Dear family and friends,

I don't like to do posts on Sabbath, but today feels different, as if this post was meant to be written at this time.

Just reflecting on my last few hours in the US, from the time I woke up early on Sunday morning and waiting for Steve to pick mom and me up for the ride to the airport. I don't remember many words being exchanged. Maybe we were all tired. Maybe there wasn't much left to be said. I just remember the silence. At the terminal we sat together waiting for them to open the gate and to call out that my flight for Cincinnati was boarding passengers. I couldn't help think that when I got on the plane, I would never see anyone from my life in the US again. I knew I wouldn't see mom again, or my sisters, or my church family. Its a long list of people to whom I was saying  'goodbye.'

I am looking back at nearly nine years worth of memories. Though we stay in contact through Facebook, it isn't the same as being able to see each other face-to-face. There is the funny quote that says, "I <3 my computer. All my friends are in it." Well, it is through my computer that I can communicate with you, but it is in my heart where I carry you, and there is no baggage limit on friends. From classroom to classroom and touristy site to touristy site, from restaurant to kitchen and every other place I have walked, you have been in my heart and on my mind. There are times when I have wished you could see what I see, hear what I hear, taste the same food I was eating. We have been together over a lot of miles, through a lot of storms, times of dryness and times of flooding, and times of peace and quiet.

Thank you.

This past April I changed jobs and towns. I moved from a classroom full of students to a cubicle where I sit and work one-on-one with Chinese students of all ages. After spending four years in places like Bangkok, Ubon Ratchathani, Sri Maha Phot, and Kaeng Khoi, I come full circle, again living in Chiang Mai. I have  been reacquainted with the familiar, and found new places to explore, as well. But the coolness factor is that some of my Chinese students think I am doing well in learning how to pronounce the names of their hometowns, like Beijing, Shenyang, Shanghai, Foshan, Dalian, and others. I have never really explored the Chinese language, but they seem to want me to learn more about it. Maybe I am being groomed for a teaching assignment in China. I do know that I need to learn more about Chinese geography so I can learn where my students are in this world. And maybe one day I will meet them face to face.

"There are many different worlds
and many different suns
but we have just one world
but we live in different ones"

The Dire Straights song, "Brothers in Arms," comes to mind right now. The rest of the song I don't remember as well, but those lines have stayed with me ever since I first read the lyrics. Things come to mind now that show me how true these things are. From outdoor markets where fish, fruit and vegetables are sold, to the small town malls of towns trying to catch up to the 21st century West, from quiet gardens where kings and queens once walked to city parks named after serving monarchs... guys, we have explored a lot of different worlds together. We have traveled through a lot of time and space together.

Thank you.

Thank you for allowing me to share the past and the present with you, and I look forward to sharing the future with you, as well. Thank you for being a part of my journey. And I hope that one day, in a better time and place, that we will meet again, kick our shoes off, pop open a cold one, and can enjoy a good rest that should come at the end of such trips as ours.

I love you guys. Happy Sabbath.

Peace out.

Ubon Ratchathani looking east from Phadang Mansion

Ubon Ratchathani morning market, looking toward Warin Chamrap

the Mun River looking east from the Ubon Ratchathani morning market

http://www.quizbox.com/personality/test82.aspx

Your view on yourself:

Other people find you very interesting, but you are really hiding your true self. Your friends love you because you are a good listener. They'll probably still love you if you learn to be yourself with them.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You are a true romantic. When you are in love, you will do anything and everything to keep your love true.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You are ready to commit as soon as you meet the right person. And you believe you will pretty much know as soon as you might that person.

The seriousness of your love:

Your have very sensible tactics when approaching the opposite sex. In many ways people find your straightforwardness attractive, so you will find yourself with plenty of dates.

Your views on education

Education is less important than the real world out there, away from the classroom. Deep inside you want to start working, earning money and living on your own.

The right job for you:

You have plenty of dream jobs but have little chance of doing any of them if you don't focus on something in particular. You need to choose something and go for it to be happy and achieve success.

How do you view success:

You are confident that you will be successful in your chosen career and nothing will stop you from trying.

What are you most afraid of:

You are afraid of having no one to rely on in times of trouble. You don't ever want to be unable to take care of yourself. Independence is important to you.

Who is your true self:

You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.

People in love with small towns will fall in love with Vientiane. There are enough modern conveniences to make it cozy, and restrained enough to be quiet. Vientiane is not in your face about anything. Unfortunately, one tourist I met in Chiang Mai who had traveled to Vientiane told me it was "the most boring capital city in the world." Some things change. Some things stay the same.

I got on the street to get to the consulate to process my paperwork. The line wasn't as long as the day before, as it had been a day following a three day holiday, and had many people waiting to get their visa applications turned in. As I had been there the day before, they checked my cover letter and a few other things, and told me everything was good. I waved off the tuk-tuk drivers and walked on down Lane Xang Blvd. toward Wat Si Sa Khet temple. I'd visited it before, about two years ago, when they were making renovations to the building housing the sanctuary. I got to the temple a few minutes before noon, when they close the museum for lunch. 

In my every visit to Vientiane, I have to go to my favorite sandwich shop in town. Fasai Fruit Shake, Drink and Food is located about 10 minutes from Wat Si Sa Khet. I got a sandwich and two banana shakes for around 32,000 kip. 

After lunch I walked back to Wat Si Sa Khet and started clicking pictures. I took a number of self-portraits among the stupas and other older buildings, then went inside to see the main hall. I only took photos of the exterior, as taking pictures is not allowed inside the sanctuary. 

Currently I am packing a Canon A-800 series point-and-shoot camera that has let me down a few times in the focusing department. It has been this way for a while, and it needs to be replaced either with a Canon PowerShot that I really like, or with a Canon DSLR. I need something that will focus, and will allow me to get good wide angle photos. The current camera has its moments, but I need something a bit more powerful, and in the 12-meg range. For self-portraits the camera is okay, but I am not satisfied with the other settings on it. But I also at times ask too much of the camera, pushing it to do more than it can. It's okay for now. We have seen a lot of things together. I would like to see it in the hands of someone who can work with it inside its limitations. 

Thoughts like this come to mind every time I take it out and put it to work. 

I spent about an hour-and-a-half inside the temple grounds, and weathered a brief rain shower that drove up the humidity. 

From there I just went walking for a while. I didn't have any place in particular I wanted to go, but would have to get out of the rain again. My knee was hurting and wanted a break, so I went to a Mexican restaurant to rest up. While there, it rained for about 45 minutes, I guess. When it was over, I headed out to the Mae Kong River. I got there in time to enjoy the sunset, and met two girls who needed some photography advice. One was Filipina; the other was South Korean. They were both on visa runs. The sunset was nice. After dark, I started shooting pictures at the night market, which is set at the base of the levy lining the river. 

The day was spent, and I went to a mini-mart for some food, then went back to the guest house to chill out and get some sleep. 

In the morning I lounged around the guest house, wrote a couple of poems, tried to get the AndroPad to work with Xanga. I can only say I am not happy with the AndroPad. The Apple iPod Touch that I bought two years ago is faster in booting, and loads web pages so much more quickly than the AndroPad. Google screwed up a perfectly good relationship with Apple to produce the Android. More on that someday.

At noon I checked out of the guest house, ate lunch across the street, then went to the consulate for my visa. It was a routine of hurry up and wait, followed by lining up a tuk-tuk for a ride to the bus station. All too soon the 3:00 bus loaded and left for the border for a round of outprocessing from Laos and inprocessing to Thailand. Around 5pm we arrived in Udon Thani, and officially ended the visa run. 

At the mall I got some dinner, did some currency exchange at the bank, and returned to the bus station for the 6:50 bus to Bangkok. I settled in for my seven hour trip back to Saraburi. I slept well enough until Khorat. There I got a Strawberry Fanta, and got back to sleep for another three hours. Friday morning was coming, and I had a morning class to teach.

panorama of the temple grounds at Wat Si Sa Ket using eight images stitched together with Hugin software.
taken from the southwestern corner of the courtyard.

Canon A800 

panorama composed of 22 images, including the eight images from the upper photo. 

I will post more photos here and tell more about the trip as soon as I can.

http://travelblogasia.blogspot.com/2013/05/that-dam-black-stupa-vientiane-lao-pdr_26.html?m=1

http://travelblogasia.blogspot.com/2013/05/that-dam-at-night-vientiane-lao-pdr.html?m=1

http://travelblogasia.blogspot.com/2013/05/vientiane-night-market-on-fa-ngum-lao.html?m=1

http://travelblogasia.blogspot.com/2013/05/pha-that-luang-vientiane-lao-pdr_26.html?m=1

In my left hip pocket is 260,000 kip, the currency of Lao PDR, converted from 1,000 Thai baht. It is about $30 US. In another pocket is a dwindling stash of baht, and in my wallet is 3,000 baht to cover the cost of my visa. Checking in at Saylom Yen Guest House, I pay for two nights, expecting to check out on Wednesday, get my passport, then catch a bus to Udon Thani, where I will catch the last bus to Bangkok. It passes through Saraburi, my final destination. Everything is planned out, and I see a tight budget in front of me. 

This time around I am in Rm. 5, on the second floor. Last time it was Rm. 6, and the time before that was Rm. 1 on the ground floor near the front desk. The rooms I get are fan-only, no air conditioning. These are the cheapest rooms available. The rooms have a double bed, desk/dresser, and a shower with cold water. No hot water is available, even at some pricier places. Since my last visit the owners have renovated the rooms so they are brighter cleaner in appearance. Looks much better now that the dingy yellow has been replaced by a bluish-white wallpaper. 

I eat lunch across the street at a vegetarian restaurant, then return to my room. I read, I sleep, I wake up at 6:15 pm and remain so for eleven hours. I use both ipod Touch and a new Andro Pad to surf the Internet. I chatted briefly with one of my sisters and one of my nephews. Around 5am, I fall asleep and am back up just after 7am. 

On my last visa run I studied a map of the city, looking for a short cut to the Thai consulate visa section. I found what I was looking for, including one or two landmarks to use as way points. On the walk I forgot them, remembering only a dental clinic. I walked too far, but remembered a bank from a prior visit that I passed when I was walking back to the guest house. I retraced the route the best I could and botched it. I walked too far north and approached the consulate from the north-east. I should be approaching it out of the west. Go figure.

I get the guys in front to take care of my application form, and pay them 300 baht for the pictures and the service. They tell me that they have been handling paperwork for a lot of non-b immigration applicants like myself. Teachers preparing to apply for work permits came here, and face the backlog brought on by the three day holiday. I have time to wait, and my number in the line is 315. They are in the 250s when I get there. Hurry up and wait to find out that the cover letter is addressed to Immigration and not to the embassy. I am in good company, as English teachers from the Philippines and from maybe Hong Kong or Singapore also have problems with the papers provided them by their schools. I get my paperwork back and wander around town, aiming to find a PC cafe to request the proper document to be sent to me. Go to the bank, go to PC room, go to the Morning Market and Talat Sol mall, and then wander around town for a while because I need the exercise. 

I'm looking for an English language bookstore that I have visited three times before. It's been over a year since I last stopped in, and I never seem to remember where to find the place. First I come across a sporting goods store that I honestly do not remember from any of my other visits. I find some pads I need to practice kicking, and the price is kinda nice when I convert it to dollars. I don't make promises to return, though, but will keep it in mind to return there in a few months if things go right.

I overshoot the street I am looking for by about three blocks too far west, and I am two blocks north of the location. What hurts is my right knee, so I am not walking as quickly as I would like. I find the Monument bookstore right where I left it, I do not find the book I was looking for, but I do find another book on the subject that is affordable and make my purchase. Then comes another long walk. First, a bottle of water. It's the west end of town. I find two streets named after Hanoi and Hai Phong, two major cities in the northern part of Vietnam. I don't even want to think about history as I cross the streets. 

The wandering around continues until dark. I go to a PC room and find that the document I need has been sent. I get the print, pay up, and walk back to the guest house. Time to read. Time to sleep.

It starts simple enough in a line at the Hua Lampong station of the State Railway of Thailand, in Bangkok. It was a short line with a long wait as the guy in front of me asked his questions. My turn was not as long. 

Me: Nong Khai.

Ticket agent: Second class sleeper. Leaves at 8pm.

Me: No third class coach?

Ticket agent: No. 

I pay 688 baht and a korp koum kap for my second train ride in second class. My first time in second class sleeper was not pleasant. I was awake over half the night unused to the jostling of the car as it shook its way to Ubon Ratchathani in May 2010, the night a general who supported the Red Shirt cause was shot. The delay that night was nearly two hours. Round two was delayed 40 minutes. 

The other problem I have is that I am in the top bunk. The ladder is narrow, and I have a wide foot. Putting two feet on one rung is rather inconvenient when climbing into the bed. Climbing out of the bunk is also a hassle when needing to use the toilet. At least in third class coach I can lean against the window and use my arm as a pillow. It is comfortable, and the sway of the car does not bother me. The bunk comes with a blanket, thiugh, and Issan nights on the train can be cold enough for a jacket. I used the blanket around my shoulders and tried to sleep.

When not able to sleep, I read Assassin's Creed Renaissance, a novel based on the popular video game series. It tells the story of Ezio Auditore's quest for revenge against those who killed his family, only to find that it is part of a bigger game of control being fought by the Knights Templar and the Order of Assassins. Maybe I should have gotten that Tom Clancy novel. 

Up and down and up and down. I cannot sleep second class sleeper, and can't wait to have a real seat to sit in. I checked the time once during the night. It was 4:12 am. It was the third time I woke up during the trip. Then I remember one financial detail that would cost me dignity. The entrance fee at the Lao border is $35 or 1,500 baht. I'm an idiot. My budget is shot. I am thinking I will need 3,000 baht for my non-b immigration visa. Money gets tighter and tighter with every border hop.

The sun is shining through a window. No idea what time it was. The steward tells me I can get out of the bunk and move to a seat. I grab the book, sit down, look out the window and try to guess which side of Udon Thani we are on. A guy named Ramsey from Chicago is across the aisle. We talk briefly, then return to our stuff. He's got his iPod. I got my book. The iPod Touch in my pouch is over two years old. The headphones for it work fine with the iPod Nano, but the audio from the Touch is bad. Regular speakers are clear, but the connection with the jack gives lousy audio. No podcasts this time around.

We chug on. Breakfast is three cheese half sandwiches, coffee, orange juice, and a Coke. I pay up 210 baht for it. Might have ben worth it if there were two whole sandwiches hot off the grill. Could have used a second Coke, as well. Back to the book. Look out the window. Think. Book. Window. Think. Window. Book. I've had better sleep deprivation.

Every tuk-tuk driver in town appears to welcome us to Nong Khai, home of the naga fireballs (like the Marfa lights, but these come out of the Mekong river). Ramsey and I share a tuk-tuk to the border. The line is short. There are no questions. The line is smooth. Over the Mae Khong we trade 'sawadee kap' and 'korp koum kap' for the 'saw bai dee' and the 'kawp jai' as we enter Lao People's Democratic Republic. 

Off the bus and back into line. Arrival cards to fill in, baht to turn into kip, lines to wait in but are rapidly processed. Every cabbie in Vientiane is out to greet farang and offer them rides into Vientiane 20 minutes away by car or van. Ramsey gets us a deal on a cab, 300 baht for the one way trip. I tell the driver we are going to Talat Sol, the mall on Lane Xang Blvd., about half way between the Presidential Palace and Patuxay Park. I give Ramsey 150 baht. He needs to convert currency and connect to the Internet so he can contact his friends already in town. We part ways, and I leave for the Saylom Yen Guest House, where I plan to spend the next two days. Its Coronation day in Thailand, so the consulate is closed. Time to chill. 

frangipani tree

yellow-white glow

against green I see

your scent I know