Ok well this isn’t my very first haircut, but it’s one of the early ones. Notice how I’m still smiling… Curly hair is never easy. Once I got older, I realized the dangers of cutting curly hair, because if the stylist doesn’t have experience cutting curly hair, it could be disaster. The last few years in CA I was blessed to have a friend who […]
Ronald’s in the cultural know
The traditional Thai greeting is called a “wai” … as demonstrated below.
This is Thailand: Where’s Your Jacket?
Winter is around the corner here in Chiang Mai, which means that nights are cooler and I wear a jacket (ahem, or two…) when I ride my motorbike. But my Thai friends don’t seem to be to interested whether or not I’m cold on my bike going home late. No, on the hottest and sunniest days, in the middle of the day, my Thai friends […]
Ultramaaaaaaaan!!!
Ultraman is a popular cartoon here in Thailand, though I believe he is imported from Japan or somewhere else. He’s on everything you could think of, just like some American cartoon characters – pencils, lunchpails, kids’ shirts and backpacks, plates, notebooks… and CARS?!
‘Tis the Season for… Explosions!
Loy Kratong is a Thai festival based on asking the river for forgiveness for polluting it all year long. This is done by releasing little floating lanterns like these into the river. People also release lanterns into the air and set off lots and lots… and lots… and lots… of fireworks. One of the nights I went down to the river with some friends to […]
Yibeng!
Last Saturday I went to Mae Jo University with a friend for the annual Yibeng festival event. Thousands of kom lois (lanterns) are let off simultaneously. There is quite a ceremony as it is seen as a prayer for peace and goodness. Yibeng is a northern Thai word for part of the Loy Kratong festival and holiday, which is November 2, but celebrated October 31-November […]
Happy Birthday Tesco Lotus!
Tesco Lotus is kinda the British version of Super Target and Wal-Mart Super Centers, and it has been in Thailand for a long time. 15 years, in fact. At least, that’s what I can tell. When I walked into Tesco yesterday, I was greeted with this: It says “Tesco Lotus: 15 years” – “celebrate attractively” “millions of prices to thank you” and “helping you save” […]
Moooooore Students!
The last four weeks have been a little quiet, since the students had 2 weeks of finals and 2 weeks of break and couldn’t study English for that time. We still had classes, but they were smaller than normal. Well guess what, they’re back! The students have returned to Chiang Mai for their second semester and we are full to the brim of students! We […]
Visas! …And not the credit card type
At the end of August I made a quick day trip to Burma to renew my visa. With the visa I had, I was required to leave the country every 90 days. So, I took a bus to Mae Sai, the border town about 4 hours north of Chiang Mai. On the bus they gave me a water bottle, a snack, and an orange drink […]
“3:03:08” or, “The Persistence of a Persistent God”
Three kilometers into the run, I wondered what I was doing. Stopping wasn’t an option; walking wasn’t either. With seven more kilometers to go, determination rose in my heart and in my mind – You have to keep going. You will finish. You have to. It was a stronger feeling than I had during the 1.5 kilometer swim and 39 kilometer bike just before. Why […]