weinraub’s words

There is something odd going on with the Bank of Ayudhya ATM network. Software bug? [...read more...]

With recent Thailand’s political situation making such international news, a lot of folks back home have been checking in. We are all fine, thanks to everyone for thinking of us.

As most of you know, we are down in Phuket and the vast majority of this political silliness takes place up in Bangkok, approx 1,000 miles away. So, in terms of violence or even traffic jams, there is absolutely no impact on us.

Last year’s Phuket airport blockade and the subsequent blockade of Bangkok’s airports are examples of the relatively rare kind of political protest that could have direct impact on us. In fact, I did get caught up in the Phuket airport closure on my way back from NY. That was no fun.

But except for those rare instances, there is never any direct impact of this political stuff. In that sense, it is easy to draw the conclusion that Thai politics is irrelevant to us.

Of course, that would not be true. [...read more...]

One of my Facebook friends from high-school (back in the late 1800′s, it feels like) asked a question that we Phuket residents often get, so figured best to post an entry on the subject.

How do you pronounce ‘Phuket’?

Quick answer: ‘POO-ket’

[...read more...]

Annie and Jang are going to start selling kanom jin (a northeast Thailand regional dish consisting of rice noodles covered with a soup-like, spiced, ground-fish sauce) on the front-porch of YoYo’s old place. A few little tables, crappy plates and silverware, a real street-food type of thing. Annie’s a pretty good Thai cook and everyone here just loves her kanom jin, but she’s not much in terms of organization, so her quality is inconsistent and her operations and accounting will no doubt be – how shall we say? – a bit on the lax side.

My primary concern is that she has so much that she could be doing now – laundry, ironing, cleaning the house, shopping for the family, actively (rather than passively) nurturing Benjamin’s mental development, etc?- that the last thing she needs is more to do.

But she’s excited and it might put a little bit of dough in our pockets. Hope it all works out.

Last week, I was in the hospital 3 nights, IV drip the whole time. Before I went in, I had two nights of fever at home. Not too high, though I did get over 102 for a short period. Still, didn’t feel like regular flu. Not enough chills, no significant sore throat or coughing. And Dengue has really picked up around here in SE Asia, in Thailand, in Phuket, and – can you believe it? – on Nanai in particular. A broadcast truck apparently swept the neighborhood recently warning everyone – in Thai only, of course – that Nanai is a danger point or something like that.

Feeling much better now, though I am a little bit itchy, which the doctor says is the last stage of the dengue coming out.

The middle of a workday here in Land of Smiles…