Land Of A Thousand Golf Carts

Just got back from a quick trip to the US with Nuch to visit her Aunt and Uncle and finally have time to upload some pics.

Here's Aunt Agnun (Nuch's mother's sister) and Uncle Bruce at their home in Peachtree City, otherwise known as the Land of a Thousand Golf Carts.


If you've never been there, the concept is not so different from M. Night Shyamalan, The Village, but instead of rejecting all modern conveniences and dressing up like pilgrims, the people of Peachtree City simply drive around in golf carts.

They do have cars and roads, but golf cart paths are everywhere, making everything easily accessible without the use of a combustion engine.

The kids even take their golf carts to school.

The 90+ miles of cart paths connect you to schools, restaurants, shopping centers, and each of the neighborhoods within Peachtree City. They also weave through the idyllic forest and follow the shores of the Peachtree lakes where you can find streams, waterfalls, and wildlife.

It's also a chance for a mini-rally car race. Here's uncle Bruce leaving me in the dust.

When we weren't relaxing or scooting around in a golf cart, we were eating. Italian at Maggiano's...

Mexican...

Instead of experiencing the cuisine of every Nation, we saved some time and went to IHOP, the International House of Pancakes. I think the last time I ate at IHOP was in 1989, during my Senior year in high school, when it was the happening late-night hangout in Orange Park. Perhaps it was there that I first discovered my desire to see the world?

I never considered IHOP a high risk environment, but apparently, some of their foods can cause serious illness or death, as described in the warning at the bottom of their menu.

I can't say it was the highlight of our trip, but Nuch's discovery of grits was a big moment. She liked them so much, we had to buy a box of Quaker Instant Grits to bring home with us.

All good things must come to an end. After gaining 6 pounds and adding a notch to my belt, here I am with my Last Supper. Auntie Agnun made some Thai food to help prepare my stomach for the lighter loads it will experience back in Bangkok. Aroi!

Time To Make The Donuts

The other day, I was speed walking through Bangkok pedestrians and vendors trying to get to a meeting on time. In a rush, I wasn't not paying close attention and tripped in an open gutter - as can happen easily on Bangkok's broken sidewalks. Once I had gathered myself, I looked up and saw this donut shop - called Daddy Dough with their motto - "The Secret Recipe Since 1985".

Having just tripped in the gutter, I was afraid to ask what that "Secret" may be.

Essence of Suki

It's a slow news day, so here are some pictures from one of my favorite restaurants - Ruen Petch Suki. As far as I know, it's the original Thai Suki restaurant in Bangkok. It has that old Thai look and feel to it - the walls have never been painted, the tables wobble, all the staff appear to be related, and there's in old lady with big hair that sits in the corner and does nothing but collect money.


Suki is a Japanese import and is, basically, boiled meat and vegetables. The fun part about Suki is that you cook it yourself. Here's a picture of one of the pots.

Here's the menu. I passed on the Pig heart, small intestines, and bladder.


Since boiling meat and vegetables is fairly standard, the secret to any successful Suki restaurant is the sauce - with the recipe being a carefully guarded secret.


However, I have to give Ruen Petch some credit. Their raw egg and brown flavor enhancers, served on top of the raw meat, are unique among Suki restaurants. I'm not sure what makes up the brown stuff, and followed the first rule Thai cuisine - as long as it's good, don't ask what it is.

Dessert comes after you've finished your meal and the broth has boiled away, leaving a brown sludge-like substance that can only be described as Essence of Suki.

It can also be used in place of motor oil.

Royal Cremation

Last Wednesday, Nuch's father was honored by the Thai Princess who presided over his cremation ceremony. This may not mean a lot to Americans, but in Thailand Royalty is like an entire family of Elvis's.

I was not allowed to take pictures of the Princess during the ceremony, but I was able to download a short clip from the Royal news which airs every day at 8pm.

You can see me hobnobbing with the upper crust towards the end of the clip.

7 Days Of Prayer

The series of sermons, merit making, rituals and ceremonies for Nuch's father's funeral came to a conclusion today with the placing of his ashes inside one of the Buddha statues at the local temple.

The whole process took about 5 months - due, primarily, to the schedule of the Princess who was not available until the end of April. I've been to a few funerals in Thailand, but this is the first time I was intimately involved. Let's just say that there's a lot more that goes into it than I had ever imagined.

At Nuch's request, I've taken pictures throughout most of it, and she has asked me to post them to document the whole affair and share it with people who were not able to attend. I've been fortunate to have not attended many funerals in the US, but I can't imagine someone walking around taking pictures during a family's moment of grief. In Thailand, there was me along with some professional photographers from Nuch's brother's printing company at almost every event. So, apparently, it's socially acceptable.

Nuch's father passed away on November 30th. Over the 7 days that followed, nightly prayer services were held at a local temple. People would come at their convenience to give their condolences and pay their respects.

Nuch's dad had a large family (7 brothers and sisters) with a similar number of aunts and uncles on both of his parent's sides of the family. That coupled with his former students and colleagues from the Art University in Bangkok meant that each night the temple altar room was filled with mourners.



They would come and listen to the chants of the monks and give a donation to Nuch's mother, which would cover funeral costs or be donated to the temple. Not everyone, but close friends and family members would send large wreaths.

There was not a funeral home director like you would imagine in the US. Instead, there was an old man and his wife who lived at the temple and took care of all the arrangements. The old man had a bad limp and was missing most of his teeth. Back home, I'm sure he would have been mistaken for the gravedigger. His wife, who was half his age and twice his size, took care of the rituals - in particular, all the "good voodoo" that went on when the body was placed in the casket.

Here is the coffin. Although everyone wore black or dark colors, the coffin was lit up and decorated with colorful flowers.

It was certainly a somber occasion, but it was also a time for family and old friends who have not seen each other for a long time to come together and catch up. I got the impression that most people had not seen each other for years. Although most everyone was from Bangkok, it seems the only time that they see each other is during weddings and funerals.

Every night before we left, Nuch would leave some food (always his favorites dishes) for her father's spirit, and every night this cat would sneak in a share a nibble.

After the 7 nights of prayers were completed, Nuch's father was placed in a special sanctuary where his body would wait to be cremated. I've posted about it already, but every 50 days, we held a merit making ceremony to make sure his spirit was at peace during this period between this life and full-time residency in the afterlife.

Click here:

50 Days

100 Days