Miscellaneous

Hello - I hope this finds you and yours doing well.  Things here are racing along.  I find it very hard to believe that I have less than 3 months of this Asian Adventure left!

Braids Gone - So...with all the news about Beijing, I forgot to mention that I had my braids removed (even though you probably noticed).  The removal took a lot less time than having them put in (1 hour versus 9 hours).  What possessed me to get the braids in the first place is a mystery to me.  Still - they were fun for a bit - and a real conversation starter!  Here's a picture of the new (yet old) me shortly after the removal:

So long braids!

Skies Over Hua Hin - Even though it's not officially the rainy season, Hua Hin has been getting some rain.  It's usually not enough to cool things off for long, but it feels good when it comes.  The skies over Hua Hin have been interesting.  Here are some photos of the many skies of Hua Hin Beach:

Family Update - Just a quick update about my family...Marcus and Stacey are both still doing some excellent lawyering.  They recently sold their house and bought a new one.  Stacey has had a terrible commute to work for many years, so the new house is only a 5 minute commute to her office.   I'm happy for them, but sad that they will no longer be 5 minutes away from me.  Weekend sleepovers...sweet!

Congratulations to Lauren, who was recently promoted to General Manager at her company.  She is in charge of connected community sales for the South Central Region.  This new position has required her to travel a bit more.  She still loves her job!

I Skyped with all three of my siblings today.  It's fun to talk with them because we always find something to laugh about:-)!!!!  They and their family members are all doing well.  My mother is doing as well as can be expected for someone with her disease.

Thanks to technology, I have been able to keep communication going with all of Bob's siblings and their children.  The Keegan Clan is doing very well...and growing.  A new baby will join in September, and a wedding will happen sometime in the not so distant future.

Bicycle Ride Across the USA -  This week, I sent out the itinerary for this event.  The start date is May 24, 2017 in Florence, Oregon, and the end date is August 24, 2017 in Yorktown, Virginia.  It will be the ten year anniversary of Bob's ride in 2007, and the bike ride is in memory of him.  Anyone is welcome to join as a rider or non-rider.   Please let me know if you would like more information about this event.  Here are some photos that I was able to find from the 2007 ride:

Bob and his brother, Tom, in Florence, OR doing the customary dipping of the wheels

Oregon Scenery

Idaho Scenery

Me fully loaded and still smiling in Kansas

Asian Adventure Itinerary - As I mentioned at the beginning, my time here is dwindling away.  At present, my scheduled return to Atlanta is August 23rd.  Here are my plans until then:

June 7 - Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son and Pai, Thailand

June 17-Penang, Malaysia (this trip is mainly for visa reasons...although I hear that it's nice there)

June 21-July 16 - Thailand

July 16-July 30 - Bicycle Tour in Myanmar

July 30-August 23 - Thailand

August 23rd - Goodbye Thailand/Hello Atlanta!!!!!

Until next week~

Beijing

Ni hao ~ I heard and used this greeting quite a bit in Beijing.  That and xie xie (thank you) were unfortunately about all I had in my Chinese language chest.  Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable trip.  The best part was getting to spend time with my friends, Chris and Sheilah (pictured below) - we worked together in Barcelona - and their 2 lovely daughters.  They live in Hegezhaung Village in Beijing. 

Chris and Sheilah at the Beijing British Country Club

We did a lot in the short time that I was there.  Drinks before dinner at the Beijing British Country Club were superb!

The sign does not represent the true elegance of the place.

Fireplace inside Beijing British Country Club

One of the owners of the club

My favorite decorative piece in the club (it overlooks the courtyard)

We ate at an excellent restaurant nearby - The Orchard.  Info here: http://en.theorchardbj.com/

Path leading to The Orchard

On Friday, I spent the entire day at Western Academy Beijing (WAB) where Chris and Sheilah currently work.  It was wonderful to meet people and see the school.  I was extremely impressed...especially with their hospital grade circulation/ventilation system, pool and school grounds!  More info here: http://www.wab.edu/

After school we went to Fellas, a local pub with very good pub food.  I couldn't find a website for Fellas, but you can sign into their Facebook page by clicking here:  https://www.facebook.com/Fellas-453977728123720/info/?tab=overview

Saturday was busy.  Chris completed a super sprint triathlon called Tri4Change (http://www.tri4change.net/beijing/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/05/Flyer-1-Tri4Change-2016.1.pdf) in the pouring rain.  Way to go, Chris!  Afterwards, we had a delicious breakfast at Fellas. The oldest daughter had a ballet recital followed by swim class.  Dinner was fabulous Peking cuisine at Mr. Lee's Restaurant.

Sunday we went to the Mu Tian Yu section of the Great Wall.

 

At the entrance

On the way up in the cable car, we rode in the same car ridden by Michelle Obama in 2014

View from cable car

Another view from cable car

At the top

Love it!  A good idea given the steepness.

Breathtaking scenes

Arrow holes for defense back in the day

Best photo of me on the wall (difficult to avoid having unknown people in pictures here)

Another beautiful scene

...and another

We rode down in the cable car ridden by British Prime Minister Sir John Major in 1991

After viewing the wall, we dashed out to see the Chaoyang Theatre Beijing Acrobatic Show.  A lot to pack into one day...but we did it...barely!  Here's a YouTube link to a sampler of a previous show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8SL0A5fcD0     The motorcycle show was amazing.  They fit 8 motorcycles in that sphere!  Here's a picture of the bicycle act.  Count the number of people on one moving bicycle.  Amazing!

The bicycle act - and they weren't finished adding people!

Monday I was forbidden from going into the Forbidden City, but took a picture at Tienanmen Square.  

Actually...turns out the Forbidden City was closed for the day - museum Monday!  So...I went back on Tuesday.  Click here for info about the Forbidden City:http://en.dpm.org.cn/

Entrance to Forbidden City

The Nine Dragon Screen was impressive, but there were too many people around to get the full picture.

Jade sculpture on display

One of the many buildings/halls

Seriously guarding the palace

One of the many doors that people rub for good luck

A less populated section of the Imperial Garden

Exiting the Forbidden City at the North Gate

There are lots of interesting vehicles in Beijing.  In an attempt to improve air quality, many are electric.  Chris and Sheilah drive an uncovered battery powered tuk-tuk, which is basically a motorcycle with a cart on back.  The cart has removable seats.  It is their primary mode of transportation, and they find it extremely useful.  Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of it:-(  However, here are pictures of other vehicles that intrigued me:

While I was there, the air quality was wonderful, so I didn't need to put on a mask or stay indoors.  It rained all day one day and sprinkled on another day, which helped tremendously.  The skies (as you can see) were a brilliant blue and extremely clear.  Unfortunately, the smog was coming back just as I was returning to Thailand.  I hate that for Beijingers, but I could not have timed my trip better!

Until next week...

Holidays, Motorcycle Taxis, Visas and Rain in Hua Hin

May the 4th be with you, Feliz Cinco de Mayo, Happy Coronation Day (Thailand), and Happy Mother's Day.  Whew!  There's a lot going on this month, so enjoy it all and more!

Happy Cinco de Mayo - I wasn't able to find a Corona or Negro Modelo (my personal fav), but here's my salute to this holiday:

Coronation Day -  This link has information about celebrations for this month, and includes Coronation Day.  http://www.huahintoday.com/local-news/three-important-days-thailand-2/

Motorbike/Motorcycle Taxis - I know...I know...I shouldn't be using these, but they have really come in handy lately, so I've reluctantly added them to my list of transportation options.  It's a tough choice between sitting in terrible traffic, sweating buckets or taking a motorcycle taxi.  I was recently in Bangkok to apply for a Chinese visa.  I thought I knew where the office was but went to the wrong location.  The embassy guards suggested I take a motorcycle taxi.  I thought, "No way I'm going to do that - it's dangerous, and I'm wearing a dress!"  I turned around, looked at the traffic, and went to find a motorbike taxi.  Had to hike that dress up to get on...but never mind!  The driver was able to weave through that terrible Bangkok traffic and get me to the visa office on time.  Yesterday I took another motorbike taxi after swimming at a friend's hotel.  Here's a picture of me and the driver (my first female driver):

Me and motorcycle driver

Motorcycle driver's license

More about motorcycle taxis in Thailand here: http://www.thailandguru.com/motorcycle-taxis.html

Chinese Visa -  I did not do my homework about this!  I have a plane ticket to fly to Beijing next Wednesday to visit my friends Chris & Sheilah.  As I was looking through some things about China, I came across something that said Americans need to apply for a visa to travel there.  I stopped in my tracks.  Uh oh.  I had not applied for a visa!  I assumed (bad...just bad) that China would be like Laos and Cambodia - visa upon arrival.  Oh, the curse words that escaped from my mouth:-)  Luckily, I was encouraged to speak with a neighbor who is sort of a China expert.  He gave me very good advice about how to go about getting the visa in time to travel.  I made a quick trip to Bangkok, applied for the visa, and should receive it next Tuesday.  Close call!  No more assumptions*sigh*

Nam Thuam (Flood) - It rained in Hua Hin this past Sunday.  The wind was strong and the rain was hard.  Since I did not want to miss sundown, I was on the beach when the skies opened up.  We did not see the sun go down that day!  We were able to sit under beach umbrellas for a while, but the rain became so strong, that I eventually I borrowed a regular umbrella and ran home.

Rain clouds over Hua Hin Beach

The Sundown Group trying to stay dry under beach umbrellas (l-r-David, Alan, Rob & Angi)

By the time I got home, I was soaking wet, so I went upstairs to change.  I never got to change, because I heard dripping and found that one of the bedrooms (not mine - thank goodness) was flooded.  The condo where I live had an antenna on the roof.  Not anymore.  The wind blew it off, and we think it might have caused a tiny little power outage:-)  Additionally, it tore a hole in the roof of the aforementioned bedroom.  I called my friend, Aey (who is acting as the condo manager), and together we moved furniture and mopped until the dripping and rain stopped.  Not how I wanted to spend my Sunday evening, but hey - sh*t happens!  Just glad Aey was here to help.  The roof has since been fixed.

Fingers crossed, I'll be in Beijing next, so will not post.  Look for something on May 20th or 21st.  Until then...all the best!