Photographic review of the past month

(Taking a break from cycling around Kanachaburi, about a 3 hour North-west bus ride from Bangkok.  This was right before we checked out a war memorial detailing the construction of the bridge and death of POWs made famous by the movie, the Bridge of River Kwai)

The past month has been crazy mix of outdoor adventures, travel, food, culture, and let's not forget a healthy dose of vomiting.  (For those of you who missed it, check this posting out for a detailed look at my week in Malaysia)  All in all it has been an interesting month, which has confused me a little on what my plans are/going to be, but it has also made me think about life and where I see myself in the near future.  So here are a few more photos from the past month – Enjoy! Comments are always welcome!

 
(A candid shot of my friend Muriel and I as we take time to enjoy the view from the Bridge… the Bridge is actually quite small, but it is still in use and a train takes tourist along the route, which runs between Thailand and Burma)

 
(The view going up to Mount Kinabalu… the air is fresher here and a lot quieter than in the city.  The only thing to worry about are huge centipedes and cars taking the corner too quickly along the curving route to the Mt. Kinabalu)

(Ever wondered about salted fish?  Well, if you did, you're just weird!  Actually, Sabah, the north east state in Malaysian Borneo is supposedly famous for this kinda stuff.  This photo was taken by Muriel after a nice lunch in the town of Sandakan)

(A quick tour around the Maroubra area in Sydney included a stop at La Perouse where this old coastal fort sits fenced up… the last couple of days the weather was a little miserable – cloudy, drizzly, windy, and cold… not what you'd expect from of a HOT Australian summer. But I guess it was ok because the bush fires in the north definitely needed the precipitation)

(A special moment in a house beside my office where a monk was invited to chant for a famous Burmese poet who recently died in Los Angeles.  It was a definite cultural experience where everyone of my colleagues were obediently serving the monk.  After a large meal which could've fed 10+people, the monk gave his blessings to the poet's spirit)

 
(After the chanting by the monk, we had a typical Burmese lunch of Moo Hing Ga … something like fermented noodles with a curry to mix together with fried corn and veggies and chopped beans and cilantro.  An interesting dish with lots of flavour, not very spicy, and very heavy… I was done after one bowl)

(FINALLY!  A town square/plaza for one of the busiest places in Bangkok, Siam Square. This former car park has turned into a nice open area for people – wow, public space, that's a whole new concept in Bangkok!  Its funny how Siam Square didn't actually have a "square" till this one was introduced.  I hope the city gets their act together and creates more of these public spaces for the rest of the city)