Closing the Blog

As of today, I will officially no longer update this blog. Lengthy postings are no longer something I have time energy or money to do. I will however continue to do short status updates through Facebook when I have time and money to burn at the local internet cafe. You can find me on facebook by clicking the logo to the left or just search my name. Blogging will cease here on blogger.com in 5 -4 - 3 - 2 ....................

http://www.facebook.com/

Interesting Thought for the day

One of the great things about my job here in Thailand is that I get to meet so many interesting people from around the world in a face to face setting. Today I was having a great chat with a really interesting Israeli guy and we got to talking about money. The topic of money corrupting everything from religion to politics came up, and he tossed in a really interesting point. In his somewhat broken English he told me that as human beings we are all corrupt to begin with. Money is what allows us to act upon and express our shortcomings as the flawed beings that we are. That concept definitely got my brain working and will give me some food for thought. It just goes to show that you never know when, where or from who these little tidbits will come from. In this case it was a bit of philosophy from a small Jewish Orthodox community in Israel. Enjoy.

Doing Without (a Top 10)

Things have finally quieted down for the time being, so it's time to blog today's random thoughts. Just for fun, here's a list of things I have learned to live without. Most of them, were not even imaginable to me before, and now it's just every day life. It's funny how a person can get used to certain things when the need arises. This list could certainly be much longer, but these are the ones that come to mind today. Enjoy the "top 10" list and take a few moments to look around you and see what you think you can do without.

1. Air Conditioning : One of the most wastefull machines on the planet
2. Hot Water : Who needs a hot shower when it's 110 outside?
3. Food that I recognize : I ate what? Today's lunch had scales, but certainly wasn't fish
4. Television : Gotta love the "idiot box". Ever watched Thai soap operas? Ugh!!!
5. Shoes : I always hated sandals or going barefoot, but now it feels weird to have shoes on
6. Driving : 5 minutes in the traffic here and you would feel the same. Public transportation Rocks!!!
7. Internet : What used to be everyday is now only once or twice a week for a few minutes.
8. Toilet paper : Again very wastefull, but difficult to explain to most westerners
9. Mattresses : I have a great one now, It's made of Teak. Same as the front door
10. Washing machines : I have 2 now. It's called my left and right hand.

Chaos comes to Chiang Mai

Until this week, I can honestly say that I had never set foot into anything that could be described as a war zone. Wednesday afternoon, I took a quick break from work and stepped outside when I heard the sound of helicopters overhead. I was greeted with the sight of two government choppers circling to the east and a large plume of black smoke rising from the same direction. I soon learned that UDD forces had seized Warorot bridge and begun burning everything in sight. The crisis was short lived and the military quickly took control of the bridge. A visit to the area later in the evening was almost heart breaking. This is an area that I had walked through many times. It is a rather scenic bridge with many flowers and a great view of the river. The view that night was one of devestation and carnage. Heaps of twisted metal that once formed the makeshift blockade, smoldering piles of burning tires and rubbish, burned out vehicles just sitting there still half engulfed in flames, and the remnants of the many flowerpots that once lined the edges of the bridge strewn over the road shattered into bits. Strangely, we were allowed to make our way through the scene without any trouble, but approaching the bridge we were met with a full military blockade with rows of soldiers sporting full riot gear, M-16s, and shotguns. Needless to say, we didn't venture much further.

For now things have quieted down and the city has been under a full nightime curfew for the last few days. Even the 7-Elevens close at 9pm. It's so quiet that it's almost creepy. We all just keep watching and waiting, but hopefully the worst has passed.

The Chaos Continues

I must admit that this whole thing has gone alot farther than I ever expected it to. Follow the links below to see some of the recent coverage by the BBC. The videos are quite revealing as to the magnitude of the events going on here.

This first video is of Saturday's protests that left 20 dead and over 800 injured. This is the largest clash to date in the current conflict.

The second video was taken today (Sunday) as the press and locals viewed the aftermath. The military had backed down leaving an entire armored column behind. An impressive feat by unarmed protesters using homemade bombs.

The worst is all situated down south, but things have been ramping up here in the north as UDD protesters have stormed government building here in Chiang Mai and Udon Thani this weekend. As always, I just try to "fly low" and keep my head down. I've got enough problems without getting in the middle of all that. Please keep the people and leaders of Thailand in your prayers. Hopefully cooler heads will prevail. I've heard some pretty big "booms and bangs" here this weekend, but no corresponding fireworks to light up the sky. Spooky at best.

Govt Announces State of Emergency

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva came on national television at 6 p.m. today to announce a state of emergency for Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and some districts in Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, and Ayuthaya to control the red-shirt protest.

He said with the rally by the red-shirt group since March 12, the government has tried hard to prevent unrest for the country. However, this endeavor has not been successful. The rally has led to a violation of the law and the Constitution and has caused great inconvenience for the people, the economy, and foreign confidence in Thailand.

The situation has been especially difficult in the past two days. And today, the country saw the invasion of Parliament.

He said, therefore, today's special Cabinet meeting has decided to announce a state of emergency.

The prime minister added that the government wants the situation to return to normal, prevent misleading information that provokes social divide, prosecute rally leaders, and pave the way for effective prevention of acts of violence.

This state of emergency announcement is not intended to prosecute or go after innocent members of the public but is aimed at normalizing the situation.

The government has appointed Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban to oversee the enforcement of the state of emergency.

-- Tan Network 2010-04-07

Happy Easter

Once again, another western holiday has managed to sneak up on me. The stores aren't littered with chocolate bunnies, Easter baskets, or the ever annoying plastic green grass stuffing. The Easter bunny didn't hide any eggs, and the Easter dinner consisted of a Thai omelet over rice with a heaping helping of chili peppers and hot sauce. At least I found a way to get an egg in there somewhere. I actually had missed the boat altogether and it wasn't until late in the evening when I checked my email and realized it was Easter. Some of the "high class" tourist joints were advertising "Easter Dinner", but I tend to eat in the "low class" and sometimes "no class" places. It's literally 1/10th the price of the foreigner friendly shops and the food is so much healthier. I get my share of funny looks when I'm eating at places like Somphet Market, but I'm quite used to that by now.

Happy Easter Everyone.

An Incredible Day

Today was the crowning jewel on my week. I had the rare opportunity to share a big stage with some very talented musicians at the Chiang Mai Smile Music festival. I had a great time, played a great show, and had an even better time watching my friends share the spotlight. This was a huge event, and the photos below should give you an idea of the size. Pics of me and my band are coming soon courtesy of the event organizers and local newspaper photographer. For now, enjoy the pics of my friends Pan and Jojo from the band NYOK.

Blood on the Bricks in Bangkok

The "Red Shirts" have followed through on the promise to pour the blood of the people on the Government steps. This news is shocking by western standards and quite brutal to watch. I was quite shocked to see that they followed through with it. Watching it was quite the experience as thousands showed up to donate blood and have it poured out of water jugs onto the steps of government buildings. I must admit that no political party back in the USA would ever have the guts to pull off such a move. I admire their ambition even if I don't fully understand the motives. The full story is below. I must warn you that some of the images are a bit graphic, but demonstrate accurately the scene here in Thailand.

BANGKOK (AFP) -- Protesters spilled their own blood at the gates of Thailand's government headquarters Tuesday in a colourful act of political theatre designed to propel their fugitive hero back to power.

Thousands of "Red Shirts" loyal to deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra queued up during the day to donate blood in makeshift tents, where it was poured from syringes into five-litre water bottles for the bizarre spectacle.

Red leaders said they had collected 300 litres (530 pints) of blood, far short of their aim of 1,000 litres, most of which they poured at the Government House gates in the late afternoon to press their demand for snap elections.

They later took some of the blood to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's Democrat party offices for a second protest, where a Hindu priest began the symbolic spilling by invoking a curse against the government.

The demonstrators said they would march to Abhisit's residence in central Bangkok on Wednesday morning as they step up their campaign, though the premier will not be there.

The bloody show was the latest part of a pro-Thaksin demonstration which has drawn up to 100,000 protesters to the streets of Bangkok since the weekend, according to police, watched over by 50,000 security forces personnel.

The Hindu priest, wearing a traditional white outfit and with bare feet, knelt down in the blood to wipe his hands in it, before raising them aloft. Others then joined in, creating pools of blood at the steps of the offices.

"This blood is to show our commitment in calling for democracy. This is an important curse ritual," said Red leader Nattawut Saikur.

The Red Shirts, whose numbers appeared to be dwindling on Wednesday, held the blood bottles in the air triumphantly as they rode on trucks followed by thousands of supporters and monitored by riot police.

They are protesting against the perceived elitism and illegitimacy of the Abhisit government, which came to power via a December 2008 parliamentary vote after a controversial court ruling ousted Thaksin's allies.

Last month another court decision confiscated 1.4 billion dollars from Thaksin, whose followers are largely from the poor rural north and fervently support the populist policies he introduced before being ousted in a 2006 coup.

They began their blood drive on Tuesday morning despite hygiene concerns raised by health officials. Organisers insisted only qualified medics were collecting donations, using one needle per person.

"It doesn't hurt. I'll do any activity the leaders say, I'm willing to participate because I want a democracy," said Somsak Janprasert, 63, a retired railway official from Bangkok.

"This is a very symbolic way to express that our blood, the people's blood, is power," he said.

On Monday the Red Shirts spent several hours massed outside an army barracks on the northern outskirts of Bangkok where Abhisit and his government were holed up amid fears of violence by saboteurs.

The premier rejected the crowd's demands to dissolve parliament and call elections, and on Tuesday he again stood firm against their calls.

"A decision cannot be made between protesters and the government, because it is related to the whole country," he said on television from the barracks.

A joint session of both houses of parliament was postponed on Tuesday due to the lack of a quorum, with some lawmakers fearing for their safety in the ongoing demonstrations, parliamentary officials said.

At a separate army barracks across the city, four grenades exploded on Monday, wounding two soldiers and raising tensions. It was not clear if the attacks were linked to the Red Shirts, whose leaders denied involvement.

Since the coup that ousted Thaksin, Thailand has been rocked by protests from both supporters and opponents of the former premier, who lives abroad to avoid a jail term for corruption.

Thaksin, who was spotted over the weekend in Montenegro, made an impassioned plea to supporters by a video link to Bangkok on Monday evening for the third consecutive night, urging them to fight on.

First "Red Shirt" Outbreak Video

This video marks the first documented outbreak of violence in the growing anti govt rally here in Thailand. I'm not sure what the guy did to anger the "red shirt" in the back of the P.A. truck, but he got a piece of his megaphone in a very "non verbal" way. More noticeable is the amount of police and military presence and a near instantaneous response time. The many cameras running about is also interesting and hopefully will continue to keep people on their best behavior.

Thailand Prepares for the Worst

My movements have become slightly restricted for the next few days as the civil unrest here in Thailand comes to a boiling point. The whole thing could become a "much ado about nothing", but better safe than sorry. The government opposition party (the "Red Shirts") have a big demonstration planned for the weekend, and the authorities have started implementing "special security precautions". Current predictions state that the demonstration could be over 1 million people strong. I could write a book on the who, where, and why of the situation, but the simple fact of the matter is that there is a certain amount of tension in the air. Bomb warnings have been issued for banks throughout the country, and airport delays/closures have been predicted. The government has deployed an additional 20,000 police officers and 30,000 military troops in the capitol. The next 36 hours will tell whether things will stay peaceful or not.

An End of an Era

This will probably be my last blog post for a while as I prepare to slip under the radar here. Things have gotten a bit spooky as far as finances and business goes. I wont even mention the immigration issue as it gets even spookier. I want to wish a big thanks to all my readers and friends for following my life here in southeast Asia so far, and I hope to continue blogging at some point in the future. For the time being, maintaining a constant internet connection is no longer cost effective and the time has come to fly low and try to make it to the next stopping point wherever that may be. Returning to the states is no longer an option, and it seems that my bridges have been burned when it comes to my old life in the west. I am thankful for all the new friends and family that I have met here, but I will have to make the next leg of this journey on my own. I'm not sure exactly where that will take me, but my days here are numbered. I've already received more kindness and generosity here than I ever thought possible, but the time has come to "keep my head down" and figure out what to do next. I've made my share of mistakes here, but also had some amazing experiences as well. I would not trade a single minute for anything else. I hope that the next step will offer the same. I wish everyone well, and I hope to continue this story on the flipside of wherever it takes me.

Best of luck to all,

Matt

6,000 guns and explosives stolen from barracks

Just when I thought things might be getting a bit boring around here, something like this pops up. The local civil unrest just got a little more lively!! Yes, that's 6,000 full auto assault rifles and an undisclosed amount of explosives unaccounted for. In a country where personal ownership of firearms is nearly unheard of unless you are in law enforcement, that's a very staggering total. Needless to say, the current "civil" uprising may not be civil for long. Several foreign governments issued travel warnings for this area a few weeks ago, and we all dismissed it as media hype. Maybe they knew something we didn't. People here can be a little hot headed when it comes to politics, and adding a few thousand AK-47's into the mix should make things interesting. The latest bank bombing in Bangkok was only about a week ago, but there were no injuries. This could make things a little more up close and personal. If the "red shirts" do in fact have them, I'll be glad to be deep in friendly territory. If the insurgents down south have them, I'll be staying as far north as I can. The full story is below.

BANGKOK: -- Acting Thai government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn confirmed on Sunday that an urgent investigation was being conducted into “a massive loss of weapons and explosives” from an army base in the southern province of Phattalung.

According to Mr Panitan, a police report was filed last Thursday and investigators are attempting to determine whether the weapons have fallen into the hands of insurgents in the south, or the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), aka the red-shirts, who plan to hold its million man march and rally commencing this Friday, March 12, in an attempt to oust the government.

Informed sources claim about 6,000 assault rifles and a large amount of explosives were taken from Engineering Regiment 401, part of the Fourth Army Region, in Phatthalung Province, and the theft was only discovered on Tuesday.

Mr. Panitan said the investigation was focusing on the possibility the theft was “an inside job” and that since the loss, security at other army weapons warehouses, especially in Bangkok, has been tightened.

The revelation of the theft follows comments yesterday by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva that recent intelligence reports had pointed to the possibility of sabotage taking place on March 14.

Mr. Abhisit said that the government's Security-Related Situation Monitoring Committee had received information that acts of sabotage aimed at creating chaos were being planned by red-shirt sympathisers.

When questioned about the matter, Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the Army had no such intelligence.

Sean Boonpracong, international media spokesman for the UDD, said protesters coming to Bangkok on March 12 are being repeatedly told not to bring weapons to the rally and UDD security personnel will be checking people for weapons prior to and during the rally.

“We’re constantly stressing to people that the only “weapon” they should bring is a camera to photograph anything that the government might instigate and to photograph the checkpoints along their route.

“If UDD security personnel detect anyone with weapons then that person will be handed over to government security agents”, Mr. Boonpracong said.

Linguistics, Logic, and the Lack Thereof

I remember, years ago, while working in the States how tricky things could get when dealing with immigrants who spoke a foreign language. In my hometown, most foreigners were from Mexico and spoke Spanish along with a little broken English. I'm not a racist by any means, but I used to get really annoyed when conducting any sort of business with them. If a transaction got too complicated or they were not liking the outcome, the broken English would turn into zero English. It seemed almost like flipping a switch or pouting when they didn't get their way. My most memorable experience was a group of rather rowdy Mexican neighbors. The time was about 3:00 AM, and they were still outside drinking, partying, and blasting Mariachi music. The entire time, I could hear them speaking in plain English until the police arrived. Suddenly, it was all "No Habla Ingles" and it took another hour for a bilingual officer to show up. I found this particularly annoying as they used a language barrier as means to an end. The "end" in this case was another hour of partying while I tried to sleep.

Moving on to the year 2010 and myself now living in a foreign country. I will be perfectly honest with you, my spoken Thai is just about as bad as it gets. I understand alot more than I'm comfortable speaking. It's easy to get lazy here because so many people here do actually speak a small amount of English. Last week, I found myself locked into an argument negotiating with a taxi driver over a ridiculously high fare quote. He wanted 100 baht for a quick trip to the gate on the other side of the moat. 40 or even 60 would have been appropriate. I can usually walk it on foot in about 20 or 30 minutes, but I was late to meet a friend. He used his broken English to explain that there is a one way street and you must go all the way around the moat. Yes, there is a one way that goes all the way around, but there are also plenty of other routes that cut right through. After trying to explain this, I was just pretty much ready to throw my hands up and walk away. I then realized that I was no better than "Mister No Habla Ingles" back in America. I managed to butcher a few street names and directions in Thai, and got my 40 baht fare. Granted, I still had to walk an extra block to get exactly where I wanted to go, but I got what I wanted for a reasonable price.

The one really interesting thing for me if what I call "Tinglish". It's the way that many Thais speak English to foreigners. Most of it is far from correct, but at least it's universal for the most part. Once you learn what the common misused words and grammar mistakes are, you can understand most people who speak "Tinglish". I only get really annoyed when I hear two American foreigners speaking in broken English TO EACH OTHER!!!

• Bob: Restaurant (points) you like?
• Joe: Yes, take away good!
• Bob: Yes, same same me. You want?
• Joe: Money small today
• Bob: No worry. I pay you

TRANSLATION:

• Bob: Do you like this restaurant
• Joe: Yes, they have good take out food!
• Bob: Yes, I like it also. Would you like to get something to eat?
• Joe: Sorry, I don't have much money with me today
• Bob: That's alright, I'll take care of it

I tend to hang my head in shame when I hear this sort of thing. You almost know immediately that these guys have been spending most of their waking moments re-learning English from the ever so colorful (but not so bright) ladies in the local "service industry", but that is a topic for another post.

Last weekend I got a bit of a "blast from the past" as I performed at a Thai "biker run" in Mae Rim. 300 big bikes and alot of bikers made for a great afternoon and memories that will last a lifetime. It took me back to the old days in the USA playing similar events. Trade the pine trees for palm trees, and it's all just the same. It was a great day with friends playing music and having a great time in the wide open spaces. Check out the pics below to see what it was like. It was just like home, but without the usual BS that goes along with such an event. Enjoy.

Note: the image links are not working, but I am working on them. I am aware of the issue, and will try to correct it ASAP. Thanks for your patience.

A belated posting

I'd like to say I've been a bit lazy here on the blog, but the truth is I've been too busy to update it. In the past week I've been a waiter, a bus boy, a musician, and a sound tech. I'm working my tail off trying to make ends meet and having a great time here in Thailand. My friends have given me some great opportunities, but it's still a 3rd world country when it all boils down. You work for next to nothing, but anything is still better than nothing. Working a 12 hour day for about 3 US dollars kinda sucks, but being able to afford a meal at the end of the day is priceless. A measly 100 Baht (about $3.00 U.S.) can go a long way here when you're hungry. That's a weeks worth of food in most Thai places. Tonight, I've got a full belly and a pretty lady knocking at my door. "Nid" is a blessing in disguise as she stops by to see me and keeps me on the "straight and narrow" path. She's a simple farm girl from Nong Khai on the Lao border, but has become a close friend and companion. She may be "ordinary" by local standards, but she treats me well and is always a welcome addition to my life here on the "wrong side of the planet". I am the first and only "farang" she has known, but we do have a good time trading language lessons back and forth. We trade word for word in the lessons, and it has been a good learning experience.

Switching to Google Chrome

I've never been much of one to comment on technology here on this blog, but necessity has become the mother of invention and in my case change. Years ago, I switched to the Mozilla based Firefox Web browser. It was a streamlined browser that did everything I wanted and nothing I didn't. As versions progressed, it slowly started becoming the behemoth that MS Internet Explorer had. Continually chewing through memory and system resources, it became a constant source of frustration. About a year ago, I was first introduced to Google's new browser "Chrome". I tried it, but was not yet willing to make the switch. Today, after Firefox ate up all my memory and locked up my machine for the third time, I had enough. I fired up Google Chrome and it was smooth sailing for the rest of the weekend. I imported my bookmarks and went right to work. Even the resource hungry Yahoo mail website didn't seem to phase it. The best part is that there is also a portable version that can be installed on a USB flash drive. I can take my browser, bookmarks, passwords, and browsing history with me anywhere in my pocket or on my keychain. Just plug it into the nearest USB port in an internet cafe and you have everything you need at your fingertips. It saves alot of time especially when these places charge by the minute to use a PC and internet connection. Look below for download links to try it for yourself. I don't make a penny on either one, and both are free to download. Enjoy!!

Check out the Portable Version Here

A day in Pictures

As I make my way around this city, I often forget how old it really is. Today I needed to run an errand across town and as always decided to go on foot. For a change today, I decided to take my camera and risk looking like one of the many tourists which annoy me so greatly. My trek took me through the old part of the city that is still surrounded by a moat and the remnants of the centuries old city walls and gates. I put another 10 kilometers on my feet today. I'm hoping for an easy night at work tonight. Enjoy the pics.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL PHOTO SET

Fun With the Royal Thai Police (updated)

Today's writing comes with two little tidbits of advice. First of all, If you ever have to deal with the Royal Thai Police force, I strongly advise against it. Secondly, when you are helping your friend move furniture from his old house to his new house, make sure the neighbors know who you are and what you are doing. Failure to do so will inevitably invoke a visit from the fore mentioned Royal Thai Police force.

Here's the story. My German friend called me up and asked if I could help him move. I gladly obliged especially after the promise of a free meal. Along with one of my Thai friends, we managed to come up with a couple small trucks, and set out to do the deed on Sunday. Upon arrival, we started moving furniture out into the driveway in preparation for loading it into the trucks. No sooner than we finished moving everything out, I noticed a Thai policeman standing at the gate. In his left hand was a cell phone camera, and his right placed firmly on what I quickly identified as a Colt Python .357 Magnum. At that point I heard probably the only word of English he knew "STOP!". And it worked!

So, here we are:

1. An American who speaks English and limited Thai.
   
2. A German who speaks German, some English but better Thai than me
3. A Thai who speaks Thai and (somewhat correct) English.
4. A Thai Policeman who speaks Thai and knows how to say "STOP!"
5. Two nosy Thai neighbor ladies who are somehow related to the landlady
6. The Thai landlady (on the phone) who speaks NO English

The first thought that crossed my mind was one that I will spare you from reading. After about an hour or so of playing the language barrier game, it all boiled down to the rightful owner of a laundry rack. An agreement couldn't be made without the presence of the landlady and the laundry rack in question. Neither of which could be at the house at that particular moment. A future meeting time and date was set for the landlady to view said laundry rack and allow for the rest of the furniture to be removed. So, we then spent the next hour moving all the furniture BACK inside the house. It's all the fun of moving only you don't actually take anything anywhere.

Tomorrow will be round two, and hopefully this was my last encounter with the Thai Police. I will give the guy some credit though. He managed to take command of the situation and utilize all the different translation possibilities he could. By the end, I actually saw him crack a smile when a resolution was reached.

UPDATE: Moving day number two was not quite so eventful, but did get quite expensive for my friend. The deed is done, and the laundry rack has been lost. My friend still claims that it was his, but not worth arguing about anymore. At 7:00am he met the landlords at the house and they made a full list of what items were his and what items belonged to the property. Minus the laundry rack, he was pleased. The issue with the deposit however was not so simple. They refused to refund his 8,000 baht deposit despite the house being in immaculate condition. In addition, they demanded the payment of an additional 3,000 baht for "their" trouble, and failure to pay would result in another visit from the police. He paid the money, but while removing the rest of the furniture, the landlord laid claim to a couple more pieces of my friend's furniture. When we asked to look at the list that they had agreed to it suddenly turned up missing. At this point it was just time to cut our losses and walk away. What a nightmare. When dealing with the local law, it is always the foreigner who is in the wrong. Trying to prove otherwise is generally more expensive and time consuming than just paying the fee, fine, or whatever else they cook up.

Traffic and other Wildlife

It's kind of funny how a person can get used to the strangest things. I do alot of walking in this city which has been difficult to adapt to in itself. Many hours and kilometers on foot every day has probably saved my life in many ways and gives me a great deal of time to sort out the contents of my head. This morning I took my walk down to the market and truly had to stop and think about the trek that I make quite often here. Walking down to the main intersection is usually pretty uneventful, but getting across can be a chore. I did my usual casual bob and weave through eight lanes of traffic going every which way you can imagine. Taxis, tuk tuks, rickshaws, motorbikes, and buses all whizzing past me sometimes coming only inches from running over my toes, but it's the only way to get across. Even the wildlife gets in on the action. During any walk about town it's not uncommon to see wild dogs roaming the streets as well as cats and the occasional elephant. Lizards abound in this country and can be seen everywhere. My room is a regular haunt for the little yellow ones. I don't mind them, but there are the big green ones outside in the market that still creep me out a little. The biggest I've seen was about a foot long, and he just sat there on the table staring at me while I drank a cup of coffee. The guy who runs the little restaurant down the street went fishing yesterday by the river and came back with a cobra of all things. That certainly got my attention because I regularly stop for some shade under the same bridge he fishes off of.

After safely navigating the intersection and steering clear of a few dogs that were giving me the eye, the next major sight is the elementary school. Today all the boys were in the schoolyard. They all wear uniforms here, and you can tell about what grade they are in by the color and style of the uniform. They always see me coming and run up to the fence yelling "hello" in English and teasing me in Thai calling out "khwai khao" which means "white buffalo". I usually put my fingers up to my head like horns and they all laugh as I pass by.

Next up is the outdoor market which runs for miles along the sidewalks next to the river. There you can find just about anything you could possibly want or need. From a quick cheap meal to a new pair of socks, it's all there, and if you can speak a little Thai you can get most stuff for about half the sticker price.

Coming back meant running the traffic gauntlet again and a little time to relax before running my other errands before work, and it just hit me. I make this little trip a few times a week without even really thinking about how unusual it really is. It's definitely not where I pictured myself in the year 2010, but I'll take what I can get. Tonight I've been invited to dinner with one of my neighbors. I'm told that BBQ pork spare ribs are on the menu and done American style by a guy from Montana. It should be a rare treat, and I've been looking forward to it all day.

Rainy Days

We are still months away from the "rainy season" here in this part of the world, but mother nature has decided to cut loose with the waterworks anyway. When it rains here it pours, and it's like standing in the shower with the water on full blast. On one hand, it can make things feel a little dismal, but on the other it has a way of knocking all the junk out of the air. When the weather is hot, it's tempting to just stand out in the rain for a few minutes, but I've been warned against it. It seems that the rain can be a little toxic as it picks up pollution from the sky on the way down. The one really nice side effect of the rain is that it works like a giant toilet flush on the city's open sewer system. Things tend to get a bit of a funky smell in the streets after a few weeks without rain. Between the trash in the gutters and the open sewers under the sidewalks, things can get to smelling pretty ripe. Nothing like the odor of "dead rat" on your way to breakfast to get your appetite going. For now, all the dead rats and other smelly stuff have been flushed out into the Mae Ping river and are on their way downstream to Bangkok and the gulf. Fishing anyone? I think about the funniest sight this week was a little Thai guy zipping past me in the rain on a motor scooter while carrying an open umbrella. I'll give him a "A" for effort, but I was waiting for a gust of wind to carry him off like Mary Poppins.

A Little time for Reflection

As the days run along here, I'm constantly reminded of how short life really is. Living here in Thailand has taught me many things. Some good and some bad. Learning the language has been a challenge, but has been very rewarding. Doing odd jobs around the city for a little food and money has gained me many friends and some that have become like brothers. I have been accepted into more homes and families than I could have possibly imagined. I won't make any bones about it. Life here is rough, and it just gets rougher as time goes on. On one hand, this place is like paradise. On the other, it's still a third world country. Poverty and hardship still reign supreme, but the people are absolutely amazing. Most would give you the shirt off their backs if they thought you needed it, and quite frankly a few have. Somebody is always giving me something when I'm down and out. No matter how big or small. Some days it may be just sharing a bag of "sticky rice" or a piece of fruit. The next day it might be a gift of a shirt that no longer fits and gets passed along to me. When I have a little, I share with those who have helped me and even a few strangers. It always comes back ten-fold. That is the Buddhist way. Christ taught the same thing and oddly enough I remember the scripture.

Luke 6:38

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

The people here practice this philosophy to the tenth power and truly live by these principles. I feel truly blessed to be among such wonderful people despite the hardships I face.

That's all for now. I'm gonna catch a little sleep and start all over again in the morning.

New Year's day in Siam

As with just about any major event here, the locals use it just as another excuse to blow stuff up in the sky. The typical western New Year's eve is celebrated here much like it is in the U.S. People everywhere flock to the night clubs and private parties to have a good time and await the countdown to the new calender year. For the first time since the Loi Krathong festival, the police were out on the streets in full force after dark. Normally, most of them go home after dark on most nights. The television news greatly exaggerated last new year's traffic accident stats, but a quick check of a local independent newspaper had some slightly more accurate (but still alarming) statistics.

From the Chiang Mai Mail Newspaper:

“Chiang Mai hopes to see the number of road accident decrease from last year by 5%,” Last year, over the 7 dangerous days of the New Year holidays, December 29 to Janauary 4, Chiang Mai Province had 2,375 injuries with 339 accidents daily There were 33 fatalities and traffic accidents were the principal cause of death, with 82 percent dying as a consequence."

Yes folks, that is 339 accidents DAILY over a seven day stretch. That's over 2,300 traffic accidents in one week. Needless to say, I haven't been and won't be accepting any motorbike rides for a few days.

The night proved to be pretty mundane for me. I met with a friend for a quick game of pool before work, and made my way down the street to make my nightly chicken scratch. The countdown came and everyone went outside as the fireworks all over the city began to light up the sky. Once again, the floating hot air sky lanterns filled the sky by the thousands and the fireworks thundered overhead. Occasionally, the two would collide in a rather ironic twist of fate. The lanterns are seen as good luck and a way of sending your troubles to "float away" into the infinity of the night sky. Imagine being the poor little Thai guy who's lantern get's intercepted by a firework mortar. Bummer dude.

CLICK HERE FOR A FEW FIREWORKS AND LANTERN PICS

I made my way home on foot, and did my best to sleep as the fireworks peppered the sky till nearly dawn. New years day, things were back to normal and an afternoon nap got me caught up on my sleep. I had the day and night off, but thankfully a couple of my neighbors were home also to help break the monotony of Thai television and "mullah".

Pretty soon, they will do it all over again for Chinese New Year in February, and then once more in April for Songkran (the Thai New Year).

That's all for now. I just keep pushing along here. My current immigration status is "questionable" at the moment, but I just continue to keep my head down and fly low till I can get it straightened out. I've still got a few options, but it's still just a daily question mark as to when I'll be able to move a little more freely again.

Happy New Year (สวัสดีปีใหม่ )