Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride

There's no place I'd rather be
Then on my surfboard out at sea
Lingering in the ocean blue
And If I had one wish come true
I'd surf till the sun sets
Beyond the horizon....
... Flyin by on the Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride....

So! Abit late of an update but I kept forgetting to update. So here's the latest in on Hawaii....

WE WENT SURFIN'!

haha, ok. So some of you might have seen the news on our statuses already. But for those who haven't. Yes, this is to let you know that Eun and I have turned into official Hawaiian Surfer babes.lol!

How was the experience like? Well, It was definitely much easier than what Eunice and I actually envisioned it out to be (and we're not bragging). Prior to stepping into the water, Eun and I were quite apprehensive as to how it was going to turn out. If we would be able to stand on the board and not drown or something.

But we hired an instructor and had a land lesson for like 5 mins and he threw us into the water ok! haha. But it was quite shallow and the waves weren't THAT big so it was still ok. Paddled out to the middle before catching the waves. HECK! It was DARN TIRING paddling out! I mean catching the waves and all is just the most fantastic feeling ever. (you feel like you're on top of the world as the board picks up speed) but the longer you stay on the board means the more you gotta paddle back after sitting back down on the board.

So its like 3 minutes of arm work out for 20 seconds of fun. hahaha! Guess that's why all the dudes and babes have such toned and defined arms.

We both managed to stand up by the 2nd wave and after that didn't have that much of a problem balancing. So I must say that we did pretty well! haha. But after that, we couldn't stretch our arms out that properly and Eunice just totally flopped down on the board paddling back halfway because she got too tired. hahaha! So I guess, it's not something that we'll be doing every weekend cos it's just wayyy too tiring. hahaha! And we'll probably have very big arms when we get back.

So till the next time. ALOHA! :)

and as if it couldn't get any better...

I've been seeing it for something on the MRT screens, but I didn't think it would be on youtube.

Poor them, they look so cheery and happy.

MAI CCB!~~~

-joel, bangcock

LANTERN FESTIVAL: LOY KRATHONG

It's the lantern festival, or Loy Krathong here in Thailand, something like our zhongqiujie back home. Though not a public holiday (boo), it's still quite a huge thing in Thailand. People buy floating lanterns like those on top, usually snip some hair or fingernails and place it with some money into the lantern before lighting, saying a prayer and letting it float off into the river. It's suppose to help them cleanse their sins, if I'm not wrong.

So my Thai colleagues were horrified when they learnt that I was intending to head down the the Grand Palace area on Loy Krathong night cause, well, if you have ever seen Chinatown on Chinese New Year's eve, that's what it's like.

Other than that, the Thais also take the chance to light floating lanterns, illegal fireworks, etc. It's quite a big thing here.

vendors selling lanterns by the riverside

saying a prayer before releasing the lantern

lanterns afloat on the canals

a bazaar, with the Grand Palace in the distance on the left

balloon vendor

lighting a floating lantern in front of the Grand Palace

the occasional illegal fireworks

waiting for the floating lantern to collect hot air

I just realised I don't have any photos of floating lanterns actually floating, cause they drift off into a ghostly blur on camera, haha. But here's one I found online, taken in Sukhothai (the place I was in for the long weekend) where the Loy Krathong originated and is huuuuuge there.

badass floating lanterns

- joel, bangcock

Hawaiii Halloween 2009!

Okay so we walk down the streets of Waikiki on Halloween night, almost everyone was dressed up and it was sooo packed! (Though as compared to Esplanade on fireworks night, this is nothing) But yeah, it was major fun! We were all taking hell lot of pictures cos the costumes were stunning! Some of them even hand-made their costumes and boy, were they creative!

In Singapore, I realised that even those who dress up as angels and fairies have blood smeared all over their pretty clothes, and scars drawn on their beautiful faces. Why does Halloween have to be about blood and disfigured faces?

If there's one thing we've learnt about this supposedly ghostly occasion, is that Halloween's not all about ghosts, monsters and scaring people. No doubt there were a couple of freaky costumes, there were many cute, funny and sweet-looking ones too!

On this day, Cheryl dressed up as sailor girl, and I, a cowgirl. Here are some of the pictures we reeallly liked (:

That's us!

So we have....

the father-and-sons...

the cute lil' girls!!! <3


the evil doctor-nurse and the sexy hula girl (who was quite popular)


Stardom. Michael Jackson... wasn't exactly very MJ-ish though. HA!



the......... girl-guys.


Scooby dooby doo, where are you?


Guy in the shower. Who would've thought of that?! Haha!


Don't go broke on Halloween. Make your own costume!


Love this vamp's coffin. It's MAJOR!!!

Super creative costumes! Especially the construction worker.


Nooooo... some starwars dude (i have no idea who hahaha) is scaring that poor lil girl.


smurf........ spartan.........lady gaga...


These 2 army dudes were damn popluar. Poorthing! They had to stay in this position for god knows how long cos people were posing for pictures one after another.


hahahaha! the LION DANCE is a halloween costume here man.


Believe it or not. It's the Ghostbuster's car!



I like this. Damn cuteeee! A whole buncha grannys were walking together and they were all wearing diapers man!

Okayyyy! Start thinking of Halloween costumes 2010! I think im gonna make my own!

LOY KRATHONG

Loy Krathong, the Thai lantern festival, was yesterday. Photos + details up soon!

- joel, bangcock