observations, humor, and nonsense
I’m regularly asked about moving to Thailand (and now I’m being asked about Cambodia). There was a point when I was emailed so often I considered creating a standard reply, but in the end laziness reigned supreme. Interestingly, I’ve made friends though these initial inquiries. I’ve met up with a few and one time I…
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I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but I’ve been getting Thai massages for years and I’m always on the lookout for THE ONE. In case you’ve missed it, I’ve already talked about all the wrong ones you are likely to meet so I figured it was high time that I write about the practical and…
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*updated 2 Feb 2018 Recently I’ve been traveling around Thailand and it’s driving me batty because I’m such a homebody, but I love seeing new places, too. I know, I’m so complicated. And even though I no longer live in Chiang Mai, I’ve had to return there several times to go to Chiang Dao, Ubon…
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One could argue that Thailand’s coffee culture started in Chiang Rai with the original Doi Chaang Coffee shop and restaurant opening here. It certainly helps that coffee is grown locally. Lee’s Akha Ama Coffee is grown nearby, as is his apprentice’s – Tu’s from Nangnon Coffee. So it’s little wonder that interesting coffee shops have…
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Normally, I prefer to be sober. But for my latest trip outside the country, I wished I had better and heavier drugs than cough drops and cold medicine. Perhaps it would have made my visa run more enjoyable, then again, probably not. I stayed over in Nong Khai on my way back from Vientiane, and…
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UPDATE AS OF 2019, YOU NEED TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE THAI EMBASSY TO GET YOUR VISA BEFORE YOU MAKE ANY TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS. I hate the Vientiane visa run. Even though I’ve done it a few times, and even experienced an unforeseen problem, I still endured a special kind of hell that is reserved…
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I remember the first time I was turned on by poetry. I was in high school Freshman or Sophomore English, and the poem was Carl Sandburg’s Chicago. Generally speaking, I was greatly turned on by the poetry we were reading, but Sandburg’s Chicago was different, gritty, and decidedly real. It wasn’t about love, or love…
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The day had already involved rescuing this little guy from our refrigerator, and getting bit on the lip by a bee on the way to Rai Mae Fah Luang (or Mae Fah Luang Art & Cultural Park), so why not add getting locked in the park?
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Wow. There is a lot of conflicting information about the Black House/Museum in Chiang Rai. I almost hesitate to blog about it lest I add to the misinformation in English. First up, is Thawan Duchanee who built the Black House, the teacher or the student of White Temple artist, Chalermchai Kositpipat?
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While shopping at a handicraft store (popular with the Japanese tourists), I saw this leaflet. As soon as I saw that it was in Chinese, I was amused. Given the recent reputation of the Chinese in Thailand, specifically Chiang Mai I took it, thinking it was in Chinese, English and Thai. Plus I was curious…
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