Mochit

Headaches, headaches, and more headaches!

This morning, Cat and I went to Mochit bus terminal to pick up two of my friends.  They had called and is coming back to Bangkok.  They are going back home tomorrow.  We took a motorcycle taxi to catch the sky train at Phrom Phong station which is located directly across from the Emporium, a luxury shopping mall.

When we arrived at the bus terminal, we spent an hour looking for them but didn't find them.  We came back home at 9 am.

The rest of the day, I helped Cat organized and moved things upstairs to the rooms.  The upstairs bedrooms of their house is now finished.

My friends called several times, they are at a hotel now.  One of them might stop by to pick up a few things from me later tonight.

Muang Boran

We had to get up early today because Cat's aunt came to take us to Muang Boran. It is an outdoor museum in Samut Prakan outside of Bangkok. It has replica models of ancient city ruins and historical monuments from various parts of Thailand.

We reached Muang Boran at noon, drove and walked around the whole museum taking pictures. It was really cool to see replicas of some of the models since I won't be able to see the real ones. We had noodles for lunch at this wooded shop that represented the Damnoen Saduak floating market.

We got back home at 3:30 pm. One of my friend who had gone up north called and wanted Cat and I to pick her from the bus station on Monday morning. The three other friends had already returned to Wat Thamkrabok and they will come to Bangkok on the 23rd by themselves. Cat's mom's house is almost done except for one of the bathrooms and to put new floors in the room where her mom will sleep. Tomorrow I will assist them with moving things upstairs.

Around 10:30 pm, Cat and I went with her mom and Uncle Q to Tesco Lotus to buy new pillows.

By the way, Cat found her small earring that we've lost in the seat of her car that day we were waiting for the movie theater to open. Yay!

An ordinary day

Today was quite.  We woke up at 9:05 am, did the usual morning routine, then took her dog Aiwon (which means fat) to get a hair cut.  I also got a hair cut and dyed it a different color.  And of course it wasn't the same salon where her dog went. 

We went on the internet after we got home and she chatted online with a few people.  One of Cat's brother told us that the Hmong boy from Chiang Rai called.  He will call again tomorrow.  I think my friends are coming back to Bangkok because they are going home in a few days.

A bad day

It is now 9.30 pm and today has been a very long and tiring day!

Today is also my little brother's birthday.  He is 8 years old. I miss him and my family a lot.  Sometimes I want to go home and sometimes I wish I could live two lives at once.

Cat and I was upset at each other all day along.  It was mainly my fault, I don't blame her.  We were staying at her mom's work and got upset at something.  After that I wanted to go back home but she wouldn't let me because she was afraid I would call the airline and shorten my time with her.  She apparently held on to my shirt and wouldn't let me off her sight. Once she stood leaning against her moped waiting for me to go on an errand with her.  I could see sadness and tears in the corner of her eyes.  I wanted to forget whatever we were upset at and hug her tight but I couldn't.  I hate myself for being stubborn and to see her like that.

Not so well

Cat didn't feel good at all today. We were supposed to go to school in the morning but when we woke up, it was already 11 am.  Her first class starts at 11:30 and we wouldn't make it on time.

We went to Klongtoey Market and I bought two backpacks.  Then we took a tuk tuk taxi to an office building where she paid her mom's bills.

When we got home, she felt very tired and weak because she didn't eat anything since morning. She curled up and napped on the tile floor next to me while I watched TV. Her mom brought some medicine for her later on during the day.

Around 5:30 pm, I went out to eat with her sister. When we got back home, she was a little upset with me because I left her sleeping on the floor and didn't tell her where I was going. I thought I'd let her rest but she didn't like it that way. I didn't know she wanted to be with me every minute of the day. Haha...

"The Mexican"

Wikipedia

Cat woke me get up at 6 am this morning to shower and go to school. I was so tired, I didn't take a shower. When we got to her school, we checked the schedule posted outside the room for her first class, and found out the time was changed to later in the evening.  We also went to check the second class which was canceled for the day too.

We ate breakfast at the cafeteria, then went to Major Cineplex because she didn't want to wait all day for that one class. It was only 10 am, and the theater wasn't open yet, so we sat in her car and waited. She asked me to remove her earrings because she wanted to try on the new ones her cousin gave her. It was really small and when I tried to detach it, I dropped it under the seat. We couldn't find it and she got upset at me. For a good ten minutes, we were silent!

It was getting really hot in the car so we got out and walked to Central Tower shopping center which was a block away. I bought three VCDs from Manpong. Manpong is a media store like Fye in the U.S.

We walked back to the theatre at 11 am and bought tickets to see "The Mexican."

For dinner, Cat ordered two pizzas. One seafood and one Hawaiian style with pork and pineapple. I had two slices of pizza and chicken wings. She had two slices and one chicken wing.

Wat Thamkrabok & Ayutthaya

Last night we slept at Aunt Jim's home. For the first time since I've been here, Cat and I finally got a whole room to ourselves. Before we went to bed, she was talking on the phone with one of her friends. When she hung up the phone, she told me that she told her friend she can't talk long because she has homework to do. I hope you know what I mean by this?

Her mom, Uncle Q, and his nephew came to get us in the morning to go to Wat Thamkrabok. Uncle Q's nephew wants to marry a Hmong girl. He thinks Hmong girls are not lazy. The last time Cat and them came to pick me from there, they met this girl, named Mee. They spoke with her briefly and asked if she would like to marry a Thai man and move to live in Bangkok. I'm guessing at the time, she was being kind and responded "yes," and they mistakenly took her seriously.

We got to Wat Thamkrabok around noon. I guided them to Mee's house because I remembered the way. When we reached the house, her father was right outside the door, so I asked if we could speak with him. Cat's mom and Uncle Q did the talking then asked if he could call for Mee to come.  Mee came shortly and sat with us.  Mom and Uncle Q politely asked her if she wants to marry his nephew. She said she doesn't know if she wants to or not and she repeatedly gave them the same answer each time they asked her a question.  I understood what she was trying to do and I knew she didn't want to marry him because he was too fat but she couldn't say it. I didn't want to tell mom and Uncle Q what I knew. Mee could have made things so much easier if she could just tell the truth because Cat's mom and Uncle Q are two of the most generous and understanding persons I've met in my life. They will not pressure anyone into doings. Mee stood up and walked away when mom and Uncle Q went back to talk with her father. We asked her mom where she went but she said she didn't know where. I knew she lied to us because I saw and heard her whispered to Mee to run away.

It was useless with Mee gone and her father being dishonest with us, so mom and Uncle Q gave up. I asked to stop at my uncle's house to pick up my bracelets that I sent back to him for resizing. When I got to their house, no one was there, they had moved. A little girl showed me to their new house which was only a few houses away. My uncle didn't start on the bracelets yet! I'm pretty sure he'll just keep them along with the money I paid him too. I took pictures of their family and their house to bring back to my mom's mother to see.

We left Wat Thamkrabok around 1 pm and drove to Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya is the ancient capital of Thailand located 90 km from Bangkok. Ayutthaya was completely burned and destroyed in 1767 when the Burmese invaded the city. Today some of the monuments are restored and still standing.

We toured the ancient city which is now a historical park. We stayed about an hour.

Cat -"I hope I am not dreaming"

Tired

When I woke up to use the bathroom at 7:30 am this morning, I was really tired. I went back to bed and slept until 10:30 am. I ate pork noodles for breakfast then took a warm shower. 

In the early afternoon, Cat and I went with her mom and Uncle Q to Wat Yang. I'm not sure how to spell it. We prayed as usual but only stayed about half an hour. On the way back home, we stopped at a local restaurant to have noodles for lunch. It seems all I eat is noodles these days but it is so good too, and I'm not even tired of it yet!

We stayed home the rest of the afternoon and watched TV. I did some cross-stitching with Cat's sister. She gave me a kit with a design of a mother cat and three kittens. Aunt Jim, the one my friends and I stayed with in Bang Na came to visit. She asked Cat and I to go sleep at her house tonight because her husband and son will be away.

Songkran - สงกรานต์

I woke up this morning at 6 am to use the bathroom and went back to sleep. I heard Cat up at 8:30 am and went downstairs to buy food. I slept until 9:30 am, then got up, and went downstairs. I read one chapter from the Danielle Steel book, "Malice" that I bought yesterday. I ate breakfast alone, took a shower, then went to meet Cat at her mom's work.

One of Cat's friend came to visit her. I think it was one of her ex-girlfriend. I went back home to stay with her sister.

Songkran Festival Tourism Thailand Blog

At 3 pm, Cat and I went by taxi to Khaosan Road to meet her friends and celebrate the Songkran Festival. Songkran Festival is the Thai New Year and is celebrate every year from April 13 to April 15. Thais celebrate it by throwing water at one another, or they may go to wats, and pray and give food to monks. Khaosan Road is a short road about 1 km north of the Grand Palace. There are a lot of tourists on this road because there are many cheap accommodations and travel agents that can arrange visas and transport to all other destinations in Thailand.

Songkran Festival Northern Virginia Mag

Today, there were hundreds of people roaming on Khaosan Road with containers of waters and water guns splashing water at passerbys. I don't even know why we went there. We didn't do anything except tried to squeeze our way through the crowds and I have no idea why we were doing that too! We got wet from the water people threw at others and hit us. Our faces and hair were painted with white powders too.

After we got out, we took a tuk tuk taxi with two of her friends to go home. The four of us squeezed together in the back. Cat put one of her arms around me and hold me tight next to her friends.

"Behind the Painting"

Last night, Cat's mom took us to wai and eat. I ordered a fried noodle and Cat had a chicken salad. We got home at 1 am.

This morning I got up two times to use the bathroom, and Cat was planning to go to school at 6:30 am but we were too lazy to get up.

We went downstairs at 10 am and had breakfast. We ate chicken with rice or khao man gai. It is my absolute favorite, I could eat it every day.

Khao Man Gai

After breakfast, we took showers and went to the movie theater. We watched a Thai movie called, “Behind the Painting.”

Behind the Painting Demonoid

This movie is about a young man who falls in love with an older married woman. It is his first true love and he refuses to give up on it, but things don’t always work out as planned. And many years later, they meet again with another chance to love again. 

They gave us a free CD soundtrack of the movie. To think of it, Thailand is a third country but they are always giving free things away to promote their products. This is something you don't see every day in the U.S.  They also have a variety of popcorn flavors and fountain drinks, and are way better than anywhere else. I also like the fact that when you purchased your movie tickets, they will ask you to select where you want to sit. And before every movie can begin, there is a video clip with the Thai national anthem depicting Thailand's king, his life and accomplishments. Everyone is ask to stand and pay their respect.

Mall Bangkapi Life Style Asia

After the movie, we went to the Mall Bangkapi to find something to eat. We walked around the food court once but didn’t see anything tasty; so we drove to Tesco Lotus, and ordered papaya salad, pad thai, and pork fried rice. It cost 95 Baht, about 2 USD.

We then went to a book store inside Lotus, and I bought a book by Danielle Steel for 327 Baht. We had ice cream at Baskin Robbins too.

Errands

Today, we got up at 11 am, ate breakfast, and took showers. I went on the computer to check my emails, then we went to stay at her mom's work until 2 pm.

After Cat's mom came back, we went home and cleaned the upstairs room for my friends. Before they went to Chiang Rai a few weeks ago, they called and told me that they will come back to Bangkok and stay with us.  We swept, vacuumed, and wiped the wooden floor until it sparkled!

Around 4 pm, we went to Klongtoey Market where I bought two shorts and two shirts. We ate noodles on the street and walked back home. We dropped my things at home and we went to a Kodak shop to buy photo albums for the pictures we developed. We bought two photo albums.

It is now 9 pm, and Cat's mom told me earlier when we were at her work that she will take us out to eat when she closed at 10:30 pm.

I got my airline ticket changed to June 13. It cost 75 USD to change it. They faxed me the changes already.

Visa extension

Cat woke me up at 9 am because we had to go find this place where I can extend my visa. Her mom said the office will close at 11 am for lunch and open again later.

Cat's mom and Uncle Q drove us to this office building. But when we went inside and asked, they told us they don’t do visas. They directed us to another building across the street called Immigration and Naturalization Service but this place doesn't do visa extension either. They told us to go to the Immigration Bureau office.

When we reached the Immigration Bureau office, Cat and I went inside and I filled out an application. But before I could submit it, they closed for lunch. So we walked across the street to eat noodles for lunch too. We went back to the office at 12:30 pm to wait. While waiting, this guy sitting next to us said I also need two photos with the application.  We had to go across the street again to a Kodak shop to get my picture taken. We got back just in time for the office to open.

When my turn came, I went up to the counter, gave the agent everything, and he took a quick look at it, and stamped June 15, 2001 on it. It was easier than I thought! The processing fee was 500 Baht. I used my own money to pay but Cat's mom gave me 500 Baht when we got home. I feel so loved by her mom. 

Around 3 pm, Cat and I went to Konica, a photo shop. She wanted reprints of the pictures we took at the temples with her friends.  After this, we went to Carrefour. Carrefour is a store chain just like Tesco Lotus. I bought a few things including two t-shirts, one short, and a wrist watch. We spent about 3000 Baht which equals 66 USD.

When we got home, we went upstairs to sweep the floors. We played with each other and her brother came up to get something. I don't know if he saw anything. After he went back down, we laid on the floor because we were tired.

I will call the airline tomorrow and extend my ticket. I also called my mom and she wanted me to go home!

Something for mom

We woke up early but didn’t feel like getting out of bed. Cat had to send her sister to school but came back to bed again when she got home. We didn't sleep but instead fooled around with each other. I had a really weird dream about the Hmong boy in Chiang Rai.

We finally decide to get up and went downstairs at 11 am. We ate breakfast, took showers, and went to stay at her mom's work. I gave $300 USD for her mom to exchange it for me. Now the current rate is 45.40 Baht for 1 USD. We watched TV and Cat recopied a letter that I wrote and wanted to send to my uncle in Saraburi. She has very nice handwriting! I had him made two silver bracelets for us but it was too big so I need him to resize it again.

Around 4 pm, we took a Tuk Tuk taxi to the post office to send my letter. We ate pork noodles at a nearby vendor for dinner. When we got back home, her mom gave me 13,600 Baht; the money I gave her to exchange. Then at 6:30 pm, we walked to the Kodak shop to pick up our pictures we dropped off earlier for development. We took another Tuk Tuk taxi to Tesco Lotus. Tesco Lotus is a hypermarket chain located everywhere in Thailand, and is similar to Walmart Supercenter in the U.S.

I wanted to buy a gift at Tesco Lotus for her mom and aunt but when I asked her for ideas, she kept telling me not to buy anything. She got me really pissed and I told her I wanted to come home. We walked home, it wasn't far!

Right now I am upstairs and writing this. She's lying here next to me, talking on the phone.

Went to the temples with her friends

Grand Palace

Today, Cat and I went with her friends Toy and Maew to the same temples I went with my friends a few weeks ago. Last time when I went with my friends, I didn't bring my camera and Cat promised she would take me again so I can take pictures.

It was a very hot day with lots of people, especially tourists or farangs as Thais refer to them. I brought three rolls of films and we used all of it. I forgot that there is a Hmong boy from Chiang Rai that my friends tried to hook me up with. He really wants me to go with my friends up north so we can meet.  Anyways he called me on Cat's phone while we were taking pictures and said he will come to Bangkok if I don't go up north. He wants us to pick him up at the bus station when he arrives. I didn’t know what to tell him because I know he cannot stay with us in the same house and I don't have time for him either with Cat around. Cat wasn't happy when I told her that he was thinking about coming. I don't think he will come though. Cat wants us to travel down south on April 12th to celebrate the Songkran New Year there, so definitely no time for him!

We all took the bus home around 3:00 pm but her friends got off on their stops. Actually Cat and I went to MBK Center after her friends were gone. She was looking for something for her pager but didn't find anything. We then went to the food court and ate papaya salad and pork noodles. We didn't want to come home early so we decided to go see a movie. We watched “Save The Last Dance.”  We got a "Behind the Painting" Thai movie picture frame with our popcorn and soda purchased. We came home after the movie, took a shower, and went to help her mom at her work.

Just another day

We had so much fun at the karaoke place last night. Cat's mom and Uncle Q ordered a lot of food, so we ate, drank, and sang our hearts out!  They have both Thai and English songs. We stayed until 2:00 am!

I woke up at 11.40 am this morning. Cat was up half an hour before me because one of her uncle and aunt brought their baby boy to visit. She came back upstairs later and continued to lay down with me for some time.

Around 2.30 pm, Cat and I went with her mom, and Uncle Q to send her uncle and aunt back home. It was a 30 minute drive.

We ate at Chester's Grill before coming home. I have to say that they are so wonderful to me and I'm just speechless.  I've never received such kindness before.

"Valentine"

I was so tired last night that I fell asleep so fast! When I woke up this morning, it was already 10:30 am. Now it is 11:45 am and we just finished breakfast. Cat is taking a shower now as I'm writing this. We will go to the movie theater and watch the horror film "Valentine." This movie came out a long time ago back home in the U.S. but I never got the chance to see it.

The days here with Cat go by so quick. It will be three weeks this coming Sunday that I've been here. I don't want to go home yet. I will try to extend my visa and plane ticket so I can stay until the end of May.

It is actually night time now in the U.S. and I will probably call my family later if I have time. We will go to a karaoke place tonight after Cat's mom gets off work around 11:00 pm. Also today, my friends will travel to Chiang Rai, a northern province in Thailand. They have several Hmong friends up there. They say they will come back to Bangkok for one week before going back home but we'll see if they do!

Right now it is 8:00 pm and we just got home not too long ago. We went to Ramkhamhaeng University because she had to register for summer classes. After that, we went to Major Cineplex across her university but they closed the theater for the day. We then went to the one in Ekkamai and we made it inside just in time for the movie!

Qingming Festival - 清明节

Today was the Chinese Qingming Festival. It is a time when people go outside and enjoy the greenery springtime and tend to graves of departed ones. The festival is celebrated by Chinese people yearly. Cat's mom and grandma are both Chinese.

We had to get up at 3:30 am to go to Kanchanaburi with Cat's mom and grandma. Kanchanaburi is a town located west of Thailand and about 129 km from Bangkok. Before we left at 4:00 am, Cat took a very long shower. Since she was in the bathroom for so long, I didn't get to wash my hair or use the toilet. My hair reacts to humidity. The weather here is always hot and my hair is always frizzy and curly. I haven't had any good hair day since I've been in Thailand.

Cat's mom hired a private van and driver to take us. It took two hours to get to Kanchanaburi. I admired Cat's mom a lot. She always encourage and make it a requirement that I participate in every event. I am clueless most of the time but thanks to Cat and her patience, she guides me through everything.

At the grave site, I had to do everything they did which was waied, burned paper money, and offered food to grandma's ancestors.

While Cat and I waited for her mom and grandma to finish, I suddenly got a stomach ache. I had to use the bathroom immediately but we were in the middle of nowhere, and there was none in sight. Last night I ate some very spicy instant noodles for dinner. Every time I eat spicy food, I get a stomach ache the next day. They were telling me to hold on a little longer but I couldn't. I had to go and the woods was my only option. Cat stay guarded while I went a few feet from her. It felt so good to let all that nasty things out of my stomach! When I came back to where her mom and grandma were, her mom said, "You look thin!"

On the way back home, we stopped to have lunch at a restaurant on the side of the road. I had a bowl of spicy noodle again!

After we got home, around two in the afternoon, I called Bat. She's also a lesbian that I met online but much older than us. She is 45 years old. I talked to her online once in a while, and I promised her that when I go to Thailand, I would visit her. I was supposed to meet her today but since Cat was tired from our morning trip, I had to cancel the meeting. Bat said she wants to take Cat and I on a dinner cruise along the Chao Phraya river.

We walked to her mom's work after we ate dinner. It was only a few steps down the alley. We usually sit with her mom and watch Thai lakorns on TV. But tonight we just sat there and reminisced on our long journey.

Promises

"I, Cat, promised you that I will never break my words. I will always love you for as long as I live. Will wait for you and will never change my mind. I love you so much, more than I can ever say. I will never change my mind. I will do everything for you if I can. I want to be with you forever. I will try my best. I hope that you will have and feel the same way. I have never love someone like I love you. I promise I will love you and be with you as long as I live. P.S. I am a chicken but I do really love you."

"I promised Cat that I will never break my words. I will always love you for as long as I live. Will wait for you and will never change my mind. I truly love you and you have been so wonderful to me. I will always cherish you and the memories we shared together. You are the love of my life. Whenever you need me, I will be everything for you. I will show you all you need to see. "Let me be the only one to keep you from the cold." I love you forever and always."

Klongtoey Market

Klongtoey Market  Wikipedia

"Klong Toey market is one of the cheapest in Bangkok, being situated away from the city center and catering more for the needs of the poorer inhabitants. The traders display their wares in a somewhat haphazard fashion, fish being sold alongside clothing for example, but there is always a wide range of goods to choose from. Klong Toey Market is also known as Khlongtoei Market."

Today we went to Klongtoey Market. We woke up around 11 am, took showers, ate, and walked across the street to the market to buy shorts and shirts for me.

I bought three shorts and one shirt. We then walked across to another side of the street to a post office to send a letter to my uncle in Saraburi. About two days ago, I also sent home 17 post cards and a letter to my sister.

After we got home, I tried on the shorts, and two of them were too tight. We walked back to the market to exchange them.

Return to Bangkok

Today was my younger sister's birthday.

We went to the market again today! We got home around two in the afternoon. As we were about to sit and watch TV with everyone else in the room; a young man appeared at the door and said some Thai friends was coming to pick up someone here. He also said the Thai girl was searching and didn't know where we were, so someone helped them, and told them to come to this house.

My heart jumped, I knew instantly it was Cat. She was so quick to come. Today was only my third day in the camp. I got up and started gathering my things, and when I looked up, I saw Cat, her mom, and Uncle Q with the person I assumed they met and guided them to the house. Cat came to me and helped me packed my bags. My friend that was with me, walked with me to their car which was parked a few hundred feet from the house. We said bye to my friend.

On the way back to Cat's house in Bangkok, I felt nervous as I sat in the backseat alone with her. I was going to be by myself with all Thai people in a house, and a different environment than I know. My parents had advised me to stay with my friends all the time. They told me stories about when they lived in Thailand and how some Thais mistreated the Hmong people. I think I know Cat well enough to trust her at this moment. There's good and bad people out there, and Cat's mom was very kind to us when we stayed in Bangkok. She is a mom and I’m sure she is concern for my safety as well.

Cat fell asleep in the car half way back or maybe she was just pretending, so she could put her head on my leg. Whatever it was, it felt good to be loved.

Hmong Refugee Camp

Right now we are in the Hmong refugee camp in Wat Thamkrabok. I am staying with one of my friend in her sister's home. I went to visit my uncle in his home last night.

"Wat Thamkrabok, meaning Temple of the Bamboo Cave is a Buddhist temple located in the Phrab Phutthabat district of Saraburi province. After the Vietnam War, many Hmong people fled to Thailand from Laos by feared of persecution from the communist government that ruled since 1975. Wat Thamkrabok is a refugee camp where many Hmong people fled to; to avoid repatriation to Laos after several other camps in Thailand were closed due to lack of financial support in the early 1990s. The population in the temple grew to about 16,000."

www.wikipedia.org

Woman walking in the rain

Last night it rained a lot, so today was muddy and dirty! The houses are made of bamboo and has either a hay or metal roof. If you are one of the wealthy people, you might be able to afford something made of cement. There are no pavements, just dirt paths, lots of forest, and mountains that surround the camp.

After the rain

Today I walked to the market with my friends and their cousins. I was excited and wanted to try some of the Hmong food from the vendors. So I tried two bowls of noodles from different vendors and it tasted plain. I remembered it used to taste so good back when I was a child and we lived in Thailand. But I think it's my taste that changed over the years with the abundant and variety of food we have in the U.S.

I also called Cat from the pay phone and asked if she could come get me. I told her I was more than ready to leave. She said she will talk to her mom.

Bathroom and bathing situation

There are no flushable toilets or proper bathing and shower systems. Each family or two shares a small toilet hut right around the corner. It is a squat toilet. You need to bring toilet paper and a bucket of water to pour it down. As far as bathing goes, they have two to three huge clay jars right outside the door filled with water. When bathing, women wear a Thai style tube skirt and tugged it tightly at the chest, then scoop water from the jar over themselves. The men would bathe in their shorts or underwear.

Last night, when two of my friends and I bathed outside, a group of young boys came to court us. This practice is actually normal in Thailand and Laos. They kept on asking us annoying questions even when we didn't want to answer. I kept silent and ignored them. We tried to finish as quickly as we could and went back inside.

Guess what...approximately two hours later, when we were watching TV, and I don't know if it was the same group or not, but they came back! We were inside and they were talking to us through the walls from the outside. They tried to shine a flashlight at us through a crack in the wall. It was still too dark, they couldn't see, so for the next hour, they asked us repeatedly to go meet them outside the door. We never went outside.

Bangkok to Saraburi

"Saraburi, a province in the upper central region of Thailand, is rich in tourist attractions including natural sites, cultural festivals, majestic temples, and historical venues. Located 108 kilometers north of Bangkok, Saraburi city is just 65 kilometers from Ayutthaya and the two can be combined to make a diverse day trip. The most important Buddhist temple in Saraburi, Wat Phra Phutthabat was built in the 17th century and features a “Buddha footprint” that has made it one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in central Thailand."

www.tourismthailand.org

A flashback

The last three days, we slept at Cat's aunt's house. Her mom's house is being remodel at the present moment. Her mom owes the second duplex which she rented to others. She wants to combine the duplexes into a three story home with five bedrooms and two bathrooms. Her aunt's house is in Bang Na, which is about 20 minutes from Bangkok. Unlike her mother's house and many other houses in Bangkok which consisted of one-or two-story wooden structures built closely together; it is a two-story standalone house with a metal front gate. I like her aunt's house because they have flushable toilets and a shower system.

Neighborhood where we stayed

On our second day in Thailand, Cat took us to her mom's house. When I went to use the bathroom, I noticed it was a regular sit-down toilet, except that it doesn't flush automatically. Next to it, there was a huge container filled with water, and a bowl inside. I didn't know you have to scoop water from the container and pour it into the toilet. After using the toilet, I couldn't find a handle to flush it, so I had to come out asked my friends why there was no handle. They laughed and said I need to manually pour water down.

Saraburi, here we come!

Sunflower Field in Saraburi

The person that we hired to drive us to Saraburi was a friend of one of my friends. He operates a private tour or something, that was what I was told. We paid him 2500 Baht (55 USD), and split it equally between the five us. If you are Thai, you would think we were crazy to pay him that much just for a one way trip. Normally it would only cost about 1000 Baht (22 USD) round trip.

Cat and her aunt helped us carried our humongous and heavy suitcases into the van. We thanked her aunt for letting us stayed in her house. My friends and I agreed that we would each give 500 Baht to compensate her aunt. But when we handed Cat the money in an envelope to give her aunt before we closed the door of the van, she refused to accept it, and so did her aunt.

They watched and waved to us as the van pulled away from the driveway into the small road. I took one last look at Cat from within and waved to them both. I could never thank her enough for what she has given me in the last few days. She will always be someone close to my heart.

I should mention that Cat didn't want me to leave with my friends. We had a moment together where she asked and made me promised to go back to Bangkok and stay an extra month. While we talked, I saw tears in the corner of her eyes, but she did really good and held it in. I took off my necklace that I had and put it on her neck. I told her to keep it as a memory, and as something I would go back for. I miss her a lot right now.

We arrived in Saraburi earlier this afternoon.

Went to the temples with my friends

Wat Arun - Temple of the Dawn

Cat didn't have any final exams today so she took us with her mom and Uncle Q to see some of Thailand's most beautiful temples. We got to see the Grand Palace; Wat Po, Temple of the Reclining Buddha; Wat Phra Kaew, Temple of the Emerald Buddha; and Wat Arun, Temple of the Dawn

Wat Phra Kaew - Temple of Emerald Buddha

My friends and her mom

 Her mom is very religious. We had the opportunity to wai with her at one of the shrines there. Wai is the Thai way of greeting and showing respect, indicated by pressing your palms together near your chest and bowing. It was the first time that I went to a Budhist temple. It was very special because Cat was right there beside me. I prayed silently that during my time here, our physical bond would be as strong as can be. Later in the day, Cat told me that she prayed for us to stay together for a very long time.

Wat Po - Temple of the Reclining Buddha

Maboonkrong Center Bangkok Shopping Guide

Cat's mom and Uncle Q went home in the early afternoon. The five of us squeezed into Cat's Honda Civic Type Z, and went to meet my friend Kho's Thai pen pal. They took us to MBK Center, Maboonkrong Center, located at Phayathai Road, Pathumwan.

MBK Center is a huge shopping mall with eight floors packed with 2,000 shops that sell everything from clothing, fashion accessories, handbags, leather products and luggage to furniture, mobile phones, electric appliances, cameras, stationery and DVD's, and many more.

We spend about three hours browsing most of the shops but nobody bought anything.  One of my friend was hoping to run into a Thai superstar but we didn't meet any.

Birthday

Today was Cat's 20th birthday!

This morning she had a final exam at school. She is majoring in law at Ramkhamhaeng University. Her exam was from two to four in the afternoon. But before going to school, she dropped me and my friends off at Major Cineplex, a movie theater. The theater was right across the street from her school. She had asked her two good friends Maew and Num to watch Mae Bia (The Snake Lady) with us.

Major Cineplex Ramkhamhaeng Find Target Reference

Before Cat left to school, she whispered something to me about the movie which I didn’t hear clearly. I heard something like, "this movie has a lot of lesbian scenes." With that in mind, I thought it was going to be a lesbian movie but throughout the whole movie, I didn't see any lesbians and it had me thinking.

Mae Bia  Wikipedia

"Mae Bia is about a man named Chanachol who has spent several years overseas, and after returning to Thailand again, he signs up for a tour to familiarize himself with his homeland again. He meets his guide, Mekhala whom is instantly attracted to, and so is she to him. They begin to have an affair but kept secrets from each other. Chanachol is married and has a son at home while Mekhala has her own secret relationship with a jealous snake."

The movie seem boring to me because it was in Thai and had no English subtitles. I didn't understand a word they were saying. I knew one of my friends didn't enjoy it either because she didn't understand Thai too. But one friend did cried during some scenes.

When we came out of the theater, I didn't know if Cat was done with her exam or not. But she was waiting for us downstairs. Just seeing her makes me happy every time. She asked if I liked the movie. I told her I didn't see any lesbian scenes. She laughed and told me that she meant the movie has a lot of sex scenes.

We took sticker pictures in the photo booth they had there. Then we walked to Big C shopping center which was only a few blocks away. We went down to the lowest level where the food court was and got dinner. But we didn't really know what to order. I just ordered a beef noodle soup. The name and picture looks and sounds good but when it came, it had very little noodles with a condensed soup and blood cake. Cat said I didn't have to eat it if I didn't like it.

Birthday Dinner

It rained really hard around five o'clock but Cat's aunt still insisted we go to Tesco Lotus. We celebrated Cat's birthday at MK Restaurants with her siblings. MK features Thai-style suki that is a hot pot of fresh meats and vegetables. This was the first time my friends and I ever had hot pot so we didn't like it. Her younger siblings must thought we were weird because we didn't talk with them and didn't eat much.

Arrived in Bangkok

Waiting at Minneapolis airport

We left the United States on Saturday March 17, 2001 at 9:30 am. We connected in Minneapolis and Tokyo. The plane ride and layover took a total of about 21 hours. When we arrived at Bangkok's Don Muang International Airport, it was Sunday night March 18, 2001 about 11:30 pm.

After going through customs and baggage claim, it was already past midnight. I was very nervous when we walked out to the meeting area. I was afraid at the same time that I might lose Cat after she sees me. But then again, at least we got to meet each other in person.

Cat saw me first as I walked toward the crowds gathered in the meeting area. When I saw her waved at me, I froze! My heart was beating so fast, I had to catch my breath. Standing next to her was her younger sister, her mom, and mom's boyfriend (I will refer to him as Uncle Q). When I was finally standing face to face with Cat, I could see how beautiful her complexion was. She was one hundred times more pretty and different than the pictures she sent me. In those pictures, she always had on shorts and looked like a tomboy. I prefer a more feminine girl. Like they say, never judge a book by it's cover. Seeing her with her shoulder length black silky hair and smooth baby face; it melt my heart. She wore her driving glasses, a blue polo shirt, blue jeans, navy colored sandals, and was holding her cell phone in one hand. Her eyes were on me the whole time. I was very shy to look her in the eyes.

We loaded our luggage in her trunk. After closing the trunk, she came from behind me, as I was about to get in the car, and slightly brushed her right arm against my left arm. I felt something, something wonderful that I've never felt before. A feeling of being close to someone you care deeply about. She insisted I sit with her in the front but I didn't have the guts to, so I let her sister sit with her. I sat in the backseat with two of my friends.

Our first night together

When we arrived at her aunt's house, it was very hot. Her mom bought food for us because she worried we were hungry. We sat surrounding the food on the floor. Cat sat next to me, she rolled her sleeves up to her shoulders. I was still nervous. We tried to eat but I didn't have an appetite.

Her aunt has a spare bedroom upstairs with a queen size bed for us. We showered and I was the last one. When I came back into the room, everyone looked tired, and two of my friends that could speak Thai was talking to Cat. They sat on the floor. I sat with them, and one of my friend folded a 20 dollar bill into a heart and gave it to her. I took out a 100 dollar bill and folded it into a heart and also gave it to her.

All four of my friends squeezed into the small queen bed. Cat laid a pad on the floor for me and her to sleep. What happened after everyone fell asleep was something I will never forget. The one thing that I've wanted the most in the last two years had finally arrived. We were in each others arms, and it felt so good to have her warm body next to mine. We hugged each other until we fell asleep.

It rained really hard until the morning!

How I got to go to Thailand

It has been over two years since Cat and I've known each other. Throughout this whole crazy cycle, we've also created many sad and happy memories together. We didn't think we would ever get to meet in person.

Love is a strange thing, we don't know how it starts and how it will end. But what is in between is the best and most wonderful of anything in life. The countless hours we spent on our emails, letters, and phone calls to each other were the most important things in our lives. Through everything, we've built trust and knew in our hearts that if not today, one day, however long it may be, we will meet somehow. We just need to believe in our love even if unreachable.

My friends and I started talking about visiting Thailand in April 2000. I submitted the application for a passport around that time as well but didn't receive it until about November, I think. After we got our passports, the four of us took a hour and a half drive east of where we live to purchase our airline tickets from a travel agent.

I told my parents about Thailand early from the beginning but they never believed I was serious. I guess it was because I was too young to travel to a country where I didn't know anyone or speak its language. My mom is a free spirited person, she is an easy person to talk to, and will most likely let me do what I like. My dad is different. Throughout my life, for as long as I can remember, he has always been someone I avoided. There are many reasons I can't explain, but I could never have a conversation lasting more than five minutes with him. He is short with words and very direct with things. When he talks, his tone is loud like he's yelling, and that's what makes us stay away from him. I can say for a fact that growing up, life was unbearable, and many times I wished I didn't exist. After I know Cat, life felt more worthwhile.

Long story short, I did my passport and purchased the airline ticket along with my friends without telling my parents. After everything was completed, I told them I was really going to Thailand. They couldn't say anything but to let me go.

The way we met

It was near fall season, sometime at the end of August 1999 that Cat and I met online. She was 18 years old and lived in Bangkok, Thailand. I was a year older than her.

I knew a lot of friends from the internet that I talked to everyday, but I've never thought I would meet someone across the other side of the earth like her. She taught me many things and one of them was to love unconditionally with my heart. She was someone I couldn't live my life without, someone I would sacrifice everything for, and someone I would do it all over again with if I could.

It was very late one night when I went into Yahoo chat. Back then, the internet was a new thing, and everyone you meet online was friendly. Cat was already in the chat room and she was asking people how to spell the word "Beautiful." I clicked on her name because it was different from the usual names always there. I typed "Hi," and she typed "Hi" back to me.

I don't remembered what else we talked about in the chat room besides introducing ourselves. But I did know it was boring talking to her because she didn't understand most of what I was typing to her, due to her limited English skills. To be honest, I was not interested in her. I could also feel she was too excited about other people in the room that she didn’t really care either.

After this unexpected meeting, I went on living my usual life and totally forgot about her. It was about one week later when I received an email from her. I don't remember giving her my email address but I think she must have written down my Yahoo user name from the chat room. The user name in chat is the same as the email account for Yahoo.

This is how we know each other and how our six year long distance relationship started. We emailed, sent letters through the mail, and sometimes talked on the phone.