it's been a while

Well it's been over a month since I last posted. Why would that be you ask? Pretty much just haven't been motivated to write, and nothing too excitign has happened. but I'm going to rant for a bit to keep u up dated with everythign that's been going on with me within the past month.

I spent a week alone in Kandy which was really good times, everynight i would meet new people and we'd usually go to a pub, (actually my favourite place was "The PUB" hahahah go figure) I was also stalked a lot by the local boys to the point where i had people waiting for me infront of my door when i woke up in the morning. but it was nice to have made other friends to hang out with. The stalkers would pretty much leave me alone when i was with soemone else.

So being the loyal friend that I am, I hopped on a 10 hour bus ride south, up some crazy twisty mountain roads to meet back up with derek. The town was called Haputale. It was really a gorgeouse place. quite cold at night, but so peaceful and almost untouched by tourism. We went on a lot fo walks while we were there through tea plantations, where women would spend all day plucking leaves for mr. lipton (lipton tea, we all drink it). I got addicted to tea while i was there. god it's good.

After a little over a week in haputale I went back to the scene of the tsunami, mirisa. That was interesting to say the least. I'm not too sure what to say. We didn't do much there. The owner of the guest house, derek's good friend was pretty depressed, and we met up with some other friends from the area and heard their stories. It was all pretty sad. I won't go into details of soem of the stories I've heard, I've met people who were part of recovering bodies, people who lost their whole business, house, and family. I mean I remember when the water went back to the ocean thinking "SHIT! I lost all my money and passport again" ( i did that last year while travelling in thailand)
My thoughts were on my most valuable thigns, which was my passports and my money of course and i was pretty horrified.
but imagine havign to think of your baby who was sleeping in the room next door. Or the business you spent most your life trying to build up?
I can't even imagine.
I actually rememebr after people running around franticly searching for family etc. Mean while other people were looting. God everyone was looted afetr the tsunami. I can't imagine what sick people would loot someone who was out looking for their lost family, sicksick people!!!!

So far the government has done nothign for them. Which is odd, because it was over a month since it happened. At this point the sri lankan governement is probably the richest in asia. They have been given billions of dollars. but the victims have seen none of the money. there were a lot of NGOs around like red cross and "goal" who were helping out though.

So after mirisa i headed back to thailand. Once I got to thailand I headed my own way again for awhile. then Derek's sister came to visit from ireland so I met up with them again, and now we're doing a 3 week tour of thailand.
A few days ago we were up north near the "golden triangle" where all the opium comes from. i stayed in a really cool grass hut type place. There is some amazing trecking to do there cuz you're in the middle of a jungle, but because of my great luck i managed to twist my ankle within the first few hours of beign there so i really didn't do much.
2 nights there and now I'm in chiang Mai. derek and his sister went to meet their uncle and cousin about an hour away from here. so I decided for valentine's day I would treat myself to my favourote restaurant here in chiang mai called "El Toro" It's a mexican restaurant that i discoverend here last year. I've been wondering around aimelessly most the day. and tomorrow morning bright and earl;y i'm meeting up with the irish 2 at the bus stop and heading back to bangkok on a 10 hour bus ride, then back down to some beaches.

In thailand, the tsunami affected A LOt more tourists than in sri lanka
cuz well sri lanka just doens't have as much tourism. So it's pretty sad they have hundreds and hundreds of posters up of missing people. Some of the pictures being of an entire family which is missing. Others are photos taken of tatoos from dead bodies trying to get someone to identify them. The people the tsunami killed and how it effected people is much more obviouse here as oposed to sri lanak. the media was pretty quiet about it in sri lanka, and u just didn't see these type of photos. It's really sad to see. there were photos of people of every age every country all missing. so sad.

Anyway at this point, I'm still looking for a job, so I'll either have a pretty good idea where i'm teaching by the time derek's sister goes back to ireland, or I'll be coming home very soon, even though it was strongly suggested i shouldn't. I think i'd be happier being broke and looking for a job in a familiar place whith friends and family as opposed to wondering around the streets broke on my own in thailand, tryign to find a job.
well if you have any words of encouragement or suggestions, or hey a job!
hook me up1
HA
take care, and stay warm, at least i'm doing that much