Holiday Greetings to our Family and Friends

HOLIDAY GREETINGS...To all our family and friends that have supported us in our move half way around the world...we wish all of you a most joyous holiday season, and a healthy and prosperous 2009!


Each and every one of you are with us each day, not only in spirit, but in our daily discussions with one another. It's so very difficult to put into words the "specialness" that each of you have within our hearts. It has been no doubt the hardest part of our transition in that we are so far removed from so many that are so dear. Although we are thankful that with today's technology we are allowed to visit with so many via "Skype." Being able to both speak and see each other as though we're sitting in the same room brings a lot of comfort and helps ease the distance we have between us. We feel as though we're still connected and still a part of each others lives.


With our upcoming move to Chiang Mai at the end of the month we'll have a home large enough to accommodate all that wish to visit us here in the"land of smiles." Hmm...free lodging. Hope that is enticing as it should lessen the overall costs to some extent. Once you get here you'll be pleasantly surprised how affordable dining and drinking is, not to mention entertainment and massages! We're getting ready for you, so you should plan and get ready.




Okay, no more rambling on with the usual long narratives. We'll leave you with the following highlights from our first six months here.

Love to all, Sherman & Phyllis

Jazz Blessing

I was recently reunited with a long time friend from Khorat. Her name is Gai and she was the girlfriend of one of my best friends while we were in the Air Force and stationed in Khorat from 1973-1974. We discovered that she had been living in Bangkok for some time and we were able to make contact with her. This is another story in itself. The reason I mention it is that she recommended that we go to a Temple and have a monk bless our car for continued good luck and safety. Sounded good to Phyllis and I. We made arrangements for Gai to meet us at our condo early in the morning and from there we left to pick up her girlfriend, Joy. We were headed to Chachoengsao to a temple there, Wat Sothon. It was ironical as we had been to Chachoengsao before, visiting friends and had also been to that specific temple. Chachoengsao is about a hour and half drive east of Bangkok. Joy had recommended this temple as it is well know for having newly purchased cars blessed by the monks that reside there. Arriving at the temple we parked the car in a designated area outside one of the outer buildings. From there we had to go and purchase several specially designed flower clusters that are hung from the rear view mirror, and also three small squares of golf leaf. These were taken back to the monk and were placed on a tray. When it was time I followed him out to the car. He had me turn the engine on and he sat behind the wheel and started his verbal blessings which were chants. I squatted by the open door and watched. When he was finished he took a small vessel that had what appeared to be grayish-white paste in it. He then used a small round wooden stick and began inscribing Buddhist designs on the headliner between the two front seats just in front where the windshield is located. At various points he would stop and chant, then continue again. When he finished he took the three small squares of golf leaf and placed one each at the top of his designs so that the gold leaf formed a diamond. At this point I thought he might be finished but, not...he then took a small container of water and with a small whisk type object he began chanting again as he indoctrinated the interior of the car with quick whisks of water throughout. When he finished I thought that was it, but no...he then gets out of the car and proceeds to ordain the exterior of the car with whisks of water and chanting until he has walked completely around the car. Now...the car has completely inside and out been blessed. However, it wasn't over just yet. We followed him back inside and Phyllis and I, along with Gai and Joy, sat on the floor in front of him with our heads bowed to the floor while he chanted and whisked us all with water. After which he passed us a small tray with four saffron colored bands of strings that had unique knotting in the middle. The ceremony was now concluded. Once outside it was explained to us that we were to tie the knotted saffron colored strings to one another's wrist where they were to remain for at least seven days. Now both us and the car had been blessed. May we always continue to have safe travels. We concluded the day by visiting the temple and then stopping by to see our friend Angelo who lives in Chachoengsao. Later before heading back to Bangkok we took Gai and Joy out to the golf course for a nice lunch. It turned out to be a very special day.

New Family Member

On October 29th we took delivery of our new family member...a new 2009 Honda Jazz. In preparation for our move out of Bangkok by year end we realized that we needed our own car. However, before the purchase could be made we needed our long term retirement visas and our Thai Driver Licenses, both of which we had already secured. The purchase process went quite smooth and quickly, unlike in the U.S. which could literally take all day and then in the end you still don't know whether you got a good deal or a good screwing. Our negotiations which ended in a net figure included all taxes, license and registration fees, and the first year of full coverage insurance including 24 hour roadside protection. Phyllis was happy but nervous as Bangkok is world renown for its hectic, freestyle driving. Actually I had been preparing for this for months with all the taxis we had taken to various golf courses. So I had a feel for the areas and as for the "freestyle" driving, well, it sort of came naturally for me. Weaving in and out, avoiding motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, and the ocassional elephant. To an outsider it appears as chaos, but there really is order in this chaos. Considering the amount of traffic in this city of over 10 million it surprising how few accidents there are. And when there is an accident it's usually resolved very quickly. After leaving the dealership we successfully negotiated our short trip to the gas statin and small shopping plaza after which was our return back to our condo. Phyllis did well and didn't panic or have a heart attack. I could tell she was a bit stressed but overall she sat back and let me do my Bangkok taxi thing. It's currently the 1st of December for this writing and we have made numerous trips both around the Bangkok area as well as other more distant destinations. I have to admit though I do spend a lot of time studying the Bangkok freeway and tollway maps as it is a huge city to negotiate. And for those of you that do not know, all of Southeast Asia drives on the left with steering on the right. So there are times that Phyllis will attempt to get in on the driver's side, so with a smile I just hold the keys up as an offering just in case she decides to get behind the wheel. So far, no way. However, she now seems more relaxed as a passenger, so she is starting to get use to it.

So...now we're prepared to explore areas outside Bangkok as possible home locations. We're going to consider three areas. Pattaya Beach which is located about 2 hours Southeast of Bangkok and located on the Gulf of Thailand. The other is Hua Hin which is a small beach city located about 2 and a half hour drive Southwest of Bangkok and is also located on the Gulf of Thailand. The last area of interest is Chiang Mai which is North of Bangkok by about 450 miles. It's surrounded by foothills and mountains and has a higher elevation so the weather tends to be cooler than here in Bangkok. It is the second largest city in Thailand with a population of about 1.2 million. We'll keep you "posted" as to future developments.

Chachoengsao Visit

Chachoengsao, Thailand. Located about 60 miles east of Bangkok and home to our new friends Ky & Terry, Angelo & Waan. Angelo and Ky are two Americans that we had met while at the train station in Nong Khai a few weeks ago while waiting to return to Bangkok from our trip to Vientiane, Lao. Terry is Ky's girlfriend and is from the Philippines. Waan is Thai and is married to Angelo. While at the train station they had invited us to come visit them so we decided to take them up on their offer.

We boarded a bus at the Eastern Bus terminal at about 4:30 p.m. in what was suppose to be about a two hour trip. It turned into more like three hours as this bus was a government bus and not a private tour bus as there were none of those available for such a short trip. The government bus stops along the way at various designated areas to let off and pick up passengers, additionally they stop along the highway for anyone who waves them down. We did not realize that leaving Bangkok on a Friday evening was not exactly the best time as everyone else was leaving to go visit friends and relatives for the weekend. We were lucky though as we had seats. I say "lucky" because it didn't take long before there was standing room only and that is putting it mildly! Sardines have more space in their little tin then the number of people they can squeeze in the small little center isle. Phyllis wanted me to turn around to snap a picture but there was literally no room for me to reach in my pocket for the camera let alone turn around facing the back. I did manage to get a picture or two looking forward before the "maddening crowd" developed. What made it more interesting was the lady "ticket, money collector," who had to always work her way back through all the people collecting their fares. Then when the bus would make its stop all the people that had to make their way back up to the front in order to get off. Phyllis was lucky as she had the window seat. With my aisle seat I had to endure people leaning over and on top of me so that people could get around them. I don't know how many legs, butts, shoulders, pocket books, bags, etc that I shared space with. Actually it was quite comical at times. Phyllis had seen buses packed like this before going down the major road, Sukhumvit Rd, but never thought she would experience it. Quite interesting as we were the only foreigners "farangs" on the bus. Now, that's the way to travel...sampling the true flavor so to speak! However, we did endure and Angelo was waiting in his car when we arrived. Wow...sitting in the back seat with plenty of room. Suddenly we were in first class!

He took us to their apartment building as they had already prepared a vacant room for us. We ended up going to dinner with Ky & Terry as Angelo had to drive to Chon Buri to pick up Waan. She lives in Chon Buri, another city nearby, as she works full time during the week and then Angelo and her spend the weekend together in Chachoengsao. We had a delightful evening visiting with Ky & Terry and hearing about how they had met. We returned to the apartment building and went down to their little restaurant and finished the evening with a few Singha beers.


When it was time to turn in for the evening I thought we would have to leave and find a hotel somewhere else because when Phyllis tested out the bed...it was like lying on concrete! This did not make her a "happy camper!" Although after some modifications we made it work, or at least somewhat tolerable. The next evening was better as Ky brought us an extra small fold up type mattress they had. So the second night was much better, but...far from bliss. We survived. Also worth noting here, Phyllis does not function well first thing in the morning without her coffee. The room had no coffee so knowing this I arranged with the lady downstairs to have coffee delivered to our room at 7:45 the next morning. And, on schedule a knock came to the door and when I opened there were two young girls about the ages of seven and five who were standing there with a tray that had four very small little plastic cups of black coffee. They were adorable. I thanked them and tried to give them a tip but they would not accept it. So now we were off to a good start of having our coffee in bed.

Speaking of coffee. Ky, instead of going out and buying a coffee maker, decided in "McGuyver" fashion to design and make his own. Look closely at his picture holding his homemade coffee filter system. It's actually made from a sock and a wire coat hanger. We never tried any coffee from it, but he swears it comes out great. We coined it the "sock pot!" His reasoning for designing it is that it makes coffee quicker than the traditional coffee maker. He preheats the water then pours it through his "sock pot" filter and he can have coffee in less than 60 seconds. And I thought Phyllis was picky!

Saturday morning was a real treat for Phyllis and I as the city had built brand new tennis courts. Angelo usually jogs in the area so he dropped us off and we were able to get a couple of hours of tennis in.

The city of Chachoengsao is actually quite nice. It is home to a well known Temple, "Wat Sothorn" which is quite magnificent. It also hosts a beautiful park, and the city is situated along a river with nice sidewalks and landscaping that provide plenty of sitting areas to view the passing river.

It didn't take long before Phyllis was inquiring about nearby golf courses. Angelo said he saw a sign for one outside of town near the large Toyota plant. We decided to take a drive out there and found the Bangpakong Riverside Country Club. The entrance road was quite long but tucked way back off the highway we came across the course and clubhouse, the driving range, tennis courts, and a beautiful pool that had a sunken bar built in. The course looked immaculate as did the clubhouse facilities which included terrace dining as well as inside air-conditioned dining. Checking the rates we were pleasantly surprised how reasonable they were. Additionally, for the months of August, September, & October the rates were quite low and were inclusive of green fees, caddy, and cart. This would no doubt be a course that our golfing friends in the U.S., Sue & Charlie, would love! While there we checked out their menu and the prices were very reasonable. They also had a good selection of "western style" breakfasts. We decided then that we would bring Ky and Terry with us the next morning so we could all have brunch before Phyllis and I left for our return trip to Bangkok.

Saturday evening the six of us loaded into Angelo and Waan's car and off we went to a local restaurant that was known for their great ribs. I don't think I've had any better ribs in the U.S. They were both flavorful and tender and literally fell off the bones as you ate them. Following dinner it was off to one of their local outdoor bar/restaurant that featured a live band. Sipping Singha beer and munching peanuts we listened as they played Carlos Santana and other artists. They were quite good. Saturday turned out to be both a great day and evening. We were all ready to turn in.

Considering the rocky start of our trip, it did turn out quite nice. We had a wonderful visit with our friends. They were quite accommodating and sincerely appreciated our visit. On Sunday evening we boarded the bus back to Bangkok but this time it went smooth and it was not crowded at all. We were bracing for the worst and it turned out great. Thank you Angelo and Waan, Ky and Terry!