Christmas, All Thaied With A Bow

Seasons Greetings and Merry Christmas my blogging family! It is Christmas Eve-Day and I write you from Bangkok, Thailand with warm regards and warmer temperatures. It's in the 80's during the day, 70's at night here and I can't help feeling like I'm missing that certain something that goes along with Christmas- Cold noses, warm homes and a cup of hot chocolate under a blanket while sitting on my favorite green couch watching Christmas cartoons. I am currently watching cartoons, but not the familiar holiday fare. Still, I am lucky enough to be enjoying classic "Tom and Jerry" even though I am a bit under the weather. No worries - just a cold, but no fun.

OK, onto the news- So, if you haven't already heard, our tour is coming to an end next month, so this will be one of the final posts of this here blog- that is until I tour Asia again. I know, it seems far fetched, right? That's what I said the first time! Here I am, finishing my third Asian tour and at this point, I never say never anymore. Long story longer, I will be home sometime in late January, so keep your eyes out for little old me as I may be traipsing up your sidewalk sometime soon!

Now for the sightseeing news. In Hong Kong, I kept a pretty low profile, but I did get out to Ngong Ping, an outlying island south of the main HK island where stands-or rather, sits- the largest seated, outdoor Buddha statue in the world. It's a newer statue, but no less impressive. It was a lovely, thoughtful day that included a very long and beautiful cable car ride to and from the Tin Tan Buddha.


We arrived in Thailand without a hitch just a few weeks ago. Whilst here in Thailand, I visited Bangkok's Royal Palace, unmatched in beauty from anything I have experienced in Thailand thus far. I was also very fortunate to take a day trip yesterday to the place immortalized in the Oscar winning film "The Bridge on the River Kwai". For those unfamiliar with the movie or its history, during the Second World War, the Japanese Army, who had taken control of the Malay peninsula(including Burma and Siam, now Thailand), decided it needed a direct supply route from Burma to the inner peninsula. This undertaking was estimated to take 4 years, but the Japanese put many thousands of locals and Allied P.O.W.'s through absolute hell to complete the project in only 18 months. In terms of human lives, the railway, including the bridge on the Kwai, was one of the costliest projects in modern history. The human toll was about 200,000. The bridge itself, the meeting point and main connection between the two simultaneously constructed railways, was destroyed by Allied bombings. Now reconstructed, it serves as a civilian railway and, more importantly, a memorial for the hardships of lives past.

So, as we count our blessings this holiday season, we remember those gone before, those little ones celebrating their very first Christmas, and all those in between we hold so very dear. God Bless and may your holidays be safe, your Christmases be Happy and your New Years be safe.

And to all, a good night.

Steve

What's the Capital Of Thailand?

Hey there bloggers, lil' ol' me again to regale you with another post. I am in Hong Kong still and, on paper, am expecting to go to Bangkok in the next few weeks. But, with the trouble brewing there, I may not get to Thailand at all. Only time will tell.

Hong Kong has treated us all very well and reminded us civilization is just around any corner. The food is great, the weather is 70's during the day/60's at night, and we found a great Jazz club where we have become regular regulars in just a few weeks. I've even sat in on a few jam sessions and crooned my way to the hearts of...well, dozens- it's a small club. But, what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in music and atmosphere. There was a jazz-fest in town a few weeks ago, in fact, they played the outside of the HK Cultural Center while we played the inside. Well, the place to go after the gigs were done was Cafe Fresco where the crowd was treated to, for me, was something akin to catching the Rolling Stones at Sir Morgan's Cove in Worcester- way cool.

There's not a whole lot to see as far as sights in HK, but I visited the Peak which overlooks the entire city from a lofty perch. I also found Snoopy's World, a wee little playground pretty far north in Kowloon. It was kind of dinky, but it was worth the trip. I have plans to see a few more sights as well as a day trip to Macau this week. It's only an hour away and there are casinos. Good thing we got per diem in cash this week, huh? (Just kidding, Ma)

Meanwhile, I will be spending my down time watching the Boomerang Network, sister station to the Cartoon Network. Boomerang runs all the Warner Bros. cartoons as well as the Hanna Barbera stuff- Flinstones, Magila Gorilla, Wally Gator, Huckleberry Hound, and a whole slew of other random toons. I'm also getting my fill of Nat Geo and the Discovery Channel (Boom dee a dah!!!)

I wish my face was sun blasted and my shorts were full of sand, but the Thai protesters have seen fit to keep me in Hong Kong. I'll see that these toes get some sand between them somehow, until then, be well and "Exit, stage right, even!!"

Gags