Random Musings

Namaste Gator

Did you know the King of Thailand died last year? King Bhumibol Adulyajeh has ruled his country for 60+ years. There is a whole generation who knows nothing except for him and his rule. He brought Thailand into the 21^st century and made it prosper. He was much beloved and if you didn’t love him, you were probably in jail. For an entire year the country has been in morning. All citizens wore black or white. For several months, one couldn’t find any clothes to buy that were black or white.

We arrived the first day of his official cremation and internment.  95% of the country had 5 days off for the funeral. It was mandatory.
Everyone can now wear colors!

Temple Cat

Bangkok is a busy city. A hive of activity. It was eerie driving thru to get to Don Meaung Airport,  roads empty and an airport empty, except for the minimum of staffing. For the next 5 days, nothing else was shown on any of Thailand's TV channels except for the funeral.  Welcome to Thailand.

The Funeral was also all over the Cambodian and Indian channels.

If it is 11am in Thailand it is 1130 in Myanmar. I don’t know why, I guess they just have to be different. Primo and Prima says India is the same way. Is this what is meant by “time has no meaning?’

Who needs Costco?

The nozzle behind the toilet is to wash off. The paper is to dry off. Paper never goes in to the toilet.

Myanmar drives on the let side of the road. All their cars have the drivers side on the right. No one knows why, but it makes turning left exciting.

There is no bacon or cheese in SE Asia, to speak of.

Yet, another Temple

“Fried” means cooked in a wok.

TukTuk’s cost more to take than a airconditioned cab in downtown Bangkok.

Buddha gets to sleep 2 hours a day. That’s why the reclining Buddha is so important.

Delicious, unidentifiable lunch

Diabetes is a big problem in SE Asia and Asia in a whole. Too much rice, fruit in the diet plus sugar in the food when spice is added. Spice is always added.

This little stupa went to market.....

Coffee grown in Myanmar is considered “White Coffee.”  Every one drinks instant coffee at home.

It is not unusual to not have a kitchen in your house.

For the most part, education is free. Parents have to pay for uniforms, books, transportation, lunches, etc. Many people cannot send their kids to school because of these “extra’s”. In Myanmar the hotel Manager said it is about $300.00 a year to send his son to school. Parents tend to pick the smartest child. The others stay home and work.

Vegetable monster

Our driver in Siem Reap, Sout, was the oldest child and his parents picked him to go to school. He let his younger brother go instead, “because I knew he was much smarter than I.”

Many workers live onsite at their jobs. They send money home and have to pay their employer “rent.”

More bombs were dropped on Laos during the Vietnam War (by the USA) than any other country in history. The locals melt down the bombs and make tourist items for sale in markets.

Making Palm Sugar

Cats tails are broken or chopped of when they are kitties, for good luck.