inconsistent news from southeast asia

Catherine: Since you've only heard from Mat so far I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on Thailand too, since I am on this trip too!

First of all, if this were Canada, there would be a billion law suits over the sidewalks here!! They're not level, there are wobbly stones, and sometimes there are big gaping holes! More than once we have taken a step on a sewer grate and it shifts or dips or moves. This makes it really hard to walk down the street looking at a map, avoiding tuk tuks, looking out for people, holes and those delightful presents the hordes of stray dogs leave around, at the same time.

I was also warned before I left that I would have to get used to the "squat" toilets, but such has really not been the case. We have stayed in only one hostel so far with the "hole in the ground", and I must say, the dead cockroaches in the bathroom were far more upsetting than the toilet!

Our home away from home has sadly become.... I hate to say... the 7 Eleven. They have these stores in EVERY town we've been to, no matter how small. On days where I feel like I'm ten minutes away from having my skin melt off, there is a 7 Eleven in all of it's air conditioned glory! And best of all - they sell CHEAP BEER!!!!

I've said it once, and I'll say it again - Sometimes I wonder whether I'm in a little personal weather biosphere or something. Here we are, sweating buckets (and I don't think I'm exaggerating, and there's Thai people walking around in JACKETS!!! I've often said the same thing in Canada when I see girls walking around in tiny little jackets in the middle of winter, but this is just ten times more baffling!!! Mat and I even saw one guy wearing a wool hat while lying in the sun!

Lastly, I am kinda upset about the shopping here. Well no, the shopping is great, but I haven't been able to buy as much as I have wanted to. I forgot that my body type is slightly different than that of girls over here, and while the skirts will often fit, the shirts do not I'm a bit more, shall we say, "top heavy" than the average Thai girl. In some ways, maybe this is a blessing for me because this way I won't have blown my budget in two weeks time.