How to feel welcome in a strange land.

Ted and I visited the Canadian Embassy in Bangkok this week.  It was a great learning experience.  I have never felt so unwelcomed by my country.  A country that we have paid taxes in for the past 30 or more years.  A country that is supposed to be known as friendly ... well, just come to Bangkok and see how you are treated.  Ted and I went to get some information for his work, volunteer opportunities, registration with the embassy in case of an emergency ... after being searched, scanned and interviewed we were allowed to enter the sanctuary of the embassy.  Not one person could help us .... "please visit our website" was what we heard over and over again.  If there is a website that can answer our questions, why are we paying salaries of the approximately 20 - 30 people that work there?  I guess if you need a stolen passport replaced then this is the place ... it could be done at a corner shop for a fraction the cost.  The best part was the issue of voting ... voting was cut off 9 days prior to the election because the staff couldn't promise our votes would arrive on time.  Have you ever heard of technology ... you can vote on what your favourite donut from Tim Hortons is but you can't vote in your own election (personally I would rather vote for the donut ... I miss donuts).

I can only imagine now what it's like for people entering our country from other world areas.  It must be scary for them to arrive in a country that insists you visit their webside for service.   I GIVE UP.

P.S.  We haven't seen Jack Layton in any of the massage parlours around the city.  I am sure he would enjoy them ... especially Nice Girls, near our place!

Grand Palace (p.s. don't visit on a Saturday in April .... tourists & hot, hot, hot)

Quiet week (with the exception of Ted's visit to hospital), definitely the hot as heck season.  It rained today and the humidity dropped to 100%!!!  Visited the Grand Palace today, saw the beautiful Jade Budda that is over 700 years old.  Riverboats to Grand Palace where fascinating, but we weren't brave enough to give them a try.  We took a cab to the palace and skytrain home.

For those who complain about their Roger's or any cable/satellite provider ... you should live here.  True Vision is our provider ... they just cut off the satellite for days at a time and no one informs you what is happening.  The headlines in the paper on Friday read  "True Vision satellite unavailable due to coup attempt", surprise to us because we haven't seen anything going on in that way.

Here are some photos from the palace visit today:

All in all, life is good.  We are full of noodles and seafood.  We wish everyone a vey Hoppy Easter!!!

Ted's visit to the hospital

It wouldn't be a normal year if we didn't end up in hospital with Ted's gout issues.  Actually it wasn't the gout that got him, it was the reaction to the medication he took ... he has an allergy to NSAID's (ASA, Ibuprofen, etc.), he took a form of a NSAID without telling me and had a bad reaction.  I used my epi-pen on him then off to the wonderful Bumrungrad Hospital.  Within seconds after arriving in the E.R. he was hooked up to monitors, blood taken, physician by his side the whole time.  Then, if you can believe it, he saw a Rheumotologist, it takes six months to a year in Canada to see a specialist.  He is home with new medication, epi-pens of his own, all for under $500.00 ... amazing.  We have now been on three continents with gout related issues ... how special is that?   http://www.bumrungrad.com/

First two weeks ...

It's been a little over two weeks since we have officially arrived in Bangkok, even though Ted has been here off and on for the last 6 months.  We have got our bearings, found grocery stores we like; department stores we like and of course restaurants that are fantastic (anytime I do not have to cook it's a good thing).  We are missing the "normalcy" of home, but this is quite an opportunity to be given.  They say there are three seasons here in Bangkok:  hot, hotter and then hotter than heck ... I think we are approaching the hotter than heck season.  It's very warm until end of May, then the rain starts ... can you tell we are typical Canadians and love to talk/complain about the weather?  We have met some very nice people, the other night we were at dinner with a group of five .... two from Canada (us), one from Australia, one from Thailand and one from India, talk about diversity. 

Last Saturday we went to Chatuchat Market.  It's the largest market in Thailand.  It takes up 35 acres and they have 15,000 vendors.  Did I mention, Ted loves markets and it doesn't matter how hot it gets, he loves to explore and barter with people for stuff we really do not need.  It was a great trip, one we have to do probably once a month.  It will take us years to see everything in the market.  The day ended with us buying our first major furniture here in Thailand.  We bought two beautiful Chinese replica cabinets, they will definitely add some colour to this very white condo.  This furniture will definitely be coming back with us.

We are trying to explore every weekend, so will keep you up-to-date on our adventures.  Bye from Bangkok!

Immigration and the Bowmans

Spent most of Monday at the Thailand "One stop service for employment and immigration office".  Consisted of our lawyer and his assistant lining up for us all morning to go through paperwork for Ted's work visa and my visitor visa.  It was an interesting day, we used the Bangkok subway system for the first time.  It is a clean, safe system, quite the latest technology for subway travel.  We had to pay a very bribes along the way today ... 1,000 bahts ($30 Cdn) to different "immigration" people.  2 baht each at the subway exit to get out of the subway!!!!  We thought we were having a good day until the subway incident .... you pay for the distance you are traveling, but if the attendant puts in the wrong exit, you must pay more money when you try to exit at the station you really need to exit at, quite a little money maker for some people.  Ted's sales meetings have started for the week, then he is off to Singapore on Thursday evening, home Friday evening.  I guess I will have to suffer and go shopping when he is away :-)  Finally getting body adjusted to local time, seems to be easier coming this way then going home. 

Arrived in Bangkok yesterday, weather is wonderful, about 28 degrees, little rain, but really comfortable.  Quite different from what I expected.  Off to the department store to buy supplies, feels like we are setting up college residence again ... buying a few dishes, kettle, coffee pot, etc.  Need to get used to people who actually serve you ... Ted needs to realize that the doorman's job is to bring bags in for us, he is so use to being Canadian and not asking for help.  Hell, if the doorman wants to cook and clean, he is more than welcome!  Had dinner last night, seafood buffet, my sister Judy would have loved it.  Tried yellow watermelon ... it tastes like the stuff back home, just yellow!