Terry Fox and Dano come to town!

Our good friend Dano dropped in on Thailand for a few weeks to catch up with her sister, get fitted for her new wedding dress and hang out with us. What a treat!
Just in time for the annual Bangkok Terry Fox run. So great to see great traditions like this alive and well all over the globe. A good cause is a good cause no matter what the culture.
Lots of shopping trips , dinners and massages fill out time together. It is so great having a little bit of home around to share the experiences with.

Floods and Thursday Rides

Every Thursday a group of teachers get together after school to go on a "little bike ride". I decided to join the group and see what it was all about. The "little" ride turns out to be 50 km long and the route is mostly over on a small island called Ko Kret. Getting over to the island involves a small water taxi - fee: "6 cents" and some back street navigation. Once you arrive, it is as if you have stepped into another world. Rice patties, palm trees, pottery cottage industries and long open stretches of traffic free-road create a fantastic break from the Bangkok hustle and bustle.

The rainy season has just ended but this year has been especially wet for the river people. Due to heavy rains in the north there has been quite alot of flooding along the Chao Phraya (main river that runs through Bangkok). It does not affect us in any way but if you were to own any river front real estate then life has been quite damp for a while (see below). People are quite used to this seasonal river elevation changes but it amazes me that they all have smiles on their faces while they are ankle deep in dirty water. During this last month of flooding the people of Ko Kret have all banded together in a massive "sand-bagging" campaign in an attempt to hold back the river. It was really quite something to witness.

Love the Thursday Rides!





















This is where you buy your river taxi ticket. "wet feet!"

Living in Thailand.............stories from housing and big snakes.

I just had to pass along this excerpt from an email we recieved yesterday from our fantastic housing coordinator Dennis. I could not make this up even if I tried.

"As many of you know, last Thursday night a (~4 meters long, 30kg) was found near the garbage area at housing. The guards did the right thing by capturing the snake. On Friday morning, while at school, I was informed that the snake had been caught. I communicated with K. Usa that in the interests of residents’ safety - in particular small children and the guards who patrol at night - the snake be moved away from housing and taken either to the zoo or to a location away from here. It went without saying that in this culture that values all forms of life, the snake would not be harmed. While some residents offered that the snake was harmless, I was not prepared to make a decision on that assumption when other people’s safety was in question. This snake wasn’t just in my backyard, it was in everyone’s. And I was not going to be the guy who decided it would be okay to have around, only to have it hurt someone later on. This was a decision I would have to live with and it simply wasn’t worth the risk."

Never a dull moment here in Thailand.

What better way to jump into Thai culture then to.........

.............go to a Jay-Z concert.

That's right the Jigga-man, Mr. HOVA himself was here with his main man Memphis Bleek and his new protege Rihanna to entertain the Thai masses. I'm a big fan of seeing concerts in foreign lands, so off we went to see what Beyonce and all of the world's thugs' have been raving about. That night, like most things only accessable to wealthy Thai's was WAY over the top. Comeplete with a Bling'ed out Tuc-Tuc, 3 on 3 basketball court and crazy Thai breakdancers, this event gave new meaning to the term "over-stimulated". Fun nonetheless.

A few observations:

1. Jay-Z is actually quite talented
2. Thai people really don't respond well to rappers asking them "Give them some noise!"
3. The world is truly flat..................and so is Rihanna's voice.

Jeff and I hit the gym - Muay Thai style!

The basic offensive techniques in Muay Thai use fists, elbows, shins, feet, and knees to strike the opponent. Muay Thai is often a fighting art of attrition, where opponents exchange blows with one another. With the success of Muay Thai in mixed martial arts fighting, it has become the de facto martial art of choice for competitive stand-up fighters.

We decided to jump into a local gym and join.

Two hours later, I couldn't feel my legs!

Good work out though :)

Kho Samui part 2

Ko Samui - The Bann Talay Experience

So on Monday the gang from Canada flew out to a popular Thai island called Ko Samui to a private villa called Bann Talay. Katie and I took two personal days off and flew out to meet them on Wendesday. Over the next 5 days we redefined what it meant to be "spoiled" and enjoyed our new accomodations. Located on a private section of Talya beach this villa (click here for info) complete with full time chef, three staff, and a Scottish hostss named Fiona (cute!!) , it helped us gain a little insight into the lifestyles of the rich and famous.


Holy Shnikey! This place was amazing. Thanks to Scotty's great negotiation skills, a timely Thai military coup and the low period in the tourist season we were able to stay at this villa for a FRACTION of what it normally costs. Those four days were some of the most decadent I have ever experienced and now fear that my life only be downhill from here :). Hightlights from the weekend include: the food, the day trip to a Anthong National Park, pool side chats and amazing weather. The pics say it all.