I don’t have a license to kill. I have a learner’s permit
Well, we are back from the south. Back to the familiar streets of Bangkok and much more sane prices. It had been a while since I vacationed in one of the resort areas (Pattaya, Phuket, Samui, etc) and I had forgotten how shamelessly they priced things. Seems reasonable enough if you just got off the plane from Frankfort or London, but not if you're driving in from Bangkok. A plate of kapow gai is 35 baht in Bangkok and going for 150 baht in Samui.We went last night to the final night of the 60th anniversary of the King's coronation. Just us and, according to this morning's Bangkok Post, 20,000 of our friends. It was awesome. A good old fashioned street fair, stretching 10 or more blocks, with food, and music, and geehaws galore for sale. The evening ended with a massive fireworks display. We went to 3 different temples to take care of 3 different things that need to be done each year. Not sure exactly what all that we did was for, but the wife was serious and therefore I was there beside her. And her friend, Ouen (like Owen, but with the oo sound).
So, for the first time in my life I got pickpocketed. Well, I have grabbed people with their hands in my pocket before, and always in the Philippines. But I stopped them, so it wasn't really a pickpocketing.
This time, also, I snapped off what was going on and put my hands over my pockets to stop the theft. Unfortunately, I snapped off what was going on after they had cleared out my left side pockets. We were 20,000 strong, remember, and pressed all up on one another. I realized that these teens were getting in front of me and then slowing down on purpose. I thought they were trying to piss me off for a second there. Then I said to myself, "Hey. They may be trying to get to my pockets." I wasn't sure, but it seemed a reasonable assumption given the situation and
surroundings. So I put my hands down over the pockets and kept contact with my wallet (yes- in a side pocket) and camera. Feeling their bulk, I was certian that if something was going on, I was already on top of it.
I did indeed keep possession of my camera and empty wallet. They were in my right hand pockets. What I lost, and I didn't figure it out until 15 or 20 min later, was my iPhone and 15,000 baht. Now 15,00 baht might seem like a lot. And it is. I had just cashed $500 American, which was 15,905 baht. So they got like $480 or so. Little theiving piss ants. But what's done was done, so we continued our evening and still had a great time.
Wife is going crazy because I won't shave and I won't get a haircut. That's OK. Wives need to be defied occasionally. Especially when you're talking the important stuff like haircuts and not shaving. Anyway, I spent $11,000 on this vacation and flew her business class all the way here. She can humor me.
Great "Junior Suite" we got here. A living room, bedroom, kitchenette, and bathroom. TVs and DVD players. In room washing machine. I know! How convienent is it to have a washing machine in the room? It's a place called The Royal President. I did try to explain the irony of "Royal President" to the wife, explaining that in the USA we didn't want a king (Royal) so we elected a leader from the people (President). So the two terms would actually be mutually exclusive. She was typically uninterested in my trivia. Anyway, this place is only costing us $77 a night and includes breakfast every day.
I have 190+ pictures so far, about 16 of them interesting. I will post 1 or 2 with this blog, but I suspect the free WiFi will be kind of slow, and will just wait until I get home to post more of them. (Note: WiFi is fast. Now my only excuse is that right now I'm too lazy)
The government struck a deal to dissolve parliment and hold elections a year early. And also, I think, to re-write portions of the constitution. The protesters said "OK, we'll take that deal and go home". Then they threw in a couple of grenade attacks and bombings and said, "Hang on. We might take the deal or might not, We're still deciding." The police are sympathetic to the protesters and do nothing. The Army is less so, but in Thailand, they try to avoid turning the army out on the citizenry. Which is actually a pretty good thing, if you think about it. However, the Prime Minister has finally given an ultimatum (to be carried out, one supposes, by the Army since the police are openly unwilling) to clear out or be cleared out. That has every chance of being quite violent. And, as a side note, the area of confrontation is only 15-20 blocks away from here. I didn't catch the date the PM gave them until to disperse, but I am hoping it is the day I leave or later. I need to be at work in Panama City, FL the following Monday, and TSA is a good bunch (heh heh...and with a straight face) but might not be inclined to believe me if I told them I couldn't get there on time because I was pinned in by the crossfire coming from civil war in a steamy, SouthEast Asian kingdom.
Have had me some mega pool time. Ouen thinks I am so brown as to appear Thai. Except for the gray beard and goofy smile that is.Fine by me. I have been mostly disconnected from things. Feels good to have no worries, concerns, or time tables. I turned on my work Blackberry so I could charge it. I will need it when I get home to summon my ride home. Anywsay, the fool thing buzzed in my hand for 45 seconds. It was downloading all of my Outlook emails. Somehow or another, I am connected to work. I didn't ask for the international roaming to be turned on. But there it is, bigger'n Dallas-- 3 bars with DTAC TH. I sent a test email just to see if maybe it was cached from my layover in D.C. or something. But my co-worker immediately replied. Weird.
We should forgive our enemies, but only after they’ve been taken out and shot, Out.
Ramblin' Ed
surroundings. So I put my hands down over the pockets and kept contact with my wallet (yes- in a side pocket) and camera. Feeling their bulk, I was certian that if something was going on, I was already on top of it.
I did indeed keep possession of my camera and empty wallet. They were in my right hand pockets. What I lost, and I didn't figure it out until 15 or 20 min later, was my iPhone and 15,000 baht. Now 15,00 baht might seem like a lot. And it is. I had just cashed $500 American, which was 15,905 baht. So they got like $480 or so. Little theiving piss ants. But what's done was done, so we continued our evening and still had a great time.
Wife is going crazy because I won't shave and I won't get a haircut. That's OK. Wives need to be defied occasionally. Especially when you're talking the important stuff like haircuts and not shaving. Anyway, I spent $11,000 on this vacation and flew her business class all the way here. She can humor me.
Great "Junior Suite" we got here. A living room, bedroom, kitchenette, and bathroom. TVs and DVD players. In room washing machine. I know! How convienent is it to have a washing machine in the room? It's a place called The Royal President. I did try to explain the irony of "Royal President" to the wife, explaining that in the USA we didn't want a king (Royal) so we elected a leader from the people (President). So the two terms would actually be mutually exclusive. She was typically uninterested in my trivia. Anyway, this place is only costing us $77 a night and includes breakfast every day.
I have 190+ pictures so far, about 16 of them interesting. I will post 1 or 2 with this blog, but I suspect the free WiFi will be kind of slow, and will just wait until I get home to post more of them. (Note: WiFi is fast. Now my only excuse is that right now I'm too lazy)
The government struck a deal to dissolve parliment and hold elections a year early. And also, I think, to re-write portions of the constitution. The protesters said "OK, we'll take that deal and go home". Then they threw in a couple of grenade attacks and bombings and said, "Hang on. We might take the deal or might not, We're still deciding." The police are sympathetic to the protesters and do nothing. The Army is less so, but in Thailand, they try to avoid turning the army out on the citizenry. Which is actually a pretty good thing, if you think about it. However, the Prime Minister has finally given an ultimatum (to be carried out, one supposes, by the Army since the police are openly unwilling) to clear out or be cleared out. That has every chance of being quite violent. And, as a side note, the area of confrontation is only 15-20 blocks away from here. I didn't catch the date the PM gave them until to disperse, but I am hoping it is the day I leave or later. I need to be at work in Panama City, FL the following Monday, and TSA is a good bunch (heh heh...and with a straight face) but might not be inclined to believe me if I told them I couldn't get there on time because I was pinned in by the crossfire coming from civil war in a steamy, SouthEast Asian kingdom.
Have had me some mega pool time. Ouen thinks I am so brown as to appear Thai. Except for the gray beard and goofy smile that is.Fine by me. I have been mostly disconnected from things. Feels good to have no worries, concerns, or time tables. I turned on my work Blackberry so I could charge it. I will need it when I get home to summon my ride home. Anywsay, the fool thing buzzed in my hand for 45 seconds. It was downloading all of my Outlook emails. Somehow or another, I am connected to work. I didn't ask for the international roaming to be turned on. But there it is, bigger'n Dallas-- 3 bars with DTAC TH. I sent a test email just to see if maybe it was cached from my layover in D.C. or something. But my co-worker immediately replied. Weird.
We should forgive our enemies, but only after they’ve been taken out and shot, Out.
Ramblin' Ed
That's what I'm about. Ramblin' Ed at 12:51 AM
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