It was the 28th of July and I was sitting in my room rather disappointed at the weather.
The rain hadn't stopped for 4 days - since the moment I arrived at Sangkhlaburi. I was so near, yet so far, from the Three Pagodas Pass, the border customs from Thailand to Burma. It wasn't always opened, but these few years saw less tensions between the local Mon tribes and the authorities of Thailand and Burma.
The tribe traditionally saw the Tenasserim Mountains as their homelands, and rightly so, for they have lived here for decades. They declare no citizenship no loyalty to either side of the border. So when fights become violent, tourists are denied entry into the Burmese village. Only in this one Burmese village are we allowed to travel without a visa. But we have to returnt to Thailand before the sun sets and the border closes, or be stuck in Burma for the night.
But it was raining angrily, the splatter of the rain drowned the music from my netbook.
I plugged in the earphones and served aimlessly on the virtual world.
5.30pm.
I was disturbed by weird bubbling sounds in the bathroom. I walked in and saw the toilet bowl bubbling! Eew. Luckily no human excretion has made its reverse way back, should be fine.
I was expecting somebody to pick me up to have dinner with some missionaries.
5.45pm
She said she may even need to be there early. Perhaps she's held up, I'd just wait. Since my Thai SIM card doesn't even work in this part of Thailand where I am.
5.48pm
Facebooking... My neighbour upstairs posted a picture with Thai captions.
I read laboriously 'Not even 30 minutes later' it read. And the view was of that from upstairs down, outside my room. I'm staying on level one.
"LOL, that's a lot of rain" I thought.
5.50pm
I opened the room door. My neighbour on the right is frantically keeping her stuff.
"Naam Tuam Leew!" which is translated "O, the water is flooding!"
I smiled and nodded.
What do Singaporeans do? iPhone, instagram, video. LOL.
3 seconds later.
The water was in the room.
The person I was waiting for showed up, but instead of telling me of the dinner plans...
"Pack all your things!"
Huh? All? or just some?
"ALL AND HURRY!!"
Oh Oh. Okay.
Still not realising the full gravity of the matter, I half hurried to my bed room, and carried my haversack up onto the chair to pack.
Within the period of that conversation, the water had already seeped into the bedroom and soaked my haversack.
ZOMG. OK, I really have to pack Everything. Which is like Everywhere!
6.15pm. I carried all my barang-barang.
I had packed my slippers and shoes into some random compartment of my bag too.
There is no point wearing footwear when the water is halfway up your shin. Everything is save. I think.
I should've packed everything. All that I can remember at least.
"The hospital is flooded, water is in the pharmacy too!
I'd set up the rice cooker first to cook rice before the power gets cut off too. Then we have nothing to eat for dinner! Come when you're ready and wear the boots!"
So I searched everywhere, but in my flustered state I had no idea where everything was.
I gave up finding the torch and hoped somebody would be providing light.
I slipped into the boots and down the stairs, wading across the waist deep waters across the room I was listening to David Choi just 30 minutes ago.
The rain hadn't stopped for 4 days - since the moment I arrived at Sangkhlaburi. I was so near, yet so far, from the Three Pagodas Pass, the border customs from Thailand to Burma. It wasn't always opened, but these few years saw less tensions between the local Mon tribes and the authorities of Thailand and Burma.
The tribe traditionally saw the Tenasserim Mountains as their homelands, and rightly so, for they have lived here for decades. They declare no citizenship no loyalty to either side of the border. So when fights become violent, tourists are denied entry into the Burmese village. Only in this one Burmese village are we allowed to travel without a visa. But we have to returnt to Thailand before the sun sets and the border closes, or be stuck in Burma for the night.
But it was raining angrily, the splatter of the rain drowned the music from my netbook.
I plugged in the earphones and served aimlessly on the virtual world.
5.30pm.
I was disturbed by weird bubbling sounds in the bathroom. I walked in and saw the toilet bowl bubbling! Eew. Luckily no human excretion has made its reverse way back, should be fine.
I was expecting somebody to pick me up to have dinner with some missionaries.
5.45pm
She said she may even need to be there early. Perhaps she's held up, I'd just wait. Since my Thai SIM card doesn't even work in this part of Thailand where I am.
5.48pm
Facebooking... My neighbour upstairs posted a picture with Thai captions.
I read laboriously 'Not even 30 minutes later' it read. And the view was of that from upstairs down, outside my room. I'm staying on level one.
"LOL, that's a lot of rain" I thought.
5.50pm
I opened the room door. My neighbour on the right is frantically keeping her stuff.
"Naam Tuam Leew!" which is translated "O, the water is flooding!"
I smiled and nodded.
What do Singaporeans do? iPhone, instagram, video. LOL.
3 seconds later.
The water was in the room.
The person I was waiting for showed up, but instead of telling me of the dinner plans...
"Pack all your things!"
Huh? All? or just some?
"ALL AND HURRY!!"
Oh Oh. Okay.
Still not realising the full gravity of the matter, I half hurried to my bed room, and carried my haversack up onto the chair to pack.
Within the period of that conversation, the water had already seeped into the bedroom and soaked my haversack.
ZOMG. OK, I really have to pack Everything. Which is like Everywhere!
6.15pm. I carried all my barang-barang.
I had packed my slippers and shoes into some random compartment of my bag too.
There is no point wearing footwear when the water is halfway up your shin. Everything is save. I think.
I should've packed everything. All that I can remember at least.
"The hospital is flooded, water is in the pharmacy too!
I'd set up the rice cooker first to cook rice before the power gets cut off too. Then we have nothing to eat for dinner! Come when you're ready and wear the boots!"
So I searched everywhere, but in my flustered state I had no idea where everything was.
I gave up finding the torch and hoped somebody would be providing light.
I slipped into the boots and down the stairs, wading across the waist deep waters across the room I was listening to David Choi just 30 minutes ago.
Posts
