final thoughts on Thailand

I don't think it's fair to compare Thailand to Vietnam in the context of this trip.  The two halves of the trip were very different with the second half being purely vacation and the first half being professional leave to visit libraries and be part of a group.  Apples and pomelos.  Something like that.  I'll take care of the Vietnam tour reflection in the next day or two, but some final, randomly-ordered thoughts on Vietnam.

It struck me in Sattahip, near the resort city of Pattaya, just how many old(er) white men there were there.  White women?  Not many, never alone and always with other white men or white women.  The older white men?  Alone or in clusters or with younger Thai women.  There was something about it all that felt like viewing sexual tourism on its down time.  I don't know, y'all.  There is probably a lot more intelligent that can be written about the racial and sexual dynamics at play, about tourism and economics and colonialism.  It just felt, well, icky to me while there.  Interestingly, I didn't see this nearly as much in Chiang Mai or in Bangkok.  Chiang Mai was very touristy in the city center, and in Bangkok we were probably very removed from where a lot of tourists stay.

I loved the food, but I may have liked the food in Vietnam more.  Having to navigate a menu with Conrad was sometimes a challenge - he just has so little tolerance for chiles and heat (and Van has even less!!).  Vietnam presented fewer such challenges, and I felt like there was more of an emphasis on fresh herbs in the Vietnamese food we encountered.  Restaurant POTONG was the best meal we had all trip, though, and there wasn't a dud the day we did the walking tour.  All in all, however, I could do without eating coconut, rice, bananas, curry, and shrimp for a little while!  

We packed for rainy season and saw very little rain.  This was driven in part by reports of flooding all around Bangkok in September.  But no.  One day with rain in Sattahip, two mornings in Bangkok with quick, intense showers.  Chiang Mai weather was pretty idyllic, though.  Maybe we were used to the heat and humidity by that point in the trip as well.  Funny thing?  I packed three pairs of shorts and wore one pair once.

Speaking of clothes and packing, we did pick up a few casual items in Thailand including these pants that get tied up that I bought in the hotel shop in Chiang Mai the first day and lived in in our hotel rooms after that.  I should have packed a few more casual tshirts, and I was glad to go to a regular store in Pattaya (like a Target, with groceries and household goods and clothing) and buy a couple of inexpensive tops to wear all around.  Buying clothes in SE Asia is a real blow to the ego, by the way.  I have gained a lot of weight in recent years, I know, but putting on a tshirt at a cool souvenir shop in Chiang Mai and realizing that XXXL referred more to length than to girth was a wounding experience.

Thailand is a more developed country than Vietnam, and there was a lot about it that would be familiar to westerners visiting.  Where in Vietnam there seemed to be a real prevalence of police or military guards, in Thailand there were images of the royal family all over.  It was interesting to see that contrast.  We talked with a few people about the royal family because our understanding comes from the British one, and that was illuminating.  A lot of reverence for the current kings father, a lot of respect for the current king and hope for how his rein will continue to go, and even sorrow for the death of his eldest daughter earlier this year.

It is not a priority for us to go back to SE Asia much as J-J and Vanda would doutbless welcome us.  Van was over last night, and we were showing him photos of some of the trip, and he asked which country we found more interesting.  He agreed with my assessment that Vietnam was the one simply because it felt the more foreign, the more different from my surroundings here.  That's not to say I didn't find Thailand uninteresting.  But I also didn't find it so compelling that I think, Gosh!  I want to go back.  It was a good trip, a good visit, and I hope that I have shown through the blog entries that I appreciated so much.  Still, there are other places I would visit for the first time or return to before I consider Thailand again.

I'll end there.  One more entry to right related to the trip, and then it's time to get on to life here, work, the travel ahead for the rest of the year.  Thanks for coming on the journey this far! 

we made it home

Well, friends, that was a loooong trip, but we made it home.  I joked to Conrad, as we waited outside at LAX for Van to slog through the traffic at the airport to pick us up, that the longest part of the trip, psychologically speaking, was trying to leave LAX.  Not the actual case, of course.  That 12+ hour Pacific crossing from Hong Kong really does drag on, and I finished one mystery novel, read a second, and began a third.  Yep.  That long.  The Polaris Class full-flat seat isn't as comfortable as you might hope, alas.

A short hop from BKK (they have Garrett's there?!?!)

to HKG (didn't see much of the airport, alas). 

A little time in the lounge in Hong Kong.  Then the big flight.  Nice food on the plane,

great service.  The purser, Lon, was a lovely guy and gave me and Conrad and little special attention when I mentioned that it was our anniversary yesterday.  That was sweet.

We stopped by Van's to pick up Olive (we missed her!), then home to the condo.  A little unpacking done, but not too much.  We each showered and were lights out a little before 11.  And now here it is, about 5:25 AM, and I have been awake for two hours or so.  Yeah, the jetlag will be a bit of a bitch today and through the weekend, I am sure!

But we are home!!  :-) 

starting the return

At last.  Three weeks has been quite the long time away.  But it is coming to an end.  We spent the morning after breakfast packing and were in a car to the airport shortly after 11 AM.  

Another 45 minutes in this Singapore Airlines lounge, and then the first of two flights home.  Hooray!!

A fantastic trip, and I have a few more blog entries from it to come, but I will be happy to sleep in my own bed again, cook in my kitchen.

I am on a plane

Packing yesterday, flying today.  Van picked us up and got us to the airport in good time to enjoy a little lounge time.  

Boarding, lovely seats,

and now flying.  Yes, I paid for wifi!

Two hours or so into the flight, and having had one of the best airplane meals I’ve had in a long while,

I am going to get comfy for the next several hours, doze a whole eventually.  Oh, I should mention that we have pajamas!

Tokyo ahead,

not our last stop though.  Stay tuned!

one million

I am nothing if not loyal, it seems.  On the flight home on Tuesday, I ticked past 1,000,000 miles flown with United Airlines.  Nicely done, Peter.  Still less then half of what Conrad has done, but nicely done.

There are perks to being a Million Miler.  What was nicer, though, was the fuss made.  Greeted at the gate, boarded early.  Meeting the captain and first officer and getting a photo with the latter in the cockpit. 

Announcements on the flight noting my achievement.  Small gifts to mark the occasion. 

I felt truly special, and I thank them for that.

Yes, I've paid a lot of money over the years, as have my work and ALA and others.  I've spent many hours in airports and airplanes not in pursuit of this but building toward it, nonetheless.  It was nice to be celebrated, I have to say.  On to the next million! 

getting to Toronto

Last Friday morning I boarded a flight from LAX to EWR.  Oh, I know, I could have flown direct to the Centre of the Universe, but a) it would have cost more miles, and b) there were more options on Air Canada, which I try to avoid flying.  So disloyal to my home country, I know.  I had originally booked LAX --> DEN --> YYZ, but it meant an ungodly 5AM departure.  Look, I'm a morning person, but come on!  A couple of weeks before the trip I changed my routing, leaving later and going by way of EWR. So, yes, across the continent, but hey, lie-flat seats!

It was an uneventful flight.  I had a tasty enough breakfast aboard

and then a cod cakes "lunch" before landing. 

I dozed, read, listened to music, watched Cougar Town (my new favourite show).  We landed, and I had over an hour in the lounge before the next flight.

A window seat on flight two meant that I was able to see outside as we left Newark

and then, an hour or so later, as we approached and landed in Toronto. 

Ah, Lake America!  I joke.  Fuck that.  Lake Ontario.  Let's be real.

Getting through the airport and to the hotel was relatively smooth and as fast as it could reasonably be.  I made it to my room,

dropped my bags, and headed to the hotel restaurant/bar for a basic dinner, a turkey and avocado BLT. 

The sandwich was a sandwich, but the fries were good.  The bartender, also named Peter, warmed up to me after I explained a Boulevardier

to him and chatted a little.  Dinner done, I came upstairs to unpack and unwind and sip the glass of Baco Noir I'd brought up with me. 

A long day of travel done, and so much to come for the weekend! 

making it north

Remember how I posted yesterday, a transition day, all eager and such?  Heading north with Conrad to his hometown for a few nights?  Well, we made it here, but not as smoothly as hoped.  Thank you, United, for what was ultimately a small nuisance but felt like a colossal irritation a mere 24 hours or so ago.

Look! 

There I am, seated by the window, tons of leg space in the exit row, ready to conk out on my during-flight nap.  See how cheery I look!  And then we land, and... for some reason or another not at all explained to us, my bag was not loaded on the flight.  It would come on the next one.

Sigh.  Thank you again, United.

We could have hit the road north, but we figured it was only a couple of hours, so we would drive around town and pick up some things for our hotel room.  That brought us to a couple of grocery stores and the delightful world of Michigan and Wisconsin wines.  I absolutely love some of these wine names and labels. 

Clever!  I'm not sure they are to my taste - the frosting ones sound like they would be far too sweet

- but I kind of want to try them all.  Or have a wine tasting party!  That would be so much fun.  Another time, perhaps.

Anyway, the next flight kept getting delayed, so we decamped to the bar at Taverne in the Sky, which we know from past experience has green chartreuse.  I slowly sipped a Last Word,

we each had a very tasty burger as an early dinner, and by the time we were done, the plane was about to land.  When we got to the airport, by bag was there on the carousel.  I grabbed it, we got it in the car, and off we went to Escanaba.  A longer travel experience that expected or wanted, but we made it here.

transition day

Hey!  I know, I thought I would blog whilst in Chicago.  But no, I didn’t.  Sorry.  I’ll share thoughts soon on the conference, the city, the friends, the food.

Instead, for today it’s a quick Canada Day check in.  Conrad and I are in a Lyft to ORD, beginning the trip up to the UP.  Hello from the backseat!

Again, more to come.  See you all soon!

to Nashville!

So then, let's head back in time a number of days now.  A week ago this past Friday, the three of us headed to Burbank Airport,

boarded a plane, connected through Denver,

and made it to our hotel in Nashville in time for a late dinner.  Wow, quick summary, right?

I'll be going day by day through the trip in days ahead, and this is a baby step into it.  And a nice little baby step at that.  Oh, there was a delay in Denver, and we made it to our hotel in the dark.  Still, it was a decent suite, and we were able to get dinner at the hotel bar without trouble.  Good dinner, truly.  Biscuits and ham to share. 

A pork schnitzel for my main,

some macaroni and cheese to share. 

Yum!  I really liked both cocktails as well. 

The simple life was a terrific variation on a negroni - I loved the use of the sherry. 

The Joey the Builder was a love child of a boulevardier and a whiskey sour, and that was tasty, too. 

We did feel for the bartender, Nate - a wedding group (including bride and groom) of about 25 people came in, already drunk.  We asked the next day - no, they didn't tip as well as they should have.  Poor Nate.

That was the Friday.  Saturday had some fun things, so stay tuned!