It was great to be home for Christmas this year. The last time that we were in the U.S. for Christmas, Aleena was only 2 years old, and Jacob was the same age that Aleena is now.
Santa was pretty generous to us this year. The kids didn't get to open a lot of presents here, as some of them are still back in Thailand. Nalin did write the old fat man a note telling him that we'd be here for Christmas, so he did deliver at least one of their presents here.
Over the last six months or so, every time that we are in a restaurant or out, the kids want to borrow Tim's iPhone to play games. Santa must have been watching, because they each got their own iTouch's. To say that they are a hit would be an understatement. Nalin had already filled up half of her 8gb (actually closer to 6.5) of space with photos and videos that she made. They love the little free apps available.
Tim and I both received Kindles for Christmas. I had almost ordered one in Thailand about a month ago before we knew that we were coming, but the wait was 7-9 weeks. In addition, Tim received a Canon HG20 video recorder, while I received an iPhone 4. We purchased the iPhone in Thailand, and Tim had told me that it hadn't arrived yet so that I wouldn't receive it until we got back, so I was surprised a bit. It only came in two days before we left, so I almost did wait. Of course, I got my Canon 5D Mark II about a month before Christmas. I don't know if that counts as a Christmas present or not, but overall it was a pretty good holiday season.
But of course, Christmas isn't all about phat loot and electronics. We spent Christmas Eve at mom's and dad's and saw family. Tim hadn't seen some of the family in almost four years.
On Christmas morning, we opened presents at the house from Santa and the immediate family. It was nice celebrating it with Eric, Heather and Ethan. Since the kids got the iTouches, they didn't get a lot of other presents, so they would open one, then wait for Ethan to open three or four. Fortunately, they did a pretty good job of waiting, and Ethan is a much faster gift-opener than he was in the past.
In the afternoon, we went to my Uncle Steve's and Aunt Carolyn's house. Just as dinner was starting, Nalin's allergies started acting up so we had to leave.
This afternoon we are going back to mom's and dad's to exchange gifts with the grandparents, and Laura's and Eric's families. In the past, we would do that after the Christmas Eve party at mom's and dad's, but the kids would be exhausted by the time we started opening presents, so we moved it.
My guess is that shopping will be on the agenda starting tomorrow. The kids have some Christmas money to spend, and there are things that they can get here that are harder to get in Thailand. Tim and I are also not adverse to doing some shopping.
I think Jacob summed it up best when I asked him how he liked Christmas this year. "Dad, this is the best Christmas that I've had in a long time."
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Christmas at Home
The kids are enjoying their first Christmas here in the states since 2006. They are all very excited about seeing the snow; in fact they made their first snowballs in the parking lot at the airport upon our arrival. Fortunately for us, there is plenty of the white stuff on the ground for the kids to play with, but its already cleared off the roads.
Today (Christmas Eve), we go to my parents house to celebrate with my dad's family. Tomorrow we will celebrate together with our family and my brother Eric's in the morning, and then go to my Uncle Steve's in the afternoon. On Sunday, we will be back to mom and dad's to exchange presents with the grandparents and cousins.
We are still adjusting our sleep schedule, although at different paces. Jacob and I are pretty close to a normal sleep schedule, while Tim and the girls are slower to adjust. In fairness to Tim, part of the reason that she is adjusting more slowly is because of Aleena.
Definitely glad that we decided to come here.
Today (Christmas Eve), we go to my parents house to celebrate with my dad's family. Tomorrow we will celebrate together with our family and my brother Eric's in the morning, and then go to my Uncle Steve's in the afternoon. On Sunday, we will be back to mom and dad's to exchange presents with the grandparents and cousins.
We are still adjusting our sleep schedule, although at different paces. Jacob and I are pretty close to a normal sleep schedule, while Tim and the girls are slower to adjust. In fairness to Tim, part of the reason that she is adjusting more slowly is because of Aleena.
Definitely glad that we decided to come here.
Christmas at Home
The kids are enjoying their first Christmas here in the states since 2006. They are all very excited about seeing the snow; in fact they made their first snowballs in the parking lot at the airport upon our arrival. Fortunately for us, there is plenty of the white stuff on the ground for the kids to play with, but its already cleared off the roads.
Today (Christmas Eve), we go to my parents house to celebrate with my dad's family. Tomorrow we will celebrate together with our family and my brother Eric's in the morning, and then go to my Uncle Steve's in the afternoon. On Sunday, we will be back to mom and dad's to exchange presents with the grandparents and cousins.
We are still adjusting our sleep schedule, although at different paces. Jacob and I are pretty close to a normal sleep schedule, while Tim and the girls are slower to adjust. In fairness to Tim, part of the reason that she is adjusting more slowly is because of Aleena.
Definitely glad that we decided to come here.
Today (Christmas Eve), we go to my parents house to celebrate with my dad's family. Tomorrow we will celebrate together with our family and my brother Eric's in the morning, and then go to my Uncle Steve's in the afternoon. On Sunday, we will be back to mom and dad's to exchange presents with the grandparents and cousins.
We are still adjusting our sleep schedule, although at different paces. Jacob and I are pretty close to a normal sleep schedule, while Tim and the girls are slower to adjust. In fairness to Tim, part of the reason that she is adjusting more slowly is because of Aleena.
Definitely glad that we decided to come here.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Yaow Back Tomorrow
In a definite bit of good news, Yaow gets out of the hospital tomorrow. Fortunately, everything went well.
It will be a little while before she will be at full strength, but it will be nice to have her back. I told her friend Meow to let her know that I had not washed a single dish while she was gone, so that there was plenty for her to do when she returned. She knew that I was joking of course.
In fact, I did cook, do laundry, dishes and clean (okay, straightened up a little) this past week. For the most part I didn't mess anything up too much. I did bring the wrong pair of pants for Aleena's gymnastics practice on Thursday, but she was okay practicing in her one piece. On Friday, I brought the wrong pants to dance practice. I had the right style, but grabbed the wrong size. I am not sure why the pair I bought for her next year was sitting with her other clothes, but we made it work.
Still, very glad to see Yaow return and very happy that she is better.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Wish You Still Snored
I was talking to my wife this morning after her run. She was telling me how she had woken up early in the morning and couldn't fall back to sleep. She wanted to talk, and couldn't tell if I was awake or not. Then she told me "I wish you still snored, then I could tell if you were awake or asleep."
That is something that I never quite expected to hear. As some of you know, I had sleep apnea for quite a few years. I snored loudly and would stop breathing. Miraculously, Tim was able to sleep through it all. Finally, in 1998 I broke down and had surgery to remove my tonsils, fix my deviated septum, and remove my uvula.
It was a pretty amazing transformation. Not only did I stop snoring and sleep better, I started dreaming again. It was such a vivid experience at first, because I had not remembered dreaming in over ten years.
As I put on some weight since the surgery, I started snoring again. I no longer had apnea and didn't snore as loudly as I had before, but I still snored. Apparently the exercise and weight loss has eliminated the snoring, or at least reduced it to the point where Tim can no longer hear it.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Embarrassing Videos
Over the last few months, there have been videos released on Youtube allegedly showing people associated with the Thai Supreme Court meeting with people who may have business before that court. One of the first was an alleged meeting between the secretary of one of the judges and someone high up in the Democrat party. There is currently a case before the court which could result in the disbanding of the Democrat party.
Recently there was a video that purported to show a meeting between a man associated with the court and some young men. The conversation is supposed to involve the more senior man warning the younger men not to say anything about acquiring some tests.
There have been a dozen or so videos released. The Thai government immediately moves to block these videos from viewing on Youtube. They often get reposted, so its not clear how effective that is in preventing the dissemination of these videos.
How has the Thai court reacted to these videos which purport to show corruption and threaten to erase any credibility that the court might have? Do they deny the charges or point out that the videos may not be what they seem to represent? No, they declare that the videos are illegal and the government attempts to block them from viewing in Thailand.
I guess there is some irony in the fact that the men who found former PM Thaksin guilty of corruption are now embroiled in a corruption controversy themselves. Ironic? Perhaps. Surprising? No.
Recently there was a video that purported to show a meeting between a man associated with the court and some young men. The conversation is supposed to involve the more senior man warning the younger men not to say anything about acquiring some tests.
There have been a dozen or so videos released. The Thai government immediately moves to block these videos from viewing on Youtube. They often get reposted, so its not clear how effective that is in preventing the dissemination of these videos.
How has the Thai court reacted to these videos which purport to show corruption and threaten to erase any credibility that the court might have? Do they deny the charges or point out that the videos may not be what they seem to represent? No, they declare that the videos are illegal and the government attempts to block them from viewing in Thailand.
I guess there is some irony in the fact that the men who found former PM Thaksin guilty of corruption are now embroiled in a corruption controversy themselves. Ironic? Perhaps. Surprising? No.
Freed For Now
The Myanmar military junta released Nobel Peace Price winner and pro-democracy activist Aaung San Suu Kyi from house arrest. After the party it supported came out victorious in the rigged elections, the junta must have felt that she posed little internal threat, and that releasing her would somewhat ease the international criticism heaped upon them.
Ms. Kyi is free for now. Of course if she goes on to start a true pro-democracy movement, as many of those in the West hope, she may find herself once again confined in her home. Or, perhaps the government will allow her to exist as a symbol to placate the West, while making sure that any real democracy movement will fail.
Ms. Kyi is free for now. Of course if she goes on to start a true pro-democracy movement, as many of those in the West hope, she may find herself once again confined in her home. Or, perhaps the government will allow her to exist as a symbol to placate the West, while making sure that any real democracy movement will fail.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Sorry, Its Not a Free Speech Issue
Amazon is under fire for selling a book titled The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure. They defend their decision to sell the e-book on the grounds that not selling something a book because of the content is censorship.
I am definitely on the side of free speech, but Amazon has got this one wrong. I believe that censorship by the government is wrong. If the U.S. or another government tried to censor such a book, then there would be real free speech questions involved. I might even find myself in the position of defending the legal right to publish of such a repulsive
This is plain and simply about Amazon's choice to sell a product or not. While they have the legal right to sell this book, they are not required to do so. Just as it is Amazon's legal right to sell the book, so is it the legal right of consumers to show their displeasure with that decision. If that displeasure is in the form of boycotting Amazon and its products, it could be a costly one for the online retailer.
Amazon may think that it is defending an important principle; that a book should be available even if it deals with an extremely unpopular or even repulsive topic. Ultimately, however, Amazon is not an advocacy group, it is a business with shareholders and customers. If decides to keep selling this title, which will likely sell very few copies, it might find that its principles are very expensive indeed, and those don't go well on the balance sheet.
I am definitely on the side of free speech, but Amazon has got this one wrong. I believe that censorship by the government is wrong. If the U.S. or another government tried to censor such a book, then there would be real free speech questions involved. I might even find myself in the position of defending the legal right to publish of such a repulsive
This is plain and simply about Amazon's choice to sell a product or not. While they have the legal right to sell this book, they are not required to do so. Just as it is Amazon's legal right to sell the book, so is it the legal right of consumers to show their displeasure with that decision. If that displeasure is in the form of boycotting Amazon and its products, it could be a costly one for the online retailer.
Amazon may think that it is defending an important principle; that a book should be available even if it deals with an extremely unpopular or even repulsive topic. Ultimately, however, Amazon is not an advocacy group, it is a business with shareholders and customers. If decides to keep selling this title, which will likely sell very few copies, it might find that its principles are very expensive indeed, and those don't go well on the balance sheet.
Bad Luck
Right now my car is in the garage for a slipped transmission, my computer monitor is in the shop, and my maid/nanny is in the hospital with appendicitis. Tim took Yaow to the hospital this morning and hopefully everything will go well.
So for a while I am going to have to actually cook, clean and do laundry. Well, at least order food in, and do enough cleaning and laundry to get by for a while.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
The Exercise Bug
As you probably know if you read this blog regularly, about two years ago I set out to lose a bunch of weight. I was pretty successful, dropping in excess of fifty-five pounds over about a nine month period. My success was largely due to exercise and diet. I was a little off and on with the diet, but when I was exercising five or six days a week, sometimes twice a day, I had some latitude in my eating.
Over the last year, I put back on about twenty pounds of the weight that I had lost. I think the high point was when I was back in the U.S. this summer. My exercise routine was pretty dismal then, and I ate like a man who didn't care much about his waist.
My goal had been to get back on track when I returned from the U.S., but a hurt foot slowed me down a bit. I still exercised some, but my diet was terrible, and I couldn't run. A few weeks ago, my foot finally felt better enough to run, and I started a bit of jogging.
I decided on Halloween, of all days, that I was going to drop some more weight. I put myself on a pretty strict diet for the first five or six days, and have relaxed it a bit. In addition to avoiding eating a lot of food, I have pretty much given up sweets and stopped eating anything after dinner. Tonight I did have a bowl of Captain Crunch for dessert, but that's about as far as I've gone with sweets.
The other part of the equation is my exercise routine. Over the last ten days, I've exercised nine, taking off last Sunday. I am lifting weights for thirty minutes three days a week, and running every day. Most days I am running twice a day, I'll run about five kilometers in the morning, and another five in the afternoon or evening. I'm not running very fast, and really don't care about my pace at this point. My goal is just to get out there and do it, as I know time and effort will build endurance and speed.
One thing that I am a little wary of is over doing it, but I'm in that frame of mind where I don't want to take a day off. A couple of days last week, I woke up thinking that I might just rest that day, but I couldn't. I felt myself compelled to at least run. My attitude now is a lot like it was when started two years ago.
So far I've definitely seen some success. I am probably down around thirteen pounds from when I returned from the U.S., a decent chunk of that lost in the last few weeks. I still have a long way to go, but I'm glad to be focused again.
Over Three Years
I was playing around with the blog templates today, and it dawned on me that I have been posting to the blog pretty regularly for over three years now. Of course, I've been living over here for three years, and since the purpose of the blog is to share some of my thoughts and experiences, I guess it makes sense.
Still, when I started, I would not have been certain that I would have made it three years (blogging or living in Thailand). Its nice that this didn't become one of those projects that I start and then abandon after its no longer new.
And if you are reading this, thanks.
Passporting
Today Tim and I took Jacob to get his passport renewed. We had to take him out of school in the morning to get it done, as the ACS (American Citizen Services) branch of the U.S. Embassy is open from 7:00 until 2:00 p.m., and minor passports require the minor and both parents.
I scheduled an appointment for 8:45 a.m., figuring that it would give us plenty of time with traffic. We ended up arriving just before our appointment. When you arrive at the ACS, you have to surrender your electronic devices and go through a metal detector. We were waiting in line behind a man (perhaps American) and a Thai woman. The man knew one of the people at the desk and was having a long conversation with him. I got the impression the guy was a jackass. Finally we managed to get around them, and then got stuck behind a Thai woman trying to go through the metal detector. She had a USB drive or something and was standing in front of the detector fishing through her purse. The guard just sits there and looks at her. Jacob walked through on his own, and he's telling us to wait. Finally Tim made a gesture to go through and we walked around her.
Everything went pretty smoothly except the photograph. I took Jacob's photo and printed it, but neglected to make sure it had a white background. It had a gray background. It would have taken me about thirty seconds in Photoshop or Lightroom to fix it, but once again I screwed it up. Its amazing; I'm actually pretty good with a camera and computers, but every time I deal with immigration, I end up having to fill in the same form at least three times, and there is always something wrong with the photos.
Fortunately, they let us go through the interview and bring photos back afterwards. There are a few places close by, so after we were finished, we went and had Jacob's photo taken. I returned it to the ACS while Tim took Jacob to Au Bon Pain.
A couple of interesting things. The woman who interviewed Jacob was from Florence Kentucky. The guy who was acting chummy with the guard at the front desk was having trouble of some sort. While many of the people at the ACS are Americans, there are also Thai people who work there. This man was talking to a Thai worker, and demanding to know the name of his boss. He had some sort of appointment, and was not pleased at how things were going. I later heard him complaining to someone else about something. I stand by my first assessment; jackass.
Of course, no trip to the ACS is complete without some weirdo fellow countryman. When I returned with Jacob's photos, I just had to go and drop them off at a window. I stood there waiting for someone to come over to make sure there end up in the right place. A man comes up next to me, looking red faced and perhaps a little like a bum. He put his paperwork through the slot, and I noticed that it had a 500 baht (about $15) bill with it. Trying to be helpful, I pointed behind him and said "you pay back there". He informed me that he had already paid.
Now, I'm not going to get into an argument with one of the less fortunate people who share my country of origin, but I'm wondering why the hell he is passing money through the window. I've read stories before that people who deal with the THAI immigration officials sometimes have to pay "tea money" to get paper work processed. Even in those cases, its a little more subtle than shoving a visible 500 baht bill in the slot with your paperwork. There is no reason that you need to slip a little extra money at the American Embassy. My guess is that even for the Thai employees, its a pretty decent job, and I'm willing to bet that if you get caught accepting extra payments you will not be working there any longer. Sure enough, the clerk came over and took everything but the money. He then took Jacob's photos and attached them to the forms, before working on the other guys issue.
Jacob's passport should be ready in two weeks. Fortunately, I can pick it up by myself.
I scheduled an appointment for 8:45 a.m., figuring that it would give us plenty of time with traffic. We ended up arriving just before our appointment. When you arrive at the ACS, you have to surrender your electronic devices and go through a metal detector. We were waiting in line behind a man (perhaps American) and a Thai woman. The man knew one of the people at the desk and was having a long conversation with him. I got the impression the guy was a jackass. Finally we managed to get around them, and then got stuck behind a Thai woman trying to go through the metal detector. She had a USB drive or something and was standing in front of the detector fishing through her purse. The guard just sits there and looks at her. Jacob walked through on his own, and he's telling us to wait. Finally Tim made a gesture to go through and we walked around her.
Everything went pretty smoothly except the photograph. I took Jacob's photo and printed it, but neglected to make sure it had a white background. It had a gray background. It would have taken me about thirty seconds in Photoshop or Lightroom to fix it, but once again I screwed it up. Its amazing; I'm actually pretty good with a camera and computers, but every time I deal with immigration, I end up having to fill in the same form at least three times, and there is always something wrong with the photos.
Fortunately, they let us go through the interview and bring photos back afterwards. There are a few places close by, so after we were finished, we went and had Jacob's photo taken. I returned it to the ACS while Tim took Jacob to Au Bon Pain.
A couple of interesting things. The woman who interviewed Jacob was from Florence Kentucky. The guy who was acting chummy with the guard at the front desk was having trouble of some sort. While many of the people at the ACS are Americans, there are also Thai people who work there. This man was talking to a Thai worker, and demanding to know the name of his boss. He had some sort of appointment, and was not pleased at how things were going. I later heard him complaining to someone else about something. I stand by my first assessment; jackass.
Of course, no trip to the ACS is complete without some weirdo fellow countryman. When I returned with Jacob's photos, I just had to go and drop them off at a window. I stood there waiting for someone to come over to make sure there end up in the right place. A man comes up next to me, looking red faced and perhaps a little like a bum. He put his paperwork through the slot, and I noticed that it had a 500 baht (about $15) bill with it. Trying to be helpful, I pointed behind him and said "you pay back there". He informed me that he had already paid.
Now, I'm not going to get into an argument with one of the less fortunate people who share my country of origin, but I'm wondering why the hell he is passing money through the window. I've read stories before that people who deal with the THAI immigration officials sometimes have to pay "tea money" to get paper work processed. Even in those cases, its a little more subtle than shoving a visible 500 baht bill in the slot with your paperwork. There is no reason that you need to slip a little extra money at the American Embassy. My guess is that even for the Thai employees, its a pretty decent job, and I'm willing to bet that if you get caught accepting extra payments you will not be working there any longer. Sure enough, the clerk came over and took everything but the money. He then took Jacob's photos and attached them to the forms, before working on the other guys issue.
Jacob's passport should be ready in two weeks. Fortunately, I can pick it up by myself.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Faux Elections
This week, the basket case of a country, Myanmar (formerly Burma) will hold its much touted elections. The last time Myanmar had elections in 1989, Aung San Suu Kyi's party stormed to victory. The ruling military junta at the time simply ignored the elections and Ms. Kyi has spent most of the last twenty years under house arrest. She is scheduled to be released a week after the new elections.
Not willing to risk another embarrassing lost, the military junta has stacked the deck in its favor. Twenty-five percent of the legislative positions are reserved for high ranking generals. Since under the new Constitution it takes more than seventy-five percent to overrule the military leadership, the military will remain in command.
Of course, even for the remaining seats, the elections are hardly fair. There are two government/military sponsored party that comprise 2/3 of the candidates for elected office. While the government provides financial support for these parties, it has put up many challenges for smaller parties. Millions of Myanmar ethnic minorities have been ruled ineligible to vote.
The purpose of the election is supposed to give some sort of legitimacy to the ruling junta's holding on to power. I'm not sure who they think that they are fooling, because at least outside Myanmar, everyone knows what is going on. I guess this might give some cover to countries like China who support Myanmar, but really, this election does nothing.
Ms. Kyi's party has decided to boycott the sham elections. The government threatened that if enough people do not turn out, they will simply cancel the elections. For the people of Myanmar, I doubt that it will make any difference at all. Does it matter if the guy who has a gun pointed at your temple and his boot on your neck is wearing a suit or an army uniform?
Soccer Photos
Here are some photos from today's soccer games.
Jacob and his buddy Kavin before the game.
Making the save.
Jacob and his buddy Kavin before the game.
Making the save.
First Soccer Matches of the Season
Jacob and Aleena had their first soccer matches of the season today. Nalin decided not to play this year.
Aleena is in the 4-6 group "mini" girl division. They don't actually have structured teams, rather we just form them into teams on a week to week basis. Last year she played in the same league and there were more formal teams. The reason that they didn't do that this year was that they didn't have enough girls sign up.
Aleena enjoys soccer as a fun social time. She does run around after the ball and kick it occasionally, but she isn't too serious about it, and is more interested in having fun with her friends that she is scoring or winning the game.
Of course things are a bit more competitive in the 10 to 11 year old league that Jacob plays in. Jacob was the goalie, and in the beginning, he made some good saves. Later in the game, however, the other team was able to score quite a few goals. Some of them he might have been able to stop, while many others would have been very difficult. His team won 12-7. The score in the other 10-11 year old league game was 10-7, so I think at this age, the kids ability to score outstrips their ability to play defense and defend the goal.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Aleena's Thumb
Aleena is now sporting a huge white bandage on her thumb. Tonight right before bed she managed to slam the bathroom door on it. I became aware of what happened when I heard the high pitch scream emanating from said bathroom. She had a nice little cut just below her thumb nail. I put a bandage on it, but was a little concerned because she kept screaming for the better part of fifteen minutes.
The good news is that it was only a cut. The doctor gave her some pain medicine and we were back home within an hour of leaving.
Of course, I was only a little concern that the thumb was broken because Aleena is not very good at handling pain. The fact that she didn't want to bend it wasn't a great sign, but didn't necessarily mean it was a problem.
Finally I decided to just go to the doctor. There is a clinic run by Samitivey just outside of Nichada. I'm having some car issues, so while my car is at the house and kind of runs, Tim had the keys with her at work. Aleena and I ended up taking a cab to and from the clinic.
The good news is that it was only a cut. The doctor gave her some pain medicine and we were back home within an hour of leaving.
Together
I spend a lot of time behind the camera, but not really not that much time in front of it. Its even more rare that Tim and I are in a photo together.
While at Angkor Wat, I lugged around my tripod. Most of the time I didn't even bother using it, but on a few occasions I put it to good use. The one thing that it does well, besides keeping the camera perfectly still, is to let me get into the photos.
While at Angkor Wat, I lugged around my tripod. Most of the time I didn't even bother using it, but on a few occasions I put it to good use. The one thing that it does well, besides keeping the camera perfectly still, is to let me get into the photos.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Red Shirt Remorse
Its worth noting that back in May, in response to the red shirt protests and as an act aimed at reconciliation (at least it was stated to be that), the Prime Minister Abhisit offered new elections in six months time. The protest leaders chose to reject that offer, and the results were more bloodshed and a perhaps a widening of the political divide.
The reason that I bring this up is that it is now approximately six months from the time the new elections were offered. If things had gone as offered; and there is certainly a possibility that something else could have derailed said plans; we would now be gearing for an election Thailand. The red shirt followers of former Prime Minister Thaksin would have a chance at leading the government again.
Sometimes its worth the wait.
The reason that I bring this up is that it is now approximately six months from the time the new elections were offered. If things had gone as offered; and there is certainly a possibility that something else could have derailed said plans; we would now be gearing for an election Thailand. The red shirt followers of former Prime Minister Thaksin would have a chance at leading the government again.
Sometimes its worth the wait.
Flooding
Over the past week or so, there has been some severe flooding in Thailand. It started in the Northern provinces but has now spread to the Southern ones. Some places are under as much as three meters (~10 feet) of water. The economic impact is estimated to be in the billions.
We were actually very lucky that the storm did not come a week earlier. The Koh Sumui ferry and airport are currently closed. The Bangkok Post reported that the ferry to Koh Sumui was closed, although it wasn't clear if they were allowing people to leave the island. There was a report that there were tourists trapped on a nearby island.
Overall not a great year for Thailand. At least this wound wasn't self-inflicted.
We were actually very lucky that the storm did not come a week earlier. The Koh Sumui ferry and airport are currently closed. The Bangkok Post reported that the ferry to Koh Sumui was closed, although it wasn't clear if they were allowing people to leave the island. There was a report that there were tourists trapped on a nearby island.
Overall not a great year for Thailand. At least this wound wasn't self-inflicted.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Trick Or Treat
Another Halloween has come and past. We split up this year. I took Jacob and a couple of his cub scout friends out, Nalin went with her friend Sydney, while Tim took Aleena and McKayla. Seriously, did I even have to say that Aleena and McKayla were together?
Overall it was fun. The other two boys were definitely not as gung ho about trick or treating as Jacob. One boy was ready to knock off after only an hour, and another maybe thirty minutes after that. Jacob would probably have gone on all night if there was candy to be had and I let him.
Nalin dressed up as a witch, although I never actually saw her in costume. She took her costume to Sydney's and got ready there. Aleena was "Gabriella" of High School musical fame. Jacob had a really cool robot costume that Tim made. He got a lot of compliments on his costume. At the end of the night, one neighbor declared that Jacob had the best costume that he'd seen all night, and dumped three handfuls of candy in Jacob's bag.
I took a few photos but they are more like snapshots. Next year I'm going to set up my lighting and get some nice shots of the kids.
Overall it was fun. The other two boys were definitely not as gung ho about trick or treating as Jacob. One boy was ready to knock off after only an hour, and another maybe thirty minutes after that. Jacob would probably have gone on all night if there was candy to be had and I let him.
Nalin dressed up as a witch, although I never actually saw her in costume. She took her costume to Sydney's and got ready there. Aleena was "Gabriella" of High School musical fame. Jacob had a really cool robot costume that Tim made. He got a lot of compliments on his costume. At the end of the night, one neighbor declared that Jacob had the best costume that he'd seen all night, and dumped three handfuls of candy in Jacob's bag.
I took a few photos but they are more like snapshots. Next year I'm going to set up my lighting and get some nice shots of the kids.
Telling It Like She Sees It
While we were at the "grandmother" and "grandfather" rocks at Koh Sumui, there was a Thai-falang couple with her teenage son. They were up at the grandfather rock for quite a long time. The area up there was small, basically preventing anyone else from going up there. Additionally, it meant that they were in every else's shot, as they were right in front of the grandfather rock.
It wasn't something that I was going to complain about, because I knew I could easily crop them out and I didn't actually care if I went up to the rock itself. Still, I'm not a big fan of people monopolizing a spot, particularly when they are spending a good deal of it reviewing the photos (most likely poorly composed :D) that they just took.
When we were about to head out, the teen boy had come down off the rocks and told Tim that the view up their was great, and that we should go up. Here is the synopsis of the conversation:
Boy: You should go up there, the view is great. You can get lots of great photos.
Tim: Yes, I know, but people stay up there so long and monopolize the spot. That would let other people enjoy it.
Boy: Wait, my mom is up there still.
Tim: Yes, I know. (smiles)
Boy (screaming to mom): They are complaining about you staying up their so long.
I was a little distance away from Tim, and didn't realize the conversation took place until we were back in the car. If the guy had been a complete ass and confronted me about complaining, I would have had no idea what he was talking about.
It wasn't something that I was going to complain about, because I knew I could easily crop them out and I didn't actually care if I went up to the rock itself. Still, I'm not a big fan of people monopolizing a spot, particularly when they are spending a good deal of it reviewing the photos (most likely poorly composed :D) that they just took.
When we were about to head out, the teen boy had come down off the rocks and told Tim that the view up their was great, and that we should go up. Here is the synopsis of the conversation:
Boy: You should go up there, the view is great. You can get lots of great photos.
Tim: Yes, I know, but people stay up there so long and monopolize the spot. That would let other people enjoy it.
Boy: Wait, my mom is up there still.
Tim: Yes, I know. (smiles)
Boy (screaming to mom): They are complaining about you staying up their so long.
I was a little distance away from Tim, and didn't realize the conversation took place until we were back in the car. If the guy had been a complete ass and confronted me about complaining, I would have had no idea what he was talking about.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Illin' In Ko Sumui
After a long days drive to Koh Sumui, our plan for the first day was to relax at the beach. The customer service deficiencies of the previous night not withstanding, the hotel was located right on the beach and boasted both fresh and salt water pools.
In the morning I had a touch of diarrhea, but otherwise felt okay. By lunchtime, I was not feeling well at all and went back to room. In ended up spending Monday, Tuesday and most of Wednesday in my room. I had stomach pains and diarrhea. The worst part was Monday evening and night. I was exhausted and sleeping off and on. When I woke up and looked at my watch, I couldn't quite understand what I saw. I comprehended that they were numbers, but didn't know what they were for. I just didn't grasp that they represented time.
Tim and the kids spent one day visiting parts of the island and another on a day boat excursion. Unfortunately, after our second day there, it started to rain. My understanding is that we were feeling the effects of the tsunami in Indonesia.
By Wednesday evening, I felt well enough to go to dinner with the family. We had grilled seafood, that while smelling fantastic, was a little bit disappointing. The grilled squid was greed good though.
Thursday we visited the beach with the grandfather and grandmother rocks. The reasons for the name is that there are two rock formations there that resemble human genitals. When you see the grandfather rock, it definitely looks like a penis. The legend is about a grandfather and grandmother sailing to look for their grandchild and crashing and dying on the island.
After lunch we visited the big Buddha temple. We might have visited some other sites, but the off and on rain made it much less pleasant.
On our final full day, we stayed at the hotel. There was quite a bit of rain that day, so we didn't get to spend as much time at the beach.
Nothing really exciting happened on our trip back on Saturday. We did see some wrecked cars on the side of the road. In at least one of the accidents, it would not be at all surprising to learn that there were fatalities.
This certainly wasn't my favorite vacation. The rain and sickness certainly dampened the fun a bit. Still, the family had a good time.
In the morning I had a touch of diarrhea, but otherwise felt okay. By lunchtime, I was not feeling well at all and went back to room. In ended up spending Monday, Tuesday and most of Wednesday in my room. I had stomach pains and diarrhea. The worst part was Monday evening and night. I was exhausted and sleeping off and on. When I woke up and looked at my watch, I couldn't quite understand what I saw. I comprehended that they were numbers, but didn't know what they were for. I just didn't grasp that they represented time.
Tim and the kids spent one day visiting parts of the island and another on a day boat excursion. Unfortunately, after our second day there, it started to rain. My understanding is that we were feeling the effects of the tsunami in Indonesia.
By Wednesday evening, I felt well enough to go to dinner with the family. We had grilled seafood, that while smelling fantastic, was a little bit disappointing. The grilled squid was greed good though.
Thursday we visited the beach with the grandfather and grandmother rocks. The reasons for the name is that there are two rock formations there that resemble human genitals. When you see the grandfather rock, it definitely looks like a penis. The legend is about a grandfather and grandmother sailing to look for their grandchild and crashing and dying on the island.
After lunch we visited the big Buddha temple. We might have visited some other sites, but the off and on rain made it much less pleasant.
On our final full day, we stayed at the hotel. There was quite a bit of rain that day, so we didn't get to spend as much time at the beach.
Nothing really exciting happened on our trip back on Saturday. We did see some wrecked cars on the side of the road. In at least one of the accidents, it would not be at all surprising to learn that there were fatalities.
This certainly wasn't my favorite vacation. The rain and sickness certainly dampened the fun a bit. Still, the family had a good time.
Koh Sumui Trip - Getting There
The kids were off school this week for fall break, so Tim and I decided to take them to the beach. We decided on Koh Sumui largely because we hadn't been there yet, and its a pretty popular tourist destination.
We hit our first snag before we even left. Our original plan was to leave on Saturday the 23rd and return on the 30th. Tim had some urgent business on Saturday, so we pushed the trip back a day.
In order to save a little money, we decided to drive instead of flying. Koh Sumui is an island, so we have about an eight hour drive (with stops), an hour ferry ride, and then a half hour drive to the hotel. The one "X" factor is wait for the ferry. A friend told Tim that on some weekends that the wait can be up to three hours to get on the ferry.
The way down was largely uneventful until we were about an hour from the ferry when suddenly Tim blared the car horn bringing me out of whatever day dream that I was in. For some reason I glanced in the side view mirror and witnessed something that I can still see in my mind. A motorcyclist had lost control of his bike which was lying sideways on the road. The cyclist was suspended in the air over the bike, one arm still on the handle as if he were doing some balancing act. Of course that "act" ended almost instantly and he crash on top of the bike.
I turned and asked Tim what had happened. She said that a motorcyclist was weaving between the two lanes as she was approaching in the fast lane so she honked her horn to warn him. Apparently this startled him and he lost control of his bike and wrecked. I glanced back in the side view mirror and saw the man walking over to the side of the road.
We didn't stop for a few reasons. The cyclist was at least able to walk to the side of the road and by the time we saw what happened, he was quite a bit away. I'm not sure how long it would have taken to find a u-turn to get back to him. We hadn't caused him to crash, as he was driving a bit recklessly and Tim had honked to warn him.
The other less pleasant reason that we didn't stop is that if we did, there is a very good chance that he would have blamed us for the accident and tried to get money out of us. Its a pretty common thing here. When I was rear ended by a motorcyclist, clearly his fault, the driver hinted that I should pay. In that case, it would have been difficult to claim that I had struck him given the damage to my rear bumper. Had we stopped, I have no doubt that he would have claimed that we bumped him or came over into his lane.
We arrived at the ferry at about 4:50 p.m. and purchased a ticket for the 7:00 p.m. ferry. We had considered trying the other ferry about a kilometer down the road, but as the 7:00 p.m. ferry was the last of the day and there were only six spots left, we decided to wait. It turned out to be a good decision because we actually managed to get on the 6:00 p.m. ferry.
After the hour and twenty minute ferry ride, we arrived at the Imperial Sumui Hotel at about 8:00 p.m. We were all tired and ready to hit our rooms and go to sleep. After about ten minutes of Tim talking to the clerk, I suspected that there was an issue. We had picked the Imperial because Tim had bought some vouchers at a travel trade show. The issue since there were five of us, the hotel wanted us to upgrade rooms or book another room. This was going to cost us about $150 extra per night.
Tim said that she had spoken to the sales person who assured her that even though most rooms only allowed four people, that it would not be an issue. Well, it was an issue. About thirty minutes later we were packing up the car and ready to find another hotel when a manager came and asked us to wait. About fifteen minutes later, we agreed to pay a little more for the extra breakfasts and came to an agreement.
We hit our first snag before we even left. Our original plan was to leave on Saturday the 23rd and return on the 30th. Tim had some urgent business on Saturday, so we pushed the trip back a day.
In order to save a little money, we decided to drive instead of flying. Koh Sumui is an island, so we have about an eight hour drive (with stops), an hour ferry ride, and then a half hour drive to the hotel. The one "X" factor is wait for the ferry. A friend told Tim that on some weekends that the wait can be up to three hours to get on the ferry.
The way down was largely uneventful until we were about an hour from the ferry when suddenly Tim blared the car horn bringing me out of whatever day dream that I was in. For some reason I glanced in the side view mirror and witnessed something that I can still see in my mind. A motorcyclist had lost control of his bike which was lying sideways on the road. The cyclist was suspended in the air over the bike, one arm still on the handle as if he were doing some balancing act. Of course that "act" ended almost instantly and he crash on top of the bike.
I turned and asked Tim what had happened. She said that a motorcyclist was weaving between the two lanes as she was approaching in the fast lane so she honked her horn to warn him. Apparently this startled him and he lost control of his bike and wrecked. I glanced back in the side view mirror and saw the man walking over to the side of the road.
We didn't stop for a few reasons. The cyclist was at least able to walk to the side of the road and by the time we saw what happened, he was quite a bit away. I'm not sure how long it would have taken to find a u-turn to get back to him. We hadn't caused him to crash, as he was driving a bit recklessly and Tim had honked to warn him.
The other less pleasant reason that we didn't stop is that if we did, there is a very good chance that he would have blamed us for the accident and tried to get money out of us. Its a pretty common thing here. When I was rear ended by a motorcyclist, clearly his fault, the driver hinted that I should pay. In that case, it would have been difficult to claim that I had struck him given the damage to my rear bumper. Had we stopped, I have no doubt that he would have claimed that we bumped him or came over into his lane.
We arrived at the ferry at about 4:50 p.m. and purchased a ticket for the 7:00 p.m. ferry. We had considered trying the other ferry about a kilometer down the road, but as the 7:00 p.m. ferry was the last of the day and there were only six spots left, we decided to wait. It turned out to be a good decision because we actually managed to get on the 6:00 p.m. ferry.
After the hour and twenty minute ferry ride, we arrived at the Imperial Sumui Hotel at about 8:00 p.m. We were all tired and ready to hit our rooms and go to sleep. After about ten minutes of Tim talking to the clerk, I suspected that there was an issue. We had picked the Imperial because Tim had bought some vouchers at a travel trade show. The issue since there were five of us, the hotel wanted us to upgrade rooms or book another room. This was going to cost us about $150 extra per night.
Tim said that she had spoken to the sales person who assured her that even though most rooms only allowed four people, that it would not be an issue. Well, it was an issue. About thirty minutes later we were packing up the car and ready to find another hotel when a manager came and asked us to wait. About fifteen minutes later, we agreed to pay a little more for the extra breakfasts and came to an agreement.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Good Wrench
This was one of my favorite sights at the festival. I was amazed that he was able to get two wrenches that large in his mouth at once.
One of the amazing things is not only do these guys put things through their faces, but they then parade around for several hours. Some of the items, like the wrenches, may not be heavy for a short time, but imagine having to hold them in place for several hours while walking around in the heat.
One of the amazing things is not only do these guys put things through their faces, but they then parade around for several hours. Some of the items, like the wrenches, may not be heavy for a short time, but imagine having to hold them in place for several hours while walking around in the heat.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Ladyboys in Phuket
I was just struck by the number of ladyboys that I saw in Phuket. Most of the time its pretty easy to tell. Some are more difficult to discern from women, and there are those few who are just stunning.
You certainly can't miss them if you walk on Bangla Road and go past Soi Crocodile. Before their shows, they gather in the road and solicit customers to take photos for a fee. There may be some other solicitation going on as well. I pay two to take a few photos.
Another spot where there were a lot of ladyboys was on Beach Road. These individuals were not soliciting photos, but definitely massages and more. As I walked by, one quite striking individual propositioned me about a massage. When I politely declined, "she" asked me if I wanted "boom boom" (i.e., sex). Naturally I declined. I'll tell you though, if it were not for where this person was standing and the individuals around "her", I would have been sure it was a woman. I would hardly be shocked if some straight guys took her back to the hotel room only to find an extra "surprise" in that pair of panties.
Of course there were ladyboys at the Simon Caberet. The show was pretty good. The highlight of the show was an old fashion drag queen type. There was no mistaking this ladyboy for a woman. He did two songs, the first, Living in a Barbie World, where he was dressed in a pink outfit with fake breasts that looked the size of the orange construction cones. In the second, the performed I Will Survive. In both acts, he got involved with the audience and was generally hilarious.
It was pretty obvious that most of the Simon Caberet performers were not women. There a couple who looked fairly convincing.
There were also a few ladyboys at the "traditional" massage shops. I became aware of this because there was one particular shop near the hotel. Whenever I walked by, this particular ladyboy would run out and offer her massage services. I must have told her know six times. Of course she asked seven times. Okay, not really. I politely declined each time.
You certainly can't miss them if you walk on Bangla Road and go past Soi Crocodile. Before their shows, they gather in the road and solicit customers to take photos for a fee. There may be some other solicitation going on as well. I pay two to take a few photos.
Another spot where there were a lot of ladyboys was on Beach Road. These individuals were not soliciting photos, but definitely massages and more. As I walked by, one quite striking individual propositioned me about a massage. When I politely declined, "she" asked me if I wanted "boom boom" (i.e., sex). Naturally I declined. I'll tell you though, if it were not for where this person was standing and the individuals around "her", I would have been sure it was a woman. I would hardly be shocked if some straight guys took her back to the hotel room only to find an extra "surprise" in that pair of panties.
Of course there were ladyboys at the Simon Caberet. The show was pretty good. The highlight of the show was an old fashion drag queen type. There was no mistaking this ladyboy for a woman. He did two songs, the first, Living in a Barbie World, where he was dressed in a pink outfit with fake breasts that looked the size of the orange construction cones. In the second, the performed I Will Survive. In both acts, he got involved with the audience and was generally hilarious.
It was pretty obvious that most of the Simon Caberet performers were not women. There a couple who looked fairly convincing.
There were also a few ladyboys at the "traditional" massage shops. I became aware of this because there was one particular shop near the hotel. Whenever I walked by, this particular ladyboy would run out and offer her massage services. I must have told her know six times. Of course she asked seven times. Okay, not really. I politely declined each time.
So Many Massage Shops
There are so many massage shops in Patong Beach. I laughed when I saw the sign for this one.
I did not visit the shop, so I don't know if they will actually massage your willy at Willy Massage, but based on its location, I think it is probably on offer.
I did not visit the shop, so I don't know if they will actually massage your willy at Willy Massage, but based on its location, I think it is probably on offer.
Brave Men
On the days I took photos of the parade, I arrived at the shrines at 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. There were already several dozen people there each day. Most people wore all white, while those who would undergo the piercings would wear a colorful traditional garb. It was pretty clear that the participants were getting ready for their ordeal, as they walked around, shaking their heads and often murmuring to themselves.
When it was time to get ready, the man would sit on a plastic chair. Another man, usually one bearing the scars of having done this in the past, would stand behind him and hold his head with both hands. Another man had an eighteen inch cone shaped metal rod with a point on one end. He cleaned the rod with alcohol, then poured some kind of oil on it. He then pushed the rod through the participant's cheek, creating a hole up to two inches in diameter. Next he would withdraw the rod, and put in another object, such as a wrench, pistol barrel, knife, saw blade, etc. Usually they would then do the same thing for the other cheek.
Most of the participants were pretty stoic when it was happening. One guy left no doubt that it hurt as he yelled out 'uh uh uh" many times.
It was pretty crazy when this happened, as many photographers, both falang and Thai would gather around and try to take photos. If you weren't at the right place at the right time, it was difficult to get the shot of the piercing happening. Everyone wanted to get the photograph, and the crowds were sometimes 5 or 6 deep.
I really lucked out one time. I having limited luck getting a photo of one piercing, when someone came over and placed a plastic chair within arm's length of me and a man in a traditional outfit sat in the chair. I knew that this was my chance. I actually stood in between the handles of one of the little platforms that are carried on the shoulder and display idols. From there, I ended up getting quite a few shots, even some as it actually pierced the cheek. It was kind of cool.
The wounds certainly did bleed, but there wasn't really a whole lot of blood around. There were people around who would dab off the blood when it was happening. As they marched, there were also people with each participant who would dab off the blood.
When it was time to get ready, the man would sit on a plastic chair. Another man, usually one bearing the scars of having done this in the past, would stand behind him and hold his head with both hands. Another man had an eighteen inch cone shaped metal rod with a point on one end. He cleaned the rod with alcohol, then poured some kind of oil on it. He then pushed the rod through the participant's cheek, creating a hole up to two inches in diameter. Next he would withdraw the rod, and put in another object, such as a wrench, pistol barrel, knife, saw blade, etc. Usually they would then do the same thing for the other cheek.
Most of the participants were pretty stoic when it was happening. One guy left no doubt that it hurt as he yelled out 'uh uh uh" many times.
It was pretty crazy when this happened, as many photographers, both falang and Thai would gather around and try to take photos. If you weren't at the right place at the right time, it was difficult to get the shot of the piercing happening. Everyone wanted to get the photograph, and the crowds were sometimes 5 or 6 deep.
I really lucked out one time. I having limited luck getting a photo of one piercing, when someone came over and placed a plastic chair within arm's length of me and a man in a traditional outfit sat in the chair. I knew that this was my chance. I actually stood in between the handles of one of the little platforms that are carried on the shoulder and display idols. From there, I ended up getting quite a few shots, even some as it actually pierced the cheek. It was kind of cool.
The wounds certainly did bleed, but there wasn't really a whole lot of blood around. There were people around who would dab off the blood when it was happening. As they marched, there were also people with each participant who would dab off the blood.
Phuket Vegetarian Festival
Got back on Wednesday from four days at the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Before anyone gets the crazy idea that I am eschewing meat, I didn't go for the food, but rather for the rather unusual ceremonies that are performed there. Local Tsaoist of Chinese descent gather at the local shrines, pierce themselves with a variety of different objects, and then parade through Phuket Town.
By piercing, I don't mean that they make tiny holes like you might get for an earring. No, they actually make holes in their cheeks large enough to fit knives, saw blades, barrels of funs, and even beach umbrella stands. Its amazing and disturbing all at the same time.
I went two years ago and took photos and decided to return. Actually, I wanted to go last year, but it fell on the same week as the kids were off school. While last time I did take photos of the parade, this time I managed to get to the shrine to actually see them do the piercings. And yes, I have the photos to prove it. I'll load them up as I process them.
I have a lot more to write about this trip, but wanted to share some photos first.
By piercing, I don't mean that they make tiny holes like you might get for an earring. No, they actually make holes in their cheeks large enough to fit knives, saw blades, barrels of funs, and even beach umbrella stands. Its amazing and disturbing all at the same time.
I went two years ago and took photos and decided to return. Actually, I wanted to go last year, but it fell on the same week as the kids were off school. While last time I did take photos of the parade, this time I managed to get to the shrine to actually see them do the piercings. And yes, I have the photos to prove it. I'll load them up as I process them.
I have a lot more to write about this trip, but wanted to share some photos first.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
More Photos From Cambodia
Here are a few more photos from Cambodia.
The current set is here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ebvimages/sets/72157624969274611/detail/
The current set is here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ebvimages/sets/72157624969274611/detail/
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Fly Butterfly, Fly
When Tim and I were at one of the temples, I saw that a butterfly was on her back. I walked over to her and gently lifted the butterfly off of her. I then threw it up in the air, anticipating it fluttering away. My eyes followed it as it ascended under the power of my toss, and then fall to the earth. It was dead.
I know, a very moving and touching story.
I know, a very moving and touching story.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
No 3G For You & A Crappy Constitution
Thailand's appeals' court upheld the injunction on the 3G license. Its believed that Thailand could be four years away from having an operation 3G network. So right about the time when 3G will be useless for business and personal use, they will be ready to roll it out.
The court's ruling is based on the 2007 constitution drafted by the coup makers andimposed on Thailand (I mean shoved down the people's throat) and tepidly approved by the Thai people (it was that or the coup leaders stayed in control). The 2007 constitution is one of these modern type constitutions where the "enlightened" eggheads try to enumerate so many details. The constitution actually dictates who should be in charge of licensing of frequencies.
Its brevity is part of the beauty and genius of the U.S. Constitution. Its sets up the basic relationship of the people and their government, and leaves the rest to them. It recognizes that the government is one of the people. Here, its kind of the people's government, so long as they chosewho the powerful approve of wisely.
The court's ruling is based on the 2007 constitution drafted by the coup makers and
Its brevity is part of the beauty and genius of the U.S. Constitution. Its sets up the basic relationship of the people and their government, and leaves the rest to them. It recognizes that the government is one of the people. Here, its kind of the people's government, so long as they chose
A Day
Today was a pretty average day. Jacob's basketball team lost their first game of the season. They didn't play well, but their opponent had some of the top kids in the league on it. Jacob did a nice job on defense, he really hustled, which you have to do when you are on of the smallest kids on the court.
Nalin's class is reading a book called The City of Embers. They are tying in science with the reading, and her project is to create a flashlight that could help the characters in the book explore. Of course, parental help was allowed. After experimenting with different sized light bulbs and wires, she was able to get her prototype to work. The final project isn't due for another week and a half, but they have to bring in some photos tomorrow to show that they are making some progress.
In the last month or so, I had started playing World of Warcraft (Wow) again. I had not played more than a dozen hours in almost two and a half years when I started back up. Part of the reason was that I hadn't been as passionate about photography lately. I've taken photos, mostly of the kids, but I just didn't feel it.
One of the challenges with playing Wow now is that I have a lot of free time. I was playing quite a bit, and was enjoying the game. Today, however, I decided it was enough, so I deleted some characters, did something to try to get my account banned (but that didn't work, in part because I didn't try very hard) and finally reset my authenticator on my iTouch. The authenticator is an anti-hacking protection measure. The authenticator is tied to your account, and generates an eight digit code that you have to enter as apart of your login. By resetting it, I am unable to log into my account.
The problem that I have is that I forgot to cancel my monthly subscription before I reset it. Now I have to go through the billing department to get that straightened out.
Nalin's class is reading a book called The City of Embers. They are tying in science with the reading, and her project is to create a flashlight that could help the characters in the book explore. Of course, parental help was allowed. After experimenting with different sized light bulbs and wires, she was able to get her prototype to work. The final project isn't due for another week and a half, but they have to bring in some photos tomorrow to show that they are making some progress.
In the last month or so, I had started playing World of Warcraft (Wow) again. I had not played more than a dozen hours in almost two and a half years when I started back up. Part of the reason was that I hadn't been as passionate about photography lately. I've taken photos, mostly of the kids, but I just didn't feel it.
One of the challenges with playing Wow now is that I have a lot of free time. I was playing quite a bit, and was enjoying the game. Today, however, I decided it was enough, so I deleted some characters, did something to try to get my account banned (but that didn't work, in part because I didn't try very hard) and finally reset my authenticator on my iTouch. The authenticator is an anti-hacking protection measure. The authenticator is tied to your account, and generates an eight digit code that you have to enter as apart of your login. By resetting it, I am unable to log into my account.
The problem that I have is that I forgot to cancel my monthly subscription before I reset it. Now I have to go through the billing department to get that straightened out.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is again expressing outrage with Thailand as one of the police officers allegedly involved with the disappearance and possible death of a Saudi businessman in 1990 is up for a promotion. Somkid Boonthanom is up for the position of assistant national police chief.
The officer was given amnesty for the administrative charges under a blanket amnesty on the King's birthday in 2007, but the criminal charges still exist. The PM has explained that the Saudi Arabian government does not understand the situation, and that he will explain it to him. He has stated that under Thai law, the promotion is legal.
I think that Saudi Arabia understand perfectly well. Thailand continues to thumb its nose at Saudi Arabia over incidents that arose from the theft of jewels from Saudi Arabia back in 1990 or so. The Thais involved in the aftermath must be very powerful people or have very powerful protectors because Thailand has basically sacrificed its relationship with Saudi Arabia over the matter. The Peau Thai (red shirt) party said the promotion of Somkid Boonthanom was as a reward for his suppression of the red shirts in the north.
I can almost imagine the honest conversation that the PM might have. "Yes, a Thai stole your crown jewels. Of course several Saudi Arabians were murdered here in the aftermath. But these are powerful people. Can't you just act like a good Thai and pretend nothing happened?"
Saudi Arabia has denied that the possible promotion caused them to deny visas to three hundred Thai Muslims' visit to Mecca. The Saudi Arabian government said this was due to a technical problem. Thailand has a small, but significant Muslim population, and if some how this problem led to them not being able to fulfill their visiting Mecca, it would be very sad. Of course, the people responsible might not care so much.
The officer was given amnesty for the administrative charges under a blanket amnesty on the King's birthday in 2007, but the criminal charges still exist. The PM has explained that the Saudi Arabian government does not understand the situation, and that he will explain it to him. He has stated that under Thai law, the promotion is legal.
I think that Saudi Arabia understand perfectly well. Thailand continues to thumb its nose at Saudi Arabia over incidents that arose from the theft of jewels from Saudi Arabia back in 1990 or so. The Thais involved in the aftermath must be very powerful people or have very powerful protectors because Thailand has basically sacrificed its relationship with Saudi Arabia over the matter. The Peau Thai (red shirt) party said the promotion of Somkid Boonthanom was as a reward for his suppression of the red shirts in the north.
I can almost imagine the honest conversation that the PM might have. "Yes, a Thai stole your crown jewels. Of course several Saudi Arabians were murdered here in the aftermath. But these are powerful people. Can't you just act like a good Thai and pretend nothing happened?"
Saudi Arabia has denied that the possible promotion caused them to deny visas to three hundred Thai Muslims' visit to Mecca. The Saudi Arabian government said this was due to a technical problem. Thailand has a small, but significant Muslim population, and if some how this problem led to them not being able to fulfill their visiting Mecca, it would be very sad. Of course, the people responsible might not care so much.
Happy Anniversary to the Coup
Four years ago today, the military overthrew the elected government of Prime Minister Thaksin. Whatever the former-PM's short comings at the time, or his terrible decisions since, this day was blow to democracy in the kingdom.
I understand the necessity of a military coup in the case where there is a dictatorship and the people do not have a viable way to replace their leaders. The Thai elections, while hardly free from fraud (mostly bribing voters), are not the sham that is the upcoming election in Myanmar (Burma). For better or worse, the Thai people had chosen Thaksin's Thai Lak Thai (Thai Love Thai) party to lead. If the majority were dissatisfied, then they could have made a different selection at the polls during the last election.
Instead we've had four more years of political and economic turmoil. A large part of the country, mostly the poor, rightly feel disenfranchised, and that the powerful only respect elections when its convenient for them. Thailand has made the news in the last few years, but for all the wrong reasons. Instead of being known as a place to vacation and do business, its becoming better known as a place for bloody protests and airport closures.
One just hopes that maybe those responsible will at some point in their lives realize the consequences of what they did. Maybe there will be at least a few moments of clarity when they will realize the blow that they struck to their country and its people. On second thought, maybe they already know, but just don't give a shit.
I understand the necessity of a military coup in the case where there is a dictatorship and the people do not have a viable way to replace their leaders. The Thai elections, while hardly free from fraud (mostly bribing voters), are not the sham that is the upcoming election in Myanmar (Burma). For better or worse, the Thai people had chosen Thaksin's Thai Lak Thai (Thai Love Thai) party to lead. If the majority were dissatisfied, then they could have made a different selection at the polls during the last election.
Instead we've had four more years of political and economic turmoil. A large part of the country, mostly the poor, rightly feel disenfranchised, and that the powerful only respect elections when its convenient for them. Thailand has made the news in the last few years, but for all the wrong reasons. Instead of being known as a place to vacation and do business, its becoming better known as a place for bloody protests and airport closures.
One just hopes that maybe those responsible will at some point in their lives realize the consequences of what they did. Maybe there will be at least a few moments of clarity when they will realize the blow that they struck to their country and its people. On second thought, maybe they already know, but just don't give a shit.
Blow to 3G
There was supposed to an auction for the 3G licenses in Thailand starting this Monday. However, one of the smaller telecom players, who was not part of the bidding, successfully filed a lawsuit based on the grounds that the government agency, the NTC (National Telecommunications Commission) didn't have the legal authority.
Apparently the 2007 constitution, promulgated by the 2006 coup makers, requires the setup of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). Somehow, with all the political in fighting, protesting and grabs for power, no-one has been able to get this done in three years. The government says it will be done by the end of the year or next year.
Its surprising that it hasn't been done, in that I'm sure the licensing scheme has the potential to make decision makers rich. Truly, that seems to be what drives most behavior here. The reds, yellows, browns (police) and green (military) are all the same here. Personal enrichment at the expense of everything else. If it cost your country billions so that you can make a few hundred thousand, isn't that a small price to pay.
Thailand is actually falling behind Cambodia in 3G. Businesses are claiming, no doubt accurately, that this is costing a lot of money and opportunity. I wonder if Thailand will get 3G coverage before the U.S. and the Western nations have moved on to 5G.
Apparently the 2007 constitution, promulgated by the 2006 coup makers, requires the setup of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). Somehow, with all the political in fighting, protesting and grabs for power, no-one has been able to get this done in three years. The government says it will be done by the end of the year or next year.
Its surprising that it hasn't been done, in that I'm sure the licensing scheme has the potential to make decision makers rich. Truly, that seems to be what drives most behavior here. The reds, yellows, browns (police) and green (military) are all the same here. Personal enrichment at the expense of everything else. If it cost your country billions so that you can make a few hundred thousand, isn't that a small price to pay.
Thailand is actually falling behind Cambodia in 3G. Businesses are claiming, no doubt accurately, that this is costing a lot of money and opportunity. I wonder if Thailand will get 3G coverage before the U.S. and the Western nations have moved on to 5G.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Friday
The kids are off of school today for some ISB holiday. I'm not quite sure why they are off for this one, but they are certainly happy with it. Tim is taking off work tomorrow for a short weekend trip. We aren't leaving until the afternoon because Jacob has a basketball game that starts at noon.
Last night at Jacob's basketball practice, I was guarding a couple of kids before practice and twisted my ankle. So now I'm limping around the house.
Started playing around with the sound trigger for my camera. Popped some water balloons, but the water splashed a lot farther than I expected, so I'm now having to cover everything in plastic. The challenge is that I need to do it indoors during the day, because the room needs to be dark. That way I can leave the camera in bulb mode (hold open the shutter manually) and the only light is from the flash. When I get a few more I'll put them on Flickr and the blog.
Last night at Jacob's basketball practice, I was guarding a couple of kids before practice and twisted my ankle. So now I'm limping around the house.
Started playing around with the sound trigger for my camera. Popped some water balloons, but the water splashed a lot farther than I expected, so I'm now having to cover everything in plastic. The challenge is that I need to do it indoors during the day, because the room needs to be dark. That way I can leave the camera in bulb mode (hold open the shutter manually) and the only light is from the flash. When I get a few more I'll put them on Flickr and the blog.
Health Week - Attack of the Fruit Kabobs
As part of Health Week, the PTA asked parents to bring in fruit kabobs today. A fruit kabob is four or five bite size pieces of fruit on a wooden stick.
The students went to the ES gym where the high school students and some of the teaches had set up stations to teach the younger ones about healthy eating. It was a lot of "sugar is bad, vegetables are good."
At one station, they were asking the kids if they ate certain things for breakfast that morning. There was one boy in Aleena's class who raised his hand for about five things; including three kinds of cereal and pancakes. I think he was just caught up in the moment.
I took my camera and took some photos while I was there. I was fortunate to get a photo of Aleena and some of her friends.
The students went to the ES gym where the high school students and some of the teaches had set up stations to teach the younger ones about healthy eating. It was a lot of "sugar is bad, vegetables are good."
At one station, they were asking the kids if they ate certain things for breakfast that morning. There was one boy in Aleena's class who raised his hand for about five things; including three kinds of cereal and pancakes. I think he was just caught up in the moment.
I took my camera and took some photos while I was there. I was fortunate to get a photo of Aleena and some of her friends.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Health Week
This week the ISB PTA is sponsoring health week, where they encourage kids to engage in healthy behaviors, such as exercising and eating right. Today the kids were supposed to walk to school (although riding bikes was also considered good behavior).
The kids who rode their bikes or walked to school received a voucher for a free fruit smoothie (aka a Twist). I was one of a couple of people asked to take some photos of the kids walking and biking to school.
I heard through the grape vine that some parents weren't happy that the PTA was dictating to the kids how they would get to school. The PTA did no such thing. They rewarded the kids for walking or biking, which I don't think is a bad thing. They certainly didn't force anyone to ride their bike. The parking lot to the school was open as always. In fact, it would be impossible for the school to require all students to walk or ride a bike, as many take buses from downtown Bangkok.
My guess is that some kids in Nichada really wanted to walk to school, and the parents didn't want to be bothered. Hey, I have no problem with that. Just tell your kid "no, we aren't walking". I have no problems disappointing my kids, in fact, I kind of look at it as part of my job as a dad.
While the focus is on the health of the kids, the health of my camera was in serious question today. I had it slung over my back with my flash and largest lens (Canon 2.8 IS USM 70-200 for those of you keeping score) and I tried to move it to adjust it a bit. I must have hit the quick release and the camera, lens and flash crashed to the floor. Batteries flew everywhere, and even the battery door for the battery pack flew off.
The first few words out of my mouth were not "oh darn". After a bit of checking, it appears that everything still works. The flash has a crack in the casing, but it is not anything major. I want a new camera, but I'd prefer to buy it because I want it, not because I no longer have one that works.
The kids who rode their bikes or walked to school received a voucher for a free fruit smoothie (aka a Twist). I was one of a couple of people asked to take some photos of the kids walking and biking to school.
I heard through the grape vine that some parents weren't happy that the PTA was dictating to the kids how they would get to school. The PTA did no such thing. They rewarded the kids for walking or biking, which I don't think is a bad thing. They certainly didn't force anyone to ride their bike. The parking lot to the school was open as always. In fact, it would be impossible for the school to require all students to walk or ride a bike, as many take buses from downtown Bangkok.
My guess is that some kids in Nichada really wanted to walk to school, and the parents didn't want to be bothered. Hey, I have no problem with that. Just tell your kid "no, we aren't walking". I have no problems disappointing my kids, in fact, I kind of look at it as part of my job as a dad.
While the focus is on the health of the kids, the health of my camera was in serious question today. I had it slung over my back with my flash and largest lens (Canon 2.8 IS USM 70-200 for those of you keeping score) and I tried to move it to adjust it a bit. I must have hit the quick release and the camera, lens and flash crashed to the floor. Batteries flew everywhere, and even the battery door for the battery pack flew off.
The first few words out of my mouth were not "oh darn". After a bit of checking, it appears that everything still works. The flash has a crack in the casing, but it is not anything major. I want a new camera, but I'd prefer to buy it because I want it, not because I no longer have one that works.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Basketball & Birthdays
This weekend was pretty busy so far. Jacob had a double header basketball weekend; one game on Friday night and the other that started at noon on Saturday. They won both games to remain undefeated and tied for first in their league. Jacob played pretty well in both games. He played some pretty good defense, picked up a few rebounds, and scored.
Normally the Saturday game ending at 1:45 p.m. isn't a big deal, but it caused some issues today because we were celebrating Aleena, Nalin, Noodee and Pad's birthday at Funarium in downtown Bangkok. Tim had scheduled the party before the schedule was released, so she told everyone to be there at 1:00, with the party room opening at 2:00. The plan was that Tim would go with the kids at 12:30, and then Jacob and I would take a cab after his game.
Tim got hung up at work, and actually didn't end up making it to the party until 3:30. Fortunately, McKayla and Pleng's mothers sent their drivers and nannies to our house. They were going to all drive over together with Tim, but instead were able to take Yaow and the kids before either Tim or I got home.
After Jacob's game, he and I grabbed a cab and got the the party at 2:30. Shortly after, they started the games with the kids, followed by food, more games, and cake.
Everyone seemed to have a good time. I took some photos, but its always a bit more challenging indoors in poor lighting. I know, no excuses; a good photographer would get it done.
McKayla, Aleena, Nyla and Kaylee. Yes, Aleena and McKayla planned to wear identical outfits. They have 2 or 3 sets of matching clothes.
Aleena and Pleng.
Noodee and Jacob.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Bat Poop
On our way to Ratchburi on Sunday, Tim pointed out a sign that offered bat poop for sale. I asked the kids if anyone needed any bat poop.
Nalin responded, "what does it taste like"?
Nalin responded, "what does it taste like"?
Ratchburi
Yesterday the family went out to visit the Siam Cultural Center in Ratchaburi. The Cultural Center's main attraction is the wax figures of some famous Thai and international figures.
Neither Tim nor I recognized any of the Thai people depicted in polymers, but we did recognize former Chinese premiere and one of the most despicable human beings ever to live, Mao. The other figure was Mother Theresa. Talk about a contrast in two people. Mother Theresa toiled to feed the poor, while Mao enslaved and starved his people, destroyed their culture icons, and stands with Hitler and Stalin as the men responsible for the most deaths in human history.
One nice thing about the park is that it is very well maintained. A lot of places here in Thailand look nice when they are built, but the owners do not keep up with maintenance. This was a pleasant exception.
In addition to the wax figures, the Cultural Center has samples of Thai houses and monasteries from different regions of the country. It also has Buddha statues from different eras of Thai history.
Neither Tim nor I recognized any of the Thai people depicted in polymers, but we did recognize former Chinese premiere and one of the most despicable human beings ever to live, Mao. The other figure was Mother Theresa. Talk about a contrast in two people. Mother Theresa toiled to feed the poor, while Mao enslaved and starved his people, destroyed their culture icons, and stands with Hitler and Stalin as the men responsible for the most deaths in human history.
One nice thing about the park is that it is very well maintained. A lot of places here in Thailand look nice when they are built, but the owners do not keep up with maintenance. This was a pleasant exception.
In addition to the wax figures, the Cultural Center has samples of Thai houses and monasteries from different regions of the country. It also has Buddha statues from different eras of Thai history.
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