On this Terrestrial Ball

Do you feel lucky?  Well, do ya…punk?  Sorry, couldn’t help myself.  That’s such an iconic line from Dirty Harry.  But to answer the question…yes!  Yes, I do feel lucky.  You see, I played a game of Yahtzee yesterday.  You know, the dice game?  If you don’t know it, check it out.  It’s a pretty fun family game that’s been around forever.  Anyway, my wife and I were playing and if you know anything about Yahtzee, you know that most of the time you are forced to take a big fat zero in the Yahtzee box.  Sorry, no 50 points for you.  And to rub salt into the wound, the score card would always taunt me with the section for listing up to three more Yahtzee’s, each worth 100 points.  For me, that space was always blank.  I think I can safely say that in the 40 plus years I have played Yahtzee, I have never gotten more than two Yahtzee’s, and rarely even get one. Sorry, for those of you who don’t know the game (who are you??)...

Today is Tax Day in the USA.  I wait patiently every year as this date creeps up closer and closer.  I have worked with the same Tax guy for almost 30 years who has helped me file my taxes.  For a fee of course.  I consider him a friend but there are sometimes when he drives me crazy.  Except for our actual tax appointment, he’s very busy and hardly ever responds when I call or send a text.  And then after our tax appointment, he’ll send my filing for review.  If I have a question or correction, he’ll respond, but usually days later.  I’ve gotten used to it but in that last month before April 15 I am always on edge until I get that email confirmation that my taxes have been filed and accepted. It’s also Songkran festival in Thailand which is the new year celebration in Thailand.  Everyone throws water at each other as if you are part of a great big water balloon or squirt-gun water fight, all in good fun.  But honestly, I’m not that exci...

We could learn something from birds.  As I sit out on my patio in the early morning just before the sun fully rises, I sip my coffee and listen to the stillness of the day.  And then, like a symphony starting slowly but then building, I hear the birds singing.  The song is different each day, but I’ve come to identify some of the usual players. There’s this one little, tiny bird who of course is the loudest and most consistent.  I call him the car alarm bird because his song is a consistent two note chirp – one low and one high.  Over and over. I don’t mind it so much except when it goes on and on – which sometimes it does.  Usually, however, he does his thing for a minute or two and then goes to the next house to do the same thing.  Kind of like a bird version of a rooster doing his cock-a-doodle do morning wake up call.   But other birds are more melodic.  Occasionally a couple of magpies will come over to the trees in my yard and do a...

Anger is universal.  I’ve seen it everywhere I’ve went.  I’ve both given it and received it. I’ve seen it in the faces of protestors on the news across many countries.  In both times of war and in times of peace. Living in the USA, I saw it and living in Thailand, I saw it, too.  What is it inside us that causes humans to act in anger, hate, violence, selfishness, pride, jealously, and other awful behaviors like these? I’m sure there are many triggers and some might even say, justifications, for the cause of such actions, but the Bible simply calls these actions sin, and the cause of such sins is that which is inside us and is called original sin.  That is, what’s ingrained in our DNA – it’s who we are and what we are born with.  I have a friend in Thailand that’s recently had some troubles within his family, resulting in punches to the face, furniture being thrown and destroyed, and lots of angry shouting.  Hearing about it and being one step removed ...

They say that confession is good for the soul.  But isn’t it hard to admit when you’ve done something wrong or disobeyed or even just ignored someone out of spite or indifference? I remember that song by the musical group, Chicago: Hard to Say I’m Sorry .  It's hard for me to say I'm sorry I just want you to know Hold me now I really wanna tell you I'm sorry I could never let you go … After all that we've been through I will make it up to you, I promise to Sounds like a guy really struggling to admit he was wrong.  Why is that?  Why is it so hard to admit our wrongs, our faults, our sins?  Perhaps pride?   No one ever wants to appear as lesser than another. But that’s exactly what Jesus Christ did for everyone.  He loved us so much that God became a lesser being. In the form of both God and man, Jesus humbled himself and came to earth to die in our place to cover for our sins so that we may be made right again with God. Wow. Do you know anyone wh...

Now that I am retired (still getting used to that) I’ve started the habit of waking up early-ish to make a cup of coffee and go out on the patio to enjoy.  To look around at the still, quiet morning – see the sky, look at the flowers and plants in my backyard, to close my eyes and listen to…nothing.  And I must be done before exactly 7:45am as that is when the sun peaks out over my neighbor’s roof as it rises in the morning sky to start the day and goes into my eyes.  But the time before that sun fully rises is like magic. Where I currently dwell in Thailand is very quiet except for the occasional bird chirping.  The air is generally cool in the morning, too.  Unlike the Californian suburb where I used to live – with cars driving by, people powerwalking on their morning jogs or exercising the in the park that was in front of my house, or even the occasional airplane soaring in the sky on its way to LAX.  Now granted, growing up this way I always considered ...

As an American celebrating Christmas in a foreign country, it’s a unique experience.  Visiting Thailand, I do see some Christmas decorations in the malls.  Aluminum Christmas trees of all sizes and colors.  I hear the traditional Christmas music (in English) playing over the speakers in the malls.  So yes, there’s a nod to “Christmas” in Thailand.  But that’s about it.  There’s no Christmas vibe, though.  Usually at this time of year you can tell when people are excitedly shopping for Christmas presents for their loved ones.   And when I drive away from the malls, there are no houses decorated with Christmas lights. Outside of the mall and its commercialized nod to Christmas, you would never know it’s Christmas time here.  And of course, the hot and humid weather with bright sunny days is about as far away from a winter wonderland as you can get.  Though I admit, I am from the southwest part of America where there was little to no s...

Okay, I’m going to rant and complain for a bit.  I actually have nothing to complain about though.  I’m healthy, have a roof over my head and all I need to live.  I have the most awesome wife.  I have Jesus in my life and know in my heart the assurance of Christ’s love and have the promise of one day being in paradise with him.  But that’s the thing with us humans, isn’t it?  We’re never happy.  Always complaining about something even when we really have nothing to complain about.  I think about the verse in the Bible: I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. (Romans 7:15) . That’s that sinful nature in us that we cannot shake without the help of God’s grace.   But it’s such a bummer.  For example, here I am living in a beautiful country in a nice home with my awesome wife. Half the time I find myself complaining about the heat and humidity, poor construction standards, awful traffic an...

Sometimes I wonder why God created humans.  Was He lonely?  No, that would be trying to put human emotions and behaviors onto God.  God is infinite, beyond human understanding. God is eternal.  But think about that.  I mean, how old is God or does He even have an age?  The Bible starts with “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”  But what about before that? And God is one, but also three in one – Father, Son and Holy Spirit ( Trinity is a name ascribed to this description of God).  Kinda blows your mind, processing all that, huh? The simple understanding of God, though – one that we humans can easily understand – is that God is love.  When you think about God this way, everything falls into place – why he created humans, why he is patient with us even though we keep behaving in our self-centered, selfish ways.  It’s all because of love.  About His love for us and that He is love incarnate.  Love is best ex...

I’ve noticed something about the sun.  Besides that it’s hot and, um, bright.  I’ve noticed that the sun is the same no matter where you are on earth.  I was recently in Thailand, then in the United States (on the West Coast).  I was also in Israel some years back, and a couple of times in Belize.  And every time I would watch a sunrise or a sunset; or every time I’d notice the sun during the day, the sun was always the same.  Seems like an obvious kind of observation, right?  Go ahead and say it – “Duh!”   But then consider everything that impacts our view (and perception I might add) of the sun.  A cloudy day.  Hot and cold temperatures.  Dry air and humidity.  A bright blue cloudless sky. The time of day.  There are so many things that influence how we view, feel, perceive, perhaps even interpret, the sun. And yet, it’s the same ball of bright churning gases that we’ve known all our life – warts, solar flares, and ...

I took a break from this blog to fly to the United States.  It wasn’t a planned trip.  My older brother had been scheduled for heart surgery on October 8 th .  Our family was constantly keeping him in our prayers for a successful outcome.  I had called him the night before his surgery to talk with him, reassure him, and tell him I loved him.  He didn’t answer the phone but sometimes that happened as he was always busy on the phone with his business. Though, he would always at least send me a text to let me know he missed my call and would get back to me.  So, I waited.  Then I called again.  No answer. And no text.  Then I called my other brother to ask if he heard from him.  He and his wife had just visited with him earlier that morning and spent a few hours with him.  So, I just thought, well, he’s busy getting things ready at his house for his surgery tomorrow.  His two sons would be picking him up early on the 8 th to take...

Recently, my wife and I went on a “little hike” as I called it (this was before we went on the actual hike).  There are a lot of cave systems in Thailand.  You may remember the dramatic rescue in 2018 of the boys’ soccer team who were trapped by flood waters in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave system.  The caves are beautiful with many stalactites and stalagmites, and it feels like being in another world.  Now, let’s be clear.  I am not any kind of professional cave explorer.  I’m just your average cave tourist.  Being in a cave always reminds me of a favorite movie I watched over and over when it came on TV – Journey to the Center of the Earth .  Based on the novel by Jules Verne, it’s not only full of caves but also giant mushrooms, rubies and gems, the lost City of Atlantis, a sunken ocean, and even dinosaurs (actually, large lizards filmed up close to appear as dinosaurs but hey, looked like dinosaurs to me as a kid)! The cave we visited recent...

I’m still reminiscing about songs from my last posting.  Remember the catchy song, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” by Bobby McFerrin in 1988?  Nice tune with a nice message.  And while I have nothing against the word, happy , I find it too temporary and quickly fleeting.  It’s great to be happy, but happiness is an emotion that fades quickly in the face of coming challenges we face daily.  What I seek is something deeper.   Something that doesn’t fade even when challenges and daily struggles come our way.   Something I can cling to like a life preserver while floating out in the stormy ocean.   The best way to describe that feeling, that quality, is with the word joyful . To be joyful goes beyond emotion. It goes deeper and is embedded into our very essence, that is, our soul.   Tied into being joyful is having a confidence, a conviction so rooted into who we are as a person that even on the days we take a hit from life’s challenges, it’s still ...

For those of you who remember the music of the 80’s, there was a California-based group called “Oingo Boingo.”  I saw them many times in concert, especially around Halloween since, if you know their music, tends to have a kind of Halloween vibe.  There was one song I particularly liked called, “No One Lives Forever.”  Now, I’m not a morbid guy or anything, but the song had a good beat and energy.  But as time went on, the group shortened their name to “Boingo” and then eventually disbanded.  I still have my T-shirt from their Farewell Tour which I went to on, you guessed it, Halloween.  Now, the band leader, Danny Elfman, does mostly soundtracks for movies.  His orchestral music has a distinctive style which anyone who is an Oingo Boingo fan can identify with.  Just listen to “Beetlejuice,” “Edward Scissorhands,” “The Simpsons,” or “Nightmare Before Christmas” and you’ll see what I mean. So yeah, just like one of my favorite bands from the 80’s...

No one likes to wait. When I was a kid, when I went to the movies I would buy a ticket and wait in line until the ushers let me into the theater and once they did, it was a mad rush to get in a grab a good seat.  No one wanted to sit in the first two rows where the screen looked a thousand feet long.  That was way before the days when you can now pick out and reserve your seat for the movie.  But even now, once you sit down in the theater, it takes another 30 plus minutes of movie previews (I like these) and commercials (I don’t like these) before the movie starts. Then there’s the doctor’s office.   Even with an appointment you still end up waiting quite awhile before you actually see the doctor.   And how about the Visa process, which I’ve mentioned in previous articles where you go through a 90-day process, sometimes longer, in order to secure a longer-term Visa. Let’s face it.   Life is a series of events which involves waiting.   I recently re...

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...