Do you remember that song? Actually it was Saturday and Sunday, but that wouldn't fit the beat.

I spent the weekend at Jim's Little Slice of Heaven in Si Kiew (sp?) again . It is so good to get away. Everything and everyone irritates me lately. Have I stayed too long at the dance? I think maybe.

Jim and Noi met me at the bus station in Korat and we stopped for crispy pork (which turned out to be crispy chicken) on the way home. I am happy to report that Jim's nirvana is every bit as intoxicating as ever. 

I have been advised that I have misinformed you - those beautiful plants in the pots are not common ferns but encephalads (I have to think encephalitis to remember the word, but I hope the connection ends there.)

We had some great conversation and a few good laughs and it felt so good to be able to really communicate with someone. I don't have too many in depth conversations anymore, at least not without coming away feeling 'chastened.'  We visited Pak Gorn who is as endearing as ever and rode the raft along the canal with wine and cheese and a gondolier named Noi .

Noi proved to be an excellent chef making us barbecued chicken for dinner and cheese omelets for breakfast. And homemade key lime pie. And of course that delicious Vietnamese coffee. If they don't have Jim's key lime pie in Heaven, I'm not going.

Before I left we visited the reservoir and dam and then I was off on the bus back to Mahasarakham. I had a seat but had to hold my bags on my lap and it was so hot. A baby behind me threw up and the sour smell soon wafted throughout the bus. Fortunately, they got off half-way home. Now I remember why all the Thais carry those little sniffer things.

Immediately caught a songtaew to Takonyang (actually, I had to chase after it) and viola, I'm home! A bunch of farangs and a few Thai had dinner across the street together but to be quite honest, I don't feel like I belong and have decided to swear off such occasions. I think I have become an afterthought .

It appears as though someone hacked into my Skype account - it told me that I changed my password (I didn't; haven't been on in 2 days) and when I asked them to email my 'new' password, they said they can't due to multiple attempts in one 24 hour period. (Repeat, I hadn't been on in 2 days.) Now here's the catch 22 - in order to report a problem to Skype, you need to sign in with your name and @#$%&*@#$ PASSWORD!   Do these people actually think before they make these websites? So I had to create a new account in order to tell them that my password had been compromised on the old account. Sweet Jesus.


I put in my letter of resignation - remember, I had to resign and reapply in order to go home for the summer. The head of the department suggested I propose some research project in the US and then I wouldn't have to resign so I am working on that premise now. I asked a few friends to "invite" me to study with them; fortunately, Lisa Lo Basso replied immediately with a letter inviting me to the University of Scranton so if I don't get any others at least I have that one. I'm not even sure I want to do this but I'll cover my bases and then decide.

So there it stands.

Pics to follow. Hope they fly. One never knows, I have so many pictures out there in limbo...