So I spent the last week going for internship interviews at different ad agencies. This industry is an extremely difficult industry to get into, especially without experience (which usually means internships for grads).

One of them asked me why would I wanna become an intern since I already have a year of experience in the fashion industry. I thought I knew the answer, but was feeling the pressure of being interviewed and could barely string together a proper sentence (in my opinion!).

I finally got a call from one of the ad agencies (a big one.. well, all 3 are big ones haha), but I was pretty reluctant to give an answer immediately. Instead, I am keen on the 2nd agency I interviewed at. It is a better gig, from what I understand, and definitely felt like a nicer and better working environment.

Oh well, I will just hafta see how it goes.

I went down to People's Park to get some shirting and suiting fabrics. I realised that by buying fabrics and going down to a tailor for just CMT, it will save me so much more $.

So I got myself some 100% Egyptian cotton and 100% Italian cotton, and wool + cashmere fabric. Then I went down to this really ah pek aunty kinda tailor shop at Chin Swee area and CMT 3 shirts and 1 pants.

This kinda old neighbourhood shops are the best. Their services are personal, their workmanship are good and cheap, and the clothes fit you to a T. The aunty, especially, was super chatty, which made my tailoring shopping experience so much nicer than walking into any other shops. The aunty even told me to "ni chi Jalan Sultan Textile Center mai bi jiao pian yi". Lol.

Despite their old facade (they have been there for over 30 years balls!) and their old age, their clothes are surprisingly modern looking.

I will take some pictures the next time I go and collect my clothes.

Looking for a job is never easy. You send out resumes, seat and wait for companies to call you for an interview, and you wait, and you wait, and you wait...

Cooped up at home, with nothing to do, thinking of how much I wish to get out of here.

Can you imagine earning only $5 a day (8 hrs a day)? That is the typical salary of someone in Thailand, and I don't mean the Thai hi-so elites. How they survive on such miserable sum of money is baffling to a foreigner like me, who refuses to work for $5 an hour.

Oh, how I miss Thailand. Many people cannot fathom why I love that place so much ("..but it is a 3rd world country!", "so dirty", "they are farmers", "why don't you save up for Europe instead!")... oh how arrogant and irritating Singaporeans are. They dream of Europe or America, thinking places "over the other side", where the weather is cool and the people are hot and the buildings are beautiful and everything is so high class, are better than "these lowly 3rd world nations around Singapore".

How idiotic.

Just my luck to tear my ACL. I have been informed that I will require surgery and physiotherapy. And I can't participate in sports for a year after the damn surgery.

See why I hate coming back?

Urgh.

I am back in Singapore, and all I wanna do is to get out.

I miss everything back there.

I just came back from Pattaya where we went for a short getaway before I leave Thailand. Booked into this nice resort for only 900baht a night, which is approx $30 plus. Got a pool just right outside my bungalow!


Thats my place!



We, or most accurately, I (since I forced her to go with me), wanted to visit Ripley's. I got a thai price because I could speak thai and I look like thai.

I rate the place: 6/10. Kinda cheesy for the very expensive prices.



I kissed Victoria and I liked it








We visited Koh Larn for a few hours. It was a 45mins boat ride from Pattaya to the island.



The horrible effects of tourism = lots of beach chairs on the beach.

Sometimes the only way to get things off your chest is by blogging; even if no one reads your blog, the sense of telling 'dear diary' helps to cope with what you are feeling.

It is already March, and time flies faster when you are happy. I should be going home soon, in about a month time.

How my heart aches at the thought of going home. I do not dread the life (abeit mundane) and the people I know back home, on the contrary.. But how am I suppose to give up this love of my mine that has become all I have known for these past few months?

I wait upon the day of going home with agony. We just had another round of crying, this time after mentioning I will probably go home from our trip down to the South and not come back to this place in Pai we call 'home'.

This house, OUR house, feels like where my head can rest and never feel weary. To have to leave everything I have right now and go is killing me, ever so softly. No one can understand, for this is the dream I have been dreaming of for years.

I am so worried that everything here disappears when I leave Thailand. Will I get to see her face again? Can our love continue beyond everything that will happen? Can we sustain our love?

I am scared, Nan, really scared.

I love you, always and forever yours,
Moo Uan.

Akha costume. Didn't even know Akha people existed until I met Nan. Nowadays only old folks (like Nan's mom) will wear the costume. Unfortunately in Thailand, the Thai Thais look down upon village people, and nickname them 'Mountain People' as they are perceived to be old fashioned and behind times. This results in younger Akha people and those of other tribes to disassociate with their heritage and try to hide their identity. Thankfully, Nan does not think this way.

Ah, I have cut down considerably on my training. This week I only trained... 2 sessions on 2 separate days! Having a gf is not good ;)

We visited a National Park and though it was not as beautiful as say, Mount Intanon, the florals were still captivating. It was nice to be out of Pai for awhile.









It doesn't look like Thailand, does it?!

Things have been pretty chaotic these past few days.

Left Pai after my partner's mother found out about us (caught us sleeping together). Got a shoe thrown at me and her mom was cursing and swearing at me. Perhaps it is good that I cannot speak Northern Thai cos I didn't understand a word.

We went to Chiang Rai then to Mynmar, and while on our way there her mom called and said all is forgiven and we can be together if we want to, but she must come back and work because her sister is gonna sell her goods and keep the money for herself, instead of giving it to the parents to build a new home. Drama.

So we decided that since all is good, we'll go back to Pai. Except at the Mynmar border, the immigration officer told me my visa is only valid till Feb 7th.

Mother fucking shit.

So here I am in Chiang Mai, deciding where should I go to do my visa extension. 2 options : Vientiane, Laos or back to spore then come back again. But the spore option requires me to go to Bkk.

The best birthday ever.

Oh man, I am 22. I wish I could just stop growing up; getting older scares me.

I'm very happy here in Thailand, for those who are worried about me.

I refunded my ticket to Bangkok and I am back in Pai because there is someone here waiting for me and I couldn't bear to leave her.

And I am glad that I am back. I find myself being more into her than I thought I would, and having someone who loves you so much is a feeling that words can't describe.

How do 2 people maintain a relationship when language is a barrier?

And I wish you would stop calling me 3 or4 or 5 times a day. I need my space. Gosh.

So I have moved out of Pai and now I am in Chiang Mai training at Chai Yai gym.

Is it alright to play with someone else's feelings? Sharing a room with someone who has a crush on you is tough, but it is even tougher when you have to share the same bed. Feeling guilty cos I have no feelings for this person, but I am so lonely here I just seem to switch into this 'play' mode, having fun with a few people. Last night we cuddled in bed etc etc. I just hope I am not gonna leave her with a broken heart cos I have no intention of anything serious.

Some weird shit has been happening here in Pai. First this thai girl (who is not pretty at all) gets all interested in me, then i get muslim girls asking me if i have a girlfriend and that one of them is interested.

Jesus.

Why couldn't I get some hot girl giving me all these attention...

Shermain, if you are reading this, come down here sia. haha.

Adrien (France) and I


Pee Mam (Thailand) and I


Tarrant (USA) and I

So I've been in Thailand for more than 3 weeks now, and the initial shock has gone and I have pretty much settled in.

Just had a bout of diarrhea and fever (many of the guys at the gym said that its very common), and I am pretty glad I'm feelin' better now.

Am friends with the guys at the gym now. Not like close buds or anything, but it feels nice to be able to have a chat everyday. There is this Asian American called John or Jon who studies at Notre Dame and scored 1440 out of 1600 for his SAT. Smart boy, he is gonna be a banker in future. Daddy was in the army, grew up as an army brat in Korea.

Then there is an Asian Canadian named David who is a really nice guy. Comes from Vancouver and did not go to college (omg, an Asian who did not go to college?!)

We have a few Brits (2 are sitting right next to me as I type this) and 2 French guys ...

Oh, I got an acceptance letter by University of Oregon.

GO DUCKS!

I'll wait for Smith College's reply before I decide.

So I have been in Pai for about a week now, and I am just so damn sick of this place.

It is as touristy as it gets, plus this town is so small it is only 4 streets and basically a square. So everyday I go to the same place for lunch and have the same food, and then go to the same place for dinner and have the same food :)

Again, I just love how much Thailand costs.. Everyday I spend about 120baht on average each day ($5!) for my breakfast, lunch, dinner plus some internet. Meals cost 30baht (approx $1.20). And its real food like rice with thai omelette with tofu or pad thai or fried rice. Yum.

The best shit so far, I HAVE FINALLY MOVED OUT OF THE DAMN SHIT HUT TO A CONCRETE ROOM!