Fitness adventures are designed to provide a way to explore the world alongside staying active with the sport. You might be training Muay Thai in Thailand, honing your silat skills in Indonesia, cycling, or rock climbing anywhere in the world, but whatever and wherever it is, it's all about getting you moving alongside some stunning backdrops. Whether you are just getting started on your fitness journey or you’re already into sporting activities but just want to spice up your routine with a bit of adventure, they can be a great way to inspire and motivate you. Read on to find out how taking a fitness adventure can improve your health.1. They Can Be MotivatingIt could be that you train hard … [Read more...]
How To Do A Thai Visa Run To Poi Pet, Cambodia
Your allotted time in Thailand is coming to an end. But like most foreigners who visit the Land of Smiles you’re not ready to leave just yet. Assuming you want to stay, you know you have to do a visa run, but which method do you choose? Do you hire an agency for a modest price to take you to the border and handle all your paperwork? Or do you choose to do it alone? After all, you probably took the journey to Thailand alone. So why not deepen your travel experiences? If you’ve been entertaining the idea but don’t know where to start then this post is for you. One of the closest border crossings in Thailand is the Thailand—Cambodian (Aranyaprathet—Poi Pet) … [Read more...]
Black And White
It would be so much easier if the black was black, and the white was white; but when the wife beater is your friend, and the frequenter of prostitutes is someone you respect, lines become blurred. The light becomes darker, and the darkness, pockmarked by lightness. I found myself in the midst of this bleak black and white confusion when a recent acquaintance was telling me about his previous night out with his Muay Thai trainer: “I had promised him a pussy after fight so yesterday paid for it”. After five minutes of pure confusion during which I tried to understand firstly why he was telling me this, and secondly how I should … [Read more...]
2014 – What Happened, What’s To Come and The Year’s Bests
Good Bye 2014, Hello 2015 2014 brought with it a lot of change to MBSB and with it, growth. The time had come where I decided to spend more time working behind the scenes of Milk.Blitz.Street.Bomb. in an effort to expand readership. Additionally, I needed to fix site related weaknesses that I was unaware of creating when I built the site. With that decision came the desire to add new voices; 2014 was a year of multiple perspectives. I'm incredibly grateful for all the contributors who took the time to let us all into their worlds. We worked hard and it paid off. Traffic to MBSB has increased and with it, my commitment to continue the trend. In … [Read more...]
Work Less, Live More: On Moving To Tulum, Mexico
I met Bronwyn within a year of moving to Toronto over a decade ago. At the time she had recently returned from living in Korea. As long as I've known Bronwyn, she's remained untamed which qualifies her as a perfect candidate for an MBSB interview. What made you choose the expat life? I'm not sure I chose this life or it chose me yet. I do know that life "back home" did not fit with my philosophy of how I wanted to live. Why Tulum, Mexico? I was planning a cross country move when I made a brief yet life changing visit to the Mayan riviera. I sat there looking at the sea and it dawned on me that although Vancouver had water and a natural … [Read more...]
A Breather – The Update
It has been quite awhile since I've written a proper update. Going through the site, I now realize I haven't written one since September 23, 2012. It's currently January 24, 2013. Four months. In short, I'm in limbo. Not lost. Not in a state of futility. Rather a state of regeneration and gestation. Unlike a number of people who publicly write about their experiences in Thailand and South East Asia, my time spent there did some damage both to my self esteem and my view of humanity. Damage had I realized was occurring to the extent that it was, when it was, I would have departed earlier. The way I choose to live my life, intensified by being a female … [Read more...]
Thailand Off The Beaten Path: An Interview With Alex Martin Of Off The Path Travel
Off The Path Travel is an American owned travel company that provides responsible, unorthodox travel tours in various locations in Thailand, Mongolia and India. Alex Martin is both the founder, international tour operator and a guide. We'll begin with your history of travel. Basically, what inspired you to start, continue and now guide others? I went overseas when I was 19 to volunteer in Thailand. I spent a lot of time in small villages on my first trip and fell in love. I figured out a way to come back to Thailand and also go to India with a student group, then stay in Thailand and teach myself for the remainder of my college years (long story). I maintained a relationship with the … [Read more...]
Are You A Woman Traveling To Thailand? Some Basic Things You Should Know.
In July 2012 a Dutch woman was allegedly raped and beaten in the Ao Nang district of Krabi by her Thai tour guide. In October the victim's father published a music video entitled Evil Man From Krabi to confront the issue. Local Thai police and Thai Tourism Minister Chumpol Silapa-archa responded that the incident is not being considered rape as the woman had consented to dinner with the man. Read more here and here. The situation provoked me to publish the following in an effort to educate you on some very basic realities in Thailand that may influence your time there. Feminism In Thailand Feminism hasn't hit Thailand. Neither has the dissolution of class … [Read more...]
Blackmail And The Illusion Of Sex
The cold water hit my spine and slid down my back. I was in the women's change room of the community pool in Buriram, alone. It was approximately noon. I had finished my laps and was preparing to go pick up some lunch. There was a knock on my shower door. This was unusual. I asked who it was. It was one of the pubescent boys I had met in the pool. The conversation as I remember it: "I'm showering. I'll see you when I'm done." "I want to shower too." This confused me. "I'll see you when I'm done." "I want to shower with you. Can I shower with you?" The fact this individual was … [Read more...]
The Drone- Sexual Predatory Behaviour In Thailand
It's difficult to convey a nameless feeling that encroaches with time, one that shadows the furthering of one's understanding of their place in a culture alien to the one they left behind. This difficulty is deeply accentuated when little is written on the subject and the subject itself is taboo to approach. For those of you who read MBSB regularly, you are keenly aware that for months now, I've been discussing my experiences as a Foreign woman in Thailand with tenacity. Today will be no different. Today's entry is a direct result of my post, Visa Runs In Thailand And Why I Now Fear Them. However, the stories presented on this day have no summary, no effort … [Read more...]
Officers – My Experiences With Thai Police As A Solo Female Traveler
Please note, for the sake of the privacy of all people involved and my own personal safety, I have omitted names and cities and will not respond to any emails inquiring about either. My dealings with the police in Thailand have been as varied and seemingly random as most other things here, which lends both to the country's beauty and its instability. The Thailand I know is not as systematic as Western countries I'm familiar with and the accountability of one's actions is often overlooked. This is dependent on, but not limited to, one's connections, social standing (which is often dictated at birth), wealth and the Thai convention of not approaching things directly. … [Read more...]
MBSB Interview: Chicky Net Creator Berthe Mandaat On Social Networking And Being A Female Expat In Thailand
Chicky Net is the only expat women's online community in Thailand. With over 2,000 members, Chicky Net is a valuable resource for women living and staying in The Land of Smiles. The site offers classifieds, interest and location specific groups, interviews, a list of women bloggers in Thailand and Chicky Net scheduled events. Networking is made easy, with a general forum and destination specific forums (i.e. Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin and Phuket). I thought I'd touch base with Berthe of Chicky Net to learn more about Chicky Net and perhaps the experiences of expat women in Thailand. 1. Hi Berthe. What country are you from and how long have you been living in … [Read more...]