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04.08.04
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The big news lately is that I got a new computer,
a big desktop and flatscreen monitor. It's
pretty damn fly,let me tell ya. It feels
wickedly liberating to zip around all of
my regular computer tasks: opening programs,
web surfing, photo processing. I feel ten
years younger, even though in reality I'm
more pudgy and sloth-like than ever.
Maybe they should market fast computers as
alternatives to 'self empowerment' seminars
and exercise.
For those of you who care, here are the specs:
Processor - AMD Athlon XP 3200+ (about 3
Ghz)
RAM - 512 MB
HDD - 160 GB
DVD R/W
Built in memory card reader (9 types)
Windows XP
Not too bad, eh...?
04.05.04
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I love that feeling you get when you first
walk into your house or apartment after being
away traveling for a long time. You know
what I mean? You walk in the front door,
put your bags down in the entrance way, inhale
deeply through your nose to take in that
'my-home-smell' and feel an immense sense
of relief.
This 'home sweet home' feeling has
a subtle
undertone for Karen and I here in Japan
because
although we've been in the same apartment
for about three years and feel quite
at home
here, we're still returning home to
a foreign
country. It always makes me think of
that
old saying, 'Home is where I lay my
hat.'
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Hope you're not getting too sick of these
Hilltribe pictures from Thailand, I still
have a few more that I want to post before
I move on to other parts of Thailand.
04.03.04
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Here are some more pictures from the
Akha
village of Mae Salep in Northern Thailand.
I hope you enjoy them.
04.01.04
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We're back in Japan.
Sorry for the long break in between
posts,
I had a series of small technical problems
with my laptop, boring stuff, you don't
want
to hear about it.
Thailand was mind-blowing, as expected. After
my week-long solo trip in the North, Karen,
Jack and I all went to Koh Samui. Samui's
a nice island, it's big, convenient, if not
a bit over Jeep and toured the island, saw
a snake and scorpion show, and spent some
time fooling around on Bo Phut beach.
However, after four or five days on Samui
we took a boat over to the small neighbouring
island of Koh Pha Ngan, which was really
where we had our hearts set on going. Koh
Pha Ngan did not let us down, it was absolutely
beautiful.
We spent our first week on Ao Thong Nai Pan
Noi beach, which is just about as close to
paradise as you are going to find anywhere.
Breezy palm trees, fine sand, calm water,
and tropical butterflies all conspire to
make you believe that no matter how fat you
become from eating coconut curry after coconut
curry you will still be young and beautiful
and things will go on like this forever.
Ao Thong Nai Pan Noi was such a magical place
that I hesitate to describe it because I
know that I wouldn't be able to do it justice.
After a week or so in Ao Thong Nai Pan Noi
we took a long and dusty ride through the
jungle in the back of a pickup truck and
ended up at quiet and sleepy Haad Salad beach.
The actual beach at Haad Salad at this time
of year is not that great because the tide
never comes in far enough to have a good
swim, however it did have some great snorkeling.
We stayed at the sadly named bungalows 'Salad
Hut' where they feature two hammocks on the
porch of every bungalow. In the restaurant/communal
area, which sat just above the beach, none
of the tables had chairs; you had to either
lay down on long Thai-style cushions beside
your table (like a Roman) or else swing in
one of the many hammocks that they had strung
up. It was probably the most relaxed, and
relaxing, place that I've ever been.
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Today's photos are all from Mae Salep
village
in Northern Thailand. I have so many
pictures
from this trip that I'll probably be
showing
them for the next week or two. Eventually
I'll put them all into permanent galleries.
My plan is to post new pictures from
my trip
every one or two days for the next
little
while, however I probably won't have
enough
time to write much commentary.
I think that you'll enjoy the pictures that
are coming.
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