New Year in Thailand
View from the beach seconds from our room.I was in Thailand for Christmas and New Years relaxing with my family. We stayed on Kata beach, and had several excellent buffet breakfasts, days reading on the beach, and massages.
My dad and I took a day on a scooter which we had to rent from a kid because all the scooter places didn't have any left. It was quite fun and we got all sorts of comments on why we were driving on such an old scooter. I could hardly use the front brake as it shook so bad.
We ate New Years dinner at a Swiss owned restaurant on the water(see pic) and my dad and I had cigars.My dad had to leave us after New Years to go back to China and work. My mom, sister, and I headed to bangkok where we took a few days to take in the sites, and of course, a few more massages.
We had several tours and I was extremely impressed by the royal palace, which was perfectly groomed and I have never seen so much gold.
My sister and I posed with peace signs as we got such a kick out of how many asian tourists pose with peace signs for photographs. If anyone knows why, please let me know.
This does not do the palace justice, but it does show some of the detail on a roof, and shows the trees a bit as well. It was incredible.
After visiting the palace, we had an excellent little tour with the nicest tuk tuk driver(pictured), and had an excellent price as well. After a bit too many things seemed like coincidences, and we were able to avoid a jewelry scam that involved him, a nice professor at a fancy Buddha, and a really classy jewelry store. It is a long story, but we did not lose any money. I am slowly getting a bit street wise in my old age.
3 Comments:
hoi christoph!
auch wir wünschen dir ein gutes, glückliches und neuses jahr und hoffen sehr, dass du im sommer uns in der schweiz besuchst! ;)
liebe grüsse
bissigs from walchwil
Are you trying to be like Lindsay Lohan with the peace sign?
Hey Christoph,
here the answer to your V sign (from wiki):
Through the 1970s and 1980s in Japan, the V sign was often accompanied by a vocalization: "piisu!" This gairaigo exclamation, which stood for "peace", has since fallen into disuse, though the V sign itself remains steadfastly popular. It is especially popular in photography, especially of the amateur sort, as it is a favorite pose of both teens and adults.
The V sign is also commonly used in anime and Japanese live-action shows. When characters show this sign, it is often accompanied by an exclamation of "Vui!" (pronounced "vwee!"), an exaggeration, or possible slurring (see Engrish) of the English pronunciation "vee". A more common phrase is "kachi" which means victory (V for Victory) or luck. Several anime characters incorprate the V-sign into their poses, including both Sailor Moon and Sailor V as well as video game characters such as Super Mario.
Perhaps due to Japanese cultural influence, the V sign in photographs has become popular with young Koreans, Hong Kongers, and Taiwanese as well. The sign is ubiquitous in Taiwan and is closely associated with the English word, "happy". Print and television advertisements read "happy" with hands waving while displaying the V sign, and the average Taiwanese person will invariably give that word as the meaning of the sign.
Gruss aus Madison,
Thomas
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