The Return of Mr. White

We had to take Mr. White to the vet two weeks ago to get checked out for some kind of bladder infection. I thought he might need an operation or just some antibiotics, but he ended up staying at the vet for two weeks as they checked out a possible tumor on his bladder (turned out to be just inflammation) and monitoring how he was doing. Poor little guy was not happy at all, he had a catheter in him and a plastic cone on his head so that he wouldn't chew on it. He couldn't sit right or sleep right. The first time I visited him he just looked right through me. But he's back home today and seems none the worse for wear. We'll see how he does this week and if he's really recovered. Mr. Black was shocked to see him home, I think he'd given him up for lost. He's been meowing non-stop since Mr. White left, we figured he was lonely all day without any company around.

The Forbes billionaires

On Wednesday night the Ambassador invited Dung and I to his house for dinner along with Dr. Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi and his family. Dr. Charoen happens to be founder and owner of Thai Beverage, a self-made billionaire, and the richest man in Thailand. Forbes came out with their annual list of the world's billionaires this week and Charoen came in at 264th place with 3.4 billion dollars. His family was all quite nice and down to earth and we spent the evening telling stories in Thai, which I tried gamely to follow, but didn't quite have the skill to join.

Crushing the Burmese

During our trip to the floating market we took a boat trip up river to a couple wats (Buddhist temples). Outside one was a photo op, get your picture taken crushing the neck of the Burmese enemy. The Thais really have it in for the Burmese, having been invaded numerous times and typically getting their hynies whipped in the process. The last time was a couple hundred years ago, I think, but it's still fresh in the minds. Thailand's doing way better than poor Burma these days, but the military defeats still stick in the craw.

The Real Floating Market

Trent's parents were in town so a group of us took an afternoon that turned into an evening, too, and went an hour or so out of town to the floating market. There's a touristy floating market close by, but we went off to the real one, lots of Thais and hardly a farang to muck up the place. Except us, of course. There were a couple blocks around the canal, just off the river, with stall after stall of little Thai delicacies and other sorts of crafts. We grazed along the streets, then walked along the canal and grazed some more, straight off little boats piloted by little old ladies. I grabbed a barbecued squid off one boat and some spicy palmelo salad off another, then poked around for some food to take home for Dung. We took a boat ride up the river for a bit, then came back and got even more food. Thai heaven.