It’s strange to feel like a total stranger with your own family. I have been back 3 days now. Friends of mom’s, dad’s and brothers have been pouring in and out of the place. Everyone is buzzing about, working on the funeral details or talking to guests. And here I am, the usual Hostess of Everything, the Director of Fun, sitting awkwardly all by her lonesome just to get out of the way. Obviously, being the one far away when everything happened didn’t put me in the decision process. And not being resourceful in Bangkok also put me out in...
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Sawaddee my friends! Thank you for your messages. I left in such a big hurry and I couldn’t be more specific with the details. I apologize. First, the Red Cross Society. Here is the website. Please select “To support the Thai Red Cross activities”. The money will be going to the general fund. You can donate in USD. Once you click through the process, it’ll ask who you are donating on behalf of. Go ahead and say that it is in honor of Mrs. Chongdee Phromyothi. My mom is at Wat That Thong (at the foot of the Ekamai BTS...
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My mom passed away around 5:30 p.m. PST or 7:30 a.m. August 21 Bangkok time. I’m taking the 11 p.m. flight out tonight. It’s a non-stop from LAX to BKK so there will be no update until I get there. If you’d like to do anything, please check out Thai Red Cross Society website and make a donation. That’s my mom’s favorite charity. May it be meals for the infirm monks, or disaster relief. Whatever you’d pick. I’d link this for you guys but I don’t have time right now. Those in Thailand, we will be at Wat That Thong,...
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Here’s a photo of my grandfather I found online while doing a little bit of research. He’s the one saluting. And next to that, the border marker that in 1940-1942 defined the line between Thailand and Combodia. The correlation? My grandfather, General Mangkorn Phromyothi, saluted the prime minister at the time, P. Phibunsongkram during the French-Thai war of 1940. Wikipedia has a version of the full story, but essentially my grandfather kicked some French ass and got a piece of Cambodia back to our side. Hence, the removal of the markers which one is at my home and the other...
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Each year, Master Steinhauser has his students turn in their 10 goals for the new year by the end of January. I usually ended up with 3-4 things checked off on the list. Perhaps 10 goals were just too many. But here are a few I intend to accomplish this year. Learn a new skill. I’m leaving this wide open. I want to take a new dance lesson, either tap or flamenco; and learn Mandarin. Close more credit cards. Get into a house, hopefully. Donate more to charity and other causes. Not too ambitious....
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