net/cartoons/pages/garfield-and-oddie-faces.shtml

2. Cats http://www.dam7.com/Images/Cats/images/myspace-cats-images-0004.jpg

Bangkok Daze

Life hardly ever turns out the way you picture it to be. You end up doing things you never dreamed of, you go places you never expect to and you end up with people you never thought you were compatible with. Going to Bangkok for my undergrad was exactly one of those things that I had neither planned for, nor was it something I ever dreamed of. 

Arriving in Bangkok I got off the plane with my tummy doing somersaults wondering what was I thinking! I'm arriving in BANGKOK for my UNDERGRAD!!!! I had always dreamt of going back to the States or going to Australia for college... how did I end up in Bangkok? But at the end of the 3 years I spent in Bangkok I realized Bangkok gave me a different kind of college experience compared to my friends in the countries that I had dreamed of growing up.

The visa we, as students, go to Bangkok under does not allow any kind of work. So...... if you're not busy working; not too busy with studies, what else is there to do than have fun? During those 3 years in Bangkok, I traveled like I'd never traveled before; met all kinds of people I never thought existed in real life and experienced a kind of life I never pictured for myself. 

Well this blog is mostly a picture memoir of my Bangkok days. Hope you enjoy!

View from my room looking out on Rama IV, or Phalam See as they refer to in Bangkok.
I lived quite in the heart of the city with Carrefour and Tesco Lotus near by. I quite enjoyed my stay there as there was always something interesting happening with adorable children, Thai and foreign boxers and I guess the most exciting would have to be the models. 

my VOGUE cover
One of those days we were super bored. Not hot enough to HAVE to leave the room, but hot enough to get WEIRD ideas.... 

Jim Thompson House
Wanting to do all the touristy things (after a year of being in Bangkok) we decided to visit the museums and do some sightseeing. Had interesting antiques and artifacts. And was near MBK :)

Christmas in Bangkok
Christmas is always a very gaudy and colorful affair anywhere, but more so in Bangkok! (Notice the jumpers and shawls- yes it was a rather cool evening mostly like no less than 20 degree Celsius!)

My 23rd Birthday at Saxophone
A birthday I can NEVER forget! (at a VERY nice jazz pub at Victory Monument)

Gypy Days
Recording a tarot session with our very own tipsy gypsy 

Dream World
This was right after I refused to go on the water "rollercoaster" because I didn't want to sit in soaking wet jeans. The very next ride was one which they convinced me would only get a little water on me.... At the end of the ride I could literally ring out my hair, shirt, and jeans!

New Years Eve 2006
My first new years eve with my mom after about 5 years and this had to be the New Years Eve that was shaken up with bombs all over Bangkok!

BUIC International Fair
Our stall at the Bangkok Uni International College International Fair. Yes there were moments of extreme boredom in the EXTREME heat (about 40C) 

Jewelry
An up close pic of some of the jewelry that we were selling at our stall. I just found it pretty :)