Recently in C'est la Vie Category

It's my birthday today, and usually, I'd review what I have done and where I am for the previous year, to myself. This time, I'll blog it out. Mainly because these two years have been drastically different from previous years and there are some points I hope to reiterate to myself.

For the year 2008, and 2007 as a matter of fact, I have devastated my technical proficiency to virtually zero. I have little confidence to even claim intermediary in my programming skills. I have missed the best opportunity of further education and delayed my schedules moreover so. Terrible.

I have no improvements nor advances in my romantic life so that stayed stagnant. Family wise, I think I'm getting along better with my parents. Fair enough.

Army-wise I have accomplished my personal objectives more or less, I have managed to obtain all the medical status as required and learned all that is needed to avoid future liabilities that I deem unjust to myself. That is good.

Knowledge-wise, I have settled for a new language, Thai. Initially I intended to pursue Japanese but Thai is just as interesting and practical. Thailand has much potential in terms of IT infrastructure and capabilities. It will not be inferior with the Multimedia Super Corridor of Malaysia. I am essentially an opportunist. However, my Thai is going too slow for my liking. I hope to be able to read and write by the end of this year. I am wols in this area.

My health is failing. Although my blood sugar level was stable in general, the blood clots in my eyes have worsen as compared to two years ago. There has been hints of surgical treatments by my doctor. Moreover, my glucose level has deteriorated in recent months due to multiple festive season. My liver functions too has deteriorated. Blood circulation on my feet are alright but signs of dryness and slow-healing to small wounds have become evident. Its a quicksand situation in this area.

Financially, I am in debts and my accounts are red. I owe the credit card companies hundreds of dollars (as proportionate to my income) and Aaron even more. I will clear within these several months, but still, pride and money is but a small sacrifice to the following objectives. Bad, but not that bad. 

I have also successfully traveled alone to Chiang Mai, that I have never been before. Also, I managed to return to Surin and visit most of the places that I went three years ago during the YEP expedition. As such,  I have the confidence to plan more trips that involve a factor of calculated risks. From there, I plan to aim North-East towards Cambodia or Vietnam. Hopefully, I will have the chance to visit Central Asia in the future. I wish to see more of the world before I am unable to do so, and honestly, that is not very far away. The trip itself was primarily a measure of myself. Excellent results.

With the advent of the current year, and the end of my National liabilities, I can continue on with what I left off 2 years ago. I must remind myself that I chose my career path 12 years ago, I have never strayed away from that commitment and will not do so, but still maintain the flexibility to move forward. 2008 was a bad year for me, but still, I have made it profitable to the best I can.

Tanjobi omedeto, Ito. This year will be better.

Looks like I really fell sick this time. I can feel bits of food slipping out of my throat every now and then, and I can't concentrate in my readings. Sigh.

1. I was walking around the suburbs. Every household seem to have a dog or two. Even in the streets, there were stray dogs all over the place, but they were not aggressive and very used to human presence. I heard the dogs in Chiangmai are violent. The dogs in Surin seemed well fed with left over meat and bones to gaw on.
   
2. I opened the windows to the room last night for some fresh air and along came a swarm of mosquitos. I ended up swapping mosquitos for the next hour, and they had their buffet of me.
   
3. Hacktor called the check the situation in Bangkok, since he thought I would be a better informed position. Dude, I'm in a town closer to Cambodia than Bangkok, and with no access to even English newspaper. I wouldn't know shit if Bangkok got nuked.
   
4. I bought a toy air pistol, I remember buying one 3 years ago, but I left it in Surin. This time, I'll try to ship it back home via snail mail and see what happens.
   
5. The Thai kuey here are the best! Even the shavings are premium, long beansprout sized instead of the pathetic gratings we have at home. And its dirt cheap too! 10 baht for one packet of dozen.
   
6. The beef noodles were the best I've ever ate. The soup was thick and tasty with lotsa spices thrown into the brew. 20 baht only!
   
7. The pork shabu shabu at the restaurant were really fresh, since they were reared and slaughtered in the same province. Never frozen. And very affordable too! Even compared to Bangkok standards. Everything here are like twice cheaper than Bangkok.
   
8. I wanted to give myself a treat by taking the VIP bus to Chiangmai but ended up missing the bus due to my amazing stupidity. Wasted 1000 baht. I ended up taking a 2nd Class aircon bus instead, which took me 14 hours bus ride. The kind lady, seeing me panicking, put me on the earliest next bus which was 10 mins away.
   
9. I saw a branch of Video Ezy in Buri Ram. Cool.
   
10. The bus ride wasn't too bad, I should have taken this right from the start. There were two meals included at the two stops. Drink and biscuit, a packet of soy milk and wet tissue at the end of the journey. Blanket was also provided, and it was much needed. The temperature dropped to 10 degree cel. in the night. I ate rice with sliced wax sasauge and mixed veggies in the first stop, and chicken rice-porridge at the second. No choice, much like camp cook-house but tasted not bad.
    
11. The Pockey here is dirt cheap. Its about 20 baht, for the strawyberry yogurt with real strawberry flesh. It costs $4.50 back home for the "imported from Japan" version. Both tastes great to me. I think I'll buy lots and bring back home.

Surin is a small town, with two department stores and almost zero tourists! I've been here for two days, and didn't see any tourists (except ang moh unkers with their issan family) at all. They have the best local snacks from fried pork to boiled silkworms. Everything is so affordable here, I got a few bookmarks (w/ anime characters) three years ago and so loved it, now I bought like 30 for 1 baht each.

There are two daytime markets and 1 night market. I went to Huai Saneng reserviour for lunch yesterday and ate some very interesting food. No tourists there, or tourists-focuses business there to spoil everything. But its darn depressing to go there alone when everyone goes there with their friends or family to celebrate or chill out there. I was like the only person there and all I could do was take pictures of everything I see.

I've been to almost every place I've visited three years ago, and will be back in around 2-3 years time.

Pictures to be uploaded later on due to lack of time.

 

Hope nothing happens to me. =D

Took Edwin's car to JB with Jeff and Chris. He sped a little there. Had a great meal at the hawker center there, the cockles were fresh without the crappy mud taste you get here in Singapore. Tebrau hawker centre I think. Following, went for teh tarik near Zon. Stroked some pussy and drove back home. They gonna go for a spin, right about now. For me, my beauty sleep.

But I ain't mind going again. =D Next time, I'll bring a camera and take some pictures. I kinda regret not taking it along, I mean, I should be carrying it with me always.

Wanne neuay na! Tookwan woon yoo gup thamngaan deum-deum. Kit wah phom ja dtaai nai mai chaa laew. Rao mee si sib cases due lae phraw wah mee work-process mai, rao sia waylaa maak laew.

Wannee, phom gup phuean pai JB, lae gor rong KTV. Phom dai rong laai pleng pasah Thai. Ting bpen yaa bai yàang derm, dtae mai kâe láew. Theu bpen mai phuean khorng phom, dtae wah bpen hai phom eng.

Rao mai pai thiao maa naan leow, laew jeung wannee rao doo nang yoo Causeway Point. Nang bpen naa somjai, man bpen anime jeen reung gang-foo. Lae gor, rao taai baang neoprint lae len arcade. Phom bpen yin-dee rao pai awk dai, dtae phom dtok bpen job duay.

Vocab.

1. มานาน 
   Maa naan: Long time.
2. หนัง 
   Năng: Movie
3. แล้วจึง
   Láew Jeung: So; Therefore.
4. เมื่อวาน 
   Mêua Waan: Yesterday
5. น่าสนใจ 
   Nâa Sŏn-jai: Interesting
6. รูปถ่าย
   Rôop Tàai: Photo (N)

Wannee kru bork wah kian khorng phom bpen naa sonjai, arthit naa ja tam hai tuk khon. Phom kit naa mee kwaam pit naa naa, dtae phom ja bprap bproong. Wan neung ja poot lae kian dee pasah thai dai.