Project Thailand – Day One

Project Thailand – Day One:         

     So, Aunty Marm picked me up from the Auckland airport, got a text from her saying she’s in a silver car – walked out and there was like 6 silver cars parked up, I had a little chuckle to myself then found her quite quickly.  It was nice having the old catch-up yarns with Aunty Marm – and when I post my kōrero about women and leadership (reflection from this hui) and I refer to my Aunties who are very strong leaders in their own right, whānau and communities, these are the women I’m referring to – we meet up, catch up, advice is shared and given – food for thought – ka mau te wehi!

         Then of course was the ‘Steamboat’ – enough said for those who know.  Hania turned up and then Aunty Mate turned up – a table of strong wahine Māori – sharing food and discussions on a range of topics, from Game of Thrones to Job Options etc.  Now I think about it, my life has been very matriarchal in its fabric.

         Ok, so we get to the airport for me to check in at 9.30pm – Hania insisted that we drop my bag off, do the check in then go hang out a little while longer for some more kōrereo – He aha te kai a te rangatira?  So, as can imagine we left with more than our fair share.  Hania wants me to have a coconut/mango type drink in her honour, I’m still looking out for it.  I’ll let you know when it’s done.

         So, I’m at the airport and there are all these missionaries there – luckily for me about four of them were on my plane to Hong Kong & then they were going on to the Philippines.  I say lucky for me because at a few points of our plane ride there were some strong turbulence – and I’m like, we’ve got the Lord’s soldiers on this plane, it ain’t going down. LoL!  It was the Hong Kong to Bangkok leg I should have been worried about – that flight ended up being pretty event-less (is that a word? LoL).

         Seriously though, I love that New Zealand is on it’s own little axis on the bottom of the world – sets us apart (literally), but with the international travelling though – 11hours to Hong Kong and 3 episodes of America’s Next Top Model to Bangkok – LoL…. As a child wanting to travel internationally and then the reality of an 11hour flight – funny!

         Got go Hong Kong & didn’t get to leave the terminal, so one could argue that I was still on neutral territory because I hadn’t gone through customs – but I say, that’s a frame of thought I don’t agree with, I’m not in limbo – I’m in the ‘Hong Kong International Airport’ – so, it counts 23 out of 40 (23/40).  It was a nice airport, could see myself visiting the airport again one day. J

         While I was Hong Kong, there was free wifi (gotta LOVE that!) so I was able to call mum on skype in the airport (and update my FB page) and that was cool, she was with one of her tāngata whaiora and it was just nice to surprise her and have a moment with Mum in Hong Kong.  Got on the plane and was actually on Cathay Pacific for this leg – just saying I’m glad that I was on Air New Zealand from Auckland to Hong Kong, just nicer – although my kumu was sore after 11 hours.  It was funny though coz I needed to go to the wharepaku and my mate in the aisle and instead of getting up to let me out, he kind of just motioned me to jump over him… WHAT? Ok.. I didn’t sign up for gymnastics on this flight.  LoL!

         So, finally get to Bangkok, Thailand and the airport was just crazy busy, like customs was fine – quite quick really and I’m glad that I packed light with just my carry on bag – when I went to get my sim card etc the people were just swarming like bees to pollen – and I’m like, this is crazy!  So, Amy (Ryan) I’m not sure if I made proud or not, coz from the message about internet here in Thailand all I remembered was Gate/Door 4 – so I went there and just bought the sim from the shop at that door, I hope I was right – in any case I have internet connection and that’s really cool because I’ve been able to call mum everyday while I’ve been here.

         So, after I get my sim card I decided against taking a taxi into the city, I went to jump onto the subway/train system into the city that was going to be more adventurous and cheaper (not that anything is too expensive in Thailand), I got to the area to pay for the token and just had enough of moving and sat down on the ground for like 30minutes, got on facebook, called mum again and just stopped! It was nice and what I needed.  I had quite a bit of time before I needed to make my way to the dentist.

         So, eventually after I got some relief I was up and moving went down to the train got off at ####, then decided I done well to get closer in order to then make my taxi ride cheaper – turns out I probably spent the same or a little less going from there on the taxi as I would have from the airport.  Haha, foreign sucker…  So, I get to the accommodation for the night and it was decent enough – LoL!  Except the toilet was like 10cm’s away from the wall it was funny!

         Well, by the time I got to the hotel by 1pm it was already 6pm in New Zealand so I decided on a nap – good choice!  I thought that I would leave for Nana Station at about 3pm since my appointment was at 4.30pm it would give me time to get lost, find my way – but I tell you, having internet access and iPhone maps to get me around REALLY helped.  So, the bed was really comfy and by the time I awoke I was ready to go – even though I didn’t end up getting my dentistry work done, I was glad that I had something to do, and somewhere to go otherwise I might have been tempted to stay sleeping.  So, I went down to the foyer and asked how to catch a taxi from this hotel, they asked where I was going and then said ‘Do you want to go on boat?’ I’m like BOAT? We’re not by the ocean, well the rivers here are a mode of public transport and I was like YES, yes I do want to go on the boat and off I went going how the natives go and it was a REAL eye opener, you’ll see in the pictures and reminds me to be grateful for our country, clean water, homes to live in and jobs.  It almost felt like being on the log flume ride at Rainbows End – it was fun and a little smelly (the water) but I was hanging out with the everyday people of Bangkok – students, mothers, nannies, workers – it was an unexpected enjoyable adventure.  I took pictures and a couple of videos and felt ethically challenged by that choice to take pictures and videos of peoples homes, I wasn’t on a tour where it might be expected people take pictures, I was on a ferry into town where people are in their homes and not on ‘show’, so as I contemplated this, I still took pictures anyway. Hmmm, food for thought.

I found the dentist office quite easily with Google maps on my iPhone, and with the help of some friendly locals.  It was a really clean and professional clinic, so I was at ease carrying on the process – HOWEVER, turns out that after an x-ray that I actually needed a different procedure and it would end up charging about twice what I actually planned to pay – which really would still be cheaper than having it done back home.  So, one it was going to cost more then I thought, but two – getting dentist work done was really an after-thought, the ‘if I had time’ time-filler activity on this trip.  My priority was travel and see – and thus, Cambodia and Phuket arose, and so now I was having to fit in my dentist work around the end of the conference and before I fly back home on Saturday, so thinking about that I decided against going ahead with the dental work.  Sad news though, coz that would’ve been cool!

         Afterwards, just after 5.30pm-ish I was getting hungry and realised that I hadn’t eaten since the plane at 10.30am.  However, on my way to find kai I saw the MASSAGE place and was like HECK YES – and man it was amazing, an hour long for like $17nzd.. thank you!  When I came out it was interesting because the sun was going down and so the weather was ‘slightly’ easing up – and the streets were coming alive with market stalls, although I have to say there were some “questionable” items being sold on some of those market tables that night – what the heck it all? So, I’m casually walking around Bangkok looking for something to have for kai – Indian restaurant? Kao – Bangladeshian kai? Kao – I’m like where are all the Thai restaurants, then I thought – well, in Thailand it’s probably just ‘restaurant’ – LoL!  So, when I finally clicked into that way of thinking then I found me a restaurant with Thai food in it.. YUM!

 Gizzy Airport - Ka kite ano...

 Here I go whānau… Such fun!

 This is me!  I’m famous….

 On the plane to Hong Kong…

 Hong Kong…!! I came, I saw, I left… LoL!

         Caught a taxi back to my whare, and was out like a blimin light bulb by 9.30pm because of course that was 2.30am in New Zealand.  Ah, a great first day.