In a previous posting I mentioned that I got an email from Jeep. Jeep took my daughter and I for a day long trip in Khao Yai. We also saw the bat caves in the evening. The trip, and the communication was wonderful. I wanted to post the specific information on how to contact him. This is a copy of the email he sent me.
Do you remember me? My name is Mr.Jeep
I was your tour guide at khao Yai National Park in Thailand. I very much hope that you remember me.
This my E-mail address:monsoonforest@yahoo.com
and jeep@monsoon-travel.com
Every day, I put pictures and information about species on the website.
So.. if you have anything I can take care of, or a friend of yours who wishes to visit the Khao Yai National Park you can contact me.
I offer you a 1 and a Half day tour
I offer you a Bird watching tour
I offer you a 16 K.m Trekking tour
I offer you Elephant Riding or a Special tour (2 day 1 night)
For more details, please contact me.
However I will send you more details about my website:www.monsoon-travel.com
I hope to hear form you as soon as possible.Sory if my english has mistakes,
could you please correct it for me?
Thank you and Take care
Sincerely
Mr.Jeep Sung
Monday, February 20, 2006
We made it!
We are home! I will post details of the trip later. We started three hours late, but China Air lines was great. They held the Anchorage/New York flight so that the people from Bangkok could make the connection. In Anchorage they had somebody to help us through customs so we could make our flight to Fairbanks. We are slowly unpacking and trying to stay awake. It is good to be home, but I already miss Thailand.
To me when I went to Thailand I had one home, after our trip I have two homes. It is a mixed blessing, having two homes always means that I will be missing at least one home! There can be worse problems though.
Juke, Star, Nook and Nick drove us to the airport. Ah also came over with her pickup to carry our luggage. When we got there the flight was delayed, we had breakfast and visited. It was hard to say goodbye.
Coming through immigration in Anchorage we found out that it was not good for Jit to spend six months in Thailand. We had to apply for permission, she let it pass, but it could become a problem in the future. It was actually more hassle to get from Anchorage to Fairbanks then from Bangkok to Anchorage. TSA opened our luggage and messed stuff up, pretty irritating.
Anyway I will revise this blog entry and add more details tomorrow. It is 6:15 PM Sunday night in Alaska.
To me when I went to Thailand I had one home, after our trip I have two homes. It is a mixed blessing, having two homes always means that I will be missing at least one home! There can be worse problems though.
Juke, Star, Nook and Nick drove us to the airport. Ah also came over with her pickup to carry our luggage. When we got there the flight was delayed, we had breakfast and visited. It was hard to say goodbye.
Coming through immigration in Anchorage we found out that it was not good for Jit to spend six months in Thailand. We had to apply for permission, she let it pass, but it could become a problem in the future. It was actually more hassle to get from Anchorage to Fairbanks then from Bangkok to Anchorage. TSA opened our luggage and messed stuff up, pretty irritating.
Anyway I will revise this blog entry and add more details tomorrow. It is 6:15 PM Sunday night in Alaska.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Next post from Fairbanks Alaska
We will be leaving Thailand tomorrow, early in the morning. We will be packing and visiting today. I will post again when we arrive in Alaska.
Einstein Marketing
We were returning from the Rose Garden. I saw this sign as we were going past in the taxi. 
Thai Truck
We were in a traffic jam on the express way. I saw this truck next to us. I missed taking a photograph of it and our line pulled ahead. I waited and after many lurches and pauses we were next to the truck again. This is another picture from a taxi window.
Thai Truck
I love the colors of Thai trucks. The picture was taken through a taxi window. I will create a web page of "taxi photographs" when I get home.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Thoneburi, the Rose Garden, and the Golden Mount
02/16
There is politics going on in the community. Jit is involved. There are a few intense conversations. I am staying out of it. I wished that people did not speak so loudly, it is stressful hearing the intensity of feelings.
Today we are going to Thonburi with our special Taxi driver, Chi. Chi was the driver that tool us to Supen Buri. He is very calm. When ever we are not sure where we are going, or it might be complicated we try to call Chi. I feel safe and calm when we ride with Chi. Chi has been in the military and was a Monk for at least six months. He is married with one child. I enjoy spending time with him. We usually try to get him for the entire day.
When we were driving through Phra Pradang I saw a man that looked just like Teddy Mayac, my kids uncle in Alaska. I looked a couple times and the similarity was amazing.
People are trusting me enough to attempt English. With all the English education the people have in school many Thai people can understand some English. After we spend time for awhile they are willing to try to speak English. I am happy when people make the attempt.
We are having problems with customs in the United States, something is messed up with the shipment. I think we will have to pay some duty. The items are for personal use and not for re-sale, but I do not know if that counts. Many of the items are things that we brought with us from Alaska and are returning.
Tone worked with his teacher to do Internet Cafe computer maintenance, he got home after midnight. Tone goes to Pantip Plaza everyday to work with his teaching. It is good to see him energized by fixing computers. The teacher says he is good to work with and very motivated.
Many construction workers wear head coverings like the winter knit hats that we wear in extreme cold. The hats are knit and can cover your head and face. We use these hats in Alaska during the deepest winter, I can not imagine wearing one when it is hot. Part of the reason people wear the hats and masks is that people with dark skin are discriminated against. People with dark skin work outside and that usually indicates that you are poor and low status. I see some women with really fake looking white skin, it looks really wierd. It is sort of like women in the United States with obviously dyed blond hair. or men who comb hair over their bald spot to cover it up. Oh well, human nature.
They gave us a new Ricoh GR Digital today. The old one has not been returned from Japan yet and Ricoh authorized them to give me a new one. The people were very nice and helpful. I really appreciate it especially since the original damage was my own fault. They knew I damaged the camera and still helped me.
Last night I was restless I was thinking about all my Thailand experiences and the people that I have met. Sometimes I feel sad.
Driving to pick up the Ricoh today we went down a small road with a whole cluster of motorcycle taxis. The road went on and on and opened into a whole neighborhood. I guess you can tell how busy a street is by the number of motorcycle taxis that are waiting at the beginning of the road.
After we picked up the camera we went to the Rose Garden east of Bangkok. They have a cultural show similar to the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage that show traditional Thai life. Just about every Thailand package tour includes a trip to the Rose Garden. To me it was boring, the garden was OK, but I was not really happy to be there.
The Nestles Ice Cream motorcycles go through many communities. They are three wheel motorcycles with a large freezer compartment. The motorcycles has a very distinctive jingle. I think I will always associate the jingle with ice cream, sort of like Pavlov's dogs. The jingle is one of the distinctive Thai sounds that evoke a whole series of memories.
After going to the Rose Garden we went to Golden Mount to get a Buddha for Oy. I like the Golden Mount, it had a great view of Bangkok and is not too crowded. In 2004 we went there with Margaret, this time I could see many more sites and recognize what I was seeing. It was fun. We rode home with Chei and had a good trip. He took a different way to avoid traffic, and it worked.
When we were going to Golden Mount there were pictures of Jacques Chirac, the French President where the Royalty usually have their pictures. The President is visiting Thailand this week. It was a surpirse to see the pictures of him and his wife.
There is politics going on in the community. Jit is involved. There are a few intense conversations. I am staying out of it. I wished that people did not speak so loudly, it is stressful hearing the intensity of feelings.
Today we are going to Thonburi with our special Taxi driver, Chi. Chi was the driver that tool us to Supen Buri. He is very calm. When ever we are not sure where we are going, or it might be complicated we try to call Chi. I feel safe and calm when we ride with Chi. Chi has been in the military and was a Monk for at least six months. He is married with one child. I enjoy spending time with him. We usually try to get him for the entire day.
When we were driving through Phra Pradang I saw a man that looked just like Teddy Mayac, my kids uncle in Alaska. I looked a couple times and the similarity was amazing.
People are trusting me enough to attempt English. With all the English education the people have in school many Thai people can understand some English. After we spend time for awhile they are willing to try to speak English. I am happy when people make the attempt.
We are having problems with customs in the United States, something is messed up with the shipment. I think we will have to pay some duty. The items are for personal use and not for re-sale, but I do not know if that counts. Many of the items are things that we brought with us from Alaska and are returning.
Tone worked with his teacher to do Internet Cafe computer maintenance, he got home after midnight. Tone goes to Pantip Plaza everyday to work with his teaching. It is good to see him energized by fixing computers. The teacher says he is good to work with and very motivated.
Many construction workers wear head coverings like the winter knit hats that we wear in extreme cold. The hats are knit and can cover your head and face. We use these hats in Alaska during the deepest winter, I can not imagine wearing one when it is hot. Part of the reason people wear the hats and masks is that people with dark skin are discriminated against. People with dark skin work outside and that usually indicates that you are poor and low status. I see some women with really fake looking white skin, it looks really wierd. It is sort of like women in the United States with obviously dyed blond hair. or men who comb hair over their bald spot to cover it up. Oh well, human nature.
They gave us a new Ricoh GR Digital today. The old one has not been returned from Japan yet and Ricoh authorized them to give me a new one. The people were very nice and helpful. I really appreciate it especially since the original damage was my own fault. They knew I damaged the camera and still helped me.
Last night I was restless I was thinking about all my Thailand experiences and the people that I have met. Sometimes I feel sad.
Driving to pick up the Ricoh today we went down a small road with a whole cluster of motorcycle taxis. The road went on and on and opened into a whole neighborhood. I guess you can tell how busy a street is by the number of motorcycle taxis that are waiting at the beginning of the road.
After we picked up the camera we went to the Rose Garden east of Bangkok. They have a cultural show similar to the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage that show traditional Thai life. Just about every Thailand package tour includes a trip to the Rose Garden. To me it was boring, the garden was OK, but I was not really happy to be there.
The Nestles Ice Cream motorcycles go through many communities. They are three wheel motorcycles with a large freezer compartment. The motorcycles has a very distinctive jingle. I think I will always associate the jingle with ice cream, sort of like Pavlov's dogs. The jingle is one of the distinctive Thai sounds that evoke a whole series of memories.
After going to the Rose Garden we went to Golden Mount to get a Buddha for Oy. I like the Golden Mount, it had a great view of Bangkok and is not too crowded. In 2004 we went there with Margaret, this time I could see many more sites and recognize what I was seeing. It was fun. We rode home with Chei and had a good trip. He took a different way to avoid traffic, and it worked.
When we were going to Golden Mount there were pictures of Jacques Chirac, the French President where the Royalty usually have their pictures. The President is visiting Thailand this week. It was a surpirse to see the pictures of him and his wife.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Dead Fish, Canal Boat, Mission Hospital, and the Dentist
2/14
Spent the day reading and editing photographs. It was relaxing. The fish that we caught and released died. We saw it floating in the canal today. I took some pictures of it. I am not sure if it is because of salty water, I would think I would see many other dead fish if it was the water.
2/15
We went to Mission Hospital today to get Jit's teeth fixed. We had used the hospital before, it is a Seventh Day Adventist hospital. The marketing slogan is "Come Feel the Difference". I was impressed, it is organized, professional, and very courteous. It only cost 16,000 Baht, around $400, for everything. The hospital is near the Prince Palace Hotel. When Jit got food poisoning in 2004 we walked from the hospital to the hotel with Sutep. After leaving the hospital we walked over to the Prince Palace Hotel and had the lunch buffet. Going to the Prince Palace is like going home. When Margaret came to Thailand we stayed at the Prince Palace. After we ate we took the canal boat to the end of the line, Jit did not want to, but I was curious. The boat went all the way to Bangapet(?). Along the canal there were many Mosques, Temples, traditional wooden Thai houses, and multi-story apartments. You could tell they were apartments because of all the laundry hanging out the windows. We also passed two large Malls. We took a taxi back to Klong Toey dock and then made it home.
The canal boat went much further then I thought, it is a good way to travel, but it is a little exciting getting on and off. You have to duck under ropes and move quickly. I would not want to be carrying a lot of packages on the boat. Getting to our destination was much quicker using the boat then taking the Taxi back to downtown. Friday we go to the Mission Hospital again, maybe I can go the other way so I can see the complete canal boat route.
I got an email today from Jeep our guide at Kao Yai in 2004. He was an excellent guide with a deep enthusiasm for nature and good self-taught English skills. I can recommend him highly if anybody is interested in an in-depth look at Kao Yai.
Tomorrow we need to go back into Bangkok. We only have three more days before we leave Sunday. Time is going quickly. Last night I started to make mental lists of all the things that I need to accomplish when I get home. I think my worry about being bored is exaggerated. I know I have many exciting things to do in Alaska.
Spent the day reading and editing photographs. It was relaxing. The fish that we caught and released died. We saw it floating in the canal today. I took some pictures of it. I am not sure if it is because of salty water, I would think I would see many other dead fish if it was the water.
2/15
We went to Mission Hospital today to get Jit's teeth fixed. We had used the hospital before, it is a Seventh Day Adventist hospital. The marketing slogan is "Come Feel the Difference". I was impressed, it is organized, professional, and very courteous. It only cost 16,000 Baht, around $400, for everything. The hospital is near the Prince Palace Hotel. When Jit got food poisoning in 2004 we walked from the hospital to the hotel with Sutep. After leaving the hospital we walked over to the Prince Palace Hotel and had the lunch buffet. Going to the Prince Palace is like going home. When Margaret came to Thailand we stayed at the Prince Palace. After we ate we took the canal boat to the end of the line, Jit did not want to, but I was curious. The boat went all the way to Bangapet(?). Along the canal there were many Mosques, Temples, traditional wooden Thai houses, and multi-story apartments. You could tell they were apartments because of all the laundry hanging out the windows. We also passed two large Malls. We took a taxi back to Klong Toey dock and then made it home.
The canal boat went much further then I thought, it is a good way to travel, but it is a little exciting getting on and off. You have to duck under ropes and move quickly. I would not want to be carrying a lot of packages on the boat. Getting to our destination was much quicker using the boat then taking the Taxi back to downtown. Friday we go to the Mission Hospital again, maybe I can go the other way so I can see the complete canal boat route.
I got an email today from Jeep our guide at Kao Yai in 2004. He was an excellent guide with a deep enthusiasm for nature and good self-taught English skills. I can recommend him highly if anybody is interested in an in-depth look at Kao Yai.
Tomorrow we need to go back into Bangkok. We only have three more days before we leave Sunday. Time is going quickly. Last night I started to make mental lists of all the things that I need to accomplish when I get home. I think my worry about being bored is exaggerated. I know I have many exciting things to do in Alaska.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Makha Bucha Day (Big Monk Day)
2/13
It was rainy and cool today, very nice. If I had thought deeper it would have been a good day for a long walk or to go explore a Bangkok neighborhood. Today was Makha Bucha day. It was a holiday for students and teachers. In the morning we went with Juke, Star, Chulagorn, and Moit to Wat Glang our local Wat. Wat Glang is where the Monks come for our local ceremonies. It is also the Wat that sends the Monks on the morning alms gathering. I like it very much. Anyway there was a celebration in the large wooden building. Families brought food, there was chanting, and a sermon. I took some photographs. In the evening there was a Vientiane ceremony or the lighting of candles. People gathered around 7:00 and there was chanting. The Monks came out and the community followed the Monks three times around the Bot. Everybody carried lighted candles and flowers. It was dark, except for the candles. There were stone or concrete structures, sort of small pillars at the corners of the Bot. People, using melted wax, placed the candles and flowers in the structures. The ceremony ended and then we went home. Nick and Nook also joined us in the evening. It is nice going to a small community Wat that is anchored in the daily life of the community.
During the day we went to Big C and got things for Jit's folks. We are leaving soon so we are stocking up on supplies.
There were two itinerant tool salesmen that came through the community wheeling a cart full of farming and garden tools, shovels, racks, scythes, etc. It looked like they were hand made. Some of the handles were bamboo and others were metal. Jit's dad looked at them, but we did not by any. When we went to Big C we watched them wheel their cart up the road to visit other communities.
It was a good and relaxed day.
It was rainy and cool today, very nice. If I had thought deeper it would have been a good day for a long walk or to go explore a Bangkok neighborhood. Today was Makha Bucha day. It was a holiday for students and teachers. In the morning we went with Juke, Star, Chulagorn, and Moit to Wat Glang our local Wat. Wat Glang is where the Monks come for our local ceremonies. It is also the Wat that sends the Monks on the morning alms gathering. I like it very much. Anyway there was a celebration in the large wooden building. Families brought food, there was chanting, and a sermon. I took some photographs. In the evening there was a Vientiane ceremony or the lighting of candles. People gathered around 7:00 and there was chanting. The Monks came out and the community followed the Monks three times around the Bot. Everybody carried lighted candles and flowers. It was dark, except for the candles. There were stone or concrete structures, sort of small pillars at the corners of the Bot. People, using melted wax, placed the candles and flowers in the structures. The ceremony ended and then we went home. Nick and Nook also joined us in the evening. It is nice going to a small community Wat that is anchored in the daily life of the community.
During the day we went to Big C and got things for Jit's folks. We are leaving soon so we are stocking up on supplies.
There were two itinerant tool salesmen that came through the community wheeling a cart full of farming and garden tools, shovels, racks, scythes, etc. It looked like they were hand made. Some of the handles were bamboo and others were metal. Jit's dad looked at them, but we did not by any. When we went to Big C we watched them wheel their cart up the road to visit other communities.
It was a good and relaxed day.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Are you Groovy?
The new Toyota Yaris is being promoted using the slogan "Are you Groovy?" The slogan in on the radio, in the newspapers, and on bill boards. If you lived through the 60's the slogan seems pretty dumb.
Rangsit, Nakhon Nayok, an Elephant Downtown, and Rain
2/11/06
We had a relaxing day today, I finished two books and did some photography. In the evening Jit's dad brought in a large catfish, or at least it looked like a catfish. I would guess that it was 15 or 16 inches long. The fish was in a bucket of water. In the morning I asked where the fish was, it was still in the bucket. Nobody wanted to kill it because it was "Big Monk Day". Somebody said Star would kill it. We decided to let it go so Tone emptied it into the canal. I later saw it "resting against a log, its head was above water. I was told the water was salty and the fish needed to breath. The fish later moved to a different log, I took some pictures, and later in the day it was gone. With the very high tides lately it is possible that the water is salty.
Friday night the tide was also extremely low, coming back from the trip to the Regional Center the tide was probably 10 or 12 feet lower then the dock, we had to climb many stairs to get to the concrete path.
2/12/06
Juke, Star, and Nook came by and asked me if I wanted to go to Rangsit, I said "sure:. We drove to Rangsit and picked up Juke's sister. I really did not know where we were going or why, but I went along because I like to spend time with the family.
Jit stayed at home. In the morning there was a Tambon meeting and Jit participated. She had a bunch of papers to look at.
After picking up Juke's sister we drove along a long canal that paralleled the high way. The canal went on for miles. There were many floating rice barge restaurants on the canal, some of them were tilted. There were bridges that crossed the canals and led to subdivisions. There were large, old, signs advertising real estate for sale. We were going towards Nakhon Nayok.
Juke's mother lived in one of the subdivisions. We passed a temple fair, made a U turn, and then went through a security gate. There were a string of multi-story shop houses, then some newer single family homes, some abandoned, and then a long street with streets branching off on each side. The side streets were about 150 yards long. Some of the streets were occupied other streets were abandoned. Some of the construction was finished, others row houses were incomplete. I assume I am seeing more remnants of the 97 crash. We go to the end of the road, there were 62 cross streets. Juke's mother lives on the 60th street. They have a small row house with a store on the covered porch. We sit and visit for awhile, she is very happy to see her kids. Nook and I walk around and take some photographs. There are many empty houses. I peek over the fence that surrounds the subdivision and see rice fields. I assume I am seeing some one of the many subdivisions that I see from the air when landing in Bangkok.
Moit and Chulagorn are playing with their cousin. They run and run and play tag. They do that counting game with their fists to see who is it. Chulagorn is pretty active and they tip over a plant. Juke take a thin stick and whacks him. Chulagorn is mad and crying, he should be. I think physical discipline is common in Thai families. It makes me feel uncomfortable. I asked Nook is she was disciplined like that when she was young, she said yes.
Nook is improving her English and I am, sort of, improving my Thai. Nook is the person who tries to understand my language. We do communicate. I respect and like Juke, I wished sometimes I could communicate better with him. I have many questions and ideas I would love to share.
The horizon looks dark, like it might rain. I discount that idea because we have not had any rain for months. Well I was wrong, it did start to rain. Coming back it rained hard. This morning it is still raining. It is refreshing. Driving at night, when it is raining hard is very dangerous. Juke has driven the roads for years and is a safe driver. The roads though are very confusing, there are things sticking out in the road and I would have wrecked a hundred times. Visually it was very confusing.
We stopped to eat at one of the rice barges, noodle soup. It was, as usual, very good. There was a man fishing with a net in the canal beside the highway, the old way and the new way.
Coming home we stopped at the Klong Toey market to get oranges for orange juice. Juke's family makes orange juice to sell at their school. We buy some each morning. The family also makes white pollution masks to sell. I think it is to build character for the girls. Nick and Nook are wonderful to be around.
When we go to the market I get very confused, I know we are not going the normal way home and I am not sure what is going on. I eventually figure it out. Not knowing the language makes me very dependent. Many things are a puzzle and I need to watch closely to figure things out. It is a good experience.
We make it home. Jit is working on community papers. I go to sleep.
Today is supposed to be a holiday, Big Monk day. I am not sure what on Earth that means, but I will learn.
On the way home, right in downtown Bangkok, on a dark rainy street, there was an Elephant. I did not see it at first, Nook pointed it out. An amazing site. It was the first Elephant I have seen in Bangkok. A man was leading the Elephant. I am not sure about anything else, why or how, but it was there.
Sometimes I do not want to go home, sometimes I do. I am already thinking about when we return to Thailand.
We had a relaxing day today, I finished two books and did some photography. In the evening Jit's dad brought in a large catfish, or at least it looked like a catfish. I would guess that it was 15 or 16 inches long. The fish was in a bucket of water. In the morning I asked where the fish was, it was still in the bucket. Nobody wanted to kill it because it was "Big Monk Day". Somebody said Star would kill it. We decided to let it go so Tone emptied it into the canal. I later saw it "resting against a log, its head was above water. I was told the water was salty and the fish needed to breath. The fish later moved to a different log, I took some pictures, and later in the day it was gone. With the very high tides lately it is possible that the water is salty.
Friday night the tide was also extremely low, coming back from the trip to the Regional Center the tide was probably 10 or 12 feet lower then the dock, we had to climb many stairs to get to the concrete path.
2/12/06
Juke, Star, and Nook came by and asked me if I wanted to go to Rangsit, I said "sure:. We drove to Rangsit and picked up Juke's sister. I really did not know where we were going or why, but I went along because I like to spend time with the family.
Jit stayed at home. In the morning there was a Tambon meeting and Jit participated. She had a bunch of papers to look at.
After picking up Juke's sister we drove along a long canal that paralleled the high way. The canal went on for miles. There were many floating rice barge restaurants on the canal, some of them were tilted. There were bridges that crossed the canals and led to subdivisions. There were large, old, signs advertising real estate for sale. We were going towards Nakhon Nayok.
Juke's mother lived in one of the subdivisions. We passed a temple fair, made a U turn, and then went through a security gate. There were a string of multi-story shop houses, then some newer single family homes, some abandoned, and then a long street with streets branching off on each side. The side streets were about 150 yards long. Some of the streets were occupied other streets were abandoned. Some of the construction was finished, others row houses were incomplete. I assume I am seeing more remnants of the 97 crash. We go to the end of the road, there were 62 cross streets. Juke's mother lives on the 60th street. They have a small row house with a store on the covered porch. We sit and visit for awhile, she is very happy to see her kids. Nook and I walk around and take some photographs. There are many empty houses. I peek over the fence that surrounds the subdivision and see rice fields. I assume I am seeing some one of the many subdivisions that I see from the air when landing in Bangkok.
Moit and Chulagorn are playing with their cousin. They run and run and play tag. They do that counting game with their fists to see who is it. Chulagorn is pretty active and they tip over a plant. Juke take a thin stick and whacks him. Chulagorn is mad and crying, he should be. I think physical discipline is common in Thai families. It makes me feel uncomfortable. I asked Nook is she was disciplined like that when she was young, she said yes.
Nook is improving her English and I am, sort of, improving my Thai. Nook is the person who tries to understand my language. We do communicate. I respect and like Juke, I wished sometimes I could communicate better with him. I have many questions and ideas I would love to share.
The horizon looks dark, like it might rain. I discount that idea because we have not had any rain for months. Well I was wrong, it did start to rain. Coming back it rained hard. This morning it is still raining. It is refreshing. Driving at night, when it is raining hard is very dangerous. Juke has driven the roads for years and is a safe driver. The roads though are very confusing, there are things sticking out in the road and I would have wrecked a hundred times. Visually it was very confusing.
We stopped to eat at one of the rice barges, noodle soup. It was, as usual, very good. There was a man fishing with a net in the canal beside the highway, the old way and the new way.
Coming home we stopped at the Klong Toey market to get oranges for orange juice. Juke's family makes orange juice to sell at their school. We buy some each morning. The family also makes white pollution masks to sell. I think it is to build character for the girls. Nick and Nook are wonderful to be around.
When we go to the market I get very confused, I know we are not going the normal way home and I am not sure what is going on. I eventually figure it out. Not knowing the language makes me very dependent. Many things are a puzzle and I need to watch closely to figure things out. It is a good experience.
We make it home. Jit is working on community papers. I go to sleep.
Today is supposed to be a holiday, Big Monk day. I am not sure what on Earth that means, but I will learn.
On the way home, right in downtown Bangkok, on a dark rainy street, there was an Elephant. I did not see it at first, Nook pointed it out. An amazing site. It was the first Elephant I have seen in Bangkok. A man was leading the Elephant. I am not sure about anything else, why or how, but it was there.
Sometimes I do not want to go home, sometimes I do. I am already thinking about when we return to Thailand.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Web Log Notebooks
These are the notebooks that I use to write my web log. I carry a notebook with me all the time.
I will be returning to Alaska 2/19 and will continue web logging for a few days after I return. Our flight will be only three hours , if I ignore the International Dateline. We fly from Bangkok to Taipei, from Taipai to Anchorage and then on to Fairbanks. We fly China Airlines, their New York flight stops in Anchorage.
I intend to create a photo web site of my Thailand experiences. I will post the URL to the web log when it is done.
I am not sure if I will start blogging on my Wandering In Alaska web log, if so I will also post the information to this web log.
Web logging has been a wonderful experience. The more I web log the more I observe and the more I remember. Both the web log and my notebook bring back the original experience. Web logging is similar to photography, both are based on specific observations and both highten awareness.
The Central Region Non-Formal Education Center, Ban Magrood, and some observations.
2/10
Today we are going to visit the Central Regional Center for Non-Formal Education in Ratchaburi. On the way we will stop at the Don Whey market. As we return we will see the Nakhom Pathorn Chedi. Nook will go with us since she does not have any tests to take.
The Non-Formal Education Regional Center is in a beautiful campus with many buildings, trees, and lawn. It is a former boy scout area. It looks like a summer camp. We visited a computer class where the students were learning web site creation using Dreamweaver. The students were nurses and teachers. The web sites looked well done. They had a server on site to publish the web sites. Amnart Choosuwan is the director of the center and speaks excellent English. The courses they teach seem practical and appropriate. Developing a Community Plan, Day Care, PHP and My SQL, Excel, Word, and Traditional Herbs were some to the courses offered.
The Center hosted E-Learning courses that were content based. People sign in and take the courses, the only support is through Web Board or email. If people want a certificate they need to pay a fee and come to the center to take an exam. Some of the courses have a supporting seminar at the end. The method of course delivery, whether workbooks or web based seems common in Thailand. Except for a few examples I do not see "teaching" in E-Learning. The responsibility for motivation and inspiration is entirely left with the students. The two exceptions to the content based E-Learning that we visited were outstanding, but more common is the passive presentation of material. The center has also developed a site for learning English that looked like an excellent resource for motivated learners.
If there was one thing that I would recommend it would be for E-Learning lessons to be "taught" using all the Internet tools available to provide communication and individualization. Every person I have met is committed, skilled, caring, and professional, what I do not see is the focus on human interaction as a necessary part of the learning process. I would love to be professional colleagues with the people I have met.
We visited the community of Ban Magrood. There is a community web site at www.magrood.com . The Non-Formal Education classroom is a bamboo building with palm frond and straw roof. There are two computers and a large study area. We met with the web site author and the community leader. The community, Ban Magrood, is a UNESCO demonstration project like Ban Samkha. I was very impressed with the web site creator, he took a course and has used that skill to develop a useful web site. Some of the uses that people make of computers is looking for funds for the community, information for community planning, and home accounting. Adults use the computers at the Education Center, and the Regional Center and at an Internet cafe. The web site has current community news on it, it scrolls like a web log so you can see the history of the recent activities. I was impressed and learned a lot from our community visit.
Driving back we visited the large Nakhom Pathon Chedi and got stuck in traffic on the Rama VIII bridge. Traveling with the people from Non-Formal Education, especially the Assistant Director is a joy, there is story telling and laughter. We asked Nook about the trip and she said that she had a much broader view of E-Learning, she said it would be great for mu9 to have some of the projects she saw at Ban Magrood. She also said it was the first time she had seem important people, professors and directors laugh and tell stories. She was surprised about their behavior. After we were dropped off we went out to eat before we took the taxi home. In the evening Nook gave me an embroidery that she made. I had to promise to have it on my wall in Alaska. I will fulfill that promise.
When we were at the Chedi there was a large roll of orange cloth that people signed with their wishes. I think the cloth well be put around the Chedi. Nook wished that she would do well on her tests and get into the university that she was hoping for. She want to study business. Jit wished that our families would have happiness.
Some observations
This morning as we were getting ready to go to Non-Formal Education there was a large Monitor lizard near the house. It was rushing down the path and jumped in the water. I am glad the lizards are afraid of people. If the lizard is near the community I imagine the dogs will get pretty upset.
Yesterday there was a large Green snake on the entry way to our home, it looked slim, like a Garter Snake. It crawled under some old coconuts. Jit said it was partially poisonous, but I am not sure. I looked around Google and could not identify the snake.
On TV there was a shot of some illegal logging, what was amazing was that they were using motorbikes to haul large logs, the logs were about 3 feet long and stacked on the back of the motorbike, maybe three or four logs on each motorbike.
Today there was a newspaper article that Honda has sold 50 million motorbikes since the 1960's, the picture reminded me that when I was in college in Bellingham Washington I owned a Honda 50, which is very similar to the current Honda Dream. I loved the motorbike, for awhile I sold my car and only used the motorbike for transportation. I even took a 50 mile trip to my grandmother's home with the motorbike. I had forgotten until I saw the picture.
Coming home from TNT yesterday we were next to a large truck, looking out of the passenger side of the truck, looking down on us, was a tiny dog. It made the taxi driver laugh. It was pretty funny.
When flying into Bangkok it is easy to see large community complexes, usually a large square of buildings with a road down the center, on each side of the rectangle there are shop houses. At street level the scale and organization of the buildings is hidden, there will just be a street, usually with a sign over the front, and a very busy looking community. From the air it looks very different.
On our drive I saw two motorcycles parked beside the highway, we made a U-Turn to go back to the Non-Formal Education Center and I could see that there were two boys swimming in a pond beside the road.
We passed a bus repair garage, there were old buses, diesel engines, and the ground was black with spilled oil. One of the workers was soaked in oil. There was a young child, maybe two years old, playing with a plastic trike. He was in the oil also. An unforgettable image.
On the way home, in the space of 15 minutes I saw three accidents, a motorbike fallen over with the driver and passenger hobbling around, a rear end "fender bender" between a van and a car, and a pickup truck flipped upside down in the middle of the road. I could not see the passengers.
Coming over the Rama VIII bridge we were next to an immaculately restored white 1961 Chevy Impala. It looked like it is was in perfect condition.
The Rama VIII bridge is beautiful, the large tower with a lotus blossom on top, the pattern of cables of the suspension bridge, and the form of the tower are beautiful design. The bridge is a little outmoded, only four lanes, but who ever was the engineer did a beautiful job. From the river the bridge is outstanding.
In Thailand there does not seem to be a clear boundary between private interest, business interest, and public interest. The demonstrations against Thaksin are serious. I hear serious political discussions. People are worried that Thaksin has sold the country. Political and business behavior that would lead to jail sentences in the United States are tolerated in Thailand. It is sad because with globalization good government practices and good business practices are crucial to compete.
Two United States citizens were killed in Northern Thailand. One of the people killed was supposed to be a relative of the former royal family. The scary part of the incident is that the newspapers say that the police did the killing. One of the police men that was interviewed said that "it was an 11mm gun, the Army uses 11mm guns, not the police"!!! Somehow I do not think that is a reassuring comment. When people are suspected of wrong doing they are transferred to "inactive positions" not fired. There are many newspapers accounts of police wrong doing, it is scary to think about.
Today we are going to visit the Central Regional Center for Non-Formal Education in Ratchaburi. On the way we will stop at the Don Whey market. As we return we will see the Nakhom Pathorn Chedi. Nook will go with us since she does not have any tests to take.
The Non-Formal Education Regional Center is in a beautiful campus with many buildings, trees, and lawn. It is a former boy scout area. It looks like a summer camp. We visited a computer class where the students were learning web site creation using Dreamweaver. The students were nurses and teachers. The web sites looked well done. They had a server on site to publish the web sites. Amnart Choosuwan is the director of the center and speaks excellent English. The courses they teach seem practical and appropriate. Developing a Community Plan, Day Care, PHP and My SQL, Excel, Word, and Traditional Herbs were some to the courses offered.
The Center hosted E-Learning courses that were content based. People sign in and take the courses, the only support is through Web Board or email. If people want a certificate they need to pay a fee and come to the center to take an exam. Some of the courses have a supporting seminar at the end. The method of course delivery, whether workbooks or web based seems common in Thailand. Except for a few examples I do not see "teaching" in E-Learning. The responsibility for motivation and inspiration is entirely left with the students. The two exceptions to the content based E-Learning that we visited were outstanding, but more common is the passive presentation of material. The center has also developed a site for learning English that looked like an excellent resource for motivated learners.
If there was one thing that I would recommend it would be for E-Learning lessons to be "taught" using all the Internet tools available to provide communication and individualization. Every person I have met is committed, skilled, caring, and professional, what I do not see is the focus on human interaction as a necessary part of the learning process. I would love to be professional colleagues with the people I have met.
We visited the community of Ban Magrood. There is a community web site at www.magrood.com . The Non-Formal Education classroom is a bamboo building with palm frond and straw roof. There are two computers and a large study area. We met with the web site author and the community leader. The community, Ban Magrood, is a UNESCO demonstration project like Ban Samkha. I was very impressed with the web site creator, he took a course and has used that skill to develop a useful web site. Some of the uses that people make of computers is looking for funds for the community, information for community planning, and home accounting. Adults use the computers at the Education Center, and the Regional Center and at an Internet cafe. The web site has current community news on it, it scrolls like a web log so you can see the history of the recent activities. I was impressed and learned a lot from our community visit.
Driving back we visited the large Nakhom Pathon Chedi and got stuck in traffic on the Rama VIII bridge. Traveling with the people from Non-Formal Education, especially the Assistant Director is a joy, there is story telling and laughter. We asked Nook about the trip and she said that she had a much broader view of E-Learning, she said it would be great for mu9 to have some of the projects she saw at Ban Magrood. She also said it was the first time she had seem important people, professors and directors laugh and tell stories. She was surprised about their behavior. After we were dropped off we went out to eat before we took the taxi home. In the evening Nook gave me an embroidery that she made. I had to promise to have it on my wall in Alaska. I will fulfill that promise.
When we were at the Chedi there was a large roll of orange cloth that people signed with their wishes. I think the cloth well be put around the Chedi. Nook wished that she would do well on her tests and get into the university that she was hoping for. She want to study business. Jit wished that our families would have happiness.
Some observations
This morning as we were getting ready to go to Non-Formal Education there was a large Monitor lizard near the house. It was rushing down the path and jumped in the water. I am glad the lizards are afraid of people. If the lizard is near the community I imagine the dogs will get pretty upset.
Yesterday there was a large Green snake on the entry way to our home, it looked slim, like a Garter Snake. It crawled under some old coconuts. Jit said it was partially poisonous, but I am not sure. I looked around Google and could not identify the snake.
On TV there was a shot of some illegal logging, what was amazing was that they were using motorbikes to haul large logs, the logs were about 3 feet long and stacked on the back of the motorbike, maybe three or four logs on each motorbike.
Today there was a newspaper article that Honda has sold 50 million motorbikes since the 1960's, the picture reminded me that when I was in college in Bellingham Washington I owned a Honda 50, which is very similar to the current Honda Dream. I loved the motorbike, for awhile I sold my car and only used the motorbike for transportation. I even took a 50 mile trip to my grandmother's home with the motorbike. I had forgotten until I saw the picture.
Coming home from TNT yesterday we were next to a large truck, looking out of the passenger side of the truck, looking down on us, was a tiny dog. It made the taxi driver laugh. It was pretty funny.
When flying into Bangkok it is easy to see large community complexes, usually a large square of buildings with a road down the center, on each side of the rectangle there are shop houses. At street level the scale and organization of the buildings is hidden, there will just be a street, usually with a sign over the front, and a very busy looking community. From the air it looks very different.
On our drive I saw two motorcycles parked beside the highway, we made a U-Turn to go back to the Non-Formal Education Center and I could see that there were two boys swimming in a pond beside the road.
We passed a bus repair garage, there were old buses, diesel engines, and the ground was black with spilled oil. One of the workers was soaked in oil. There was a young child, maybe two years old, playing with a plastic trike. He was in the oil also. An unforgettable image.
On the way home, in the space of 15 minutes I saw three accidents, a motorbike fallen over with the driver and passenger hobbling around, a rear end "fender bender" between a van and a car, and a pickup truck flipped upside down in the middle of the road. I could not see the passengers.
Coming over the Rama VIII bridge we were next to an immaculately restored white 1961 Chevy Impala. It looked like it is was in perfect condition.
The Rama VIII bridge is beautiful, the large tower with a lotus blossom on top, the pattern of cables of the suspension bridge, and the form of the tower are beautiful design. The bridge is a little outmoded, only four lanes, but who ever was the engineer did a beautiful job. From the river the bridge is outstanding.
In Thailand there does not seem to be a clear boundary between private interest, business interest, and public interest. The demonstrations against Thaksin are serious. I hear serious political discussions. People are worried that Thaksin has sold the country. Political and business behavior that would lead to jail sentences in the United States are tolerated in Thailand. It is sad because with globalization good government practices and good business practices are crucial to compete.
Two United States citizens were killed in Northern Thailand. One of the people killed was supposed to be a relative of the former royal family. The scary part of the incident is that the newspapers say that the police did the killing. One of the police men that was interviewed said that "it was an 11mm gun, the Army uses 11mm guns, not the police"!!! Somehow I do not think that is a reassuring comment. When people are suspected of wrong doing they are transferred to "inactive positions" not fired. There are many newspapers accounts of police wrong doing, it is scary to think about.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
At Oowon's 100 day ceremony
It has been 100 days since Oowon was cremated. We had the ceremony yesterday.
Oowan's ceremony, Shipping "stuff" home, and thinking of home.
2/7
Today was the 100 day anniversary of Oowan's cremation ceremony. There was a ceremony in the community with food, nine Monks coming and chanting, and people visiting. The community brought a wide variety of foods. I got seated with the elders again, grrrr.... I also was encouraged to take many pictures. I got some good pictures of some of the older men in the community, I will post them later. Jit spent the afternoon packing things for shipping. A relaxed day.
Tone has finished his computer, it seems to work fine. The fan though is very noisy. It is sort of irritating. We need to download Adobe Reader and Winzip. He has installed a good variety of games, but seems to play the Soccer (Football) game the most. I copied my photographs of Thailand to his hard disk. I am going to make some CD's for different people before I go. It will also archive them in the community for later use, hopefully. There is about 50GB of pictures.
2/8
We called TNT today about shipping, we thought they would come here, but it will be better for us to go to them. We called our favorite Taxi driver to pick ups up since TNT is located on the eastern edge of Bangkok. TNT is only at Chackuchak on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Taxi came and we hauled four large boxes of stuff to the taxi. At TNT we found out we could not ship anything with wood, it would need to be fumigated. Some of the things we wanted to ship had wooden buttons. We will pack them in our luggage again. I think TNT is very cautious on what they ship to minimize problems, I agree with them. Getting fouled up with bureaucracy like we did with the postal customs office coming to Bangkok is not worth the hassle. All the "stuff" we wanted to ship is on its way, including a bunch of my film camera gear. The total cost for shipping is around $300. I have the Bessa R2 and the Olympus to take pictures for the rest of our time in Thailand.
Nook had her last test today, she is preparing to graduate from high school. It looked like the test was on NGOs, ASEAN, etc. I wonder what her next step will be? In Thailand the transition to adulthood is very different then in the United States, the flight to independence is very different. We shall see. I enjoy Nick and Nook a lot, they are fun to be with. We are always teasing each other. They both hang out at our house a lot. We also spend a lot of time with their family. I will miss them.
2/9
I have had a hard time sleeping the last two nights, thinking about Thailand and all the experiences I have had. I also am thinking about home in Alaska, just processing or digesting a lot of my experiences, sure wished I could sleep though. I get irritable with out enough sleep.
Jit's mom is going to the hospital for an appointment today. Tomorrow we have a trip with Non-Formal education.
Today was the 100 day anniversary of Oowan's cremation ceremony. There was a ceremony in the community with food, nine Monks coming and chanting, and people visiting. The community brought a wide variety of foods. I got seated with the elders again, grrrr.... I also was encouraged to take many pictures. I got some good pictures of some of the older men in the community, I will post them later. Jit spent the afternoon packing things for shipping. A relaxed day.
Tone has finished his computer, it seems to work fine. The fan though is very noisy. It is sort of irritating. We need to download Adobe Reader and Winzip. He has installed a good variety of games, but seems to play the Soccer (Football) game the most. I copied my photographs of Thailand to his hard disk. I am going to make some CD's for different people before I go. It will also archive them in the community for later use, hopefully. There is about 50GB of pictures.
2/8
We called TNT today about shipping, we thought they would come here, but it will be better for us to go to them. We called our favorite Taxi driver to pick ups up since TNT is located on the eastern edge of Bangkok. TNT is only at Chackuchak on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Taxi came and we hauled four large boxes of stuff to the taxi. At TNT we found out we could not ship anything with wood, it would need to be fumigated. Some of the things we wanted to ship had wooden buttons. We will pack them in our luggage again. I think TNT is very cautious on what they ship to minimize problems, I agree with them. Getting fouled up with bureaucracy like we did with the postal customs office coming to Bangkok is not worth the hassle. All the "stuff" we wanted to ship is on its way, including a bunch of my film camera gear. The total cost for shipping is around $300. I have the Bessa R2 and the Olympus to take pictures for the rest of our time in Thailand.
Nook had her last test today, she is preparing to graduate from high school. It looked like the test was on NGOs, ASEAN, etc. I wonder what her next step will be? In Thailand the transition to adulthood is very different then in the United States, the flight to independence is very different. We shall see. I enjoy Nick and Nook a lot, they are fun to be with. We are always teasing each other. They both hang out at our house a lot. We also spend a lot of time with their family. I will miss them.
2/9
I have had a hard time sleeping the last two nights, thinking about Thailand and all the experiences I have had. I also am thinking about home in Alaska, just processing or digesting a lot of my experiences, sure wished I could sleep though. I get irritable with out enough sleep.
Jit's mom is going to the hospital for an appointment today. Tomorrow we have a trip with Non-Formal education.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
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