Red Shirts in Bangkok

These are the red shirts. They are not evil. They are just people from the rural areas of Thailand. They are only in one area which are not near me.












Ps. These are not my photos. I took them from other students. :) Don't Worry.

School is Finished!

Last day of school....tra la la la laahhh.

3 exams; May 7, 11, and 16th.

Leaving for Laos tomorrow with my Thai friend Aung, who I met in Taiwan. :)

Laos April 30 - May 5th.

YAY!!

Kanchanaburi - Tiger Temple

We visited the Tiger Temple! :) It is a Monk who runs the Temple and monks live on the grounds with the tigers....happily together. There is major speculation if the Tigers are drugged cause they are asleep in the afternoons when you can go and take photos with them....but Being there and seeing the tigers I dont think they are drugged because a few of the tigers were awake and walking on their chains (sad). And then we stayed late since we were NOT on a tour and saw them release the tigers into the water for exercise time and all the tigers were awake and well ready for exercise time. So yes, I think they are just sleeping cause it is SO SO hot. But they were beautiful. I got to cuddle with that younger tiger and then the bigger tigers kept hitting me in the face with their tails haha. Watching them exercise was cool, they were fighting each other and chasing this yellow bag on a long stick that the workers were playing with them with. :) It was great to watch them play. But halfway through we had to stop and put out cameras away because the Princess of Thailand came and wanted to watch the Tigers and everything, which was super cool to see her up close. But we had to put our cameras away because if you took pictures of the princess....the results would be our own fault....so for our safety...no photos at ALL.

But yes - pretty tigers :) I love them!

Kanchanaburi - Hellfire Pass and River Kwai Death Bridge

Sean and I then bussed up to Hellfire Pass. This is the railway that was built during the Japanese occupation during WWII. They forced 200,00 Allied prisoners to work 16-18 hrs a day digging through the mountains to create this railway known as Death railway. Most of those people died due to over work, brutality, malnutrition, starvation. It is called Hellfire Pass because they worked so late into the night that all you could see was candlelit faces of Japanese army men and workings slaving which reminded to people of Dante's Inferno. We went there and walked through the pass. Out beyond the mountains in Burma.

On the bottom are two photos of me standing next to the River Kwai Bridge which was bombed multiple times during WWII and is known as the Death Bridge. Trams still run across the tracks and up the death railway.

Kanchanaburi - Erawan Falls

Since Sean was visiting, I decided he should see more than Bangkok....which is quite boring...haha and filled with protesters currently. So we took a 2 day trip to Kanchanaburi, a city 2 hours West of Bangkok. When we first arrived we hopped on another bus and headed up to Erawan Falls. a 7 Tiered waterfall that is quite the hike up to the top. It is named Erawan because the 7th tier resembles the Hindu Elephant God Erawan. :) We hiked all the way up and then took a little dip in the FRESH water!! yay no salt water!! But there were all these fish that eat your dead skin in the water...it doesnt hurt and it is not bad for you...they just eat dead skin....haha but normally the fishes are these little tiny things but in this pool they were HUGE! omg :| haha I was squealing terribly because it felt so incredibly strange! ugh! But it was a great day none the less! Beautiful waterfalls and a lovely swim!

Wat Po :)

Sean is in Bangkok and crashing at my place for a few days. So I am playing tour guide and taking him around. We went to the Grande Palace and Wat Po (Ive never seen Wat Po) and then to Chakuchak Market. Good days but MAN is it ever hot here!!

Grenades in Bangkok

A series of grenade attacks that rocked Silom financial district late Thursday killed three people and wounded more than 70 others, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said. "Three people died and more than 70 were injured," Mr Suthep said.

Yikes.

Dark influences: SPECIAL REPORT Men in black carrying assault rifles spark real fear, partly because no one knows who they are.

Double Yikes.

But no worries; taxis will NOT enter this area at all and I have NO plans of going NEAR it. Hopefully I will leave on Thursday for 5 days on the beach before exams start - and to distance myself from Bangkok a little bit.

Life in Bangkok is NOT dangerous though...you really do NOT see a difference in life even though there are protesters everywhere and these grenades are going off. It is NOT near enough to me to cause immediate danger to me....but the Canadian Embassy is in the centre of all the riots, thus they sent out a message to me via email saying that if I need the help of the consulate to go to Cambodia or Laos :P hahah how special.

I am safe though.

Shanghai Layover! :D

So, I had a 10 hour layover in Shanghai, China on my return flight to Bangkok from Tokyo, Japan.....I have a friend name Jerry who lives in Shanghai who previously lived with me in 2008 for a summer while doing an AIESEC CEED in Ottawa. So he came to the airport to hangout with me. BUT I was sad because I did NOT have time to get a Chinese Visa before so was thinking I could NOT visit Shanghai during my layover.....well EVER so CONVENIENTLY....the Pu Dong Int'l Airport Transfer terminal was under construction....so i went through immigration and security and then they let all the transfers out into the regular departures section to just come BACK through immigration and security to re-enter the airport. Well, If I am let into the regular airport unaccompanied.....what is stopping me from sneaking into China for the day?!?! NOTHING! haha So Jerry and I walked out of the airport casually and off we went into the overcast day of Shanghai!!! :D hahah I wasnt caught so it is ALL good!! :D Jerry took me to the major sights of Shanghai including the EXPO2010, but gates were up so I could only see the pavilions from afar! Sad face! haha But I was still there! Then we just walked around all afternoon and went to the bridges of 9 turns, which actually used to be somebodys HOUSE! but then he died and it was given to the government and is now public and a shopping district! It was super cool to walk around in this area!!! Jerry took me for REAL Chinese food which is NOTHING like Mr.Chinese....for better or for worse....its hard to say....haha Real Chinese food is delicious but is just doesnt have that Uber greasy, hang-over cure, heart attack central, Lure about it!!! hahahah But delicious non the less! mm mm mm!! Food is good! hahah

Then I returned to the airport and went through security no questions asked! :D

What a fantastic day in Shanghai China! All thanks to Jerry who is wonderful!!

Happy Days Folks!


Chrystal McKay







Ps. Returning to Bangkok heat from the FREEZING cold weather of both Japan and China is shocking. haha. It is just SO HOT here...you can hardly breath! But ohhh it feels SO good to sweat again and NOT have to wear 7 layers of shirts cause you dont have any thick sweaters!!! haha <3

Japan is Beautiful!

So Japan is a beautiful country. The scenery, the people, the food! Everything is amazing here. :)

I went for 10 days from Friday April 9th til Mon April 19th. :) I stayed at friends houses for the entire time I was in Japan.

My travels were
9/10/11 - Tokyo
12/13/14 - Kyoto
15 - Nara
16 - Osaka
17/18/19 - Tokyo again.

I went to Japan to experience the Cherry Blossom (Sakura) session. These trees only blossom for about 1-2 weeks out of the entire year. So for me to be able to make it to Japan to see them was phenomenal! They were amazingly beautiful and they were EVERYWHERE! There are alot of different types of Sakura, and I have pictures of about 5 different kinds. My AIESEC friends Keita, Aki, Ayo, Kana, Kazu, and Shota all showed me around in their cities and showed me Japanese lifestyle. I ate meals with their families, slept in their homes, and I couldnt be more greatful to them for giving me that opportunity to experience 'life' in Japan! :)

I even went out and got fitted and purchased a Kimono while in Kyoto, which is the Kimono capital and a city where traditional Japanese culture is kept alive and well; with geisha's and lots of girls in Kimonos. It was fantastic to see!

Ps. Japanese food is to DIE for! Sushi, Udon, and Japanese Pancakes! mm Mm!!! :) If I lived there I would get so fat! haha but certainly I would be HAPPY!

Cheers Folks!