On this Terrestrial Ball

I recently went to a neighborhood party in my area.  I’m getting to know my neighbors that live around me in Thailand and am happy to see I basically live in the United Nations.  To the left I have England and to the right I have the United States. Directly in front I have Australia, and behind me I have India.  I little further down I have Sweden and German folks nearby.  And mixed into it all we have Thailand. It’s great getting to know people from all over the world, hearing their accents, and learning about their cultures is a great life experience. Reminds me of a bag of mixed nuts. Good ol’ peanuts combined with macadamias, acorns, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, and even a few of those large Brazilian nuts.   All different in taste, texture, and size but also similar being they’re all nuts.   And aren’t we all a little bit nuts now and then?   I know I am.   So, there I was at this party talking to a new friend, Jimmy, from Australia. ...

Long term traveling is fun.  Visiting new and exciting places.  Meeting new people. Experiencing different cultures.  It’s all good.  Except for…the Visa process.  Or, I should say, the long-term Visa process.  First off, depending on what country you are planning to visit, you need to determine the type of Visa you need/want.  For me, traveling for an extended period in Thailand meant deciding if I should apply for a retirement visa, but if I wanted work, then it might be a work visa.  Being married, I could also apply for a spouse visa, which is similar to a retirement visa but with definite differences.  The typical longer-term timeframe is one year, but there are also longer-term visas for five or 10 years.  And then there’s the fancy-smanchshy “Elite” visa that gives you a lot of privileges (how about an escort through the immigration office when you arrive at the airport?  How’s that sound?) but does cost more.   You...

Have you ever come across words that you thought were just plain silly?  Traveling around the United States, I would come across a few, like Lake Okeechobee in Florida, or La Jolla , California (pronounced luh-HOY-uh). Or how about Boise , Idaho?  I used to think it was spelled BOYS-ZEE based on its pronunciation.  Then go down a little south in the America’s to find Lake Titicaca between Peru and Bolivia. But then when I visited Thailand, I found words that not only sounded silly but also were impossible to pronounce for me.  Ever try saying the full name for the city of Bangkok?  Here you go: Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit . Phew!  I understand that word is in the Guinness World Records for its length.  Then there’s this one phrase in Thai which means “to be generous,” that always makes me smile becau...

I mentioned earlier how it’s hard to find any cereals in Thailand except Corn Flakes.   When I go to a local grocery store (not an open-air market which is more like a Farmer’s Market) I get curious about the import products available.   As an American, I now have to think of American products as “imports,” which was a bit of an adjustment at first.   There seems to be a decent selection of products from Australian, England, and Germany.   When I find the “American” or “USA” section, however, it’s basically just Oreos .   God bless that yummy chocolate cookie with the cream center – it really is everywhere in Thailand.   The other item I find a lot and not sure why is marshmallows.   I don’t recognize the brand actually, but the package sure does say “Made in the USA.”   Of course, there is Coke and Pepsi.   Soda manufacturers did a good job of universalizing their beverages around the world. And if I go to the “Import” specific grocery sto...

I like my name. Not sure if everyone likes the name they were given at birth. Plenty of folks have even gone to legal lengths to change theirs. Being in Thailand, I am learning all kinds of new names I’ve never heard before, and frankly, some are pretty hard for me to pronounce. I know, I am such a farang. The shorter ones are easy, like Pom or Nok. But other first names, like Charoenrasamee, Khemkhaeng, or Xuwicha, well, I’m just glad Thai folks mostly go by their nicknames, like Apple or Boy.  I have not been to many foreign countries, but I’m sure each one has first names (and last names, for that matter) that are different, interesting, beautiful, fun, and confusing to an outsider. I heard the Russian name, Gvozdika, the other day and thought the guy was ordering a Vodka tonic. Anyway. No matter where you are from, you may or may not like yours, but basically, all names are equal.  Except for one.  Maybe you guessed it, but that name is Jesus.   The...

Like many people, I love the ocean. There is something so calming and peaceful about it.   Sure, the ocean can get quite chaotic and dangerous in times of stormy and windy conditions.   But my experience with the ocean is always around sitting on the beach and looking out into the ocean.   Listening to the waves crash and the tides coming in and out.   Sunrise, sunset, or even mid-day, the effect is the same.   Peaceful. Calm.   Relaxed.   Sometimes I imagine the ocean tide coming in and taking away all my cares and troubles.   The wave crashes and comes into shore, grabbing those memories and carrying them back out into the ocean. Gone. I’m left with peaceful bliss. Sometimes when I’ve been on a boat far out in the ocean, I look out and see nothing but water in all directions.   The water on the surface moving this way and that with no real direction, though the tide underneath carries the water forward.   Or backwards for that matt...