Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas To all

It is Christmas Eve and I decided to cook a turkey. I purchased a 10 KG bird at Costco which means I will be living on Turkey for at least a week. I popped the bird in the oven at 3 and plan to eating by 9 am. I went for a walk and purchased a baster to keep the bird moist. I also bought some mini potatoes and butternut squash. I will add the squash and potatoes with about an hour to go.

I am not good at stuffing so I filled the buzzard up with onions and apples to add a little flavor. I pull the bird every hour to baste it with its own juices. In between I devour a glass of red wine. I did remember to have a shot of Bailey's upon putting the bird into the oven.

Unfortunately I have no tree this year. Just never got around to it. I also don't have any ornaments despite spending thousands of dollars on ornaments over the past 30 years.

I will go to bed about midnight and sleep in Christmas day. After my usual coffee I will call back home to Ottawa and wish my Mom and sisters a merry Christmas as they gather for Christmas dinner at my sister Ann's condo in downtown Ottawa. Apparently Ottawa has about 60 cm's of snow, so they have a white Christmas, while I have a green Christmas in Vancouver.

I went for a walk about 3 ish in downtown Vancouver and was amazed at the stress and last minute shoppers making the round of stores. I am happy to be out of the consumer trap and did not miss wrapping many, many presents. Christmas is not about giving and getting, it is about remembering and enjoying the moment.

My daughter Jaime is in Malayisa and Jordan is home for Christmas but is spening Christmas with his girlfriend Sasha and her parents in a chalet in the Laurentians.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas, wherever you happen to be and whomever you happen to be wish :-)

TTYL,

Jim

YOW to YVR

If you travel a lot you tend to think of cities and destinations by their airport designations. Ottawa is YOW and Vancouver is YVR. I see those airport codes alot. Bangkok is BKK and Hong Kong is HKG.

Why do I mention that? Probably because I am sitting in the Air Canada lounge at YOW consuming vast quantities of red wine and Bailey's Irish cream with some salad when I feel I am abusing my body, tempered with some popcorn, and oatmeal raisin cookies. In other words, I am a little blasted and tend to digress at times :-)

However, I am enjoying myself as I prepare to head off to YVR. I had a great time visiting with my Mom and friends and work did not into the way. I also accomplished a fair amount of work with my business partner Brent.

I hope to see Paul Cotton while I am in YVR before I head off to BKK via HKG. Oh, this is becoming fun. To think I waste all my time programming when I can be quoting airport codes. If you are lost, there is always http://www.world-airport-codes.com/ to refer to.

I really tried to like the iPhone 4S that I purchased, but to be honest, it sucks compared to what you can get in the android world. Apple cripples it so you can't even trade files via bluetooth. Where it does shine, is when all your friends have bought into the Apple ecosystem. Then you become part of the same nothink universe that Apple wants you to dwell within. Resistance is futile, depending what your friends own. "What do you mean you don't have iChat?".

I doubt if Windows 8 is the answer but Google android phones are pretty sweet. The object of my desire at this moment in time and space is the Samsung note 2. Highly recommended and if your hands are a little smaller, then the Samsung Galaxy S3. However, do not expect to trade tunes with your iPhone friends as they are slaves to the iStore and will continue to pay for tunes, but that is part of teh snob appeal that Apple so successfully markets to.

Well time for another Bailey's so TTYS (Talk to you soon :-)

I am back :-) The migration from red wine to bailey's Irish Cream goes remarkable well, at least at this moment in time and space. When I am in Bangkok, out on the town, I tend to favour Vodka and Red Bull. The vodka keeps you happy and the Red Bull keeps you awake so you can enjoy being happy. My friends warn me that Red Bull is not good for you (especially the Thai version which apparently is more potent) and can result in heart palpitations and perhaps even even heart attacks. But, then, again, who wants to live to be 80, certainly not me.

I was impressed (but then again, it may be the  Bailey's talking) that wicked Wensley drove 5 hours to see me on Tuesday. I am a little worried that Bob is not keeping her sufficiently entertained. As for Sloan, you are now officially on my naughty list this Christmas. Liz was Liz, what can I say ... we all need a constant in our life. Ray is a luck guy! It was great seeing Cindy, but then again, she never changes. She is always wonderful and Jackson seems to be following in her footsteps.

The guys in my life are always the same. They are too cautious, or perhaps, afraid to visit me in Bangkok! Come on guys, take a walk on the wild side. Who knows, you may even enjoy it. I can only guarantee you won't forget it! BKK rules :-)

We are coming up to 5 pm and I board soon. Actually my glass is empty and I need a refill :-)
However, I digress. It is that time again to say goodbye, but I feel good that I managed to fill a webpage or two with my meanderings, divergent thoughts, and airport code trivia. No doubt you are all sufficiently enlightened (at least mildly entertained) by my intellectual discourse (not as entertaining as intercourse), but nevertheless (love that word) here is hoping you will tune in for my next posting.

TTYL, from the lounge in YOW enroute to YVR :-)

Love you MOM :-)

Jim

Last Night in Ottawa

Tuesday night at the Prescott was hit with Larry, Liz, Cindy, Debbi (drove 5 hours), Gabe, Francis, Little Dude (Donny), and Brent in attendance. Bilbo was coaching a hockey game and could not make it. He should have anyways because he lost the game.

Cindy brought along her wonderful baby boy Jackson, who was a real delight. It is true that you get "Apple from Apple Trees" because young Jackson is just as wonderful as Cindy despite having to dressing like a candy cane.

We were there for about 4 hours and 9 meatball sandwich platters. Lost count of the beers but I assure you we were well under the limit.

My Mom took a break from cooking dinner for me because Larry invited Bilbo and I to the Hunt Club Golf Course for a wonderful buffet dinner. We chowed back on roast turkey, roast beef, sausage and peppers, among many others.

I did end up working everyday but also found time to visit with friends, and especially my Mom who is now 91.

I head back to Vancouver at 5:50 Friday afternoon and arrive about 5 hours later at 8:30 pm, courtesy of PST (Pacific Standard Time).

One of my followers asked me what TTYL means and it is "Talk To You Later".

Jim

Ottawa Bound

I was up early this Sunday morning at 5 am and was out of the apartment by 6 am and on the SkyTrain to Vancouver Airport to catch my flight to Ottawa at 9:30 am. I like to catch that flight as it is one of the direct flights to Ottawa that does not go through Toronto.  I like to be early to the airport and head to the maple Leaf lounge for some coffee and breakfast.

I get into Ottawa about suppertime, courtesy of the 3 hour time differential. I am staying at my Mother's and look forward to chatting with her and getting caught up on the latest family news. Mom always asks me lots of questions that I can only answer with I don't know :-)  I tend not to plan too much and therefore have no answers about the what the future holds.

I leave behind the usual drizzle and 4 degrees in Vancouver and probably arrive to some sun and temperatures just below zero in Ottawa. I managed to get a good deal on a car rental and will have some wheels for the 5 days. That is good as I have lots of travel everyday. Hopefully, the snow will hold off until I head back to Vancouver.

I am booked for the Prescott on Tuesday night, so that should be fun, getting caught up on what my guy friends are up to. Billy should be back from down south and hopefully will be there.

TTYL,

Jim

Vancouver

It's taking me a while to acclimatize to Vancouver temperatures after a month in Bangkok and 35 degree temperatures. It has been cloudy with the usual December drizzle and temperatures about 6-8 degrees, a far cry from the 18 degrees Ottawa enjoyed a day or two ago.

Other than the chill, I am enjoying the clean air and I am trying to get into the gym to shed the extra 5 pounds I gained in Bangkok. I am in Ottawa Dec. 9th to Dec. 14th to work with the local school boards . It looks like I will Christmas (used as a verb) in Vancouver this year.

Plans for the New Year? Not quite sure at this point.

TTYL,

Jim

Hong Kong Airport Lounge

I am sitting in the Traveler's Lounge in Hong Kong's Airport for 4 hours awaiting my Air Canada flight to Vancouver  The lounge is not bad, free beer, but no free liquor or wine. The food varies from day to day, but my previous flight (Thai Airlines) fed me well and I am not too hungry. Air Canada will feed me 3 times in 12 hours en-route to Vancouver as well.

I am trying to be better at updating my Blog and my life usually slows down somewhat when I am in Vancouver so I hope to be more frequent. I am in a light short sleeve shirt, shorts, and sandals and it is a little cold in the lounge.  I will also freeze my butt off travelling from Vancouver airport to downtown Van via the SkyTrain.

You would think I would be tanned after 53 days in Thailand, but you really do not spend much time in the sun as it is usually too hot. More time is spent in pubs and bars, both during the day, and at night.

My flight was the usual 245 Asians and 5 Farongs, but that is fine with me as I get along great with Asians, despite the language barrier. They have the great ability to laugh at themselves :-)

I don't hear much from my kids these days ...  I guess their iPhones are not working (joke). I guess I neglected them when they were growing up (another joke) ... Maybe they are too busy to fire off a sms once a month ... Reminds me of a certain Cat Steven's song.

Speaking of music, Simon and Ben at ASB have the greatest collection of off beat music that I have ever heard. Next time I am in Bangkok, I must get copies of some of their stuff ... great fun to listen to on a 12 hour flight.

Here is a link to some vids of one of my favourite bars in Bangkok:

https://plus.google.com/photos/111841259004493957471/albums/5817175160929067201?authkey=CO6h5YjZzuSKPA

Oops they just put some more Doritos out ... just can't resist them  ... they were a major cause of my marital breakdown ... my spouse just could not stand the smell of them :-)

TTYL,

Jim

Home Again to Vancouver

It is a quiet night in Bangkok as I pack for the butt crushing flight back to Vancouver via Hong Kong this time around. I prefer the Bangkok-Hong Kong-Vancouver route over the Bangkok-Tokyo-Vancouver route. It is better to have one long flight rather than 2 nine hour flights.

I spent 53 days in Bangkok this time around and I feel quite comfortable now in this city. I have lots of friends at the American School of Bangkok and of course meeting girls at the bars has never been an issue :-)

I leave a sunny 35 degrees and will probably be greeted with a cloudy 6 degrees with some drizzle. However, the quality of the air more than makes up for the cooler climate.

I won't be back in Ottawa for Christmas but I will be there from December 9th to the 14th if anyone wants to join me for a beer. I will visit my Mom and sisters but will spend Christmas in Vancouver.

I think I will be back in Bangkok in late January or early February,but who knows where the wind is likely to blow me?

I will miss Jip, John, Tang, Linda, Simon, Ben, Gil, BooPah, Ross, Sylvia, and Martin as they truly are wonderful people to have a beer with and definitely are not the boring or disapproving type. Until we meet again ไม่ดี (Mai Dee, phonetically).

TTYL,

Jim

Bangkok

I am back in Bangkok for the next while and I do not have to get up every morning at 6 am and head off in a 30 minute walk in 35 degree heat to work at the American School of Bangkok.

Instead, I wake up about 7 am, put on the coffee and program for my company for about 4 hours and then head out for breakfast at one of the English pubs I frequent. Then it is back for another 4 hours of programming until the sun goes down and it cools off somewhat.

I still enjoy playing pool but my favourite pool hall shut down and I am looking for another spot where there is always some pretty girl to play, who often beats me. Of course the beer needs to be cheap as well.

Hillary 4 on Nana (Soi 4) is still my favourite bar, and the music just keeps getting better. I have a condo in downtown Bangkok that I have rented and it saves me a lot on hotel costs. I still eat out a lot as it is pretty cheap, a buck or 2 on the street gets you a healthy meal.

I am here for about 40 days and then I head back to Vancouver and Ottawa for Christmas. I have some work to do for both Ottawa School boards so I will see some of you in December or January.

TTYL,

Jim

Bangkok Update

Bangkok is it's usual lively, cosmopolitan self :-) The bar scene is the same and only the girls have changed. It is still a very inexpensive city to live in, even though the minimum wage was raised to 300 Bahts a day which is $10 CDN if you are counting. That is a day, not an hour as it is in Canada.

I can still eat dinner on the street for a $1.

One of the best deals if you are visiting Bangkok is the The Best Western Plus on Soi 20 at Sukhumvit. It is $55 a night and I would rate it as a 4 star back in Canada.

Bangkok continues to grow as they knock down rows of shops to build more hotels and malls. All the usual suspects (retail) from North America have arrived but the Thais compete on variety and price.

I am off to Pattaya this week and that is an experience in itself.

TTYL,

Jim

Summer Flying By!

It is August 4th and summer has arrived in Vancouver since about July 1st. The temperatures started approaching 25 degrees with no sign of drizzle and clouds for 5 days at a time. Apparently summer stays in Vancouver for July, August, September, and October and then we get back to cloudy and drizzle for the rest of the year.

I am currently in Bangkok, visiting my buddy John and the rest of my Thai friends. Lucky me, the rainy season is just arriving so I can expect drizzle and maybe a whole lot more. I am here for about a month ad then I will return to Vancouver. I am here because I love the city and its inhabitants. It is an exciting place to visit with lots of night life and music.  I am not working this time around so I will do a lot more travelling of the surrounding areas, other than Bangkok.

I have many more friends in Bangkok than I do in Vancouver. There is also lots more for me to do. My money also goes a lot farther, so I may be spending more time in Bangkok in the future.

TTYL,

Jim

As usual, as of late, I have been remiss in posting.

Life in Vancouver is mostly good but I am beginning to understand why my father was not overly fond of Vancouver. Vancouver weather is mostly good, except for the lack of sunshine. When the sun does come out, the streets are flooded with people as they suddenly appear like tulips in the spring sunshine. It also rains very little but does drizzle quite a bit.  I am looking forward to their late summer which is July, August, September, and October.

I am looking at moving to a slightly larger and definitely more quiet apartment. You do not want to live beside a fire station, which I don't, but I do live on a street that has has a hospital at the end of it. Guess what, there are more ambulances on the road than fire trucks.

I would like to go back to S.E. Asia in late summer for a visit, not to work. The weather there is very livable in shorts and t-shirts and it is the dry season. I am also planning on a vacation (aren't retired folks always on vacation?) in August. I figure if I am going to change apartments, take a month vacation between apartments and I can apply my $2,500 rent payment to a vacation. Nothing too expensive, maybe some camping in the B.C. interior or perhaps on the east coast.

Apartments in Vancouver are so expensive it makes sense to vacation between moving from one to another.

I also have to visit Ottawa some time in early July as I am writing some software for the public school board and there is always maintenance to be done on my existing programs. I never understood when retired folks said they were just as busy when retired as when they were working. I understand now. Most retired folks I know are still working. Might just have something to do with our economy and the standard of living that we aspire to.

Everyone should really get to S.E. Asia to see how billions of people live compared to us. It is a whole different world out there and I will pass no judgments other than to say our carbon footprint on planet earth is much less in Canada (despite the oil sands controversy) than so called developing countries in Asia and S.E. Asia.

TTYL,

JIm

3rd Last Day in Bangkok

It is hump day in Bangkok and it will be over 100 degrees again today. It has been the hottest month in Bangkok in the last last 12 years, well over 100 degrees each day. I came down with a severe case of dehydration on Sunday night and I am just getting over it. It is recommended that you drink about 8 litres of water a day and I was drinking none. I also went to the gym and sweated out lots. Apparently my liquid intake of beer, red wine, and vodka and red Bull does not count as water. Lesson learned! Dehydration gives you aches and pains everywhere, a fever of about 103F, severe diarrhea, and general lethargy. Not much fun as it really cuts into your social activities.

Two more sleeps and I fly back to Vancouver. I fly out Friday at 1 pm and arrive in Vancouver at 4:30 pm courtesy of the international dateline which gives me back a day. I am really looking forward to some fresh, cool, clean Vancouver air, and not having to shower 3 times a day! I will miss my pool playing buddies, my pub friends, and the staff at ASB.

TTYL,

Jim

Back in Malaysia

I am back in Malaysia for a week and feel good and back about it. Good, because I have some very fond memories of my time in Malaysia and I look forward to visiting my daughter Jaime who is teaching at Sunway College. Bad because I was only there for a couple of hours and a former spouse dissed me with an ugly eMail to welcome me back.

My time in Malaysia was life changing for me and I am not one to look in a rear view mirror. I was also a person who spent way too much time worrying about the future of the principal of CPU was just telling me a friend of his family just dropped dead of a heart attack at 30 years of age. I now spend much of my time living in the present and treating life as a merry-go-round where you only go around once. This brings me into conflict with many of my Thai friends who believe in reincarnation  and therefore not a second chance, but many chances at life.  They have a refreshing view of life and pretty well live in the present and are very similar to B.C.'s Potlatch Indians as they would give you there last dollar and would expect the same from you.

Then again we have North Americans, a me kind of culture, replete with 'dinks' (dual income, no kids) and similar 'taker', not 'giver' types. You only go around once, so who ever dies with the most toys wins. Substitute shoes, clothes, phones, cars, biggest house, whatever.

I think I have mentioned before that I have found the happiest people in the poorest countries.

Oops, have to head out for a beer and some eats, the present calls, TTYL,

Jim

Back in Thailand

It has been awhile since I posted and I am now on the other side of the planet. I flew out of Vancouver to Seoul Korea on my way to Bangkok. Whoa, from an average high of 6 degrees to 36 degrees plus in less than 24 hours. I am still adjusting after one week!

I am at the American School of Bangkok, working with teachers on utilizing technology in the classroom. I have 2 workshops on Kubbu this week. If you have not looked at Kubbu, take a look as it is a nice piece of online software that has a free edition as well as a very inexpensive pro and ultra editions. The company is based out of Poland so kudos to the Pollacks (you can see I am as politically correct as ever).

My drink of choice in beers is now San Miquel Light with a bit of lime for beer and the pub scene, and RedBull and Vodka for the bar and pool hall scene. Bangkok is as much fun as always but the ladies don't seem as beautiful as my last visit. I must be becoming acclimatized or jaundiced.

Next week is a school holiday and John McGrath and I are heading off to Laos to explore part of that country as neither of us has been there before. I have not done the guy thing for a while so I am looking forward to it.

I have a week in Malaysia coming up for April 23rd and then back to Bangkok for a week and then my return to Vancouver. I hope  Vancouver will have warmed up by May.

This time around in Bangkok, I have purchased a month gym membership to keep in shape and keep the weight off. I tend to drink and eat more in Asia and John attributes that to the heat but it is more likely the availability of the social life than anything else.

My pool hall buddies welcomed me back with hugs and had wondered where I had disappeared to for the past 4 months. Properly chastised, I promised I would tell them when next I depart and for how long. My pool game suffered somewhat but is steadily improving :-)

TTYL,

Jim

Songkran

The past 4 days has been the Songkran holiday in Bangkok. Basically 12 million people start throwing water at everyone else via pail, bucket, water guns of every sort and size, fire trucks, etc. City officials are hoping that the death toll will be less than last year's 600+. You may wonder why it is so dangerous. The target of choice is anyone riding a motorcycle and there are probably 6 million of them in Bangkok. getting a jet of water across the eyes while moving at speed can be very dangerous, as are the slick wet roads.  Of course, not everyone likes to get soaked so sometimes fights break out.

John and I decided to travel to the part of the city that has the most water fights but discretion won out over valour as we witnessed the carnage from the SkyTrain platform and hopped back on the SkyTrain. Imagine half a million people with water flying everywhere!!!

The past week has been a school holiday and John and I headed over to Laos to visit that country. As always, the happiest people live in the poorest countries and John and I had a great time, touring the Mekong by boat, and the countryside by rental motorbikes. Pictures can be viewed at:

https://plus.google.com/photos/111841259004493957471/albums/5730000095891137921

The official beer in Laos is LaoBeer and comes in the 'Prescott' quart size.

After Laos, John and I headed off to Pattaya for a night. Pattaya is probably the number 1 bar scene in all of Thailand. Not much I can share here in print, but next time we head out for a beer, there are stories to be shared :-)

I am back at school now for a week, then a week at Taylors in Malaysia, and then a final week in Bangkok, and then back home to Vancouver.

TTYL,

Jim

Cloudy, drizzle, and dreary

That about sums up Vancouver weather in the Winter.

You do get the odd clear  sunny day, about once every 2 weeks. I am off to South East Asia on March 24th so I will miss the first 6 weeks of Spring which is unfortunate. It is about 8 degrees today and Ottawa is scheduled for 20 degrees this weekend. Go figure, Ottawa is supposed to be a much colder city.

I was out looking at motorcycles on Saturday and it brought back the usual spring itch to get back on my motorcycle. I will have to go visit Ottawa when I get back from Bangkok. I don't know if I would use my bike in the winter in Vancouver as I am mostly a fair weather rider. Why punish yourself, riding should be enjoyable. Definitely not the commuter by bike type.

My gym workouts (Steve Nash Gym) are going really well, and I am in even better shape than I was in Malaysia. I am 30 seconds from my building to the gym so I don't even have to change and can wear my workout clothes. The gym is also much larger, so there are more opportunities to people watch and there are lots of strange characters.

Apart form my upcoming travel I have not done much except for walk around the various neighborhoods in Vancouver. It is quite an eclectic city.

That's it for now, ttyl

Jim

Tuesday - February 28th

This is usually the end of February but we are in a leap year so we get an extra day in February tomorrow, the 29th. That means an extra day of Winter and brrrrr, it is chilly here in Vancouver with temperatures hovering around a high of 2 or 3 degrees. The good  news, is that the colder it gets, the sunnier it gets. Go figure, rain and warm or cold and sunny :-)

I am sitting in Starbucks as I type this as I usually go to Starbucks around 11 am and program until about 4 pm. For some reason, I see to work best in that atmosphere as the distractions are less than home and there are quite a few people working away on their laptops, so it is kind of like being in a office. The coffee (Americano with 2 brown sugars and half and half) is always fresh.

There are only 25 days left until I fly out to Bangkok, and eventually one week in Subang Jaya in Malaysia.

On another note, it has been 1 year since my official separation date in my marriage. It has been an interesting year with many ups and downs as I adjusted to my new life, new jobs, new friends, and a new life style. People often ask me if I am happy and the answer is yes. I do not wish to live my life in a rear view mirror when the vista out in front has so many possibilities and roads ahead that I can take.

I have decided to continue this blog but it is in need of a new title as it is no longer about Malaysia and my teaching experience. It will become more a blog on my new lifestyle and the road ahead.

So, if you have a name that makes sense, drop me a comment and suggest it. Possible titles are:

The Road Ahead
Dale's Diary of Adventure
Where in the World ...
The Scarlet Pimpernel (They Seek ...)
Jimbo's Travels
Monkey's Meanderings
Any Monkey Can ... But Not Many Do
The 4th Monkey
Monkey Tales
...

I really don't know where I will be living in a month and that would have scared the hell out of me 2 years ago, but now, I find it exciting and liberating ...TTYL,

Jim

2 Sunny Days in a Row!

Great news, the sun does exist and I have now seen it for 2 days straight. It really makes a difference in my mood and I I face the day.

Other than the sun, programming and maintenance of my programs is going well.

Take care, ttyl,

Jim

Vancouver Rain

I have had 2 days of real rain now. Up to now, it has only been drizzle, but I have found out that Vancouver can get real rain so I guess it is time to purchase an umbrella. It is the weekend, but I have quite a bit of programming to complete by the end of February so the rain will not bother me much. I have taken to programming in Starbucks which I have actually found been more conducive to getting work done.

I also purchased my ticket to Bangkok and I fly out March 24th which is a Saturday. With the international dateline, I arrive on February 26th. I am flying Air Canada to Seoul Korea and then Korean Air to Bangkok. I will be in Bangkok for a week and then I have  a week of work in Malysia and then back to Bangkok for 5 weeks.

I also had to apply for a new passport as I managed to fill my previous passport and was out of room for stamps. I have no idea what would happen if you arrived in a country and there was no room for a stamp, never mind the full page required for a visa.

I had best get back to work, so TTYL,

Jim

Monday Morning Sunshine

I woke to the sound of jack hammers outside my apartment but the sun was shining so I headed off to Starbucks to get some sun and do a little programming. It has since clouded over but I am looking at a high of 11 today and a high of 10 tomorrow so that beats sun and cold in my weather book.

I am thinking I should book my flight to South East Asia early this week. That means notifying my landlord that I will be leaving, as well as finding a place to store my belongings and a place to store my car. I suppose I could simply pay for the apartment for 2 months while I am in SE Asia but that would be $5K and it is quite possible I could end up in Ottawa when I come back, if I come back.

There are many unknowns at this point in my life. I can live very well on my pension in Thailand and if I stay in Canada, I have to augment my pension with some kind of income to live in the manner that I am accustomed to; decisions, decisions, decisions :-) At this point my life is planned up to the end of April and then I don't know what will happen. However it is nice to have choices.

I am hoping Jaime finds some time to visit me in Thailand for a weekend. It would be fun to show her around and introduce her to my friends.

TTYL,

Jim

Sunday at Starbucks

Sometimes it is a little boring programming at home, especially when it is monkey work. I have started getting into the practice of programming monkey work at Starbucks. It is a little more expensive when drinking coffee but I like the working atmosphere and seem to get more work done. There is not a lot of distractions and I find the few there are keeps me entertained when often I would get bored at home.

The Starbucks I frequent has a decent internet connection and I am using it at this moment to post this blog entry. I am into my 4th day of cloud and drizzle. We seldom get rain in Vancouver and I would characterize most of the precipitation as drizzle.

I think I will take a side trip to White Rock this afternoon as I have a hunger for some fish and chips and White Rock hass some nice outlets, right on the water that are inexpensive and tasty at the same time. I know they are open in the summer time and I hope the fish is as fresh and the outlets are open at this time of year. If not, it is still a chance to get out of the city into the country.

I am hard at work programming the SPA (Staff Performance Appraisal) software for the public school board in Ottawa. I am please with the user interface and the core code and how it functions. I have one module up and running and I am now engaged in monkey work, completing the other 5 modules. At some point I will have to go to Ottawa to integrate the software into their active directory to control access to the appraisals.

Time to logoff and head to White Rock,

TTYL,

Jim

TGIF

Yes, there is still TGIF when you are retired. Today I have to go to the passport issuing office and apply for a new passport. My passport does not expire until 2014 but it is full and there is no longer any space for visas or stamps. This time around I will ask for the larger version just in case I continue to travel as much.

I have also decided to go to a UBC basketball game for a basketball fix. UBC is a short 20 minutes away and it is an easy drive to get there so it should be fun.The other thing I have been meaning to do is buy a one day pass and travel around on public transportation and see where that takes me. However, I will wait for a bright sunshiny day.

I also have to book my flight to Bangkok. The cost with Air Canada at this moment is $450 one way which is awesome. I must check to see if April and May is starting to encroach on the rainy season in Bangkok. I think not but need to know whether to pack my brelli :-)

Must remember to file my income tax before leaving as it is due April 30th.

TTYL,

Jim

Name Change

I suppose I should change the name of this blog as I really will not be spending much time in Malaysia as I much prefer Thailand for many reasons. Might as well procrastinate on the name change for a while.

I have had a full week of sunshine now in Vancouver but it appears that is about to end as a new front moves in. I have not been doing too much except for going to the gym everyday, programming for 15 hours and a little reading on the side. I tried to watch the Superbowl yesterday but found it a little to slow for my liking.

I finally connected with Paul Cotton, Cathy and Alison on Sunday. We had brunch at Milestones and it was wonderful to see everyone again, especially Alison who played basketball for me. There is a special place in my heart for each and every girl that played for me. They were all special and the Cottons were not only good athletes, they both have Phd's, Celia in Mathematics, which should come as no surprise and Alison's in genetics.

Paul continues to work for Microsoft and travel the world in his standards work with the W3C. I always ask him what he is currently working on and the answer is always the same, "Jim, if I told you, I would have to shoot you afterwards".

Jordan is 2 months from graduating with his B'ed and Jaime is happy in Malaysia.

All is good, except I sometimes miss my life in Thailand. I will leave about April 1st.

TTYL,

Jim

Random Thoughts in the New Year

It is Thursday night and the weekend is almost here. It was a beautiful sunny day in Vancouver and the high was about 10. I have been spending way too much time programming and not enough time outside or in the gym. I joined the Steve Nash gym and try to get there every second day for a work out. It is a 3 minute walk from my condo so there is no excuse for not going.

I was just reflecting on the cruise ship that ran aground off the shore of Italy. That lead me to thinking that cruise ships are really the epitome of what is wrong with our world. I have been on cruise ships and I must admit I enjoyed them the first or second time, but not because of the ship as much as the places it took me. It is the grandest example of indulgence that is available to the general public. I am not sure if I will ever do it again for many reasons, some ethical, and some not. In some ports of call, the locals are not permitted on the beach until the cruise ship departs. Go figure. If you travel, get down and dirty and talk to the locals and spend some time with them. Your life will be more enriched for the experience.

I was also reflecting on monkeys and the 3 chimps, Larry, Steve, and Gabe. They were a lot of fun to be with and I would have to include Don (little Dude) as well as an honorary 4th chimp. I did find a statue of the chimps in my travels in South East Asia, and there is indeed, a 4th chimp. There is see no evil, hear no evil, say no evil, and a 4th chimp with an erect penis which I assume is do no evil.

I also then reflected that there are no female chimps in my list so I came up with 3 more honorary chimps. They are of course, Liz, Deb, and Linda. They are fine examples of what constitutes a chimp in my mind. They are lots of fun, like to drink, have a wicked sense of humor, especially wicked Wensley, and can take a kidding in stride and hand it right back.

I am in Vancouver until about the end of March and then I head back to South East Asia for about 6 or 7 weeks. After that I do not know where the wind will blow me. I guess I will look for a sign of some sort and let that dictate what happens for the foreseeable future.

TTYL,

Jim