DC Season

It started out down south in Surat Thani. I went down to help with interpreting. There were 8 of us that traveled down from Bangkok. After the DC we went to Koh Samui, on of the most popular spots for tourists. Back in Feb we found cheap airline tickets and booked it. Two out of 8 of the girls had never been on a plane before so it was a new experience for them. Too bad I had just spent about 25 hours on a plane or I would've enjoyed it with them more.

The DC was great! I went last year also (posted about it, I think). This year the peak attendance was 425 compared to about 380 last year (I think) with 9 baptized. I also got to hang out with K. It was her 10th anniversary for being here 10 years! Her cong threw a surprise party for her which was really nice! She sure has, and does, work hard and deserved a party!

We received all the new releases in Thai and also received the brochure that was just announced in the states. It's perfect for SE Asia and I'm sure will have a great impact.

Koh Samui was ok. I imagine it could be much better, though. The weather was dreary and rainy the whole time and I ended up getting a cold. So I never actually made it to the beach, thus no photos. I spent a good amount of time resting in our room. It was a guest room of a family that invited 3 of us to stay with them. The room had great big windows with a beautiful view of palm and banana trees. So I was content in the room. We only had 2 days anyways, I definitely have to go again to get the real Koh Samui.

This weekend is the English DC. I have M and T staying with me which will be great fun. G, A and C will be down from Chiang Mai. This is the time I revel in all the socialization!

Two weeks later is our DC in Bkk. There will likely be exciting details to post.

Back to My Life

Had a fantastic 2 months in the states but I must admit that I'm also really happy to be back to Bangkok. I missed my routine, my cong, my students...I missed my life. And it was even better coming back this time knowing how much better my schedule will be now that I'm not working M-F anymore. Rather than diving back into work like I have in the past, I was able to take some time to just get over the jet lag and get reorganized. Both are accomplished now.

My flight back was uneventful. I had a long 7-hour layover in Kuwait. It's kind of a scruffy airport...everyone smokes. There were several announcements saying to only smoke in designated areas. That was defiantly ignored. I couldn't enjoy a cup of coffee at McDonalds without the offensive odor of cigarette smoke looming nearby. I did get a photo while there. The sites were interesting...many in typical Arabic dress, Indian women wearing saris, etc. Not many westerners there, especially women. I was stared at a lot, but I didn't mind, I was equally curious about them.

Here's a photo at the McDonalds.

Photos

Running in Snug Harbor, Rhode Island



Running the Brooklyn Bridge



Running through Central Park



I'm heading to Myrtle Beach, SC for a week with my brother and his wife and kids. I'm excited about playing with the kids in the sand. Hopefully I'll get some runs in too.

Squeezed in some more scenic runs

It was 3 weeks ago now but I did make it to the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a gorgeous day and an exhilarating run. I got some great photos but haven't had a chance to transfer them to my computer yet.

I also got some good runs in during my stay in Rhode Island. My accommodations were near the beach at the southern tip of RI called Snug Harbor. I would do an out-and-back to East Matunuck Beach with great scenery along the way.

I also made it to Cape Cod. I met a couple in Thailand who was on a visa run from Malaysia. Turns out they're from Cape Cod and invited me to stay with them while I was in New England. We spent a few hours at the beach then had a late lunch at this really cool place with excellent lobster and clam chowder. YUM! I also got a chance to try some local brews. My favorite was the Cape Cod IPA. It went nicely with the lobster. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera that day so I can't promise to post any photos from there.

Next week I go with my brother and his family to Myrtle Beach. Looking forward to some fun kid time with my niece and nephew.

Good day for a run.

While staying in NYC I've been staying with a couple girls in Greenwich Village. It's a neat area to walk around, as is most of Manhattan. While in the city I thought it would be cool to run in Central Park. Thursday was my free day. The weather was a bit overcast which helped lower the temp. I looked at a map and started to work out where I'd go. The park is about 3 miles away so I decided to take the subway up to 96th St near the upper west side of the park. I went down the west side switching back and forth between a gravel trail and a bike path. I passed a lake and crossed some bridges. It's amazing how remote it feels until you look up and see buildings in the background.

I exited the park on Central Park South and 7th Ave. I stayed on 7th most of the run back. It goes right through Times Square and near Broadway. It was a great run and I loved seeing the city that way. The only downfall of a city run is having to stop at so many traffic lights. I'm not the kind of runner who keeps running in place, they look so funny. I used the time to stretch.

Saturday night I'm staying in Brooklyn Heights. My goal is to run the Brooklyn Bridge Sunday morning.

I took some photos of my run but will have to post them later. Stay tuned...

Things I don't often do...

Like watching a free movie in the park. Last night I went with K to Bryant Park in Manhattam to watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail (which actually deserves it's own frequented blog). This is something that's already cool. But to do it in a NYC park pocketed around some cool buildings is extra cool. We had some friends saving us space on their blanket. We came prepared with wine and cheese which adds an even cooler element. All that coolness is lost on such a ridiculous movie. Although I suppose that's debatable, it is one of the most quoted movies. Or maybe it's the irony of the cool atmosphere with the corny movie that has a coolness all it's own.

Today I went to have lunch with some friends in Brooklyn. I had some free time in the afternoon so I scoped out Brooklyn Heights. I looked around for the Brooklyn Brewery, even asked a few people but never found it. I'll get there eventually.

I'm thinking about going to Boston the weekend between Pio Schl. Anyone been there? Any suggestions?

Bright Blue Stitches

I got my blue stitches taken out Saturday. The incision is healing fine. I didn't mention this before...since it was so deep the doctor had to cut through several layers of skin which meant having to stitch up 2 layers. The underneath layer of stitches will dissolve but it'll take 3 months. I can feel them which is kinda weird. So I still have to be a bit careful about stretching my neck but I can exercise again and don't have to worry about sweating. Yay!

The mole turned out to be a benign cyst. No worries. Our skin is so amazing! It was such a weird feeling when the doctor pulled the stitches out. I thought surely there would be a scar where each stitch was but that seems to be healing really well too.

By the way, the whole process (minor surgery, 2 layers of stitches, lab test of the cyst and 2 doctor consultations) cost about $100. Not bad.