Re-introducing myself ...

[thecat@]

In reply to Bob's

"Glad to hear that. So, have you 'consolidated' your various container-lives (Scotland et al)?

I hear Thailand is amazing. I mean, besides the Kodachrome taste palette of their cuisine. Even for that, I'm envious. (You couldn't have just moved to Poughkeepsie, could you?)

Things here are pretty much the same. My daughter's just finished high school (isn't it amazing how it seemed just like yesterday that we were younger?), and my son is just about to become our second teen in the family.

Oops, we're gonna get in trouble with the forum police. Maybe we should ask for a new sub-forum: 'Re-introduce Yourself' for those who've been 'away' for a while."

Bob, no I have not consolidated container-wise, I've only consolidated my personal life :-) I bought a flat in Devon, England, where my European stuff sits, waiting for my visits. Then a couple of months ago I bought a condo in Bangkok, where I'm frustrating a contractor who has ripped everything out and is putting stuff in the way I want it. Sort of. He has a craftsman on staff who has design opinions, he himself has design opinions and well, and we all know how opinionated I am. But, so far most of what's important has been done is ok. Especially the carved teak. That, I like. The master bathroom is still iffy ...

Thailand is amazing. Even the food (which I love!). 'ME' move to Poukeepski? LOL! I get the shudders just visiting my son in WA (he lives in nice, tidy suburbs).

I like that I have a baby elephant on my street with blinkers on his bum just so cars can avoid him at night. I like that I can buy most anything from local street hawkers (woven flowers, steamed corn on the cob, fishcakes, coconut milk in the coconut ...) just by walking up and down my soi, smiling at everyone, then wiggling my fingers and trying out my still poor Thai. I like that the building across the street is painted shocking pink and has both a Virgin Mary and Mosque elements in the architecture and that every room has been designed by a different interior decorator. (http://www.reflections-thai.com/rooms.html)I like that everyday feels like xmas because the people are so kind. I like that the Thais know how to throw a democratic coup (yes, you heard me right!). I even like that the staff at the condo I'm in now burst into tears when they heard I was moving. Yes, I guess you could say that I like Thailand :-D

Wow, your daughter is out of high school? What are her plans? From what I remember, she's very bright.

Time sure goes fast. It wasn't too long ago when we were in our ... xx's Oh dear!

[Drazan]

I take it you two know each other? lol

I wish I could move - but I got a few more years until the kid is grown and off on his own.

[budafist]

Wow. That building across the street is divine!

I am absolutely in love with room 407.

[thecat@]

I take it you two know each other? lol

I wish I could move - but I got a few more years until the kid is grown and off on his own.

Yeah :-D

Moving is great but I'm getting tired of it. This'll be my third accomodation in Bangkok and I've only been here a little over 2 years. By buying, I'm hoping that I'll be in one place for a good long while. I'm moving on the 20th and I still can't believe it'll all fall into place.

Kid being grown - it happens so fast. Yeah, I know, a cliche! But it's so true. One minute they are two years old and eating peanut butter with bananas, the next you are putting them on a plane for a far off place. Then way too soon you are getting a phone call with them saying "You're a grandma!"

[thecat@]

Wow. That building across the street is divine!

I am absolutely in love with room 407.

Me too! That's the one I looked at :-)

This whole area, Soi Ari, is special. It's an old established village in a bustling city. Very hard to describe that one! The royals have property here, as well as Taksin, so it's very safe. We have none of the trashy nightlife you read about, which is also why I chose it. There is a Thai neighborhood pub with soft, live music and pool table. And there are too many decent restaurants within walking distance to mention, and even more within a short tuk tuk ride away. It's tree lined (as are all Bangkok streets) and quiet for the most part. Quiet for Bangkok anyway. At the top of the street is the skytrain that takes you over traffic jams to far off bits of Bangkok. Two stops down on the skytrain to the right is a fantastic Saxaphone bar ... yeah, it has everything I need :-D

[budafist]

We stayed at the Manhatten for 2 days last year on the way to Hong Kong. Really cheap and free buffet breakfast. Wasn't flash (well, the foyer was). Can't complain I guess. Shopping was amazing. We gained 13kg in weight in 2 days! Considering our baggage allowance is only 20kg each and it was only our stoppover, that's pretty impressive. If I had known that Hong Kong shopping wasn't as good as Bangkok I would have bought more :)

Interesting locals. Very superstitious I felt.

[thecat@]

The Hotel Manhattan ... then you stayed on Sukhumvit Rd (unless there are two). That's where all the expats live, where the main traffic jams are and all the new skyrises are located. It's a cleaner, more modern version of Bangkok.

Did you get to JJ market for shopping? Otherwise known as the Chattuchak Weekend market (http://www.asiatraveltips.com/ChatuchakMarketBangkok.shtml). It's two stops down on the skytrain from Ari, to my left. When I lived in Brunei I'd come to JJ's and leave loaded down as the prices and selection are amazing. You can even come with empty suitcases as everything you need is at that market. Everything.

Like you, I am not that impressed with Hong Kong.

[morea]

Hi cat, nice to see you around these parts again. I'm enjoying your new(ish) BoDo and No!Spec sites as much as I enjoyed Creative Latitude before them.

The baby elephant with blinkers has to be quite a sight! Thailand sounds like a wonderful place.

[jimking]

I have a good friend who sold his belongings here in Washington DC and retired to Bangkok at the ripe old age of 37 (health reasons). If you run into a tall American named Joe with a slight limp tell him Jim said hi.:)

[Red Kittie Kat]

Welcome Back Cat :)

[thecat@]

Hi cat, nice to see you around these parts again. I'm enjoying your new(ish) BoDo and No!Spec sites as much as I enjoyed Creative Latitude before them.

The baby elephant with blinkers has to be quite a sight! Thailand sounds like a wonderful place.

Morea, Thanks for the welcome back! And of course, for reading our bits. We'll be revamping BoDo and CL soon, so please tell us what you think when it happens.

Our baby elephant is so sweet. I had to learn how to do the elephant walk when he's around because he takes up so much of the sidewalk. And, even though he's young, he sways as he walks, just like his elders.

[budafist]

The Hotel Manhattan ... then you stayed on Sukhumvit Rd (unless there are two). That's where all the expats live, where the main traffic jams are and all the new skyrises are located. It's a cleaner, more modern version of Bangkok.

Did you get to JJ market for shopping? Otherwise known as the Chattuchak Weekend market (http://www.asiatraveltips.com/ChatuchakMarketBangkok.shtml). It's two stops down on the skytrain from Ari, to my left. When I lived in Brunei I'd come to JJ's and leave loaded down as the prices and selection are amazing. You can even come with empty suitcases as everything you need is at that market. Everything.

Like you, I am not that impressed with Hong Kong.

Yup that's the one! I can't really remember the places we went shopping but the skytrain was fantastic. So fast and so easy. I'd been to Bangkok about 5 years ago and we got taken on a tiki tour by taxi and tuk tuk drivers when all we wanted to do was go back to our hotel. It's such a different world there. No one is trying to harm you, but they do want to make a quick buck of you. I felt that if I was there for longer I could end up being quite a rude and bitter woman!

We didn't find any New Zealand bars, but we found a couple Australian ones.

One thing I remember about the shopping is that I really really wanted to buy these plastic bears (actually imatation ones).
http://www.plasticpassiontoys.com/images/bearbrick10small.gif
Heaps of the shops had them, but when I asked they were not for sale. It seems that all the shop keepers were collectors!

I will definately, DEFINATELY go back for the shopping. I've been told that the north is also very beautiful. Have friends that went there for their honeymoon. A private villa directly on top of water. They said you can live like kings and queens for cheap.

[thecat@]

I have a good friend who sold his belongings here in Washington DC and retired to Bangkok at the ripe old age of 37 (health reasons). If you run into a tall American named Joe with a slight limp tell him Jim said hi.:)

Seems like that's half the expat male population of Thailand! Well, retiring early to Bangkok anyway.

They have a new visa policy so I hope he's been able to get around it.

As an expat you can't retire to this country unless you are 50, so I imagine he's been on a 30 day tourist visa all this time, doing border runs. They've now plugged the holes on the visa runs, forcing people to stay out of the country for three months before coming back in.

Unless he ... marries a Thai wife and has kids, or has a businesss supporting 3 (or is it 6?) Thais. Dunno, the rules keep changing.

Fingers crossed for him though. After you fall in love with Thailand, there just isn't anywhere else that'll do.

[thecat@]

Yup that's the one! I can't really remember the places we went shopping but the skytrain was fantastic. So fast and so easy. I'd been to Bangkok about 5 years ago and we got taken on a tiki tour by taxi and tuk tuk drivers when all we wanted to do was go back to our hotel. It's such a different world there. No one is trying to harm you, but they do want to make a quick buck of you. I felt that if I was there for longer I could end up being quite a rude and bitter woman!

We didn't find any New Zealand bars, but we found a couple Australian ones.

One thing I remember about the shopping is that I really really wanted to buy these plastic bears (actually imatation ones).
http://www.plasticpassiontoys.com/images/bearbrick10small.gif
Heaps of the shops had them, but when I asked they were not for sale. It seems that all the shop keepers were collectors!

I will definately, DEFINATELY go back for the shopping. I've been told that the north is also very beautiful. Have friends that went there for their honeymoon. A private villa directly on top of water. They said you can live like kings and queens for cheap.
One thing about the tuk tuk and taxi drivers, once you live here they don't bother you as much with the silly tries to drag you off to buy this or that. I'm not sure how they know who's a tourist, but they do. Maybe it's because locals break into laughter if they tried it on? (Try it next time?) A tuk tuk ride in Ari is only 20 baht, whereas if you are a tourist, then they charge you over taxi prices = 45 +++.

When I first moved here I had to get out of taxis a few times. Jump in, tell them where you want to go, then say 'taxi metre'. If they don't put the metre on, or if they try and insist on where they want to go, just get out and try the next one.

Another tip - don't stay in the tourist places as the taxi and tuk tuk drivers are a different breed there. They are more agressive, not the true Thai at all. All you really need to do is stay in a hotel near a skytrain or BTS. Reflections is the same price as the hotel you stayed at (I believe) and is close to everything. Also, at night you can easily walk around looking for the best places to eat, just like on Suk, only it's cheaper and more local Thai.

I've never seen the plastic bears but I'll keep an eye out for them. I can always ask my Thai friends. Ahhhh, wait a sec .... Reflections across the street might have them. They sell all sorts of plastic stuff like that. As does JJ's.

The North is beautiful. I almost bought in Changmai but I fell in love with Bangkok first. Yeah, and I'm not even a city girl. But, this city, especially Ari, has something special.

"They said you could live like Kings and Queens" ... and that's one of the beauties of Thailand. I couldn't afford to live like this in the west.

[thecat@]

Welcome Back Cat :)

Thanks for the welcome :-)

[Broacher]

Cat, can you get and post a shot of that baby elephant with blinkers for us? I love the visual that's already formed in my head--wanna see how close I got.

[thecat@]

Sure, let me dig around a bit. I have a range I sent to Alina that show him leaning against the corner coffee shop and begging from the street diners.

[budafist]

Thanks for the insight Cat. I'll file it away for when I return! :)

[thecat@]

Ok, here they are. I had them on a cd after cleaning up my hd. This is my first time sharing photos on this forum so I hope I don't mess anything up.

Elephants in Bangkok are not rare, but they are seen more often in tourist spots like Suk. Sidewalks here are not wide so they make it difficult to traverse. It's obvious that this is a baby elephant (as in not fully grown), but just try and share a sidewalk with him while he's swaying side by side :-)

The ones I've run into while walking around Suk are a lot smaller though, so maybe this chap has outgrown his tourist days.

http://www.katzidesign.com/elephant/elephant_coffee_shop_sm.jpg

The coffee shop sits in the parking lot of the condo where I live presently.


http://www.katzidesign.com/elephant/elephant_safety.jpg

[budafist]

Ha! the tail! Love it :)

We met an elephant on a busy street when we went. We had to pay for some sugar cane to feed it. My mum was all like "no, don't give them any money" but dude, paying $1 to feed an elephant is nothing! Around here, if you want a close encounter with zoo animals, you pay about $100.

When you convert the $ it's really nothing you are giving the locals. They work so hard for not much at all.

[jimking]

Seems like that's half the expat male population of Thailand! Well, retiring early to Bangkok anyway.

They have a new visa policy so I hope he's been able to get around it.

As an expat you can't retire to this country unless you are 50, so I imagine he's been on a 30 day tourist visa all this time, doing border runs. They've now plugged the holes on the visa runs, forcing people to stay out of the country for three months before coming back in.

Unless he ... marries a Thai wife and has kids, or has a businesss supporting 3 (or is it 6?) Thais. Dunno, the rules keep changing.

Fingers crossed for him though. After you fall in love with Thailand, there just isn't anywhere else that'll do.
He's lived in Bankok 4 or 5 years now. We went out for dinner a couple of months ago when he came home to visit and he did mention the new visa policy but I don't recall the details. He is permanently disabled, not sure if that makes a difference or not. He does do a little work at a hospital near by, greating english speaking people who come to Thailand for medical treatment. He does love it there and wants my wife and I to visit soon.

[thecat@]

Ha! the tail! Love it :)

We met an elephant on a busy street when we went. We had to pay for some sugar cane to feed it. My mum was all like "no, don't give them any money" but dude, paying $1 to feed an elephant is nothing! Around here, if you want a close encounter with zoo animals, you pay about $100.

When you convert the $ it's really nothing you are giving the locals. They work so hard for not much at all.

I can see both sides of the elephant issue in Bangkok. First off, it's not exactly healthy for elephants in a busy section of the city, and that's where the owners take them (fumes, car accidents, not enough food). If they get teased then they will attack (and there are some stupid people wandering around). Also, baby elephants are easier on small city sidewalks and I've read stories of baby elephants being taken from their mothers forceably - by killing the mom.

On the other hand, I quite like having elephants in a quiet residential area, but only if they can be fed and taken care of properly. And, of course, if they are acquired legally.

You see, elephants used to be common (common = thousands), in Thailand but are now down to a small handful in the whole country. There's a place up north where you can go and see them work, but other than small pockets here and there, nothing much else. If they continue being limited, then the elephant population will dwindle even more.

When the tsunami hit elephants were a god send. You can still see the sad photos at different elephant camps/shows/etc. Amazing animals. I hope Thailand finds a compromise.

[thecat@]

He's lived in Bankok 4 or 5 years now. We went out for dinner a couple of months ago when he came home to visit and he did mention the new visa policy but I don't recall the details. He is permanently disabled, not sure if that makes a difference or not. He does do a little work at a hospital near by, greating english speaking people who come to Thailand for medical treatment. He does love it there and wants my wife and I to visit soon.

I'm not sure what all the details are of the visa change either. Hopefully his disability does away with the 50 year old rule in his case. I know there are a lot of frustrated expats who have been caught in the middle of this change. They've lived here for years, and now have to find somewhere else to live. Difficult.

[Jeff Fisher LogoMotives]

I take it you two know each other? lol


Had to laugh at that. Yes, they were getting a little familiar. Actually, I've had the pleasure of spending time with Cat in Seattle this year and last year. I do wish it was more often....

- J.

[thecat@]

Had to laugh at that. Yes, they were getting a little familiar.
Yeah, the relationships on the about forum are very close. We get all smootchy, fight, make up, hug, fight again, yet more hugging. It's a family really, which is why we've started meeting up in Seattle.

Actually, I've had the pleasure of spending time with Cat in Seattle this year and last year. I do wish it was more often...
Jeff, Bangkok is not as far as it looks. Honest.

Thinking ... ok ... I know you love quality design so check out the below.

http://www.katzidesign.com/condo/condo2/condo_panel_detail.jpg

It's the detail of the teak Thai style handcarved panels I've commissioned from a true artist out here.

Thailand at the moment has such an amazing amount of decent craftsmen (and some not so amazing). But in ten years, maybe none will be affordable.

Of course, shipping wood of that weight won't be cheap. But, just imagine what it'd look like in your house or, out on your patio.

Bangkok is calling to you ...

[budafist]

When I went to Bangkok the first time we had a nosey at a wood carving place. The stuff was amazing! And so very cheap considering the skill involved. I was too young at the time to appreciate it for what it was, so didn't buy anything.

[thecat@]

When I first started visiting Thailand I'd go to a master carver in Changmai. There are a lot of decent carvers around, but this one appealed to me so perhaps it was more style than anything else. I have about 4 or 5 pieces from his shop that I lugged back via air to wherever I was living. They are all now in the UK, just sitting there. These days they don't let you take pieces that large on planes unless you pay extra. A pity, as I'd like to bring them back here.

I believe the Changmai carver sells in Bangkok, but I'm thinking his stuff in a big city would be over my budget. It'd still be inexpensive compared to the west though.