AOB Jan - Feb 2007

AOB Links		An Occasional Blog
Bangkok Blogs Bangkok Metblogs - city life Thai-blogs.com - rather serious 2bangkok.com - not really a blog but always up to date on Bangkok news Bangkok City Photo Guide Thailand Voice promoting blogs from Thailand Thailand Golf Dubai Blogs UAE Community Blog - uniting all UAE bloggers Dubai informer - news and events. The Grapeshisha Blog - commentary on a changing Dubai One Big Construction Site - a long term expat on life in Dubai Secret Dubai Diary - rather disillusioned expat commentary Momentary Musings - another expat commentary Hong Kong Blogs A Big White Guy in Hong Kong - self explanatory Ordinary Gweilo Hemlock's Diary. And people think I am opinionated - try this! SimonWorld - Hong Kong commentary and great links to other Asian blogs EastSouthWestNorth - commentary Glutter.org - Greater China democracy news and many great llinks In China Danwei - media and advertising news from China Shanghai Diaries - self explanatory In Macau My Olive Tree - Macau blog In Singapore: Xiaxue - self-confessed mean, bitchy, sex goddess who says "wah" a lot! Mr Brown - colourful commentary from Singapore Asia Travel Circle of Asia a useful commercial site Tales of Asia perspective and commentary on Cambodia and Thailand and other Asian travels Visit Laos a useful guide on getting to and traveling in Laos. Smart Travel Asia useful tips and destination guides. Maybe too up market. Aviation Amadeus (airline schedules) Airline meals - see it b4 you eat it ! Airliners - aviation forum, trip reports and pix archive A Captain's Blog - the routine of a California based 767 captain FA Uniforms - interesting collection of the old and new News The Guardian - UK BBC World News CNN Asia Bangkok Post China sites LivinginChina.com Bangkok info sites thailand.com learningthai.com sawadee.com bangkokmouth thailandstories bangkok a-z Worthy Sites Rconversation - from Rebecca MacKinnon, ex-TV reporter-turned-blogger. Fun Sites Penguin baseball Useful Sites World Time Clock Technology Ideas Loose wire *Author* *Robert Scott lives and works in Asia; born in England I have since lived in Canada, Hong Kong and Singapore. I now work mainly in Bangkok.* If you want to know more you only need to ask! ask.		28 February 2007 Must have been a busy day yesterday - I did not write anything. I did have a good meeting with one of the executive recruiters in Dubai and I hope something positive comes from that. Tai's birthday lunch was at Zhang He at the Madinat Jumeirah; we had a really nice lunch sitting out on the terrace; looking out to the Arabian Gulf and the Burj al Arab. A few of Tai's crew friends came over in the evening for her birthday; many were flying this week; a few drinks, some food, birthday cake and a very sociable evening. And lots of complaints that there was still no roster for March! It was a nice day; there are some pictures here. 26 February 2007 It was Tai's birthday today; I hope it was a good day - I enjoyed trying to make it one she will remember. Will write a bit more later tomorrow. I have an interview to be awake for in the morning. 22 February 2007 As a public service here are links to some pictures of K. Chotiros and her little black dress... http://www.schoolmall.ca/chotiros-suriyawong.html http://chotirossuriyawong.blogspot.com/ 21 February 2007 Tai leaves for Shanghai at 3.25am; not a great time of day to be flying - she will be away three nights but effectively working for two and sleeping for one. It means leaving home at 12.40am..... *********************** Now this is entertaining......http://www.dubai-online.com/attractions/video-bastakia-dubailand.htm Since they took my video from YouTube they might at least have included a link to this website !! Still - I am flattered by the attention!! *********************** Lovely sunny day today....and nice to spend it quietly with Tai.... 19 February 2007 The Nation newspaper describes it as Utter Mayhem in the south of Thailand. Sunday night's attacks saw six dead and more than 60 injured in the bombings of "soft targets" such as hotels, karaoke lounges, entertainment venues, rubber plants and government offices. Authorities claimed to have the situation under control by 10pm on Sunday but this is clearly not the case with today's killing of an Army major and a series of attacks throughout the region. The alarming part is that whoever is responsible for these attacks has already shown at the new year that they can now launch co-ordinated attacks in Bangkok. First it was the New Year; then the Chinese New Year. The Songkran festival may be a very subdued event this year. ************************* While on Thailand isn't it just a little ironic that the former leader of the People Alliance for Democracy is now a mouthpiece for an unelected government appointed by the junta... 18 February 2007 Tai is on her way to Munich and it is very quiet today. My morning meeting was canceled as the recruiter was sick. More frustration. The secret must be to stay positive and remember why I am doing this. There cannot be a better reason: 15 February 2007 Tennis crisis in Dubai - Australian Open finalists Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams both withdrew on Thursday from next week’s Dubai Tennis Championships due to injury. ************************ The confusion over what to do with Bangkok's airports continues: Na Ban Bangkae by Buncha/Kamin, Manager, February 14, 2006 Panel 1: Control tower? Two guys on the runway are making me confused. Should I land or not? Answer me urgently! Panel 2: The man on the left holds a flag reading: Close Suwannapoom. The other flag reads: Keep Suwannapoom open. ************************* Forgot to mention the ironing !No time to update my web site! Too many chores to do! *********************** The job search in Dubai is slow. People are busy this week but I have two appointments on Sunday the first day of the new week. I just have to believe that there will be something here and that a door will open for me. But it is not easy in a city which seems to depend upon who you know... ************************ Some highlights from last week in Bangkok with Tai: We went and saw Tai's old primary school as well as her University. I enjoy learning about her life :) The Let Us Sea resort in Hua Hin www.letussea.com is a very attractive small resort with a spa and with rooftop decks above half of the rooms where you can lie back and star gaze. The restaurant is good; it has beach access and the staff pay great attention to the small details. They could make the aircon quieter ! There are only 40 rooms built either side of a 100 metre long pool. We ate on Sunday night at Breeze restuarant. This is the newest addition to the restaurants at State Tower (the Lebua hotel). It is in the open air on the 52nd floor. Mainly a seafood menu the food is excellent and is very nicely presented. A very romantic place to eat. The location and the views, and the company, unbeatable. Tai had a haircut; not just a cut but a complete restyling. And the new short style is very classy indeed; she looks fabulous. After over three years of seeing her with long hair this will take some getting used to and will mean a huge new collection of pictures. And we shopped! There are markets in BKK that I never knew existed ! We toured Pratunam; the markets around Silom and Saladaeng; the textile market; the market at Thammarsat University and at Saphan Taksin; Central; TOPS. Too short a trip; not enough time with friends; not enough time at the beach; and not enough time to just kick back and relax. 14 February 2007 A Happy Valentines Day to my sweetheart. She will be in Vienna. So romantic; I hope she will be thinking of me - as I clean, vacuum, do the laundry and change the bedding! 13 February 2007 We are back in Dubai. It was a hectic few days in Bangkok but it was a good change of scenery - great to see friends and for Tai to see her family. 8 February 2007 I don't much enjoy visits to the hospital. Too many people looking for something wrong with you. Bangkok's Bumrungrad hospital has taken the business of health into a near artform. It is a very successful business. But in becoming a business it has lost the personal touch. I had a full medical exam; but part of the role of the doctor appears to be upselling additional consultant services. There were questions I asked that GP should answer with ease but which he kept suggesting that I needed to see a consultant. And when I did agree to see one consultant I was put on a standby list; waited for 90 minutes; was making no progress and gave up. The place was packed. A processing factory. It is profit over people. That really is not how healthcare should be. 7 February 2007 Instructions on maintaining good culture in a shopping mall ! This was in Siam Paragon today. It is beginning to sound like Singapore! I did not sit down in case I was accused of not sitting properly! 6 February 2007 We had a fun flight to Bangkok yesterday. Only five hours flying time from Dubai with a strong tailwind. And we spend most of the time playing Tetrus (I am terrible and Tai won every game) and Reversi, which I am better at ! Tai was so excited to be home! Looking great after four hours sleep. Before the flight at DXB and on landing in BKK. 4 February 2007 A couple of pictures from the desert; Bam and Tai jumping like a pair of synchronised swimmers and then a less glamorous effort from me! Proof indeed that white men cant jump ! I have rather been ignoring this blog while writing more on msn spaces and adding pictures to the site there. Tai was in Athens last night - one of the great historical cities of the world; lucky girl !! The job hunting progressed with a second interview at an IT company; but progress remains slow..... In the meantime we have been to the desert on one of the safari tours, had a night out in the Irish Village and been back to the Creek and the gold souk....always good to have a few gifts to take home! I have a busy day today of maid duties - cleaning and washing and packing...we will leave for Bangkok at 9am tomorrow. It will be Tai's first flight out of Dubai as a passenger..... 28 January 2007** It is getting warmer in the day in Dubai - about 25C today but still pleasantly cool at night. I still have trouble getting used to Sundays as a work day - there is so little contact with the rest of the world. Tai is in Nairobi - she was called there of home standby yesterday and comes back early tomorrow morning. That is six nights away in the last eight - which takes some getting used to for both of us. Whenever she comes back after an overnight flight the first things she needs is sleep and some time at home. After a day we are back to normal. I just hope we have a little more time this time! There really is not much to write about here. The job hunting is moving - but slowly. Back on 13th Jan I wrote that HSBC were helpful. I was optimistic. Not that helpful. HSBC - Hope Some Body Cares.....Hope Some Bank Can....who knows. But initiative appears in short supply.		26 January 2007 The highlight of the day - from a 777 or A330 galley to the kitchen at home.! Arroy maaih krup? Friday and the weekend in Dubai - a lovely sunny day - not that I have been outside yet. Have not been out much the last few days - the maid is being held captive ! I have started jogging around the local building sites; this feels good when I am running - but less that good when I swallow vast amounts of dust blown up from the local building sites. But it is remarkable to see the construction around the so called Old Town (not so old) and Burj Dubai, the Dubai Mall and The Residences. There is always something new to see. *********************** Tai has her schedule for February. After a month on standby it is quite exciting to have a real schedule and to be able to plan a little. She has leave in early February back to Bangkok and we will travel back and spend some time there together. But there are also flights to Athens, Munich, Vienna and Shanghai. All the flights are layovers with no turnarounds. Tai is excited and I am happy for her. As always her enthusiasm is infectious. 23 January 2007 A productive day today - and a thank you to Terry Neill at Deloitte in Vancouver for a very useful introduction to his colleagues in Dubai. ******************* There are a few more pictures from last weekend. Tai is back in Accra after a short turnaround to Abidjan; it is strange being the one staying at home. It always used to be me who was traveling! I miss her company..... 22 January 2007 A quick happy birthday to my mother ! ********************* Had my first full interview in Dubai today....wont write all the details here. The interview was an interesting conversation and lasted 90 minutes. ********************* Am missing Tai - tonight is only the second night of her trip - and it is so hard to keep in touch....she cannot call or sms off her mobile as it has no roaming capability. She can only receive sms. So she gets all my messages but it is a bit like talking to myself !!! And the apartment is quiet as everyone is flying!Still there are always the maid duties to do!! 21 January 2007 Tai is on reserve this month - and this was the third overnight standby this month. The wake up call came at about 4.10am this morning; the 11pm to 11am standby shift is hard. It is best to go to sleep early if possible and then hope that there is no 11.00pm wake up call. The only trouble with today's call is that Tai is gone for four nights - she left on Sunday morning and returns on Thursday morning with three nights in Accra. A quick geography lesson - Accra is the capital of Ghana on the West Coast of Africa; the flight goes on from Accra to Abidjan in the Ivory Coast which she will fly as a turnaround on Tuesday. It was the first black African country to obtain independence from colonial rule. Upon achieving independence from the United Kingdom in 1957, the name Ghana was chosen for the new nation as a reference to its ancient roots in the Empire of Ghana. In reality we have been lucky this week ; it is a week since Tai flew to Moscow and she has not been called up at either an airport or home standby since. Accra is a long haul on an A330; today's flight will take almost 10 hours; and with a 90 minute delay on departure it is a long day. This is the first long layover - it is only four nights - but will seem like a long time. When I was a teenager my parents lived in Nigeria; often the flights to or from Lagos would fly via Accra. Of course this is a great experience for anyone; it is unlikely that Ghana wil be high on a list of holiday destinations or even business travel destinations; but with Emirates Tai gets to see and experience first hand one of the major cities of Africa while staying in reasonable comfort and with the companionship of her crew colleagues. Meanwhile, the maid, (me !!!) can clean, do laundry and also some serious job hunting ! 20 January 2007 Oops - not sure where the last few days went. NIce day yesterday down by the Creek again. It is busy there on a Friday. But it is nice to see such a busy part of the city - and we had a good outing to Bastakia, around the market and across to the Gold Souk by abra. The previous night we went to the opening night of the Dubai horse racing season at Nab-al-Sheba. It is a fun evening; although the lack of betting facilities makes the racing less interesting. The only irritant was the Indian families who insist on setting up camp in the public areas next to the track railing and barricading their area with benches so that no one can get to stand at the railing during the race. I had a very interesting discussion with one gentleman who said that his rather large area was reserved for his family and I had no right to stand there. My friend, it is a public area; you have no claim on any part of it and if I ever see you again I will make sure to come and stand with your "family" and watch the races. 17 January 2007 Went for a long run yesterday - I needed the exercise - and it was a good excuse to run around the building sites at the back of Millennium Tower and around Burj Dubai. There is an area called "The Old Town" which looks like it will be very nice; low rise buildings and old style wind towers; hotels and apartments. Behind Burj Dubai is the shell of the Dubai Mall - this will be huge. It was a long run and there are a few too many construction trucks...and far too much dust ! ******************** And it rained last night; that was rather unexpected. ******************** A quick note for "Mr. BKK" - no elephants and no buck's day, night or week in Pattaya; I have a good mentor for that ! And we need to confirm dates to find something suitably auspicious. ********************* Tai and I were back in Spice Island yesterday; first time we had been there since her graduation - ate too much food! But is was a nice night. ********************* Too much time on standby this month being on reserve is hard as we never know where Tai will be going and for how long; it can get a little stressful. All her friends are making their first trips home on leave - so I hope she gets a BKK flight soon; it is hard to be away from home for the first time and not see family for so long. 15 January 2007 Job hunting progresses more slowly than I would like. I need to be patient. But it is a waiting game. I do have a first interview next Monday with an IT company. Could be interesting; wish me luck. I think we may be close to having a wedding date - at least we seem to know about when we want it to be. We also have a reasonable idea of what we want; a beach; a sunny day; and our families and friends. The ceremony may well become a hybrid of the best of Thai and Western traditions. And that will take some working out. The actual formal marriage is a registration. The ceremony is our own personal event and should be memorable. 13 January 2007 Well Moscow wont be in our travel plans for a long time after Tai had her purse stolen from her bag last night. Even worse she could see the guy that did it holding her purse and then handing it on to his side-kick. Despite her protests did anyone try to intervene; of course not; and were the police helpful. About as helpful as a bad fart in an elevator. HSBC were helpful; cards cancelled etc. I know it could happen anywhere; but it really is no surprise that it was Moscow. Meanwhile I have done the laundry; vacuumed the apartment; been shopping; cooked dinner; and tried to find out why the satellite tv is not working. Never subscribe to Showtime, one of Dubai's three satellite tv services; they belong in the above mentioned elevator. Much warmer in Dubai today; up to 26C in the day. 12 January 2007 Well I am now in Dubai and it has been a busy two days. Arrived early morning on the 10th with a terrible migraine after the flight. My nurse was gentle; and a little tlc helped hugely. We went to Dubai Creek in the afternoon. Had lunch at the Basta Arts Cafe and walked along the creek to the Abra station and across to the old town on Deira side and then to the Gold and Spice Souks. The abra is always fun; especially on a nice sunny day and after a hot sweet marsala tee. AED1 a cup; very good. The old part of Dubai is in many ways the most interesting; lively and colourful and full of traders selling just about everything. It is so different from the modern Dubai or air conditioned malls and international brands. It was a really nice afternoon. A small purchase in the gold souk was fun ! Something we had not seen anywhere else and really attractive. Dinner at home; and fell asleep on the sofa in front of the TV. The yesterday was a huge day. We committed to our first home together. In Executive Towers at Business Bay; just behind the Millennium Building from where I am writing this. It is a large two bedroom apartment; which will be available in Q1 2008. The view will be out over the new Burj Dubai tower; the vendor is Dubai Properties who have a good reputation for quality work and as the first major development of the Business Bay complex this should be an ideal place for our first home. I was excited.... And this is our new building! Definately work in progress! 9 January 2007 I am having a laser teeth whitening session later - it is not cheap - but I will be interested to see the results. There is the answer - sorry the pics are off my mobile phone; apparently the laser continues to work its magic for about another 12 hours - and my teeth will stay sensitive for that long. The sad news - no more coffee today. Sure - it is vanity; but as I sit here looking in the mirror behind the pc it is a significant improvement. I have never smoked but age and coffee give the teeth a yellowing. This is better. I will never match Tai's smile; but at least I can grin happily when we are in the same picture. ************************ Our favourite flying bunny left for Hyderabad in India this morning; the good news is that it is a turnaround. The big story this morning in Hyderabad, from my old friends at ANI is "Coming close on the heels of the gruesome sexual abuse and murder of dozens children in Nithari, the police in Hyderabad on Monday also stumbled on another serial killing case....The murders have rattled residents of the city, which has offices for a number of the top names in information technology, including Microsoft, IBM, Dell, Oracle and Google. (ANI) The story has also made the BBC World Service news..... A good day to be flying a turnaround ! 8 January 2007 Heading back to Dubai in two days and honestly am ready to move there as soon as I can. ************************ Given GPS, modern communications and satellite technology why has it taken a week to find the crashed Adam Air 737 that fell out of the sky over Indonesia? Must be incredibly hard for families and friends. 6 January 2007 Played golf today early morning at Bangsai with the Wanderers. Was playing with two of my favourite fellow golfers, Peter and David, but that did little to improve my golf. I think I am a little distracted these days. Tai was in London last night. Her first ever trip to London; I wish I could have been there as her tour guide. It sounds like she had a great time exploring, despite the cold. And her smile must have brightened up the London Eye. Meanwhile while she was serving out two full services to a plane load of hungry Brits I was moving to a smaller apartment in Centrepoint. Reducing from a two bedroom to one bedroom necessitates a massive throw out of things that are no longer needed or useful. I have almost exactly one half of the space that I used to have. I am not planning to be in BKK much in January so there is some saving to be made by moving. But the smaller space is a little claustrophobic and the lack of storage space is frustrating. Moving is hard work! A big shopping spree last night at Big C with Tai's EK flatmate who was on a very short one night stopover in BKK. I can confirm that I will not be starving when I get back to Dubai ! Bangkok is quiet. Apparently the home food and pizza delivery businesses are booming. The malls and cinemas are quiet. Business down maybe some 10-20% while people assess the impact of the New Year's Eve bombings on their lifestyles and habits. Expect to see a small increase in new borns in nine months time. A September baby boom. This is the search for million year old eggs !? And here is a very full shopping trolley. 2 January 2007** Flew back to Bangkok today on everyone's favourite airline - Emirates - actually it was not a great flight - 3.15am is a tough time to fly ! For crew or for passengers! And again it is strange to be back in BKK. I will be heading back to Dubai for some serious job hunting on 10 January. The week is going to pass too slowly. Did not feel great after the flight today. So it has been a very quiet day. But a long distance chat - and a few encouraging words always make me feel at ease. Bangkok seems quiet. The government seems determined to blame Thaksin loyalists for the New Year's Eve bombings. That seems to be a little too convenient.