Ira and I were in Khon Kaen on T’giving and dined with a couple of our friends and fellow Americans who teach at our old school. We ate well and counted all our blessings — at the top of that list is our wonderful family. Except for the airport closures in Bangkok which caused us […]
Well here’s a first for Ira and me… Thanks to the PAD protesters at the airports, we are now “stuck” in Thailand. We’re here in Khon Kaen with our old friends so obviously no hardships! But, we had planned to fly back to Vietnam today and hold class tomorrow. All flights into and out of […]
Sure enough, on my 65th birthday, I did have a terrific evening in Bangkok with a lot of our group who always used to get together at Doug and Yim’s old restaurant. Those days from 2003 – 2007 were special ones! We even met at the site of the beloved old Thee Sud Isaan. It was great to […]
Tomorrow, Judy and I are flying to BKK and will be there over that auspicious date, the 22nd, and have ready access to email. We plan to meet casually with some of the guys that we hung out with during the Bangkok years and still consider fast friends. On November 23rd, we will head to […]
Continue reading about Plans for Judy’s 65th and Thanksgiving
We’re just back from a fine week of vacation, first for a few days in Hua Hin, home of the famous Nigel and then to Saigon and Nha Trang. In Hua Hin, Nigel survived a near catastrophe. A coconut fell from thirty feet above him, grazed his glasses and knocking them to the sidewalk, lacerating […]
Things are beginning to wind things down here as the hot season approaches. School closes formally next Friday. Judy’s exams are over, and she’s been working hard to finagle her grade books, as every student—whatever their academic grade—must pass: It’s the Thai way. My final is tomorrow. So, this week and next we say good-bye […]
Over the past weekend Judy and I attended a wedding and reception that bordered on the regal. We were flattered to be invited by the owner of this hotel. This family is apparently among the most influential and wealthy families around here. Their eldest son–an assistant to an important local official, maybe the Mayor. We […]
Every year in Thai schools they have what’s known as Wai Khruu Day. This is a day for students to pay respect to and thank their teachers for working to educate them. A lovely concept, isn’t it? The “wai” is the traditional gesture of respect that the Thai people make to each other. Basically, […]
Now that we are in a routine, one day seems much like another, but this is always against the background of the excitement and sense of adventure of being in a foreign land. That we always like. Judy is teaching full time, but despite the pleasure teaching brings, she might like to be somewhat less busy. […]
There is other great news, too. I survived a real Thai massage and became a convert. In spite of my past reluctance about letting anyone kneed my bod , I finally submitted. My back and butt pain were just getting too awful. (Before leaving for Thailand, I’d seen Bob Hudgins and Howard Morgan–both NS friends–about […]