Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2000 00:32:16 -0700
From: Jay Schneider
Subject: Jay the Game Show Host?
So, some of you may have been blessed with 3 copies of the last edition. Then again, others didn’t get a copy. I think we can all be responsible adults and work this problem out together, can’t we?
When we last left off, our Hero found himself on a bus bound for Bangkok, his full bladder not happy about the prospects of holding out for a 5-6 hour journey. The problem was resolved an hour into the journey, so all’s well the ends well, eh?
My main purpose in returning straight to Bangkok (apart from the cheap and reliable internet access), was to arrange for my tickets to Nepal for my next volunteer workcamp. This was a priority in itself, and once my departure date was set, I could figure out how to use my time between now and then. After shopping around Khao San Road, poking my head in both “sturdy-looking” travel agents, and folding-table-street-corner-agents-with-a-cousin-who-can-fly-you-there-for- cheap-type places, I finally found a place which I felt good about patronizing. For one, it was a combination Travel-Agent/Barber, and I figure if someone invests in that kind of equipment (those barber chairs which elevate, recline, and whatnot) is not just going to pack up overnight. (Besides, my hair was getting a bit unmanageable, and I thought I could work out some sort of a package deal). Secondly, the advertisement says “recommended by Israelis.” With that kind of backing, I knew if I ran into any troubles, I could just call up Israel, and straighten the whole thing out. Finally, it was dang cheap. Dang cheap.
What’s the catch? Nothing what-so-ever. There are some, in my view, “bonuses,” with my ticket. See, it’s Bangladesh Air. The name inspires confidence throughout the aviation world, I know, and I feel privileged for the opportunity. Also, the flight necessarily must go through Bangladesh, and it so happens, I’ve got to stay the night (hotel/transport included). That’s right, I’m heading to hang with the Bengalis!
With that set, I next met up with a friend from Japan (another English teacher), and headed for the island of Koh Chang and got a beach-side bungalow for a week. Hiking, swimming, reading, lounging, relaxing, yada-yada.
Rented motorbikes, and man, was that ever fun! Motos are the transport mode of choice in Cambodia, so I’d become quite used to, after negotiating a price, hopping on the back, enjoying the ride, and ending up where I wanted to go (most of the time). The passenger life wasn’t so bad because I could just relax and enjoy the scenery. But now was my time to take the driver’s seat, and hopefully not join the ranks of every 5th traveler I meet who has a bandage on their person. (“What happened?” “Motorcycle accident.”) The bikes for rent are tiny, Japanese 100cc models with automatic clutch (you have to shift, but no need to worry about the clutch). I’ll get back to this a bit later.
To be honest, I didn’t do a whole lot of driving. What I did, is a tradition in SE Asia known as “pothole dodging.” It involves zigzagging all over the gravel roads at relatively low-speeds for hours on end. (remember, these are tiny bikes designed for nice paved roads) While not as much fun as zipping up and down the paved (there were a few paved roads) hills, looking at the blue-green water and the palm-lined beaches in the rear-view mirrors, I did develop an appreciation for this, almost meditative sport of “pothole-dodging.”
Most of you have heard of, if not witnessed or experienced first hand, the sport of mud-wrestling, popularized by the movie classic “Stripes,” in which John Candy’s (rest his soul) character was proclaimed a “lean, mean, fighting machine!” prior to his victory in the ring. I was able to participate in a similar version of this wrestling on Koh Chang, the main differences being that instead of a bikini-clad bombshell, my opponent was my motorcycle, and I was certainly no John Candy. As I lay under my bike, lying on my side, sinking into the soft (and deep!) mud, I began to realize how nice mud baths must be. In spite of the fact that I was attempting to cross a mud pit in a rather unorthodox (horizontal) manner, it was rather comfortable. (those of you paying attention may remember how much I loved walking around barefoot in the muddy paths of the children’s center in Cambodia. I was a little worried as to whether my clothes would be sparkling white again, but to the victor goes the spoils… So apart from the various diversions the island had to offer up, an isolated, relaxed environment such as Koh Chang allows one to reflect on one’s life, escape stresses of daily life, and think about the future. After thinking carefully about the difficult questions we all must face at one time or another(banana shake or pineapple shake?), I came up with some answers (MIXED fruit shake!), and my quick analysis of the current state is simple: life’s good. And so with that, I decided I was ready to move on, and I looked toward the future…Kathmandu!
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Random notes:
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On missing Japan…
My mind often wanders back to Japan (though with the number of Japanese travelers I run into everywhere, it hardly feels like I’ve left). And similar to the phenomenon which some amputees experience feeling in their lost limb, I sometimes am convinced I feel the vibration of my cellular phone. But when I reach for it, it’s not there… (tears are welling) On my future job…
I’m not sure what kind of job I’ll have upon returning to the states. Fortunately, my travels and volunteering are providing a great opportunity to try out and get a feel for various occupations. See, when entering a country (and sometimes registering at a guesthouse), there is a line on the form to list one’s job. This gives me a great chance to see how I like different fields. In Cambodia, I was a salesman, in Thailand, a politician. In Nepal, I’m thinking either poet or gameshow host. I’ll let you know!