So as I'm preparing to leave Australia, and so-called civilization, to return to SE Asia, and people who do understand what civilized behaviour actually is, I went to the doctor for a few tests. The thyroid test was the most important one, but we decided to get a whole panel done as well.
Firstly, my thyroid is out of whack still, which it has been the whole time I've been in Australia. I still believe the primary reason for this is exposure to fluoride, even though I've only used bottled water here. Fluoride is still present on the fruit and veg that I buy, in any food product I use which needs water during the processing and in the water I shower in, so even though I've tried to avoid fluoride, that has not been entirely possible.
The doc I saw came up with another reason for my thyroid being out of whack, on this particular test. About 6 or 7 weeks ago, I had a quinsy, which is an abscess on a tonsil. I'm prone to nasty strep infections and get a really bad one every 3 or 4 years. I've noticed my entire life, that when I'm sick, I put on weight and continue to do so for months afterwards. The doc said that this is because we need more thyroid hormone when we are ill as well as for a period of time afterwards. In 'normal' people, their thyroid amps up production levels to compensate for the increased demand. People who take thyroid replacement hormones are on a fixed hormone intake so of course, this means the body is not getting what it needs, we put on weight, feel like shite for longer, yada yada yada. This is the first time I've heard of this, but I'm taking it on board and increasing my dose a little for the next few weeks, then repeating the test 6 weeks after the previous one.
Other interesting results were borderline low iron, low-normal vitamin D, despite taking 1000-2000 whatevers of it a day, and low B vitamins, again despite dosing myself daily. Basically, I'm going to amp up the vitamin intake and enjoy some chicken liver pate, and then get retested with the thyroid.
I'm really looking forward to my return to SE Asia, Christmas with Terrina and her family in HCMC, returning to Phnom Penh and catching up with everyone and everything there, and getting back into work that is challenging and rewarding in most senses of the word. More money would be good but we can't have everything all the time...
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Weekly Weigh-in sans Weight Watchers
After the shenanigans of last weekend's Weight Watchers meeting that saw me quit - twice - I had thought to give myself a week off from the pressure of losing weight. This was also a busy week for me with two evenings out in a row (that just sounds so sad and pathetic), and I knew I wouldn't be able to do a mid-week fruit & vege top up shop. All in all, I felt it was an appropriate time to eat Easter buns with lashings of butter and to drink a couple of bottles of wine.
This morning I forced myself onto the scales to face the result of my slight slip into Bacchanalia. Just to be clear, after I bought the scales last weekend I jumped on them on Sunday morning to see how they measure against the WW ones. I was somewhat crushed to find the needle sitting at 81kgs instead of 79.4kgs, which probably fuelled the gusto with which I went at the buns. As a result, this morning I was feeling more than a little trepidation at finding out what damage I had done. Imagine my shock when the needle settled at 78kgs. Finally a result that is clearly below my 80kg mental hurdle.
Perhaps part of this sudden drop was due to the fact that I did go out two nights in a row. A little change in routine can shake things up nicely in the weight loss department. I also had a fantastic time at my flatmate's fashion and theatre show on Wednesday night. She was the fashion side of things. It was a fabulous evening of bubbles, fashion, real women, performance and a serious amount of laughter. See the flyer here, but I hope to get a couple of pics to put up http://www.velvetsushifashion.com/2011/03/fashion-show-march-30-and-march-31/. The other outing was my school's 'Surf Carnival' which involved students playing beach volley ball and teachers cooking a barbecue. I left before the dancing and serious beer drinking got under way.
I have been slowly recovering from my hypoglycaemic attack the previous week - perhaps another excuse to ease up on the dietary strictness that was making me a little miserable as it does when you are not getting the expected results. And, I have also gone back to basics to try to manage some of the many thyroid symptoms that appeared or reappeared since moving to Oz.
Although the days are still hot here, I bought a pair of winter boots. I can fit my orthotics into them, and wearing them reduces my leg pain, therefore reducing my overall daily pain load. I got a massage which stirred everything up, but now it's all settled. I discovered the cause of my daily morning headache that would become thunderous during the day. My TMJ (temporomandibular joint) was acting up severely. When I opened my jaw up fully, there was a great big knot clearly evident on one side, so I worked on it for a couple of days. This involves pushing on the knot firmly enough to cause pain but not so hard as to cause damage, and holding that for a couple of minutes. This stimulates your body to send all sorts of chemicals to the site including your natural pain killers, which all aid healing.
The next step was to figure out WHY this had happened and as severely as it did. Once the fog of the headache had cleared it was quite easy to see. I have a rather small bedroom with insufficient storage space so my little notebook computer lived on the beside table right beside where my head slept. This was also the side of my jaw with the big knot. I started putting the notebook on the floor before bed and hey presto! headache gone. This prompted me to move all the furniture around in my room and deal with the lack of space issues, which I had been avoiding as I didn't feel up to doing anything about. I have actually managed to create space, and now my notebook is well away from me and even has a place where I can use it. I also moved my bed from under the window as although it is still warm, cooler weather is on the way. This has also improved my sleep no end as the silly, rattly, vertical Venetian blinds no longer wake me up during the night. Even my tooth pain has reduced.
I found one last sleeve of Levo nicely tucked away in a cooler place, so there was the possibility that they had not been affected by the heat. I chucked the other sleeves I had been using, and started on it, and it seems to be better as my thyroid is no longer painful to the touch. Also after a timely reminder in Mary Shomon's latest newsletter - or was it on her facebook? - I am regaining control over my completely out of control coffee consumption. Note to self once again (us Hashis are slow learners), waiting that little bit of extra time in the morning between taking Levo and taking coffee is really, really important.
Now that the fog is lifting, I can see that I need to make some big decisions. I don't really like Perth, or rather, I'm not feeling it. On the one side, it's a bit too family for me, and on the other side, it's a bit too feral. Thinking of Melbourne...
This morning I forced myself onto the scales to face the result of my slight slip into Bacchanalia. Just to be clear, after I bought the scales last weekend I jumped on them on Sunday morning to see how they measure against the WW ones. I was somewhat crushed to find the needle sitting at 81kgs instead of 79.4kgs, which probably fuelled the gusto with which I went at the buns. As a result, this morning I was feeling more than a little trepidation at finding out what damage I had done. Imagine my shock when the needle settled at 78kgs. Finally a result that is clearly below my 80kg mental hurdle.
Perhaps part of this sudden drop was due to the fact that I did go out two nights in a row. A little change in routine can shake things up nicely in the weight loss department. I also had a fantastic time at my flatmate's fashion and theatre show on Wednesday night. She was the fashion side of things. It was a fabulous evening of bubbles, fashion, real women, performance and a serious amount of laughter. See the flyer here, but I hope to get a couple of pics to put up http://www.velvetsushifashion.com/2011/03/fashion-show-march-30-and-march-31/. The other outing was my school's 'Surf Carnival' which involved students playing beach volley ball and teachers cooking a barbecue. I left before the dancing and serious beer drinking got under way.
I have been slowly recovering from my hypoglycaemic attack the previous week - perhaps another excuse to ease up on the dietary strictness that was making me a little miserable as it does when you are not getting the expected results. And, I have also gone back to basics to try to manage some of the many thyroid symptoms that appeared or reappeared since moving to Oz.
Although the days are still hot here, I bought a pair of winter boots. I can fit my orthotics into them, and wearing them reduces my leg pain, therefore reducing my overall daily pain load. I got a massage which stirred everything up, but now it's all settled. I discovered the cause of my daily morning headache that would become thunderous during the day. My TMJ (temporomandibular joint) was acting up severely. When I opened my jaw up fully, there was a great big knot clearly evident on one side, so I worked on it for a couple of days. This involves pushing on the knot firmly enough to cause pain but not so hard as to cause damage, and holding that for a couple of minutes. This stimulates your body to send all sorts of chemicals to the site including your natural pain killers, which all aid healing.
The next step was to figure out WHY this had happened and as severely as it did. Once the fog of the headache had cleared it was quite easy to see. I have a rather small bedroom with insufficient storage space so my little notebook computer lived on the beside table right beside where my head slept. This was also the side of my jaw with the big knot. I started putting the notebook on the floor before bed and hey presto! headache gone. This prompted me to move all the furniture around in my room and deal with the lack of space issues, which I had been avoiding as I didn't feel up to doing anything about. I have actually managed to create space, and now my notebook is well away from me and even has a place where I can use it. I also moved my bed from under the window as although it is still warm, cooler weather is on the way. This has also improved my sleep no end as the silly, rattly, vertical Venetian blinds no longer wake me up during the night. Even my tooth pain has reduced.
I found one last sleeve of Levo nicely tucked away in a cooler place, so there was the possibility that they had not been affected by the heat. I chucked the other sleeves I had been using, and started on it, and it seems to be better as my thyroid is no longer painful to the touch. Also after a timely reminder in Mary Shomon's latest newsletter - or was it on her facebook? - I am regaining control over my completely out of control coffee consumption. Note to self once again (us Hashis are slow learners), waiting that little bit of extra time in the morning between taking Levo and taking coffee is really, really important.
Now that the fog is lifting, I can see that I need to make some big decisions. I don't really like Perth, or rather, I'm not feeling it. On the one side, it's a bit too family for me, and on the other side, it's a bit too feral. Thinking of Melbourne...
what's in a name?
I have re-named my blog to be more fitting for my current situation. After trying to figure out what to do with the name, the solution became apparent after just one good night's sleep. As it turned out, it wasn't rocket science.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
WTF moments this week...
...and there have been a few. The !!!!!!!! one occurred on Thursday afternoon just after I arrived home from work. I passed out. When I woke up some time later (about 40 mins) I was extremely confused, my heart was racing and my legs felt like lead had been transfused into them. It took about half an hour before the nagging thought that I really needed to eat something could push itself hard enough through the utter confusion in my brain to energise me enough to propel me off the couch. I grabbed the first thing that came to hand, which was a potato, bunged it in the microwave and was standing staring at it going around and around (truly an amazing sight when you've left most of your brain function behind) when my flatmate come home all excited about something. All I can remember is being completely flummoxed as to why her mother's dog was in the microwave with my potato. This episode was preceded by feeling cold and clammy all afternoon, as well as several days of minor hypoglycaemic attacks. Note to self: I cannot go 7 hours without food on continuous days and/or when I am busy.
The second and third big WTF!!! moments came at my Saturday morning Weight Watchers meeting. The 'facilitator' of this meeting is something of a witchy kind of cow even on a good day, but this day she decided that she needed to be in control of me. I wear orthotics in my shoes so the weigh-in ladies get me to weigh my shoes first, then put them back on and jump on the scales. Cow-lady decided that I wasn't allowed to do that. Yes, that's right - NOT ALLOWED. And it wasn't just that I wasn't allowed, it was the vicious way she went about it. The woman beside me was quite shocked. Now, I'll tell you what. When I am paying good money for a service and especially a support service, I expect to get bang for my buck, not some sour faced bully-bitch having a go at me because she can't keep her septic personality in check. This wasn't the first time I had witnessed her inner bitch surfacing, as she has been aggressive with members during meetings and often overrode their contributions. I left immediately, went home, cancelled my WW subscription, went shopping for bathroom scales, bought a fabulous, full length, lacy coat-dress with a fur trimmed collar (another inspiration piece), got my hair cut and had a massage. I spent money I'm saving to move into my own apartment but what the hell, it was good therapy.
The other big WTF moment was actually the result on the scales. After a week of back to the basics dieting (hey, I gave myself a hypoglycaemic attack with it all), I only lost 300 grams. On top of the previous week losing only 200 grams, that tells me SOMETHING IS WRONG. Either the scales lady lied - she did after all have Medusa hanging over her shoulder - or I've got something going on that needs attending to. I suspect a bit of both.
This week's goals are to continue the diet but plan the timing a bit better and be prepared for getting caught short (of food that is), and to get an appointment with a local doctor who practices integrated medicine. I just hope she isn't too busy...
The second and third big WTF!!! moments came at my Saturday morning Weight Watchers meeting. The 'facilitator' of this meeting is something of a witchy kind of cow even on a good day, but this day she decided that she needed to be in control of me. I wear orthotics in my shoes so the weigh-in ladies get me to weigh my shoes first, then put them back on and jump on the scales. Cow-lady decided that I wasn't allowed to do that. Yes, that's right - NOT ALLOWED. And it wasn't just that I wasn't allowed, it was the vicious way she went about it. The woman beside me was quite shocked. Now, I'll tell you what. When I am paying good money for a service and especially a support service, I expect to get bang for my buck, not some sour faced bully-bitch having a go at me because she can't keep her septic personality in check. This wasn't the first time I had witnessed her inner bitch surfacing, as she has been aggressive with members during meetings and often overrode their contributions. I left immediately, went home, cancelled my WW subscription, went shopping for bathroom scales, bought a fabulous, full length, lacy coat-dress with a fur trimmed collar (another inspiration piece), got my hair cut and had a massage. I spent money I'm saving to move into my own apartment but what the hell, it was good therapy.
The other big WTF moment was actually the result on the scales. After a week of back to the basics dieting (hey, I gave myself a hypoglycaemic attack with it all), I only lost 300 grams. On top of the previous week losing only 200 grams, that tells me SOMETHING IS WRONG. Either the scales lady lied - she did after all have Medusa hanging over her shoulder - or I've got something going on that needs attending to. I suspect a bit of both.
This week's goals are to continue the diet but plan the timing a bit better and be prepared for getting caught short (of food that is), and to get an appointment with a local doctor who practices integrated medicine. I just hope she isn't too busy...
Sunday, March 20, 2011
SPIDER ATTACKS CLEAVAGE!!!!
Only momentarily, but yes, that is where a huntsman spider decided to take refuge while I was trying clothes on in a shop yesterday. I had just taken off a top so was only in my bra when this thing jumped on my left shoulder, ran across it then dived straight in. I immediately yanked my bra off, sending the spider into a pile of clothing on the floor from which it must have made its escape as it wasn't seen again. I didn't scream probably because I didn't have time to but I can now feel a silent scream rattling around my head whenever I think of it. I hate the bloody things.
OK, onto the real business which is the weekly weigh in. I only lost 200 grams. Although a 200 gram loss is better than a kick in the teeth, it still feels like a kick in the pants so I'm going to focus this week - after drinking too much on Saturday night, that is. I've really got to stop doing that. Also, this week there will be NO CHOCOLATE. Recently, chocolate seems to have taken control of my mind so it's time to take it back. I've bought a couple of pieces of what I call 'challenge' clothing. These are items that I really, really want to wear and can get on, but they are too tight to wear now, so I have to diet to get into them. I have managed to fit into all my previous challenge pieces, which is great, but I've become a bit unmotivated so this should help kick me in the arse.
I'm still exhausted from starting the new job. Some mornings I wake up so zonked that later, I'm not sure if I took my Levo. I'm reasonably certain that I have forgotten a couple of times, which is really not like me at all. I've never had problems remembering to take it before, but I haven't been this bad in the morning for about 10 years. I still haven't completely fixed the water issue so I'm probably still struggling with the bloody fluoride, and whatever the hell else is going on.
Next week is another week so hopefully with a bit more effort, if I can find it in me, I'll have a better result.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Who's been a naughty girl then?
Well, that would be me, wouldn't it! Recently, I've embraced several kinds of naughtiness including overindulging in alcohol, and eating so much chocolate one night that I gave myself a chocolate hangover the next day. On top of feeling the need to feed my body with energy giving, but otherwise empty, nutrients I have been too tired to do much in the way of cooking, walking or any other kind of healthful lifestyle activity. And, whilst in the throws of trying to settle into a new country, new job and new flat, I had completely overlooked the fact that I was experiencing an intensification of thyroid symptoms. That was until the scary little monster decided to assert itself one morning by throwing a spasm fit. I have experienced this before but only when I was at my unmedicated worst. My fuzzy brain still somehow recognised the signal, threw a switch and went - FUUUUUCK! THYROID!!! I had forgotten all about the wee beastie.
By forgotten, I don't mean I had been neglecting to take my meds; I do, everyday, at the same time, religiously - praying at the alter of Levo is my only religion. What I had forgotten was to be self-aware, and to be aware of my environment. Getting a bit fuzzy and bit grumpy is always a sign I'm out of balance, not to mention constipation. Me? Constipated? The Queen of diarrhoea couldn't go? That's a bit of a big sign. As for my environment, it turned out, I have been drinking gallons of thyroid killing, fluoridated water. Whatever little natural function my poor old gland had still been managing to sqeeze out got a massive knock on the head.
Since the moment my thyroid made me scream fuck inside my head, I have been taking what steps I can to be more supportive of it. Until I can find a proper water filter, I'm back on bottled drinking water. I was rather disgusted at Target (department store) when I went to get a filter there. They have a whole stand of filters and filters jugs to choose from, but they are all made by the same company; a company that believes in the 'wonderful, health giving properties of fluoride,' and proudly point out that their product does not filter out this toxic shit. Seriously, WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT ABOUT? Actually, I must be getting over the fuzzy-wuzzies as it just occurred to me to complain to Target about that.
I have also gotten back on the weight watching horse, and in a rather literal sense. I joined Weight Watchers. They have just come out with a completely rewritten plan for weight loss, and one of the really good things for me is that I can fit my crazy little thyroid diet into it. There is no one telling you that you have eat this or that, or can't have any of what you like. I've met other people there who have chronic illnesses, such as Coeliac's & Ulcerative Colitis, which require special diets to be followed, and they also find it's quite easy to meet their specific dietary needs within the plan. The other thing that is good for me is that I can get some support. Still being fresh off the boat, I don't know many people yet and it would be a bit rude to task the ones that I have met with being my weight loss crutch. It does get me up and out the door early on Saturday morning to attend, and it's about a 1/2 hour walk - currently my only intentional exercise. It's amazing/it really sucks how dramatically a thyroid set back also sets back physical function. At this morning's meeting, I weighed in at 79.8kgs so I'm back to about where I was when I left Cambodia - and below the mythical 80kg mark.
I have been rather preoccupied by the various disasters that have occurred; floods & hurricanes in the east of Australia, a heat wave & fires here where I am, the earthquake in Christchurch (family there all OK), and Japan has just been hit with a quadruple whammy - earthquake, tsunami, massive industrial fires and now, a nuclear meltdown imminent. I just wanna know - who the fuck broke the planet?
Next post will be about life on the edge of the known world.
By forgotten, I don't mean I had been neglecting to take my meds; I do, everyday, at the same time, religiously - praying at the alter of Levo is my only religion. What I had forgotten was to be self-aware, and to be aware of my environment. Getting a bit fuzzy and bit grumpy is always a sign I'm out of balance, not to mention constipation. Me? Constipated? The Queen of diarrhoea couldn't go? That's a bit of a big sign. As for my environment, it turned out, I have been drinking gallons of thyroid killing, fluoridated water. Whatever little natural function my poor old gland had still been managing to sqeeze out got a massive knock on the head.
Since the moment my thyroid made me scream fuck inside my head, I have been taking what steps I can to be more supportive of it. Until I can find a proper water filter, I'm back on bottled drinking water. I was rather disgusted at Target (department store) when I went to get a filter there. They have a whole stand of filters and filters jugs to choose from, but they are all made by the same company; a company that believes in the 'wonderful, health giving properties of fluoride,' and proudly point out that their product does not filter out this toxic shit. Seriously, WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT ABOUT? Actually, I must be getting over the fuzzy-wuzzies as it just occurred to me to complain to Target about that.
I have also gotten back on the weight watching horse, and in a rather literal sense. I joined Weight Watchers. They have just come out with a completely rewritten plan for weight loss, and one of the really good things for me is that I can fit my crazy little thyroid diet into it. There is no one telling you that you have eat this or that, or can't have any of what you like. I've met other people there who have chronic illnesses, such as Coeliac's & Ulcerative Colitis, which require special diets to be followed, and they also find it's quite easy to meet their specific dietary needs within the plan. The other thing that is good for me is that I can get some support. Still being fresh off the boat, I don't know many people yet and it would be a bit rude to task the ones that I have met with being my weight loss crutch. It does get me up and out the door early on Saturday morning to attend, and it's about a 1/2 hour walk - currently my only intentional exercise. It's amazing/it really sucks how dramatically a thyroid set back also sets back physical function. At this morning's meeting, I weighed in at 79.8kgs so I'm back to about where I was when I left Cambodia - and below the mythical 80kg mark.
I have been rather preoccupied by the various disasters that have occurred; floods & hurricanes in the east of Australia, a heat wave & fires here where I am, the earthquake in Christchurch (family there all OK), and Japan has just been hit with a quadruple whammy - earthquake, tsunami, massive industrial fires and now, a nuclear meltdown imminent. I just wanna know - who the fuck broke the planet?
Next post will be about life on the edge of the known world.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
So what about the travelling thyroid thing then?
It's one thing to go gallivanting around S.E. Asia when you are fit and healthy, but it's another thing entirely when your travelling companion is Hashi Moto. There are some positives such as the fact that you're not working, but this also means lack of a healthy routine. I am not a routine person (either way you read that!), but one of the sharpest weapons in one's armoury against thyroid disease is a good routine. Routine helps reduce the fall-out from fuzzy brain, helps in remembering to take meds at the right time, and helps give structure and control.
With my regular routine shot to bits, diet and exercise have become something of a concept rather than a practice. I am sad to say that since Cambodia, SE Asia has done miserably in the salads and fresh vegetable department (see entry Deep Fried in Malaysia). The dairy department has been abysmal as well. Since arriving in Singapore, everything on the food front has improved one thousand percent with the notable exception of salads. I've been to several rather nice restaurants whose salads descriptions have fired my imagination and my taste buds only for the first to be let down and the second, assaulted. Case in point: a pesto seafood salad with Dijon mustard dressing. What could go wrong with that, I thought innocently. First there was no Dijon dressing. Instead it was a piquant and spicy, as in chili spicy, dressing. Note that these things do not go with pesto. Big flavour grouping eff-up. Oh, and what really killed what had started out as a great idea for a salad was the MSG that ripped the surface off my tongue.
Most places I've been have not been conducive to pleasant walking with the exception of Singapore which is very walker friendly. The past few days I've been walking and walking for hours but because of the sudden onset of exercise, I've aggravated some of my bung bits. At the beginning of the trip I had loose cartilage bits in my left knee causing pain, general pain in lower left leg from pin and a burst left hip muscle which had been very painful. By Bangkok, I had aggravated an old rotor-cuff shoulder injury on the left side, then receive trauma to the lower left back through a violent bit of massage. All in all, the left side of my body was f****d and I had a lot of territory to cover getting on and off trains with some seriously heavy bags. I've managed, but only because I am now a lot stronger than I was. Even a couple of years ago, I could not have coped with a fraction of this. The healing process for muscular things seems to take longer for us Hashis, so it's a been a slow improvement but I am looking forward to some days at sea so I cannot walk very far.
The worst aggravation for me by far has been the complete disintegration of time. For the past four years I've woken between 5 and 6am without fail. Suddenly I started sleeping to mid-day and couldn't get to sleep at night. The fuzzy wuzzies came back. This probably contributed to my negligence in getting my laptop stolen and definitely to loosing my passport in Penang (thank God for nice people who find things I've lost and hold them for me as I retrace my steps looking for them). I pulled out every trick but nothing was working. Part of the problem was the change in daylight hours. Dawn had moved from 5am to 7am and this small movement threw me off completely. Then there was also the issue of a minor time zone change by one hour. You would think one hour would be a piece of cake but not for this Hashi girl. I have a problem with crossing time zones. It was actually the time shift on a flight from Italy to New Zealand some years ago that kicked off my first Hashi's symptoms, although at that time I didn't realise this. Yet another reason why I prefer slow travel. Anyway, I have started to shift back to a more normal day since arriving in Singapore. Taking the night train and therefore being woken at 6am for border procedures helped to reset the clock, as well as staying in a dorm room with Asian girls who like to get up early. Its a slow and slightly painful readjustment but worth it.
So what coping mechanisms do I use to get me through all that pain and confusion? First and foremost, don't go at things the Lonely Planet way. That's for people who leap out of bed running after 14 hour days of touristic activities and nights of binge drinking. Do your own research first. I find expat blogs and local forums to be the best sources of insider knowledge of a place. Choose what you want to do wisely and realise you can only do 1 main thing per day or even every 2 days. Take the time to explore your chosen point of interest slowly and thoroughly. Take lots of pics. Chat to the locals. This didn't work in Thailand as they were only interested in you when you had dollars in your hand, but in Malaysia and Singapore I've found many people quite ready to pass the time of day chatting to a stranger. Don't worry if you can't do everything you want to do, it'll still be there next year and if you still have a burning desire to see it you can come back. Other things, don't drink much alcohol or none...it's cheaper this way too. Do pampering activities like massages, pedicures and shampoos especially as these are all cheaper in Asia. Take cooking classes where you can find them but do check out the physical barriers. I cannot climb tight spiral staircases. I seem to lose the neurological impulse that commands my left leg to move so I have to go up backwards on my bum. Very embarrassing. People watch. Take the time to be observant. You can learn more about a place spending a quiet couple of hours this way than running around like a Lonely Planateer.
Right, I have to go repack my bags and check out. Next time, I'll be in Oz which reminds me. I'm going to have to rename this blog...
With my regular routine shot to bits, diet and exercise have become something of a concept rather than a practice. I am sad to say that since Cambodia, SE Asia has done miserably in the salads and fresh vegetable department (see entry Deep Fried in Malaysia). The dairy department has been abysmal as well. Since arriving in Singapore, everything on the food front has improved one thousand percent with the notable exception of salads. I've been to several rather nice restaurants whose salads descriptions have fired my imagination and my taste buds only for the first to be let down and the second, assaulted. Case in point: a pesto seafood salad with Dijon mustard dressing. What could go wrong with that, I thought innocently. First there was no Dijon dressing. Instead it was a piquant and spicy, as in chili spicy, dressing. Note that these things do not go with pesto. Big flavour grouping eff-up. Oh, and what really killed what had started out as a great idea for a salad was the MSG that ripped the surface off my tongue.
Most places I've been have not been conducive to pleasant walking with the exception of Singapore which is very walker friendly. The past few days I've been walking and walking for hours but because of the sudden onset of exercise, I've aggravated some of my bung bits. At the beginning of the trip I had loose cartilage bits in my left knee causing pain, general pain in lower left leg from pin and a burst left hip muscle which had been very painful. By Bangkok, I had aggravated an old rotor-cuff shoulder injury on the left side, then receive trauma to the lower left back through a violent bit of massage. All in all, the left side of my body was f****d and I had a lot of territory to cover getting on and off trains with some seriously heavy bags. I've managed, but only because I am now a lot stronger than I was. Even a couple of years ago, I could not have coped with a fraction of this. The healing process for muscular things seems to take longer for us Hashis, so it's a been a slow improvement but I am looking forward to some days at sea so I cannot walk very far.
The worst aggravation for me by far has been the complete disintegration of time. For the past four years I've woken between 5 and 6am without fail. Suddenly I started sleeping to mid-day and couldn't get to sleep at night. The fuzzy wuzzies came back. This probably contributed to my negligence in getting my laptop stolen and definitely to loosing my passport in Penang (thank God for nice people who find things I've lost and hold them for me as I retrace my steps looking for them). I pulled out every trick but nothing was working. Part of the problem was the change in daylight hours. Dawn had moved from 5am to 7am and this small movement threw me off completely. Then there was also the issue of a minor time zone change by one hour. You would think one hour would be a piece of cake but not for this Hashi girl. I have a problem with crossing time zones. It was actually the time shift on a flight from Italy to New Zealand some years ago that kicked off my first Hashi's symptoms, although at that time I didn't realise this. Yet another reason why I prefer slow travel. Anyway, I have started to shift back to a more normal day since arriving in Singapore. Taking the night train and therefore being woken at 6am for border procedures helped to reset the clock, as well as staying in a dorm room with Asian girls who like to get up early. Its a slow and slightly painful readjustment but worth it.
So what coping mechanisms do I use to get me through all that pain and confusion? First and foremost, don't go at things the Lonely Planet way. That's for people who leap out of bed running after 14 hour days of touristic activities and nights of binge drinking. Do your own research first. I find expat blogs and local forums to be the best sources of insider knowledge of a place. Choose what you want to do wisely and realise you can only do 1 main thing per day or even every 2 days. Take the time to explore your chosen point of interest slowly and thoroughly. Take lots of pics. Chat to the locals. This didn't work in Thailand as they were only interested in you when you had dollars in your hand, but in Malaysia and Singapore I've found many people quite ready to pass the time of day chatting to a stranger. Don't worry if you can't do everything you want to do, it'll still be there next year and if you still have a burning desire to see it you can come back. Other things, don't drink much alcohol or none...it's cheaper this way too. Do pampering activities like massages, pedicures and shampoos especially as these are all cheaper in Asia. Take cooking classes where you can find them but do check out the physical barriers. I cannot climb tight spiral staircases. I seem to lose the neurological impulse that commands my left leg to move so I have to go up backwards on my bum. Very embarrassing. People watch. Take the time to be observant. You can learn more about a place spending a quiet couple of hours this way than running around like a Lonely Planateer.
Right, I have to go repack my bags and check out. Next time, I'll be in Oz which reminds me. I'm going to have to rename this blog...
Friday, January 21, 2011
Pics
Unfortunately most of the pics took between Cambodia and Kuala Lumpur were on the notebook that was stolen, however I had put some on facebook. Here they are along with more from Malaysia and Singapore.
Koh Kong to Penang
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=322469&id=531510481&l=acca32c71a
Singapore 1
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=326433&id=531510481&l=306fb6d16e
Singapore 2
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=326918&id=531510481&l=b5ac017033
Singapore 3
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=326995&id=531510481&l=db021f9e32
Koh Kong to Penang
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=322469&id=531510481&l=acca32c71a
Singapore 1
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=326433&id=531510481&l=306fb6d16e
Singapore 2
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=326918&id=531510481&l=b5ac017033
Singapore 3
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=326995&id=531510481&l=db021f9e32
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Deep fried in Malaysia
I'm well tired of people telling me that the food in Malaysia is awesome. There is more to food than gobs of fat, gobs of rice, gobs of MSG, a deepfryer and sugar dusting powder. Everything is fried. My chicken breast last night had been biffed in the deep-fryer. Rice is fried in great gobules of fat in a wok. Satay? Deep fried! Salad? Fried shit all over it, not to mention great gobulous smears of processed mayonnaise. Oh and it's cabbage, not lettuce (remember: cabbage is a punishment, not a vegetable). I am fried from trying to find AN INGREDIENT.
An ingredient is something that is freshly prepared and/or harvested that has had a little something something done to it to enhance certain of its natural properties. That little something something often requires technique. It may require a little of another ingredient or two, but the main ingredient should always remain the star of its own show - not the fucking deepfryer!
In case I wasn't convinced that this is a food wasteland, I can't even get a pot of frigging green tea. What you get instead is instant tea with sugar added. You cannot stop them adding it. They do not know how to make it without it. I take my coffee black with no sugar but this is the land of 3-in-1. When you find some real coffee and if you can stop them putting in sugar syrup, they try to spoon in honey or dump in packet sugar. I've taken up diet coke or grabbing a coffee at McDonald's. McDonald's is the equivalent of diet food here. Besides that, the coffee is actually quite decent.
Even things that are done well here are fatted to death. Gravies and sauces are where the flavours are if you're lucky. If not, it will be brown sludge with gobs of MSG to burn out your taste buds. In a sauce there will generally be an ingredients to oil/fat ratio of 1 to 3 on a good day. On a bad day, make your after dinner reservation at the local heart unit before eating.
On a positive note, I had the best Thai green curry of my life in a market in KL. It was the sauce. Balanced flavours, unfortunately the only occurrence of this phenomenon in the country, and a smooth as silk sauce that was spicey but not make-you-gag spicey (because it was smooth). The treatment of the eggplant could have been improved but on the whole, a lot of Thai cooks could learn a thing or three about not splitting the sauce from these guys.
Now some might say, don't eat the fatty food. Unfortunately, there is very little else to eat. I'm staying in an area with every kind of food available from street food to award winning restaurants, and I've been through the whole range. The best meal I've had was half a dozen natural New Zealand oysters with two glasses of prosecco. Hard to fuck up really, but putting thick chunks of lemon on top of those fresh, fresh, salty, succulent babies is the beginning of a fuck up. I saved them by my quick actions of whipping the lemon off them pronto, thus reducing the acidic cooking process which had already begun. The prosecco was lively.
I can't say the same for the people. About being lively that is. Although generally nice, and often quite chatty there is a general lack of energy amongst the populace. Not surprising given the diet. I'm having visions of all their poor livers, kidneys, intestines and hearts encased in fat, struggling to do their processing, hardening from the abuse, the life being squeezed out of them by all that fat squeezing into all the nooks and crannies. And they are big people. Every shape and size but mostly fat, fat, fat. Even some clothes shops have mannequins that are bigger than me. This place is a complete fatmare.
So all in all, I am not having a good time with my food. I have even been making my own salads sometimes but that's a little difficult with the whole chopping veges on your lap in your teeny tiny seedy hotel room with no refrigerator. Tonight I leave for Singapore. Again, everyone raves about the food, but will I be able to find what I'm looking for - fresh, tasty, lively without the fatty crutches of a poor cook?
An ingredient is something that is freshly prepared and/or harvested that has had a little something something done to it to enhance certain of its natural properties. That little something something often requires technique. It may require a little of another ingredient or two, but the main ingredient should always remain the star of its own show - not the fucking deepfryer!
In case I wasn't convinced that this is a food wasteland, I can't even get a pot of frigging green tea. What you get instead is instant tea with sugar added. You cannot stop them adding it. They do not know how to make it without it. I take my coffee black with no sugar but this is the land of 3-in-1. When you find some real coffee and if you can stop them putting in sugar syrup, they try to spoon in honey or dump in packet sugar. I've taken up diet coke or grabbing a coffee at McDonald's. McDonald's is the equivalent of diet food here. Besides that, the coffee is actually quite decent.
Even things that are done well here are fatted to death. Gravies and sauces are where the flavours are if you're lucky. If not, it will be brown sludge with gobs of MSG to burn out your taste buds. In a sauce there will generally be an ingredients to oil/fat ratio of 1 to 3 on a good day. On a bad day, make your after dinner reservation at the local heart unit before eating.
On a positive note, I had the best Thai green curry of my life in a market in KL. It was the sauce. Balanced flavours, unfortunately the only occurrence of this phenomenon in the country, and a smooth as silk sauce that was spicey but not make-you-gag spicey (because it was smooth). The treatment of the eggplant could have been improved but on the whole, a lot of Thai cooks could learn a thing or three about not splitting the sauce from these guys.
Now some might say, don't eat the fatty food. Unfortunately, there is very little else to eat. I'm staying in an area with every kind of food available from street food to award winning restaurants, and I've been through the whole range. The best meal I've had was half a dozen natural New Zealand oysters with two glasses of prosecco. Hard to fuck up really, but putting thick chunks of lemon on top of those fresh, fresh, salty, succulent babies is the beginning of a fuck up. I saved them by my quick actions of whipping the lemon off them pronto, thus reducing the acidic cooking process which had already begun. The prosecco was lively.
I can't say the same for the people. About being lively that is. Although generally nice, and often quite chatty there is a general lack of energy amongst the populace. Not surprising given the diet. I'm having visions of all their poor livers, kidneys, intestines and hearts encased in fat, struggling to do their processing, hardening from the abuse, the life being squeezed out of them by all that fat squeezing into all the nooks and crannies. And they are big people. Every shape and size but mostly fat, fat, fat. Even some clothes shops have mannequins that are bigger than me. This place is a complete fatmare.
So all in all, I am not having a good time with my food. I have even been making my own salads sometimes but that's a little difficult with the whole chopping veges on your lap in your teeny tiny seedy hotel room with no refrigerator. Tonight I leave for Singapore. Again, everyone raves about the food, but will I be able to find what I'm looking for - fresh, tasty, lively without the fatty crutches of a poor cook?
Thursday, January 13, 2011
my kingdom for...
...my pics. The ones that were in the hard drive of my notebook that was stolen the other day. I don't want to talk about it other than to say it was my own stupid fault, but the thief did have size 100 balls. The thing that pisses me off the most is that he got zip from all the work he put into taking my picture storage unit. First and foremost, it was password protected so it can't be resold. The next option is to pull it apart and sell the card but when I got it 2 years ago, it was basically a bin end item verging on the obsolete so now it's pure hamster & wheel technology. Pigeon post looked like a pretty good option by comparison. So I was left with zip and he was too. I hope karma is swift and powerful and involves gangrene of the testicles.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
It's a crazy old world out there...
Something that most of the places I've lived or travelled in Asia have in common is the lack of foreign nutters. I do recall one nutty Canadian in South Korea who lived in the building opposite me and would hurl eggs and abuse at the locals from the 8th floor and get himself arrested from time to time, but he had been the only stand out - until now that is.
It started in Bangkok, of course. She was more a case of Alzheimers and being German rather than anything worthy of an institution. She really wasn't able to manage very well by herself and had been getting along by asking people to help her. Being Thailand, the locals were most definitely not up to being helpful, except for when they were helping themselves to her cash via rip offs, so she would pick out single female travellers. One night I helped her find the guest house that the local agent booked her into. It was a hell of a hunt, through unlit areas, and up and down narrow dark alley ways. Why on earth the agent booked her into that particular guest house, I don't know, but maybe I can guess (the kickback). Anyway, it took about 40 minutes at night to get her to her place and then I had to back track by myself in the dark. I had my best 'fuck off and leave me alone' attitude on as well as a quite a pace. One pair of young guys gave me the once over but I probably looked like hard work and god knows, the locals there don't like hard work when there are plenty of easier pickings around.
The next one definitely came into the category that requires emergency intervention. I didn't have the pleasure of meeting him, only the pleasure of watching his arrest. I had found myself a room for the night at the Civillian's Inn in Love Lane, Georgetown. Despite the name, Love Lane is not a street of brothels, but does have some 'character' hostels and guest houses in the old shop houses. I was chatting to an interesting young Turkish guy who has lived in some of the more challenging parts of Asia, when a very drunk, crazy white guy on a cycle rode into a group of tourists promenading the street. They abused him, he abused them back. Then he took up residence on the front porch of the shop house opposite where I was sitting and proceeded to yell abuse and nutter insights for 15 minutes. The home owner arrived but the guy wouldn't leave and wouldn't let the home owner in. Then the police arrived. The locals all looked very uncomfortable with what was going on including the police. All credit to the police, they handled the guy quietly and calmly and finally took him away in the police van. In other places in Asia, someone would have just dragged him down the alley a bit and stuck a knife in him.
The next nutter came along 5 minutes later and sat down at the table with me and the Turk. He was clearly drunk and, although much more low key than the last guy, had punched the receptionist at the guest house the night before so I was wary of him. Every couple of minutes he would ask me where I was from. I would tell him NZ, then he would go on about Europe being a depressed hole. This went on like it was ground hog day. I didn't bother correcting him on the whereabout of NZ and retreated inside. He was actually staying in the dorm at my hostel but later that evening was forcibly ejected. I didn't see but did hear the process and it seemed to take a few guys.
There was actually a 3rd one in that same hour but this was the more slippery, less easy to pin down sociopath. Another guest of the establishment, he was a small, old white man with a penchant for aggression and lechery. I moved to a better part of town in the morning.
To be fair, these kind of events are apparently rare, and the hostel owner and staff were fabulous. It's not their fault that foreign fuckwits who are incapable of taking responsibility for themselves decide to thrust their rather large personal problems onto strangers in countries that are not their own.
It started in Bangkok, of course. She was more a case of Alzheimers and being German rather than anything worthy of an institution. She really wasn't able to manage very well by herself and had been getting along by asking people to help her. Being Thailand, the locals were most definitely not up to being helpful, except for when they were helping themselves to her cash via rip offs, so she would pick out single female travellers. One night I helped her find the guest house that the local agent booked her into. It was a hell of a hunt, through unlit areas, and up and down narrow dark alley ways. Why on earth the agent booked her into that particular guest house, I don't know, but maybe I can guess (the kickback). Anyway, it took about 40 minutes at night to get her to her place and then I had to back track by myself in the dark. I had my best 'fuck off and leave me alone' attitude on as well as a quite a pace. One pair of young guys gave me the once over but I probably looked like hard work and god knows, the locals there don't like hard work when there are plenty of easier pickings around.
The next one definitely came into the category that requires emergency intervention. I didn't have the pleasure of meeting him, only the pleasure of watching his arrest. I had found myself a room for the night at the Civillian's Inn in Love Lane, Georgetown. Despite the name, Love Lane is not a street of brothels, but does have some 'character' hostels and guest houses in the old shop houses. I was chatting to an interesting young Turkish guy who has lived in some of the more challenging parts of Asia, when a very drunk, crazy white guy on a cycle rode into a group of tourists promenading the street. They abused him, he abused them back. Then he took up residence on the front porch of the shop house opposite where I was sitting and proceeded to yell abuse and nutter insights for 15 minutes. The home owner arrived but the guy wouldn't leave and wouldn't let the home owner in. Then the police arrived. The locals all looked very uncomfortable with what was going on including the police. All credit to the police, they handled the guy quietly and calmly and finally took him away in the police van. In other places in Asia, someone would have just dragged him down the alley a bit and stuck a knife in him.
The next nutter came along 5 minutes later and sat down at the table with me and the Turk. He was clearly drunk and, although much more low key than the last guy, had punched the receptionist at the guest house the night before so I was wary of him. Every couple of minutes he would ask me where I was from. I would tell him NZ, then he would go on about Europe being a depressed hole. This went on like it was ground hog day. I didn't bother correcting him on the whereabout of NZ and retreated inside. He was actually staying in the dorm at my hostel but later that evening was forcibly ejected. I didn't see but did hear the process and it seemed to take a few guys.
There was actually a 3rd one in that same hour but this was the more slippery, less easy to pin down sociopath. Another guest of the establishment, he was a small, old white man with a penchant for aggression and lechery. I moved to a better part of town in the morning.
To be fair, these kind of events are apparently rare, and the hostel owner and staff were fabulous. It's not their fault that foreign fuckwits who are incapable of taking responsibility for themselves decide to thrust their rather large personal problems onto strangers in countries that are not their own.
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