Bangkok
Thailand

26 March 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

March has been my own mad month - of visits and visitors: Ngoc Vi and Thao My; Moon and Kevin; Mai and Mark; Luisa and Dolly; DeeDee and Richard.

Ngoc Vi came to Thailand on a four-day tour with her daughter Thao My. They live near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

I met Ngoc Vi seven years ago near the cathedral in HCMC (Saigon). After a brief chat, she invited me to her sister's wedding the next day.

Ngoc Vi is a specialist in agricultural productivity. She has worked as a consultant to Vietnamese farmers. This year she left her job and is enrolled as a full-time student. She expects to earn a Master's degree in Business Administration.

Thao My is an energetic, talkative, irrepressible four-year-old girl. Her goal was to ride an elephant here in Thailand. She did just that, all alone, according to her mother, at an elephant park south of Bangkok. Read more »

Location

The White House

Washington, DC

27 April 2009
Bangkok , Thailand

Dear Friends,

Last night, at the Nomad Moroccan Restaurant on Sukhumvit Soi 12, ThingsAsian Press gave a party to launch the latest volume in their catalogue, "To Myanmar With Love."  (I contributed four essays.)

Almost one hundred animated guests showed up to chat and to exchange travel stories. The Mediterranean food was excellent, the music authentic, and those of us living in Bangkok vowed to return to the restaurant.

My new friend in Bangkok, Janet Brown, the hostess of the party met me at the entrance and brought me to a table with copies of the newly printed book. Also on display were copies of the previous offering, "To Vietnam with Love" as well as Janet's own book, "Tone Deaf in Bangkok ."

Read more »

Bangkok, Thailand
Saturday
20 December 2008

Dear Friends and Family,

The keyboards that were silent are clicking again.

I am back in Bangkok after almost four months in the Americas.  What a four months!

Seeing old friends and making new ones, seeing family (cousins for the very first time), driving US and Canadian highways, and traveling through Colombia - all of this was stimulating and affirming.  I also realize that my relationships with my family and friends are deep and true and loving - more than I ever imagined.  I had a great time wherever I went.  At Thanksgiving, I had a lot to be thankful for.  Thank you.

Then, "life" intervened. Read more »

Bangkok,
Thailand
12 August 2008

Hello Everyone,

Finally!

Yes, finally, I am pleased to announce that I am in print.

One of my travel letters was selected for inclusion in a new book called, "To Vietnam With Love, A Travel Guide for the Connoisseur" edited by Kim Fay.

"To Vietnam With Love" is part of a series of books from ThingsAsian Press. The first book in the series, "To Asia With Love" was so successful that the editors and the publisher decided to produce books on individual countries. Read more »

Bangk0k Thailand

02 August 2008

My Dear My0pic, Hyper0pic, and Fellow 20/20 Friends,

My classmate Jack Calabro had a neat trick.

My Taft High School classmate, and later, my University of Illinois graduate school classmate, Jack protected his mother from unnecessary worry.

Jack's mother wanted to know when we were leaving Champaign-Urbana, Illinois and when we would be arriving in New York. We would be driving all night across Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, with a slight dip into West Virginia. As dawn arrived, we would steer into the sunrise across Pennsylvania to New Jersey and then north to New York. That's a long drive, even on Interstate highways. A mother could worry a lot.

So what was the trick? Jack knew when we were leaving and could estimate when we would arrive. So, the "departure" time he gave his mother was actually our arrival time! She was so surprised!

Here's my contribution to the concept of worry avoidance:

I am pleased to report to you that I have undergone and recovered from two lens replacement surgeries. Read more »

Bangkok, Thailand
24 March 2008

Dear Family and Friends,

Telma and Jeffrey Gordon have been my loyal friends for many years.  They were generous and helpful to me, both when I was a "snow-bird" from Boston, and later as a bachelor resident of South Florida.  Whether for business or for my social life, I could count on them for thoughtful advice.

Eight years ago Telma came for a visit to my apartment in Miami.  She noticed that I did not own a television set.  I explained that I didn't think I was missing very much on TV.  I preferred listening to the radio, or spinning my compact discs.  I could choose one of the many unread books on my shelves.  And if I really wanted to be productive, I could play my grand piano that sat imposingly and patiently in the living room.

Telma was surprised once more when she noticed that I did not own a computer.  Again, I questioned the need for such an electronic device.  "Jan," she said, "You will love a computer. There is so much information on the Internet."  I pointed to the large stack of music that was calling to me from the piano.  "You see those books, Telma?  If had two or maybe three lifetimes, I still could not get to the bottom of that pile."  I thought to myself, "The Preludes and Fugues of Bach, the Sonatas of Mozart and the Nocturnes of Chopin contain all the information I will ever need."

Alas, my library expanded as did my CD collection.  The tower of music grew higher.  I wondered if a computer would help me to catalogue the volumes of my addictions.  I was also hearing about something called email.  And Jeff Gordon mentioned that computers store pictures and descriptions of female "singles!"  Hmm. Read more »

Bangkok, Thailand
May 15, 2007
Dear Business Editor,

As an owner of equities of several international airlines companies, I read with glee your recent reports describing the airlines' new policy for raising revenue.

Isn't it obvious that the fuel surcharge be raised? And ticket prices too. Business is business. To hell with those "supposed" low cost carriers. Eventually most of them drop out anyway.

I agree, if a passenger wants to eat, then let her pay for her food. The ticket is for a seat, and only a seat. Of course some seats are more desirable than others and our astute airlines executives clearly understand their company's assets. If you are short, then you are lucky. Tall, and if you want an Exit seat, then a little extra fee should be OK. Think of all the advantages of being tall. Read more »

Korat
Thailand
Monday
November 22, 2004

My Dear American Family and American Friends,

After a busy day of travel and sightseeing, I decided to take a break in the lobby of my hotel and read "The Nation," one of two English language newspapers published daily in Bangkok. I read the following story which I send to you without any descriptive adjectives or editorial comment.

I know how I reacted to the story. I am certain you will look into your hearts and react in your own way . . . . Read more »