Khun Paul in Bangkok

Legendary Tennis!

2008-11-25T04:37:00.000-08:00

Having watched many exciting tennis matches in the late 1970's and early 1980's involving Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, Doris and I were thrilled to have the opportunity to see these two tennis legends play each other in an exhibition here in Bangkok last Saturday. Okay, so they aren't exactly in their prime anymore, but it was still neat. McEnroe, of course, protested several line calls by

Pool in Progress

2008-09-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

I just concluded two enjoyable weeks in Austin with Doris. We made some new friends, unpacked boxes of our belongings, selected new furnishings for the house, etc. One of the more interesting things we did was simply watch the construction of our in-ground swimming pool, which coincidentally began upon my arrival in

A Lone Star State of Mind

2008-08-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

Doris and I sampled some music last night in Austin, Texas, which bills itself as the "live music capital of the world." We enjoyed listening to an unsigned recording artist, Suzanne Smith, accompanied by another guitarist and a fiddle player, at an Irish pub called B.D. Riley's on 6th Street, where many of the live music acts perform. I'm posting a couple of self-explanatory pictures: We hope

I've Been to the Bat Cave!

2008-08-17T01:07:00.000-07:00

With Doris in Austin, I decided to take a trip by myself this weekend to Khao Yai National Park, Thailand's largest, which is located about a two-hour drive from Bangkok. I wasn't actually "by myself," since our driver, Khun Akkachai, took me there and was my friendly companion while touring the park. He proved to be an invaluable resource in many ways, including translating from Thai to

The Beatles Revisited

2008-08-09T17:14:00.000-07:00

Quite some time ago, I wrote about attending a performance by a Beatles tribute band in Bangkok called the Beaters. Last Friday night, I went with a friend of mine, Matt Totsky, to hear another Beatles tribute band, The Better. They were excellent, and Beatles songs have been playing in my head. Some pics of the band, as well as of Matt:And where else but in Bangkok could you walk out of a pub

More Language Humor

2008-06-25T07:35:00.000-07:00

I truly admire how hard people work at overcoming the language barriers that divide them, and how often their efforts succeed, despite the use of less-than-elegant communications. Two examples from Thailand that struck my funny bone:While riding on the Bangkok sky train recently, I discreetly peered over the shoulder of a Thai woman to read the English dialogue she was studying and practicing

Hello Bali!

2008-06-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

Doris and I have just returned from a glorious week at a resort in Bali. We now know a lot more about this tropical paradise, which is one of roughly 13,000 islands comprising Indonesia. We spent a good deal of time just lounging on the beach or around the pool at the resort, sipping tropical drinks:. . . but we also hired a car and driver and took some excursions. Some of the more interesting

Stalking Big Game in South Africa

2008-06-01T02:53:00.000-07:00

Having spent all of last week in Pretoria, South Africa on business, I drove about two hours to Pilanesberg National Park on the weekend in hopes of seeing some big game animals. I had been to an "animal safari" in England with the family many years ago, but I always suspected it wasn't the same thing as seeing animals in their natural habitat. I can't remember precisely what creatures we saw

Austin House Update

2008-05-04T23:46:00.000-07:00

Progress continues on the house we're building in Austin. We're still trying to nail down a closing date, but it now looks like it's going to be around the end of June. Some pics of how things are going:

Didn't We Just Have a Two-Year-Old Ourselves?!

2008-05-01T04:16:00.000-07:00

In April, Doris and I visited both of our sons and their families, in Mountain View, CA and Redmond, WA. The timing for our visit was driven by the second birthday of Peter, son of Kurt and Karen and our only grandchild at this point (though another one, courtesy of Jeff and Katy, is on the way). Yes, we took pictures of people and things other than Peter during our visit, but mostly we just

One "Mann" in Bangkok

2008-03-09T00:29:00.000-08:00

Okay, so the title to this entry is a blatant ripoff of the name of the blog maintained by my friend Matt (see the link at the right, near the top, to "My Friend Matt's Cool Blog."). I just couldn't resist, because Doris and I had an interesting and very enjoyable dinner in Bangkok last night with a new friend named Byron Mann, along with his Thai girlfriend Jeab. We met Byron and Jeab a week

Baby Eames Visits Ford

2008-03-08T23:51:00.000-08:00

As you may recall from an earlier blog entry, one of our Thai lawyers, Khun Sutathip, went on maternity leave at the end of last year. She visited my office with her baby, Eames, this week. Eames naturally was a big hit:The photo above shows Eames with Sutathip, as well as Khun May, the more junior of our Thai lawyers. Eames also took a good look at me:And, of course, there's nothing like a

Now It's Looking Like a House

2008-03-08T23:32:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos showing the significant progress on our house in Austin. We just learned today that the insulation has been installed, and when Doris is in Texas in just a little over two weeks, the dry wall may be up by then.

Pale Mexicans at the "South of the Border" Ball

2008-03-08T23:01:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Doris and I attended a charity ball in Bangkok that was sponsored by the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand. The theme of the ball was "South of the Border," and attendees were encouraged to dress appropriately. Doris put a lot of effort into finding the right clothing and accessories for us to wear. This wasn't easy, because as you might imagine, Thai stores don't

Up She Goes!

2008-01-26T05:27:00.000-08:00

Great progress has been made on the construction of our house in Austin over the last three weeks, as illustrated by the photos below that our builder e-mailed to us:At this rate, you'd think the house would be ready in only another month or so, but the builder is continuing to estimate a completion date in July or August.

On the Verge of a Slab

2008-01-07T14:01:00.000-08:00

After Doris and I finished the holiday celebrations with our sons and their families in California, we headed to Austin, Texas for a quick check on the status of our house construction. When we arrived in Austin, we discovered it was in the middle of a cold snap, with high temperatures in the upper 50s causing the locals to assure us that this was truly unusual. I admit to being a little

A "Cold" Christmas

2008-01-06T15:31:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2007 was a "cold" Christmas for a couple of reasons.First, Doris and I celebrated the holiday in Sunnyvale, California, where our son Kurt and his family live. Measured against typical temperatures in Michigan, where we have spent most of our Christmases, Sunnyvale's daytime highs in the low 50s F (roughly 10 degrees C) should have seemed downright balmy. Instead, I found myself

A Delightful Lunch with Thai Staff

2007-12-22T05:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the last day in the office for awhile for Khun Sutathip, the senior of the two Thai lawyers who work for me. She is due to have her first baby within the next week or so, and she will be taking a three-month maternity leave. Her departure coincides with the upcoming holiday break, so I took her and our junior lawyer (Khun May) and our administrative assistant (Khun Lee) out to

A Taste of China

2007-10-29T07:10:00.000-07:00

Can one get an accurate impression of a country after visiting it for only a short period? Probably not, but Doris and I feel as though we know quite a bit more about China and its people, having just completed an eight-day tour of Shanghai, Beijing and Xi'an.We started our visit in Shanghai, where I had two days of business meetings. Normally, I get to see very little of the cities to which I

"Ringo is parking the car."

2007-10-04T06:03:00.000-07:00

John Lennon offered this explanation last night for the delayed start of his band's performance. He wasn't actually John Lennon, of course, but rather the John impersonator in a Beatles tribute band called "The Beaters." The band, comprised of Thai performers dressed in Beatles garb and wigs, plays Beatles music every Wednesday night at a restaurant/bar in Bangkok. And doesn't it somehow seem

Building Yet Again

2007-09-09T00:34:00.000-07:00

When we moved to Thailand in 2005, we sold our house in Ann Arbor, MI and became apartment dwellers in Bangkok, owning no real estate of any kind anywhere. Since then, we've entertained many different ideas of where we'd like eventually to own a house in the States. For quite awhile, we were seriously thinking about buying property in Las Vegas. We even made a low-ball offer on an existing

A Week in Paradise

2007-08-04T17:28:00.000-07:00

We've just finished a very enjoyable week with friends and relatives as part of our home leave for 2007. George and Ann Tucker, parents of our daughter-in-law Katy, generously invited us to join them and their family at a Marriott timeshare at Ko Olina on Oahu. Some of my favorite pics of the week:Jeff and Katy aboard a catamaran, en route to a snorkeling site.Doris in front of Waimea Falls,

English As She Is Not Meant to Be Spoken

2007-05-08T07:06:00.000-07:00

Overcoming the language barrier is a daily challenge here. To cite just one example, I give you a conversation I had this morning with our driver, Khun Akkachai, as he drove me to work after being off yesterday for a public holiday in Thailand:Me: "So, Khun Akkachai, did you enjoy your day off with your family?"Akkachai: "Yes, mister. My daughter, she about take activity in the water."(long

A "Stair-Master" Vacation in Koh Samui

2007-04-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

Doris and I enjoyed a week-long getaway this April to Koh Samui, an island in the south of Thailand located about an hour by plane from Bangkok. We were taking advantage of several days off because of the Thai New Year, also known as Songkran. Our trip will always be memorable for me, for several unexpected reasons. We started off staying in a hotel that Doris had found and booked online. The

A Thank You to Staff Members

2007-04-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

In March, Doris and I hosted a dinner at a nearby restaurant for the two Thai lawyers who work for me at Ford, Khun Sutathip and Khun May, as a thank you for all their invaluable service at the office. K. Sutathip was accompanied by her husband, Pite, and May brought her boyfriend, Ake. The four of them are pictured below (from left to right: Ake, May, Pite and Sutathip). If it weren't for

DDR Party

2007-04-21T17:47:00.000-07:00

In mid-March, we invited a few friends to our apartment to play a game called "Dance Dance Revolution." For those of you who, like us, missed out on this craze the first time around, the game involves moving your feet around on a grid of squares on a floor pad, as instructed on a video screen, in beat to background music of various speeds -- most of it pretty frantic. It's not easy to do and

Vietnam Revisited

2007-03-05T02:25:00.000-08:00

I was on business in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City last week and found a notable change since Doris and I visited Vietnam in October 2005. The prosperity of the country continues to grow rapidly, so there are a lot more cars on the road than before. As the pictures below illustrate, though, motor bikes still predominate.Traffic lights aren't common, and it's quite difficult to cross the road,

"I Got to Pet a Tiger on His Tummy!"

2007-02-23T17:04:00.000-08:00

These enthusiastic words came from the grinning mouth of our daughter-in-law Katy at the end of our recent visit to the "Tiger Temple" in Kanchanaburi, Thailand. And here's a photo that captured her experience:It was so neat to see Jeff and Katy, who love their own domestic cats back home in Seattle, enjoy playing with the really big cats at the tiger preserve we toured at the end of the recent

A Blast in California—and the Real Thing in Bangkok

2007-01-06T19:42:00.000-08:00

While Doris and I were having a blast visiting family members in California over the holidays, Thailand was experiencing the real thing. Eight bombs exploded in several locations throughout Bangkok on New Year’s Eve, some of them not too far from our apartment. Three people died, and 42 were injured. Thai authorities cancelled all public celebrations for New Year’s Eve after the first devices

Cooking with Karaoke!

2006-12-02T20:43:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday we had a small karaoke party at our apartment, for which one of our good friends Oiy made all the food. She spent most of the day in our kitchen, along with members of her family and friends, creating a bunch of delicious Thai dishes for us to try. There isn’t much counter space in our kitchen, and certainly not enough for all the hours of food preparation that went on. So, the

A Trip to Chiang Mai

2006-11-25T20:34:00.000-08:00

We recently spent a week vacationing in Chiang Mai, Thailand’s second-largest city, which is located in the northern part of the country. Some very good Thai friends of ours, Fong and Kaew (pictured below), accompanied us on the first part of the trip and did an outstanding job of navigating us around the city.The key attraction in Chiang Mai at the moment is a huge floral exposition in honor of

"Madame Lonely?"

2006-11-06T15:59:00.000-08:00

I mentioned in an earlier blog entry the many challenges we face here every day in trying to communicate with Thai people, whether it’s in English or in Thai. We’ve had many funny experiences. Some seem funny only much later, after our frustration subsides and we regain our perspective and sense of humor. This past weekend, some Filipino friends of ours told us a thoroughly enjoyable story

Party, Party!!

2006-10-23T06:22:00.000-07:00

A week ago Sunday, we had about 50 people over to our apartment for a very memorable music party. We have so many good friends who are phenomenal musicians that we decided we just had to get everyone together, with their instruments, for an afternoon and evening of musical performances and plain old jamming. For an additional element of interest, we encouraged everyone to come dressed as a pop

Phuket Scouting Mission

2006-09-26T07:35:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, Doris and I went to Phuket, Thailand for a few days. Phuket (careful—it’s pronounced “Poo Ket”) is only about an hour plane ride south of Bangkok and has some of the most beautiful beaches we’ve ever seen. Our main purpose for going, though, wasn’t to loll around on the beaches, but rather to scout the surrounding area out for a trip we plan to make there again next February.

Rodents Remain Tempting Treat

2006-09-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

This was the startling title of an article in today’s Bangkok Post, one of the leading English-language newspapers here in Bangkok. The title naturally caught my eye, and I expected it would be a humorous piece—at least intentionally. Not so. I’m inserting into my blog some excerpts:“Despite outbreaks of leptospirosis in the wake of major flooding in many areas of the country, the trade in

Our First Coup!

2006-09-20T07:27:00.000-07:00

I never thought I'd have a reason to make that statement, but there you have it. It's not as exciting as the first kiss or the first grandchild, but it's nevertheless a milestone of sorts.We stared in amazement at the TV late last night as news of the coup unfolded. We were relieved to hear that it was non-violent—and it has stayed that way, at least so far. A short while later, all TV

My Experience with Muay Thai Boxing

2006-09-18T04:39:00.000-07:00

Last July (okay, so I’m a little behind in updating my blog), I went to a professional Muay Thai boxing match in Bangkok with a colleague from work, Gerry Dube, and a Thai friend, Seng.Muay Thai (which means "Thai boxing" in the Thai language) is the national sport of Thailand. Considering how peaceful the culture is, the popularity of this brutal sport is a bit of a mystery to me. I’m sure I’m

A Birthday Spent with Thai Friends

2006-08-13T22:08:00.000-07:00

I'm belatedly loading some pictures from a get-together at our apartment that coincided with my birthday at the end of July. A group of us got together to practice some songs we hope to perform at a music party that Doris and I plan to host in September. It was nice to have a bunch of my Thai friends over on my birthday, especially since Doris and the rest of my family weren't here to help me

A Violent Place

2006-05-12T05:09:00.000-07:00

I went on a business trip to South Africa this week, spending all my time working in the Ford South Africa offices near Pretoria. I had many interesting experiences, but none more so than the quick tour I was given of the Ford assembly plant. My assigned tour guide was a very nice Public Affairs manager. What made the tour special were the many candid comments she made about what it's like to

Trip to New Zealand and Australia

2006-04-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

Doris came with me on a recent business trip to New Zealand and Australia. We started out in Auckland, where Ford New Zealand's offices are, but when my business was finished there, we flew to the south island. This is the most picturesque part of New Zealand, and we were blown away by its unspoiled, breath-taking, desolate beauty. We rented a car and drove from Christchurch to Queenstown, and we

"Copy watch? Copy watch, sir?"

2006-03-25T00:32:00.000-08:00

Doris and I recently visited Hong Kong for the first time, in connection with one of my business trips. Doris actually saw the city in much more depth than I did, because she had time to tour while I spoke at a lawyers' conference. So, Doris took most of the pictures I'm posting to this blog.I came to Hong Kong expecting to see swarthy Chinese men skulking around the waterfront and shadowy

"Can I Have Your Body?"

2006-01-13T16:23:00.000-08:00

I'm constantly experiencing the challenge not only of learning the Thai language, but also of trying to understand what Thais are trying to say to me in English. One of the main difficulties in understanding English as spoken by Thais is their routine failure to pronounce the endings of English words. "Dance" becomes "dan," for example. In addition, Thais often are unfamiliar with the correct

My King, My King!!

2006-01-09T08:22:00.000-08:00

As a Westerner living and working in Bangkok, I've received the usual cultural sensitivity training. I take this stuff seriously, because I don't want to offend anyone, if I can help it. Some of the cautions can be baffling at first, such as a warning not to point your foot at a Buddha, since the foot is considered unclean and insulting in Thai culture. Of course, it's not my habit to use my foot

It really IS a jungle out there!

2005-12-28T23:55:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I watched an elephant lumber down our street in Bangkok. He was led by a Thai man dressed in ordinary clothes, and there were no other signs of a parade or circus. Everyone acted as if nothing extraordinary was happening, and I probably was the only one watching in amazement. Bangkok's modern, urban environment had lulled me into forgetting that much of Thailand really is a

Thanksgiving Celebration in California

2005-12-11T06:26:00.000-08:00

Doris and I made a short trip to California for Thanksgiving this year to visit Kurt and Karen. Thanks to the international date line, we arrived at San Francisco airport about the same time on the same day as we left Bangkok, after roughly 24 tiring hours of being in transit. (I can’t help it—I’m still immaturely fascinated by this.) It was great, of course, to see family again, especially

Cultural Lessons Learned in Vietnam (and Elsewhere)

2005-10-30T06:14:00.000-08:00

Doris already has posted an entry in her blog (http://www.khundoris.blogspot.com) regarding our recent trip to Hanoi, so I won’t repeat those details here. What I’ll focus on instead are cultural lessons I’ve recently learned in Vietnam and here in Bangkok.While the two-day cruise aboard a junk on Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay was thoroughly enjoyable (typical scene as shown in the photo), a couple of

Who Says Americans Don't Adapt?

2005-10-02T05:04:00.000-07:00

Americans sometimes get criticized for failing to adapt well to other cultures. Of course, sometimes we do, even in the oddest ways. Doris and I attended the Thai Open tennis tournament today in Bangkok, and while walking to our seats, we passed a McDonalds restaurant, America's best-known export to the rest of the world. To our amusement, the Ronald McDonald mascot in front of the store was

Let's Talk Toilets

2005-09-11T00:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't yet encountered the public toilet facilities that most westerners characterize as crude and very difficult to deal with, but I'm sure that's because I haven't yet strayed far outside the protective "bubble" of nearby Western-style malls, restaurants and office buildings. The mall within walking distance of our apartment, for example, has public bathrooms very similar to those one would

Escalator Escapades

2005-09-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

I realize it's easy to form false impressions of a culture if you make very limited observations, so after having written my comments last week about Thais and escalators, I began wondering whether I had leapt to the wrong conclusion. Based on two further experiences I had yesterday, though, I don't think so. I visited a huge electronics shopping complex to buy some computer supplies. As usual,

Initial Impressions of Bangkok

2005-09-04T07:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been here in Bangkok for a little over four weeks now, and in order to focus on something other than missing Doris (she's finally due to arrive in 3-1/2 weeks!), I've made a few observations: Thais seem to be incredibly patient and peaceful. I haven't seen one hostile motorist in traffic---quite a feat, given how jammed the roads are with cars---or one angry person, period! A