le meridien chiang rai

expensive doesn't always mean good

Woke up to this dirty water view overlooking a hazy river on the last day of my 15 days holiday. 

Lots to share but little time to write. Haha. 

Le Meridien Chiang Rai. Not something I'll recommend to people.

No daily newspaper.

Receptionists/Room service speaks below average English.

Room phone with biscuit crumbs on it.

Provides homebrand toiletries set. 

stained glass door at the restaurant

Dirty and stained doors at the buffet restaurant.

Took 15 mins to deliver a bottle opener.

Replaced all towels when not told to do so - what's with the environmental-friendly reminders in the room when your staff don't even follow simple NO-instruction.

At 6 times the street price, it serves the worst khaosoy among all the others I had in Chiang Rai.

And it's located so far away from the town centre.

Any small hotels with high ratings on Agoda could have done better than this hotel.

Definitely has low value for money.

make a stand

make a stand for ourselves and others, for the change we want to see in the world

Came across this page from Brave by Margie Warrell.

"...make a stand for something: for the values we care about, for the difference we want to make, for the causes we believe in and for the injustice we don't."

This reminds me of the people whom I've come across in life.

Those who do not stand for themselves.

Those who see wrong and not make it right - just because minding their own business is the best for them, but is it the best for others?

Those who blindly apply 'let it go' for most things in life - it makes peace and makes you look like a saint for the moment but it does not change anything for the better or make a difference.

I was assigned a window seat on my flight to Yangon. As we were the last few to board the flight, there was already a Burmese guy on my seat. Oh well, I'm an aisle person so it doesn't really matter if the window seat was taken - middle seat won't make any difference.

So I sat on his middle seat instead. Not long after, there was an announcement specifically reminding passengers to be seated at their allocated seats and changing seats are not allowed.

Haha. Okay. It must have happened so frequently on this route that such reminder is required. After hearing the announcement, so many thoughts ran through my head.

- What's the consequence of changing seats?
- What happens if the flight attendants found out? I'm gonna argue that they were the one who didnt make sure he sits on his own seat.
- Do I ask him to surrender my window seat? (But I don't want to change seat cos he looks oily and smells of something, it's better if he stays where he is)
- Do I tell him that I'm aware that he has taken my seat but it's no biggy? (Just so he knows that he is on the wrong seat)
- Would he get annoyed and stab me with a knife?
- Could he pass the security scans with a knife on him? What is impossible in Msia?

I decided to close my eyes and go to sleep. Hahaha.

While waiting for the plane to take off, he was constantly on the phone, texting or taking selfie. I wonder if the AirAsia staff were his friends that they all deliberately missed him when doing the routine seatbelt and electronic devices check. Wth...

This joker was still texting and taking videos when the safety demonstration took place. I was freaking annoyed because I am kiasi. What impact could an electronice device have on the take off? I have no idea. But if they set out a reminder, there ought to be reasons for it.

So when the joker was not aware, I pressed the 'assistance' button. Hahaha. The steward came over, I pretended like it wasn't me who press it. Then he saw the joker with the phone and told him to switch it off. He did as told...for a few seconds before he turned it on again. Zzzz.

He continued recording video of the take off. I couldn't stand it anymore. Wtf....I should have taken the window seat from him. So I tapped on his shoulders and told him no handphone. He said Okok.

After few seconds, he took out his phone again and gave me the "quiet" sign - signalling me not to tell the staff. Zzzz. At that moment, I gave up. I could only pray that the plane will take off safely and I don't end up dying because an idiot decided to record video of the take off.

If only he speaks english or chinese, I would have told him that nobody will ever watch his stupid video because it was recorded at an angle, it gives headache, and YouTube has better videos...most importantly, he is putting everyone's life at risk (I think? Haha).

As I'm still able to write this post, it means the plane took off and landed safely. Hehe. But it doesn't mean that what he did was right. Getting away once means he might repeat this in future. Ya it was a peaceful ending for us, but does it change anything for the better?

The next time around, I will let whoever know that he is on the wrong seat but he can continue to enjoy the window seat if he wants to. If he is keen, I will give him a lesson on how to read the tickets and take the right seat. And handphone is strictly prohobited during take off and landing!

"...fall mindlessly into the path of least resistance, maximum self-interest and minimal contribution...contributes little to the welfare of others..."

It's easier to close an eye on issues than to stand and voice out our views (not in a critical manner) for the betterment of others. Wrong application of 'letting go' of issues could lead to ignorance.

Everyone plays a part in making the world a better place. Don't keep mum when you could have made things change for the better.

myanmar 2016 - Day 5

when you travel, you voluntarily get pushed to the limits

This is by far the dirtiest feet photo I've ever taken in my history of feet-photos. This is not a pair of tanned feet. It's a pair of mud and dusts-covered feet.

Just when you think it's the dirtiest it could get, it got worse each day.

I kept comparing my feet to the locals' as somehow theirs were not as dirty - I'd say clean. How did we end up with so much dirt? Lol.

It's either we haven't mastered the skill of not catching dusts on our feet or because we have fairer feet than theirs so the dusts become obvious.

Shoes are not allowed in all monasteries, temples, and pagodas. As most of the sightseeing places are either monastery, temple or pagoda, it means we walked barefeet most of the time. Apparently in Myanmar, socks are part of shoes too. So no socks allowed! Wtf...

The 40 degrees weather isn't helping! The floor is scorching hot! Marble, wood, cement, stone, tar, sand, wild grass, you name it - apart from being hot, they sometimes come with pokey elements too. It's like undergoing a perseverance, patience, and determination test.

After 5 days, blisters developed under my feet due to the hot grounds. I so had enough of all these feet-burning sites. Thankfully, we'll be having 1.5 days break from temples and pagodas or else I'll go berserk.

Apart from dirt and blisters, there are also mozzy bites and bruises everywhere on my legs. Goodbye fair and smooth princess legs. Hahaha.

The weather was so hot that a layer of mist/cloud formed at the horizon. Otherwise, sunset would have been better.

Sunset - U-Bein Bridge.

Dinner was half cup of Nescafe and 2 biscuits. Haha. Didn't have appetite and got sick of the local food.

Missing Sydney and Tibet.

Price Guide:
Whole day driver costs to Amarapura, Sagaing, and Ava = 45000 kyat + 5000 kyat tips.
Boat to Ava = 1000 kyat per person return.
Horse cart at Ava = 5000 kyat per person. 
Lunch burmese food = 3733 kyat per person.

(1200 kyat = 100USD)