Moments to remember

In Phnom Pen a small girl, 4 or 5 years old, selling bracelets came up to me and before I could say anything she said: ”Five – one dollar, ten – one dollar, all – one dollar” all in one breath, and started to gather all her bracelets in her little hand and bckoned for me to take them. She has a thing or two to learn about doing business :)
-Sonja-

In Phu Quoc I realized I was missing my bra, and went back to where we did our laundry to ask for it. When I came there the whole family was sitting in a circle eating. I said I was missing something from the laudry and tried to beckon one lady to come to the side and talk to me, but she insisted on asking me what it was in front of everybody. I didn't mind for my sake, but eventhough I did'nt want to embarress anyone I had to tell her that it's a bra while I signed by hand what garnment I was talking about. You can imagine the embarrased laughter that errupted and how fast the lady got to her feet and took me to the side to look for it.
-Sonja-

Getting up before 6 o'clock in the middle of the jungle in Ratanakiri to listen to the Gibbons shout in the distance and drink scoldering hot tea with the rangers by the fire.
-Sonja-

Sitting in the drizzle of rain on a tiny plastic chair on the side walk in Ha Noi drinkin Bia Hoi and watching the people and the traffic. One time I looked over at the food some local men were eating at the next table and they gave some of it to us, and then becknoed for me to take a shot with them. Thay did not want anything in return.
-Sonja-

On my first day diving in Koh Tao I saw my first turtle laying on the side of the coralreaf munching on corals.
-Sonja-

Making my own noodles and Phó at the cooking class in Hoi An.
-Sonja-

Laying in my hammock at our bungalow at Tre Top Lounge in Ban Lung listening to the geckos, the roosters and the cow on the other side of the valley. Enjoying the serenity and peace that sourounds that place and the view over the trees and the valley.
-Sonja-


In the middle of a street in Bangkok an older woman grabed my arm and put her head between my breasts, then she looked up at me, laughed, said ”Soli – soli” and walked away whilst giggelilng with her friends.
-Sonja-

At Koh Phayam a hawk ate chicken straight out of my hand.
-Sonja-

Snorkelling with a turtle on Liveaboard diving trip it ate banana out of my hand, and kept coming very close to me. I actually got afraid she thought my bikini was a banana asshe kept aming for them and I had to swim away.
-Sonja-

On the last dive a Remora desperately wanted to attach itself to me during the safteystop. It tickeled like crazy and I really had to fight with it to get it off before I surfaced.
-Sonja-


Seeing not one but two wild Orang Utans on Kinabatangan rivercruise in Borneo!
-Sonja & Tuomas-

Closing my eyes and smelling the air while walking in the Cordillera mountains in the Philippines. It smelled quite close to home, pineforrest, grass and moss.
-Sonja-

When loking at rooms in a hotel in Vigan/Philippines I asked to see a double room instead of a twin room, the boy showing me around looked me int the eye and asked: ”Do you mean a matramonial bed, Miss!?”
-Sonja-

The flightattendant on Lion air explaining on the speaker that there actually is a seatnumber on everybodys ticket and that everyone should be seated accordlingly.
And at the end of the flight when the first restless-always-in-a-hurry-to-be-first-asians got up from the seat she remineded the passangers not to get up before the beltsign is turned off, and ended it with an: ”aa-haa-aa”
-Sonja-

Diving the Canyon in Pulau Weh, with the waters calm and fish in abundance, it was like diving in an aquarium – absolutley beautiful!
-Sonja-

My 50th dive in Bunaken which was graced with ten sightings of seven different turtles :)
-Sonja-

Dinner with Tuomas' parents in PS Cafe, Singapore. Ceasarsalad, perfectly cooked steak with bearnaise sauce, great wines and cheeses to top it off. Thank You Matti and Pirkko!!
-Sonja-

The miserable busride from Menado to Lake Toba. Lesson lurned, it not worth saving money by taking the local bus!
-Sonja-

Cooking Karjalanpaisti for Ken while staying at his place in Kuala Lumpur, just felt so good beeing in a kitchen again.
-Sonja-


Sitting in a nunnery in Lahsa and listening to the nuns murmuring their morning prayers.
-Sonja-

The first tube of real, normal, SALTY, Pringles in 9 months on the busride from Kathmandu to Pokhara. (how I hate the semisweet crisps they make in asia)
-Sonja-

Making gravlax in Bali for midsummer, with hovmästarsås – YUM!
-Sonja-

Eating finnish gravlax on rhyebread for breakfast in Beijing. THANK YOU Matti and Pirkko!!
-Sonja & Tuomas-
Reaching the top aff the past on the second day of hiking in Tibet. It was hard work acending those 1200m!
-Sonja-

Realizing that after beeing lost and walking in the woods for 6 hours in Tiger leaping gorge we were right at the beginning of the track.
-Sonja-

Having a cat cuddle up in my lap and sleaping tightly in a restaurant in Tibet. Missing my own furfaces!
-Sonja-

All those wonderful cups of coffee in Starbuckses all around asia.
-Sonja-

When a Spanish woman asks me in spanish if I am from spain :) My tan must be quite good :)
-Sonja-