New Year's Eve With The Gang

The gang got together at Peppina's this year for some of the best (and most economical) pizza in town.

The goofy party hats didn't last long.

9th Anniversary

With all of the other activities going on our 9th anniversary was a simple dinner at a new Sushi restaurant in Bangna.

I'm not sure what Nuch was doing in this picture - probably recovering from a Wasabi overdose.

Next year we'll have a real celebration - and may even order food that is cooked.

Sofa Wars

The battle continues

I've yet to decide which is more painful - the cost of defeat or the price of victory.

Bangkok Sleigh

If anyone saw a big white guy riding a bike down Ladprao Rd around midnight, it was me.  I volunteered to get some ice for our Christmas party.

No Cannonball

dives allowed in Thai toilets.

The Golden Teardrop

A sculpture by Thai aritist Arin Rungjang was on display at the Jim Thompson house.

Here's a video and some background

Anniversaries At Jim Thompson

My and Nuch's anniversary is the 24th and Uncle Bruce's and Aunt Angun's anniversary is the 10th, so we met in the middle at Jim Thompson for a special lunch.

A Little Short For A Stormtrooper

After bribing and begging, I finally convinced Nuch to watch The Force Awakens with me.

This little guy was part of the Star Wars promotion campaign that could be found throughout Bangkok.

I'm happy to say that she's a new fan.

When you only see 1 or 2 movies a year, you can splurge on the VIP seats - at $15/ seat they're a steal.

Lenzi Tuscan Kitchen

Last Saturday, Nuch and I took everyone out for a fancy Italian dinner at Lenzi, which is famous for its Italian hams.  The pigs are all raised on the Lenzi family farm back in Italy.  The loving way in which Chef Lenzi spoke of them, you'd think we were eating his pets.

Here's the starter - and probably could have been the middle and the end, but we had big appetites.

Everything was excellent

Making progress on the meat board

They have a window into the kitchen, so you can make sure the cooks don't pick their nose.

The food and wine were great, but the highlight was the Tuk Tuk Limo that picked us up and dropped us off at the Conrad.

And a final farewell.

Happy Hour At The Dusit Thani

Back in the mid-70's Nuch's parents used to join Uncle Bruce and Aunt Angun on the 22nd Fl of the Dusit Hotel for margaritas.  So, we had a few drinks down memory lane.

Back then, the Dusit was the tallest building in Bangkok.  These days, it's dwarfed by the newer skyscrapers, but it still has one of the best views in Bangkok.

Best National Costumer 2015

Miss Thailand in her iconic Tuk Tuk dress.

Lucky Taxi

This guy brought me home from the airport last week.  

He's the new champ of tricked out taxi interiors, combining lucky amulets that block his view of the left side of the road and an impressive World Bank-like collection of foreign currencies.

The Temple Of The Emerald Buddha From Above

Courtesy of the Bangkok Post

The Plubjeen Reunion

On Saturday, we spent the evening with Nuch's mother's side of the family.

Nuch's uncle plays the piano at one of the Bangkok hotels, so we got together there for dinner, music, and photos.

Öl Ljus Lager - IKEA Beer

IKEA should probably stick to what they're good at.  Not the their Pale Lager was bad, but for the price of a 6-pack I could have refitted my kitchen.