I’m sitting in one of my most favorite restaurants, Lamuan Seafood, where for 10 months I’ve come to many times over and have been adopted into the hearts of the owner and the staff as part of their family. It’s been 10 months here in Khao Lak, and it’s about to end. Sitting here in Lamuan’s drinking my Chang beer there are a number of thoughts running through my head. It’s not being out of work – I’ll easily land a job with my background. Nor is it finding a place to live – that’s actually sorted out already in […]
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Year End Emotions
Christmas here in Thailand was really amazing. 85 degrees on a tropical beach with a special person, a former volunteer that came back on her holiday break to spend Christmas with me. Last night in low light, our last sunset we said good bye before she walked to her plane. The prior two and a half weeks were spent bouncing around Southern Thailand\’s beaches and cruising from one island to the next. The One Year Anniversary was the day after Christmas. Attended by thousands the ceremony was an amazing sight of diversity, emotion and light. Held right next to the […]
Continue ReadingPrankin the Pranksters
Some say you should never play a player. Well one of Khao Lak\’s best didn\’t listen and tried it on me! Well, it backfired on him. The Back Story: Paddy was one of the first people I met when I got here in April. He went away for a bit to travel through Nepal and climb to the base camp at Everest. When he got back he proceeded to bombard everyone in town with unique pranks. A couple of my favorites were…
Continue ReadingHow did the Packers get to be 1 and 6???
AHHHHH!!! What happened? Why is Ahman Green not playing, why isn\’t Robert Ferguson playing? Why are my fellow cheesehead wearing, funny talking Wisconson-ites hearts breaking all over Green Bay? I hope they can turn this season around. I haven’t seen a losing season since I’ve been a fan… I’m not sure how I would cope…
Continue ReadingThe End of the Beginning
A calm took over me one morning as I woke up and saw the sunrise. I sat on my porch that overlooked the beach bungalows that terraced down to the Gulf of Thailand as the sun slowly crept up from the sea. The people from the Blackbeard movie had set us up in this sleepy town called Nai Plao. I grabbed my camera and went down to meet the sun. I felt peace and an understanding. Of what? I don’t know, but I understood. It’s the same understanding I get when I’m out photographing the world. Connected to the earth […]
Continue ReadingA Little Lovin’
There have been a few nights I\’ve been swinging in the hammock at the Fisherman Bar with some young co-ed volunteer from Canada or England. And I know, I know – the only good looking women in England are actually tourists and Canadians talk funny, Eh. But, there have been a few exceptions that have slipped under the radar and into the hammock with me on such nights. Sometimes, though, I\’ve found myself wanting just a little more than a swing and a fling. I guess I want to share my thoughts, hear other\’s, fall asleep next to someone. It\’d […]
Continue ReadingVoices From Home
Sunday! A day off from digging holes, or pouring concrete, or building walls. So how did I decide to unwind? By watching Top Gun of course (I mean really what else do you do when you\’re in Thailand and it\’s not NFL season?). I forgot how good that movie was, it was full of intense action, great lines: “That’s Iceman… It’s the way he flies, ice cold, no mistakes.” (OK they\’re way corney now, but supercool when it came out), and Kelly McGillis was fucking HOT! Incidentally that was the first movie I ever saw tongue kissing in! Whoa! I […]
Continue ReadingLife in Paradise (Well, Sort Of) – A drunken rant…
This place is very charming. One of the most charming places in the world I think. I can only explain it like my first impression of New Mexico. They call New Mexico “The Land of Enchantment” and I found out very quickly why. The place is “other-worldly.” I came across moths the size and shape of hummingbirds minus the long beak, You can look at the same landscape and the shadow from the clouds falling on the ground morph what you are looking at within just minutes. Everything there was dazzling and new. My experience of being there describes the […]
Continue ReadingI’d rather be under the sea in a Moy Wai’s Garden in the shade
One of the Thap Tawan village elders Seewai invited us to go octopus fishing one day. I had no idea how to catch an octopus (moy wai in Thai) and the night before I had visions of heading out to sea in a longtail boat and snorkeling down with spearguns and fighting huge octopus. So morning comes along and a couple of us collected at the road to wait for Adam who told us he’d be by before 5:45 in the morning. 6AM goes by and we haven’t seen him yet. With my motor bike I rode down the way […]
Continue ReadingDarth Vadar Comes to Phuket!!!
Along with missing the summer tour of Dave Matthews Band one of the things I thought I was going to miss was seeing Anakin transform into Darth Vader. Well I didn\’t have to worry too much because as it turns out, the whole world is just as crazy for Star Wars as we are (OK they don\’t dress the parts here). And Darth, Yoda, Obi Wan and the rest of the gang were coming to me. Only if I were so lucky with Dave Matthews!
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