Everyone married has warned me before, you’ll gain weight once you get married. I thought that was just some cheap tactics to scare people from joining hearts. Turns out they were right.

I did weight. Before marriage, my waist is about 32-33 inch. I was comfortable wearing 34 inch pants. My weight was 70-72 kg and that was 2 years ago. Today, I am 76-77 kg and my waist line is 34-36 inch. I am shy to say this, but I’m fat! It’s time I do something about it.

10 Tips to Lose Weight

I am doing 6 of the things above.

1. Walk – Whenever I have the time, I’d walk. Parking somewhere further than the entrance helps too.

3. Breakfast – It’s something I learn not to do since school. Because breakfast food sucks in boarding school.

6. Outdoor – I try to go out a lot, shopping malls, offices, see customer and not be desk bound all the time.

8. Weigh Daily – I do this to track my bowel movement.

9. Stop Drinking Soda – It is the biggest contributor to daily calorie intake daily. I do occasionally have it every now and then, more like once a week.

10. Eat Fruit – Something that I dislike peeling fruits, but eating is no problem.

So what’s your secret to weight loss? Share through the comment below

The sun dawns early in Krabi. The day got hotter as it peaked 7 am. We were already strap to the breakfast table, getting a head start to a beautiful island hopping trip. Our trip was scheduled at 830 am for hotel pick up.

Initially we wanted to take a boat to Phi Phi Island but soon realized it’s an island where you need to stay overnight to experience it. So we decided to take the trip to Hong Island. The first place we went to does not accept pregnant woman as passenger. We attempted the second one after hours of wandering around. They took us at a reasonable price and we could only take the longtail boat.

The price for the trip is 600 Baht per person, the peak season price tag is at 1000 Baht. The key to negotiate is half it and negotiate up. Anyway, this price includes, snorkeling gear, lunch, drinking water, insurance, hotel transfers  etc, in short you don’t need to carry any money with you. My take, don’t negotiate too much, it’s already dirt cheap.

Everyone has to climb on the boat. So those who still young and strong, this is your time to be helpful. Elderly people, woman and kids would require assistance. Try to pack light and with waterproof bag. Everyone gets wet trying to board the boat.

This is the inside of a longtail boat, it’s made of wood and still standing strong.

Daeng Island. It doesn’t appear to have a jetty.

Our first island stop was Daeng Island. I was the first to jump off the boat. To be honest, I am scared swimming in deep waters, but I had to overcome my fears before it consumes me. We did a few minutes snorkeling in the area. The fishes we ‘too friendly’. When we stood idle, they’d swim close and sometimes rub their fins. Only adults are allowed to snorkel near this island.

Next up is Hong Island. This is an orgasmic island. The sand is so smooth and the water is relatively clear. It could’ve been clearer if not for the rainy weather which stirred dust and shells.

The was already peaked at this time of day. It was hot. Thankfully the water was cold.

We could easily spot fishes near the beach. The fishes like the ones at Daeng Island were tad too friendly. We had fun feeding the fish. To some extend, they were a little aggressive, biting everything in their way, including my finger and camera.

Before we head for lunch, we stopped by this area. I have no idea what’s it called, but the views were mesmeric.

Finally lunch at Paradise Island. This secluded and small beach was to me, the highlight of the trip. Perfectly shaded from harsh sun ray, traps the cool breeze and unpolluted beach.

Some Marine Police is stationed here for a quick chase? I don’t know.

Three boats, ours is in between, it can seat about 20 people.

Our lunch view. Mesmeric yes?

The swing that chaired us for lunch. Makan tengah hari sambil berbuai di tepi pantai… ahhh bliss! There’s no feeling in the world that can replace that.

Lunch is Halal and Thais really give a damn about that. The company that we took is called ‘Barracudas Tour’ and the owner is a Muslim. They provide halal food.

Our day ended when we head back to the big land. They had to take us back sooner because of the high tide that normally starts at 4 pm. The boat ride home took about 1 hour to reach Aonang.

We wanted to repeat the experience next day to a different island, no company wanted to take us in. We thank Allah for giving us the opportunity to take a break from the mainland and hectic life. Hopefully one day, we’ll be able to revisit these island with Iman and gang.

Click to enlarge this panoramic view!

We got our tickets at a very low price, RM 315 for 2 to Krabi. Thanks to some AirAsia promo. The down side is that our flight was at 7 am in the morning. We had to leave early to catch the flight.

We arrived Krabi at 815 am local time. We decided to take the bus for more adventure (budget sebenarnya). It costs us 300 baht for both. 600 baht would be the cost if we took the taxi or private transport.

The bus isn’t that bad. If you have loads of time at hand, why not?

It took us 45 minutes to reach hotel. We stayed at Aree Tara in Aonang. Because we arrived early, we weren’t able to check in yet.

We rented a bike for 200 baht per day (about RM 20). I was laughing my ass off while riding it. It felt like a toy bicycle, very low pick up and slow. It was just good enough to take us nearby. It’s not very aerodynamic either and because it’s light weight, it wobbles every time the wind blows. Overall, it was fun.

The day was getting hotter, we decided to hang out a place that provides aircond for free, where else can we go if not McDonalds. We also needed to figure out how telcos work in Thailand.

I was recommended by a friend to use Happy Tourist. The starter pack is 49 baht for prepaid, free Internet for the day of activation. There was several packages, daily limit, duration in days and time limit. We used the time limit package where it’s 30 baht for 5 hours data use  in 7 days. It’s not like we use data every time of the day, when we’re not using data, we switch it off.  We got the cheapest top up for 60 baht.

This is our hotel room. Just as advertise in Wego.com (the place we booked)

Two elephant and a combined super twin bed.

The toilet is clean and decent. We paid about RM 600 for 5 days and 4 nights. RM 150 per night was a deal we couldn’t resist. However it was a bit far from the tourist attraction. The plus point is, cheap hotel and very quite.

Tips: Don’t get an expensive hotel if all your activities are outside hotel.

Manggo sticky rice was the first meal we had. It proved to be the best meal we’ve ever had for the entire trip. Food porn will be tomorrow or the day after

We were fortunate to arrive on Friday as Krabi Town has night market on weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). It took us 45 minutes by motorcycle doing 40-50kmh (I told you the bike is slow).

This is fried ice cream, she literally fried them on the cold slab. She poured in yogurt/cream and flavors of choice. Dice and flip to trap air, then serve it in a cup. It’s a manual way of making ice cream. Tastes just about the same as normal ice cream. We have to admit, it’s the most eye catching stall.

They provided a place for us to enjoy our street food dinner. It was convenient and we had fun watching the shows and dance by locals. It got pretty pack as dinner time arrives.

This is a great idea of making money. Donate and Paint. I was surprised he could withstand people painting hearts on his nipple. If it was me, I’d be laughing my ass off and peed in my pants.

Some points I forgot to take photos of are:

Airport

It’s small, clean and tidy. The staff were friendly and we immediately knew where to go upon arrival. It’s hard to get lost in such a small space. Compare to LCCT, it was easy to get lost, there weren’t many sign boards. Baggage claim was quick and easy.

Language

The local speaks Thai and very basic English. In rural areas, they don’t speak English at all. This is where gestures and calculators are important used to negotiate with the locals. If you’re going to complain or ask complex questions, I recommend you don’t waste your time. Get a data plan and Google it.

Asking for directions is as easy as a single liner. For example, “Aonang?”, they’d immediately connect.

People

My wife told me a tip she read online “Thais are very happy people, don’t offend them”. It was hard to offend them as they smile almost all the time. In Malaysia, only 10% would smile at strangers 90% have straight face. In Thai, it’s the opposite. They are very nice. Even when you negotiate and bargain at a terribly low price they won’t be offended. They love what they do and would love to repeat the good experience from you to another.

ps: I’ve some videos to share swimming with fishes. Catch me tomorrow ok!

Extra Picture

Sexy woman with sexy manggo sticky rice.

Iman is your name when you’re in the oven.

Yesterday, we went to check on you. You were swimming side to side. I immediately got off the couch and stood beside the doctor to have a better view of the screen. You were twisting, turning, giggling and most importantly you were having fun in mummy’s tummy.

The doctor measured your femur and head, you’re about 5 weeks. Your due date is on the 11th Nov, that’s 2 days away from me. I’m glad we can save on the cake

We also tried to peek at your gender. I am hoping for you to be a boy, because I would know how to play with you. If you’re a girl, I’d be a bit lost. My siblings are all boys, it’s only natural for me. Nevertheless, I’d love you whatever you’ll turn out to be. (We weren’t able to see your huha anyway)

Since we heard of your existence, I have change my way of thinking. I’ve learn to calm down and manage my emotions. I do not wish to raise my hand to you nor scream at the top my lungs. My view of the world changed. I want a better future for your sake.

Tomorrow, we’re going off to Krabi. Make sure you get enough rest and don’t eat too much dirt.

I can’t wait to see you.

-Ayah

ps: We’ve already got some toys for you

We’re planning a trip up to Krabi this weekend and I realized that my passport is shy 3 days from having 6 months ‘grace period’. A visit to the immigration is inevitable.

Having failed to renew the week before, I arrived there early, 7.30 am. The line was already by the hundreds. My turn will be the 128th.

At about 1030 am, they did what happened to me the week before. They hung up the ‘offline’ signboard. It’s so apparent that this happens a lot of time, they even have a proper sign for that. Anyway, to those who didn’t get the number for the day, they have to come tomorrow. Immigration is only going to process a limited number of passport per day. This is due to the new polycarbonate passport being implemented.

At about 11 am, my number was finally called. By 11.30 am I was ready to make my move. It took me 4 hours to get sorted and still have yet to receive my passport. I have to come back tomorrow for it.

5 years back, it only took me 1 hour to renew my passport. The expectation was raised so high, that immigration officers are finding it tough to bolster these KPIs.

My suggestion to immigration is, please don’t strip off your old system to replace with a faulty one. At most, they should have 30-7o output ratio of new passport. This way, even it’s down, they can use the old system as back up. A drastic change in security direction and a massive load of public deserves a better planning.

ps: I recently attended a training and I realized the mother of all my negative aura comes from politics and this blog.