Naked Soul Kitchen

This morning the thermometer needle barely reached one degree celcius. It's a cold morning in Lithuania. Not only that, the ground is covered in snow. Granted, it's a thin layer, but it makes everything look as if it was midwinter instead of end of October. I need to buy myself some warm gloves, socks and something warm to wear under my sweater. This cold is no fun. Especially when I am not properly prepared for it... It's ok, I'll get used to this crazy cold ;) oh! Almost forgot to say that I met up with my cousins the other day. Haven't seen them for eight years. Wow... It was really nice to sit down with them and catch up on each other's lives. I hope to see them soon again. And. Big important news!! I found my favorite tomato flavored chips! Well, I knew I'd find them here since they were my favorite when I was little. They are SOOO GOOD. Even better than the tomato flavored puffy 5 baht chips from 7/11 in Thailand :) imagine...

This morning was that special day. When I looked out the window I saw that white powdery stuff, falling from the sky. Yes, first snow! I was pretty excited until I realized how cold it would be outside if it was snowing... It was a mere 2 degrees celcius this morning and I didn't expect to see snow for another few weeks at least. That's Lithuania for ya :) Other than the weather being cold, I am enjoying my stay here. I got to see my friend Rasa who I haven't seen for eleven years, since my parents and I moved to America back in 2001. She was a little girl when I saw her last, even younger than me. Today, she's a beautiful young woman living with her lovely boyfriend in Kaunas where they both study at university. It just so happened that the day we decided to hang out, Modestas, Rasos boyfriend was celebrating his birthday. So there were reasons to celebrate besides our late reunion. It was a lovely evening. So, I walked around there and remem...

"To love life, to love it even when you have no stomach for it and everything you've held dear crumbles like burnt paper in your hands, your throat filled with the silt of it. When grief sits with you, its tropical heat thickening the air, heavy as water more fit for gills than lungs; when grief weighs you like your own flesh only more of it, an obesity of grief, you think How can a body withstand this? Then you hold life like a face, no charming smile, no violet eyes, and you say, yes, I will take you and I will love you, again."  -Ellen Bass

Television lineup is definitely funny here in Lithuania. Although there are some decent shows and films being aired, most are still very ancient and rejects from other countries. Perfect example: "Walker Texas Ranger". This show is headlined in the TV guide as a "hot show". Come on :)

It's been three days now since I came to Lithuania. It has been very nice to stay in one place with people I love, people who raised me. I must admit though, I do feel restless. It must be because of my lifestyle during the first half of this year as well as the way I am. My wanderer spirit and my mind which craves new knowledge and movement. Being in a familiar place is almost too comfortable. It's strange being back in a civilized society. The toilets flush without needing to pour water buckets down them, when you go to buy food, you don't have to haggle about the price. I understand everyone speaking around me. The weather is cold. It's all such a shock to my system now. Although all of these things are familiar to me because this place is where I grew up, it's my childhood, it is also very unfamiliar because the life here seems to have stopped. It is the same as I have left it last time I went away. It has not changed and I'm not sure I like that. Change ...

After a long journey from Bangkok to Bahrain, to London, I am finally back in Kaunas after a little more than three years. The surprise on my grandparents' face was priceless and worth every hour spent waiting for or being on airplanes. It's strange being here but really nice and comfortable. I am looking forward to spending some quiet time with my grandparents and showing them my travel photos and telling them many great stories. Lithuanian food too.... Mmmmm :) Although I am overjoyed about being back, half of my heart was left in Bangkok with the most amazing guy. I am determined to get it back... Soon I hope ;)

So here I am at one in the afternoon, standing under a rooftop during a massive downpour on Khao San Road. Why am I here? Well, I decided to wander the second time around without a backpack. Last time I was here was five months ago and I was looking for a place to stay. I was planning on exploring the infamous neighborhood and then boarding one of the river boats for some cruising of the all the palaces from the distance without all the tourists. But this weather decided to say a sturdy "No" to that plan. This morning was the earliest I've gotten up in Bangkok. At the ungodly hour of four in the morning I was already wide awake. I laid in bed til 4:45am which seemed like a semi acceptable time to get out of bed. I used my early morning time to use the communal computer at my guesthouse and transfer photos from my memory card into my memory stick. Double protection and all. After some breakfast and hanging out, I headed out to just walk around and get something to ...

So here I am, back in the city where my Asian odyssey began. Good old Bangkok! I didn't get to explore it much the first time around because of the sensory overload my first day in Asia. I ran away from this city screaming for air, fresh air that is and more space with less people. But now, since I've been around the block a little, the Asia block that is, I feel ready to take on this beast. So I am giving it a proper chance this time. I have four and a half days to run around Bangkok and see why this city is all about. The journey from Koh Pangan took a total of 19 long hours. One boat and two bus rides later, I pulled up next to Kao San Road a little after 7am surprisingly rested and ready to take on the city. I got myself and a nice tuktuk driver who ripped me off only a little bit and went for a fresh air ride through the city to my destination; the Siam Journey guesthouse. A lovely little place right in the center of the city and near the airport link metro line. Perf...

This temperature change will not be easy....

Today was my last day on the beautiful island of Koh Pangan. Just like the rest of my time here, I rose early, before 6am and greeted the day with a front row view of the spectacular sunrise over the mountains in the back. Later my attention was turned to the purples and the oranges playing across the sky over the water. What a better way to wake up than this? Really, besides waking up in someone's arms, sunrise is definitely up there. So I productively spent my day going in and out of the sea and sunbathing with regular intervals of reading my book. That was exactly what I wanted to do on my last day. Later I went over to a restaurant I haven't been to yet and got myself a delicious chicken pad Thai with an iced coffee. Oh, I forgot, the other day I tried massaman curry... It was delicious :) thanks I came back to my little bungalow on the beach just in time to climb into the hammock and watch the sun set over the hills and across the horizon over the sea. It was l...

After diving all day and encountering my first sharks, in person, I was ready for a nice, relaxing evening. A dinner and a movie? I think so! I had some delicious papaya salad and freshly squeezed orange juice. Tonight's movie choice was Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona". A romanticly seductive tale of crazy passion, love and desire. All that was missing was someone to cuddle with... "Only unfulfilled love can be romantic..." an interesting quote from the movie

Time is winding down and I have exactly one week left in Asia. I've spent five and a half months making my way through beautiful places, meeting wonderful people and learning about new cultures. It has been a great adventure which I have been very lucky to be a part of. I started in Thailand, thrown right into Bangkok, which I happily left after only a day and a half. Moved up north and loved every minute of it. Thailand was a great place to start. After that came Laos which I was accompanied by lovely Spanish and Argentinian crew for a couple of weeks. Laos had a certain something; the people were so kind and some places were preserved in time. Next came Cambodia which proved to be the place where I overstayed my visa and fell in love. Well it was the other way around I guess. Nonetheless, it was a great country from which I came out with plenty of memories and some very good friends. Next was Vietnam, a place of contradiction, warm people as well as people who were constantly t...