Pete Dexter, Bill Bryson, Mr. Nice

Here are a few more book recommendations - I would recommend these three to almost everyone. All very different but fascinating and hard to put down.


Pete Dexter's Paper Trails

"With authority and a strange grace, Dexter has crafted a powerful portrait of the underbelly of the American Dream. In this sprawling collection of finely etched prose, noted novelist Dexter (Paris Trout) lays bare the darker workings of the human experience." These non-fiction pieces were assembled mostly from his newspaper columns. Of Dexter's many other books, I have only read Paris Trout and Deadwood (another great read), both of which were made into films, but now I'm on the lookout for more.

Bill Bryson's Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid

Anyone who has ever read any of Bryson's books know what a treat it is; this is his latest and it's hilarious and nostalgic. If you have never read anything of his, go to Amazon or your local library and start with A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail or In a Sunburnt Country about Australia.



Howard Marks' Autobiography
This book is an autobiography of a dope smuggler, full of interesting real life experiences, exceptional in that Marks just happens to be an Oxford Graduate, had links with MI6, CIA, and DEA and provides all the details of his operations. He smuggled drugs and laundered money to the tune of more than $30,000,000 in the mid-70s. At one point he wrote that 28 tons of marijuana were consumed each day in the 70s which I couldn't believe so I googled it and found a DEA website that stated, "In 1979, an estimated 10-15,000 tons of marijuana were consumed in the United States." So, there you go.

Jan 2009

For NYE 09, Jim and I joined our Brit friend, Donald, at his Thai guesthouse with Thai friends for NYE – fantastic homemade Thai food and Channg beer and good fun. On the bike ride home, the skies were filled with firewords and Thai lanterns. Very beautiful.

Then January 5th, I left on the overnight train for Bangkok on my way to Malaysia to get a new 60-day visa. From the train station, I took a motorcycle with my pack to the Don Muang domestic air termail that had been closed by a political sit-in last month. I flew from there to Hat Yai in southern Tland were I took a minibus from the airport to downtown where I got a ticket for another minibus to Georgetown on the island of Penang in Malaysia, about a 3 hour ride. No problems going through Immigration or Customs. Once settled in Hotel Mingood, I went looking for an ATM to get some local cash – about 3.5 ringits for $1 US. Check here to see photos Jim took when he was here in December.

Then I used my map to find the 75 Travelers GH where our friend, Tina, was located. She took me to great places to eat Indian and Malay food every night – loved the murtabak, samosas, rendang (a form of dry (as opposed to soupy), heavily coconut-based curry, nasi kandoor, biriyani – and definitely eating too much! The food is much richer than in Thailand – more bread (nan), heavier curries and sauces, and deep fried.

Tina also took me out to the Thai Embassy the next morning so I could drop off my passport and copies, photo, and 110 ringits for a new two-month visa. I got just a bit mixed up on the walkign directions and flagged a motorcyclist to get oriented in the right direction for the Embassy and he offered to take me there. Much hotter and twice as humid as Chiang Mai and I was wiped! (The reason I got a “real” hotel room with A/C and fridge was because I remembered how overheated I got when Jim and I were there a few years ago.) This place is a melting pot of Chinese, Indian, Malay, lots of Muslims and fabulous food. It's quite exotic, louder, and busier compared to my now-familiar life in Chiang Mai - you stop on any street and feel the rhythm of the local life, eat the food, smell the smells, listen to the languages. Here are some photos Tina took in Georgetown last year.

Completed the 36-hr return trip to Chiang Mai and am not leaving again this trip! Anne, an ESL instructor, is now visiting here on her way to India and Nepal. She’s a friend of Tina's from the other Portland, whom we meet two years ago here when she was here on sabattical. Exploring temples and new places to eat and have a bike ride scheduled for tomorrow. I could live here a hundred years and still not see all the temples or try all the food shops.

Khon Kaen Graduation Dec 2008

This was the second year in a row that I attended the Kohn Kaen University graduation fest. Last December, 2007, it was Narong and Noi's daughter, Aom, who graduated. This time around, it is their niece, Eya. Plus, two years ago, I attended Fai's graduation from the medical college at Chiang Mai University; she is the daughter of our landlady that we got to know quite well.

Now I know the drill. Here are this year's graduation photos.

New 15-Day Visa Law

Here's a photo of Albert Einstein on a billboard promoting education across from Wat Phra Sing near our guesthouse.


Once again the Thai government changed the immigration rules, literally overnight, making it more difficult to stay in the country without jumping through lots of hoops. The timing is bizarre given the global economy and reduced tourism, and especially following the airport shutdown in Bangkok, all of which are having the effect of turning away tourism.

The new visa problem has been a big pain in the a** this year for thousands of people and nobody - not even the Thai - understands what's behind it other than possibly trying to get rid of undesirables who are using visa loopholes.

In early December, there was a news story buried in the Bangkok Post about new visa restrictions which changed the 30-day border run to a 15-day run. From Chiang Mai, the closest border is Burma and that is a one or two-day trip every two weeks to the tune of about 1000B (oh, yes, plus the wine I get at the Duty Free shop.) Was I going to do that all winter? No. I went to Mae Sai in mid-December after my first 30-days - but because the law had just gone into effect, I could only get a 15-day stamp and had to return two weeks later. That was it for me. Fortunately, this happened before Jim left the Philippines, so I emailed him to let him know about the change so he could apply for a new (extendable) 60-day tourist visa while he was in Malaysia - and now I have to go do the same thing.

Any alien who does not have a year-long visa has the option of leaving the country and going to another country that has a Thai Embassy, in order to apply for a 60-day tourist visa. The closest for us is Vientiane in Laos or Penang in Malaysia. It's two days traveling each way and hopefully, enough time while I'm down there to get the paperwork processed. Will let you know how I make out as there's much there's countless things that could go wrong.

Next year we will get proper 60-day visas at Thai Embassy in US and then we'll only have to leave the country once to get 60-day renewal.

Jim's Trip across Malay border into Southern Thailand

Jim has met many great people while hitching through Southeast Asia. Here are Jim's photos of another family who picked him up last month in southern Thailand.


Simon from England and Barbara, originally from Poland, were Jim's rail mates on the train from Hat Yai to Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand on Dec. 17, 2008. Jim said, "Simon is quite a train fanatic. During the ride, he constantly took photos and made notes of everything he saw. They were going several hours away from their intended destination that day, because 'track bashers' must go to the end of the rail line. He certainly is an expert and was happy to answer all my questions. They were on a three week vacation from UK."

"You meet all kinds of people when traveling. Some have unusual reasons to take a trip.These folks were really into trains. They had tough luck the previous day. They boarded a train in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, headed for Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. Simon has a UK passport and his wife, Barbara, has one from Poland. Before leaving England, they checked with the Thai embassy about the visa situation and were told they would each receive a visa-on-arrival(VOA) at the border. Well. they got off the train at the Malaysia/Thai border and ran into a major snag because the officials would not issue Barbara a VOA with her Polish passport. They were sent off to another immigration office, a 45 minute drive by taxi. They ended up having to pay a lot of extra money, plus had to buy tickets for a later train and only got as far as Hat Yai later that evening. In spite of the setback, they were happy to be in Thailand...and on a train.

Check this site for more info or info on train enthusiasts

The Year-End Quiz by Gail Collins

January 3, 2009

Despite all the carping, there’s a lot that is good to say about 2008. The presidential election was great. Britney seems to be improving. George W. Bush is leaving. Eventually. That collider in Switzerland didn’t create a universe-gobbling black hole. So far. Before we move on, one last blast from the past. See how much you’ve failed to repress about the year:

1. During his farewell interview with Charles Gibson, President Bush said:
A) “The economy thing sure took me by surprise.”
B) “I think I was unprepared for war.”
C) “Obviously, Katrina caught my guys off-guard.”
D) “In retrospect, I totally didn’t know what I was doing.”

*****
2. When asked whether he would have invaded Iraq if he had known there were no weapons of mass destruction, the president said:
A) “Hell, no.”
B) “Yes, because — as I have said many, many times — we liberated that country from a tyrant.”
C) “That guy tried to shoot my dad.”
D) “That’s an interesting question.”
*****
3. The “football” Gov. Rod Blagojevich insisted that his staff always have at the ready was actually:
A) A secret code for triggering Illinois’s one nuclear warhead.
B) His special black Paul Mitchell hairbrush.
C) A memento from the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl win.
D) His pet name for his lieutenant governor.

*****
4. Mother-Child Reunion. Match the new moms and their newly named offspring:
1) Ashlee Simpson
2) Bristol Palin
3) Gwen Stefani

A) Zuma Nesta Rock
B) Bronx Mowgli
C) Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston

*****
5. Match the presidential candidates:
1) John McCain
2) John Edwards
3) Dennis Kucinich
4) Mitt Romney
5) Rudy Giuliani
6) Fred Thompson
7) Mike Huckabee
8) Hillary Clinton
9) Mike Gravel
10) Chris Dodd

A) Urged an auditorium full of high school students to avoid alcohol and stick with marijuana.
B) Hired a campaign videographer who filmed him vowing not to behave like a Ken doll.
C) Took a cellphone call from his wife in the middle of a speech.
D) Carried a copy of the Constitution and a bag of organic tea in his pocket.
E) Drove to Canada with the family dog strapped on the roof of the car.
F) In a single year as governor, accepted gifts that included a discount card from Wendy’s, $48,000 in clothing and a chain saw.
G) Campaign ad said: “I was raised on pinochle and the American dream.”
H) Moved entire family to Iowa and enrolled the kids in school in an attempt to win the caucuses. Came in seventh, behind uncommitted.
I) Told a convention of bikers that he wished his wife would enter the Miss Buffalo Chip beauty contest.
J) Taking over Bill O’Reilly’s radio slot.

*****
6. Who said: “Whatever one might want to label it, I screwed up.”
A) Governor who was caught discussing the financial advantages of selling a U.S. Senate seat.
B) President discussing his failure to realize Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction.
C) Presidential candidate admitting he had an affair with the campaign videographer.
D) Professional football star who accidentally shot himself with a gun that he concealed in his sweat pants band.
E) Jersey City councilman who was caught urinating from a nightclub balcony.
F) Chairman of House tax-writing committee who failed to pay his taxes.

*****
7. TARP stands for:
A) Troubled Asset Relief Program.
B) To Assist Rich People.
C) Tarpaulin.
D) Total Allocation of Regulated Parsnips.

*****
8. Which of the following has Obama for America NOT urged the president-elect’s supporters to do over the last month:
A) “Order your limited edition Obama coffee mug” in time for Christmas.
B) “Make a donation of $25 and get an official Obama winter hat.”
C) “Treat yourself or a loved one to a limited edition four-year calendar.”
D) “Call now for this special Change is Coming Vegetable Peeler and get a Yes We Can Garlic Press at no additional charge.”

*****
ANSWERS: 1-B; 2-D; 3-B; 4: 1-B, 2-C, 3-A; 5: 1-I, 2-B, 3-D, 4-E, 5-C, 6-J, 7-F, 8-G, 9-A, 10-H; 6-E; 7-A; 8-D

Ice Bound

Ice Bound, A Doctor's Incredible Battle for Survival at the South Pole by Dr. Jerri Nielsen.

Jim and I are reading this book - a powerful story about Dr. Jerri Nielsen's survival at the Pole. She provides fascinating detail about living at the coldest place on our planet and how that affects personalities and physiologies. We recommend this book to all of you for a great read and a uniquely moving experience. The courage and strength of this amazing woman will keep you riveted.

Nielsen's saga began in 1998, when was hired for one year at the South Pole Station on Antarctica. This perilous region sees only one sunrise and one sunset per year, and experiences almost total darkness for six months of winter, during which the temperature remains steady at around -60 °C (－76 °F)[3]. During this period, the station is also completely cut off from the world, as there exists no vehicles capable of operating in such cold weather. The "winterover" crew is thus stranded and must be entirely autonomous.

In the course of her work at the research station, Nielsen discovered a lump in her breast. After consulting US physicians via email and video conference, she performed a biopsy upon herself; the results were inconclusive, because the material used on site was too outdated to allow for a precise diagnosis.

The organization in charge of the station back in the U.S. decided to send a military plane to airdrop supplies and medication for her treatment. Such airdrops had been a yearly event several years earlier, when the station was run by the US Navy, but had later been stopped[4]. There exist no planes that can land in the cold temperatures experienced at the South Pole in the winter. Their skis would risk sticking to the ice, and their fuel and hydraulic lines would rapidly freeze. The drop was also made dangerous by the total darkness, and by the fact that the snow machines used on the ground to retrieve the packages before they froze was not designed to be used in such cold weather.