43 posts tagged “travel”
Ryu came back from LA yesterday night and came straight to my house. It was sort of sweet, he hasn't seen his host family in days because he's been staying with me. Sounds like he had a good 24 hours in California, he mainly wanted to see a real NBA game, but I guess he did some sightseeing and shopping, apparently. He got me a new watch!
I lost the cute cheap beaded watch I bought in Ho Chi Minh City somehow at a party last weekend. So this was a perfectly timed gift! Unorthodox and square, it's automatic so no batteries or winding necessary, and I can see all the cool gears!
Before we slept last night, I told him nonchalantly about my sudden secret plans to visit Kyoto in the spring time to see the cherry blossoms, playing dumb. He was happy to hear it and says he will pick me up at the airport. Perfect!
Tomorrow is his last day. We'll get together after my final exam... which I need to study for right about... now!
I missed a Socialism talk I wanted to go to last night because my brother was being slow and flakey. I got my new computer though, that is a relief. My brother got more weed from my older half-brother here in Seattle, even though he said he would only smoke on the weekends...
Today started off with a bee sting... it was a shock! I was walking to class, not in the best mood. After the bee stung me, I heard some girls walking behind me scream and laugh, She didn't even know! Well thanks for warning me. Bitches. It still burns.
Class was alright. I am stressing out because I am supposed to apply to my major but I don't think I can do it this quarter. Neither of them. I am going to be burning in undeclared hell for at least another quarter. Maybe. I am speaking to another advisor tomorrow morning.
My last night in Tokyo was relaxed. I met up with Arihito and we went to Shinjuku, we had sushi and then he told me he wanted to take me to the bar from Lost in Translation, at the Park Hyatt. I said that was fine, it would be interesting.
It was lovely there, a very nice atmosphere and jazz music. The view of Tokyo was beautiful... We had a few drinks and then got the hell out of there. We went to a rock bar not far away and talked about his past, his family's history as a non-human (hinin) in Hiroshima. Before it got too late, we checked into a hotel (the same hotel from the night before).
We relaxed and slept. We said goodbye around 10:30 in the morning and I went back to Workaholic Hostess' house to pack. The flight back was fine, long and boring... Returning to Seattle is not exciting. This place is so boring. It started raining hard earlier. I am at my friend's house now... I am such a bum!
School in the morning...
Yesterday I finally landed in Tokyo around 7 am and took the slow local train back to WH's house. Arriving in Japan was such a relief... I can read the signs here! I can understand the language! I was so happy to be back in town. I mailed Arihito saying, ただいま！ He and WH are the only people who I am talking to these days.
WH and I went to the pharmacy and bought some bandages, it felt nice to change them. I showered and shaved and cleaned my wounds because I was going to meet Ari in the evening and I needed to be presentable. He came and met me at the station, I was walking really slow and made him wait. We got in a taxi and went to Roppongi.
He told me that we were going to visit his friend's bar. It was across the street from Tokyo Midtown. Inside it was really cool and dark. Black everything and a big crow on the wall. The people there were all from the SM community in Tokyo and the owner was also the owner of several fetish clubs. This place, however, was just a normal bar. There were several attractive 30-something Japanese women there. Ari told me they were professional sadists. We had a couple drinks and then left to Shinjuku, Kabuki-cho.
We went to Silk, the happening bar I went to before. We hung out for a while, drinking, chain-smoking. After a while I changed into a costume, a short black frilly dress. He likes it when I do not wear a bra, so I took it off. We watched some people and messed around a little bit. We spent a couple hours idle... even though at that point I really wanted to have sex with him. A couple of American customers kept distracting him, and it was driving me crazy. Ari apologised to me, Sorry, I would have fucked you a long time ago if it wasn't for these guys. When I made it clear that nothing was going to happen between me and the Americans, they left. We entered one of the rooms.
He had previously suggested we go to a hotel, but we had sex there at the club. It was quite good and no one seemed to be watching us... We left soon after. We went to Golden Street in Shinjuku (second time I have been there, lots of tiny eclectic bars all cramped together, in 3-chome I think) and had some more drinks. I was kinda tired, having traveled from Thailand, to Viet Nam, then to Japan all in one day... but I was patient. We went to a nice love hotel around 6 am (nice is an understatement, it was especially nice and new, I like Shinjuku love hotels better than Shibuya, I think!). We showered and slept.
In the morning, we had sex again... then neither of us could sleep. We tried for a couple hours but then got up. On TV Mission Impossible dubbed in Japanese entertained us while we got ready to leave. It was around 3 PM, nice and cool outside, bit cloudy, my favorite kind of weather. We went to have soba at this place in 2-chome, really delicious! I really like how he is. We don't need to talk, we are usually quite silent and do not say much. But I can tell he is thinking, it shows on his face. I like people who are always thinking and not necessarily talking.
Afterward, we walked around. He didn't seem to want to let me go. He invited me for a coffee, Do you want to have a coffee with me? Sure. We went to a cafe and I got a hot chocolate, he, iced coffee. A few cigarettes later, we finally parted ways. I think I will miss him! Planning to meet tomorrow, my last night in Tokyo...
Yesterday I spent most of the day at the hotel, I could not walk very much and I really want my stitches to heal well. I went out briefly for a walk around the neighborhood and a massage... I came back and ate lunch.
People at the hotel started talking to me and I spent the day being talked at. I am getting really good at that. I think it is a really good practice of patience, to sit and listen to something useless.
At the end of the night, when one girl finally stopped her motor mouth and went to bed, I sat and listened to the guitar and drums playing at the bar here at the hotel. Other people were drinking alcohol but I sat with a can of soda. They did acoustic covers of rock songs and it was pretty good, I requested Nirvana and they played a couple songs for me. I was really happy...
After a while, a group of loud Irish guys began collecting near me and trying to talk to me. I really wanted to just relax but they kept on talking. They told me about trekking in the mountains and how manly their injuries were. They were drinking a lot and wanted me to drink. I accepted one cocktail from the Irish guy sitting next to me and drank it all up. They told me about how they had smoked opium in the mountains a few days ago and that if I hung out with them tonight (went out drinking) then I could smoke some too.
Well, that caught my interest. I figured I could handle waiting at bars for a couple hours if it meant getting high. My legs were in pain and I should not walk, but I joined them and went out to a bar named Heaven Beach. Inside, there were lots of Thai university students and some tourists as well, all drinking out of buckets and bottles. I did not order a drink and sat alone.
A band was playing!! They were very good, they also did covers of rock songs, but these four guys were awesome! I just sat and listened... watched their hands, sang along... I requested Nirvana again, I was ecstatic when they played Rape Me... then when they played Smells Like Teen Spirit, the crowd got way too excited and started jumping. I was afraid someone was going to jump on my legs or hurt me somehow as I sat idly.
A small Thai man, with long black hair, slim frame, and yellow John Lennon sunglasses appeared amongst the university students with whom I had been chatting. He held a small ukulele in his lap, he looked peculiar in the crowd. He asked me if I wanted to drink something, with a smile on his face. I told him no, and pointed at my bandages. He said that he wasn't drinking either. He asked if I was taking medicine for the cut, and I said yes, pain pills and antibiotics, but it still hurt a bit. He told me that I should not be suffering on holiday and invited me outside.
He rolled a joint and told me that the weed was quite good and that it was my lucky day. He had no idea how lucky I felt! He introduced himself as Domino and said he could tell I was not interested in drinking that night, but that some weed would do me good. I got pleasantly high and we chatted. He was really kind to me and he spoke English quite well. He told me he was a musician, he plays drums. He looked at my legs and told me that I should go to the hospital to change the bandages, I had not done so that day. I tried to resist but he insisted and said he would drive me, after we finished smoking. We laughed.
We got into his car, and old kinda beat up hatchback which housed his drum set in the backseat ( he called it the green machine, because, surprise, it was green). We drove to a hospital where the nurses there denied me medical attention. I could not believe it! My legs were swollen and I could not walk, but they told me to leave! I was shocked. All I needed was some cleaning and new cotton.
Domino said not to worry and that there was another hospital only 50 meters away, so we got back in the car and went there. They did not give me any trouble and changed the bandages quickly. It was a little painful, but overall an interesting experience, being stoned at a Thai hospital, we two dodgy-looking people smelling of smoke showing up at 2 in the morning. At the end, I was sitting immobile, waiting in a wheelchair as Domino talked to the nurses in another room. I figured he was trying to pay for the bandages, but I did not really want him to.
He came back out and I asked him what was up, I wanted to pay. He told me it was complicated and that he would explain in the car. They rolled me out there and he started the engine. He said they wanted to charge him 400 baht so he refused to pay, and gave them his ID card. He laughed. I said, What? You need your ID card. He said sarcastically, Oh yeah, I have nothing now! I don't have my ID card!! I'm a man with nothing. We laughed... He said that they charged a doctor fee for having a sleepy doctor enter the room, not say one word to me, and sign a paper. He told me that he had asked for a 100 baht discount for making me cry... I was laughing so hard. In the end, he left his ID card as some sort of collateral.
We drove to the Ping river and rolled another joint. It was a great high. We talked for a while about all sort of things, he allowed me to think for the first time of the day. I was glad about that. All day I had been hearing the travel dramas and stories of Western tourists, and finally I got to escape that discourse. It turns out he was a monk before he fell in love with music, and he reminded me that the truth is powerful. He drove me home and I slept a pleasant sleep.
Yesterday morning I met up with my Thai motorbike driver friend around 11. He said let's go on a tour, meaning drive. We went to see some of his friends in their living environment, not very fancy at all. They gave me an ice cream (very yummy here) and then my friend, Bird, took me to this weird Crocodile farm!
I saw a crazy crocodile show which made me scream several times... this performer was so comfortable sticking his hands and head inside the animals' mouths!! Afterward, I saw all sorts of other animals, elephants, tigers, bears, birds, as well as the baby crocodiles they were raising at the farm.
I think I pushed myself too much walking around the zoo, my leg got very very swollen and I could barely walk. I told Bird that I had to go to the hospital (actually pointed at the bag with Pattaya International Hospital written on it in Thai). We went.
I got my wounds cleaned and fresh dressings put on. I also got a burn tended to... from the motorbike. It was not so bad but it was nice to get it cleaned and bandaged.
I had to break Bird's heart and ditch him because he was getting too attached. I told him I was going to Bangkok over lunch... he was not very happy about it but he took me to the bus station. We said our goodbyes, there was a kiss, and a hug, and then I was gone. I slept the entire way to Bangkok. From there I took another bus all the way to Chiang Mai, in the mountains.
On the bus, I sat next to this cute little Thai boy, maybe 2 or 3 years old. He was restless in the beginning and his mother left him sitting next to me because he thought I was interesting. I could tell he was tired and sleepy, I tried to calm him down. He was so precious! He fell asleep beside me... Throughout the night we rearranged ourselves and he always liked to rest on my lap, he would grab my arms and snuggle. He was so adorable and the best company I could ask for on such a long bus ride.
I arrived in Chiang Mai this morning at around 6:30. That was a long ride! About 10 hours. Anyway, I am hungry and I need to take my pills. It is beautiful and less hot here!
Today I woke up and quickly took my pain medicines because my leg was sore!! Then I went out to eat because I am supposed to have food with the pills. If it weren't for that fact, I would not eat... I do not have any appetite, the sun, the situation... does not make me hungry.
Or was it seven, not sure. I hate myself right now.
I took the bus to Pattaya beach yesterday and arrived a little after 7 PM, it was dark already so there was no use going to the beach. I checked into a hotel and went out to explore. Kind of gaudy bars and restaurants on the shore were starting to turn on their neon lights and it was nothing interesting to me. Just take Roppongi and multiply it by about 1000, add millions of ladyboys, and even more fat white dudes, and that is Pattaya at night.
Walked on famous Walking street and got sick of seeing prostitutes. It was just too much. Hudreds, thousands, virtually all the Thai women there were hookers. I saw a show where women did all sorts of disgusting things... like stick a pen inside of them and draw tourists' names on paper, smoke cigarettes with their vaginas, etc. I felt sick and made my way home.
On the way I saw a thunderstorm on the horizon. I wanted to watch so I tried to jump over this ledge to get to a better viewing area. I could have walked around but I was being impatient. I jumped and fell on my stomach I got up thinking I was okay, but saw blood pouring out of my leg like a water faucet. I panicked. I started screaming help! Help! I'm BLEEDING! Shrieking and a crowd tried to help me tie plastic bags around it. People were audibly disgusted at all the blood... I thought I was going to die. We applied pressure... and the blood slowed down. I thought it was going to be okay, just wrap it up and go home, but then I looked under the tissues and I could see fat and muscle tissue that I definitely should not be seeing, it was very deep... I fell with all my weight... It was so sick...
They convinced me to go to the hospital, in retrospect, I feel silly for trying to resist. It was just worry about money. I have no health insurance and had to pay quite a bit of money last year when I had to go to the hospital in Japan. One guy told me, Don't worry, it will only cost 200 baht, and I realise now he was just trying to get me to go to the hospital. I applied pressure to the gash and they helped me get on a motorbike... we went to the hospital... It was 3 in the morning.
Having to sit and stare at the wound while they cleaned and injected an anaesthetic was torture. I could not believe I was looking so deep into my body. The injections were painful but after a while I could not feel anything. The doctor arrived, he had obviously just woken up.
But he did a good job and stitched me up quickly. It was pouring down rain and the motorbike driver was waiting for me. We waited for the rain to pass. I paid about 3800 Baht for the stitches, medicine, and tetnus shot (about 120 dollars). Today I am not worried about the money, but the sharp pain when I walk. I gotta go eat something and take my pain medicine. I must take it easy now...
Well I had to say goodbye to Ho Chi Minh City this morning, but it was fun while it lasted. I got to the airport on the back of a motorbike... very fun way to escape the city.
I made friends with a Japanese ojisan on the airplane to Thailand and we took a taxi into town together. He called his friend in Bangkok and told him all about me (nihongo wakaru americajin josei) while we were in the taxi. We three are planning to meet for lunch tomorrow!
I feel a little ignorant because I must admit that Bangkok is a lot more than I expected. It's huge! Skyscrapers, high-rise hotels etc. make it look more like Tokyo than I imagined... well, besides the whole slums-in-the-middle-of-development thing. I have not seen anything like it, the obvious disparity between classes here... the effects of the tourism industry... are glaring.
Met up with my friend Charles and I am at his place now. We went out to eat with his Aunt's friend's son, a 21 year old Thai guy. He was soooo friendly and polite (as far as I can tell from Charles' translation)... We went around the city, checked out tourist traps and night markets... I am going to try to get out of Bangkok tomorrow if at all possible, after having lunch with that Japanese guy.
Anyway, good night from Siam!
Alright, this is my second attempt to leave Japan...
I got my 15-day extension stamp today from immigration (waited hours at the office) but I must exit the country for a bit before the 27th. My flight to Saigon is in the morning, I have my super loud alarm set and have told Ari to call me in the morning as well (I have been spending so much time him since we met by accident at the happening bar... more about that later, he is so kind to me).
Really looking forward to being in south Viet Nam tomorrow afternoon! I can taste the pho and see RED already! I will only be there for about 24 hours, but it should be fun, and I have Thailand to look forward to on Friday!
Oyasumi!
edit:
woo I am awake super early! Going to the airport now!
Je vais a la plage! Je vais nager! (It took me forever to remember how to say that)
Okay, going to the station!
Bye Tokyo, be back next week~
