Days go by

It has been a while since I last posted. I would guess many of my potential followers have wondered or given up hope that I would ever follow through with my plan to post. Well it took me some time to get everything settled and a while to get internet setup but don't fret I should now have weekly updates. I have soaked in a lot in my month here. There is so much more that I wish I could post than the thoughts that I have today but here a few little things that I have noticed lately. I was reminded of the crazy speed by which globalization has taken the world by storm when I saw a young boy with an Angry Birds T-shirt. For those that don't know about Angry Birds it is a game that was produced by Apple and it took the world by storm in December 2009 being offered on all of the Apple OS (operating systems). It goes to show just how fast technology moves. In a little over a year a video game has become so recognizable that children are already buying T-shirts (similar to the popularity of the original Nintendo system and Mario when I was young). Well I just got a text from a friend so I better go. Just wanted to throw out that little nugget to show you how fast technology moves (in case you needed a reminder).

Bangkok life videos

I found these videos on YouTube and give a good peek into daily life in Bangkok:

http://youtu.be/unof5roumTk (Bangkok city life 1-- The song playing in this video is the full name of the city)

http://youtu.be/KM6QbzBwJvs (Bangkok city life 2)

My life in two suitcases

The countdown clock is ticking away. Thirteen days from now I will be on a plane having said good bye to friends and family (again) and on my way back to Bangkok. My life has been full of transitions and this one has the potential to be the biggest transition so far. The main reason being that all of my other life transitions so far have had some sense of a defined time frame (moving around as a navy brat, going to school, living in Thailand with a two year commitment, etc). When people ask me "how long will you be in Bangkok?" I honestly can't give an answer. Most people who have spent some time around me know that I love Thailand. This journey will mark the sixth time I have been in Thailand (not counting the two years I lived there). I love pretty much everything about the country (though don't get me wrong there are negatives about it just like living in any other country in the world). For any American who has lived overseas and returned to the U.S. you can relate to the idea of having initial culture shock (when living in a new cultural context) and then adjusting to the new culture only to return to your home culture and having to readjust. Since I returned to the U.S. I have felt that I have one foot in Thailand and one in the U.S. I can't live in both places at the same time, but at this point in my life I am willing to give up my American persona to embrace my Thai persona (though I know I can never be fully Thai). So the adventure begins my life in two suitcases.