Update on my mid-life crisis: April 2013

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On Our Way Home

Koh Samui, Thailand

Let's Eat

Thipp having a massage, while other staff keep Alex entertained

Koh Samui beach paradise

The plan originally was to spend a few days in Bangkok at the end of the trip. However, Thipp had come to the conclusion that it was too hot to shop. So we decided to aim for a beach paradise instead and are currently in the middle of a 5-day stay on the Thailand island of Samui. As it has turned-out Thipp has been able to have her beach (and pool) and shop as well.

I had previously visited Koh Samui in 1988, 25 years ago. This was before the island had an airport, so it attracted mostly backpackers who would stay in huts on the beach. The airport opened a few years after my visit and not surprisingly the tourist scene has expanded dramatically, with resort/hotels now dominating the coastline. If you want a beachfront hit you'll have to go to a more remote destination. The changes suit me just fine as I have zero desire to rough it. Certainly development has changed Koh Samui, but it's still a fantastic place.

Over our first two days we didn't venture more than a couple hundred metres from our hotel. For this we have many excuses - Alex's nap schedule, it's too hot, the beach is so nice, everything we need is near-by, it's too hot, our hotel's three pools are so nice, Alex and Thipp are a bit under the weather...., etc. We have still managed to do some shopping with Thipp once again saving me money with the dresses she buys and even me stepping-up to buy two tailored suits (I told the tailor that they had better last as I intended to be buried in one of them).

We did go a bit further afield today, but that was to the local hospital so that both Thipp and Alex could be examined for various hopefully minor ailments. Even the hospital here was nice and the reception desk and the staff greeting us at the the taxi-drop left me wondering whether the hospital doubled as a resort. In a country that loves children you could imagine the greeting that Alex received in the paediatric department. Thipp was very pleased with the care that she and Alex received and hopefully they'll be in good form for our trip home.

Yes, our three-month visit to Southeast Asia is almost over. It is currently Friday afternoon and I'm at a roadside restaurant with Wifi, enjoying a cold Heineken, having taken a pass on the afternoon nap session. At noon on Sunday we will fly from Samui to Bangkok. Monday morning we fly to Tokyo and the next day fly to Vancouver, landing sometime before noon. I'm still a bit in denial so I'm not sure of the specifics. All I'm thinking about right now is whether to order another Heineken.

Farewell to Laos

I returned to Laos from Myanmar on the last Tuesday of March to help prepare for our departure one week later. Thipp and Alex had been staying fairly quiet during by absence as the hot temperatures discouraged much activity. Thipp had befriended the ladies and boy-ladies at a nearby beauty salon where she would go to get her hair washed and was spending more and more time there, sharing meals and letting Alex nap there. She would visit her family most evenings when the kids were home from school.

There was a flurry of social engagements over the final few days of our stay. One morning Thipp and her family went to their local temple with an offering of food for the monks, who would then hold a memorial service for Thipp's recently departed Father and brother. The big event was an event at Thipp's mother's house that was a combination of a blessing service for Alex and farewell dinner featuring goat and beer. This gathered quite the crowd, including the party ladies I met early after my arrival in Vientiane. This time I kept a safe distance.

With Thipp serving as interpreter, I had a number of comical conversations, as one often does over beers. One fellow asked me if Canadian beer was better than Laotian beer, and when I answered in the affirmative he shook his head in disbelief and added a couple more ice cubes to his glass of beer. Someone asked if white people have larger penises, given that we are much taller. This I quickly confirmed with a proud smile. Finally, a woman instructed me that when I next return to Laos that I must bring her a Canadian husband who is exactly like me. I told her that I would do my best, but that it would not be easy.

Our last night in Laos was spent with Thipp's family. Thipp gathered them together and gave them a pep talk on how they needed to work together and strive to better themselves. Despite Thipp's best hopes this won't be easy, especially given the giant gap left behind by the death last year of the man of the house, Thipp's brother Suk. Thipp also said a tearful farewell to her elderly mother, not knowing whether she will ever see her again.

The next morning we left Vientiane for Thailand. We had cleaned-out our apartment, giving away various odds and ends to family members. Thipp's niece Annie wouldn't put down the pink cushion that she had received. Everyone agreed that they would desperately miss Alex. However, the time had come for us to leave and we were all ready to go.