Keeping Up

Water Taxi

As we sat, enjoying Thai coffees and beers, after finishing our walk through Wat Pho, it began to thunder. And eventually, rain.

Not drizzle. Rain. Downpour.

We made our way to the pier and waited for the water taxi to arrive and bring us down the river, back to our hotel.

After running the few steps between the covered pier and the boat, my pants were soaked. But I settled into a seat and watched through the plastic windows which had been lowered in an attempt to keep passengers dry. Dryish.

We made the first stop and continued on to the second. Passing under Memorial Bridge and approaching the Chinatown pier. The driver announced the stop. And suddenly we were spinning around. Facing back towards Wat Pho. As passengers began to look around, a little worried, the winds blew us toward the edge of the river, into a metal pier. The front of the boat hit hard. We spun around again, the wind propelling us back and forth. And into another boat. DD had reached for his life preserver, bright orange under his seat, and informed us that This Boat Could Sink In No Time.

More amused than worried as the boat finally made it to the Chinatown pier and on down to the stop at the Sheraton, the water taxi was filled with chatter as passengers recounted the events.

Wat Pho

Wednesday afternoon, in MF's last ditch effort to catch a bit of Thailand, we headed down to the pier near our hotel and took a water taxi to see Wat Pho, a Buddhist temple most well known for the gigantic gold reclining Buddha that resides there. I have seen temples before and had mild expectations. But was blown away. First by the amazing statue. Seriously, so large and amazing. Then, but the entire grounds that make up the Wat.

 

 

Eight Hours to Spare

After pretty much three days straight of frustrating work, we finished DD's presentation at Midnight. A full night's sleep before he presents at Eight in the Morning tomorrow.

Junk food and cokes, the evening felt like we were cramming for a test. Sitting in one spot for more than twelve hours. When I staked our location after breakfast, the lobby was quiet. Tourists walking by on their way to the river ferry. Employees politely going about a normal Tuesday. Slowly, as dinner time approached, groups floated in and out, enjoying pre-meal drinks and conversation. The more time passed, the louder the area became.

During the early evening hours, a string musician sat playing the same song over and over. Prompting DD to suddenly look up from his laptop: Have we heard this before? When cocktail hour began, a musician set up behind us. Pretty much as you would imagine a cheesy lobby piano show. A repertoire including Wonderful Tonight and Lady in Red. To which DD quietly sang along, as he nervously plucked away at his keyboard. And just when MF thought it could not get worse, the entertainment became two women singing completely random songs like 'Mama Mia' and 'Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under'. The lobby became filled with groups and loud chatter. Requests. And clapping. Both a bit frustrated by the noise level and amused by the entire situation, we managed to laugh as well as finish the presentation.

Room With A View

 

   

Arrived in Bangkok around Midnight and to my hotel at nearly Two in the Morning. Though not straight to bed, I eventually settled into sleep, but woke early this morning. To gray skies, but a pretty good view from my room.

 

Asleep Before the Plane Took Off

After an early seven o’clock conference call, a morning fielding last minute questions from DD, and a fresh bag of lollipops I was suddenly sitting at the gate. Keenly aware of the amount of work that lies ahead of me.

Upon finding my seat in the cabin (quite pleased when the guy next to me was upgraded to First Class, leaving me with both an aisle and an empty seat to my right), I immediately located the power outlet below my seat. With good intentions. However, since the FTA requires laptops to be turned off and stored for take-off, I complied and sat quietly and electronic free.

 

And fell asleep. Well before the plane took off. Or was even fully boarded, I think.

I napped, head-bobbing, through the first two hours of the flight. And spent the following hours attempting to produce something which can be emailed from the

Tokyo airport to an anxiously awaiting DD. Meanwhile, disappointed by the movie selection, listened to Joshua Radin and Greg Laswell.

Arrived here at the Tokyo airport, hurrying to get to the gate and access my email, I incorrectly (my glasses purched on top of my head rather than on my face) read the gate number and headed from our arrivale gate Twenty One down to Fourty-Six. Only to realize that my flight to Bangkok will depart from gate Sixteen.

 

A little bummed that I was forced to rush past (not once, but twice) a bookstore (Japanese bookstores are the best). And the Haagan Daas vending machine.

T9

Slowly learning the language of T9. Speed texting and the errors that follow.

soon  :  room

cycle  :  awake

he  :  if

truck  :  usual

of  :  me

never  :  meter

bus  :  cup

beer  :  adds

home  :  good

lines  :  kinds

atop  :  buns

book  :  cool

Trip

Wednesday I was asked, at quite the last minute, if I would be interested in attending a conference in Thailand. In two weeks.

Yes.

Excited to visit a new place, learn interesting things, and to have a bit of time away from Seattle on my own. With a few days post-conference to explore, I have had fun re-reading about A's Thai adventures here. And am looking forward to my own.

A little curious about what I am working on that is associated with the conference? Skim this.