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

Merry Christmas

Christmas has come and gone. I had Christmas with friends and family at my sister Ann's condo in downtown Ottawa. It was very pleasant and the food was great as always. The weather also cooperated and it snowed on Christmas Eve so we had a white Christmas.

Boxing day sales were hectic as usual. I went to the Rideau Centre and it was very busy with lineups to get into many stores. I also had lunch with Jordan at a restaurant in the market which is called Fat Boys, and the food was great. I am also seeing Jordan today at 7 pm at the Prescott Hotel. It is great to see him :-)

Today is a programming day for me as I have some updates to work on for the public school board in Ottawa. They are a great client and we try to keep them happy.

It is off to work I go ... ttyl,

Jim

Homeward Bound

It is my last day at work at the American School of Bangkok and I have quite enjoyed the experience. The staff is great and the school has a nice warm feeling to it. John McGrath is of course responsible for all the good things happening there.

I will leave about 11 am today and walk back to teh apartment to pack and I will be in a taxi at 12:30 pm to the airport. I fly out at 3:30 and it is a 2 hour flight to KL with an hour time zone change so I get in at 6:30. I am flying Royal Jordanian Airlines as the price was right ($145 CDN). I will then take the 45 minute taxi back to Subang Jaya where I will meet Jaime for supper and drop off some luggage for storage.

I will sleep one last night in the condo and will be on the road at 6:30 am for airport limo ride to the airport. I am Cathay air to Hong Kong and then Air Canada to Vancouver. I leave on the Saturday morning and arrive at 2:30 Saturday afternoon, courtesy of the International Date line that I cross. I effectively gain the day back I lost going to South East Asia.

I must remember to call my Mother :-)

TTYL,

Jim

Still Alive and Kicking :-)

It has been so long since I have posted. I have been very busy in Thailand, working on a 4 week contract at the American School of Bangkok. It has been a lot of fun, both the work, and the social life. The staff is wonderful and Bangkok is as exciting as ever.

I am in my last week of work and I fly back to Malaysia on the 16th for a day, to grab some luggage, store the rest of my luggage with my daughter Jaime, and then head back to Vancouver the next day via Cathay Air (good airline). I fly via Hong Kong.

I will spend a couple of days in Vancouver and then fly back to Ottawa to spend Christmas with my family. I am not sure when I will return back to Vancouver but it is likely the first week in January.

The first item on my agenda when I get back to Vancouver is to get back into the gym and lose the weight I gained in Bangkok. I figure 7 lbs aught to do it :-) There is just too much beer drinking and good food in Bangkok. I was also too busy to hit the gym. Lots of excuses :-)

Bangkok is very pleasant during the dry season which is December to May. Highs of 28 degrees and very dry. Ottawa weather may be a bit of a shock to me.

Here is the link to my flood pics: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=102711678297509447313&target=ALBUM&id=5680975121885601729&locked=true&authkey=Gv1sRgCMWjpIT3gNDMbg&feat=email

TTYL,

Jim

I moved into my Condo in Yaletown Vancouver on November 1st. I spent some time learning downtown Vancouver and then had to fly out to Malaysia on November 11th (11,11,11) as I had a week long contract with Taylors to work on the October ONSIS submission. I also used the evening to pack up all the belonging in my apartment (4 large suitcases) and then I flew to Bangkok where I will spend the next 4 weeks working with the American School of Bangkok, training teachers in the use of technology with their students.

I the fly back to Malaysia on December 16th, pick up 2 suitcases, close out the apartment (store 2 suitcases in Taylors) and then fly back to Vancouver. I will then fly to Ottawa to spend Christmas with my Mom, my 2 sisters, and possibly Jordan. Jaime will be in Sweden with Shelley.

So I continue to travel the world and my butt complains from time to time, but for the most part I am happy and I enjoy life.

TTYL,

Jim

Cathedral Grove and Vancouver

I was up and out of Victoria early on on Hallowe'en. I traveled up the eastern cloast of Vancouver Island to Nanaimo and Parksville, and both those towns had grown up. I did travel a bit down the Port Alberni hwy to Cathedral Grove where some 800 year old trees still survive inall their splendor, some reaching almost the length of a football field.

I spent the night in Nanaimo and was up early the next morning to catch the ferry from Departure Bay in Nanaimo to Horshoe Bay in Vancouver. I then picked up the keys to my condo for the next 4 months and I am in the process of unpacking.

TTYL,

Jim