I am usually not good at making New Year’s resolutions, and I am worse at keeping them if I make them at all. So I really surprised myself last week when I decided to do something for the New Year. I’m not sure if I should call it a resolution (sounds too formal, fixed, and final!) or a goal (sounds more positive, and forgiving if […]
This is Thailand… It costs an arm and a leg!
Or mostly just a leg. Here is a display for prostheses that was at a recent race I ran.
“Mehlee Kreet-sa-mat!”
Translation: Merry Christmas! It is Christmas season — the third week of Advent, actually — and I’m a little behind in my usual Christmas-holiday-spirit. I’m trying to figure out why. I don’t think it’s because of the weather (I know some of you could never fathom a Christmas without snow, let alone a winter with highs in the mid 80’s. Christmases in SoCal aren’t too […]
Everyday Life
Here are some pictures of things I’ve run into recently, in the everyday “humdrum” of living in Thailand. As if anything here could be “humdrum.” The coming winter brings with it race season!
Shame on me! So here’s an update
I am a bad blogger. Maybe when I write blogs they could turn out alright, but as far as sitting down and actually writing them, well….. I hang my head in shame. Here are some updates from the last month or so… John, Nok, and Iew were baptized in September! These are my small group members who came to Christ at the beginning of this […]
Makro … or, the Ups and Downs of a Motorbike
Makro is a “cash and carry” warehouse store in Thailand – just think Costco or Sam’s Club. I don’t know exactly what “cash and carry” is supposed to mean… oh well. At any rate, you buy things in bulk and they don’t put your merchandise in bags. Sound familiar? I know they have a member card, which I’m not sure you have to pay for, […]
If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the … country?
It is definitely summer here. Summer means dry heat heat heat, which you can definitely feel. Summer also means pollution. A few days of rain here and there definitely help though! In case you missed my list on Facebook, here are a few things for how you can know it’s almost summer: 1. I have to use fans in my house again, and my hair […]
Beer and Buddha
Buddhism is based on 5 Precepts: Avoid 1) killing, 2) stealing, 3) sexual misconduct, 4) lying, and 5) intoxication (both drugs and alcohol). This final precept is practiced in many ways throughout Thailand. Stores are not allowed to sell alcohol on Buddhist holidays, but the most prominent expression is at temples — it is prohibited (even illegal, with prison time or fines) to sell or drink alcohol on […]
Elevator Music and a Magic Water Cup
The first thing I noticed was the lack of soft jazz elevator music. As I looked at the bare walls and windows, I almost missed the familiar teal and mauve textured wallpaper. The lights seemed whiter, sharper, more painful. The buzzing and squealing from the equipment seemed to have a higher pitch and a deeper resonation in my jaw. Then I remembered, I’m in Thailand: […]
Did I hear what I thought I heard? … Yes.
The other day I was sitting at the Honda dealer waiting for my motorbike to be serviced. A non-Thai man came up to the front and was looking at new motorbikes to buy. The salesperson was trying to help him. The conversation went like this (everything in italics was spoken in the Thai language): Customer: What about this one? What kind of warranty does it […]