Ca veut dire "hello" mais formel en Tamoul.
Ca y est je suis en Inde. Je ne suis toujours pas arrivee a destination finale mais je pense qu apres 3 jours, enfin j y arriverai...demain!
L Inde, "either you love it or you hate it". Peut-etre qu il est encore trop tot mais j ai deja choisi le meilleur pour moi. Je l aime.
Samstag, 29. Dezember 2007
Mittwoch, 26. Dezember 2007
J-1 India
When I'll arrive, they'll pick me up and I'll stay in a hotel in Chennai. On the next day, I'll be accompanied to the office in Sivakasi. It is at 8 hours train and a couple of hours car from Chennai. I'm not sure where I'll land!
Penang was nice.
Georgetown. It is a nice city. Mix of cultures as in Melaka. Also some historical houses with flair. A kind of "croisette" along the sea.
The beach. A "happy happy" guy took me for a "happy" horse ride. Then he suggested some "happy happy" time with him (he was quite clear with his hands...) which I "happily" refused.
The tropical fruit farm. Visit and degustation where included. My favorites are Mango and Jackfruit. Unfortunately they did not have the "Dip barang" they have in Cambodia. This is above all.
The botanical garden. Jungle is definitely too noisy! The walk to reach it was longer than the time I actually spent inside. On the way I met an interesting guy(de) running a garden decoration shop.
And that's about it since I spare you the culinary trials thanks to Virginie :-p
I hope you all had a great X-mas time with or without your families.
Penang was nice.
Georgetown. It is a nice city. Mix of cultures as in Melaka. Also some historical houses with flair. A kind of "croisette" along the sea.
The beach. A "happy happy" guy took me for a "happy" horse ride. Then he suggested some "happy happy" time with him (he was quite clear with his hands...) which I "happily" refused.
The tropical fruit farm. Visit and degustation where included. My favorites are Mango and Jackfruit. Unfortunately they did not have the "Dip barang" they have in Cambodia. This is above all.
The botanical garden. Jungle is definitely too noisy! The walk to reach it was longer than the time I actually spent inside. On the way I met an interesting guy(de) running a garden decoration shop.
And that's about it since I spare you the culinary trials thanks to Virginie :-p
I hope you all had a great X-mas time with or without your families.
Montag, 24. Dezember 2007
JOYEUX NOEL
FROHE WEIHNACHTEN
FELIZ NAVIDAD
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Colors of X-mas, green for the tree, red for the apples and yellow for the candles.
Have joy, fun and peace within your families. I'm thinking of mine!
Here it is so different. That's good! Like this I don't feel lonely.
FELIZ NAVIDAD
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Colors of X-mas, green for the tree, red for the apples and yellow for the candles.
Have joy, fun and peace within your families. I'm thinking of mine!
Here it is so different. That's good! Like this I don't feel lonely.
Sonntag, 23. Dezember 2007
A bus trip, Malaysia versus Cambodia
Concerning the landscape, you exchange flat land for mountains or hills and rice fields for palmforests and jungle.
For the rest, much more civilized. I feel like in Europe. The road is straight and paved. No bumpings. No Jumps. No holes. No break-downs. I miss the stops every 1 or 2 hours. I miss the rural road restaurants. I miss the rests in the middle of nowhere but where still people -unfortunately also some children- where arriving running (you were wondering where they were coming out) to sell you fresh cut pineapples, fresh cut mangos with salt and chili or grilled salty bananas.
Here, in Malaysia, 1 stop in 8 hours. The break is in a very regular gasstation with multiple clean toilets and with an air-conditionned shop selling the well-known pringle chips, cadburry chocolates and nestle icecreams
The temperature in the bus is perfectly set. Not too cold. Not too hot. There is no mosquitoes to fight with. There is no Cambodian music and no melting romantic karaoke videos. It's no fun!
And at the end of the trip, no motodriver is urging you to sit behind him, no tuktuk driver is competing to take you to a guesthouse. There is no one. No one cares. I guess this is the backside of the medal when people have enough money or/and they follow the country rules. No service anymore!
It is when you are away that you realize how special it was, how much you got used to it and at last what you are missing!
On the way back, I'll try the train. There, no comparison will be possible as almost no train is existing in Cambodia.
For the rest, much more civilized. I feel like in Europe. The road is straight and paved. No bumpings. No Jumps. No holes. No break-downs. I miss the stops every 1 or 2 hours. I miss the rural road restaurants. I miss the rests in the middle of nowhere but where still people -unfortunately also some children- where arriving running (you were wondering where they were coming out) to sell you fresh cut pineapples, fresh cut mangos with salt and chili or grilled salty bananas.
Here, in Malaysia, 1 stop in 8 hours. The break is in a very regular gasstation with multiple clean toilets and with an air-conditionned shop selling the well-known pringle chips, cadburry chocolates and nestle icecreams
The temperature in the bus is perfectly set. Not too cold. Not too hot. There is no mosquitoes to fight with. There is no Cambodian music and no melting romantic karaoke videos. It's no fun!
And at the end of the trip, no motodriver is urging you to sit behind him, no tuktuk driver is competing to take you to a guesthouse. There is no one. No one cares. I guess this is the backside of the medal when people have enough money or/and they follow the country rules. No service anymore!
It is when you are away that you realize how special it was, how much you got used to it and at last what you are missing!
On the way back, I'll try the train. There, no comparison will be possible as almost no train is existing in Cambodia.
Samstag, 22. Dezember 2007
Auf, nach Penang
I'm feeling better. I got the flair of Melaka. It's like Europe but in Asia. And the food, well, I'm not interested anymore and the markets...neither actually. It's nice but enough. I want to go to the beach. Tomorrow I'm leaving for Penang. It's an island in the north of Malaysia. I hope there will be a bed somewhere for me.
Good new! Projects Abroad India accept me earlier :-) I will be allowed to plant trees from January on. Isn't that great?
Good new! Projects Abroad India accept me earlier :-) I will be allowed to plant trees from January on. Isn't that great?
Freitag, 21. Dezember 2007
L'angoisse
Comme je m inquietais de ne pas avoir de nouvelles de Projects Abroad Inde, je leur ai envoye un mail. Et maintenant je comprends pourquoi ils ne m ont encore rien envoye. Ils ne m attendent que le premier fevrier!!
Je leur ai demande si je pouvais commencer le 28 decembre. A suivre...
Je leur ai demande si je pouvais commencer le 28 decembre. A suivre...
I feel like shit
No wonder! This is what my life is all about the last 24 hours. I'm sorry to bother you with my toilet stories but there is nothing else! At least 12 lou expeditions. The real adventure. The thrill! I tell you.
Honestly, I'm so tired, I don't manage a lot more than going to the toilets and back to bed. Well, I could go out for 2 hours this afternoon. Malaka is a pretty city. I saw a few nice buildings from the Portuguese and Dutch times. They are bordeaux red. I did a drawing from the riverside to replace the pictures I'm not able to take anymore. Sweating doing nothing. At the guesthouse, they told me today is holiday. Maybe that's why there was a bit of party atmosphere in the center: foodstalls, market, music and cyclos decorated in bright yellow with flowers.
Nothing more to say. It's a pity. Malaysia is famous for food but I don't feel eating anything. I'm taking wonder cocktails though: Smecta, electrolytes, a magic tiorfan pill and a zest of immodium. I read the Dalai Lama when I'm not sleeping but meditation doesn't help right now. I want to go home. I still have 3 months though (not the least part: India!)...and no home. Shit! Anyway I'm always sick for X-mas, nothing special.
Honestly, I'm so tired, I don't manage a lot more than going to the toilets and back to bed. Well, I could go out for 2 hours this afternoon. Malaka is a pretty city. I saw a few nice buildings from the Portuguese and Dutch times. They are bordeaux red. I did a drawing from the riverside to replace the pictures I'm not able to take anymore. Sweating doing nothing. At the guesthouse, they told me today is holiday. Maybe that's why there was a bit of party atmosphere in the center: foodstalls, market, music and cyclos decorated in bright yellow with flowers.
Nothing more to say. It's a pity. Malaysia is famous for food but I don't feel eating anything. I'm taking wonder cocktails though: Smecta, electrolytes, a magic tiorfan pill and a zest of immodium. I read the Dalai Lama when I'm not sleeping but meditation doesn't help right now. I want to go home. I still have 3 months though (not the least part: India!)...and no home. Shit! Anyway I'm always sick for X-mas, nothing special.
Donnerstag, 20. Dezember 2007
Bienvenue en Malaysie
Ca y est, j ai definitivement quitte Phnom Penh et le Cambodge. Je suis arrivee sans encombre en Malaysie, Kuala Lumpur. Le premier truc qui frappe, deja depuis l'avion sont les forets de palmiers. La vegetation est dense, verte foncee. Des palmiers a perte de vue.
J'ai poursuivi direct sur Malaka. Malaka est plus au Sud. C'est une ville historique d influence chinoise et portugaise. Pour l instant je n ai rien vu parce que le temps d arriver a l hotel, de negocier le prix...Il faisait deja nuit. Et puis je suis contente d avoir pu arriver au cafe internet parce qu'une bonne diahree m a scotchee au toilettes. J ai cru que j allais y passer la nuit. L angoisse parce qu il fallait que je previenne que j etais bien arrivee. Et oui, maintenant que je n ai plus de portable, tout ca se complique. Bon et puis mauvaise nouvelle, je viens de lire dans le journal que tous les hotels etaient bookes a Penang. C est la ou je voulais aller d ici 2-3 jours.
A part ca la Malaysie j ai aucune notion, aucun guide. Mais de ce que j ai vu c est largement pluriethnique. Deja des l'aeroport le gros truc qui change, le voile. Des voiles sur toutes les femmes, les douanieres, les hotesses. Dans la rue c'est pareil. Ca donne un air arabe a l Asie. On se demande ou on est. Rien a voir avec le Cambodge au niveau de la population. Au Cambodge ils se ressemblent tous, plus ou moins fonces mais ils ont tous a peu pres la meme carrure et la tete triangulaire. Ici il y a des gros, des maigres. Il y a des types indiens, plus ou moins fonces, des types asiatiques mais differentes influences: cheveux boucles ou raides, bouches pleines ou fines et aussi toutes les couleurs, et puis il y a quelques mecs a barbe! Certains ont vraiment des physionomies d'occidentaux, ils sont juste colores. Bon une constante c est quand meme les cheveux: noirs quand ils ne sont pas decolores. Et puis les yeux plutot noirs quoiqu'on en voit des plus clairs, tirant vers le marron et j ai meme vu des yeux violets a la station de bus. C etait une dame, je lui demandais un renseignement (les toilettes, forcement) et j ai eu peur en la regardant dans les yeux! Je ne recommende les yeux violets a personne!
C'est un pays metisse et toujours en metissage. Le taxi etait indien/malais, au guesthouse, la fille est indonesienne, Chou une volontaire etait chinoise/malaise. On peut vraiment s'exercer sur le "quel asiatique vient de quel pays?"
Ici ils fument. Au Cambodge, curieusement, il n'y en a pas beaucoup qui fument alors que c est un pays producteur de tabac.
Les gens sont sympas et curieux, Ca ca ne change pas trop.
Globalement, ca parait un peu plus civilise: les routes sont nickels (ils conduisent a gauche), la circulation n'a rien de chaotique, les motos manquent, quand il y en a, les conducteurs portent des casques, les grands centres commerciaux, eclairage de nuit... La voiture c'est un premier pas vers l'anonymat. Au Cambodge, on voit tout le temps les gens, qu'ils soient chez eux, dans la rue ou en moto. Ici, tout le monde roule en voiture. On ne voit pas ces gens. C'est nettement plus occidentalise: les infrastructures et egalement les comportements (ceux qui n est pas forcement un mieux).
Bon et puis le truc qui change tout, c est internet. Aucune attente. Trop fort! Dommage que je n ai plus de photos, ca aurait surement bien marche. Il n y avait pas de ventes d appareils photos au Duty Free. Je regarderai demain les prix ici.
Je vais voir si je trouve une petite soupe histoire de me rehydrater.
J'ai poursuivi direct sur Malaka. Malaka est plus au Sud. C'est une ville historique d influence chinoise et portugaise. Pour l instant je n ai rien vu parce que le temps d arriver a l hotel, de negocier le prix...Il faisait deja nuit. Et puis je suis contente d avoir pu arriver au cafe internet parce qu'une bonne diahree m a scotchee au toilettes. J ai cru que j allais y passer la nuit. L angoisse parce qu il fallait que je previenne que j etais bien arrivee. Et oui, maintenant que je n ai plus de portable, tout ca se complique. Bon et puis mauvaise nouvelle, je viens de lire dans le journal que tous les hotels etaient bookes a Penang. C est la ou je voulais aller d ici 2-3 jours.
A part ca la Malaysie j ai aucune notion, aucun guide. Mais de ce que j ai vu c est largement pluriethnique. Deja des l'aeroport le gros truc qui change, le voile. Des voiles sur toutes les femmes, les douanieres, les hotesses. Dans la rue c'est pareil. Ca donne un air arabe a l Asie. On se demande ou on est. Rien a voir avec le Cambodge au niveau de la population. Au Cambodge ils se ressemblent tous, plus ou moins fonces mais ils ont tous a peu pres la meme carrure et la tete triangulaire. Ici il y a des gros, des maigres. Il y a des types indiens, plus ou moins fonces, des types asiatiques mais differentes influences: cheveux boucles ou raides, bouches pleines ou fines et aussi toutes les couleurs, et puis il y a quelques mecs a barbe! Certains ont vraiment des physionomies d'occidentaux, ils sont juste colores. Bon une constante c est quand meme les cheveux: noirs quand ils ne sont pas decolores. Et puis les yeux plutot noirs quoiqu'on en voit des plus clairs, tirant vers le marron et j ai meme vu des yeux violets a la station de bus. C etait une dame, je lui demandais un renseignement (les toilettes, forcement) et j ai eu peur en la regardant dans les yeux! Je ne recommende les yeux violets a personne!
C'est un pays metisse et toujours en metissage. Le taxi etait indien/malais, au guesthouse, la fille est indonesienne, Chou une volontaire etait chinoise/malaise. On peut vraiment s'exercer sur le "quel asiatique vient de quel pays?"
Ici ils fument. Au Cambodge, curieusement, il n'y en a pas beaucoup qui fument alors que c est un pays producteur de tabac.
Les gens sont sympas et curieux, Ca ca ne change pas trop.
Globalement, ca parait un peu plus civilise: les routes sont nickels (ils conduisent a gauche), la circulation n'a rien de chaotique, les motos manquent, quand il y en a, les conducteurs portent des casques, les grands centres commerciaux, eclairage de nuit... La voiture c'est un premier pas vers l'anonymat. Au Cambodge, on voit tout le temps les gens, qu'ils soient chez eux, dans la rue ou en moto. Ici, tout le monde roule en voiture. On ne voit pas ces gens. C'est nettement plus occidentalise: les infrastructures et egalement les comportements (ceux qui n est pas forcement un mieux).
Bon et puis le truc qui change tout, c est internet. Aucune attente. Trop fort! Dommage que je n ai plus de photos, ca aurait surement bien marche. Il n y avait pas de ventes d appareils photos au Duty Free. Je regarderai demain les prix ici.
Je vais voir si je trouve une petite soupe histoire de me rehydrater.
Donnerstag, 13. Dezember 2007
Galere Galere
Termine, plus de photos...et pour cause....J ai perdu mon sac avec appareil de photos, lecteur MP3, carte de credit et le portable (c le 2eme deja que je perds...)
Et oui, vraiment la grosse boulette.
Le bon cote des choses c est qu il me reste mon passeport, mes billets d avion et une autre carte pour retirer de l argent. Donc je ne suis pas completement a la rue mais bien deg quand meme.
It's over with photos:-( I lost my bag with digital camera, MP3 player, credit card and mobile phone (the second already). It's just bad.
The good thing is I still have my pass, my flight tickets, another card to take out money and fingers to type my wonderful life!
The last 2 weeks were very nice though. 2 days in a cambodian family. I was staying at the sisters house of the nurse I was working with. Then 3 days with my father and his accountant buddies. And finally 1 week in the peaceful Laos, resting on islands without electricity, sleeping in bamboo bungalows, visiting old tempels and reading in hamacs....
Now that I lost a bag, I'll return earlier to Phnom Penh. There it will just be easier to call insurance, mobile phone company, bank, etc... Here in Bang Lung in the middle of Ratanakiri which is just the middle of nowhere, it is quite difficult! Well there is electricity, it's not that bad! And they actually do have skype so I can phone. The only trouble is that nobody can hear me!
I m sure you all started to enjoy the X-mas chocolates so I'll not hold you on any longer. Eat one for me and have a nice advent time! And don't worry, I impregnated myself with buddhism readings these last days so I manage to stay cool.
Et oui, vraiment la grosse boulette.
Le bon cote des choses c est qu il me reste mon passeport, mes billets d avion et une autre carte pour retirer de l argent. Donc je ne suis pas completement a la rue mais bien deg quand meme.
It's over with photos:-( I lost my bag with digital camera, MP3 player, credit card and mobile phone (the second already). It's just bad.
The good thing is I still have my pass, my flight tickets, another card to take out money and fingers to type my wonderful life!
The last 2 weeks were very nice though. 2 days in a cambodian family. I was staying at the sisters house of the nurse I was working with. Then 3 days with my father and his accountant buddies. And finally 1 week in the peaceful Laos, resting on islands without electricity, sleeping in bamboo bungalows, visiting old tempels and reading in hamacs....
Now that I lost a bag, I'll return earlier to Phnom Penh. There it will just be easier to call insurance, mobile phone company, bank, etc... Here in Bang Lung in the middle of Ratanakiri which is just the middle of nowhere, it is quite difficult! Well there is electricity, it's not that bad! And they actually do have skype so I can phone. The only trouble is that nobody can hear me!
I m sure you all started to enjoy the X-mas chocolates so I'll not hold you on any longer. Eat one for me and have a nice advent time! And don't worry, I impregnated myself with buddhism readings these last days so I manage to stay cool.
Abonnieren
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