Chiang Mei

Well our stay in Hua Hin finally came to an end. We took another tour in the morning, heading north on the scooter to visit the Royal Summer Palace. The largest teak wood structure in the country, it is very cool. We spent about 2 hours there, after traveling about 15 kilometers from the hotel. Afterward, we headed back, turned in the scooter, grabbed our bags, and headed to the train station for the 4:00 express to Bangkok.

The entrance fountain at the Summer Palace.

Everything is open air, elevated, and connected by long canopies.

The palace is right on the beach.

Taking a load off on the seawall.

Beautiful grounds of the palace.

Nice digs!!

One of the main buildings.

Turned out it was delayed for 30 minutes, and the ride was 3 hours and 45 minutes to Bangkok station.
Checked out lots of farmland an the way. Looked like rice, corn, lots of exotic fruits, and actually some cattle. The ride seemed long, and by the time we got to the end of the line it was pitch dark. We grabbed a taxi at the station instead of trekking to the underground since we were beat. We arrived at our hotel at about 9:30 PM and crashed. But not before sampling some street vendors grilled meat, and buying a bottle of Italian Cabernet at a small convenience store. The bed in the room was sweet!

One of the Bellmen at the Centara.

Our Tuk-Tuk Taxi to the train station.

Couldn't resist taking a photo of this "redneck" front fender.
A water bottle cut in half, and wired on with tie wire!
My Dad would be proud!!

Figure out this train schedule.

Turned out our train was delayed 30 minutes.

Finally on board, but we had separate seats!

Bangkok at last!!

Next morning we were off to the airport via taxi to fly to Chiang Mei, and climbed aboard our Boeing 737 and off we went. It was much quicker than the previous nights train ride, only an hour. We landed and had arranged for a ride to our B&B then a tour to a famous Buddist Temple Wat Doi Suthep. We had the whole tour bus (12 passenger) to ourselves and a charming guide named Yai.

The Wat (temple) was incredible. So beautiful! Intricately carved and painted decorations. I won't try and describe it, I will just add a few photos....incredible!

Me and our guide Yai in the Temple grounds.

Many Buddahs surround the Wat.

The green is glass, the gold is.....gold!

The temple was built on the site chosen by a white elephant
 carrying a relic of Buddah. It wandered up the mountain from the
valley until it would go no further. The King built the Wat on the
spot. about 500 years ago! 

Dragons everywhere!

The gold covered structure in the background holds the
relic of Buuddah.

A monk ties a bracelet soaked in holy water on Kim's
 wrist for good luck.

I get my blessed bracelet.

Down the stairs (about 300 of them) with dragon rails,
 Yai and I head for the bus.

Afterwards we came down the hill and visited a few craft shops (silk and silver) my shopoholic wife is really enjoying life! When we got back the the B&B we were pretty beat. I flopped on the bed, by my energetic wife headed out to meet our friends the Hardy's for a night of.....you guessed it: shopping! I read my book and licked my wounds.

That's All!

Finally Fotos

We are now in Chiang Mei! Had a great time in Hua Hin. Last night we took the train back to Bangkok, and moved back into the Imperial Queens Park Hotel. It was a long ride. Early this morning, we caught a taxi to the airport, and flew to Chiang Mei. There we got a ride to our new home the Charcoa B&B here in the "Old City" surrounded by a moat, and the remnants of a 16th century masonry wall.

Here are some catch up pictures:

Check out the truck parked next to the engine!!

Kim talks to her friend from Hong Kong, Alice.

Beautiful flowers at the Bangkok airport

Kim and Sine at the Queen's Park. Our first morning in Bangkok.

Street vendors proliferate here. Capitalisim is alive and well!

City view of Bangkok on the road to Hua Hin

Open air lobby of the Sofitel-Centaura. They gave us cool
damp towels, and green tea in elephant glasses when
we arrived.

Beautiful grounds!

Another view of the open air lobby.

Kim hits the beach!

Looking south along the coast. It's low tide.

This guy rode up and struck a nice pose. Navy ship in the
background is on guard for the King who is in town.

Kim had to take this picture of the sand castles. I didn't build them!
The water was about 90 degrees! 

Dining on Thai seafood at Chou Lays in Hua Hin.

Nice spread!!

Topiary at the Centaura.

NOT Kim's favorite toilet!

This is the bike we rented for the day to tour Hua Hin,
Helmet was a tad on the small side.

Love those Monkeys!

They loaned Kim a sarong to visit the temple.

This one is for Viola and Marcelle!!
No Give Food Monkey!! Couldn't have said it better!!

Buddist Temple at the top of the hill.

Kim and Sno Hua!

Night life in Hua Hin.

More fotos to come! We are having a blast!!

That's All!

A Good Sine in Bangkok!

Well, we made it to Bangkok without any further difficulty from our extended layover in Hong Kong.

The bags arrived with us, and we were able to get help finding a regular taxi to get us the the hotel. It was rush hour, and the ride took at least 45 minutes from the airport. But even with an extra charge for the toll road, the fare was only around $12!

The Imperial Queen's Park Hotel is a nice place. Right downtown Bangkok, about a 10 minute walk from the train. Our local friend, whom we hosted as a GSE team member several years ago, is Sine. She choose our hotel, and made our reservations for us. When we arrived, she had called ahead and left a note there welcoming us. Only 10 minutes after we got there, she called again to make sure we were settled in OK. It is a great feeling to be so far from home, and feel like you have family here looking out for you.

Kim and I got to the room and hit the shower. after close to 24 hours of travel since we left Reno, we were definitely ready! We had a great Thai dinner in the Hotel Restaurant called the "Park View". And it does! It is immediately adjacent to the park the Hotel is named for. A very nice city park, complete with beautiful gardens, statues, and fountains. Kim has the camera, so once again you will have to wait on pictures.

The next morning, our friend Sine, came to the hotel, and personally escorted us to the train station. There we all three traveled a short stretch to "Victory Square" where she put us on a 12 passenger shuttle bus bound for Hua Hin. It was so helpful to have a native speaking guide to help as no one spoke English!!

The ride was uneventful, with one bathroom break on the way (about 2 hours). We arrived in Hua Hin, and Sine had arranged for the shuttle to take us directly to the hotel. The Sofitel-Centara. Wow! What a place. It is a large two story rambling colonial style hotel, with open air lobby and dining areas. Huge manicured grounds with imaginative topiary shrubs. Rabbits, deer, geese, monkeys, and of course elephants. There are several pools, and it is literally on the beach overlooking the Gulf of Thailand. Ten minutes after we arrived, as we were checking in, Sine called from Bangkok to make sure everything was OK! She had gone to work after putting us on the shuttle, and written out a short note to us and faxed it to the Centara so that it was waiting at our arrival. I was about half way through reading it when she called! What an incredibly sweet and considerate person!

We got settled into the room, took a walk on the beach, and for dinner went searching for a good place. We found it! Chou Lay's Thai sea food . The restaurant is built on its own pier. So we got a table over the water, and ordered. Kim had a shrimp something or other that came in a hollowed out coconut: delicious. I had green curry with mixed seafood (seemed like it was mostly calamari, with shrimp) and some spicy seafood coconut milk soup. Great food, but way too much! We were both stuffed when we got up to leave. We walked back to the hotel, and collapsed around 9:00 pm. We slept HARD!

Today was great. We walked to the railroad station, booked a train back to Bangkok for tomorrow, then rented a motor scooter, and toured! The scooter cost less to rent for 24 hours, than a "Tuk-Tuk" taxi to the edge of town and back (less than $9.00). My American sized melon was too big for any of their helmets (optional, but I wanted one!!) so I slid it back on my head over my "Portland Pilots" ball cap, and off we went!

We toured a small mountain on the beach about 8 kilometers south of our hotel. The place has a buddist temple at the top, and is loaded with monkeys. We were warned NOT to feed them, as they can get aggressive. One swiped the tour map out of my back pack (which was sitting behind me on a bench as I waited for Kim to return from shopping). I snatched it back, but the little dude hissed at me, and I thought he was going to come after me to get it back! He finally backed off, but very grudgingly. Maybe he wanted to see more of the world than his little home village!

We detoured all over, to see back streets and avoid traffic (a little spooky since you drive on the left side of the road like in England). A very cool (and cheap) way to see the sights.

Back at the hotel, we had a "high tea", and enjoyed tea and lots of little appetizers (actually plenty for a good lunch). I don't know what any of them were, but they were delicious. Afterward; I cooled off in the room, while Kim went down to hunt for seashells at the beach. She ended up renting a small horse, and riding up and down the beach for about 35 minutes. It was a very small horse (perhaps an Arab) and she said the ride was smooth and memorable. Snow White was the horse's name (you can guess the color). When she asked the Thai man who rented her the name she thought he said Sno Hua! I guess that's Thai for Snow White! Anyway, she had a very enjoyable time with the little white horse.

Tonight was "canapes and cocktails" at the "Club". We bought it as part of a package. Very delicious, and lots of good Italian Shiraz to boot!

I will catch up on pictures when the camera returns a little later. We will be off the internet until we get to Chang Mei day after tomorrow (the 27th of April). So, until then.....

That's All!

Hung up in Hong Kong!

Waiting for luggage and a rescheduled connecting flight to Bangkok! Our flight from LAX was delayed and they didn't give us enoiugh time to make our connection to Thailand. So, here we are. Things are looking up. They say our luggage is on the new plane, and we will be boarding with it (hopefully) in about 10 minutes.

Huge airport, found good coffee and paid with our Visa. it cost $78 Hong Kong (that's about $10 US), a real deal!

It was a very long flight from LAX. About 14 hours in the air. We had a window and middle seat, and the guy on the aisle must have had a bladder as big as a pumpkin. I never saw him get up! Kim and I took two trips to the head, and stayed up about 45 minutes to an hour each time. Huge plane, a Boeing 777 wide body. Just two engines, but absolutely the biggest engines I have sever seen. Literally you could drive a school bus into them. Kim took a picture of the plane/engine, but she is not here. She is back shopping for a book. We have my Kindle, and phone. Phone is dead with no way to charge, and I am sucking my laptop battery dry charging the Kindle as I type this. So I get the Kindle, and she gets paper!

Have already met two Rotarians on the trip. One headed for the convention, and another heading to Thailand on a "mission".

Watched a couple of good movies on the flight. "The Iron Lady" starring Meryl Streep about Margaret Thatcher, and the animated movie "Tin Tin"

There's the boarding call! Gotta go! Pictures later!

That's All!

The Challenge

Sun, sand and seagulls. The little Boy squints as he makes his way from the shadows of the beach front apartments, across hot sandy pavement, to the soft yielding sand. It is soft, but hot on the surface, and he hurries down toward the cool moist sand at the edge of the sea. He carries a small bucket and trowel he has promised his Grandmother to return at the end of the day. His feet are relieved, as he stands wiggling his toes in the wet sand, frothy water lapping around his ankles. The sea gently surges in and out, almost as if it is breathing. Gulls cry out and circle overhead, the sound of the pounding surf growls in the distance as a light breeze cools the Boy's skin.

He looks up and down the beach. Other children have built elaborate sand castles (he thinks of them as forts) in the damp sand. Location is important since the moisture allows the sand to mold almost like clay. However, too close to the water, and the occasional surge from a spent wave laps over the structure engulfing it in flood, and washing the efforts of it's builders back into the sea. After a brief survey, the Boy picks his spot, and starts to dig.

His mind empties as he molds turrets of wet sand in his bucket. Walls, shaped by hand join the towers. He is immersed in his task, smoothing the sides of the structure, and digging a deep moat all around the perimeter. The sun beats down on his darkened skin as it maintains its course across the sky. Construction continues.

A rogue surge moves further up the beach, hissing softly and surprises the Boy, splashing his feet, and inundating the outermost moat of his creation. He quickly digs the moat back out as the sand has filled in the trench. He digs it deeper, then continues adding detail to his creation, crenelations around the tops of the towers, to give cover to the castles defenders, small windows and doors.

Suddenly, another splash, and this time the water courses through the moat and laps up onto the outer wall. The Boy jumps back into action, making repairs and realizing that the tide is moving in. He knows that an invader more powerful than any imaginary army is attacking his creation. Defense of the fort is impossible, for the sea will ultimately overcome. He smiles and thinks " I can do this!"

Time disappears as The boy focuses on defending the castle. His repairs must be made rapidly to deal with the increasingly frequent assaults from the sea. He deepens the moat again, and buttresses the walls. As the surges become stronger and more frequent, he begins to mutter encouragement to himself: "never give up, you can do it, work harder, move faster!" He manages to keep all but a few waves out of the castles inner sanctum, frantically repairing the walls and moat after each relentless attack.

Suddenly, a powerful surge breaks through the moat, and over the top of the wall, flooding the castle. The Boy reacts immediately, ferociously digging at the wall to drain the sea, then digging out the moat. He bends over, back to the sea, feet spread and digs like a dog flailing away at the soft sand and spraying it back in the direction of the ocean.

"Never give up, never give up, never give up...!" He repeats this mantra over and over as he frantically repairs the damage. Just  in time, he looks between his legs and see the next surge coming. He quickly lays down in the sand between his creation and the wave. This deflects most of the water around, and only minor damage is done. Back up and digging, adding sand here, a second wall to take the brunt of the next assault.

He hears the slap of a wave breaking behind him, and lays down again as the hissing foam engulfs him and pours into the castle. He's up immediately, and digging again. "Never give up!" He looses track of time, and the fort takes more damage, he continues his dogged defense. The sounds of the gulls, and the surf seem to fade as he pours all of his energy and concentration into his hopeless defense.

"Quite a battle you have going there son!" The Boy looks up, startled back into the here and now. His Dad looms over him with a huge grin on his face. "Time to come back and eat dinner, you've been down here all day" his Dad says. The Boy stands up and notices that his castle is now well within reach of the waves, damaged, but still holding out. "OK Daddy!" The rolling roar of the surf is louder as he rinses his hands. "Come on, we got hamburgers on the grill!"

He feels a pang of hunger, grabs his pail and trowel, takes his father's outstretched hand, and they begin to walk away. Suddenly he stops, turns and looks back just as a large wave inundates his architectural creation, wiping it like a giant hand. As the water recedes, there are only traces left of the fort. Soggy lumps of sand, and flooded depressions stand out from the smoothed and leveled beach. He turns back and they continue up toward the apartments.

"Have a good day Son?"  The Boy smiles, "Yeah Daddy, it was great!"

2012 PETS is in the Can!

OK, the 2012 Far West PETS (Presidents Elect Training Seminar) is in the can! That is an expression I learned  from my Dad long ago. I am not talking about being unavailable because one is using the bathroom. "In the can" means, you have completed what ever project you are working on. It comes from the movie industry where, when they finished filming a scene, or episode, they put the film "in the can" and sent it off to be prepared for showing at the theater. Planning and putting on the PETS training is one of the most important jobs the Governor Elect (that's me) has to do, and as I sit here in the hotel lobby, waiting to take a shuttle to the airport, it feels great to have it "in the can!"

I am very fortunate that my Rotary District participates in what is called a "Multi-District PETS". This is where several districts (nine in this case) pool their resources to increase the quality of the training. It was a fantastic session.  A slate of very inspirational speakers, excellent instructors, well planned curriculum, and lots of personal involvement by all nine District Governor Elects. We started focusing on this in earnest last year, and the nine of us have worked together to have the greatest impact possible on our incoming Club Presidents. I realized during the weekend, that this milestone would soon be past (which of course it is). Even though I am happy about that, there is a part of me that senses all of this passing too quickly. It is of course all passing at the same rate. The earth spins away through space, orbiting the sun, while the entire solar system continues its course and speed along the infinite galactic highway, unchanging. It is our perception that changes.

So often we "leave the moment" and get so involved with work (be it voluntary or paid) that we forget to really savor and appreciate the joys of the moment. I got this sense strongly this weekend. The sense that time is passing too quickly, and something very important to me will be "in the can" before I realize it.

Some of my Presidents Elect (PEs) get ready for the opening
session Friday. A packed house (around 550 people)

So, I focused on being in the moment. The opening session was even more powerful and wonderful than I remembered, inspiring images of the United States Mission to the Moon, and President Kennedy's stirring speech that galvanized the nation behind that challenging endeavor.

My fellow DGEs and I rehearse our introduction on
Thursday afternoon. It was quite a production.

The images and feelings are like a collage of scenes and emotions. Standing to be introduced to the 500 or so Presidents Elect with my DGE classmates, The house lights come up and as the everybody begins to file out, I have a de ja vu of my first PETS in March of 2001. I feel moved and motivated and I wonder "who is this session for anyway?"

Joe on the left who is one of my Assistant Governors
works with some of the PEs.

Friday afternoon, my first session with my presidents elect (PEs), people from all walks of life, so diverse. From providing medical equipment, to managing RV parks. Dentists, attorneys, and firefighters. All serving THROUGH their vocation as well as in their "spare" time! Great feeling, good people, wanting to do their best.

I relax between sessions with four of my classmates.
Michael, Shirley, Me, Tom, and Liz. 

 Friday night, I am the master of ceremonies, ringing the bell, spotlights blind me. I can't make eye contact through the light, so I focus on vague dark table shapes in the ball room. Great program speaker. Rick King, he was RI President for my year as club president. A fabulously moving speaker, he takes the stage after a wonderful introduction and hits it out of the park. Tears streaming, standing ovation, thank you gift to Rick.

Past RI President Rick King gave a masterful performance.
Lots of motivated folks after his speech!

I stand, close the session with a reminder to have fun in our hospitality suites, but remember breakfast is at 8:00! Lights and music come up, people moving, congratulating Rick on a great speech. Someone comes up to me, I don't know them, "Great job tonight!" "Thank you very much" I say. It feels good as I move with the crowd toward the exits. The beginning is already at an end!

Yours truly, dismissing the opening meal session Friday evening.

The evenings in the hospitality suites (each District Governor Elect hosts one) are a blur of faces and conversation. Memories from previous sessions flood my mind, only now I am the Governor Elect! My bed is in the room adjoining the bar, so I am the last one to bed each night, grueling! So much laughter, and of course just great conversation. Everyone seems to be psyched up for the up coming Rotary year (my year as DG) it is an emotion that flows through the halls of the hotel.

Shauna, President Elect of Reno Midtown Rotary,
gets ready to party.

Four of my PEs relax in the 5190 Hospitality Suite

My AGs made up the bar tending crew. Gary, Gail, Randy and Barbara

Saturday morning, I introduced our Keynote speaker. Penny LeGate, a wonderful lady from Seattle who has been on numerous Polio immunization trips, and tells an impactful story.

I stumbled a bit with the speaker intro, but stayed in cahracter.
My Dad would have been proud!

Bob Deering  leads us at the head table for the Saturday Lunch session.

Saturday we have the surprise opportunity to meet with the President Elect of RI, Sakuji Tanaka from Japan. We wait anxiously in the hotel's "Board Room" a very fancy conference room sized for about 12 people. Black walnut paneling, and leather upholstered high back chairs around a huge long rectangular table of polished mahogany. We make small talk while we wait. Finally in walks the President elect with his Japanese-American interpreter from Hawaii. We all jump up like an admiral has entered the room. Shaking hands and bowing, I remember the Japanese greeting "kom ban wa" from my Karate classes.  I mumble it as I bow, not sure it is correct. "Ah!" he responds immediately with a huge smile, "kom ban wa!!"

We have a great conversation, although it gets off to a slow start with the interpreter. Finally, pictures and we are off to the Presidents reception. I tell all of the PEs that I see how to greet the President in Japanese and practice with them so they can greet him when they get their picture taken. Several come up afterward an tell me how his face lit up when they used their rapidly taught Japanese on him.

Sakuji gives a wonderful keynote for the PEs after dinner, and then holds a "Q and A" session with the interpreter. The last question is a request to do a "Banzai" with the audience. I am shocked and taken aback, because the only context I have for "banzai", is the battle cry the Japanese soldiers used during suicide attacks against US Marines in the Pacific war. Turns out it is also a patriotic cheer, and/or salutation meaning literally "may you live at least ten thousand years!" President Sakuji accommodates, and in halting English (pronounced Eng-Rish) asks the audience to follow his example. He throws his arms in the air and shouts "banzai!", the audience repeats "banzai!" Again "BANZAI!", the audience matches him. a third huge "BANZAI!" The crowd doubles their volume and everyone concludes with a huge standing ovation. Amazing.

RI President Sakuji Tanaka (left) and his interpreter
Steve Yoshida conduct a Q&A after his speech
Saturday night.

Sunday I wrap it up with my Presidents at 8:30 in the morning. The session goes well, the PEs are amazingly attentive after such an intense weekend. My Power Point works great, but I am unable to get in all the information that I had planned. I cut it short and finish with the story of how my life changed at PETS the March after Emily left us. It is an impactful ending, and many come up to me just to give me a hug, or shake my hand afterwards.

The final brunch session. Eighty six year old Past RI President Cliff Dochterman, gives a wonderful speech with the message:"at the end of your year, don't have any regrets. Make it count!" The PEs love it, still a great crowd, although there has been some attrition.

The lights and music come up, as the applause fades. I turn to my fellow Governors Elect. We shake hands and hug. A major milestone has passed in our journeys. What a few days ago seemed like it would never pass, is now over. All too quickly.

I tell myself, "stay in the moment, savor this, for it won't come by this way again". It was a fantastic experience, with more to come!

That's All!