Bout that time to start interviewing for potential new sources of income; on Saturday, ventured up to Rangsit to interview for what seems like a promising opportunity that would require me to move up to the Northern Bangkok suburb, though will not jinx myself just yet with details until confirmation is concrete.

Saturday afternoon, on the venture back into town, took a stroll through the local public park / Chinese cemetery which gives the neighborhood its creepy and peculiar character. I’m not sure whether I’ll miss it a

Come Saturday evening, SW would embark to Hualamphong (Bangkok Central) Station to catch a train to Lopburi to visit relatives.

Thai trains have three social classes, each respective class jumping 300 % in fares–a 50 baht trip in third class first come-first seat (often seating is not guaranteed for people who board midway) will cost 150 baht on second class assigned seat. Only the long eight hour plus trains (e.g. overnight sleepers) offer first class coaches.

Second Class assigned seating above and third class first come seating basis below.

Destination Lopburi:  fifteen-twenty minute drive from Lopburi city center is Ahng Sup Lek อ่างซับเหล็ก a large reservoir popular among local weekenders for waterside dining, drinking, fishing, and swimming.

When day is done, the sun’s setting off yonder to the west signals the approach to a Bangkok return.

When all else proves inconvenient, impracticle, and outright unhealthy, a 30 baht (about 1 usd) can of Tuna in brine, soy oil, or some other generic flavored sauce is always a sure and  rich source of protien

Blooming Morning dawns of the sun contrasted with the Pink Blossom of a Rock Rose กุหลาบหิน

Sun rises at dawn

Yet another peculiar solar coincidence of recent times is the first waning moon beginning the first day of March. Recall that the last day of 2009 was a full moon, seeing both January and February ending on full moons. So what does all this mean? Only time will tell.
In Thailand and other Buddhist observing countries, the full moon of the fourth month is Makha Bucha day, which regularly falls on the full moon of the third Thai-Brahmin calendar, except in the years like this which have thirteen moons-lunar months. See this explanation about the reason and celebration of Makha Bucha.

All these years in the country have jaded me much to be bothered with embarking on a  journey to partake in such traditions, particularly since I have no one to share it with at the time being. Perhaps even more and especially due to the continued threat of political turmoil which threaten the well being of potential pedestrians e.g. random bombs going off around town, my long weekend could be summarized as one of those ‘H’ weekends, as in hedonistic happenings of a hermit hiding in the hole of home.

Relieved to have completed midterm examinations for my four classes in the second to last term at University, my immediate concerns are trying to harness the harmony and find the focus as to maintain, upgrade, and update web projects and overall internal organization and peace of mind, anticipating and occupied with the present and future of professional and financial obligations, prospects, and quotas. The teaching job I’ve been fortunate to have had the past year’s contract is due to expire towards the second half of March—dictating it time to begin exploring and pursuing channels for the next source of material and ultimately, spiritual existence .

For the past three months, I’d been living with a Pakistani roommate, a friend I knew through a friend at University. He was a Marketing student and finishing his delayed completion of a B.B.A.. In order to expediate an already overtimed stay of study, he had taken his final required course at a different University which offered it sooner than our Uni would.

Last Tuesday, he went to take his final exam, and all I can say is something unexpected went wrong leaving me without a roommate for about a week already. I’m not sure if/when I’ll be permitted to talk to/see him again, but I should be in contact with the guy’s older brother soon I suppose.

Clearly at a new phase of the year, it’s precisely time to contemplate the move to a smaller and cheaper room. I’ve looked at a few options I will pursue in the next week, and though I’ll downgrade my view, I’ll also downgrade my expenses, and get a fresh perspective, evading the demons that linger in proximity to room 1113.  Stay tuned.

Today was a lax and lazy day off of eating, napping, interneting and some reading in preparation for the first midterm in Political Marketing and Campaigning come Tuesday. Had to take all of Friday off from school for Seminar course at Uni which we were hosting a guest speaker’s lecture about rhetorical approaches, followed by the final pre midterm lecture for Mass Media Law and Ethics. Saturday was no cakewalk, getting the first major presentation-paper out of the way for Political Mkt. and Cam. Plann which was contrasting Thai – US media in high profile elections.

And solemn are these Sunday nights, especially on this supposed day of love, and excitement for billions of Asians, where I am without the intimacy intended. Har, har has these hedonistic helpings of history happening! There was some fireworks visible through the late evening from the balcony, and now it has passed calling for bedtime. The school term teaching is soon to wrap up coming on the final normal academic week. Exams be the demand in both the academic lands I hand.

The large round moon flares secondary beams over the night city sky—though the calendar says it’s the first waning night, it might as well have been the sixteenth waxing night. Looking up at the mighty golden night rock reminds us of the flaring stripes of the tiger that looks over this year.

The university term begins to settle with projects and papers marked and approaching in my personal time planner, midterm exams just around the corner mid-late February, about the same time that the Thai teaching term commences with their final examinations, projecting some lessened pressure at work for a short spell. Remains to be confirmed whether the existing contract will continue on, securng living n studies through the rest of the year.

Including room rent, utilities (water, electricity, mobile phone), dining hole tab, loan return, flat screen, refrigerator, ukulele, and monthly payment for the latest purchase of this brand new 11 inch Acer Aspire 1410 dual core Timeline model notebook, I anticipate some 15,000 baht in bills (just under 500 $USD), or about half of my anticipated salary after docked deductions due of missed days given to university obligations.

The ensuing weeks shall be abundant in tasks, plenty of pressure; steadily smoothing by into the year, mindfulness and patience must be embraced as everything falls into place.  Following are some images to add a few thousand more words to this update.

A potential disaster mess powering the mass of the country.

What do teachers do after work on Fridays? Plan for the next week of course!

As of the last seven and a half months, Monday through Friday I am teaching full time math, soundlab and English activity classes at a primary school in South Central Bangkok. It has turned out to be a comfortable gig that I am able to juggle the full time teacher role with occasional student obligations at Uni (e.g. Exams, presentations, required lectures), and I can only hope for the best that the school will continue one more year contract come April when my current contract ends.

For the first term of 2009 academic school year (August – December 2009), my seventh of a total nine planned semesters, I managed a 3.50 GPA in my four classes via two As, one B+, and my first ever C+ in Uni, bringing my overall GPA down to 3.8. Before I am finished with this Communications Arts undergraduate degree by the end of this year, I anticipate the Grade point to drop slightly even more due to my full time job obligation priority. So be it. For this eighth semester which just started a few weeks back, I have registered for five classes scheduled Monday,Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. It will certainly prove to be a challenge to keep my professors appeased but I am confident that I can pass all with at least Cs. This shall leave my ninth and final semester starting August with four classes.

And then what? I don’t hope to settle in Bangkok much longer than necessary. I may likely return to Phuket and teach/write there for a spell so I can be near with my son. A temporary return to the states is anticipated after next year, with the aim of bringing my son to his second country for the first time.
2003 was the last time I saw much of my family and friends there. Once this academic burden is behind, I hope to be able to return to the states more regularly, ideally annually—more for my son’s sake. Well lets just see where this post sits one year from now to contrast.

A simple 80 baht taxi home wasn’t going to suffice on this particular evening. Having gone astray with alcoholic dis-cohesion, a peace of mind would be required to justify the night’s safety & sleep; a journey of reckonable distance would spontaneously ensue. I was to walk home. From Sukhumvit 33 down to Asokee-Ratchada, southwest bound past Sirikit center, Rama IV and Rama III.

On the dark sidewalks of Rama III, the fear of such a journey would heighten. Those who claim Bangkok is a safe place to walk around in the middle of the night have likely never been down dark ways like this. Starting with the territorial slum dogs prowling, howling and guarding who knows what, passing in between shadows and rusted vehicles, these dogs have been known to bite, and when passing strangers startle them off guard, fear and vulnerability must be contained, presence made known and exaggerated. Like the original jungle that preceded this urban era, the concrete jungle is dictated by intertwining laws of chaos and order—slip and you will trip.

Sweat dripping and drenching my upper half, my white university dress shirt stuck to my skin, plagued with the dust and dirt of the industrial night air. Phone battery dead, there was no way of knowing the time. The only thing known was my destination somewhere on yonder. Breaks were to be few and short as possible. On the murky edges of Klong Toei district, around Rama III soi 79, the journey seemed to thicken. As easily as I could have given up, passing out on the spot, the rotting smell of urine, scurrying rats and cockroaches pushed me on, yearning for the reward of water at the end of the night’s journey.

Behold, a wooden club lied in the middle of the path, providing a stronger sense of security if/when one of these packs of urban mutts were to cross the line from bark to bite. While the dogs appeared to be the immediate threat, in my mind I knew that human predators were of greater concern: teenage moped gangs racing by with their customized roaring engines and lurking amphetamine attics represented far greater threat. Approaching a group of drinking blue-collars holding territory on their dimly lit sidewalk bench, I concealed the club to my side walking to pass quickly trying to avoiding conspicuousness with my head down. This pack of humans weren’t far off from the dogs, barking off their own warnings: “Beware, this is Klong Toei!”

A block down, I noticed another human in the distance, his back to me, looking after something further down the path. He was holding something long. My gut told me that by now, the wooden club I was clenching could turn out to be more danger than protection, and so I abandoned it in the middle of the path. Moments later I came in close proximity to the human who had turned around by now. The object in his hand was a sawed off shotgun. He looked to be protecting his shop or home from some challengers which were out of site by now—I didn’t keep my head up to notice long enough, gratefully and inconspicuously passing by.

Alas, I reached Nang Linchi road on the far outskirts of my neighborhood in the neighboring district of Yanawa. Only a few kilometers more to go, Jun Gao to Narathiwat to Jan road, and I was soon home free into the sanctity of Sathorn district. At my apartment’s mini mart, the time was 1.20 a.m.. I bought a 1.5 liter bottle of water, refilling it to devour a freshening two liters, topped by a cold shower as my soar limbs eased into the hard-earned inviolability of my bed.

Outside my window, the moon shines big & bright over lively lit concrete towers of Bangkok’s central  business sectors, like shiny champagne curtaining curiosity, artificial light is stimulating wonder within this world what special meaning comes with the last day of the year coinciding with the full moon.

Is this particular blue moon of auspicious virtue–perhaps promising  prosperous times a’ comin? Or is it simply a conspicuous reality reminder of the suffering the passing year has brought upon many. Mustn’t I nurture me mindful soul, practicing patience and humbleness amidst an adobe of love and penance?

Recapping rapid recall, 2009 C.E. / 2552 B.E. kicked off with woe in Bangkok with the tragic demise of Santika night club. As is the natural cycle of life, death was not denied in this brown year of the ox, seeing the likes of Michael Jackson  among a long list of significant others pass on to the next existence.

I am grateful to be granted contiuation of life for the time being. Weeks into the year, I was to have my own accident, dodging death, earning a life changing experience that has my left limb drastically disabled. Climbing back up the hill, I struggle to keep my head high, compensating regained function of my hand by typing, playing the guitar & ukulele as I wait for results of September nerve surgery aiming to reactivate upper arm-shoulder functions which were lost.

2010 shall be a determining year for physical recovery as well as the year I expect to finally complete my bachelor studies at BUIC. Patience Perforce, letting the wise and just will of the world manifest in the hearts, bodies and minds of all those whom are worthy!

The final week of November 2009 buds. With the winter, uhum, cool season kicking into gear here in the Thai capital, comfortable 6.00 sleep-ins look forward to a hot shower and paced out breakfast about routine dress preparations, news bites and pop songs.

Mornings crammed on the entry steps of an overloaded decade old diesel red city bus are behind as memories. Present days cherish out the door by 7.30 for a 10 minute walk down lively city blocks of the Chinese enriched neighborhood about Jun road.

It’s the fifth week, or about a quarter way through the second semester of Thai school year, 2552 B.E. This week the primary and secondary school is engaged in color team Intramural Sport tournaments—the Siamerican W proudly representing Blue this occasion. He recalls two years back when he represented Green squad at Wat Teprasit Primary School in Samut Songkhram province.

Another mentionable benefit of the move is gratefully soaking the late afternoon free time , relaxing, napping and snacking; a stark contrast to public transport in rush hours.

The addition of a modern food cooling-storing-freezing device has been great incentive to revive cooking experiments, integrating healthy and scrumptious ingredients into the lifestyle: Mostly the last few weeks have blended interesting and nutritious soups inclusive of spinach, mustard leaf, okhra, carrot, mushrooms, sprouts soy bean, fresh pepper, herbs, tofu, egg, chicken, bullion, and pasta—compared to the waste and harm of carbohydrate rich fast food delivery, home dining is much more of an enrichment now that conscious intent adhered.

Most of in-class commitments at University have been fulfilled, leaving mostly preparations for final exams due in a few weeks time. Predicting-expecting an average outcome grade wise as I’ve been so engaged with my full time job. If I receive some Cs accounted to a lack of attendance, it turn out to be the lowest GPA since entering University, certain to degrade my latest GPA of 3.97.

So be it, as long as every thing is passed so I can seal one more term away, breaking the cake to its final slices for 2010, professional teaching life shall prosper through the decade as I move on with recovery and life.

When this whole world starts getting me down…I don’t need to go to the roof like the song. I just perch out on my balcony to indulge a 33 million baht view. And there’s certainly room for two and then some for special rituals and occasions.

Sunrise Skies are breathless

The following video is a quick tour of the apartment from within: