End.

 

 

Truth.

A (Too) Breif Encounter.

I stuck around. For the first time…I was unable to leave. And not for a connection to a place, but a person. Another human being; and oddly enough one I have never met and know so little about. I wanted to stay, and take back the part of me I left behind…for I did not desire to leave this place, or you. So of course, I knew where to find you.

 

This morning I headed back to the footpath where I left my necklace. I had gathered from the quick responses of your emails that it wouldn’t take you long. I moved towards the place; I saw you, and you glanced up at me. My pace quickened…I could not make out your identity, besides to say that you greatly resembled the man who so forcefully grabbed my attention way back at the ship and shovel…and the trench coat. You wore it again…my trenched secret man. I could only assume you did so on a whim; just in case I was there to see you. You went as fast as you had come. The moment lasted but the blink of an eye. I panicked.

 

I saw your coat whip round the corner, flurried by the wind, and I ran. I did not stop, I knew not how to stop – I was so intensely compelled to meet you. Not that I would have had any inkling of what to say or how to feel…words would have been unnecessary, redundant. Perhaps it is because I have never felt such intensity before….or even really felt at all…but I simply could not let you escape my clutches this time. The tables had turned; you began the hunt for me and I will finish it by hunting you. You are more real to me than anything I have known…a ludicrous notion I realize, as we have shared no words or expressions, not even a place. Who would have thought that something so cold, so isolated and shielding as a computer screen could inflict such feelings upon an unsuspecting me. And you, Rune, I suspect…

But I can only get closer by running from you.

 

I turned the corner and you were gone. Out of sight…but seared into my mind. I have begun to question whether you ever really existed. Have I simply spent so much time on my own that I have forged a fictional character with whom to connect? Perhaps I can only truly commit to myself….or extensions of myself…realities which exist only for a moment before subsequently drifting with the wind into my subconscious, never to be seen again. And then, did I really spend a romantic few days with Anton? And is the name and number on a stained and yellowing old coaster really that of Tom, the bartender….or merely another, less appealing figment of my imagination…

 

The past few weeks have formed a blur. I think I shall find myself a nice, cold bench…not too dissimilar to my cold hard bed at home, the stark sheets obsessively neat –they have been that way for days – in the middle of a cold, dark and empty room which lends nothing to the imagination. I still have a couple of hours until my flight…I could use a short rest. It has been an endlessly frantic few weeks. It is 6pm, dinner time….oh yes I can hear mother calling; always the same time everyday. Her routines drive me insane.

 

Until next time.

The Final Installment.

I received these photographs today;

My Gold Necklace: in a crack in the sidewalk

 

The second photo...

 

With the following message;

Keep Running. I will find you.

Yours faithfully,

Rune.

Just to hear from you made my day.

-Alaina.

Nearing The End

What an amazing few days. Intense shopping and further adventures galore! I have purchased a number of very cheap summer dresses…and a beer singlet I am a little apprehensive to admit to; an impulse purchase (as shocking as that sounds) which I decided I may aswell indulge in. They are so very comfy…or at least that remains my justification. My stash includes numerous swimsuits, candles, a gorgeous photo able in which to keep the ever growing number of photos I have taken (some of which have now been posted on my flickr account, so have a look if you wish to see them). And I think a special mention should be made for my hair….without a second thought…for fear I may go back on my decision, a fate I was determined not to incur…I had my hair braided for a painstaking 2 hours. The result was a priceless memory;

 

My New Hairstyle...for as long as i can bear it!

 

 

 

 

 

I plan to retain my new look for as long as I can bear, or at least until I move on, away from this place, to an environment unsuited to such luscious locks. The past few days have seen me hitching a ride on a jet ski with a rather lovely young man who offered to show me the ropes, riding a banana boat ( more exhilarating than I expected!) and taking a speed boat out to phi phi island; the location for the film ‘the beach’, among others. The scenery was amazing; unlike anything I had previously witnessed in my short lifetime. The tour lasted the whole day and included a stop over at some amazing markets and a traditional Thai lunch. Our tour guide was a ladyboy….such an entertaining sight! I appreciated the eccentric commentary and overtly intriguing host, as I’m sure my fellow tour members did. Scuba diving along coral reefs was another highlight; once I mastered the scuba gear…which proved a great deal more challenging than at first thought, the experience blew me away. Fish of all colours, shapes and sizes dipped and swirled beneath and around me. The coral beckoned them back to their home with its outstretched arms, flailing with the currents…they abided…and left again. I could relate.

 

The Beach; filmed at Phi Phi Island

 

 

 

Now back in my hotel…I have had time to think. Funnily enough, I have not been thinking of much more than my secret man. Rune…. I feel I am at my wits end. I have heard nothing from you. I may have no choice but to move…and leave a small part of myself behind, again. It has become a sort of routine….and I am not accustomed to routines, but for you Rune, I shall abide. Your game, your rules. I leave my gold necklace, given to me by my grandmother on my 18^th birthday, in a crack in the pavement outside the Patong Merlin. Please retrieve it for me….i would rather it in your hands than whisked away by the sidewalk traffic unbeknownst to the passers by who fail to so much as register it on the Patong landscape. I know you will appreciate its being there…..

 

For now, I pack my things, ready to relocate to another exotic location…one which I have not yet decided upon but a decision which will be made with hast upon my arrival at the airport. My favourite place in the world, soon we shall be reunited. The anticipation and apprehension overcomes me…

 

I shall reconnect with you soon.

 

-Jane

Lazy Days

What a breath of fresh…and remarkably warm air Thailand has been! This is my third day in the country; I spent 2 in Bangkok and now find myself on the Island of Phuket. While a tourist hub, I like this place a great deal; the people and the atmosphere suck you in and make it near impossible to leave….

 

I am staying at the Patong Merlin Hotel right on Patong beach; such a perfect location for shopping and lazy beach days. I had become accustomed to the refined dress codes, coffee stops and sight seeing mandatory to the European culture and weather…now I am free to wear what I chose and do next to nothing for days on end. It is not my usual style, but I think I could warm to it… I have just returned from a few hours by the pool. I have become obsessed with Stephenie Meyers novel ‘Twilight’; not my usual style either but it, too, sucks you in and compels you to endlessly turn page after page…but then, what is my usual style? It is quite a ridiculous statement really to suggest than I, of all people, have a usual ‘style’. I have never been committed to anything for longer than a moment. With the exception of this blog it seems…and thus I suppose you, Rune…if you are reading this. My back is seething under my loose white shirt as I struggle to find a comfortable and painless position in my brown leather chair. The humidity within the open aired hotel lobby does not aid in lessening the pain of my already deep crimson back, chest and legs. You are never too young to receive needless horrendous sunburn it seems. Reading a teen novel and burning my supple skin in the scorching midday heat…I feel I have regressed 10 years to my former 17 year old self…Curse Stephenie Meyer and her impeccably engrossing writing skills.

 

As I write this blog, many vacationers stroll in and out of the lobby. The occasional loud American tourist, plenty of aussies whom I try to avoid as this trip was meant to be a complete removal of myself from all things familiar and tied to my previous life. My mother enquired as to when my travels would end…I remain quite certain that they probably never will. A group of boisterous Australians do their country proud as they hustle past me; sporting ‘wife beaters’ (navy bonds singlets) and board shorts donning the Australian flag. You can see them coming a mile off. That is generally when I turn to walk the other way….

 

What an exciting day I have planned…no doubt more gripping than the lazy hours spent by the pool which precede me. First to a beauty parlor where I plan to get my nails done as well as a full body massage. They are so pleasingly affordable and like nothing else on earth…or so I’ve heard. I’m a little apprehensive as to exactly how to interpret this recommendation what with all the lady boys whom flood the streets at night, before scuttling off to their regular day jobs at first light. I resolve to ignore the warning signs and take the plunge…even if it entails having a slightly too close encounter with a slightly too masculine female…it’s all a part of the experience. After the massage, provided I still have enough bravado lurching within me, I plan to get my hair braided…ill post some photos of that when (and if) it occurs; proof that I didn’t run for the hills! Although it’s not a guarantee that I won’t at this point… so no promises. I shall fill you in on how it all plays out…should be an interesting day regardless! After the beauty parlor I may stroll by the markets on my way back to the hotel; haggling has fast become a favourite sport of mine. They say you should start at half of what the seller offers. The REAL starting point is in fact a quarter, at most. These cunning individuals have a real knack for ripping off unsuspecting Aussie tourists, with their cheesy but well rehearsed lines; ‘gday mate’, ‘hows it goin?’…expect a collection of bargain priced souvenirs upon my return.

 

In amongst the lazing about I have managed to fit a couple of tourist trips in, and have taken many a photo in and around phuket…I shall upload a few of the better ones onto flickr when I get a chance, so stay tuned! For now, this is a photo I took of some tuk tuks lined up along the street; they provide such convenient and inexpensive transport – if only i could take one with me on every adventure!

Tuk Tuks; the ultimate form of transport!

 

My Hotel: Patong Merlin

The highlight was most definitely riding elephants; they are such beautiful and mild natured creatures. The way the owners hit them and the chains they bore around their ankles angered and compelled me to join an animal activist group. While the splendor of these animals enthralled me for the time I was graced by their presence, their captivity shocked and appalled me. I Have now joined PETA (people for the ethical treatment of animals), and I urge you to also.

 

 

 

 

I adore Phuket, perhaps more than I had expected. This may be due to the stark differences it embodies when compared with the European way of life. It suits me just fine right in this moment…

 

I am closer to home than I have been for a long while. Closer than you might think. And while it may sound absurd, I feel a sort of absence having not heard from Rune in a number of days. If it weren’t for the immense desire to stay in this place, I am sure I would have already fled if for no other reason than to beckon my follower. My secret man… where are you Rune?

 

I must know…I have never had such a desire to meet with someone, to know their motives, desires, secrets…

 

I have plenty to share myself.

 

-Alaina Jane