Sydney In 48 Hours

Here's a quick photo blog of our recent trip to Sydney.

Similar to our trip to Frankfurt, we didn't have time to do a lot. We arrived in the morning, took a short nap, then did our best to see and do as much as we could in an afternoon.

Our first stop was the Sydney Opera House.



Much more impressive than the band stand at Jacksonville Memorial Park.

This is Pyrmont Bridge, which crosses the Sydney Harbor.


You can pay money to walk across the top. No thanks.

After a day of seeing the sights, we enjoyed dinner along the Sydney Harbor. You can barely make out the Opera House in the background.

Once again, Nuch had the lamb.

I had the steak.

Here are some other pictures around Sydney.

View from our hotel window.

Sydney Harbor at night. We had dinner just across from the Yacht.

Once again, the Flight Manager took pity on me and gave me business seats both there and back.

Nuch hard at work in the galley.

Nuch and her co-worker.

Luxury. I realized the Business Class bathroom has a window.

What's In A Name...?

"... That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

- Romeo and Juliet

Here are the first pictures of Karen and Michael's baby daughter. Still without a name, but still just as sweet.

Freedom!!!

After 5 and a half years of 6-day work weeks, regular overtime, and the constant frustrations of a made to order/ labor intensive manufacturing operation, I have resigned from Trim International. Living in the nether regions of Thailand while Nuch was based in Bangkok didn't make life at Trim any easier.

The "Freedom" scene from Braveheart may be a bit over dramatic compared to my real situation, but the emotion is there, as I make the long awaited transition from my so-called life in Korat to my new life with Nuch in Bangkok.

Big Deal

While out and about the other day, Nuch and I needed to pick up some groceries, and decided to stop by a Big C, which was in the area. Big C is a low cost shopping center which is probably the cheapest or next to cheapest of the other 5 to 6 low cost chains in Thailand. I assume this because by experience it's the dirtiest, least organized, and the temperature is always 2 or 3 degrees warmer than what would normally be comfortable.

That's why I was surprised to see the marketing display pictured below.


Two grocery carts were set next to each other comparing the cost of goods purchased at a competitors store to the same good purchased at Big C. If you chose to shop at Big C, which you obviously had, you could save 38 baht (1 USD) on 1500 baht (40 USD) worth of groceries or a savings of 2.5%. Why would you brag about that?

Now, 2.5% isn't something you would throw away if you're buying a house, a car, or perhaps a new entertainment system, but is $1 enough to get you to drive an extra 5 miles in Bangkok traffic or even an extra 5 blocks? Not to mention the unpleasant experience of breaking a sweat while shopping in the fruit section.

Happy Birthday To You...

I took this video at a pub in Korat several months ago and have been waiting for the right time to post it. The arrival of Miss Bears seems as good a reason as any. Congratulations Karen and Michael!!!

Please ignore my friend, Ron.