Sao Lao

A documentary about Laos - Departure from the Land at the Mekong.

Last Friday was a day after D-Day (May 4th) so some people had a day off. Since the weather was nice, I accepted an invitation for a stroll in Zeeland. I have never been down there but have heard so much about it from my ex, who likes to go there to hide from the world. He would take a couple of weeks off and rent a place somewhere in Zeeland and would turn off his cell phone, pager, and just chill. It’s a bit late for me to visit the province, but it’s better to be late than never.

The first place we went to was Zierikzee. I have a thing for old buildings and churches. I wonder how much resources were put to use to build this particular church.

That’s me being the typical tourist.

You would never guess what I found by the pier. It was a Chinese Hotel and Restaurant. You might say so what? Well, I’m keeping track of places I go to and make it my mission to prove to myself there is not a Chinese restaurant located in the area. Every time I find one, it reminds me of the Borg from Star Trek: The Next Generation. If you are a fan of Star Trek, you can’t forget the famous “We are Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile” line.

I saw a sign by the front of the building for a special deal. I think it was 70 Euros for a night stay for two persons with breakfast included. If you are ever in Zierikzee, drop by the place and see if they have good authentic Chinese food.

After lunch we ventured out to Veere. It is a quiet town and the streets are empty after dark. It must be full of tourists during the day. We did a boat tour with few other tourists. Here is a short clip of the boat ride. The background music is “My Girl” by Aaron P.

Here are some pics from Veere.

The center of the town.

Read the rest of this entry »

The interview of Alexandra Bounxouei on Modernine Thai TV, Chaibadin show, broadcast on May 04, 2006.

An episode of Peking Express the Mekong Route. Contestants must travel from Paksan to Vientiane, the capital of Laos and then on to Luang Prabang.

Part 1

Part 2

I went to the dentist this morning for the routine check up and cleaning. I asked about getting braces because I’ve been told by my previous dentist that I should consider having my teeth corrected. The dentist told me it will take up to a year and a half or two years to get the result I wanted.

I realized it will take a great deal of energy to go through all the painful procedures. I don’t worry much about the pain or the length of time but the cost is something to think about. The insurance policy will only pay for a couple of hundred bucks. I will have to pick up the rest of the bill.

Since this is a cosmetic necessity I am not in a hurry to spend the money that I can’t afford yet. I could have had my teeth corrected a few years ago when I was working for an insurance company with generous benefits. I was too busy with my study and didn’t care much about how my teeth look back then. Most of my friends have their teeth corrected before their senior year in high school. They all wanted to have the perfect senior picture day.

Even my siblings have perfect straight teeth. My parents realized how important it is for my siblings to blend in with the rest of their classmates. For me they just said I look cute with my bunny teeth. It might have been cute in Laos, but in America, it’s not so cute. But eh, life goes on and this is something I can fix myself if I see the need for it.

An episode of Peking Express the Mekong Route. From Tad Lo to Paksan.

An episode of Peking Express the Mekong Route. From Cambodia into southern Laos with a challenge at Khone Phapheng Waterfalls. The contestants must travel to Tad Lo for a chance to win the immunity medallion and extra cash.