scottwoz's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member scottwoz on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/scottwoz en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:03:15 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com The Rimmer — Queenstown, New Zealand http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1156917600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1156917600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1156917600/tpod.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:03:15 -0500 'Every day's a Sunday' - Tales of a one-way traveller..
Queenstown, New Zealand

It's 1am. I'm on shift, but at home at the dining table taking a mid-shift coffee break. My concentration breaks with the slight creaking of stairs. Instinctively, I know that it's either Jez or the Rimmer coming up mid-sleep to get a swig of Coke. I look up. It's the Rimmer. He's wrapped loosely in an old towel, an unusual choice of attire for young Jonathan. It occurs to me how odd it is that he's back so early. It wasn't all that long ago since he went out, fingers crossed, in anticipation of night-three with 'the difficult girl'. We spoke about it only a few days ago, after his second failing. 'Third time lucky' is what we agreed. He walks towards me with a coy smile. My face immediately lights up. I nod and ask, 'yeah?' His grin widens. He nods back, 'yeah!' I thrust both arms into the air with clenched fists as if England have just scored shouting a muted 'YES!' but silently, ever so silently, as 'the difficult girl' lies directly below us, in his bed. He laughs and tries to stay quiet. For a second we giggle like teenagers. He reaches into the fridge. No Coke this time. A cold beer. He's waited a long time for this. I smile with admiration. He cracks off the top with victorious flair and holds it up high like a trophy. He tilts me a wink and takes a celebratory swig. Good lad. I nod wisely letting him know that I'm proud and watch as he skips off back to bed. I sit for a moment before turning my attention back to my coffee, and my book. Lucky bastard.
]]> The New and Highly Exciting Next Phase! — Chiang Rai, Thailand http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1248340647/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1248340647/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1248340647/tpod.html Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:50:55 -0400 'Every day's a Sunday' - Tales of a one-way traveller..
Chiang Rai, Thailand

Ok ok ok I’m alive, bladdy hell! I had to get this entry out now ‘knee-jerk-reaction' stylee just to try and tame the inbox.&nbsp; It’s been going mental these past few weeks and there’s just no way I can give individual updates, so here’s a big fat one for yers.&nbsp; I know this is probably the longest overdue entry yet, but all for good reason.Where to start?&nbsp; Impossible.&nbsp; Far too much has happened to even begin going in to so I won’t.&nbsp; All I can do is summarise.&nbsp; Things are going great over here but it’s all full-on.&nbsp; I haven’t had a minute to consider the travelogue, the photos, the videos, the email replies or the mass updates.&nbsp; Nor ‘do’ I get much of a minute these days.&nbsp; Not that I’m complaining.&nbsp; I’ve found my place.&nbsp; I’ve found my platform.&nbsp; And I couldn’t be happier.I’m in Chiang Rai, right up in the north of Thailand and as I write this I’m glowing.&nbsp; I’m glowing cos’ I’m back in the real world, back in the mountains, a mere sniff away from the <i>Golden Triangle where the Mekong meets the Nam Ruak and where Thailand meets its colourful neighbours; Burma and Laos.&nbsp; I'm back in the mountains, where the scenery blows your mind and the culture beams with its own unique blend of charisma and character.&nbsp; This is hill-tribe territory, a treasure-chest of new experiences and a whole world of potential.&nbsp; I may as well have stepped back a hundred years.&nbsp; That’s what it’s like here.&nbsp; Now how good is that?!&nbsp; No tourists.&nbsp; No bullshit.&nbsp; Just utter simplified bliss.&nbsp; <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.2_the-mirror-foundation.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.2_mae-yao.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.4_mae-yao.jpg" width="175"> I’m teaching.&nbsp; Actually I’m doing a few things but mainly I’m teaching.&nbsp; And helping. &nbsp; &nbsp; There’s a Thai NGO up here in <i>Mae Yao, right out in the sticks among the hills and rice paddies that works tirelessly in assisting ethnic minority groups.&nbsp; I cannot even begin to explain the degree of help they’ve given and continually give to people, but the 'Mirror Foundation' is making a huge difference that meets a vast spread of needs.&nbsp; A tiny portion of this assistance is channeled through <i>volunteers, who pay lots of money to fly half-way across the world to come and help out here.&nbsp; Many are young, enthusiastic and have great intentions, but a good majority of them don’t know where to start when it comes to teaching English to non-English speaking people - a lot of whom speak three or four languages already.&nbsp; Now this is where it gets exciting, cos’ with a little insight, a bit of guidance, a healthy dose of encouragement and a nice twist of freshly-cracked black pepper, there’s no reason why these volunteers can’t go out and do great things.&nbsp; Their intentions are good and their hearts are in the right place, and so the potential is huge.&nbsp; But it’s not just that.&nbsp; It’s the opportunities that have opened up to see some of the places, the situations and the people surrounding these situations that have made this whole thing so immensely rewarding.&nbsp; I’d have never EVER expected to get so much out of so little.&nbsp; We’re talking childcare centres, schools, local hill-tribe guides, handicraft artists, village leaders, hill-tribe staff, hospital patients, orphanages, vocational schools, Montessori schools, regular schools, kids with special-needs, Monks in thousand-year-old temples, pigs and chickens and the people that chase them, hack them up and cook them.&nbsp; It’s all here, and I have no alternative than to be totally humbled-out by the whole thing.&nbsp; It’s <i>such a privilege to be here surrounded by so many positive individuals all trying to come up with even more positive ways to enrich other people’s lives.&nbsp; <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.1_akha-kids.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.4_living-with-the-akha-hilltribe-people.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.8_living-with-the-akha-hilltribe-people.jpg" width="175"> So in the main that’s where I am and what I’ve been doing; helping the volunteers get their heads around this whole teaching lark - where to start, what to do, how to do it and why.&nbsp; I’ve started doing ½ day ‘teaching workshops’ for the new arrivals so that they can make some sense out of it all and get fired-up and excited right from the off, so that they’ll float (hopefully) the minute they’re thrown in the deep end.&nbsp;&nbsp; And all this is a mere fraction of what Paul and Thellie do.&nbsp; These guys put in so much and if you saw just what they did and then found out what they get for doing it, it would take you a good ten seconds or so of deep silence before even thinking of coming up with a reasonable response to it all.&nbsp; When I’m not helping out at Mirror I’m teaching at the local YMCA.&nbsp; Actually it’s not so much teaching as conducting discussion groups.&nbsp; And it’s been going great.&nbsp; They’ve just signed me up for another eight-week course teaching another class which starts next weekend.&nbsp; In addition to that they’ve just, only yesterday, roped me into a new ‘English Course’ teaching a group of judicial workers and court officials in the hotel conference room every day for the next few weeks starting Monday.&nbsp; So right now, as well as writing this ridiculously-overdue travelogue update I’m also busy plucking the curriculum for the court officials out of thin air.&nbsp; All good so far.&nbsp; I’m getting paid peanuts but then I’m not here to make money.&nbsp; I never was.<img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.8_finishing-the-water-tank.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.10_finishing-the-water-tank.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.1_finishedx.jpg" width="175">&nbsp;&nbsp; Aside from this I’m serving as a private tutor to local people who really want to learn English but can’t afford much.&nbsp; I have two students in Mae Yao who are doing superbly.&nbsp; Both have come so far in such a short time.&nbsp; One’s a Thai-Khmer who tries incredibly hard and still manages to have a lot of fun along the way.&nbsp; The other’s Thai with Chinese ancestry who loves a challenge and questions <i>everything.&nbsp; She’s also a fanatical cook so most of her lessons extend into whole afternoons of messing around in the kitchen and experimenting with Thai herbs, spices and her abundance of home-grown produce.&nbsp; No complaints there mate! Last week I took on another two: a teacher at a local Thai school and her student.&nbsp; They want to do three nights a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.&nbsp; They seem to be responding well to the games so I’ve been making all sorts of silly things to keep things interesting.&nbsp; It’s such a joy to hear <i>‘Look, a monkey!’ in an overly-excited giggly Thai accent. Yesterday I started two more: the head nurse at the Chiang Rai hospital and her daughter.&nbsp; They were mad keen and now want a half-day block set aside every week.&nbsp; The nurse is so 'into it' she almost falls over herself trying to blurt out all the new dialogue.&nbsp; Honestly, it’s like having a big sponge in your face constantly.&nbsp; Such a hunger to learn.&nbsp; After the lesson they took me to meet ‘mama’ and ‘grandmamma’, then drove me miles out to a place that did steaks and bought me a big fat steak.&nbsp; Can’t really complain there either, it’s just another big grin and another thumbs-up from me!<img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.18_living-with-the-akha-hilltribe-people.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.3_elephant-trekking.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.13_living-with-the-akha-hilltribe-people.jpg" width="175">For the first few weeks I lived on the floor of a photocopy shop.&nbsp; The shop belongs to Paul and Kanchana (his wife) who kindly let me crash there for free.&nbsp; Just recently I moved into a cheap apartment.&nbsp; It’s a pink apartment.&nbsp; Pink.&nbsp; The walls are pink, the ceiling’s pink and it has a pink tiled floor.&nbsp; Kanchana kindly went out and got me a good deal on pillowcases, bed sheets and stuff to get me started.&nbsp; Of all the colours she could've come back with.So with all this going on I needed some wheels and it didn't take long to find a decent bike.&nbsp; I was hoping to get my hands on the tasty-looking Honda<i> ‘Dream’ but had to settle for a little red 100cc Yamaha<i> ‘Fresh’ with its front-mounted shopping basket and awkwardly placed kick-start.&nbsp; I’m not knocking her; she’s a beaut and gets me around the hills and the rice paddies without a single complaint.&nbsp; They’ve guaranteed the engine for six months too and have agreed to buy it back when I move on.&nbsp; Yes I <i>will be moving on, just don’t ask me when.&nbsp; I still have plans to help out in Cambodia and do something similar there.&nbsp; For now though there’s far too much positivity around here to ignore, so this is where I’ll be.&nbsp; For now.Just to add a hint of pressure to my staying longer, I was asked to meet with the head of a local private school the other day who gathered up a load of my documents and took them down to Bangkok, all in an attempt to get me on a longer, more flexible visa situation.&nbsp; Apparently they want to set up an English department at the school for the local university students and want me to get stuck in and make it all happen.&nbsp; So that’s all in the pipeline too.&nbsp; No fixed schedules, no suffocating contracts and no complaints there either, just another big grin and another thumbs-up from me!&nbsp;<img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.2_back-at-nam-raad-school.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.7_more-montessori-.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.7_the-lahu-village.jpg" width="175">What’s really interesting about all this is that I haven’t really gone to any great length to seek any of this out.&nbsp; It’s all come and jumped straight in my lap.&nbsp; It’s all presented itself at just the right moment in just the right place right on cue, as if by design.&nbsp; I reckon that in itself deserves a bit more consideration and as I’m on a roll getting all this out and my finger tips are now square-shaped anyway I may as well carry on: &nbsp; When I took the long overland journey from Laos to southern Thailand last year to take my teaching qualification it was never with the intention of using it to get a ‘job’ in a school somewhere and to slip back in to 9-5 slavery.&nbsp; No way.&nbsp; That old life got relegated years ago.&nbsp;&nbsp; What I really wanted was a starting point, a platform for doing good.&nbsp; After what I saw in Laos, the less-touristy areas of Thailand and a few other places, I knew there was an opportunity for this somewhere.&nbsp; There always was.&nbsp; There always has been.Yet many people scoffed at this.&nbsp; And that surprised me.&nbsp; To want to just go to a place randomly off the cuff and create a situation where everyone could benefit mutually, simply and fairly, and with great reward - not necessarily financial - seemed to be a crazy notion to a lot of people.&nbsp; I’m talking about all the emails I received around that time and some of the people I studied with in Phuket.&nbsp; I remember watching them scurrying around with plumped-up resumes, frantically sending email after email to high-paying schools, the kind you come across in Japan, Korea and the Middle East, places with two-year contracts, health plans and big big benefits packages.&nbsp; I remember the panic over the whole <i>‘I won’t get a job, I don’t have a degree.&nbsp; How do I get around it?&nbsp; What am I gonna do?!&nbsp; Blah blah blah’ thing.&nbsp; Proper, genuine, panic.&nbsp; <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.6_elephant-trekking.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.2_elephant-trekking.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.4_elephant-trekking.jpg" width="175">&nbsp;&nbsp; But while this crazy notion of mine is probably too simple, unattractive and very limited to a lot of people, it’s one that <i>is possible and <i>can work, especially if you’re like me and have very little education, no degree and no resume.&nbsp; I haven’t written a resume in almost fifteen years and have no desire to be in a position where I need to write one.&nbsp; What I found more disturbing though was that it seemed that so many just wanted solely to earn the dollars.&nbsp; Gaining these tools to teach in such a positive effective way with limitless potential is an incredible opportunity, yet for a lot of people it was, and is, less to do with ‘teaching’ and much more to do with ‘earning’.&nbsp; A big shame.&nbsp;&nbsp; Anyway I’m drifting again.&nbsp; The updates from Vietnam (LOVED IT!) will be coming soon along with plenty of pics.&nbsp; The only bit in between Nam and getting here was a couple of weeks in Chiang Mai where I took a course in the Nuad Bo Rarn ancient Thai massage.&nbsp; It was extremely testing, immensely rewarding and thoroughly enjoyable, so if anyone fancies a free massage at any point, let me know ;)Ok that’s all I can fit in for now.&nbsp; Tomorrow I’m teaching in three different locations, mainly amongst the lush green mountains and rice paddies where dogs, pigs, chickens and kids all run wild.&nbsp; If you look closely enough you might just see me chugging along on my little red 100cc 'Fresh' machine!&nbsp; Life can be <i>so fantastic.&nbsp; <i>If you let it..
]]> The Time of my Life... — Worldwide, England, United Kingdom http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1091360700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1091360700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1091360700/tpod.html Mon, 27 Jul 2009 03:20:07 -0400 'Every day's a Sunday' - Tales of a one-way traveller..
Worldwide, England, United Kingdom

------------------------------------ VIDEOS NOW UPLOADED! SEE ABOVE! ----------------------------------<img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.dsc08103.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.img_3909.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.img_3977.jpg" width="205"><i>'In 2004 I did something different. Without a shred of emotion I shrugged off the house, the job, the car and the bike. I shrugged off everything. Shortly after I bought a cheap one way ticket and flew over the equator with a pounding heart and a burning desire to live a different life, one of randomness. The rest is right here, in these pages.Along the way I've experienced things I couldn't possibly have prepared myself for, things I didn't even know existed. And along the way of course, I've met some incredible people - simple everyday randoms like me following their own dreams, and the occasional diamonds that have changed the course of my path forever.I've also met someone else. This is 'his'-tory. Enjoy..' - Scott Woz (2009)<img class="yui-img" src="http://www2.clustrmaps.com/counter/index2.php?url=http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/tpod.html" alt="Locations of visitors to this page">---------------------------------------------------------- UPDATE! ------------------------------------------------------------ <i>Where am I now? - Chiang Rai, Thailand<img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.8_living-with-the-akha-hilltribe-people.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.4_living-with-the-akha-hilltribe-people.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.1_akha-kids.jpg" width="175">MAAAAATES! How ya diddlin'? It's all full on here in the far north of Thailand.&nbsp; Teaching and helping around childcare centres, schools, local hill-tribe guides, handicraft artists, village leaders, hill-tribe staff, hospital patients,orphanages, vocational schools, Montessori schools, regular schools, kids with special-needs, Monks in thousand-year-old temples, pigs and chickens and sorts of crazy kids.&nbsp; Click here for the full story!Woz..<i>(26th July 2009)<img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.midright1.jpg"> <i>- Sunrise over 'The Remarkables', Queenstown, New Zealand.. (5:30am) <i>Where have I been up to now? - Just crossed the Australian continent by motorbike and clocked up almost 30,000 back-breaking kilometres through <i>87 towns and cities. This was after returning to New Zealand to finish the wonders of the north island, also by bike. Before returning to New Zealand I took a lengthy jaunt around Spain, Portugal and a highly spontaneous roadtrip across California and Nevada with some randoms..<img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.dsc00888a.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.dsc07767a.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.dsc09014.jpg" width="205"> For a bit of background info and to find out how all this crazy madness started, click here! Or you might want to start from the very beginning, in Staffordshire, England.<img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1165798680.dsc08202a.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1169958540.yosemite13.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1165336380.dsc07852a.jpg" width="205"><img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1178072460.mikeandlorna7.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1169174100.img_0467.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1164481140.dsc07617a.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1165798680.ixus16.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.dsc01886a.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.dsc00579.jpg" width="116"><img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.img_0984.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1182634440.18---on-the-nullarbor.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1182634440.47---sunset.jpg" width="205"><img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1169174100.img_0542.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1172188920.okiwibay7.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.dsc04147a.jpg" width="205"><img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1182913020.12---back-in-the-xnothingnessx.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1171505580.takaka3.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1163662980.dsc06524a.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1210798440.the-mighty-burmese-python-.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1208301420.kosciuszko-national-park.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1208301420.the-great-alpine-road.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1171663200.cscamp6.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1177978380.gor18.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1149393000.dsc05676.jpg" width="116"><img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.dsc01627.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.dsc04784.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1141187400.dsc05064.jpg" width="205"><img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1162876500.dsc06619a.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.img_4367a.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.dsc04530a.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1163397480.dsc07035a.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.dsc03538a.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1164481140.dsc07546a.jpg" width="116"><img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1209784020.3-changi-beachx-labour-day.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1197749880.04---the-botanical-gardens.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1207951380.2-the-opera-house.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1208392200.3-the-alpine-national-park.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1207874520.5-descending-into-the-valleyx-govettxs-leap.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" 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src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1176159180.wilsonsprom71.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.dsc07091.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1163739840.dscf0027.jpg" width="175"><img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1166296500.dsc08377a.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1165336380.dsc07946a.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.dsc00505.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1207951380.5-the-city.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1207774620.1-downtown-katoomba.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1209784020.2-the-buddha-tooth-relic-temple.jpg" width="205">&nbsp;<img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1248340647.2_akha-kids.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1209784020.17-the-buddha-tooth-relic-temple.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1205102280.goat-fight.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1209784020.1-by-night.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1208392200.the-pimp-man-xand-his-momx.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1207951380.7-from-the-roofx-kings-cross.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1197256920.19---longest-jetty-in-the-southern-hemisphere.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1208301420.3-kosciuszko-national-park.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1205102280.one-of-tasmaniaxs-most-vicious.jpg" width="175"><img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1164481140.dsc07546a.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.dsc05679.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1199208720.dsc05644.jpg" width="205"><img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1166203320.dsc08305a.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1164375540.dsc07681a.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1164481140.dsc07632a.jpg" width="205"><img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1158631320.dsc06155.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1193549340.37---roos.jpg" width="175"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1172188920.okiwibay3.jpg" width="175"><i>I've got a long way to go yet, and it would be great to hear from you along the way. Please feel free to post your comments, drop me a line or sign the guestbook.<i>..until then crack a coldie and grow a grin! Woz..
]]> The Funnel of Fun — Ko Phangan, Thailand http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1216351440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1216351440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1216351440/tpod.html Mon, 06 Jul 2009 02:28:44 -0400 'Every day's a Sunday' - Tales of a one-way traveller..
Ko Phangan, Thailand

<i>'Full moon, show em ya bum!'The island of Koh Pha Ngan is a lot bigger than it first appears, at least if you're game enough to get out of the western trap of <i>Haad Rin - the epicentre of hard party culture. We did the usual and ripped open the throttle, taking in many of the secluded nooks and crannies that make Koh Pha Ngan a much better proposition than the world-renowned chaos of drink, drugs and all-night partying.Considering we were straddling the stock 125cc Hondas we took some ridiculously steep and craggy dirt tracks, crossed rickety bridges over rivers and flew mountain-bike stylee down some serious gung-ho mud slides, which after riding the panic and screaming into a few <i>very near misses we eventually wound up kicking about in some great coastal locations - of the kind you wouldn't normally access without a boat. Some of these bays were to die for and once we'd <i>3-2-1'd our way in we whiled away the best part of a whole afternoon splashing about in utter tranquil bliss. <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1216351440.28-kp.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1216351440.29-kp.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1216351440.43-kp.jpg" width="205">One of the highlights was venturing inland to 'The Waterfall'. I forget the name but it's said that the King of Thailand bathes here, so we did the same and slipped in for a dunk before clambering up the rocks and into the waterfall for a crazy spray. All was good until something slippery and eel-like brushed against our ankles. Under normal circumstances this wouldn't have been too much of a drama of course, but we'd just been having a lengthy discussion about Cobras and how they sometimes live in pools of deep murky water, much like the one we were up to our neck in. The Full Moon Party..After all that lot we wound up the afternoon with a couple of cheeky Changs at <i>Gunshow Gary's before heading back to get ready for our <i>'full moon experience'. This meant persevering through a sudden nasty onslaught of needle-like rain, needle-like because when you're riding 80km's an hour on a tropical island in a tropical storm without a helmet, it feels like a thousand needles jabbing into your face. Trust me. And having someone on your back whimpering and clutching for all he's worth just adds to the demise.<img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1216351440.11-kp.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1216351440.10-kp.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1216351440.6-kp.jpg" width="205">After about an hour it all got too much for Dave and he started chirping from the back seat. All the grimacing and discomfort had made him gag for a beer and as there wasn't one within reach of either hand he started crying. There was no argument from me - I was shivering uncontrollably and the warm glow of the roadside bar ahead of us was more than enough to warrant me sliding the bike in sideways through the crashing rain. We were in there all of two minutes - shirts off and towelling down - when the heavens opened proper and let rip. Talk about timing. And my god did it rip. Almost instantly we were plunged into darkness and sat there silent, jaws hanging, watching trees get blown sideways and our motorbikes wobbling precariously on the tarmac like frail bone-china. The storm raged for most of the night, which meant we were pinned inside this dimly lit bar with no real option other than to get comfortable and get on the Changs. Those who were already down on the beach in Haad Rin for their <i>'full moon experience' would have been scrabbling around for cover wondering where the hell the moon is. As it turned out the five of us (myself, Nick, Dave, and a lively young couple from Huddersfield we met on the boat) had a blast in that little bar and got well oiled. By the time the storm passed it was well after midnight and almost 1am by the time we got back to the beach hut. I was minced by then and decided a power nap was the way forward. I could always join the others later. In my dreams. It was gone 5am when my power nap finished and by then I wasn't going anywhere. Such was my <i>'full moon experience'. <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1216351440.7-kp.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1216351440.14-kp.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1216351440.16-kp.jpg" width="205">Pete and Gemma (the Huddersfield duo) came back around 1pm the following day (still hammered) and told the rest of the story from the hammock. Apparently Liam couldn't be found anywhere, and could still <i>be anywhere, Nick passed out on the beach like a dead dog the moment they arrived (see pics) and Dave carried on partying hard. When they left him at noon (the following day) he was <i>still partying hard. Now this is immense, cos' at that point, while most people were either falling to their knees or lying face down in the sand he was going strong, beer in hand - probably on his seventh wind - and apparently did so for the rest of the day. And night. I know this cos' at 4am the <i>next morning there was a heavy knock at the door. Who else but Dave, standing lifeless in the doorway like a rotten vegetable, his breath smelling like a fresh tin of paint. Just get your head round that for a minute. That's <i>thirty-six hours of drinking. With NO food. How? Tell me how..Anyway that was yesterday, and as I lift my head now from the hammock and look through the doorway I can still see his little cabbage-like head - still there, still comatosed. It must be so uncomfortable. He looks all re-arranged as if someone's tied him in a knot, and he's breathing funny - in short erratic bursts. Every few minutes his body twitches - like he's getting the defibrillator - and every few twitches seems to trigger another surge of dribble that dispenses from the corner of his gaping mouth. He's what you call: F*@#*d! The room smells like it's just been re-decorated, and the toilet.. well it's best if we leave it there. It looks like he could be banged up for a while. Such was Dave's <i>'full moon experience'.<img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1216351440.53-kp.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1216351440.20-kp.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1216351440.45-kp.jpg" width="205">So for now..We're gonna stay here a bit longer, and if you could see where we're staying you'd understand why. Over on the west coast of Koh Pha Ngan there's a beautifully serene sweeping bay of warm turquoise water and squeaky white sand. It goes by the name of <i>Laem Son. The beach itself is dotted generously with lush swaying coconut palms, which provide much needed cover for the light scattering of beach huts that sit on the waters edge. We have one of these huts, and it has two very comfortable hammocks out front on the purpose built balcony, where we spend an awful lot of time swinging back and forth, taking in the spectacular views or catching up on a bit of light snoozing. It's times like these that remind me of the years I spent wasting time in an office without purpose, a time that seems an absolute eternity away. And I'm not exaggerating when I say there's no-one else on the beach. That's because there's no one here. It may as well be ours. The masses are down in the south-east corner of the island partying hard in the too-cool-for-school zone. This is perfectly fine and something that certainly should continue. A simple formula: keep the mayhem in the zoo and leave paradise unspoiled. So that's where we are, where we're at and why we're here - and seriously, this is the sort of stuff holidaymakers and honeymooners could only dream about, if only they knew this sort of thing existed. We have a motorbike out front which takes us where we need to go, and every time we pull up at the hut a chirpy black Labrador comes bounding over tail-a-wagging to welcome us home and get another belly rub. At night he sleeps outside the door under the hammock protecting us from evil. Now why would we be in a hurry to leave such a soothing set of circumstances? We're not. We're staying..<img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1216351440.48-kp.jpg" width="205"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1216351440.36-kp.jpg" width="116"> <img class="yui-img" src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1216351440.30-kp.jpg" width="205"> (Side Note:<i><i><i> If you're in to sunsets, the serenely decked balcony of the 'Amsterdam Bar'<i> (near the Stone Hill Resort) is easily the best vantage point on the whole island, giving way to a vast panorama of distant landscape, a long beckoning horizon and the occasional tiny silhouetted fishing boat set against a deep burnt orange finalé. What could be better? The pics are all there..)
]]> M-E-N-T-A-L — Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1242432480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1242432480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1242432480/tpod.html Fri, 15 May 2009 09:35:45 -0400 'Every day's a Sunday' - Tales of a one-way traveller..
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Whoaaah!Finally arrived in Saigon after 32 hours of leaving Phuket. One word. Mental. That's just first impressions of course, though after riding through the psycho-charged kamikaze-arsed traffic for almost an hour to get to the other side of the city to find our bed, the word 'mental' can't be stressed enough. M-E-N-T-A-L. But boy has it made an impression. This place is awesome. Stories coming soon of course, but for now I'm off to sample a couple of 333's with the ever-alive 'Team Woz' and (naturally) go and get lost in some dodgy looking side streets..
]]> Downtime — Rawai, Thailand http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1239772020/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1239772020/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1239772020/tpod.html Wed, 13 May 2009 20:24:34 -0400 'Every day's a Sunday' - Tales of a one-way traveller..
Rawai, Thailand

I reckon this is probably the longest I've EVER left you without an update and as I've recently climbed onto a more positive track I thought it best to throw one up now while the going's good, or at least better. Since getting my teaching qualification in January things have been touch and go health wise. For those who are just tuning in I've had problems. Back problems. Day to day life has been a case of taking things steady - physical movements have been kept to a minimum and have had to be made in a calculated and deliberate manner. My spacial awareness and proximity to others has been heightened to levels that most people - I hope - will never have to go through. In short I've been living in a constant state of excessive awareness, almost bordering on paranoia.The regular lapses I've been having tend to put me in a very traumatic position whereby I freeze on the spot and have to inch myself slowly to bed, taking great care to keep my spine completely still. The slightest hint of movement means pinging that spinal nerve again which has me screaming like my life depends on it. Once I make it to bed I have to lie down, on my side, and sweat out the violent shakes in my arms and legs. This alone would be bad enough, but fighting to keep the spine perfectly still through the whole hopeless process just adds to the demise. It's a pretty miserable state to be in really, I can't actually think of another way to describe it.<img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1239772020.5_downtime-in-phuket.jpg" width="175"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1239772020.8_downtime-in-phuket.jpg" width="175"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1239772020.13_downtime-in-phuket.jpg" width="175">About a month after teacher training school the parentals came over for a long overdue family re-union (it had been two-and-a-half years) and of course to support and nurture their crippled boy. I don't need to tell you how good it is to have family around at a time like this, especially as my lifestyle involves not being around them for years on end. Unfortunately for them, my having a lapse means locking myself in a room and riding out the horror on auto-pilot for the whole duration. Alone. As the sensitivity in my nerve endings multiplies by a thousand it means that I can't have any human contact - at least if I want to keep my sanity that is, which believe me when I say I've come very close to losing it a few times.These lapses have been getting less intense each time however, and so far (fingers <i>very tightly crossed) the parentals haven't had to witness the abject terror that envelopes me at these unpredictable times. I hope they never have to either. Knowing them as I know them, it would hurt them more than it hurts me.<i>The ProcessFirst off, Dad (with his experience of injuries) decided to put me on a 'TENS machine', which he brought over from Spain. A 'TENS machine' basically sends electrical pulses through the muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves, giving the whole area a bit of a 'shake up' - the idea being that if my problem is muscle-related, this would accelerate the healing process. It didn't. The 'TENS machine' is now gathering dust on the kitchen shelf. <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1239772020.re-unions-in-malaysia.jpg" width="205"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1239772020.to-our-dear-bureaucracy.jpg" width="205"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1239772020.1_night-train-to-southern-thailand.jpg" width="116"> Today is the 15th April, almost eight months since the initial injury, or should I say... onset. I've just returned from a couple of weeks in Malaysia, Singapore and Bangkok, mainly to jam my middle finger up the arse of a ridiculous bit of fiddlage from our dear old bureaucracy (very long story) and also to take advantage of the <i>free Thai tourist visa which is currently on offer until June 4th this year. The morning I left for Malaysia was the first time in the last eight months that I actually felt (on a subconscious level) that my body was finally starting to heal itself. I'll never be able to explain it, I just know it. That was three weeks ago and I still feel pretty confident as I sit here typing this. My last 'lapse' - albeit a minor one - happened six weeks ago on the night of Mom's birthday (sorry Mom) so I guess things may be, just maybe, looking up. Here in Nai Harn we've just got over the <i>'Songkran Festival' (Thai New Year) where we got blasted with water cannons the whole day and got positively muntered in the process. This steady increase in day-to-day-activity, coupled with frequent stretching (I can now touch my toes for the first time in over eighteen years!) doing regular 'lengths' down at the beach and playing lots of frisbee has, I guess, started building strength and more importantly, confidence. Earlier this week I took a golf club and sent a little white ball crashing past the 200 yard line. These are all things I'd never have envisioned doing in my wildest dreams as little as a month ago, so naturally, I'm stoked. <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1239772020.44_downtime-in-phuket.jpg" width="175"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1239772020.47_downtime-in-phuket.jpg" width="175"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1239772020.53_downtime-in-phuket.jpg" width="175"> We still don't know why or how all this happened, nor do we know why or how it has gripped the last eight months of my life, following me through Laos and in to Thailand like that. In fact we still haven't got the foggiest idea. My spiritual friends would say that it was all sent for good reason, that I should take what I need from it and consider myself lucky. Me old muckers and cockers would say I'm just about ready for the pipe and slippers. What shits me is that the experts don't know. They looked down at me in that hospital bed while my whole body was writhing in fits of seizure and told me I was fine. They told me they were satisfied with the results of the tests they'd carried out, signed me off to physiotherapy and pretty much left me to it, with a nice crisp bill for $4000US. As a result I have lost all faith in 'the experts'. All faith. As I wrote in the last entry the only thing that <i>has genuinely helped is alternative medicine. I've met some truly wonderful people over the last few months who've given their time and given themselves freely and have transformed my life. Between Reiki, EFT and mutually administered acupressure I've felt ten times better. Maybe it's that that's got me back on the right track? Maybe it's the fact that I've stopped taking the handfuls of expensive drugs the hospital sent me away with - from 'the experts' I might add. I've lost count now but seriously, they had me on all sorts of shit and I've never felt so good as when I cleared them from my system, threw the lot away and got on with my life. Now it's up to nature. I've also started taking electrolytes and magnesium supplements to complement my diet. Since arriving in Asia a year ago I've lost 18kg's in weight. That might come as a surprise but even so, I've never eaten so healthily. I've never <i>been so healthy. Having said that the shift in diet has proved to be a worthy cause of investigation. Magnesium, it turns out, is a vital mineral. A lack of magnesium, it turns out, has all sorts of nasty surprises - all of which I'm VERY familiar with. Same goes for calcium.So... <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1239772020.17_downtime-in-phuket.jpg" width="175"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1239772020.6_downtime-in-phuket.jpg" width="175"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1239772020.22_downtime-in-phuket.jpg" width="175">While we don't know the exact cause it seems that there have been a number of contributing factors that have had me banged up in such a state for such a long time. It may also be that I have a condition, something that I'll have to live with for the rest of my days. This could be anything from persistent spinal inflammation to spondylosis or spondylitis, as I really think it's spinal not muscular. I really don't mind nor do I care what it is, and whatever it is I'll live with it and take it with me, just like everything else. It'd just be nice to know. For now I'm focusing on that feint flicker of light at the end of the tunnel. Our fingers are crossed. Tight.<i>On the flip-side..As much as all this is a bit of a dry read it hasn't all been a pear-shaped reality. The last few months have seen some great highlights. Last month in particular saw a timely visit from Crazy Cat up in Bangkok (grrreat fun), the arrival of my old travel buddy Bera - the lairy Hungarian (now moved in next door), two wondrous re-unions in Malaysia and Singapore during the overly-exaggerated overland tour of 'general principle' and a blissfully assisted Songkran Festival (absolutely mental) featuring 'big brother' Ted from the TEFL days - a proper legend if ever there was one. Above all though the main highlight has been having the parentals come and stay. Correct me if I'm wrong but to go from no 'real-life contact' for almost three years, to two continuous months of twenty-four-seven 'in your face real-life contact' you'd expect the odd nightmare or two, but seriously, it's been an absolute blessing (and they'll NEVER believe I mean that when they finally get to read these pages.) But it's true. They've took to Asian life superbly, tootling around on the motorbike, getting stuck in to the island way of living, adjusting to the climate, the people, the food and the general Thai way of life, particularly the freedom and simplicity of life here which is so alien to people from the West. As for the food? Honestly, they've jumped at it with enthusiasm, and what's more is they've made an effort to learn a little of the language too - a BIG thumbs up from me. When I think about how other people have spoken over the years of their own parents let me tell you, there is one very happy boy sitting here writing this. Mine are diamonds. It's just a shame I've been in the condition I've been in health-wise cos' it's me that's taken the shine away by being a miserable bastard, or should I say.. <i>not my usual self. Still, things are looking up and things are getting better.<img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1239772020.63_downtime-in-phuket.jpg" width="175"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1239772020.1_celebrating-songkran-festival.jpg" width="175"> <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/scottwoz/manmeetsworld.1239772020.5_celebrating-songkran-festival.jpg" width="175"> <i>The Next StepWe've decided to ride out this positive streak a little longer. We've also decided to move on. This will take place around 20th May and will mean leaving Thailand and on to pastures new. This <i>may also involve a lively eye-opening adventure with and for the benefit of the parentals, for the most part to show them a few South East Asian sights and delights before they return to Spain. After that (health all being well) I'll be shifting into the new and highly exciting <i>'next phase', but more on the new and highly exciting <i>'next phase' later. Stay tuned.. ;)Woz..<i>(AGAIN: the HUGEST THANKS to everyone who's filled my inbox with concern, support and encouragement over the last few months..) Oh and Teddy:- you left your big plastic red and yellow 'Ghostbuster' style super-soaker here big fella..
]]> To the border — Phuket, Thailand http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1242296820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1242296820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1242296820/tpod.html Wed, 13 May 2009 19:30:06 -0400 'Every day's a Sunday' - Tales of a one-way traveller..
Phuket, Thailand

Right I'm off. Finally. I've just replaced half my backpack with textbooks and in just a few hours I'll be back on the road. The elation is blissful, I can't tell you. Another 18 hours of overland joy and I'll be in Vietnam. War relics, pho and the Mekong delta here we come! Stories to follow..
]]> Dear P — Rawai, Thailand http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1234936020/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1234936020/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1234936020/tpod.html Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:21:07 -0400 'Every day's a Sunday' - Tales of a one-way traveller..
Rawai, Thailand

Dear P,Let me make something very clear. I'm not one of those people who gets down about life and gets all whiny and victim-y and talks about suicide. I actually have no time for those people. Rest assured. Now if I've mentioned suicide before it has been a light-hearted comment to reflect a better option than to go through all of this excruciating pain. I absolutely love my life. I wouldn't change it for the world, and have got every reason to continue living it. And I will. As for my health, no it's not improving, and it MAY NOT get better, however much you or anyone says it will. I understand they're positive words of encouragement and I'm genuinely grateful for your concern. I would do exactly the same in your situation. But the fact is it might just not improve. And that's fine too. If I have to live with it I'll live with it, I certainly won't be bitching and moaning about it.As for someone else in 'the profession' taking another look, forget it. I have totally lost faith in them. They're talkers. And money-takers. I haven't found a useful 'expert' in the four and a half years I've been on the road. And I've seen a lot of them. Not one single diagnosis in four and a half years, just a bill. Well bollocks to them. That said, I <i>will be continuing with the alternative medicine which has been the only thing that has had any kind of positive affect on me. Funny actually, how <i>this medicine - the thing that has actually worked - has also been completely FREE.I may <i>sound negative P, but believe me I'm not. The sentiment behind my words is simply a strong one, one from self-sovereignty and an undeniable will of survival - the very opposite of suicidal. I'm actually fighting the negative influences, which are the very things people are telling me to walk towards, which is why I'm saying not on your Nelly. I genuinely value your concern P, and will definitely be there to hug the living daylights out of you when you get to South East Asia, just don't squeeze to hard ok?Woz..X<i>(..and THE HUGEST THANKS.. to everyone who's filled my inbox with concern, support and encouragement over the last few months..)
]]> What's that there under your skirt? — Phuket, Thailand http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1215627840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1215627840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1215627840/tpod.html Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:00:31 -0500 'Every day's a Sunday' - Tales of a one-way traveller..
Phuket, Thailand

<i>'Nah you can't say that, that's offensive to Benidorm!'Patong, Phuket. First impressions? Tijuana, Mexico. Seconds? Just another seedy hole overrun with tacky westerners - westerners of the shitty-sediment-at-the-bottom-of-the-barrel kind. This is Blackpool on a stag weekend, Southern Spain with its filthy British stain in peak season, or any of the other shit-holes around the globe that are tarnished by scummy chancers.It was late in the afternoon by the time we got here and as we were keen to catch the tennis final we checked in to a little lodge in Patong, just around the corner from the seedy strip. Turns out the lodge is one of the best we've encountered yet, which is a nice flipside to a disappointing though temporary reality.As soon as we ventured out onto 'the strip' it hit us like a bitch slap - hookers, ladyboys, 2-for-1 cocktails, lap dancing bars, massage parlours, bars boasting English ownership and English breakfasts(?), Irish bars and Aussie bars with a similar pitch, touts thrusting leaflets at you in the same vein as they do in Vegas, piss-heads staggering around in the middle of the road holding half-downed beer, and general all-round gutter chaos. This is the shit I'd left behind years ago, and it was painfully slow-motion to have to absorb it all. We went round a few bars, watched a bit of live entertainment and spent most of the night sharing space with fat old western men having their ego massaged by their tiny young beauties. This is something that I'll struggle to get used to I think, certainly for the time being. I swear, one guy could have passed for Santa Claus and honestly, he could almost fit his 'little darling' in the palm of his hand. Odd in theory, but see it first hand and it's a different story. The best part about all this though, the absolute highlight for me was watching the panic on the faces of the same silly pretentious head-up-their-own-arse girls we saw on Phi Phi, now that the attention was focussed elsewhere. See, the local girls here are absolutely stunning, they really are. <i>Flawless is the word that springs to mind, and to watch the horror - when these stuck-up numbtons actually realise just how superficial they are - brings an immense amount of joy. That's something I <i>can thank Phuket for. Second thoughts? Very interesting night. Got talking to a few locals who were really nice and squeezed a couple of hours banter out of some random Aussie chicks, but all in all it was a great eye-opener. I know these places aren't for everyone and to some people it's <i>everything, it's just not for me. The only thing that generally annoys me these days is the lowly behaviour of my own kind, so I'm not exactly in the best place right now. From what I observed though I <i>can relate to the excitement and can clearly see how the game works. There are a lot of levels here to get your head round, and with that in mind I'll say nothing other than if you're in to a highly concentrated dabble in the excesses then this your personal playground - so go enjoy. Having said that you can still go out and have a great night here without getting stuck in to the wild side. If nothing else it's a great people-watching exercise and a colourful eye-opener into another side of life. That can only be a good thing. Anyway I'm writing this in bed. This all happened last night and today I've finally come down with the lurgy that's been trying to take a hold of me over the last few days. Liam had it in Krabi, Nick in Phi Phi, so it was only a matter of time before I was bed ridden. Lucky for me I'm in a decent pad. Did manage to get out for a bite to eat though, and spent a good hour sharing the cafe with a few older guys and their prize brides. One guy in particular I noticed (English guy) could only have been in his early forties, and was one of those classic 'ahead of his time' blokes. One of those who've never dared to have so much of a peek outside their tiny comfort zone, and so become stayed, fixed in a time warp, sitting, waiting to die. I have no respect for these people. His behaviour, mannerisms and general demeanour were from someone in their sixties playing victim. In almost an hour he didn't say a single word to the gorgeous girl sat opposite him, who was clearly, for want of a better word 'his', and while she tucked in to her spicy Pad Thai he sat lifeless and forlorn looking sorry for himself with his two symmetrical eggs on toast and tomato sauce. God. What a life. He must have died years ago. Get me out of here..
]]> I'm a teacher! — Phuket, Thailand http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1232117280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1232117280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scottwoz/manmeetsworld/1232117280/tpod.html Sat, 17 Jan 2009 21:58:26 -0500 'Every day's a Sunday' - Tales of a one-way traveller..
Phuket, Thailand

I'm stoked. I've just got my 120 hour International TEFL certification, a big beautiful glowing report and a whopping 100% on my three hour English grammar test written in black and white! Stoked beyond words mate. They've just presented me with a lovely crisp certificate from the <i>'TEFL International Teacher Training Centre, Phuket, Thailand' certifying me as an accredited EFL teacher with my own little number (PK21111708). I've also been given a lovely crisp certificate from the <i>'Phuket Foreign Languages Teaching School', all in the elegantly written Thai script (very nice) and a chirpy glowing reference for future employers to have a gander at (ta very much!) Really couldn't be happier with all this. Now I can go and help many many people..
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