Thailand: around the north

     This next week should take us to Doi Inthanon (the highest peak in Thailand) and to Mai Hong Sun and Pai, two small towns in the north of Thailand. We're taking the overnight (9 hour) bus and will spend the extra $1.50 to be on the VIP bus. Hopefully that means we can sleep a bit. Also this week, I should hear back about the movie I auditioned for. Yes, that's correct. Some American film about the Vietnam war is being filmed here in Thailand soon and they've got fliers around town trying to get American to audition. It was funny - I read some lines from one scene over and over again while they filmed me trying out their direction: give it a bit more body language, try it more confident, try it more nervous, etc. All part of the experience I guess. I'm sure nothing will come of it but the free bottle of water and a few laughs.

     Our conversations have taken a decidedly scatological turn as we assess the effects the Thai food is having on our systems. We've each swallowed our pride to use a toilet from which we initially walked away. They're not exactly toilets either. More often its a porcelain hole in the ground, which doesn't make sense. If you're going to line your hole in the ground with porcelain, and you're going to plumb the room so that a bucket of water can be used to wash things down, why not install a western style toilet? And toilet paper is a valuable commodity here.

      Anyways, the Sunday Night Market in Chiang Mai was a complete zoo. We could barely walk through the crowds that covered many blocks of town. Now I'm tired and I better get back. Till next time.

Chiang Mai - Trekking

    Lauren and I just returned from our three day trek through an area north of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. We were accompanied by a British guy named Matt we met a few days ago as well as 10 other tourists from Germany, France, Isreal, Canada, and the US. We're not sure how much ground we covered over three days. The hiking was not too strenuous but the scenery was fantastic. We swam in the pools of 3 waterfalls, rode atop an elephant for an hour (Lauren's life flashed before her eyes), did some bamboo rafting and some (pretty mild) white water rafting. Meals were provided and we camped in two villages of the hill tribes of Thailand, though we did not interact much with the local village people.

       I'm not sure if I should use the word 'forest' or 'jungle,' but that doesn't really matter. It was lushly green and amazingly loud at night from all the insects (that makes it a jungle in my book). Fortunately we were not rained as the trail would have been very slippery had it been wet. The first two days were mostly walking, interrupted by swimming at waterfalls (an activity I quickly got used to), while all the other activities were, unfortunately, left until the last day. Despite a few places where the trek could have been improved, we had a fantastic time overall, not including one sleepless night due to another guy's snoring (so loud Lauren took video/audio of it with her camera).

    Bet spent one day trying to get to a local national park and found out it's pretty much impossible to see outside of a larger tour organization. After that she took her Thai cooking course, the fruits of which were delicious as we ate them tonight.

     Tomorrow I think we're in for a relaxing day in Chiang Mai. After that we may try to see the National Park that Bet tried to see. Soon we'll head north to Pai and Mae Hong Son. Later for now.

Lauren's view of Thailand

Sawasdee from Thailand!
It feels like a year since I last wrote which is proof of the culture shock.
I never liked the study of western civ in school, but am coming to appreciate
it much more after many bug bites, trips to "the hole" without toilet paper,
and bus rides that take twice as long as they should.
We spent 3 days in bangkok with lots of rain and wats. The locals played the
red box game with us (warner-ites, you know what I mean) by sending us on one
goose chase after another in search of the standing buddha.  I enjoyed
the "frenetic" city much more than I expected, and look forward to a few more
stops there later in my trip.
On our way up to Chiang Mai, we stopped in a town called Sukothai which had
great old ruins and a large city wall surrounding them.  We rented bikes for
20 Baht (less than a dollar) for the whole day and toured around.  Releif
from the heat comes as we move farther north.  We are now in Chaing Mai,
which is a great city.  I had my first Thai massage yesterday for just about
5 dollars an hour.  I can definitely get used to that.  Tomorrow we head out
for a three day trek through the hill tribes.  We've heard it's just amazing
and can't wait to see the elephants, the people, the waterfalls, and the
greenery.
I wanted to send pictures, but have heard from several that they got viruses
from the public computers, so I think I'll wait until I can find a computer
that is less suspect.  We've met tons of great people and the locals are
extremely friendly.
Please update me on the happenings of your lives...even the little things
will remind me of home...toilet paper, anyone?
Love to you all,
~Lauren ;-)

Thailand: Bangkok, Sukothai, and now we're in Chiang Mai

As of today I've been in Thailand for a week and already I can see myself trying to come back someday. It is not particularly romantic, nor un-romantic, but the sights, the prices, and the uniqueness of it will keep Thailand in my mind as a potential destination into the future.

    Bangkok is big and loud and incredibly polluted. Nevertheless, it was fun and I imagine that returning to it and its amenities/abundance after a few weeks in the country side will be welcome. Upon arrival I caught a cab, following the guidebooks advice I made sure he had the meter on. (You are accosted by offers for a cab when you walk out of the airport, a process that continues at bus stations and street corners throughout the country. "Tuk Tuk, 40 baht," they implore, trying to get your business.) Sukumvit Soi 1 (soi is pronouced like soy sauce, not like the french moi) I told him. Once we turned onto Soi 1 I showed him the address of the place and he was utterly uninterested. The guidebook explains that addresses are not always in order, so I guess they're less useful even to Thais.

    After arriving at 11.30 am I knew I needed to stay awake, so I spent the afternoon wandering the streets of Bangkok. There are vendors everywhere selling all varieties of Thai food, clothes, and other merchandise. Sometimes they serve you on a piece of styrofoam, sometimes on a plate that you must return to them, often they give you a bag with a toothpick, sometimes even your soda is poured into a small plastic bag with a straw (so the vendor can keep the glass bottle). Rather than three meals a day, you wind up grazing all day. Fruit is plentiful and we've enjoyed it as a breakfast or snack many a time. I'm always on the hunt for pastries and Bet has been enjoying meat on a skewer. We enjoy the Thai food but find ourselves looking for something more familiar (and more solid) every once in a while.

   After Bangkok we went to Sukothai (small village with great ruins) and now we're in Chiang Mai for a few days. Chiang Mai is the perfect intersection of cultural capitol and tourist hotspot so authentic food, clothes, shopping, etc, can be easily found and often being sold by a Thai person who speaks English much better than they do in Bangkok. We'll be here for a few days before making a loop around the northwest.

Chiang Mai

We had a bumpy six hour ride north from Sukhothai to Chiang Mai today, where we just ate at an italian restaurant because our bodies were craving something more familiar. Chiang Mai is a charming city - large without the chaos and pollution of Bangkok. Another post soon.

Hopefully my next message will make some sense

Doing well

Lauren and I have been enjoying Bangkok for a day and a half now (Bet will arrive tonight). We had corn cut off the cob with coconut for breakfast yesterday and today. Somewhere we found some delicious pasteries. Fortunately there are fresh fruit carts everywhere. There are carts and vendors lining the streets in most places. You have to walk around them everywhere you go. Hopefully as you do, you don't step on a loose brick, as they squirt dirty water onto your feet when you do. Yesterday was our first full day here and we just wandered around enjoying the process of eating most of the day. Last night went went out to the bars with some other folks from the hostel. The waitresses are forward and often looking for sex or looking to refer you to a sex show. Many people are trying to swindle you here. A common tactic is for a local to tell a tourist that X temple is closed for the day but he will show you to another...or you can buy his precious gems...the propositioning is by no means limited to sex.

We've some good people are going to have a blast.

Bangkok

I tried to buy a slice of pineapple and kiwi today and wound up with a pineapple and kiwi smoothie. It tasted wonderful but I didn't finish it because I'm afraid of drinking the water. This city is sort of nuts - it rained like crazy for an hour today - nothing changed - girls still riding by on the back of the motor scooters that take people around town at insane speeds. Lauren is here and all is well. We're both pretty je-lagged and ready to crash.

Hong Kong

I made it to Hong Kong without any hangups. When I checked in at SFO I watched the ticket agent look for a visa in the back of my passport but he never said anything about it. From the airport Hong Kong looks like a great city, surrounded by hills and the port. I had noodles with pork sausage balls for breakfast here and thought to myself, if this is breakfast, imagine how strange crunchy cereal in milk must seem. There happened to be a place to use a computer for free here at the airport. My flight to Bangkok leave in half an hour. Fortunately it's only 1.5 hours long. The 13 hour flight here went well, but 13 hours is pretty rough. Take care.

Laramie and Berkeley 2007 - and off to Thailand

Laramie and Berkeley 2007

Obama for vice president?

I've been thinking about Clinton and Obama and I've decided I want Obama for vice president. I see Obama this way: I gravitate toward him out of the feeling he could be truly revolutionary. In particular, I wonder about him using the bully pulpit to talk about race, to engage this country in a conversation about race in a way no resident has tried before. The closest parallel would be the conversations/propaganda used during WWII to discuss the war effort. I should also say that I feel like Obama could lead these conversations not so much because he is black, but more because of his ability to communicate, to engage and connect. The subject, race in the US, is chosen partly because he is black but mostly because it is an issue about which action must be taken and legislation can't do it. I worry about Obama because of his lack of experience.

In my view his strengths are his magnetism and potential to use the White House in a way never done before. His weaknesses are his naivete and the chance that Washington is a place where personality isn't enough to change the tone of things in the country. In other words, his strengths are his soft power, the power to set the agenda in Washington through conversation. With the right president, a vice president could lead these conversations almost as effectively as if the VP were him/herself president. And the president, Hillary Clinton, could wield her preparedness and experience in a way Obama could not.

[This leaves out Edwards who scores major points on health care, poverty issues, and for his wife's support of gay marriage. However Edwards was only Senator for one term and in places where he and Clinton are more different, I find Edwards too liberal (e.g. Edwards is more protectionist than Clinton). I should note that my view of Obama being the perfect vice president means that he is not in second place to Hillary's first. Should Hillary falter I think I would be more likely to support Edwards for president and leave Obama for VP. (Total side note: if the VP is perfect for using soft power doesn't that mean that they must have a positive message, for no one wants the bully pulpit to be used to spread a negative message....Dick Cheney?]

Random thoughts

I leave for Thailand on Monday. I can't wait.

I'm stupidly proud of how little I have packed - my hiking backpack isn't full even with my carry-on day bag inside of it.

I wish we had universal health care. I can't get the antibiotics my travel book recommends for traveler's diarrhea because I have to see a doctor to get a prescription. Without health insurance that doesn't really work (I did invest in traveler's insurance but it doesn't cover anything before the trip).

I'm looking forward to seeing a bunch of family members this weekend: it's my grandmother's 97th birthday.

Read about the Amazon MP3 store here. I used it today and it worked well.

Two down, one to go: another of my committee members approved my masters thesis.

I hope that flip flops and my keens (hiking sandals) will be enough in Thailand. I think I'm not going to bring a real pair of shoes. I think they'd be wet after two days and never dry off in all the rain.

I'm using some neighbor's wireless in my grandmother's backyard. The golden gate is straight in front of me, though I can't really see it through the trees. Berkeley has been beautiful while I've been here.

My dad's bone scan and MRI showed that his prostate cancer (recurrence) has not spread.

My grandmother and my aunt are doing very well. 

I need to go fix dinner.

Take care.

Thai visa policies (...and airport security ... and does it work this way to enter the US too?)

Once I called my airline (Cathay Pacific, which I'm excited about) and asked about visa requirements for visiting Thailand. After looking at his computer the agent responded that US passport holders do not need a visa. Plain and simple, I thanked him and hung up.

In Berkeley, I'm reading my cousin's Lonely Planet and it says that you must have a tourist Visa to stay longer than 30 days. Holy shit, I think to myself, we're planning on being there for 6 weeks. I called the Thai consulate in Chicago (there isn't one in SF). They can process Visas very quickly, in person. He recommended that I fly to Chicago for it to be processed (it's wednesday and I leave next monday night). I can't do that. What if I went to Laos for a week in the middle of my trip? That would work, he thought, as long as I had something to show the airline representative. The airline representative? Wait, where is this policy enforced? By Customs? By the Airline? Here or in Thailand? The answer: my eligibility to board the flight will be determined by the airline agent when I check-in my luggage. I find this answer shocking and I wonder if airline representatives verify visa status for entry to the US. ... So back to the question about a reservation in Laos...it sounds like a good idea. I called Cathay Pacific again to ask about Visa stuff and to ask about plans to Laos in the middle of my trip. As long as I have something to show the agent I'll probably be allowed to get on the plane, they said. Basically, with enforcement responsibility left in the hands of the airline (i.e. the profit making entity) it appears that the airline does not want to upset their passengers. I figure that most agents don't ask at all about visa status and those that do will let you on the plane as long as you have some document that they could use as an excuse...."but he had a reservation in Laos..." Now, we are genuinely considering going to Laos but how stupid to have to make a reservation just to get on the plane.

(And, how infuriating that my airline did not properly inform me of this requirement. When I complained to the agent today, she said that it is the passenger's responsibility to know the rules. I would agree IF the airline were not the enforcing body. As long as the airline is the enforcing body they should highlight this requirement. It's also just sad that their agent told me, point blank, you don't need a visa to visit Thailand. If I had explained the details of the situation, he probably would have gotten it right, but he should have asked for those details before answering the question.)

Life in Berkeley #2

My grandmother eats an amazing amount of M&Ms ... my aunt is doing very well after her surgery (the staples in her head are totally gnarly) ... I can't believe I leave for Thailand in just over a week ... and I hope to get away one more time before I go. All in all, things are going well.

Whooo hooo!!!

My masters thesis (remember that?) has finally gone to the rest of my committee.

Life in Berkeley #1

I'm happy to report that my grandmother is doing better than expected in Berkeley. Most importantly she is no longer in the extreme pain that she was in a month or two ago. I'm amazed at how little she eats but she seems alright. Her short term memory isn't as good as it used to be but otherwise she is doing well.
My aunt will have brain surgery to have her tumor removed on Monday. She seems remarkably composed and should be home later in the week.
Internet access is still an issue though I just met the owner of the house I've been sitting next to to get wireless. She didn't seem to mind.

California legislature passes bill legalizing gay marriage, AGAIN.

For the second time in three years a bill legalizing gay marriage in California will go to the Governor's desk. It will probably be vetoed again. Although this is infuriating it is also progress. This makes California's the only legislature in the country to approve gay marriage. Massachusetts is the only state where gay marriage is legal, but that was by decree of the courts. Although I agree with the courts and the point that the majority do not get to remove the rights of the minority, having the courts force the issue plays into the Republican Party's fear-mongering about "activist judges." I'll mourn his veto later: it is a good day when gay marriage goes to the Governor's desk.

Thai breakfast

I looked at one Thai hotel that said they have Thai and European style cuisine. This caught my attention: "breakfast is also served with a good selection from, Kellogg’s corn flakes to eggs cooked your way, bacon, sausage, toast etc, tea and fresh coffee."

It doesn't sound that bad, but I thought it was funny.

More traffic in Laramie today than I have ever seen

I have not done a good job of using this space to write about life in Wyoming. As I contemplate my future and consider moving out of Laramie, a distinct possibility next summer, I regret that. One of the things I love about this town is that I can get anywhere on my bike in about 5 minutes. Usually I barely even have to slow down for intersections because there aren't that many people moving around. Multiple times I have walked down the center of my street on my way home from campus or the movie theater (4 blocks away). (The center of the street usually doesn't have the broken sidewalks, the hanging-over plants, or the sprinkler spray.) So today was a little unusual. There was tons of traffic coming down 3rd street today. It is the busiest street in town but often you can cross without waiting for the light to turn. Part of the increased traffic is simply that students are back in town and I had gotten used to walking around town all summer for jubilee days, etc. While it is nice to have the buzz of town and fall and football season again, I guess I miss strolling around without a care.

[I don't mean to undercut my point, that Laramie was far busier today than usual, but I do want to point out, as part of life in wyoming, that this means there were about 6 blocks of traffic. It is still far preferable to the miles of traffic jams I'm used to in southern California.]

Colorado, including Mesa Verde National Park

I visited my sister's family in southern Colorado last week. We played in the creek, hunted for buried treasure at the empty site of a former whore house, saw some old mining towns, visited Mesa Verde National Park, and attended the Dance Party thrown by my sister and her husband's kids and the kids of their friends.

Here are the pictures (taken with my new (and first) digital camera, a Sony DSC W55 with a Carl Zeiss lens):

Colorado August 2007 - including Mesa Verde National Park