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An Italian Night Out

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

I had been walking past this nice (nice is when there are table cloths and the waiter puts the napkin in your lap) Italian restaurant on Sukhumvit 20 for two months now…with Osso Bucco (lamb shank) advertised on an outdoor sign.  I remembered how good it tasted when I had it in New york in 2005, so tonight I decided to treat myself.  It didn’t taste as I remembered it, however, as the sauce was much stronger and more dense than the one I had eaten before. So that hankering is satisfied and done with anyway!

In Mexico, when patrons get up from their table to leave a restaurant, it is considered polite to say “provecho,” (much like bon apetit) to the people at the nearest table. So this time as I was leaving my table I nodded and automatically said “provecho” to this German family who looked at me like I was nuts.  Got to remember where I am!

And now that my dental work is almost finished I’ve got to figure out where and when I am going next…

Christmas In Pattaya 2009

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

I set out for the bus station at the Bangkok Ekamai skytrain exit at 9am to spend Christmas Day with Bob at his home in Pattaya.  The trip should have taken about an hour and a half, however the bus I was put on proceeded down Sukhumvit at about 40mph stopping every hundred yards to pick up passengers.  So I bailed and picked up a taxi for the rest of the trip.  Oh, sorry, Bob says, I didn’t tell you which window to buy your tickets…!

So anyway, Bob met my taxi at a Tesco Lotus market in Pattaya and drove me to his home for crockpot beef stew and gift exchange…although his gift quite outmeasured mine!

The next evening he “treated” me to a night out on the “walking street”  which partly gives Pattaya it’s reputation and which turned out to be quite a zoo with Thai bar girls dressed in short red skirts for Christmas and farangs (foreigners) looking for each other among various and sundry other colorful figures.  Two up-country Isaan grandmothers escorted two small children down the street. What in the world are they doing here, I asked Bob.  Oh, they are probably just as curious as you, he said. Whoever said I was curious, I thought.  It’s a daily scene in Bangkok on Patong.  The most interesting thing I saw was crowds of  broadly smiling Thais looking up at a second story window…with a young blond woman…probably Russian since there are a lot of them in Pattaya.. gyrating quite sensuously around a pole to thumping music.  Much better than any of the Thai girls, I thought, and quite entertaining for the Thais that were watching this unusual scene in Thailand.

It was really hot so the next day I was glad to get on the right air-conditioned bus for the return trip to Bangkok.  And that was Christmas 2009.

7 Temples in Ayuttaya

Thursday, December 24th, 2009
My friend Jiraporn invited me to go with her and one of her friends to visit a childhood friend who is a public prosecutor in Ayuttaya-a couple hours north of Bangkok.  The city is the site of the old capitol ... [Continue reading this entry]

Roots

Sunday, December 20th, 2009
When I am not out on the streets...or reading...I spend time on the internet on some of the www.couchsurfing.com forums discussing historical, political and cultural issues with members from all over the world...and in the process I am learning something ... [Continue reading this entry]

Up The Chao Phraya River

Sunday, December 20th, 2009
In my last post I mentioned Nick's crazy flight from LA to Bangkok for a one day visit.  Well, today he tells me about the return:  my flights back looked so good . . .  on paper.  from bkk - nrt ... [Continue reading this entry]

A Village of Two Houses

Saturday, December 19th, 2009
I got "home" late last night from a day trip to a "village" just off highway 304 in Chachoengsao Province about two hours east of Bangkok.  This visit had several advantages. I got to see my friends Dave and Syy again ... [Continue reading this entry]

Familiar Bangkok-2009

Thursday, December 17th, 2009
I like being in this familiar city again. And this is the winter...the best time of the year to be here...75 and 80 degrees during the day and even down to 60 degrees at night.  But it's nearly the end ... [Continue reading this entry]

Best Dinner Partner

Thursday, December 17th, 2009
Last month I had the best company and dinner partner ever...my son who is a chef at The American Club...a family club for American expats living and working in Hong Kong.  Because employees and their families are not allowed to ... [Continue reading this entry]