The All Star Break

Yeah, its here already. And that means a little break from game action to take a rest and do some exploring or perhaps you feel like a little vacation by now. A little cabin fever starting to set in??
Yes I know it has been a fairly harsh winter, not that you haven't seen worse. Right?
Winter here is starting to get tough. The humidity is coming back and starting to make things a little uncomfortable again. Sticky like, you know, July and August sticky. Which of course means fewer open doors and windows at night and a lot more air conditioning.
Visitiors are great. Gets us out doing things. Testing new restaurants. Adventures.
We did a dinner cruise for my brother's birthday yesterday. First took him out to play a round of golf. Must say he did pretty well considering he hasn't swung a club since October. Hit lots of fairways. Putting was a little off but we have excuses. Like the rental clubs. HippoEx, or something. Not well known amongst the country club crowd I am sure.
So Jonas and I made it home around 5ish. Our round was a fivesome and took 5 1/2 hours to play. Here is the reason. Koreans.
Now wait before you go all "like at Streetsville Glen, wow man" on me. This is a little bit different. Some same same, but different. You see, attached to my golf club is a spa and resort hotel. The Korean government sends golfers to Thailand. Yes the government. Staying at BGC were 250 Korean juniors / amateurs. They fill the golf course. Practising, putting, playing. Just everywhere. So the course is booked solid from New Year thru the end of the month. I am told that there are about 4,000 golfers sent to Thailand every year by the Korean government. They literaly take over golf courses all over Thailand. So Kuhn Jerry's 2+2 says now you know why they have nearly cornered the LPGA game. And I might also suggest that you can anticipate what may be going to happen to the mens game in not very long. They are investing heavily in this sport!

As Jonas and I returned so did Diane and sister-in-law Shirley who had just gone out for a little spa treatment. A two hour Thai massage is the order of the day. They were well realxed and feeling good.


So out to the Skytrain we went and downtown to the Chao Praya river. We went to the Shangra La Hotel which is right on the river. We were out to for the river cruise / dinner to celebrate bro's b'day. A beautiful evening cruising on the river for two hours. See all the sites lite up at night. Many of the Wat that are the main attraction for Thais and tourists by day are all bathed in floodlights at night. Very nice.
You cruise down to the river to the Rama VIII bridge. You have seen this pic before in my Ayuthaya ruins tour but a night shot is worth a repeat performance. It is wonderful to cruise under this bridge and see it from both sides.

 Of course you all know that this bridge was engineered by Buckland and Taylor. The world famous bridge enginering company that specializes in bridge engineering design and design/build. They won awards for this particular bridge design and the engineering to construct it. Their head office is in Vancouver, B.C.
See the stuff you learn from Kuhn Jerry.

Bro and wife are off to Ayuthaya this morning, with another cruise down the river this afternoon. Tonight I think we all need to take it easy and just relax on the deck with a cold one.
Tomorrow we head off to the beach at Asiawan Pattaya for two days of relaxin. My highschool friend from Thunder Bay played golf with us yesterday and we plan on having a few cocktails at his place overlooking the Bay of Thailand on Saturday night. I'll take some picks with the BB to load here next week.

Deeds is doing good. Working as hard as ever but she has taken a few hours off here and there to try to get into the visitor mode. Can't leave all the guiding up to me or we will lose people for sure. I tell you right up front I am not the best tourist guide by a long shot. Deeds says "He has a tendancy to wing it". So make sure you know where it is you want to go, a reasonable idea of how to get there and a good exit and return plan in case things run amuck. Or else you will end up seeing something altogether different then you had intended!!

I also found out something about Thailand in the last 4 weeks. Everything takes longer in Thailand. Not necessarily longer than anyplace else. Just longer than you were told, or you think, or you planned. Keep that in mind as well.
Sawadee Krup

      Go Pack Go

Up to the Minute

Well maybe not the minute exactly but you will have more up to date info after you read on.
For those that were following the LA Music event here is an update. As you know I booted them to the curb. The update is I received an email from Long and McQuade on the 17th notifying us that the piano case was in Halifax for Lena to pick up. I ordered this puppy on the 7th. Ten days and good to go. That my friends is customer service. The boys from Lakeshore Drive are still looking at each other wondering if I cancelled the order or not. They aren't sure yet!!!

Here in BKK we have settled back in with some regular routines and climate familiarization. Very nice weather right now. Low humidity and constant 30 degrees with night time temps at 24/5. Very civilized.

The golf game is trying to revitalize. Still very hard to keep the ball in play with the driver, but for me that is typical. If I had control of that club I may be somebody else. Playing more is the key but I haven't been able to get to three games a week. To much to do!

More visitors seem to be falling into place for later in this calendar year which is very encouraging to see/hear. Of course the onslaught begins this weekend with my brother and his wife arriving for 18 days. They will take a little sojourn to Hong Kong to see neighbours who visit their son there every winter. Jonas and Shirley will actually spend Chinese New Year there. Kung Hie Fat Choy!! That will be an awesome experience, one that Deeds and I did back in '87. Yes it was at the beginning of our relationship for sure but already Deeds was training me for a lifetime of travel. That trip was a real adventure. We flew to HK free as couriers. Remember hearing about that back in the day. People got to fly all over the world for free (with no luggage) acting as a courier representative for package couriers like DHL, UPS, Fedex, etc. Until the business expanded to the point that these companies all bought their own aircraft. Deeds had done one previously to Britain as well.

Life in BKK. Neither Deeds nor I have done anything about expanding our Thai language skills. Oh we still go through the motions. Just last night when out for dinner Deeds had an asparagus and prawn stir fry. When Deeds said asparagus the girl looked at her kinda weird. Fortunately there was some on display in the front, Deeds walked over and pointed to some asparagus, (this is a gesture you do a lot of in Thailand!, be careful not to point at someones body as it is considered rude).
So the thai girl says หน่อไม้ฝรั่ง, which of course is asparagus in thai. Deeds says "Say that again" the girl then repeats  หน่อไม้ฝรั่ง. Deeds actually gave a very good attempt at repeating it as the girl pointed to the thai spelling in the menu. Yeah we are going to remember how to say หน่อไม้ฝรั่ง and read it on a menu just like the thai girl is going too!
So as much as we want to be permanent part time Bangkokians and meld right into the culture, somehow I doubt that it will happen. At best all we can hope for is to be an expatriate. We enjoy what they offer and try to experience as much of the culture as possible while looking from the outside.

As reported in the last post I have done my gardening routine here. I added to the growth on the balcony on Tuesday. While out at BGC (Bangkok Golf Club) the other day I was again marveling at the plant growth that is standard and in some parts wild every day stuff all around the course. In a few locations they have stands of  cana lilly growing in beds and then you will see them poking their heads out of numerous ponds around the course. I couldn't resist, as my mother had taught me years ago, taking a slip from a plant is not stealing, it is perpetuating the species. Especially when you are good at growing plants and things like my mom and I are. So I removed a few slips from the flower bed. Slips are parts of the plant that will reproduce with little or no encouragement. Only certain plants can achieve this phenomenon. Canna Lilly is one, all you need is a little bit of the tuber shoot and it will establish once planted. Or, as I found out, jasmine. A broken branch only needs water for a week and roots establish. Pop it into a pot and before you know it you have a jasmine tree growing on your deck! If you are ever in BKK I will show you!!
Sawadee Krup

Winter here and there............

Hello Canada. Your fearless adventurer here. As you know I made it back safe and sound to BKK. That 15 cm of snow on Saturday scared me a bit. Closed down lots of things early in the mornin. But it sure was pretty to look at, especially cause I didn't have to go out in it!

I took pictures of the snow that day and you can compare it to my desk top screen, (this one you have seen before). Diane wanted to show it to some of the locals here at her work. What the snow looks like back home.
I think they don't have a clue what they are actually looking at. I mean it would be mind bobbling wouldn't it. If you have never experienced snow before. You know it exists because you have seen the tops of mountains all white and stuff but really, do you think they know what it is?

Ask someone you know from India or another tropical place and see what they tell you about when they first came to Canada. I remember working at Celestica and we brought a dozen Mexicans up to Toronto in February for a week of project requirements gathering. They thought we hated them cause the weather to them was absolute punishment. And the snow was the cruelist thing of all. They were slipping and sliding. Could not figure out what to do with the stuff or why it existed.

So the picture above looks like this now!.   But we understand. The Thais that I talked to. Nope. You can see it in their eyes. They can not figure out how pic 1 becomes pic 2. You have to experience this stuff like we have. That is why Canada is such an awesome place. We have the best of all worlds. We are the country of seasons. That is why I love it.

Now of course there are certain advantages to living in places like Thailand. Things like fresh produce. There will be a couple of broad smiles when people see these next pics.





Barb for one and Amanada would be the other. I planted these about a month before Christmas. I harvested a small handful of tomatoes just this morning. Amanada if you were here I would definitely give you some, but since you aren't I have to eat them all myself. Yummmy!

In the first pic, the pot at the back now has an undergrowth of mint growing all around the tree that was originally planted there. The small little pot off to the right is a branch of jasmine that I snapped off a tree on my golf course. I was told "Just stick it into the ground and it will grow"................. IT IS!!
You will also see in the second pic on the right hand side of the tomatoe plant a plant with purple flowers. That is thai basil. Can't have tomatoes without the ability to put together a little bruscetta!! Anyone's mouth watering? Like the old days on the decks of West Acres huh!!

Yeah so Jer will be Jer. Growing stuff no matter where I am. Joy and small pleasures. I am hoping that the jasmine tree has some flowers for February, if I am lucky. Just gives Deeds and I one more thing to call our own and to enjoy while we are here.
 
Sawadee Krup

R & R

Hi y'all. I am back in BKK. Today is Wednesday and I have to admit my head still feels a lot like cotton balls. I will stay on the sleeping pills to try and sync up with Deeds. She was pretty happy to see me if you didn't get that drift from her post! Hehehe, it does feel good to be loved. But enough about all that stuff. I am sure that is not why you are all tuning in here.
You are looking for adventure. I know it, I can feel it through your eyes as you read on trying to find those bits of difference in lives and approaches. Well we will try to serve that up.

Right now though I am into a little R&R as the title says. I need to relax. Man oh man, Christmas and all that travel and stuff can just wear a person out. I need to get some sun as well. And a little golf wouldn't hurt. That three week break came real close to messin up my control of nothing. It's like trying to grab smoke. Just when you think you have it captured it's gone, you're busy and all anxious and stuff. Need to chill.

While I was at home I accomplished everything I needed to. LA Music -- now history. Ordered Lena's piano case from Long and McQuade. As I had expected they were awesome. Great service over the phone and all went off without a hitch. (Now let's hope they deliver the goods!!
Did some talking with the other perverbial battle of my life > Rogers Commuunications. My apologies to brother Beave who works for them. Great employer and Canadian success story, however they can be the bain of your existence. This time around I met a helpful and cheerful lady named Stephanie who referred to me as a customer with words like "loyalty and persistence" as she browsed my file. Yeah she did good by me and it is only one experience like that and you give an organization another chance.
I had a great experience with the old Lexus as well. I was very concerned about being able to put plates on. Care is over ten years old, 188K klics and a leaky catalytic converter(s). At about $400 per you don't want to replace these if you don't have to. Well I don't so all is good for two more years, or at least for the 8 months when we return.
One item I was in search of was a converter so that I could play NHL Game Center Live games on the big screen we have here in BKK. Picked up a little gizmo at Tiger Direct.
Why didn't someone tell me that the USA and Canada are the only jurisdictions in the world that use NTSC coding. The rest of the world uses PAL. And I am in the rest of the world now so off I go now looking for a converter to attach to my converter so I can get a signal that the tv here recognizes.
You cannot bring anything from North America to any other part of the world. Unbelievable!
Who is it that is so bone headed to have two different standards like that?

Shopping for house supplies and food is the afternoon task, hopefully golf tomorrow. I did get out to PGA Family golf in Oakville to hit some balls last Friday with Greg. Hard to fathom freezin your nads off one day hitting balls and then walking with shorts four days later. Small world.
Good talkin to you. Stay happy.
Sawadee Krup

Blessings

Hi all....Deeds here,
It is 11am on Saturday morning and I have just caught up on the Blogs...starting from our trip to the old capital of Thailand ....through Christmas and New Years....to the conclusion of the Mens Junior World's Hockey.

So my first message is a public love-in for my husband.  Honestly, I could not have known how much I would appreciate hearing your narration of our life .....here in Bangkok and at home.  I am soooo relieved and grateful that you are happy, because it would have really sucked to read about how much you hated it here and/or our time together!! You may be a clever little writer, but you are no faker.  It would come through loud and clear.  I am blessed.

And I echo every sentiment written to & about our family and friends at home, and the time we spent with you over the holidays.  We are blessed.

My return to Bangkok and the office this week was good.  I did some work over the holidays to help prepare me for this week...and it paid off, big time.  The close of the week ended with, perhaps my most special authentic 'Bangkok moment' to-date.

In getting the Integration Management office set up and staffed, I started to put out feelers within the two Banks for 'up and coming stars' or established stars...talented people that would like to work on the Integration and help form the new integrated Bank...and who would benefit from the experience and exposure that it would provide.  Well I met a wonderful woman, Areeya and she starts this coming Monday.

So upon my return to work on Tuesday this week, she invited me to a sort of New Year party on Friday night. She explained that it was really a Celebration for Children (which she said we all are), with some of her colleagues and staff in her current job.  And as I am solo this week, and was so honoured to be invited...I say yes.  I arrive around 6:30ish and enter a private room of the restaurant, to find 14-16 ladies seated around a large dinner table (the kind with the inner lazy-susan for moving about and sharing food), who proceed to all stand and applaud as I walk into the room.  I was a little surprised to say the least, to learn that I was the guest of honour at their little party!  We then proceed to meet each other, which is fun in of itself because many do not speak any English (other than a few words that I will describe later)...so we pretty much smile, shake hands, bow...and giggle.  They proceed to order tons and tons of food...perhaps 15 different sorts of dishes end up on the table...many in multiples.  So good, so good to have others help you explore food!  Then they present me with a gift (large wicker elephant), in thanks for attending their dinner (really !?)..and then throughout the dinner proceed to draw names from a box for each person to receive a gift (sort of a silent santa.....only each time someone received a gift...the giver confessed to being the buyer and asked/hoped that the receiver liked it!).  And each time this was done, it was met with laughter and congratulations.  About mid-way thru the dinner, they fired up a TV and karaoke machine....and the girls around the table yelled out songs to be put on, and the mic was passed around.  Most songs brought the whole group up for dancing and clapping...and much more laughter.  Now in order for you to get the full force of this moment-in-time...in this small room with beautiful Thai women and girls (aged 20 to 60ish)...great food, wrapping paper strewn about, music and dancing...there is only pepsi and orange crush in the glasses on the table.  Perhaps that I mention it, it says more about me, than them.  So the thai music is playing and being sang...thoroughly enjoying myself...and too, feeling safe enough that I won't be called up on to sing, as I simply don't know the tunes.  But then comes The Carpenter's Close to You, followed by Country Roads...and I'm starting to squirm a bit.  And finally after much encouragement I take my turn at the mic and off we go with a fantastic frolicking rendition of .....Yellow River, Yellow River, is in my mind and in my eyes.....with me at the musical helm.  Now how long has it been since you have heard that little ditty.  Well (and I'm not kidding), they liked it so much (or wanted to laugh some more), that they put the same song back on and had me sing it again!  Lucky for me, they know all the words to these few English songs...so I never had to sing alone.

As the evening came to a close, the final names were drawn for gifts and somehow my name ended up in the box, so I also received a lovely wallet from Areeya's current boss.  And she said when she handed it to me that 'I get the gift of a wallet...and the gift of Khun Areeya'.  I thanked them for including me in this special evening...and then through tears, told them how much it meant to me to move to country where I did not know a single person, and to have the good fortune to now have them as friends.  They then went around the table and all tried to say some parting words to me, using only the English vocabulary they possessed.  Two simply said....I love you. 

Wow....this really was something else.  I am blessed.

And now in closing....and to save you the steps of looking it up yourself (cause I know you want to)...I include a link to the lyrics of Yellow River:  http://www.scarletpixel.com/songs/yellow/yellowriver.html

So long, boy, you can take my place
I got my papers, I got my pay
So pack my bags and I'll be on my way . . . to Yellow River

With lots and lots of love from,  Diane, Deeds, Dee-Dee...and finally Deedles xoxoxox

Totally Devastating

Wasn't that the most heart wrenching, incredibly brutal thing to watch last night? I have been to 5 different public places today finalizing all of my Canadian activities. You couldn't get away from people talking about that game last night. The country is in shock. I am in shock. I left a Boston Pizza at the end of the second period thinking gold was the colour of things to come. Wow.
Lena's text " OH NOOOOOO!" while I was driving home put me on guard. I figured maybe the Rooskies had scored one or perhaps two. But never three. Never. When I got home and flicked the tv on I was in shock.
The worst lead in all of hockey. 3 goals. I only ever want a three goal lead on the way to four. Never want to stay on a three goal lead. Way too dangerous.
I had to get this out. From now on I don't want to talk about it anymore.
Next year!
Go Canada.

Right now it is snowing those great big winter wonderland flakes. Sitting gently on top of branches and the grass out front. Looks wonderful. Maybe this will help me forget................

Sawadee Krup

My First in 2011

Hi y'all. Happy New Year. What a glorious holiday we have had here in Canada. Filled with family and friends.
All the things that have always made this time of year a great time to look forward to.
And don't forget the hockey and the football as well. The Catholics vs Convicts rivalry was renewed with Notre Dame putting a decent beat down on Miami.  As I write this the Habs are on playing the Thrashers. At home finally as we have just gotten our butts kicked on the road. 2 and 5, yikes.
The juniors play later this afternoon, hope they can plow through and make it to the finals.

Deeds has in fact left for Bangkok already. Lena and I dropped her at the airport this morning then went and picked up a breakfast feast. Homemade BLT. Mmm Mmmm. Can't beat that.
Lena heads back to Halifax on Tuesday afternoon, then I am on my own for a few days.
Our friends here have been absolutely outstanding. With dinners and greetings galore. Deeds did a trip downtown to see her old workmates at BNS as well as a few outings for coffee, skating and other meet and greets throughout the two weeks. I will do same same this week. Although some of my friends are actually doctor appointments!! Deeds and I both want to thank Aimee and Jamie for having their beautiful daughter Naomi Talylor two weeks early while we were home so that we could see her. You see what kind of great neighbours we have here in Applewood!!

So we are going back to Bangkok now for 15 months. Diane has no plans at this stage of making it back home  for the duration of the assignment. So if you want to see her, you have to come to BKK.
We do have some visitors coming starting in late January so we will be busy entertaining and tour guiding. Looking forward to it.

Our suitcases were packed with presents and trinkets when we came and now we have them stuffed full of return presents, food, replacement or additional utensils to our kitchen, salad dressing, etc. A ton of golf balls that are desperately needed by your fearless adventurer  to cope with the uncommonly large amount of water on Thailand golf courses. We also needed some additional electronic gadgets to help make life on the 21st floor a little more bearable and those too will be stuffed into the one large  suitcase I will return with!!

So we return to BKK to continue the addventure.
Keep reading, you won't want to miss a thing as it all unfolds.
Thank you all for a wonderful beginning, the great holidays and your continued support.
Have a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year.
Diane and I both want to thank you for your friendship and your love. And also to let you know that our prayers are with you every day that we think of you, and we do think of you often.
Sawadee Krup