// from vinney
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- petzi
Hello mate,
Tell everyone at NT Vinney says Hi, and late happy bday to crabmeister, I
cant log in for some reason. Cut and paste my last mail if anyone asks how I
am. Many thanks mate. Enjoy the Spring and coming Summer with your new bird.
What could be better. All the best,
VinneyHello mate,
Always good to hear from ya. Hows you? Hows NT?
Im in Chile, today is my last day in South America and Ive had the best
time ever over the last 2 months. Ive been sending updates to mates (a few NT
people included) so Ill put you on the list, I send about one or two a
month. The next one goes out today once I have written it.
All the best for now,
Vinney2
- mayo0
wooo! pascii, you got a new girl?
Tell Vinney that i hope he's having as great a time as he thought he would.
- petzi0
hey mayo
yes, she is great : ) i'll tell vinney! what's up with you?
- mayo0
not much, just the same stuff (which is why i haven't bored you with an email for awhile. i will soon though).
tell Lil Bruce i said hi :)
- petzi0
>> bump
- Bio0
rockin.
sounds like that cat is havin' a blast. thanks for posting that petzi!and vinney, if you can see this, then:
PINCH A HOT FOREIGN GIRL'S ASS. and then tell her it is from me. haha.
come back to us soon and regale us with tales of far away places.
- petzi0
can't *bump* it enough!
- pascii0
had it in the mail! a good read : )
Hello groovy cats,
Usual deal, if you can’t be bothered to read it, just know I’m all good, skint, but happy enjoying my last few weeks in Asia. Print this off and read it, then burn it to keep warm if in England.I am well, in Thailand; home on Wed 11th Feb at some stupid hour in the morning. The dream is nearly over. On my return I will be going freelance in design. Over the last few years I’ve been getting the equipment together. If you need brochures, fliers, web sites, logo/s, posters, exhibition graphics and more - from concept right through to delivery (I work closely with a range of printers) I am your man. Spread the word please.
________________________________...
DETAIL:
Last email was from KL, Malaysia. I saw off Hayley from the airport there and went back to The Golden Triangle, very near my hotel to get some food and sulk a bit. I hummed the theme tune so famously appreciated by all travellers "The Littlest Hobo". "Keep on travelling, making new friends, maybe someday I'll settle down again" or something like that.
I arrived in a favourite street of mine in The Golden Triangle that sells great cheap Chinese food. I asked for the chicken & rice. For the first time in my 3 months in Asia, I got some un-edible, uncooked green-looking chicken. I took it back, they said they would get me some more chicken, cook it this time, and bring it to me again. "Well if it's not too much trouble" I didn't say. The second dish was (and this really is VERY irregular) barely dead. I actually had a feeling the sliced chicken was going to put itself back together Terminator 2 stylee, and calmly strut off down the road. I walked off to eat elsewhere.
As with most of Asia, hocking-up (phlegm) appears to be publicly acceptable. As I walked along I saw a woman phlegming with all her might. In the bathrooms of the hotels I have stayed in I have been overjoyed to hear many locals hocking-up phlegm with such a passion, it sounds as if they are physically turning themselves inside out. Tonight this woman on the street took it a little too far and accidentally threw up. As I walked on a collection of rats dived down an alley way. I felt sick, and fed up. My mood, which was already flat, was getting worse. It was definitely time to move on.
Next day I left KL and headed South by bus a few hours to a town called Melakka in Southern Malaysia, then South more, as much as possible in fact without a boat; Singapore.
***
Melakka was alright. It's the most historical city in Malaysia by far. It was around before KL was even thought of. It has museums that are informative and some interesting architecture. It’s got a big choice of food, too. Worth a visit if you are interested in Malaysia's history but really nothing to get too excited about if you ask me. Malaysia's history is violent. First the Arabs came along and spread Islam, then a long time later the Portugese who had already done a good job in Brazil, invaded and pretty much took over, taking a lot of gold and jewels back to Portugal. Cheeky to say the least. Then, later the Dutch had a pop, guns a blazing and pretty much took over. Then more recently still, The Brits came in, a lot more subtly than anyone else ever had in fairness, and well, they pretty much took over. Oddly it is because of the British that there are so many Chinese and Indians there. They were encouraged to hop on over and enjoy a good bit of tin mining. This cocktail-sandwich sized history is the basics of it, and if you want to expand your knowledge, Melakka is the place. Melakka is also the place to get the boat to Indonesia. Other than that, it aint rock and roll.
I fancied a change. Oh my god did I get one next. Singapore is a country the size of greater London, it is also an island, and compared to the rest of Asia, a rip off. I had to check it out.
***
Singapore or Singers, as, er, only I call it, is not a rip off if you work there of course. But I don't work there so to afford it at this end stage in my trip I was only going to be able to visit it if I could get free accommodation. Kerching!
I met Kham in Rio nearly a year ago now, and once again in Oz, she is a Chinese/English girl married to a Chinese/English man. He is Wei, and he works in Singapore. I went to meet them there. They were kindly going to let me stay with them in there 4-bedroomed apartment overlooking their swimming pool in down town Singapore. Things were looking good. On the Thursday I have been staying in a hot dorm in Melakka with 10 beds in it, it was also home to some bats. On the Friday I was in a rich country and things were highly different. I was given the whole upstairs of Wei's stunning apartment. It has an indoor waterfall for f*cks sake.
Now Singapore is odder than a bottle of crisps. It just doesn't seem to fit in with South East Asia. It's the cleanest country I have ever seen, which is, well, nice I suppose. It's one of the smallest countries I have ever been too, which is er, nice and its well, it can be a bit dull really.
Its government is repressive. You will get heavy fines for jaywalking or littering and all that stuff. There is a ban on chewing gum, and their laws on censorship are beyond me. Which means it's well, nice. The thing is that in a lot of South East Asia, You can wrap yourself in chewing gum, drive a motorbike the wrong way down the road, and enjoy all sorts of porn if you’re that way inclined. It's more alive outside Singapore. It's more humming with crazy vibrancy elsewhere. My oddometer was on the move, but the odd stuff was the rules. Rules and regulations. My frustration sometimes in Sydney. On the beach a sign says "You are strongly advised not to sit under the palm trees for risk of falling coconuts" and in the back of a taxi, on the headrests the sign "Please cover your mouth when sneezing".
It's got some great things about it. We drank Singapore Sling cocktails in Raffles. Thats a tacky must-do but it's a good one. We ate damn good food for damn good prices. I tried Dim-Sum which was great. It's like a chinese version of Tapas. Singapore has beatiful people, a bunch of great cinemas and, it has some wondeful electrical shops. If you like it very hot, Its got a great climate all year round. Its transport system is pretty good. Above all, Singapore is safe. Very safe indeed.
If you were mad enough to do drugs there, or steal something, you would be punished massively. It's got no welfare system, so taxes are low and people live affluently. It's got highs and lows. People work hard, and the competition is massive amongst the people here. They don't like to loose. There is a terrible arts scene because it's no real money spinner. Why put your kid through drama school for example? Trading or accountancy is a money spinner. It's just all a bit bland (with the complete exception of China Nights for great live music, and Souk for clubbing, although Souk is going to hurt your wallet at S$35 entry, that’s about £12) So in conclusion, Singapore is a pleasant place, but it lacks a soul. A politician there once said on TV, "We need to take fun more seriously". I rest my case.
***
All good, it was time to hot-foot it through Malaysia on a 14hr bus North back to Thailand. Hat Yai, which I have now visited 4 times. You go there to get anywhere. I have now been into the same travel agent so many times they all know me well so I was that day taken out to lunch by the girl that works there. Only in Thailand. I felt like I was home again. I love Thailand so much it is ridiculous. It’s just paradise sometimes. Just look at it. It's the easiest country in the world to get around in, it's got one of the most freindly peoples I have ever seen, it's got beaches growing out of its ears, rock-climbing, snorkelling yadda yadda. I love it.
So, time to go back to the islands, this time Kao Tao. In Koa Tao, you dive. This is one of the world’s best diving islands. Alas, money is far too tight for me now, so snorkelling would have to do. It's a very beautiful place.
***
"Are you a White?" said the tall, dark haired, Irish-eyed man. "Yes, Vinney White - f*ck, are you Andrew White?" And so it began. I hadn't seen my cousin since I was 13, and neither of us can remember that anyway. He is currently lapping the world so it was a good idea for a reunion. Koa Tao, It was 5pm and he already had a beer. Things were looking good. We sat and chatted, and I soon became aware we were of very similar nature. He got the beers in. Chang is a good Thai beer. Too many and you will get a Changover the next day. We talked for a while, and then I introduced him to the English bunch I had recently met up with. Two of them I knew from meeting them in Bangkok, they swelled to 5, as tends to happen, now with Andrew and I it became 7. The next day, we all left for Koh Pan Nang. Where I already been for new years eve. We were a big group now, and we were heading for a big party. The Black Moon Party.
As you might know from my email about New Years Eve, KPN is a crazy place. Usual deal, move into a bungalow and go for a party. Now Andrew, not unlike myself, likes a drink. After our first drink at a beach bar, our big group grew even bigger. We met some Canadians who insisted we drank vodka with them. The music was pumping, and the wind was hot. As everyone danced I realised this was unreal. I was on fire with energy. Andrew was all over the shop. I had to explain to him the next day what had happened. There was a bloke on the beach with an enormous bird of prey. Andrew took a liking to it so he sat it on his shoulder, then he stroked it, then he kissed it, then - still with it on his shoulder - he got up and danced in the sand with it. I had to tell Andrew all of this the next day at lunchtime, he had just got up, and just realised he had spent the night in the wrong bungalow – the one next to his. "Andrew do you even remember anything?" "Er - a beach?" "No, come on - what about the kestrel you had on your shoulder for 10 minutes?". He thought I was making it up. I've done a lot in my years, and I have had some crazy times. I'd like to think I could remember a huge gawping kestrel on my shoulder.
That night one of the English girls jumped through a ring of fire, quite a normal act it would seem from the que of people doing it. It was a intense evening. Watching the sun rise as morning kicked in, I decided to get my CD player and lie on the beach, it was a truely warm feeling. Then a big bastard wave came from nowhere and soaked the player, which no longer works, and swept away a wallet of 50 CD's. I ran out to sea to rescue it. It took hours to clean them all. I think I hit the sack at 10am, by which time, my German neighbours in the bungalow next to me had woken up, and put on some loud Goa Trance. I slept like a baby the second my head touched the pillow.
***
Next stop: Krabi. Right over on the other coast. From there I got a long-boat to Railey beach. I met the English girls, who had moved there a few days before. Not overly back-packer freindly because it's not cheap, and it seems to have a far more family-orientated package type feel about it. But that is not to say it is not very beautiful. It reminds me of Vietnam's Halong Bay. It stirs powerful feelings. Huge rocks jutting far out of the sea. Although this place has less rocks than Halong Bay, it does have beaches. Really cut off, The 2 Ralieh beaches which were my home for the last week are only accesable by boat, this place feels like an island although it isn't one at all.
I re-united with the English girls who were of course by now good freinds. We went kyaking around, and sometimes into, the huge rocks. It was incredible. They look beautiful from the beach, but up close bobbing around in a kiak they looked mind-blowing. This is a place that brings you to life by flaunting it's rugged looks proudly.
A few wonderful days investigating and relaxing later, the English girls had their last night. They were off to other lands on their world trip. If you're going to have your last night with some good freinds, it's good to have a good party. If you are going to have a good party, it's pretty handy if the bar you like the most "The Raliegh Experience" has a good DJ that night. The Ralieh Experience is a small, but very cool bar with a wee dance floor and one bar, Fat Boy Slim DJ'd it that night.
***
Convieniently for us, Fat Boy Slim and Zoe Ball happened to be on holiday, living a little further up the beach. That night as Norman DJ'd a respectable set considering the equiptment (a jumping CD walkman, a stack CD player, an old mixer and a pair of tiny headphones) I said to the Engliah girls, "It's time for me to make a cock out of myself " and strutted over to talk to Zoe. She was very accomodating and interesting, although we were both clearly pissed. As we shared a bucket of whiskey and coke she introduced me to Briggy, her freind. Briggy and I got on like a house on fire. We chatted for a while and shared few laughs. Later that night I introduced her to the English girls. Norman finished his set, to a croud of about 200, on a normal night there they get about 50ish. This was all unofficial of course. I asked him later why he had done the gig. He explained he went drinking there the night before and they had asked him to do a set. Simple as that. We sat around having a laugh for a while. He's a really decent bloke. Funny as can be too. We all drank a little too much and went our separate ways. My new mate Briggy and I had a night-swim in amongst a load of mud and mangroves - not the best place to swim in the pitch black. Stinking, she went back to Norman and Zoes 5 star hotel where she was sleeping on the sofa, I went back to my place to get some shut eye. The next day the English girls left me, for the last time on this trip - it was a shame, it always is when you have to say goodbye.
I met Briggy for lunch. Zoe popped by and asked us to dinner that night with her, Norman, and 4 others they/we had met. I wasn't going to decline that one. On them, in their 5 star restaurant, with wine flowing? I didn't have to think for long to be honest. To give Zoe and Norm some space, Brig and I moved in to a bungalow together, it was all quite odd, as you can imagine, Zoe and Norm were on their holiday - the paparatzi were on their case a bit, and those bas%ards are ruthless, The Sun photographed Zoe and Brig on the beach. Then they span a story round it that because Zoe and Norman were not getting on, they had flown a mystery freind out to take the heat off. Utter bolIocks. They are a perfect couple, and besides, they didn't even speak to the press.
***
So that night we all went out to dinner. I sat opposite Zoe and talked about all sorts of things. She took a genuine interest in me and all the other "normal" people, as did Norman. We had a lavish dinner, then so as to avoid the press, and because we all had hangovers, we went back to theirs and got seriously stuck into the mini-bar. I had to have a serious word with myself at one point. My oddometer went off the scale and broke into a million pieces. Everyone went inside to get a drink or have a pee or whatever, there was just me and Fat Boy Slim downing vodkas. We sat outside by a small private swimming pool. He dissapeared to the bathroom. I had already noticed that in the bathroom was a loot (small guitar) nailed to a picture frame, and hung above the toilet. He went to to the loo, grabbed the loot, then sat opposite me and played the riff from The White Stripes. He had a smile like a cheshire cat. Maybe I am just being silly but for me, it was a really special moment.
I offered round my bottle of Thai whiskey that Brig had been cunningly carrying in her bag. We all played drinking games with it, then at a few hours and a lot more drink later, at about 3am, Norman decided we should make a human tower. I don't know how we did it, but nearly all of us climbed on Norman, who despite having hit 40 years old, didn't colapse from his all-fours stance. I had a scream that night. One of the best nights I have had since leaving.
I had a couple more meals with them and the gang over the next few days, all sorts of crazy times. I think perhaps the oddest was after another night on the lash, we all walked back along the beach. Now I love a challenge, so when I saw a two wheeled trolly thing with a handle at the front, my mind span. I had to make a go of it. Briggy and I pulled the cart which contained Norman, a Canadian queen, a couple of world-travellers from England and to start with at least - Zoe. We pulled then til we got a trot going then nearly collapsed. It was almost pitch black. We swopped combinations and continued the fun, various bodies occasionally colapsing on the sand under the pressure.
Life was good. Life was great. I had come along way since my low point in KL, and knowing that I only had a couple of weeks left, I was happy to be making the best of my last days of travelling. Zoe and Norman flew back to Heathrow yesterday, as I will so soon. Norman is throwing a Brighton style beach party next week, only this time, it's in Rio. Briggy is still in Krabi, and I will meet her again before I leave Thailand. There looks to be a chance that despite it not being a very good move to see something new, I may be going back to Koh Pan Nang one more time, for one final party. But thats in a few days time. Lets see. I am now in Krabi town, doing my best to sort out my new life in England from an internet cafe, only I appear to have spent an incredibly long time writing this - as you may have guessed.
As my trip draws to a close, and my memories become so precious, I am already feeling a little philisophical about the whole thing. The last blast is here. Warm up England will ya?, I'll be back soon.
Stay good, take care, Vinney x
PS. PARTY IN MARCH, IN BRIGHTON, MORE SOON.
- jox0
NICE!
- save0
his emails are epics....sounds as though he's having a wicked time......... twat!! ;P
- crap0
excellent!
- pascii0
i'm a lil jealous : )
- crap0
I kinda miss the guy
- save0
...me too.
- dstlb0
I wonder if Kezza will get round to writing up his travels? Vinney should be back soon so we need someone else to keep us entertained.