May in Canada

 For my friend Sveta ...

As South East Asia experiences temperatures of mid 40's and high humidity, Canada is experiencing cooler May temperatures of 5 degrees in the morning and high teens in the afternoon. Hopefully it will warm up soon.

My U19 boys basketball team is improving but we still have trouble scoring 50 points. In order to win we have to keep the other team under 40 points. The good news is that we play excellent defence at times. The OBA's are in Ottawa this June so we are done with travel. We finished as Finalists in the IEM tournament 2 weekends ago. We went 4 wins and 1 loss in the Championship game. All in all, well done.

Thavorn, Jaidan and I went to the tournament early on the Friday and visited Niagara Falls which is something that Thavorn has wanted to do for a while. Afterall, it is one of the 7 wonders of the world. We had a beautiful sunny day. I had not been to Niagara Falls for about 20 years and it has changed and there is lots more to do than just view the Falls.

Jaidan is enjoying a good year academically in grade 4 but is looking forward to summer break. He has asked for no camps so I plan to teach him some programming with respect to a Raspberry Pi and microcontrollers.

I also want to spend time with Jaidan, playing frisbee, tossing nerf footballs, learning some more basketball skills, and playing with our fast RC cars.

Thavorn continues to work at the farm and enjoys her fan club consisting of young Mexican and Filipino men.  By the end of 2024 Thavorn should have 2 million baht in investments.

We will not visit Thailand in 2024 but we hope to spend 2 months there in the summer of 2025. 

TTYL

Sveta

 My good friend Sveta just texted me on Whatsapp and asked for a post because my last post was over a month away. So here goes.

My latest basketball team is not doing so well because we have too many guppies on the team. It is hard to turn a guppy into a shark but I am trying :-)

I met with my kidney surgeon on February 26 and he said everything looked good and he would see me in a year. Unfortunately I met him in the hospital and came down with a very bad cough the next day. I refused to let it hamper my routines so it lasted about 2 weeks and I ended up blowing a hole (hernia) in my adombinal wall. Apparently it takes a year for the muscles to heal after an operation and my surgeon neglected to mention that. It is what is called an incisional hernia.

I called the surgeon's office for a consult and it would be a year wait before he could operated so I was told it would be better to see my gp and get a referral to a general surgeon as the wait would be shorter. My gp seemed to think that the wait would still be close to a year. Wait times in Ontario suck!!!!

I have discovered there is a hospital in Toronto that specializes in hernias. Apparently they have a walkin clinic that takes the easier hernias in the same day. The one catch is that you can't be fat and I am still carrying about 5 extra kilograms from covid and my recovery from the kidney surgery.

So it is time to get serious and hide the chocolate bars, cheese and cashews and start a diet. I hope to succeed in a month and off to the clinic I go. Apparently they use the latest technique that does not require a mesh that needs to be inserted which appeals to me.

I found out about the clinic as one of my ex student from the early 80's just had his hernia fixed in that clinic and is very happy with the results.

Thavorn and Jaidan caught a bad cold with a fever, very sore throat, and no taste. Sounds like one of the new variants of covid that is making the rounds. Maybe if I catch it I will lose weight faster :-)

Jaidan is still doing well in school and Thavorn is still working although this may be her last year as her income means some of my credits are getting clawed back and my pension sharing disappears. Did I mention taxation in Canada is out of control! The current prime minister is a moron.

John and Fon are enjoying their 5 months in Thailand and should be back around June 1st for Fon to join Thavorn at work and John to join his buddy Kevin for copious rounds of golf.

I am starting to play around with microcontollers and Raspberry Pi's again to keep my brain active and learning.

TTYL

Back to the Routine

 We arrived back in Canada on February 1st. As usual, the flight was long (24 hours) and we flew Bangkok to Narita (Tokyo), Toronto, then Ottawa. My sister Elaine picked us up and we were in bed about 11pm. Jetlag shut us down for the next 2 days which meant Jaidan missed 2 days of school which was fine by him :-)

The next week I made a list of things that needed doing which included applying for a new PR (Permanent Resident) card for Thavorn and buying out our car from the end of its lease. Jaidan's CDN passport also needs to be renewed. I also renewed our apartment lease for another 2 years which will see Jaidan finish grade 6 which brings new decisions.

This will probably be Thavorn's last year of work as it is affecting my pension sharing and causes clawbacks on my OAS and Child benefits. It will also be nice to stop driving 2 hours a day and it will be nice to have someone home with me during the day as I get quite bored home alone.

We were expecting to see my Russian friends in Bangkok while we were there in January but they did not show. Maybe they went to Phuket or Pattaya where most Russians tend to visit. There are so many Russian in Pattaya and Phuket that they are starting to wear out their welcome. They are starting up businesses that cater to Russians and that is not permitted for non Thais. I tend to believe they are there fleeing the war with Ukraine back home.

We have been talking about what we will do when Jaidan finishes grade 6. At that time he switches schools so it would be a good time to move back to Thailand full time. We have enough savings to buy or build a house and Jaidan would go to an international school which are expensive at $24K CDN a year, but I can afford it. Living in Thailand costs half of what it does living in Canada. We would probably live in Phuket which is close to Phang Nga which is where her sister lives.

Thavorn is tired of the flight so we will probably not visit Thailand this coming January but will wait until the summer months and go for 2 months. We would probably stay in Pattaya, at least Jaidan and I, but Thavorn will visit her kids in Phuket and Phang Nga.

I met with  my surgeon on February the 26th to discuss my surgery. He said it went very well and he did not expect the cancer to reoccur. He will follow me for the next 2 years to make sure. Other than that, I remain healthy though I did gain about 3 kilos eating fast food with Jaidan in Bangkok in January.

Spring arrives on March 21st and the weather will be quite nice for the next week, sunny and highs in the teens. This week is March Break for Jaidan so I will have to find something to occupy his time, besides his Meta Quest 3 VR and his Roboblox addiction on his mini PC.

My business is doing well and seems to expand a little each year. It keeps me busy at times but I miss my walks on the wild side in Thailand, as does Thavorn :-)

TTYL

Same Same but Different

What a let down. We noticed a Tim Hortons close by so we stopped off this morning for a double double. First off no double double as there was no cream or sugar to be seen. There were no pots on brew, regular or dark roast. They did have menu choices of americano, latte, capuccino, etc. just like Starbucks.

I thought the americano would be close but it was much stronger and was placed into a familiar Timmy's cup, black. I asked where the cream and sugar were and she picked up a syrup bottle and went into a fridge for a milk carton that was unopened.  I said 2 of each and the coffee was still too strong, but I was able to drink it.

They did have timbits and donuts which seemed to be what people were ordering.

They also had some food items, but nothing I recognized from the Great White North.

This is what out abode looks like.

Moving on ...

 Our stay at the Marriott Empire Place was fantastic as always. Definetly 5 star with all the comforts of home. Thavorn loved it because of the street food and the food at the Pat Pong night market. We also enjoyed the Pat Pong gogo bars :-)

Here are some pics from the Marriott room and the pool area.

We went shopping today and Thavorn bought a couple of new outfits. A dark green hoodie on sale plus a great blazer and shorts to wear with it.

Our new hotel is the Adelphi 49 and it is awesome and in a great area for exploring sois. I managed to book it on sale through Expedia for about 60% off. We are there for 3 nights and then we head home at 8 am on January 31st which would be 8 pm on January 30th in Canada. 

TTYL

Silom Area

 Thavorn has arrived back from Phang Nga and we have left the Davis Hotel and the Sukhumvit area to move to the Marriott at Empire Place in the Silom district which is more of a hiso business area. However, it is home to Pat Pong, the original red light district that used to cater to Vietnam GI Joues on leave in Thailand. They actually have a Pat Pong museum which is reportedly excellent.

The Mariott is actually a city resort with a one bedroom, full kitchen and a great pool. I enjoy swimming in the pool at night as it is well lit and the skyline is beautiful. I will post some night pics of it later.

Thavorn upgraded her gold necklace and she looks great with it on a black top. 

There are lots of Thai street restaurants near the hotel which will keep Thavorn happy, and believe it or not, there is a Tim Hortons 3 minutes away. I have yet to check it out but I will do so today :-)

Now that we have a full kitchen for a week it is time to break Jaidan of his KFC and McDonald's addiction. That will not be easy, however breakfast is already accomplished. Banana, yogurt, and cashews :-)

TTYL

Another Day in Paradise

 We finally located the Domino Pizzaria that used to be in the Holiday Inn building at the corner of Soi 22 and Sukhumvit. It is now half way down Soi 22 on the right hand of the street.  While walking there we passed a group of motocycle taxi drivers who got all excited  for some reason. It turns out they all remebered Jaidan from when he was 3 and 4 years age. We stopped and said hello and had a small conversation.

The pizzeria still had their ultimate pepperoni and we ordered a large one and devoured it. It was excellent!

Then it was off to the Shake and Burger Shack for a milk shake. 

Jaidan skips and dances most everywhere he walks which bring smiles to the people walking by. I figure he must be a happy child.

Some pics:

TYYL

Life Does Not Get Much better

 Jaidan and I are enjoying Bangkok and we are getting in shape. We alwaays walk more than 10,000 steps and swim everyday for about an hour. The only bad thing about our lifestyle is what we eat. Jaidan prefers to eat at KFC and McDonalds's. Not so good nutritionally but they are inexpensive in Thailand.

Most days we are up at about 7:30 am and asleep at 9 pm.

Thavorn is really enjoying her family time as they are doing many things. Checkout her facebook page for pics. She seems to be going through her baht very quickly as she has to pay for everything from gas, admissions, and food. However she is pleased she can afford to do so :-)

My buddy John is down in Pattya looking for a place to rent and touch base with his expat friends down there. I may go for a solo walk on the widside tonight as Mondays are not so busy.

Jaidan and I do school work everyday and there is no doubt in my mind that he will be ahead of his class when he goes back. At least in English and Mathematics.

TTYL

Math, Pool, and Plastic

 Yesterday I purchased some Math Workbooks for tutoring Jaidan while on holiday. Specifically we are working on multiplication up to 3 digits times 3 digits and long division. It was been a relearning for me because everybody just clicks the calculator on their phones. Jaidan is picking it up quickly so all is good.

We had a great swim in the pool this morning with only a pretty Thai girl sharing the pool with us. Jaidan is becoming a much stronger swimmer.

After the swim it was shower time and then off to mcDonalds for breakfast. It was a breakfast sausage sandwich for me and nuggets and fries for Jaidan. He did have a banana when he woke up this morning.

McDonalds is still using plastic for their cups, straws, bowls, and utensils. I do not expect them to change in the near future. I doubt it is different for the rest of Asian and S.E. Asian countries (except for Australia and New Zealand). As I mentioned before, 90 percent of ocean plastics arrive via Asian and African rivers. I suspect the rest comes from South American rivers.

The latest news is that everything we eat and drink is already populated with micro plastics. It maybe that micro plastics or pandemics do us in way before climate change.

Once again Canadians via Trudope dictates are tilting at windmills with regards to plastics.

TTYL

My Female Dentist Trafficked?

 I think my female dentist must be trafficked. Why else would she be there. They must of caught her just out of 4 years of uni plus the dental training. She worked on me for a little over an hour and charged me 3,000 baht for a thorough cleaning and a filling replacement. She has to cover her overhead of the clinic, dental assistant, and the receptionist.

Compare her lot in life to a gogo girl who makes 3,000 baht for an hour with only a grade 8 education. The gogo girl has no overhead, can work when and where she wants, and can be selective with her clients. The only overhead is perhaps her hair salon and her iPhone 15 pro for social messaging.

Maybe I should report my dentist for the police to checkout. Perhaps she is already paying them tea money to stay open Sunday until 8 pm to make ends meet.

I laugh when uninformed do gooders lament the lot of bar girls and gogo girls.

TTYL

ECO Whatever

 I see a lot of advertising narketed as Eco friendly, whatever that means. Is there some verification that makes something eco friendly. I think a lot of companies advertise like that because it is ECOnomical to do so.  It is the same as going to the super market and buying organic. Is there some validating stamp of approval for listing something as organic? I doubt it.

However there is no shortage of Gen whatevers that take it to heart. If ecotourism is a thing, is it environmentally sound to fly halfway round the world to live in a tree house or yurt? I doubt it.

Another pet peeve of mine is believing asian countries when they submit their CO2 yearly results. Assuming they had the wherewithall to adequately count them, they would not report them honestly. After all, they are developing countries. Funny that the malls in Bangkok make all the malls in Canada look like strip malls. Ditto for the airports, and infrastructure. The pollution in Bangkok is off the charts as I type. Time to mask up.

I recently read an article that 90 percent of all the plastics in the ocean arrive via 10 rivers in Asia and Africa. If you think the powers to be give a shit you are sorely mislead.

However, we Canadians, led by Trudope will save the oceans from our plastics that never get there.

Just some observations from my travels of late.

TTYL

Same Same

 Bangkok has not changed much since I was here in August except there are more tourists and the bars are packed. There are many more asians travelling other than Chinese. There seems to be many punters around bar fining the pretty ladies long time and are walking around in the morning with them, smiling from ear to ear. Apparently the GF experience is not dead and many farangs are on the line.  They, however, are smiling so it is all good.

There are many more Indian families around as well as farang families.

Thavorn headed off to Phuket this moring to visit family. I had stressed we had to be out of the room by 6 am and we did not make it until 6:20 and Thavorn missed her flight due to the Bangkok morning traffic. We had to buy a one way ticket for 5,500 baht to replace it. Lesson learned, I hope.

While we were waiting for Thavorn's call to state she was at her gate I viewed an older farang couple going at each other, arguing about who knows what. Life is too short. Move on, but realize you will be poorer but perhaps happier.

I managed to chip a tooth yesterday and when I tried to eat some pizza it hurt! Sunday evening at 6 pm, what to do? Well, look up my old Thai dentist from 5 or 6 years ago and lo and behold, his clinic was open on a Sunday until 8 pm. I walked over in about 15 mins and the receptionist was able to pull up my file and the dentist was able to fit me in. Try that in Canada! Did I mention my treatment was way cheaper and I can claim back in Canada. I decided to book a cleaning on Wednesday.

So Jaidan and I are bachelors for the next couple of weeks until Thavorn returns from Phuket. Lots of swimming, lots of KFC, and some school work for what he is missong back in the great white North.

John arrives on Thursday and the 3 kings, James, John, and Arthur will head out this Saturday for a walk on the Wild Side. S/B fun :-)

TTYL

Pool Side

 Jaidan went for a swim this morning, early, because he does not like a busy pool.

In the afternoon we headed off to play pool in Times Square. The pool hall is the premier pool hall in Bangkok and features tournament tables. Both Thavorn and I struggled at first and then Thavorn settled down and I never did. Thavorn won 3 games to 2 but that is a win for me as I taught Thavorn how to play about 10 years ago.

Tonight, Thavorn and I will step out for a night on the town. We will visit Nana Plaza and then finish ff at Hillary 2, listening to a live band.

TTYL

Land of Smiles - City of Angels

 Our trip from Ottawa was one of the fastest ever, once we got underway. Our flight to Montreal was delayed by Air Canada which ended up shrinking our connection times from Montreal to Tokyo and Tokyo to Bangkok. Total airtime was under 22 hours.

We booked into an airport hotel for one night arriving by 1 am and leaving the same day at 11:30 am. We are staying at the Park Plaza for the first time and its location on Soi 18 makes everything walkable. However we spent the first 2 days recovering from jet lag.

On the 3rd night I met my friend Arthur for a night out at Soi Cowboy and then some pool on Soi 7 at the new bar complex. I was rusty at pool and lost my first game and then won the next two and decided to quit while I wa ahead. I did not relish getting beat by the 20 something lovely.

Cowboy seems to have gone downhill IMHO with more weed shops and a food and drink bar, of the StumbleInn chain. The best bars were Crazyhouse and Shark Bar. Shark Bar rules and The Dollhouse now sucks. Go figure.

I walked back to the hotel and was in the room by 11:30. I kept my alcohol intake down to about 4 beers due to easing my kidney back into my lifestyle in Bangkok.

Tonight we will visit Thavorn's old bar boss to catch up over a few beers.

Jaidan is swimming in the pool and pigging out on KFC's spicy chicken wings.

Not bad for a start and when you are here for 30 days you have to pace yourself, unlike the 2 week millionaires passing through.

TTYL