Vee-TV

Backpackers

Thailand

BANGKOK

To: VEE-TV

Subject: Bangkok

We’ve reached Bangkok! Last night we were all invited to join some deaf locals for a birthday party. It was an excellent party – there were great food and drinks provided all night and the people were sooooooo friendly. It was good to see how things are celebrated over here (which is not really that different from anywhere else in the world). The deaf people in Bangkok are very friendly and worth visiting when you come here, because they will do their best to make your visit a memorable one. For example, today some of the deaf locals organised a trip for us to travel to a local island, Koh Samet. It was great to go somewhere away from the busy streets in Bangkok and relax without music stalls blasting different tunes all day and night – I haven't been able to get more than three hours' sleep a night because of them. I tend to stay awake and go to a club where I can meet all sorts of people and enjoy myself instead of being cooped up in my room alone feeling frustrated that I can't sleep.

Anyway, we had to get up at five this morning to catch the bus to go to the island, so I was feeling pretty tired, especially as I went out to a club and danced till 3am! Didn't see the point in sleeping! But on the beach I got myself a deckchair and caught up on all the sleep I had lost over the last week (pure heaven!).

I still cannot believe the amount of people we are meeting here, and I’m even more surprised at how eager people are to join our group and communicate with deaf people. I have to admit I find it frustrating because I am doing more interpreting than I like to do in my average day, but I'm still taken back by their positive attitude and I'm very keen to encourage it. In fact I think I have influenced a few people to take up signing classes when they get home.

Well, I am still missing my life at home a lot and thinking of everyone I know, wondering how they are all getting on. I can't believe that I am going to be away for another four months still! It is not going to be easy living on the move all the time, but I am going to do my best to cherish this moment.

Well, some good things have come our way. Fiona has a relative who has offered us his holiday home in LA for one week and we have made some deaf contacts in Australia who are going to put us up at their place for a few days. This I am looking forward to as I will be meeting more deaf people from around the world. I am amazed at how many we have met already – I was not expecting to meet any at all. We've also got a few more contacts in New Zealand who we will be hoping to meet up with. It is so much better when you know that there is something or someone to meet you on the other side. It is always scary when you go to another place, but it is even scarier when you go to a new country because you have just become accustomed to a particular lifestyle and culture and you find yourself entering another alien world!

I must stop waffling on. Basically, I am having the time of my life. Take care and keep smiling! :)

Rob

From: Julian (backpackers@vee-tv.com)

To: VEE-TV

Subject: Bangkok

EVERYONE! HELLLO!!!

I want to tell u about Bangkok! U have a right to know what's happening there! Right, Bangkok is a dirty but loud city! There are lots of deaf Thai people living next to our guesthouse. They are so friendly but they are poor so they see us as millionaires. They expect us to pay for the drinks for them! One or two of them are brilliant to hang around! They are such respectable people and were more than happy to guide us everywhere! They booked us a minibus to go to the beach for a day, which is amazing! They organised this trip for us, English travellers, not for their own leisure time!

Also we met an interpreter from England who now lives in Bangkok, which was strange! His house was so English it made us feel homesick. He gave me a cup of tea – I had almost forgotten the taste of English tea and I miss it so much! Also he’s got a telly, proper sofa, plants and more! I admit I’m forgetting what an English lifestyle is like! His apartment has a swimming pool so we came to visit him cos we are dying to have a swim! He will meet us tomorrow to guide us to a good nightclub, which is a bonus for Fiona! Her smile is brighter and shining recently cos of it!

Khao-San-Road is famous for backpackers and we met three or four blokes from England and America when we first arrived. Now they hang around with us most of the time. One of them now wants to be an interpreter (wait and see). His name is James Bond, I am not kidding!!!

Also the world is getting smaller as we bumped into our old mate Johnny from Wolverhampton University in that street!! He’s now been hanging around with us for a week! Amazing, isn’t it?

Take care

Julian

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ISLANDS

From: Rob (backpackers@vee-tv.com)

To: VEE-TV

Subject: On the roads

After Koh Phi Phi, we travelled on a night boat to another island, Koh Samui. The boat was so cool – it was just a floor full of beds. I had to sleep next to some strangers but it was a really good place to be and meet and talk to people. Koh Samui is a really nice island, a bit like Ibiza but better. And it has really nice beaches. Today we hired motorbikes and drove around the island, saw an amazing waterfall and a decomposed Buddhist monk with sunglasses (the monk was stored in a glass chamber as he died about 25 years ago). We also drove over to a few temples, which I have to say, again, were AMAZING!

I was nervous about riding a motorbike as I crashed once before in Ibiza, and everyone here is a maniac on the road. I don't understand why they have bothered painting white lines on the roads because no one follows them. There are also no traffic lights etc etc … so everyone is going really fast. I'm always sh**ting myself every time I cross the road, that's how bad it is! I wasn't too keen on the idea of hiring a bike, but it was the only way to see the island so I took the risk. But after a short ride my confidence began to build but I always drove with EXTREME caution. And I am glad to say no accidents happened to us.

Tomorrow we catch a boat and travel further north to another island where they have full-moon parties on the beach. It sounds cool and a 'must-not-miss' opportunity!

So long, hope to hear from you soon

Rob

From: Julian (backpackers@vee-tv.com)

To: VEE-TV

Subject: Deaf communities

Hello everyone

We stayed at Koh Phi Phi for four nights and we were upset when we left for Koh Samui! We found it so strange to sleep on the boat, which provided beds, but no chairs, no tables! Amazing, isn’t it?

We met one deaf boy in Singapore and a deaf community in Malaysia. We wonder if we will meet the deaf communities in each country we travel around! We feel it would be unlikely to meet deaf people in Laos and Vietnam, but who knows, eh?

Take care

Julian

From: Fiona (backpackers@vee-tv.com)

To: VEE-TV

Subject: Big families

Hi all,

I was relieved to leave Malaysia but I did have a good time there and have nice memories! In Malacca we saw a deaf family with hearing children. They have very different sign language. They invited us to visit them and some other deaf people, so later that day we went to see them, then we walked to another house – blimey, there are big deaf families! There was a mother who had 12 children. Seven hearing children had left and five deaf children had stayed to look after the mother. There was one deaf woman who had been to an American university. She was the only one who understood English so we had to use a lot of international sign language. It was pretty tiring but very interesting to see.

Anyway I’d better go now and keep smiling

love fifi xxxxxxxxxxxxx

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