People take off their shoes before entering a house – and many shops. That makes it easy to tell who’s already there and decide whether to join them. Or not. Thai put ice in their beer. Fruit does grow on trees. This is the King of Fruit, Durian, the stinkiest and most delicious of them all. It\’s …
Good times! We\’re back to Thailand, to our friends, our condo and the days of leisure – nah, not really. All well except for a leaky toilet which flooded the neighbors two floors down. That generated a few interesting conversations, and the need to translate \”supply valve\” in Thai. We made it here unscathed, …
After years of hedging, haggling, and struggling, the time has come. We went to The City to celebrate my birthday, and get THE VISA for Thailand. We packed, overfed the cat, fought about who carries the chargers, how many shoes, and whether we needed to bring wine, then drove to Albany to take the train …
Sunday evening in the ED. The nurses and I wheeze around in a brownian motion, distributing Haldol here, Fentanyl there, turkey sandwiches everywhere. The CNA brings me an EKG to sign. Unremarkable. In our world, that’s a good thing. “Whose is it?” I ask “Room 5. Chest pain.” Born in 1950. Ripe age for a …
Still here. We\’ve been back for 3 months now. It feels like a lifetime. I\’ve been working per-diem. More than I\’d like, but we\’re always short-handed and it\’s hard to say no. Moreover every shift contributes towards the next airfare, the next Khao-soy, the next adventure. The best thing I bought was getting a new …
I was a fish out of water. It started with Boston. Coming from in-the-middle-of-nowhere Upstate New York, the tangled concrete wet oppression that is Boston is a shocker. Harried people everywhere, crowding each-other while acting as if they’re all alone in their PJs. Nobody’s making eye contact unless they are offering you a paper cup …
We\’re back. After 7 weeks in Thailand and 4 days or so of travel (including a stop in Buffalo to recover the critters and bother the kid) we\’re back home. We are reunited with Gypsy, Paxil, Sriracha (my car), Blackthorne (Steve\’s truck), the washing machine, the snow blower, and work. It was a dream. More …
I know I promised to tell you about food, but describing Thai food in 500 words is like describing the universe in one page. I thought I\’d start small and tackle breakfast. Everybody here has breakfast, often a few of them, since Thai people eat small and often. Ubiquitous Thai street chefs cook food to …
Sanuk is an essentially Thai concept. It means fun, but also enjoyable and satisfying, all at the same time. It can be about things, activities or people. Laughing is sanuk. Making new friends is sanuk. Even a funeral can be sanuk – if it\’s done right. That\’s what makes Thai people so easy to get …
They are everywhere. Large or small, clean or not, ornate or austere, the spirit houses of Thailand shelter the spirits of the land. Most Thai are Buddhists, but they are also animists, Spirits hold an important role in their lives. At homes, coffee shops, massage parlors, hotels, restaurants or small repair businesses, the Thai spirit …
