On this Terrestrial Ball

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...