What I find incredulous about this whole farce on “opening and checking” balikbayan boxes is that- “What are XRays invented for?” Seriously, Bureau of Customs (BOC) hasn’t it occurred to you to find alternatives ways than rummaging through private people’s stuff?
This is one common expression every Filipino has learned to live with. It’s part of life anyway, so why bother? But I am very bothered! Deeply bothered not because there is traffic jam, but because this problem has existed for ages but has not been given enough solutions.
Located 48 km Southeast of Phuket, Ko Phi Phi Don and Ko Phi Phi Leh are encircled by water so clear that you can see almost to the seabed from the surface.
Okay, so this is a little salsa scene review of Phuket, Thailand.
If you are like me who considers salsa
as a vital part of your itinerary when visiting a new place, then you need to
read this review. Phuket on a low season (the
monsoon months) does not seem to offer many events for salseros. However, there
are one or two salsa venues which you can find in Phuket.
The Port
100/29 Soi Post Office Thaweewong Rd
Tambon Patong, Amphoe Kathu
Chang Wat Phuket 83150
GPS: 7.891452, 98.294605
Note: This open restaurant features the Jambo Survivor band who plays salsa for guests upon request.
The Green Man Pub
82/15 Moo 4
Patak Road
Rawai
Phuket 83130
Phone: 076 281 445
GPS: 7.824062, 98.331306
Note: This venue is approx. 30 mins. away from
Patong
Other Salsa Venues
Royal Phuket Marina
Kee Lounge Phuket
Le Versace
Salsa Phuket
Kata "Da Mario"
If you check on the web and on
Facebook, there is only one group in Phuket that caters to salsa dancing- this
is the "Phuket Cuban Salsa Lovers".
Phuket Dance (with
Anna and Didier)
Website: http://phuket-dance.com/
The
website is not well maintained but contains the contact details.
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/salsa.phuket
Group Dance
Classes
Tuesday &
Friday - Salsa Class - Green Mann Studio, Chalong
Thursday -
Zumba Class - Green Mann Studio, Chalong
Private Dance
Classes
Private one on
one dance lessons are available. Please contact us using the form below:
Contact Us:
email to dance@phuket-dance.com for more info
The only issue
with this salsa venue is that it's really far from Patong or Karon. Please see
the map below:
Phuket does not have a good
transportation system so one has to rely on overpriced tuktuks or get ripped by
private taxis. An alternative would be to rent a car or motorbike so you can
travel freely on your own.
Low Season vs High Season
Another factor to consider is the
low and high seasons. I was informed that normally, salsa parties are held
during high summer seasons, which can be extremely crowded. To be honest, I have not visited Thailand during summer,
but I bet that humidity and warm temperature can get you really soaked in
sweat.
Costing
Below costs are approximates only
and may vary:
Please note that the exchange
rate is: USD to Thai Baht à 1 USD = 33 Thai Baht
Transportation
Airport transfer to Patong in a shared coach
200 Thai Baht
Patong to Airport in a shared coach
200 Thai Baht
Private taxi Airport to Patong vice versa
800 Thai Baht
Private TukTuk
400 Thai Baht onwards (per car/way)
Private Taxi (Saloon Car)
500 Thai Baht onwards (per car/way)
Motorcycle Rent
120 Thai Baht onwards (per day)
Food
Thai Food (small serving)
120 Thai Baht onwards
Seafood
400 Thai Baht onwards
Starbucks Venti
150 Thai Baht
Heineken Beer can
50 Thai Baht
Heineken Draught
120 Thai Baht
Gin Tonic
150 Thai Baht
Coke can
40 Thai Baht
7-11 Coffee
15 Thai Baht
TOURS
James Bond Island 1Day Tour shared
1,250 Thai Baht per person
Fanta-Sea Show Phi Phi Island
2,500 Thai Baht 3,200 Thai Baht
SHOPPING
Shirt
120 Thai Baht
Fisherman's Pants
200 Thai Baht
ACCCOMMODATIONS
Forest Patong Hotel
400 Thai Baht à Not Recommended
Royal Phawadee Village
2,000 Thai Baht à Good
Southern Fried Rice
600 Thai Baht à Good
Apsara Residences
625 Thai Baht à Not Recommended
Patong Bay Gardens Resort
2,000 Thai Baht à Good
Other
accommodations near Bangla Walking Road
The Lantern Hotel
Millenium Hotel
Best Western Hotel
Sleep With Me Hotel
These properties are walking distance from the
beach
*When finding an accommodation, please bear in
mind that the closer to the beach, the higher the price; but it is worth it because
you actually save money by not paying for taxi or tuktuk
**Bangla Walking Road is the central marker of
the Patong District. All clubs and bars are located near this area. The
farther you get away from Bangla, the more quiet it becomes. So depending on
your purpose of visit, you can consider Bangla Road as your marker.
BARS, CLUBS &
MASSAGES
Bangla Walking Road
Filled with Thai and Russian strippers
Paradise Plaza
Gay and trans clubs and male massages
Massages
Everywhere
MONEY CHANGERS
Best Exchange
Has the highest exchange rate in Phuket. Located
at the center of Bangla Walking Road (nearby Hollywood)
*USD to Thai Baht usually plays around 33.50 but
Best Exchange can spike up until 34.50; will be worth it to change 100 USD
bills in one go.
For some reason, I have been too enamoured with the French language, although I am not really as fluent in the language. To me, the challenge of carrying a decent conversation is one thing that I couldn't turn my back on.
After spending a considerable amount of time in the tourism industry, I've come to appreciate its appeal for recent graduates seeking enjoyable work experiences. Nevertheless, there are days when one can't help but ponder alternative paths, especially when confronted with seemingly trivial or amusing encounters in the course of the job.
These past few days, I've been enjoying a handful of songs from different genres- from Ed Sheeran, to Matt Corby, to Conchita Wurst, to Anggun. All different but one thing in common is that they talk about social issues or sends out messages that goes beyond the box. I hope you enjoy them too. If you have any other songs which you think are equally enjoyable please feel free to comment.
I am a 23 year old Indian man working in the Middle East. Now when I said '23 year old Indian man', I am sure you have had a vague image of how I look like in your mind but before you go any further with your imagination, let me stop you.
"One of the perks of being me is having an Indian talking in an Indian language near me completely unaware that I understand it and then he ends up saying something he shouldn't say near me and then goes the awkward moment when I reply back in Hindi."
Most people around the world, and sometimes even people in India do not know that, Indian people do not have the generally stereotyped look and I kind of look like a Korean or a Chinese, but well I am Indian, and so does more than 8 millions Indians looks like me and yes there are 100% Indians and not related to anyone from China or any other Asian countries.
That's the story of my life. Because of my look, I have always been misunderstood, misinterpreted and looked upon weirdly, which makes my life strangely interesting. I work as a host in a restaurant and my job makes me deal with talking with lots of people, who come from different countries and background and this question always pops up to me everyday, 'So where are you from?'. Whenever I meet new people, get introduced to new friends in a party or I talk to client at work, they ask me, where am I from and then this frequently asked question, always end up with a long long explained answer. I generally prefer giving just a one work answer, 'India', and then goes a 10 second pause, a long stare at my face and then comes, 'No, you're not Indian', or sometimes I get a variety of weird answers.
I get a lot of Asian people coming to me and talking to me in their native language and must say I actually have learnt to say 'No' in various Asian languages. With an outrageously large Filipino population here in the Middle East, I am often confused as a Filipino.
Well, I sometimes end up giving long explanation for how I am not Chinese or speak any other Asian languages, other than Indian and am purely Indian, and how my ancestors and forefathers have always lived in India and yes there are more than 8 millions of us looking the same as me in India. Sometimes its just not convincing enough for people to prove what I am and I find it kind of funny too, explaining all this.
Most of the time I finish explaining and they are pretty convinced I am from India, there follows up a number of brief questions. These questions are no less weird, which could be someone asking me, 'So you also like spicy curries?', or 'So you can speak English as well?'. Well, maybe they didn't realize I was speaking in English all the while. It is rather very challenging a task to explaining people for how I don't practice Kung-fu and I can speak Hindi fluently.
One of the perks of being me is having an Indian talking in an Indian language near me completely unaware that I understand it and then he ends up saying something he shouldn't say near me and then goes the awkward moment when I reply back in Hindi.
Yes, the daily ritual of how I can speak Hindi and which country I belong to do follow up. That's my life, which gets weird everyday with extra strange and awkward situations, in a world full of stereotyped minds, being different (forgetting there are 8 millions of us) can be a challenge, which is fun and tiring at the same time.
So you’ve
decided to move abroad and have set your sights on the Middle East—good for
you! This burgeoning region is home to some excellent historical places,
picturesque scenery, and an interesting and deeply traditional culture. Moving
can be difficult, though, and it’s especially so if you’re moving to a foreign
country. Here are five things you need to think about:
.png "Actual Travel Complaints That Will Leave You Laughing")
