The Locals

We were so ambitious in Bangkok. I had all these places I wanted to go and got completley turned around by Bangkok traffic. All we had to do was cross an intersection...ha! It was like trying to cross a river with a stampede of wild cars and trucks are crossing through it. The traffic was coming from 6 different directions and one direction had 5 lanes. My friend and I learned quickly how often you have to just run.

Across we were strolling on this stone walkway. I started asking locals where the Museum or The Grand Palace were. One said it's not open today, one it's oepn but not till 3. Another tells us to go to a tuk tuk to get a ride and so on. Suddenly I felt this small finger tracing my tatoo on my back and I half jump half turn. There in front of me are these 2 adoreable Thai Boys. One is toothless in the front and they are laughing and start jumping all over me. They were holding out there shirts to get us to read the english so they new what it said...I expected that they were going to ask us for money...but they didn't:)

We ended up at Wat Po The Reclining Buddha. Lying down on it's side symbolized Buddha's Death. It was magnificent. Flawless gold and the most peaceful smile on his huge glimmering face. It was obvious that they built the temple around the Buddha cause it took at least 6 pictures that I have to put together to see him fully.

Did I mention that I can't stop dreaming about the beach...

Saw waa dii Ka...

Fresh off the boat after 32 hours of travelling we step out of our taxi on Rambutri. Later the next day we'll realize it to be the best area we could have chosen to stay in. We drop our bags and find a bit of Montreal comfort across the road with shisha to start off our adventure. We're in Thailand!!!!!

Day one we're all bug eyed. Looking at everything! We head to the first temple we see where a friendly local directs us to the police station. There we meet this livley man who wants to show us everything. He hackles with a Tuk Tuk driver to get us a good price for a cruise around town. We head to our first market. Indoors and busseling with people. Next we're of to the giant golden buddha. His baby toe was bigger than the size of my head! In the evening we head to Chinatown. We wanted to go to the night market and got our first taste at getting lost. Funny how we felt perfectly safe in the dark bowells of a foreign country but we were invinsible:)

That night strolling round Rambutri Gabby asked me to sing something...all that came to mind was the Long Distance Blues which soon became our sound track thus far...

Long Distance Blues

CHORUS
sweedle ee bap bap un dai da, sweeden badn do dai
Sweedle ee bap bap un dai dah, sweeden baden doh dai

VERSE

Baby, understand me, Cause it's not easy to relay.
Said Baby, watch my mouth move, I need you

CHORUS...

VERSE
Cause who needs to be right as rain all the time?
We need surprises now and then to keep a sane mind
I can't do this abused miss, I obviously love you
ask anyone that I know

CHORUS...

I've got the long distance blues cause I can't chose to see you,
The long distance blu-u-ues

One more time for the Cheap seats

sweedle ee bap bap un dai da, sweeden badn do dai
Sweedle ee bap bap un dai dah, sweeden baden doh dai

This is my Band

When I was in Vancouver I was working with two beautiful people. The First was Chris Penton. I'd see him in the seen. He was the reason that Alex Maher would move the piano out from it's cover on Thursday nights. He hosted my favourite open mic in Vancouver. One of those places thats pack with talent, tons of audience, and if you didn't know it was there than you were missing out. Chris would play these crazy piano pieces that would catch everyone off guard.

Anna Reiser was the second. She was this ball of energy who worked with me at the Mansion. I miss that place. It was this beautiful Mansion with a restaurant inside, 5 minutes walk from the ocean and almost always packed. As Anna would say it was 'Epic.' She could play these wicked jazz scatts on her flute that made me want to run away and become a gypsy.

Together we formed Say La Vie. It was the best. Anna played Flute, Percussion, and Back up Vocals. Chris would play the Piano, Ukulele, and Back up Vocals. I played guitar and was the singer/songwriter. We could pack the Backstage Lounge on Wednesday Nights like the best of them...

Our music always made me feel like I was at the beach.

2 days to Thailand and Counting

Overseas in 8 days

I was standing in the Metro at Peel in Montreal.  Me and some friends had just finished going to the movies. Zoning out on my music it dawned on me. My last day of work is Saturday! I'm leaving the country in 8 days.  I have so much to do.  I can't believe this actually happening. Gaby and I are going to Thailand and Australia!!! 

What a trip this is gonna be.  I fell like everything was happening so slowly and now it's all so fast.  It's true that I am a beach girl, island girl, but not so much a city girl anymore.  I just want to sit in a hammock and stare forever.  I want to be able to stare so far out into the world that it fells like it never ends.  It reminds me how small we are and how we're all part of the same thing.  Like when your up at a Ski hill for the day.  Up in the cafeteria everyone's hair is deshevelled and this Lady is struggling to get her boot off.  She notices you watching and can't help laughing and you smile because you know exactly how she's feeling...

My name's Annie.  I'm a musician from Vancouver BC.  ( this is where I put that line about being an island girl, beach girl, and city girl. But I'm changing and evolving and thats why I'm going over seas.) I recently moved to Montreal to play music and so far I love it.  What I don't love is the winter:)  So for the first time in my life I'm cheating the gatekeeper of the seasons.  I'm skipping winter.  For the next 8 days I'm fully comitting to winter so I can get the fashion out of my system.  Then it's off to the unknown.