29 May 2012 ~ Xintiandi

Listening to: Sly and the Family Stone ~ Dance to the Music (Thee Encyclopedia of Ecstacy, Fillmore East, NY)

I played "tour guide" to my Workday colleagues in Shanghai and recommended we go to dinner in the trendy area of Xintiandi.

Really all I wanted was to go back to the bar TMSK, described in the guide book and the "glass bar on acid".

With the newest addition to our team.

Before this we ate dinner at a French bistro. Had some of the best mussels in white wine/garlic sauce that I've had since coming to Asia.

And amazingly, they surprised me with Old Fashioned's on the menu. A little heavy on the bitters, but well worth it.

27 May 2012 ~ The Westin & Beijing Roast Duck

Listening to:  Hurray for the Riff Raff ~ Look Out Mama

It was very convenient to stay at the Westin Bund Hotel. It was connected to training facility.

The room itself was bigger then my Hong Kong apartment.

And the lobby is like a tropical oasis, with the staircases changing colors.

It was also a block away from the Beijing Roast Duck restaurant we went to have a team dinner.

The elevator is like a mask -- pretty cool.

Our host said he didn't order any "strange" food for us foreigners, but I actually think I put something in my mouth that was a duck web foot. I had to spit it out.

I've decided that I will be vegetarian from now on at these random team dinners.

26 May 2012 ~ Shanghai

Listening to: Spirit Family Reunion ~ I Am Following The Sound (No Separation)

I had so much fun in Shanghai this week! Sorry I could not post more, but some of you may know that Google is not very popular with the Chinese government and it is difficult to impossible to get any blog or social network pages.

Although Hong Kong is technically part of China, they have the status of "Special Administrative Region), as does Macau (capitalism isn't all dead).

When I arrived on Sunday my friend Eric from Yum!China picked me up at the airport and we reminisced about work and caught up on family/friends. We agreed to meet on Friday night for a team dinner.

The class I taught was fun and smart and interesting. Students came from all over AsiaPac: Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, Melbourne, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur.

Here we are celebrating with cake the birthday of one of the students.

The training facility was located in the Bund area of Shanghai. We had a view of the Pearl Tower from our classroom.

After class on Monday we all decided to meet up at the bar "Heaven on Seven" at 3 on the Bund, which is on the boardwalk withh fantastic views of the Pudong area of Shanghai.

It is mostly as I remember it, but the shopping mall (the "small" bulding on the bottom left) is complete and construction is underway for a new "tallest" building in Shanghai.

Here is the Pearl Tower by night. I still have not made it to the observatory at the top.

And last night (Friday) I did get together with my Yum team. James was not able to go, so we hooked up in his office for a quick catch-up.

The rest of the team went for dinner nearby the Grand Gateway. Most of the team is still there, including Daisy, Ricky, Jenny, Amy, Zoe, Zefei, Johnson and Wong Gong. I can't believe it's been 5 years, but it felt like I never left.

This band of the Day, Spirit Family Reunion, is quite good. While posting this blog, I've researched them a little more and listened to several additional songs. Here is a link to the website if anyone is interested.

http://www.spiritfamilyreunion.com/

According to Paste Magazine Best of What's Next "Spirit Family Reunion play homegrown American music to stomp, clap, shake and holler with...Dusty acoustic guitars, wailing fiddles and weeping accordions, with a woozy-yet-skintight rhythm section-- and topped off with burr-edged vocals that sound like they've been soaked in a Mason jar for generations -- it's the type of music that blurs the line between past and present so thoroughly, and so deftly, that time feels irrelevant."

22 May 2012 ~ Belated Birthday Wishes

Listening to: Gipsy Kings ~ Medley *********************************** Happy Belated Birthday!

I have a small window of opportunity to post while I'm in Shanghai. I'm using a different internet provider at the hotel. It's fun to be back here! Got to see some old friends and making new ones in the class. ************************************ I won an Outstanding Contributer Award from work the company meeting last week. I wish I could have accepted in person, but here I am being shown on the big screen at the meeting. Our CEO is the right in the white shirt.

19 May 2012 ~ Al & Lai Celebrating 43 Years

Listening to: Bob Dylan ~ This Dream of You (Together Through Life)

We met up with my friend's aunt and husband in Bangkok before heading back to their house.

We celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary by having dessert first at a coffee shop around the corner from the hotel.

Then we went to a local Thai restaurant. Tom Yum Soup...

Vegetables...

Whole Fish/Salad and Chicken Fried Rice.

After dinner, the happy couple strolled off hand-in-hand to get foot massages and we wandered off to find cold beers.

16 May 2012 ~ Thai Street Scenes

Listening to: Traffic ~ Paper Sun (Smiling Phases0

While we were at the National Park we had lunch near a film crew that was shooting a commercial. I think it was to represent the freshness of the water, as they were simulating a waterfall. Of course, no one recognized the "actors" although the locals were going up to get their pictures taken.

Coincidentally on the van ride back to Bangkok, we came across a water delivery truck with - none other - the "star" of the commercial! Now I wish I had gotten my picture taken with him.

We were stuck in Bangkok traffic for what seemed like forever. So I was able to get these 2 short video clips of street food vendors.

I think this first one was flattening fish to hang to dry. We were stopped there for quite while but he didn't seem to make much progress, although he did get a couple of buyers.

http://youtu.be/A-dthfQ8ALA

I don't know what the this vendor was selling, but it was quite popular.

http://youtu.be/BM5TgrHms00

In the town of Ubon we waited in the van while the hosts were shopping at the markets (and buying us "hot dogs" on a stick that we didn't really like and do not know what type of "meat" they were made from, but we got to wash them down with really delicious fresh coconut frosties).

This is a typical tuk tuk or open cab.

And here is a woman grilling buns.

14 May 2012 ~ Elephant Feeding

Listening to: Beatles ~ Flying (Magical Mystery Tour)


Happy Birthday!

After seeing the monkeys, we got the idea to find the park to ride elephants.

Unfortunately, we got there too late in the day and most were out grazing.

But we were able to feed them sugar cane.

They even know a cute trick that if you give them paper money they know to pass it on up to the guide. Alas, I was not able to catch that on video.

Just as an aside, I've been watching old (1967 - 1972 time frame) movies lately, either on the airplane on at the apartment. Recently I've seen The Graduate (Dustin Hoffman & Anne Bancroft), The Getaway (Steve McQueen & Ali MacGraw), Johnny Got His Gun (Timothy Bottoms & Donald Sutherland), and The French Connection (Gene Hackman & Roy Scheider).

It's either that or unusual French or Spanish "Hitchcock-esque" films.

Sometimes it's just nice to watch a movie and not special effects.

13 May 2012 ~ Monkeys

Listening to: Marissa Nadler ~ The Wrecking Ball Company (Sister)

The monkeys are not far away from the roadside at the National Park.

http://youtu.be/hDsWYHNTePI

Just when you think there is just one....more come out of woods...

including babies.

http://youtu.be/Whd-X5X3cU4

10 May 2012 ~ Khao Yai National Park

Listening to: Ken Boothe ~ Red Red Wine (UB40s Jukebox)


I am still not feeling better, but I did go to work everyday. So I thought I'd catch up on the blog while waiting for my yogurt soup to boil.

While in Thailand we did a day trip to Khao Yai National Park. This may sound familiar to those of you who read my earlier blogs as I've visited there before.

But it is so beautiful and big, so definitely worth a second trip.

Our goal was to find a waterfall, which the park is known for, but it is not the rainy season, and it proved to be difficult.

Along the way we came across wildlife and wild mushrooms.

Even a monitor lizard, but our driver refused to stop for us to get a picture. Especially after I said "open the door so we can get a picture", he locked all the doors and drove away.

The first waterfall we tried to find was the Gong Geoh Waterfall.

I took the lead and was able to snap this photo of my friends crossing the suspension bridge.
[Marshall, Robert, Lisa, Al, Lai, Chris].

However, that also put me in the lead to find the snake across the path. But my scream scared it away and I was not able to get a picture.

After all that excitement, all we found was a dried up hill where there should have been a waterfall.

So we went in search of the Haew Suwat Waterfall.

Success!

Another great day trip.

8 May 2012 ~ Lying Low

Listening to: Skye chirp

All my travels have concluded with me being sick again.  Severely congested head, swollen glands, sore throat. After 4 days of this I decided I had to go to the doctor who put me on an antibiotic.

I blame the guy sitting next to me on the flight to Kuala Lumpur who was sniffling the entire flight and I almost got up to give a roll of toilet paper to so he could blow his nose. I also blame the extreme heat outside and constant blowing of air conditioning inside.

I may just have to start wearing a mask when I fly.

The experience at the doctors office was great, however. I went to Quality HealthCare Medical Services, a cross between Urgent Care and a High-End Doctors Office.

Once I showed my resident card and insurance card and provided my phone number, it only took 3 before I was asked to wait outside door #1 for the doctor.

I again only waited about 3 minutes (I could not even finish the game bubble breaker on my phone) before the doctor called me in. Asked general questions, got right down to the symptoms, diagnosis made and prescription written.

My antibiotics, cough medicine and throat lozenges were ready in about 7 minutes. No paperwork or payment required and I was on my way back at home and asleep soon after that. Hope to feel better soon and post more.

Get well soon!: 早日康复
Pronounced: zaori kangfu

5 May 2012 ~ Bong Thien Cung

Listening to: Buddy Miles ~ Memphis Train

Happy Birthday!

Missed the Derby -- again -- but my Trifecta Box Bet would have been -- and I would have lost.

1. Liaison
2. Creative Cause
3. Done Talking

When I was on the Halong Bay, Vietnam boat tour, we sailed out to a Cave known as Bong Thien Cung.

The guy in the green shirt pointing was our tour guy. 

The caves weren't found until l993, but they had a donation so made some beautiful color displays.

This one reminds me of a jellyfish.




Here is the view exiting the cave.

And at the souvenir stand they were selling shell animals. I did not buy any for my collection.