Escaping the City #4 Trang

I speak in superlatives, because I tend to feel extremely happy about things. The weekend two weeks ago has been supercalifragilisticexpialidocious in SO many aspects! I felt lost, I forced myself to go out and was rewarded with encounters, sincerety and learnings, and I had the chance to leave and appreciate the place I call home right now. Life on Koh Lanta sure is a sheltered one, also far from reality of the real Thailand, but then again - what's the real life of a country? Every place has its own rhythm and lifestyle and Koh Lanta surely embraced tourism wholely. I was happy to experience a life of a different Thailand.

I know the ins and outs of this island by now, so what else is on the mainland and reachable by scooter? Krabi and Trang are the closest destinations and my choice fell on Trang - lots of Dim Sum and one of the cities in Thailand celebrating Chinese New Year.


Temple and puppies

Dim Sum

Chinese New Year

Scooter - empty road

Inseln

Mangroven

Small things matter

A cat, my scooter Biene and the main street of Old Town
Romano reached the point where he was close to abandoning his plans to produce music and I was at my personal low last weekend. How did we get there in just two weeks?! There was no massive set back, it was the cumulation of a lot of things. Things keep piling up and then there's this one thing that pushes it over the edge - in this case it's the damn wind. We're working/producing/living here, determined to accomplish things, this is not just a holiday. But we were looking for an atmosphere that is more laid back than the life we have back home and that point (except this one weekend at the beach - good we did it!) doesn't really come. Resilience, optimism and beer, we're getting there.

I'm an appreciator of the small things in life. So a few days ago we started listing things we really like about living here right now and that helped a bit. I could tell you that I work my normal 9 - 5 job (or here: 2 - 11) and besides that try to do more sports and thinking. But here are a few things that make my life here fundamentally different from my life back home and that excite me:

* the pursuit of the best snack in town (we agreed on this chewy bun thingie with sesame on the outside and peanut butter on the inside)
* time to think and write a lot
* sunrise and sunset at the ocean
* slow life in Old Town
* a mango shake with a dash of lime
* the sound of the ocean at any given time
* fairy lights

Also high on the list:


That fanny packs can be a fashion item.

We have pets, or that's what I call them. There's a chameleon living somewhere around my bathroom and it's sitting in the corner quietly from time to time. There's also this frog, who hops along the veranda ever so often. Or the "AH OOOH" bird you hear in the bushes at night. And the chickens running around everywhere. And my favorite café has the most adorable kitten. And cows and goats next to the street. Also, monkeys!

See that 7/11 sign there? Source of all good, food and emergency shopping. It's like the light at the of the tunnel if you approach it at night.

Streets - because learning to ride scooters on streets like this sure is a challenge.

สวัสดีค่ะ / Sawadee Ka

I walk in the wet sand, hear a wave breaking, look down and see the warm, whirling water and sand play around my feet.
A giant smile creeps upon my face and I feel purest tranquility. No hectic life, the nature providing the only ambient sound.
Those lazy, hazy days on the beach have been the perfect ending to this first week on Ko Lanta. Bad news, sun burn and slight scooter mishap included, we indulged in the luxury of doing absolutely nothing. We were just celebrating us not missing this moment, Thailand, that we really set up our tents on this island (metaphorically) and that it's the goddamn weekend and we have the right to do nothing. The transition from being just friends to kind of finding a way of living together is never easy, but if you find someone that communicates similar to you, it is a pleasure to sort things out. Simply talking about things has been solving all our so-called issues. The aspect of living in Thailand is still work in progress. I caught a first glimpse of this country and I am still undecided on liking it or not. I like the life we are leading right now, but this is far from the reality of how a lot of people live here. And I don't know if I can either find a way to a different Thailand or if I will forever remain in the tourist bubble. Everything I see is targeted towards tourists. Am I fulfilling the stereotype of the German backpacker by searching for this authentic Thailand, whatever that may be? It can't be the undiscovered beaches or buzzing beach bars, those have been discovered well enough. The reality might be that both exist right next to each other. This country IS dependent on tourism, authentic Thailand is just existing right next to it. We'll see, I keep on searching...

My first week has been full of ideas what to do besides working and thinking. Both things I've been doing a lot. But I'm revitalised to do stuff. Stuff! Things! Being creative! I've dabbling with a few things and will start to put things into action - let it be learning Thai, Ruby, sports, doing more writing, organising things, this second week will hopefully bring more insight. Plus, trying to get a new perspective on Thailand. I also learned how to ride a scooter on badly paved roads (and not having a driver's license), drank lots of juice and coffee by the ocean, tried to find the right tone for pronouncing Sawadee Ka and - most importantly - to find the best snack! Romano and I can't seem to agree in taste, but then came along this soft rice cake roll stuffed with peanut creme inside and sesame on the outside and that's the real deal! It just took us 20 other snacks to get there...


Office, producing music, eating, all happens outside

Kites and cuisine right across from the 7/11 - our source for midnight snacks, beer and water

I can't get over it yet... the sea! So close!


More sea...

Day One

Our mood after a long time traveling, much rain and headaches
The humid air immediately made me very aware of the fact that I'm back in Asia. You cannot find this kind of heat and humidity in Europe. I discovered so many things that reminded me of Japan and so many new aspects that left me with anticipation of getting to know the Thai culture.
Unknowingly we managed to arrive in the middle of a massive windstorm, our host worried, people at home asking if we were alright. We were just annoyed by rain and wind and only that night, when the floor was covered in pools of water and a tree crashed on our house, we were made aware of the extent of the windstorm. We are alright and with all the electricity gone we had time to explore the island. This first day left me with serenity of the life that comes. A peaceful life, concentrated on thinking, reading and working. I love it so far.

I learned how to ride a scooter, I found out that Thai pronounciation is more difficult than Chinese, the views are breathtaking and I actually cannot wait to get a life started here.

Places in Polaroids #6

#6a - Berlin / inventors of the Sasomstag
#6b - Berlin / much love, such friendship

2016 has been full of fulfilling my wanderlust and I was traipsing around a lot of new countries and cities. Coming home has never been so sweet and short as this year. Each time, I was rarely adjusting and off I went again. I loved being away every second and I loved coming home. The roots I started to plant are growing and I am one lucky person to have patient roommates, patient friends and patient family who I somehow squeeze into the short time in the city. Maybe I'll stay a bit longer in Berlin next year... until wanderlust hits again.

2016 in Berlin was: hugging people, enjoying the homely feeling, Sasomstag, glitter, music, being out and about in the city, rubber boat birthday parties, calling Tempelhofer Feld my living room and connecting with people. 'Twas a very good year, Berlin. Thanks for the people, who inhabit you, and the homely feeling you offer me.

Ode to a chocolate croissant

My Tübingen affair ❤ I spend my days devouring every piece you and I am not ashamed. I had many of you before, but none can compare. You are not an original, but to me you are perfect. Today I spent the morning cycling 26km just for you and it is worth every kilometer. I know I will be back someday and my love for you will be as intense as it was before. Let’s treasure our last two weeks. Here’s to you, my amour fou!

Day One

I put up my silhouette cat deco thing that travels everywhere with me, looked at those cute houses and was charmed. Hello Tübingen, hello Swabia, hello very German mentality. Yet another chapter has opened: I registered for a miles&more program, have two apartments and split my time between Tübingen (three quarters) and Berlin (one quarter). I remember talking to those people on my car rides to Berlin and that I pitied them for going back and forth between two places all the time. Restless, because they are never really there. Well, here we are.

This household starts at zero: A fresh tomato, some olives, simit, an egg sunny-side up and a coffee. Furnished flat, doesn't mean equipped with all necessary things you need. I knew that, but it threw me back eight years when I moved into my first apartment. Sure, I had plates and cups and even a rice cooker, but then I wanted to open a can and didn't have a can opener. Or tupperware! Even a silly thing like a rubber band. Or in this case some oil to fry the egg. What you value as important is not necessarily essential to living in that place. I call them non-self-refillers. It's the toilet paper or soap you have to keep in mind for next grocery shopping, otherwise you are not happy next time when you use the bathroom. You take them for granted somehow as always there, but now Mom's not there anymore to refill them.

Hi from Tübingen, more on the arrangements here soon :)