Nightingale-Olympic

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Frozen in Time: Inside Bangkok's First Ever Department Store

It's my understanding that the department is officially closed.  The building may still be intact.  I might go see it in September.

Bangkok's Old Town

This is advice I was giving to a 70+ yr old woman who was thinking of traveling on her own to Bangkok:

I would stay in this area (Bangkok's Old Town) about 7-10 days so you can knock out all this in a relaxed fashion.  For me, at my age, I would need a full week to do it.  And I walk a lot!  I think if you could stay in the Old Town for two weeks, you'd enjoy it more.  The new part (Sukhumvit & Silom) of the city also needs at least two weeks.  We can discuss this later.

21 Best Things to do in Bangkok’s Old Town

Make It Work

If you can make it work, we're returning to Asia a year from now.  June 1st or sometime the first part of June, I'm going first to Singapore (5 full days), then heading north.  Next will be Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (4 full days), Cameron Highlands (3 full days), and Penang (3 full days).  After Malaysia, I will cross into Thailand, where I will make my way to the islands of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan (7 full days).  After that I will take a train up to Bangkok to meet up with Kade.  Will then have another 26 days or so.  49 days total. 7 weeks.

- e-mail I sent to a cousin in June '22

Openness

Enjoying what I'm hearing so far.  Love social psychologists.  What's interesting is that he said a liberal trait is being open to experience or traveling.  For me, ironically, although deeply embedded in a conservative culture and latching on to the core parts of that culture, I always had that openness to experience and curiosity and desire to travel.  I think part of this was nourished by the fact that my family had the resources to take us out of that "closed" culture from time-to-time.  New Orleans, Disney, Washington, DC, Western Europe, Smokey Mountains, Atlanta (many times).  Others rarely ever left.  Liberals 2 - ones raised to be liberal - can be close-minded, and may not be able to travel to places or meet others where their preconceived notions may be challenged. 

- email to friend in 2012, in a response to this

Durian Forecast

I will continue adding to this one.

Travel Collection

These are books and DVDS that were donated to the local library in Headland, Alabama.  I actually got the idea started and gave a number of books (marked AE).

1.   The Moscow Kremlin (AE)

2.    Exploring Costa Rica 2007
3.    The Best-Choiced Album of the Photography Contest of the Beauty of Taipei’s Architecture (AE)
4.   DVD – Saint Petersburg And Its Environs (AE)
5.     DVD – Peterhof (AE)
6.     India (AE)
7.     Skylines Hong Kong (AE)
8.     Saint Petersburg And Its Environs (AE)
9.     Thailand (AE)
10.    Singapore (AE)
11.    Moscow (AE)
12.    Russia (AE)
13.    Australia Wide (donated by Janet, Mike, Megan and Drew in memory of W.F. Vann) 
14.    Southeast Asia (AE)
15.    Japan (AE)
16.    Spain
17.    Tropical Africa
18.    Germany
19.    Russia (AE)
20.    The Arab World 
21.    Bermuda (Donated by Martha and Tom Parks in memory of Mr. and Mrs. A.S. Hodges)
22.    Journey Through Denmark (Donated by John Hodges Parks, in memory of Mr. and Mrs. A.S.Hodges)

Montreal, 3rd Day