Melissa
melintheworld
since I'm living my dream!
Hi everybody,
My name is Melissa. I'm French, but I lived in England for the last 3 years, and I loved it, so in my head, I'm a bit English too!
I want to travel since I'm a kid, and now that I'm almost 30, I decided that it was going to be now or never, so it will be now! So I'm on my way to the south east Asia and maybe more.
I don't really have a plan, so I will let the wind decide to where I go!
I love taking pictures (I would love live from that, but I'm not sure I'm good enough yet, but I'm practicing!), so there will be a lot of them on this blog.
So if you want to follow my adventures, come have a look once in a while, i'll try to post as often as possible!
I'll try to post in English and French, but if I don't have the time to post in both languages, don't worry I'll do the translation the following time!
Hope you'll enjoy the blog!
Salut tout le monde,
Je m'appelle Melissa. Je suis francaise, mais j'ai vecu au Uk ces 3 dernieres annees et j'ai adore, alors dans ma tete je suis un peu anglaise aussi!
Je veux voyager depuis que je suis gamine et maintenant que j'ai bientot 30, je me suis dit que c'etait maintenant ou jamais, alors ca sera maintenant! Je suis donc en chemin pour l'Asie du sud est et peut etre un peu plus.
Je n'ai pas vraiment de plan et je laisserai le vent decider de mon chemin.
J'adore prendre des photos (j'aimerai bien en vivre, mais je ne suis pas certaine d'etre assez bonne pour l'instant, mais je m'entraine!), donc il y en aura beaucoup sur ce site.
Si vous voulez suivre mes aventures, venez faire un tour sur ce blog, et j'essayerai de vous tenir informer aussi souvent que possible.
J'essayerai de poster en anglais et en francais, mais si je n'ai le temps de poster que dans une langue, pas de panique, je ferai la traduction la fois d'apres!
J'espere que vous apprecierez le blog!
Travel Blog Posts
Bun Bang Fai Rocket festival in Yasothon, Thailand
Published: May 20th 2012Asia » Thailand » Eastern Thailand » Surin
May 21st 2012
Hello everyone, Today I'm going to tell you about the Rocket festival in Yasothon. Yasothon is located in the east of Thailand and this area lives on agriculture and farming. Rain is really important. So to make sure the rain fall at the right moment, people decided a long time ago to remind the Gods that it was time to start the rain by firing rockets. This is how this festival started. Now it is held over 3 days every year. The first day, the teams (16 this year) with each, a group of dancers and musicians, dance in front of temples while two singers sing the prayer to ask for the rain. Then each team parades in the streets still dancing and singing. They also have someone who carries the rocket. The prayers actually worked ... read more
The beer bottle temple in Thailand
Published: May 17th 2012Asia » Thailand » Eastern Thailand » Surin
May 17th 2012
Hi again, That'll be a short post this time. In the east of Thailand, there is a temple which has been completely made of beer bottle. Intrigued, I decided to have a look at it between two festivals. It is located in a really small town called Khun Han, which is south of Sisaket. When I arrived there, I couldn't find any cheap place to stay, as this is not a touristic town. I found a lovely place but much more expensive that what I usually spend. After explaining the problem, the couple who own the place agreed to let me sleep in the room they used for massage for a cheaper price. If you go in Khun Han, go straight to the Rerawadi hotel. You'll find Son and Thomas, a lovely couple to welcome you ... read more
Monk ordination on elephant's back in Surin, Thailand
Published: May 17th 2012Asia » Thailand » Eastern Thailand » Surin
May 17th 2012
Hello everyone, After the Songkran festival in Phra Pradaeng, I left Bangkok quickly to be on time for another monk ordination ceremony in the area of Surin, in the little village of Ta Klang in the east of Thailand. Ta Klang is a small elephant village. Elephants are kept here as pets. Almost each family has its own elephant under the house. To be honest, I didn't really like it. I do think people really like their elephant, but I still think that animals should be in the wild. I don't like the view of elephant tied up with chains to a house, even if they are loved by their owner. That's why I still haven't take part of any elephant ride or this kind of thing after 3 months in Thailand and I won't. But ... read more
May 16th 2012
After Chiang Rai, I went back to Bangkok to see another Songkran festival. South of Bangkok, in the Phra Pradaeng district, the Songkran festival happens 2 weeks after the rest of the country, because they use a different calendar (I think a moon/sun calendar, but I'm not sure). Songkran is celebrated over 3 days. The festival starts with a beauty contest as often in Thailand. According to the say of a Thai man I met who speaks French (rare enough to say it!), this the most important beauty contest in Thailand. I don't know if it is the most important, but this is definitely the longest! It started around 8pm I think, and finish around 3 am! I didn't stay until the end. Not the energy and after a while, it starts to be a bit ... read more
Temples in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai
Published: May 15th 2012Asia » Thailand » Eastern Thailand » Surin
May 15th 2012
Hi everyone, I've not been writing on the blog for a while because I was quite busy and a bit lazy to be honest! But I'm back. I'll stay in Suring, a small town in the north east of Thailand for 3 or 4 days, to catch up with the blog, work on my photos and take a bit of rest. So! Last post was about Songkran in Chiang Mai, which was quite amazing. I decided to stay in Chiang Mai after the Songkran to enjoy the town being dry!!! The town is really quiet and nice and full of impressive temples. Watching my pictures, I realize that I don't have any pictures of the town itself... that'll be a good excuse to go back there! But anyway, I had a fun time visiting the temples, ... read more
April 19th 2012
Suk san wan Songkran (Happy Songkran day) Today, I'll tell you all about the Thai new year, also called Songkran, that I spent in Chiang Mai in the north west of Thailand. They say that Chiang Mai is the best place to spend this festival and... this is probably true! Songkran is well known for the water fights that take place, but there is a lot more than that: processions, ceremonies, special events in temples, beauty contest... Songkran used to be set by astrological calculation, but now it's fixed on the 13th to 15th of April. This festival was traditionally a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including family members, friends, neighbors and monks. A lot of people go back to their birth town to celebrate this festival. Bus are usually booked 1 month ... read more
Novice ordination on elephant at Sri Satchanalai
Published: April 17th 2012Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Mai
April 17th 2012
If you remember, last time I left Mae Hong Son just before the end of the last ceremony to try to be on time for the next festival: another novice ordination in Sri Satchanalai, close to Sukkotai in the center of Thailand. After a bus from Mae Hong Son to Chang Mai, from Chang Mai to Sukkotai then from Sukkotai to Sri Satchanalai... all that in 24 hours, I finally arrived, late for the morning celebration, but on time for the procession of the afternoon. This time the future novices were from all age, the celebration was just for one day and instead of being carrying by men, they were wondering around on elephant's back. The novice were wearing bright and colorful clothes and some quite huge sun glasses. That was a bit peculiar, but why ... read more
One of the best festival in Thailand: Poi Sang Long festival in Mae Hong Sang
Published: April 17th 2012Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Mai
April 17th 2012
Between the last rehearsal of the cremation and the actual cremation (see my last post for details), I left Bangkok to see one of the most beautiful festival of Thailand: the Poi Sang Long festival in Mae Hong Son, in the north west of Thailand. The Poi Sang Long festival is a Buddhist novice ordination ceremony. Young boys are ordained as novices so they can spend time studying Buddhist doctrines. By doing it, they will gain merit and their parents as well. So family are really kin to send their boy to the temple. The festival lasts 4 days: The first day, monks and the member of family shave the head of the boys. Buddhist monks are almost always shaved or with really short hair: this is to show their renouncement to the material world and ... read more
The cremation of Her Royal Highness Princess Bejaratana in Bangkok
Published: April 15th 2012Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Mai
April 15th 2012
On the 9th and 10th of April, an extraordinary and rare event happened in Bangkok, and once again I was lucky enough to be there. It was the cremation of the Royal Highness Princess Bajaratana. The princess was the first cousin of the actual king Bhumibol Adulyadej. Her full name was: Somdej Chao Fah Bejaratana Rajasuda (Royal Lady with the beauty of a Diamond) Sirisobhabannavadi (the birth that is abundant in auspice).(I will never remember all that!) She was recognized for her work dedicated to the nation and its people. She often represented the King and the Queen at many official functions and was appreciated for the goodness of her heart, her profound interest in Buddhism and her love of the Thai language. She passed away at the age of 85 on the 27 July 2011. ... read more
Massive alms giving ceremony in Bangkok
Published: April 12th 2012Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Mai
April 12th 2012
Hi again, 2 post in one day... I must have some energy today! But that'll be a short post. I have been extremely lucky to be in Bangkok while an amazing event happened: a massive alms giving ceremony. Once a year, thousands of monks get together to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord Buddha’s Enlightenment Day. This year, it was the 26 000th one . There is not a lot to say, except that this is really impressive to see thousand of monks (I read 30 000, but I'm not sure, but anyway that was A LOT!) After a ceremony, all those monks get in line to receive alms from thousands of people, all dressed in white, which with all the monks in orange, made amazing pictures! I was so surprised to see that we were ... read more
melintheworld
| Joined | June 5th 2011 | Trips | 0 |
| Last Login | May 27th 2012 | Followers | 2 |
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