Melaka April 15th

No longer will I mutter apologies for the length of time between posts, it is what it is, a sporadically posted to blog, I have too much life to live, and to be honest too little internet access to post daily. I keep promising myself and resolving (like New year is a regular occurrence) that I will post weekly, but somehow, it just never happens, so on with the show.

Leaving Phuket was sad, we had a fabulous Vernal equinox dinner at Catriona's before she went back to Ireland (and then she is off to Korea for the next school year). Amy has already started her new job in Phuket, and always when, you leave a job where you have been asked to stay I reflect on how easy it would be to stay. How comfortable to be with friends already made... and then I pack. I have already turned down three jobs for next year so I guess it's nice to be loved and I can always go back.

I flew up to Bangkok, which is always a good opportunity to catch up with my friends there, and I was just in time to attend Ian's leaving party and Stephen's wedding.

Thai weddings, everybody came, the owner, headmaster and headmistress from Chockchai, my friend Poi, apparently the bride has to get up at 3 or 4 in the morning to begin getting ready for the wedding, it starts officially at about 5:30 6ish when the monks arrive and they bless and chant with the happy couple, then everybody recieves a bowl of rice that you have to go and dish up into the monks bowls, then the monks eat breakfast. There is another round of monk blessings and chanting and then the monks leave.

The grooms party then have to walk up the road toward the house amid much singing and shouting (and drinking whisky), they carry sugar cane palms (to ensure sweetness in the marriage) and lots of gifts (dowry presents). When they reach the gate of the property they have to sing and shout with the men of the brides family (and give them whisky) to be let in, (by this stage many of the men on both sides are already completely rat assed and it's barely 9;30am). Finally they get to the door of the house where the women of the house are holding a long belt made of silver and gold across the entrance space and the bartering for your bride begins in earnest, these negotiations are carried out with the women of the house, (what half a sheckle and a fattened calf for my favourite daughter, you must be mad).

Finally on getting inside the serious counting out of the money and gifts begins, (this takes ages), there is a ceremony where bits of string are rested on the heads of the bride and groom and their arms are tied together, (this bit was all in Thai so I really had no idea what was going on). Then everyone comes and pours scoops of water over the happy couples hands and gives them a wedding gift, and eating and partying commences. The bride and groom have to have their photo taken at every table, I will hopefully have some photo's of this soon to post, but as I was using Stephen's camera I have to wait for him to send me copies. At 6pm(ish) the happy couple are escorted to the bedroom (by his Dad and her Mum respectively) and given a little chat, while the party continues for two more days or till the whisky runs out. One is not normally required to stay all the time, Thai weddings are very drop in, drop out again kind of affairs for all but the major players.

Anyway, that was the wedding.

On the bus across town on my way home at about 6pm in the heart of Bangkok I saw the craziest thing, I don't know if I told you about the penchant of Thai (Also seen in Laos and Vietnam) people to go to these outdoor aerobic classes which are held in parks across the country. Fine, parks, aerobics at sunset after work, I get it, but these people were doing their aerobics (complete with woman and music on dodgy stage) on a tiny footpath beside a major 4 lane motorway during rush hour, honey I'm not seeing your health benefits here!

So flew into Kuala Lumpur and caught a bus straight down to Melaka, amazing the temperature difference, Thailand is humid and disgusting as it's rainy season looms, Malaysia is cool and moist as it's rains have just finished. Malay people are genuinely friendly if you say no you don't want a ride in their trickshaw they wish you a happy day, the Thai transport mafia have tainted everyone who works a tuk tuk (and half the taxi drivers as well, in fact all of the taxi drivers on Phuket) with their own mean spirit and tourists are beginning to notice.

Spending my time here brushing up on my adobe creative suite skills and relaxing, more later.
N.J.