Archive for April, 2008

Like to cover my beautiful set of hot wheels with ragged tape. Two purposes: a) it protects it in case it were to say… fly off the back of a bus and b) I believe it makes it slightly less desireable for the un-rightful owner to want to take it home.

Last time I used duct tape. Then in Bangkok they peeled it all off, reminded me of its former beauty and required me to do it all over again. But this time, I found hot pink cloth-like duct tape. And this time, in the land of anime, carton-loving adults and motor-decal mania, I think I may have got carried away. I decided to add my own creative personal touch with a salute to “girl power” via Powderpuff Girls support (I really wanted to go Hello Kitty but she’s an expensive little cat in this area). Anyway, I may have defeated myself as now it is probably the most desireable girl bike in all of Asia!

Haha, I wouldn’t buy the female model Trek bike in Bangkok because it was simply too girlie looking (turquoise with white leafy decals and big cushy white seat, puhh-leaze), then I made a joke that I wanted a pink bike with streamers and purple flowers.

Well, voila… Sending my love to all my sistas! Powderpuffs rock, baby! 

[Chumpon, Thailand] That was my Thai expletive for my current Thai visa issues… which has highlighted my annoying tendancy towards administrative failures. I realized my visa expires 10-May. I badly want to participate in a 10 day meditation course in Chaiya starting 01-May. This won’t work.

There are some fuzzy rules about a 90 day maximum stay within a six month period *and/or/or not* maximum of three 30-day on-arrival tourist visas. I already have the latter due to one day spent in transit to Cambodia (a visa stamp rip off in my opinion). Anyway, finding answers as impossible as you’d expect it to be. Course registration is in 2 days. I’m in Chumpon, I figure I have 3 options…

1) Take a risk and go to Ranong on a hopeful “visa run”. Leave the country, hop across to Burma and hope to get another 30-day on-arrival tourist visa upon my return… if they let me return. Meaning second part of supposed regulation is not true or absolute (information sways both ways here).

2) Go to course, leave immediately after and play stupid at the border. Usually this results in a 500 baht per day penalty for overstaying a visa but could potentially result in a very very stupid move that lands you in a deportation center when caught in the country illegally. Not a lparticulary pleasant or safe option. Rather stupid actually.

3) Start bee-lining it south out of Thailand! - missing my course I was so excited about, missing leisurely days on southern islands and beaches, missing much loved rest days and satisfaction of a well-executed planned course! (Really I should’ve known better…)

Frustrated. Annoyed. Trying to remember the lessons I learned on flexibility which are severely being put to the test!

All I can say is… &#@*% stupid #&%$@ annoying *&@%#*&% Thailand visa issues! Would love to take that sentiment to the silent meditation course and sit on it…