Pictures

Loading all the pictures on the blog is difficult so I'm offering them via e-mail. If you haven't seen them and would like to, send me an e-mail at ajnegstad@gmail.com

Shoes, socks and long sleeve shirts

MN was kind to me and gave above freezing temps. for my return. It was a long and uneventful flight. Now I'll have to adjust to winter clothing....the sandals, etc. are put away for MN summer. It was a good trip with some interesting experiences...but you know about those if you've read the blog. I'll try to get some pictures up soon.
We, Joanne is going this time, leave for Budapest and Vienna on March 13, so I'll resume blogging then. Once I get my pictures posted I may take some blog time off until then.
Thanks for all the kind words about my blogs...I enjoy writing them.

Dengue Fever

There is much concern about Dengue Fever(Breakbone) a mosquito carried virus. Actually there are 4 separate Dengue virus and immunity to one does not protect for the others. 2.5 billion people worldwide are at risk. The effects are high fever, aching joints (thus Breakbone) and in some cases fatal internal bleeding. The mosquito that carries it is active in the daytime and has spread both in times of activity and geographically due to global warming. A local university has just announced a successful vaccine which is wonderful news...assuming it checks out.
It was hard to say goodbye to the doctor and staff at the hospital when I made my last visit today. I've been there every other day since my discharge and they have been superb. The flowers I brought to the nurses station were a big hit. Either, that doesn't happen very often, or it was the traditional Thai graciousness. Everything is nicely healed except one small spot left on my shin and that is much improved.
My boarding passes are printed so that must mean it is time to go home. As anxious as I am to get home, I always feel a tug of grief in leaving a place where I've been awhile. Escaping the MN cold has been a plus but I've promised Joanne I will deal with the weather in MN. It has been an interesting trip even if not what I planned. But, then, how many people get a first hand experience of a hospital in Laos? When I get home I'll post some photographs though I did not take a lot. So, most likely, my next post will be from MN.

The Reality Behind...

She was very articulate, as she needed to be, for a her job as a tour guide. Caught in a traffic jam on our way back from the canal tour we had a chance to talk. Hers is a common story. She's from northern Thailand and is in Bkk working to support her twelve year old daughter and eighty year old widowed father who live together in the north. Her room costs (I've converted to $$ equivalents in this blog) $70. per month without a/c and sometimes she barely makes that. On a good month she might make $150. and then she can send money home. Seldom does she get home because the bus fare is more than she can afford. The conversation began around a discussion of Thai massage and her saying she couldn't afford it($9.). Poor Thai...and comparatively she's not poor...are being squeezed hard by the rise in energy prices. For those living on the edge any increase can mean disaster. The man who wants me to teach English in Burma next year told of an orphanage there where the children were sickly because there was no money for a $10. per month water filter. Bkk gives a glimpse of how hard many people work to eke out a bare existence...if one's eyes are open. People collect cardboard, paper, cans, plastic bags and bottles and some beg. Imagine making a living selling brooms (name almost any item) on the street.
The noodle stand across the street is called, "Cheers". Often there are mid-day noodle stands which give way to evening stands that occupy the same spot. There is a street near here that turns into a night market. About 4:30 the traffic stops and out come the crews complete with fork lifts to transform the four block section into five rows of stalls selling mostly to tourists.

Venice of the East

Bkk has been known as the Venice of the east because of it's extensive network of canals. Perhaps the title is not so appropriate now becasue many of the canals have been covered by development. Technically, Bkk is one small section of the city known to Thai as Thrung Krep. The official name has about fourteen words. So, I did the tourist thing and took a boat ride on the canal. It was a very Asian experience complete with an extremely perky (Joanne with a pep pill) tour guide. Her English was good and one more reminder of how fortunate are native English speakers. I asked her if she good give the whole Thai name of the city, she broke into song and all the Thai on the boat joined her. Students are taught the song as a way of learning the city's name...anyone remember memorizing the books of the Bible in song? It's a Buddhist something holiday...Buddha did something on this date via lunar calendar so we got to the canal an hour early because there were no traffic jams. The people who sleep under the bridge, singles and families, were just getting up. We went up a canal on the Thonburi (opposite Bkk) side of the river to a zoo/refreshment place where we stopped for an hour. My recommendation is that you skip Asian zoos. Many Thai live in houses built on stilts in the canals. It made a nice mellow morning and a different view of the city.
Medical update: All stitches are out and only two bandages left. My knee is healed but the doctor continues to bandage it as a protection against bumps. My shin is healing slowly. The wound is near the site of previously surgery so blood flow is less than normal. I'm scheduled to land at MSP Sunday morning....Oh, I hope its warmer!

In your dreams.....

Deb hadn't kept up with my blog so on my return home she was interested in my account of the hospital in Tha Kek, Laos. It was such a vivid dream I decided to turn it into a blog. The hospital is a concrete or cinder block, single story sprawling structure. When the Tuk Tuk driver delivered me to the hospital after my fall at the cave I was shown to what I assume was the emergency room. It was a grey, poorly lighted room with a gurney, a desk, a surgical table and a cabinet with medical supplies. After I was stitched up, by a person of unknown title, he took me to a men's ward and gave me a bed. There was only one other patient in the ward, an old man who looked very sick. Becasue there is no kitchen at the hospital it is the family of the patient who provide food. When I appreared in the ward the old man's family all came over to have a look at me and closely examine my bandages. Pantomining their question about what happened, they assumed a motorcyle accident, I replied in kind showing a geezer taking a fall. In time a doctor appeared who spoke English. He prescribed antibiotics, pain killer and anti-inflamatory. Because I had no family he deputized the Tuk Tuk driver, who was quite truamatized about the accident to his customer, to escort me to the hospital pharmacy and cashier. We picked the prescriptions, I paid the $10. bill for all services rendered...which included the prescriptions... and headed back to the doctor. He explained the prescritions and dosages, told me to remove the stitches in three days and sent me on my way. On the way to the pharmacy we passed the children's ward. It had about 40 beds all surrounded by concerned family members.
It was the next day, after taking my second tumble this time on the Guesthouse steps, with my knee showing signs of infection, that I headed back to Bkk. The Bkk hospital is state of the art. The routine is; I show up for my appointment, usually the surgeon sometimes a nurse cleans and re-bandages my cuts, I go sit in the lobby until a cashier calls my name, I pay the bill and leave. The whole process takes about 30 minutes.

And then it hit!

Ruts develop quickly and my eating patterns were in one. There are my favorite street vendors and a favorite Thai place called Noodi. Time to find a new place, I thought, so I went to a Chinese one by the Skytrain stop for a noon meal yesterday. About 3pm I went for a $9. two hour Thai massage (Yes, I know it's hard living here). About 30 minutes into the massage I recognized the, all too familiar, signs of food poisoning. I ended the massage and headed back to my room for the famaliar, 'afraid I'm going to die, afraid I'm not going to die' routine. At least I was in a place where people spoke English next to a great hospital unlike last year in Kunming, China.
Stanley Olson, my college philosophy professor, illustrated the plasticity of time by contrasting an hour with one's girl friends with an hour in philosphy class. He was correct and when food poisoning strikes time stops! But, I lived to tell about it and I'm fine today. Had planned to attend an evening worship service yesterday at the Guesthouse sponsored by a local congreation but it was when I was at my sickest.
All cats in Thailand are Siamese.

Maybe Next Year.......

Travel writer, Rick Steeves, encourages travelers to pretend that they are extroverts even if they are not. That's good advice but not always easy for introverts like me. Joanne and I agreed that if she were here she'd know all the stories of the people who flow through the guesthouse.
At breakfast this morning I decided to be and extrovert, parked my self next to a man and struck up a conversation. When he heard my story of intending to volunteer to teach English he lit up like the White House Christmas tree. Turns out that he is involved with a school that teaches English in the hill tribe area of northern Burma. He recently did a stint of teaching at the school but other responsbilities mean that he can't continue doing that. So he has the responsiblity for recruiting native English speakers to work at the school. No surprise, then, that he tried to recruit me. As I told Joanne, the only commitment I've made is to hear more and think about it.
Timing is everthing. It has just become clear that I will not be teaching here this year. One leg isn't healed well enough for me to risk it. My finger, the other leg(knee) and arm are doing very well. Mary Jane asked if I wan't bored to which I responded, "Being bored in Bkk would be evidence of total lack of imagination." Of course I'm disappointed about not teaching but determined to make the best of it. Who knows...maybe Burma next year!

I didn't know I was lost until...

Sometimes words fail and just heaping up adjectives doesn't help. If you've ever been to an Asian market I could simply say this is the mother of all markets. If you haven't been to an Asian market but you've been to Minneapolis' Farmers Market it would give you a small glimpse. Chatuchek is Bkk's weekend market...though it is pretty lively all week. Size? Think a little smaller than the Minnesota State Fair. I liked the Thai guy playing country western on a banjo, the elementary students playing their instruments with a note inviting contributions to their tuition, and the chaos. Everywhere there are physically hadicapped persons selling lottery tickets....maybe a self help program. I marked my entrance to the market carefully so I could find my way back to the Skytrain and I still got lost...didn't even know it until I tried to leave.

CR SEN TH MUM said the sign. What is it? A flower. Roasted banana on a stick...perhaps an aquired taste. T-shirt on a mannequin; NORTH LUTHERAN HIGH

Shriveled Soul

The banker was correct and the ATM switched on in a couple of hours yesteday. My response was something else. Fascinating to see how quickly I switched into 'scarcity' thinking. In reality I have plenty of $$ to get by. But my anxiety didn't reflect that. It was noticable when I encountered my favorite beggars.
The area of the city where I stay is upscale. It makes it a good area for beggars so there are several but not a lot. There is a mother with three small children who camps out on the stairs to the Skytrain, elderly men and women in various places. One man inches along on his stomach pushing a coin cup in front of him. Someone has outfitted blind people with portable Karoke style music boxes. They walk the sidewalks singing traditional Thai songs. Near the Guesthouse are some severly crippled men. I enjoy making eye contact with them and exchanging pleasantries as I give them a few coins.
Suddenly, with the ATM problem, my soul shriveled and I began to think 'scarcity'. Could I afford to give to these folks? Of course, the reality is, I had pleanty to continue my giving even without the ATM. Ah, anxiety, now there's a gift that keeps on giving.
PS to my disposal of money from Laos; I saw the woman to whom I'd given the money at breakfast. It turns out she's a Peace Corps volunteer in Northern Thailand living on on $176. per mo so the ca. $20. I gave her was quite welcome.

At the ATM

On my way to the Skytrain this morning I stopped at an ATM, inserted my card, and requested a cash withdrawl. In the screen in plain English it said that there was a communication problem and my request could not be filled. So, on to the next ATM, same same and for two more. I always have a stash of $$$ but I wanted to know if this was the time to use it or what? Now, being the hopeless romantic that I am, I thought, "This is the perfect excuse to call my sweetie on Valentine's Day!" So I did and said, "Oh by the way, will you call the bank and see what's up?" She did and there was no problem there.
Readers of this blog know that I left Laos rather huriedly so I had some Lao money called Kip with me, 180,000Kip worth about $20. Bangkok Bank's central location is about three blocks from the Guesthouse. So I wandered over to it thinking I'd change the Kip for Baht and enquire about my ATM card. My first learning is that Kip has no value except in Laos. Not wanting to go back to Laos for $20. I gave it to an American woman staying in the Guesthouse who is on her way there.
My second learning was in customer service. As I was standing surveying a signboard of services in the bank wondering where I could enquire about my ATM card, an employee came and asked if needed help? I explained my problem, was shown to an information desk and brought to a bank officer(?) who told me that the electronic connections between banks was down. He said my card should work in two hours. I felt like royalty.
PS to the posting about Valentine's Day in Thailand: One govt. office announced that they would not accept any petitions for divorce on Valentine's Day. Thye should just go home and try harder.

Romantics

Valentine's Day is huge in Asia and not least in Bkk. Signs and advertisements are everywhere. I think there is something romantic in the Asian character. Several articles have appeared in the paper expressing concern about teens and sex. The articles tell about steps being taken to keep teens from sex; motel checks, etc. A number of aspects of the situation come to mind; e.g., the unversality of awakening hormones, etc. It also illustrates two aspect more unique to Thailand. First, is the changing morality. In the past there was very little teen pomiscuity but the world, via media, is changing attitudes here too. Second, is the rare access to automobiles. Very few Thai teens have access to a car, thus no cruising to 'make out park'. Remember your youth, Americans?
Sign, "Luxury Little Pay" or as we'd say, "Pay less for Luxury". Added two more items spotted as street vendor food; popcorn and waffles.

Man of Leisure

Just 'hanging out' is a new experience for me. Shouldn't I be doing something? Producing something? Is OK just to be? Of course my head tells me that life is about being but there are others parts of me that suggest value comes from doing. As I wrestle with these issues I will admit that if I have to hang out the tropics have advantages, e.g., no snow! Weather here is pretty consistant; mid 90s daytime and mid 80s at night. That's well within my comfort range.

On letter drop boxes there are two mail slots labeled; "Bnagkok" and "Other Places". I wonder if there has been some Danish influence on Thai food. Street venders do a version of the Danish round pancake, Abel Skiiver. They use laarge cast iron skillets with round indentations into which they pour batter and rotate so the outside is done and the center gooey. Mighty fine!

Travel Options

Paul has suggested that I should consider a Grayline Tour to Branson, Mo. Perhaps he's thinking of my crash in Laos. A couple of years ago my friend, Dick, signed up for a bus trip to Branson. I teased him that I'd rather go bowling in Minot, ND, than go to Branson. Well wouldn't you know...while I was falling on the rocks in Laos, Dick was on a leisurely cruise from LA down the Baha California coast. Yes, Dick, you get the last laugh.
Betty (Dahl) Holden and her husband, Graeme, who live in Australia are in Thailand on a tour. Betty is the daughter of my cousin Marjorie (Negstad) Dahl. Their Bkk hotel was just a few blocks from my guesthouse so I wandered down for a good visit. Graeme is a native of Australia and speaks a language that often had me asking, "What was that?" It was fun to have some in depth conversation.
Health report: All of my stitches were removed today. My knee, arm and finger are closed up and just need a little protection. My shin's still is not closed up. That was more of a tear than a cut and I need to regrow skin on a section about the size of a quarter. I'm being very careful that I don't get re-infected. This means no teaching this week. Teaching next week depends on the progress in healing my shin. My ticket to return to the US is for Feb. 24, and that's what I plan.

An Honor

I was honored to disocover that my blog appears on Terri Speir's blog http://www.thesnakecharmerswife.blogspot.com/ You'll want to check her's out. She's got lot's of interesting postings. Her husband, Bob, now Pastor Bob, was one of my students and Terri works of LWR,
Ever wonder where the 7-11 Stores went? Bkk...there's at least one on every block. Burger King in Bkk delivers via motorcycle. The street sweepers have Sunday off and it shows. I wonder how many persons it takes to sweep the streets and sidewalks of a city of 10 million by hand?

Briefly

At the hospital today ( for regular wound treatment) I made a statement that an aide didn't hear. Wondering what I had said she asked, "May I hear you again?" It struck me that that's a gentle way to ask, "What did you say?" which can be harsh.
I found a new treat at a sidewalk food vendor. Fresh sweet corn is very popular but at this stand it had been cut from the ear. It was served in a bag which included a plastic spoon for 5B...about 15 cents. It made a nice addition to the drumstick and egg rolls.

Bkk Misc.

When I was checking into the hospital they weighed me and measured my height. During that process an orderly stepped on the scale to compare his weight to mine....his was about two thirds. On the front lawn of the BNH Christian Hospital is a Bhudhist(?) shrine.
I'm in the neighborhood where I often stay, when I'm not needing medical care. So, I'm back in my favorite family internet place. Grandpa lit three joss sticks, did his moring devotions in front of the family altar and then turned the TV on for the day.
Wish I had my camera department: Last night a I saw a motorcyle towing an occupied wheelchair down a busy street. The motorcycle had a bar attached to the back to which the woman in the wheelchair held. That kept the wheelchair on the same path as the motorcycle.
Thai and SE Asians in general love uniforms and whistles. Every driveway/car ramp, etc. is attended by uniformed guards who do much blowing of whistles and waving of arms. I can't tell that anyone pays any attention.
They also love shirts with English slogans some of which are rather funny. I saw a young woman this morning sporting a shirt that said; "Juicy Girl Next Door". In Phnom Penh, Cambodia a few years ago I saw a Cambodian man wearing a t-shirt that said, "Death to Yuppie Scum". Another man here was wearing a letter jacket from some high school in America which fit him very nicely. On the front was embroidered, "Julie".

Happy Chinese New Year

At the hosp. today they gave me a fancy package of two oranges in honor of Chinese New Year.
Don't hesitate or you'll be left behind! The Bkk water taxis wait for no one. I once saw a tourist family, two made it on and two were left behind. The Chao Praya river is an important avenue for people and cargo. Long tail boats; perhaps 35 feet long and 6 feet wide, with an automobile engine mounted on the rear deck and a 20 foot shaft to the prop. the pilot steers by pivoting the engine, race up and down the river. Barges, towed not pushed, house families who live on them. The beautiful bridge (others not so beautiful) spanning the river was designed by the king. Ocean going ships reach the southern end of Bkk via the river. I took a ride on the taxi today just to enjoy the sights....30B ($1.) takes me the whole length. It was really hot today until a late afternoon thunderstorm and then I read about the mid-west snowstorm....1000 flights cancelled at OHare! Hanging out in Bkk is hard duty but someone must.

"O, He Never Returned...."

People my age may remember a popular song about the raising of the transit fee, I think in Boston, that went, "O, He never returned, no, he never returned and his fate is still unlearned...." All because he didn't have the nickle needed for the new fee. For a moment, yesterday, I thought that might be my fate. I was on the Bkk Skytrain and misread the zones. When I put in my fare card to exit the exit didn't open, a security guard hurried over gun drawn (well, actually they are unarmed), told me to wait, took my fare card to a booth, came back and said I owed 30 cents. I wondered on that fully automated system how they avoided cheating, now I know.
The Skytrain's great. Whips around Bkk over the traffic on the street and doesn't cost very much. It's good to avoid rush hours though.
Bkk scene; School children going to school all in uniforms carrying briefcases.

Contacting Me

Several have reported difficulty in contacting me via this post. I check both my Hotmail and gmail accounts everyday. Just send me an e-mail if you want to be in touch.
Even the sidewalk food vendors take a day off. My favorite food stall guy told me Monday was his day off. Sure enough, not only he, the whole row of vendors were absent yesterday(Monday). Some set up against the wall and block whe entire sidewalk and others the edge of the sidwalk out into the street. This leaves a narrow passage for pedestrians. A meal runs about $1.50 to $2:00. Thai don't have three traditional meals but are more likely to eat a little when they are hungry. They often carry the food away if plastic bags to eat later. If soda pop vendors want to keep the bottle they pour the soda in a plastic bag and give the buyer a straw.

This & That from bkk

When sending my laundry out this morning I noticed the bottom of the laundry list said, "No soiled clothes." When the laundry came back my pj's were pressed and on a hanger. It took me a moment to figure out this sign on a Bkk street, "Bar Ber Upstairs". An article in the Bkk Post told of the stress caused the lowest income people by 4.5% inflation. With that as an average inflation many of the nescessities have risen above that.

Scenes from a Thai Hospital

The Bkk Nursing Home Christian Hospital (I know many of think I should be in nursing home) was founded in 1898. It appears that it has become something of a specialized hospital catering to expats. All staff speak some English. Signs are in both Thai & English as is common in Thailand and all of SE Asia. When I walked in I was shown to the emergency room. The staff on duty examained me and called a surgeon who has been my doctor since and whom I now see every other day as an out patient. When he had sewed me up and changed my dressings he said he wanted to hospitalize me for a day or two,

The hosptial sent me back to my guesthouse a half block away with a van, driver and orderly all of whom waited as I packed up things and sent an e-mail home. Then they brought me back to the hosptial for no charge.

There was a choice of rooms; basic suite 7800B, (32B+ 1$) deluxe suite 21,000B or super suite for 28,000B. I went basic which gave me two rooms + bathroom, couch, table easy chairs and refrigerator. My two day stay including all costs was $1,500.

Hosp. glimpses; Nurses in starched uniforms with hose, heels and caps; Nurse's aide's daily questions "How many poo poo?" "How many pee pee?" Choice of Thai or European meals. Flowers from the pr. dept.; Total quiet in my room...no hall or other hospital sounds; Large lounge areas...always were empty while I was there; Nurse trying to say "anti inflamatory" so I can understand....

More to come from the land of smiles and the Traveling Curmudgeon

This and Thay

Scenes from Laos: Traditional Lao houses built on poles with the livestock underneath, the walls are woven bamboo with a thatched roof, a ladder and no door. A more urban version has a patio underneath; Watermellon patches (no I didn't try to steal any, they sell for a dime)with huge piles along the road for sale; The chicken bus stopping so a crew member could place an offering at a shrine; Sunset over the Mekong, a bright red ball through the humidity as a lone fisherman in a tiny boat casts his net; A young woman on the next computer copying Lao text to English at at least 100wpm; Same woman typing up a document on an ancient upright typewriter; Internet cafe also served as a copy/stenographic center; Women in long skirts, anklets and sandals; Women riding motorbikes with their coats on backwards against the 75 degree cold; Four amd five persons on a motor bike; Trucks lining up for the ferry to Thailand; City on the Thai side with ten times more lights than on the Lao....more on this later.
On the over night bus ride I was so smug about nabbing the seat behind the driver. This was not a chicken bus, i.e., the seats reclined and there was a/c. But some of the smugness evaporated when the TV just in front of me was turned on to play Thai music videos. Both Lao and Thai tend to speak loudly so when they would awaken me I would say in a loud voice, "Use your inside voices" assuming correctly no one spoke English. The funniest part was that everyone acted as if I hadn't said a thing.
Coming later....inside a Thai hospital.
Today's a rainy day in Bkk and I'm healing well....Thanks for all the messages!

The Silence is Broken

Many thanks to you all for your messages, prayers and thoughts. I got out of the hosp. today and feel fine. Two days in the hosp., emergency rooom treatment, medications inc. those I took with me when I left, everything, cost $1500. The dr. wants to change my bandages every two days so I'm staying close to the hospital for awhile. I can see why many foreigners come here for treatment.
Now, to catch you up a bit with the story. The morning after getting stitched up in Laos I didn't like the looks of my knee. There was a light rain falling as I left my guesthouse. I paused a moment to take in the scene; across the misty Mekong I could see Nakon Phnom, Thailand, on the near shore trucks from Viet Nam were lined up to take the ferry, next door was the fancy new hotel I was headed to for breakfast. I took one step and my foot shot out from under me on the rained slicked tile steps. Crashing like a ton of bricks I scaped my left forearm, cut my left index finger(7 stitches) and put a bruise on my upper left backside the size of a dinner plate.
I scrubbed out my wounds with soap and water, plastered them with antibiotic ointment and made a decision. I need the medical care of Bkk. My finger needed stitches but I didn't want the local treatment again. Heading for the bus depot I caught a bus to Svannakhet, Laos, where there is a major crossing to Thailand.
At Svannakhet I was waiting for the bus to Mukadhan, Thailand, where I could catch the overnight bus to Bkk. A Thai woman pointed at my bandages and said something in Thai. I pantomined the two great Al falls and pointed to Bkk. From that moment on she took me under her wing. She save a front bus seat for me, got me in the right lines both at the Laos and Thai borders and again saved a seat for me after the border.
By this time I wasn't walking very well. The infection in my knee was very painfull and it was hard to sit on one side. At the station in Mukadhan I got a ticket to Bkk. for a bus that left in 3 hrs. I sent some e-mail, had two plates of fried rice and boarded a the bus at 6pm due to arrive in Bkk at 5am. Without going into detail I'll say that may have been the longest ride of my life.
From the bus I caught a taxi to the Bkk Christian Guesthouse, which is just around the corner from the hospital, got a room, had breakfsast, walked over the hospital emergency room and was admitted. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
That's the broad outline. I'll fill in the details later.