Super Soaker Of Youth

Songkran, otherwise known as the world's largest water fight, has come and gone.  During the days leading up to it, I was really looking forward to joining the nationwide fracas.  The past couple years I have either been out of town or the streets were closed due to protests.  However, when it finally came time to load my super soaker and head downtown, I completely chickened out. 

In fact, I planned my every move around staying dry, which is not an easy accomplishment during Songkran.  I suppose this is just another sign of getting old. 

Making things worse - today, I've been visiting the Thai blogs and websites, and I must admit that it brought back some great memories.  There's nothing in the world like the joy of watching the shock on the faces of passerbys after you shoot them with a streaming jet of bone-chilling water from your industrial-sized super soaker.   And, nothing makes you feel older than wishing you were young again. 



Mother Nature's Etch A Sketch

Last weekend, I was sitting at home watching TV and I noticed my chair was shaking.  It stopped for a moment, then started again.  Nuch's mother had seen a fortune teller on TV who was predicting the end of the world would soon be upon us with the Japan Earthquake being step one, and Thailand doomed to follow the same fate.  I thought for a moment she could be right this time. 

Fortunately, for the Thailand and the world, they're building a new home project nearby (just over the neighborhood wall) and the earthmovers were the ones doing the shaking.

Anyway, this reminded me to post a website I saw a couple weeks ago that truly captures the power of mother nature.  On the website, click on the slider device in the middle of the photo.  When you move it back and forth you can see the satellite pictures of Japan before and after the recent Tsunami

Japan Disaster Click Here

Here are some other pictures.

A Special Meal And Biology Lesson

Last week, the staff from our Chinese supplier took me out to a "special" restaurant.  Apparently, I would be the first customer that they have ever taken there.

And, I'm most likely the last.

We started the meal off with snails.  The snail animal had been taken out ground up along with some herbs and then, stuffed back into the shell and finally boiled in a thick broth.

The fish appeared to be standard fair, but it was cook such that the meat and bones could only be separated as you chewed.  The Chinese are experts at this, I almost choked to death.

Next came my selection - duck.  I was expecting something like a Peking Duck.  No such luck.  This duck arrived caramelized and with most if not all of the meat missing.  Granted, it had a nice flavor, but all that was left was cartilage and skin - and a head.

The next dish looked like a traditional chicken curry.  No such luck - Frog curry.

All complimented with a Budweiser beer.

Fortunately, this puppy was the one animal that was not on the menu.

Should Have Stayed Home

Apparently, it was not my week for going in and out of countries.  This was the line for immigration at Pudong airport in Shanghai. 



Better Than Sliced Bread

This may be old news, but on my recent trip to the UK I discovered these new Heinz ketchup packets.  Not only do they hold a few more grams than the original packets, but their easy to tear off tab and pre-formed pocket means you don't need ten packets to get through a box of fries, and you don't end up making a mess of things trying to squeeze out the last drop.

Worthy of a Nobel Prize if you ask me.