Finishline

The End

The end of 2013 is near, which means my challenge has come to its end.
2013 has brought me a lot of food, a lot of moments where I peed my pants, and a wonderful challenge and therefore a lot of opportunities. Some days it was really hard to write something, because although it seems my year was all rays of sunshine, there were days I cried my eyeballs out. But those days where the days I needed this challenge the most! I was obligated to search for something that cheered me up and often that was food, our kitty or TV. My boyfriend, friends and family also contributed in making this year awesome!
I can't say I'm cured from my negativity YET, but I'm on my way to become a positivist!

Sequel?

I will certainly continue with my writing, but not on such a regular base. Sometimes it was more a burden than something that would help me.

• My boyfriend sometimes had to wake me up in the middle of the night, because I forgot about it.
• In Thailand I got uptight because internet didn't work properly and I couldn't post. I got over this and just wrote updates of our day when I had the time and posted these when we got internet connection.
• Sometimes my day was sooo boring, I just had nothing to write about. But this is also good, because nothing isn't something bad either!

Top 2013

When I look back I sure am glad that I did this. I got to know myself a bit better and I had a lot of fun.
Here's a list of my favourite L. Exploring Life 2013 events and while looking at this (very long) list I realized I had a f*cking great year!

Challenges

• A sad day: the day my grandpartents house was sold
• The day I overcame my fear of hights on our weekend trip with work
• I got sporty in 2013 by starting spinning class

'Fieldtrips'

• Our trip to Thailand
• Our Wallonie Trip with 'De Stevige Stappers'
• My day-out to Maastricht with my grandmother
• Oyster fishing in Yrseke
• Moving my boyfriend's sister's stuff was kind of a field trip where I peed my pants

Food

• Every time I ate sushi
• Every other time I ate or cooked something good. Food is my life!

Stuff

• My best sale buys ever: Wouters & Hendrix Jewelry
• The day I won my Noiselles 

Other

• My first time on a race bike. This will become my new passion (my boyfriend hopes it too, because than he can buy a new bike with me)
• The shawl collar victory
• Grumpy Cat made me laugh every time!
• Wedfest: Best party of the year!
• I saved a few road kills this year from being smashed apart.
• Playing dress-up with our dog
• My white tights
• The Condom Prank
• Thanksgiving
• I remember that time our kitty cat had to take a poo

New year, new challenge?

2014 will not be a major challenge, at least not in the way of writing a blog. I think my challenge hasn't ended on becoming positive. I will still have to work on that, but I'm on my way. 
My new challenge of 2014 will definitely be my new job. I'm starting on the 6th of January and I'm going to kick ass!


Have a Happy New Year everyone and thanks for sticking with me!

A Compliment a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

I got a compliment from a customer today. She visited our shop together with her husband, because he needed some pants, a shirt and a sweater. 
Like always, I was trying my best to satisfy their needs and out of the blue, she complimented me. She said I was a very nice person and that I was very good at my job. She said that it was very hard to find people with patience and enthusiasm for the customer.
I turned red.

Cat Survival Pack

Banana, one of my best friends celebrated her birthday a few weeks ago, but we were not able to get together with everyone until today.

Banana loves cats as much as I do, so what's a better present than a 'Cat Survival Pack'.

We got her:

• Cat oven gloves
• A kitty washcloth
• Kitty socks
• A cat shopper

For every kitty present I got her a home made toilet roll kitty, so she could choose which present she wanted first.

This was a fun present and she was very happy :-)

The Perks of Living at Home

Handy to live in the backyard of your parents...

• I can do my own laundry, but I can use my mom's washing machine and dryer. 

• When we don't have the time to make our own food, we can just grab a chair and join the dinner table at my parents'. 

• We can walk the dog anytime we want. 

• My mom calls me on my cell before she drops by (thanks for that!).

• When I don't feel like being alone when my boyfriend's not home, I can just walk over to the other side of the garden and I'm surrounded by my family.

Men are Easy

Men are sooooo easy to dress. They come in, say what they want and won't leave without it, because they HATE shopping. I love them, they make my day!

Back in Business

People would call me crazy for this, but during my holiday from my full time job I'm helping out at the shop I worked for when I was a student. 
Portobello is a clothing store for men and I always loved working here! Suits, shirts, sweaters, you name it! I will sell it to you!
After 2,5 years, I'm back! I worked my first day and it feels like I just went on a looong vacation. I have truly missed this! I'm so happy right now, although my feet hurt from a long day of running around for customers.

Merry Christmas!

After a long walk and turkey dinner we had to leave. My boyfriend and I need to go to work tomorrow, so we want to be home at a reasonable hour.
I wish I could have stayed a few days longer, because it's awesome to walk the dog here. Behind the house there's a river and although it reminds me of The Killing somehow, it's soothing in a way. 

Before we left I tried to finish a 1000 piece puzzle from my mom. We have been working on it with four people, but couldn't finish it before we had to leave :-(. Never thought puzzling could be so addictive!
I had a very nice holiday weekend! Thanks mom & dad!

Christmas Eve: Present Time

Present Time!! 
I know Christmas is about family and it is, but it's still fun to give presents and of course receive some. 

I got:

• A sweater from Ted Baker
  (fell in love with this brand, or should I say 'branch' -haha- With all the trees, get it?!)

• A Japanese tea ceremony (still have to pin the date, I'm so excited about this!)
  You should have seen the look on my face when I read the card my boyfriend wrote. I didn't get it... I was confused, because I thought we were going to Japan (the next travel destination on my list!).

• Socks

• And the best thing EVER: a clothing hair remover thingie in the shape of a black cat... Absolutely adorable!
  

Birthday Sissie

Because my boyfriend had to work today, we left for La Wallonie when he got back. We had to arrive in time, because it's my sister's birthday today. I got her a beautiful red scarf from Thailand.
We'll be staying here for two nights, so we're leaving in the evening on Christmas day because we have to work the day after.

Movie/Hangover Day

Boyfriend had a headache. I did some ironing.
After that, we have laid in bed all day and watched three movies. Lazy hangover people.

X-Mass Akoestik

Every year the youth club at my boyfriend's hometown organizes an evening with acoustic performances the last weekend before Christmas. It's called "X-Mass Akoestik".
Like every year there's a competition with strong beers: "Den Tocht van 't Straffe Vocht". Literally translated to English: "The Journey of Strong Fluids".
And like every year my boyfriend is a liiiitle bit too enthusiastic. He gets awfully drunk, falls asleep somewhere and I end up dragging him home. 
This year we went there by bike, because I wanted to drink some cherry beers too, so getting there by car wasn't really an option.
Our night went exactly like any other year, only I could get him home pretty easy. No moaning about staying 5 minutes longer, he just went along with me. 
It was a fun night and I was quite surprised I could drive my bike that good after all the beers I drank. We got home safe and sound. 

Ready for a Wallonie Christmas

My parents planned a Christmas trip to La Wallonie. I needed to prepare myself, so I bought a pair of walking shoes and a fleece. We leave on Monday.
I'm ready!!

X-Mass / Going Away Party

My last day ended with a great X-Mass Party. The perfect occasion to make it my going away party, because most of my colleagues attended this event.
I got flowers :-)...
I'm going to miss everyone very much and I had a very nice time here, but it's time for a new chapter. New year, new start, new challenge.
GO GO GO!

New Challenge 2014

Since I got back from Thailand I had thrilling news, but I just couldn't tell anyone yet! 

Not many people knew this, but I decided to look for a new job a few weeks before our trip. I wasn't able to react on invites for an interview in Thailand, so I only did one job interview. One week before we had to go back home I got an email telling me they wanted me aboard and that they would send me an offer. I was sooo happy, but couldn't tell anyone! 

But now it's all official and the word is out, so now I can finally express my happiness!
My new challenge of 2014: Marketing Assistant and Dealer Coordinator.
Although I'm going to miss my colleagues, this is really the best choice for me right now. At this company I will get the chance to learn a lot and develop my skills.
Tomorrow is my last day, because I already had some days off work planned. The company I'm currently working for is throwing a Christmas party... The perfect occasion to say goodbye to everyone and to explain why I'm leaving.
The dress I was working on last week is finished and I will be wearing it tomorrow :-)...

Grandparents Tour

It was 'visiting grandparents day'.
We dropped by my boyfriend's first and afterwards we drove to my grandmother.
I think it's very important to visit regularly, but I have to admit we haven't made enough time lately. In a few weeks our pictures from our trip will be ready for public. We'll bring some cake along and tell them our stories. They will like that!

Good Spaghetti and Catching Up

For the first time in my life I can say I enjoyed a plate of Spaghetti Bolognese. My boyfriend is totally addicted to the stuff and everytime he needs to take care of diner, spaghetti is on the menu. As I told you before, cooking with fresh ingredients isn't his strongest side, but today he made fresh sauce and I have to admit is was quite good! But it's still not an excuse to eat it EVERY week!
We had one of my friends for diner. Her boyfriend is a spaghetti addict too. It's been ages since I've seen her last, so it was good to catch up! I had a very nice evening! 

Early Christmas Present

I'm going to confess something I shouldn't, because it's not being positive...
Christmas shopping, two weeks before the holidays, is something I truly hate. Too many people in one place, wanting the same thing. It's like sample sales after office hours, but lasting the whole damn day!
What I do like about giving presents is to search for original things or something useful and giving it in a special or original way. Last year we gave our parents a weekend trip. We had five different pictures that were meant to be hints. We wrapped them as presents. I had so much fun doing this and it was so funny seeing the look on their faces, not understanding what their presents meant.
So that's what I like about Christmas shopping, but this year I'm having troubles finding inspiration. I was wandering around 'De Bijenkorf' at Maastricht today and bumped into a beautiful pair of pumps from Marco O'Polo. They fit perfectly and were 30% off. Because of a liiiittle imperfection I got 10% extra. Because I was still doubting if I would buy shoes I didn't really need, my sister said she would contribute for Christmas. Sounded like a good deal to me! I totally love them!
Miraculously, I got some ideas for a few presents too... Inspirational (and crowded) day!

 

Winter Rumble

Today was a better day than yesterday! I finally got to sit behind my beloved sewing machine. I'm nearly finished with the dress. I just have to finish the seams! It's going to be fabulous!

In the evening, we got together with some friends at the Retro Winter Rumble. We drank some beers and I gave J. a retro mustache with some retro mustache wax. I should seriously consider a career in grooming...

Friday the 13th

I had a day off work today. Apparently that's challenging Friday the 13th's power...

What my plan was: SEWING




What I did:

• Waking up very early because of a bad dream
• Going to the doctor's with my boyfriend. He got sick on his day off work...
• When I was ready to start on a new dress, I realized my sewing machine was still at my boyfriend's parent's house. I needed to jump into my car and get it.
• When my sewing machine was installed and ready for use, our sink fell through the countertop while my boyfriend was doing the dishes. We ended up cleaning our kitchen.
• I got a nervous breakdown

• We watched New Girl. Totally cheered me up. Winston and his cat Ferguson are the best!

Grown-Up Walrus Fun

I had a night out with a very old friend, Walrus. I hadn't seen her in months, so now I'm back at my hometown there's nothing holding us back from getting together more often.

We first went to a fashion sale from some friends. They cleaned out their closet and had the idea to sell their old clothes. I found a retro styled button-up black dress that's practically never worn. It fit perfectly and I paid 18 euros. My first second hand buy!

After the sale we went for something to drink and chatted a bit. We had lots to talk about. I had fun and it was great to see each other again.
And I'm so happy with my dress!

Coat: Cold Proof

Last week I forgot I had to put my filling (I don't know what it's called in English). Now it's two more lessons until my coat is finished. But that's something I will be finishing after the holidays.
Next week is our last class and I want to make a dress for the holidays first.

Pompon Night

I made the best mushroom soup in the whole world and after that I started on a little project for my sister's salon.

Square pompons! Super cute!

One Month Ago

One month ago, we were visiting Wat Doi Suthep and the Saturday evening market.
I remember the little girls in their garments. We treated a girl with some candy we bought at the market. She was super happy!
I want to go back!

Laundry Girl

I'm having a hard day today.
I had a fight with my mom, our apartment is a mess and I have a really bad headache. 
The light of my day was doing our laundry. For the first time in years I have full control over my own clothes. How they are washed, how they are dried, which soap I use... Liberating!
I really love doing laundry! Weird huh!?

Fabric Madness

I had to get filling for my coat to make it warmer.
I couldn't control myself and bought two more fabrics. One for a dress and one for a sweater.
The black fabric for the sweater is magnificent! The other side of the fabric is super soft! I hope I can find some time during the holidays to start on this one. I'm not sure which pattern to choose yet.
The green one is for a dress. It has copper glitter details, so beautiful! I have an easy pattern ready for this, but I need to make my dress for the holidays first.

Happy 25 Party!

A friend from school threw a birthday party. A few friends gathered at his house for a drink and some snacks.
We hadn't seen each other since summer so it was fun to get some updates on everyone.
S. even made cupcakes for everyone. Sooo jummy!

St. Nicholas

Like every year, St. Nicholas paid me a visit. But this year he was a day early. I came home and found our stairs and our bed covered in candy. He even cleaned the house!
He's the best :-)!
I'm having a sugar rush right now!

Coat: Shaped

Yaay. If everything goes well I will finish my coat in two weeks!
Productive day!

Only One Month Left?!

I forgot my blog for a moment... Just when I was ready to fall asleep I remembered.
Only one month left... It will be weird not to be obliged to post everyday!

Condom Prank

Goodmorning!

I'm always sleepy in the morning, but this morning a colleague woke me up pretty early.

One of my colleagues entered my office this morning yelling their was a condom sticking to my car. I thought he was kidding at first. I went looking outside my window and thought it was some kind of plastic that they put over your windshield wipers when you go to the carwash. When I rubbed my eyes it became clear it was indeed a condom. Some kids probably put it over my wipers as a prank.

Another colleague asked me if it was 'full'. I couldn't see from that distance but I was hooooping it wasn't!

I went to the bathroom and took a tree of toilet paper with me to my car.

It looked real funny and I was so relieved the condom wasn't 'used'. I managed to get it off easily without touching it with my hands.

I ran to a garbage container and I accidentally threw it in the one from the company next door. 

I had to sit for a few minutes to calm down. I couldn't stop laughing!

What a morning!

Autumn Walk

We went for a long walk with the dog today. 
The weather was magnificent! The perfect autumn walk.
I really enjoyed being out. We have been sitting inside all week, unpacking.

Strong Beers Quiz

OMG! This quiz was sooo hard!
I hardly knew a thing, but it was fun though! 
We ended up at the 11th place. 35 teams subscribed. We did pretty good, thanks to our secret weapon: MR. NB. 
It was a fun night. Fun to see everyone after our trip.

Kitty Back Home

Yes!
Our kitty is back! I went to get her at my sister's.
She's in a new environment but she looks OK. She'll need some time to adjust to our new home, but she will be fine!
I missed her so much! Out little family is complete again.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving Turkey Kitty

I think this is a good holiday. Stop and think about what you're thankful for, not religious at all. 

I think Christmas in Belgium has been like that for a looong while, but it seems that people forgot about what it's all about. 

I love Christmas, because it brings our whole family together every year. We don't see each other often and I can really enjoy us being together. I'm thankful for my family, because even though we don't always agree and we don't visit every weekend, we care for each other and we love each other. That's what's important, isn't it? OK, it's fun to receive presents, but that's not the main point. 

Here's what I'm thankful for:

• My boyfriend's patience
  Although I'm writing a blog to become the most positive person in the world someday, I still get womenly-like PMS attacks. Even if they're not premenstrual. That makes me a super crazy person who doesn't always respect other's people effort in situations where they really did the best they could for me or others. My negative self takes the overhand and starts complaining and moaning about everything.
  So thanks to my boyfriend who still loves me, even if I'm the craziest (cat) lady on the planet and thank you for your patience!
• My family
  Like I said before, I love my family very much. I'm grateful for still having them around and that everyone's well at the moment.
  I'm also blessed for still having my grandmother around, the time I could spend with my grandfather before he died and that I could stand beside him until his last breath. I still miss him very much, but I have so many great memories about this man and I will never forget him!
  Thank you to my parents, brother and sister for always being there for me.
  I would also like to thank my uncle Jomme and Aunty Ann for all the jokes and funny stories around the Christmas table. I'll really miss it this year!
• My sister
  Same category as the previous one, but a special thanks to my sister. She's the best sister in the whole wide world, because she looks after me and took care of our kitty when we were in Thailand.
• My pets
  I'm also thankful for our kittycats and our dog Fré. They light up my day when I get home. They're so cute!
• Banana
  Thank you Banana. You're my blog's number one fan. Without you I may not have been as persistent!
• My shoes
  Also thank you to my shoes. They fit perfectly and always take care of my feet. 

I have a lot to be thankful for and it's good for me to write it down. In that way I'm really aware of what I got.

What are you thankful for?

Expert Level: Advanced Coat

Finally! Back in sewing class!

I started on my coat today. It's a compulsory piece this semester. I'm really looking forward to the result, because this is an advanced level coat and getting my fabric wasn't easy. 

I wrote about the store where I bought it a few months ago. When I wanted to start with my pattern, just before our holiday, I noticed that the fabric I took home wasn't the amount of meters I paid for. I contacted Les Tissus du Chien Vert about the problem and they advised me to come to the store. The store isn't nearby at all so I wanted them to send me the right amount by mail and I would send their fabric back to them. This shop has very bad service, although it's one of the most known fabric shops in Belgium. The staff I got on the phone (including the manager/owner) were very unfriendly and not helpful. I got really mad about the way they treated customers and about the fact that the shop's staff made a mistake that should be corrected without putting the customer to expenses. I also told him I was on a time limit, because I left on holiday. Even after that the owner was still very confident they couldn't do much more than sending me the right fabric AFTER they had received the fabric I got and I had to pay for the return costs of the package. Also, the packages for mail were going out two times a week and he wasn't planning on sending someone to the post office specially for me. I couldn't convince him to offer me a better service, so I paid for the returning packages and luckily I received the right amount of fabric just before we left. 

I will never ever go back to this store again and I wouldn't recommend this shop to anyone!

Because of this whole game (took two weeks), I couldn't start on my coat, but today the day had come.

I cut my pattern out of the fabric and I also did the lining. I arrived late to class, so I wasn't able to start on sewing. That's something for next week.

The coat I will be making is based on one of my old coats. I'm wearing this coat for over 6 years now, maybe even longer! It's a coat from Max&Lola, My mom sold this brand when she still had her kids store. It's my favourite coat, but he's almost worn out. I can fix him though. It's the lining who's giving me trouble lately. But first I'll finish my own L. coat :-)!

Back to Work

First day of work after our holiday.
I'm glad that I don't have a huge pile of work. It gives me time to get used to my desk again :-)...

Back Home, Back to Reality

Day 25
Our trip to the airport yesterday was thrilling!
We arrived at our hotel early to ask if the mini van could pick us up early because of the protests, just to be sure we would arrive in time. The guy at the reception couldn't reach the company, but said it could be that a taxi arrived at 9pm with travelers from the Chiang Mai bus. We just had to wait and hope we could take that taxi to the airport. 
Our plans to end our holiday with a good foot massage got cancelled, because we had to sit and wait at the hotel. 
At 9pm, no taxi arrived. We asked to call the company again to make sure they wouldn't be late at 10pm, due to the traffic. No answer and no worries. They should be in time, the receptionist said. 10pm he got a call that they would be 20 minutes late. 10.20pm they called to say they were nearly there. 10.30pm two motorbikes rushed onto the parking lot of the hotel, shouting to get on. They would take us to the taxi. Before we could say anything the receptionist had thrown our luggage on their steering wheels. My boyfriend jumped on the back of the motorbike, so I did too. I hardly had a place to sit, because my driver was a bit overweight. I literally had to grab him by his 'love handles' to have some grip. You can't even imagine how that drive felt! I feared for my life! Thai drivers are f*cking crazy!

We got at the taxi stop nice and safe, but apparently there were other travelers who were waiting there as well and had been standing there for a while. The motorbike drivers promised the taxi would be there at 11 at the latest, so we could be at the airport at 11.30pm. That was hard to believe, since the airport was at least 45min away and the traffic was still jammed. The police had blocked the street where we were waiting and made it a one way street. No stress!?
The minivan arrived at ten past eleven and I saw the driver putting a large bottle of Chang (Thai beer) from his car to the side of the road. This was a really dangerous situation, but because of our lack of time and the problems on the road, we had to get in. Their wasn't enough room for everyone and their luggage to get in, so me and my boyfriend had to take seat next to the driver. It took him at least 30 min to get out of the city onto the speedway. Almost every road to the speedway was blocked buy the police, but he managed to find a way. He rushed at 140km/h to the airport. I held my eyes closed for the whole ride. 
We arrived at the airport at midnight. In time for our flight, but a few people had to run to catch their plane. 

Our flight went well, no problems. We arrived half an hour earlier, at 1.30pm. 
Back home, back to reality!
We're so tired. We have to have an early night! We have to get up at 6 for work :(!

Bangkok: Grand Palace

Day 24
We checked out of our hotel and ordered a taxi to the airport for tonight. It's our last day today!
My boyfriend wanted to see a buddha but we accidentally winded up at the Grand Palace. To enter it you need to be dressed appropriate, so cleavage, legs and arms covered.Watch out here! You can borrow clothing for free inside at the ticket office, but outside at the walls there are scammers who tell you you have to buy from them. The soldiers at the gate also say you have to buy, but don't! Just go inside and give 200 deposit, you'll get it back later if you return the clothes.
My boyfriend had to put on hippiepants. Pretty funny!
The palace didn't impress me that much. Other places left a greater mark. The texile museum did impress me though!
During a few decades the Thai clothing style had become western. The royal couple had planned an 8 month trip around the world to visit other leaders and cultures. The queen was really bothered with the fact that a traditional Thai garment didn't exist anymore. Two years before their trip she began with the designs of 8 garments together with a designing team. Even a French coutourier was part of the team. She ordered them to visit tribes with their own traditions of weaving. The result was splendid. Thai fine handmade silk and clothing patterns based on old traditions and garments that expressed
Thai culture.
This museum really impressed me. There's a studio where you can try on a garment. Pictures coming soon!
After this visit we kind of wondered around.
We're now at the hotel, waiting for our taxi to the airport. Hope that goes well, because traffic is jammed because of the protests in Bangkok!

Bangkok: Shopping City

Day 23
I love Thai fashion!
We went shopping today. You can find things that are in style back home, but with a Thai twist. Very unique stuff too.
I bought a very nice shirt and saw a few dresses and blouses, but was on a tight budget. I also bought two amazing handmade pillows for our sofa for 900 Baht (around 20 euros).
Fashion shopping? Siam Center is the way to go! Prices from 20 to 150 euros a piece. Mix of small shops from young designers and bigger Thai clothing & accessory stores. You will not find H&M and Zara here, but why the hell would you want to shop here if you have the store at home???!!!
For electronics, MBK Center should be walhalla. We thought so too, but it was very dissapointing. Prices aren't that much cheaper than back home, so it would be much smarter to buy your device at your local store if you want warrenty :-)!

Welcome to Bangkok

Day 22
From our hotel at Sam Roi Yot we managed to arrange transportation to Bangkok. We travelled by minivan with a crazy driver who certainly wasn't living in the land of smiles and he had awful long nails.
We got there OK.
Once we arrived at our hotel we went to look for some food and ended up at Khao San Road. Not our cup of tea, that's for sure. A street full of drunken tourists and during our five minute walk we passed two fights.
Back at the hotel (Penpark Place) we turned on the TV. Our favourite channel, Lotus Macau, was playing Kill Bill. Chilly Billy!

Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park - Phraya Nakhon Cave

Day 21

Finally! I've seen one of the most beautiful things ever! A temple, bathing in the sunlight, located in a cave: Phraya Nakhon Cave. 

Unfortunately there were some filmmakers shooting a documentary, so we were limited in our walk around the cave. But that didn't stop me from soaking up the splendor of this place and taking some pictures.

To access the cave you need to walk along a trail first that brings you to a beach. Normally, you can go there by boat, but the waves were to high for transfers. This trail was just stretching our legs!

At the foot of the mountain (at the beach) you start another trail that brings you to 430m high. This one is a bit more advanced than the other one, but still OK!

We chilled at the beach for a while after our hike and visit to the cave.

When we got back to the entrance of the park, we cruised to the other side of the park with our scooter. Believe it or not, everything went splendid with that thing! No accidents and we came across maybe 10 cars and a few other scooters on our way. Ideal for inexperienced bikers like us!

We visited the visitor center where we could read some more about the park in Thai and went walking around the Nature Trail to spot some animals. I don't think many tourists come here, because parts of the trail that haven't been used for a while. Plants have been living their own lives and wooden bridges miss some steps. We managed to spot a giant lizard (I wasn't fast enough to make a picture), a monkey (who I thought was dead, because he was lying very still on the wooden trail!), a fish with legs and some crabs.

Tomorrow we'll be heading to Bangkok, our last stop before we go home!

Short Stop at Hua Hin

Day 20
My boyfriend booked a very nice hotel yesterday: Nicha Resort Hua Hin. Clean bed, clean bathroom, quiet, nice bed and Wifi was OK, so I was finally able to Skype home. We slept in and checked out at noon.

We tried to book a bus at the bus terminal, but everyone kept sending us to a travel agency up town. Once we got there we could only book a trip to Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park or go with a mini van for 1500 BHT for the two of us. It's a one hour drive so it was overpriced, but other agencies were closed and we had to book a hotel at Sam Roi Yot first. That was quite a challenge because apparently Wifi not for free in Hue Hin, even at Starbucks. We managed to find an ice cream bar that did have free Wifi and with an old waitress, who we could not understand and neither did she understand us. She kept pointing to the menu board with her ice cream scoop. Eventually she got it right and we got a discount. It was pretty funny.
We also managed to find a hotel: Koram Resort. 

We arrived at Sam Roi Yot and there's NOTHING to see here. A few tourists and that's it. It's super quiet!

We'll be staying at Koram Resort for two nights and then we're off to Bangkok.

Tomorrow is our trip to the Phraya Nakhon Cave. I'm so excited. But there's one thing I'm a bit worried about. We need to rent a scooter. 

I hope we make it out alive!

Bye Bye Koh Tao

Day 19

Unfortunately, we have to leave Koh Tao and head towards Khoa Sam Roi Yot National Park to visit the Phraya Nakhon Cave. One out of our top three visits on our Thailand list.

I'm glad we did the diving course, it had me overcome some fears and I did something new. We met some great people too during our stay at Big Blue Diving Resort. People from the UK, Canada, The Netherlands and Australia. I had so much fun with these guys! Thanks for the wonderful days!

We took the ferry to Chumphon. The sea was very rocky and I got seasick yet again. The ferry is some kind of big speedboat and was almost flying over the waves. For the first time in my life I had to puke in a bag. Luckily, I have a very good boyfriend who takes care of me. He even went to the bin with my pukebags. I'm so jealous of him, the water is his home!

From Chumphon we took the bus to Hua Hin. I did not need a pukebag here, thank god for that! During our 30min stop at a gas station we managed to book a hotel. My boyfriend chose something fancy this time. We were in desperate need of a hot shower and a clean room, since the free rooms at Big Blue Resort weren't like that! 

We arrived at Nicha Resort Hua Hin, just before closing of the reception desk.
We immediately crawled into bed and I called the home front to see how things were going. Kitty is fine, doggie is fine (and was confused on how we got into the computer), so I'm fine too!
We need a good night sleep now :-)!

Koh Tao: Big Blue Diving Day Four - Certification Day

Day 18
Hooray! I got my certificate for the SSI Open Water Course!
Everything went fine on my last dives. I had to join another group and our instructor said me and my buddy were the perfect together! Everything under control and perfect communication! 
A cameraman accompanied us on the dive and made a movie. When we get back to Belgium I'll upload it on Youtube. 

We got to see:

Parrotfish

• Parrot fish (my favourite!)
• Groupers
• Butterfly fish
• Clown fish (Nemo)
• Blue Spotted Stingray
• Yellow Margin Trigger fish
• Bat fish
• Angel fish
• Pickhandle Barracuda
• Banners

Koh Tao: Big Blue Diving Day Three - Second Attempt

Day 17
Because I wasn't able to do my dives yesterday, I couldn't join our group to the last two diving sites. Our instructor, Nat, took me on a private dive in the afternoon. I had no problems this time. The sea was not as rocky as it was yesterday and I just concentrated on preparing my equipment. We got into the water and everything was just fine.
We saw some pretty cool things down there. A sharksucker even accompanied me until we got to the surface. I think he was around 20 cm long. 
I totally loved it. Tomorrow I'll be joining another group for my last two dives. I already met my buddy. 

Fish I saw:

Remora

• Weibel Butterfly fish
• Groupers
• Wrasse (Slingjaw - Red Breasted - Moon)
• Clownfish (Nemo)
• Pink Anemone fish
• Porcupine fish
• Gobies
• Remora (Sharksucker)
• Sgt. Major
• Damselfish
• Christmas Tree Worms

Koh Tao: Big Blue Diving Day Two - Into the Sea

Day 16
Ok, this didn't go as well as I had hoped...
When we got up this morning the sky was telling us rain would come. And it did in the morning. It wasn't a biggy, we had to pass our exam first anyway! I passed :-) 47/50

The wind didn't make it easy on us in the afternoon. We had to take the boat to our diving spot, but the waves made most of us really sick. I was already worried about the weather, about my first dive and then the seasickness came to hassle me. I started to panic a little bit and at one point I almost fainted because I was so sick. After a shake from my boyfriend to wake me up I managed to finish our buddy check and to dive into the water. I managed to calm down from the moment I jumped into the sea. 

Diving hand signal: 'Problem'

When I had to go down into the water it became really bad. During my buddy check I expressed my worries about my regulator. At the swimming pool I used another regulator that worked fine. I wasn't comfortable using this one, because I had the feeling my air passed through it in two times while I inhaled once. Hard to explain, though. Everyone said it was normal, but when I got under the water it really bothered me. It felt like I couldn't get enough air, so I started panicking. I was maybe half a meter below the water with my head, so I indicated there was a problem and asked to go up. My instructor saw I was panicking and couldn't calm me down so I went up. She told me to go back to the boat. I immediately started crying, because I really wanted to do this! I had to climb back onto the boat. I drank some water and calmed down. Failure.

If that wasn't enough for today, our banks blocked our cards and we were running out of cash. With our last money we managed to call to the bank's office to see what the problem was. Luckily, everything got resolved and we were able to withdrawal some money from the ATM again.

Positive about my day:
Although I didn't dive, I got to see some fish anyway. When I got back on the boat I had to puke overboard and fish came to the surface to eat my leftovers. Blue ones with a yellow stripe on their back.
I thought it was funny, so I had to laugh (and puke at the same time).

Koh Tao: Big Blue Diving Day One - Swimming Pool

Day 15
It was time for some diving in the swimming pool and some more academics.
It was quite exciting and weird to only breathe through your regulator. I always have the urge to breathe through my nose.
Tomorrow is real diving day, but first we need to pass our exam in the morning. Fingers crossed!

Koh Tao: Big Blue Diving & Lady Boy Show

Day 14
We took the ferry to Koh Tao around 12.30pm.
On the ferry there was a man who was spreading flyers from Big Blue Diving, a diving school. This was the company we chose yesterday and he told us there would be a free taxi waiting for us at the pier. Awesome!

We shared a the taxi with an Australian guy Leon. The taxi ride was very bumpy and I couldn't stop laughing. He was literally flying over hills and bumps.
When we got there we got our first briefing. Leon happened to take the same course as we did, the SSI Open Water Course.
We could start immediately by watching some introduction video's. Tomorrow we'll be getting into the pool.
We got our laundry to a laundry service. Everything was smelling so bad! I had to look for a new bikini in town because it was in my laundry bag and I wasn't planning to dive into the pool completely naked. Lets say that looking for a bikini isn't that easy as everyone says. At least it isn't if you don't have standard boobs. I think I tried on almost every bikini in town and they didn't fit. After a long search I happened to find one that fit and it's really nice too. I also bought a strapless one.

After my bikini hunt we grabbed for something to eat and went to a lady boy show in town. OMG, that was soooo funny and really good. I kept wondering where they all put their weeners! It's amazing how they can hide them! There were different acts like Britney Spears and Beyonce. Beyonce was really good. It looked very real with all her dance moves! I laughed my ass off!
It's time to go to sleep now. We'll have to be fit to get into the pool tomorrow!

Koh Samui: Ang Thong National Marine Park

Day 13
A spectacular visit to Ang Thong Marine National Park today!
We got on a boat for a 1,5h trip to the park. We got a small breakfast on board but we had already eaten. The Hammock has an amazingly good breakfast buffet!! Fruit, pancakes, cereals, eggs, fruit juices,... All fresh and delicious!
Ang Thong Marine National Park has around 42 islands.
We'll be visiting two of them.
Our first stop was Koh Wao. At this island you can climb a steep track to the highest point of the island where you get rewarded with a spectacular view upon all the islands. My boyfriend got to see it. The last 50 meters were too scary for me. The track were all rocks and roots from the trees where you had to climb up and you had a rope to assist you. The last track were only pointy rocks. I think I dared to climb up, but down was another thing to consider. I couldn't do it and I really regret it! I was so mad at myself, but actually it's quite an achievement for me to get that far. So maybe next time I will! 
While going back down we spotted some monkeys :-)!

After the climb we had lunch at the boat. Spicy curry but good!
Next stop was Koh Tay Plow where we started our kayaking trip to the other side if the island to see the Emerald Lake or Talay Nai. The kayaking trip was way too short because me and my boyfriend were in a very good vibe. We once went kayaking at Durbuy and ended up fighting because we weren't getting in the right direction. Kayaking is a real relationship test!
We climbed up the stairs on the rocks to get to the lagoon. The steps were really steep, but the view was totally worth it. Mind blowing, peaceful. Pictures aren't a reference for what your eyes see and what you feel! It was truly amazing how beautiful it was and it seems that nobody from our kayak group bothered to go the whole way down to the water where you could see all the underwater creatures. They just started snorkeling at the beach, missing all the fun!
After my battery run out to take pictures I enjoyed my moment of peace and quiet. After this we went snorkeling too.
This was a really great day and we ended up at Talay Café again. The food was so spectacular yesterday that we promised the waiter to come back.
This was our last day at Koh Samui. We'll be leaving for Koh Tao tomorrow with the ferry. We'll be taking an SSI Open Water Course there. I'm exciting to get diving, see some real fish!

After our wonderful and romantic dinner by the sea, with our toes in the sand, we went back to The Hammock and turned on the TV. We found a channel called Lotus Macau and they broadcast movies all day long. We bumped into 'Seven', one of the best thrillers ever made, starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. If you haven't seen it, shame on you! 
Peace out guys, 'cause I'm totally relaxed! Brad is waiting for me!