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