Welcome Autumn

Before my Hot Springs trip to Oregon this coming weekend, I sacrificed my precious power nap in exchange for some fresh air during lunch today. Even without the luxury of green mountains, I feel fortunate to be in the proximity to colorful leaves and a mini creek. Best part of all, this spot is only minutes away from my office - a quick getaway from my otherwise chaotic morning.

Never thought that i would fall in love with autumn, but i have to admit that a colorful autumn without nasty rain can be quite attractive sometimes. Suddenly, living in the country isn't so bad after all.

i am weak

Two days after my flu shot, my upper arm is still sored.

Honestly, i don't even know why I got my flu shot at first place. I have never had a flu shot in my entire life, yet i thought getting a shot might be a booster to overcome possible sickness in winter - something I suffer every year.

Still, i am not sure whether this shot would really help, but guess we will find out soon. Regardless of outcome, there are about 1/3 of the sales team are already sick at work. With this widespread of virus floating around the office, it seems like what I need is more than a shot.

An offer I can't say no

One of the benefits living in an old community of a small town is to be physically close to many friendly, yet sometimes nosy neighbors who can and are willing to look after you. It is not my first time getting a phone call reminder to close the garage door, nor my first time receiving generous offer of homegrown fruit and vegetable that are freshly picked in their backyard.

While it is great to eat those tomatoes/melons that I actual love, there are also other stuff that are worth giving a second thought. Grandpa's beef/turkey jerky is a common item that goes on top of that list. There is nothing wrong with the taste - I tried it before and thought the flavor is decent. Everything is great until one day i walked into his garage where jerky is made - hum...not the cleanest and most sensitized kitchen i have been to. I didn't get sick or anything, but it was then I start to convince myself that little amount of bacteria is good for our health.

Grandpa visited me again this afternoon with another pack of his homemade jerky in his hand " Turkey is good for you, kiddo"
What can I say other than thanking for his kindness? I felt bad turning down his enthusiasm after all.

Looking at another pack of homemade jerky sitting in my fridge, I seriously doubt when I am going to eat it, if ever?

Bangkok Trip Continue and Finale

It seems like there is never a good time to finish the blog about my recent trip to Bangkok, so I might as well start now. Since I didn't spend that much time on sightseeing; this entry should be brief, simple and painless.

So what did I see exactly?


well, i had a Thai dinner buffet on a boat, touring through the city and the surrounding buildings/temples along the river. Last time I checked the map, there is only one river cutting through central Bangkok, so I would assume it is the Chaopharaya River.

Due to nature of a typical business dinner, I couldn't devote 100% of my focus on what is supposed to be an incredible view on the river, but can I just say that the food is awesome as well? Toward the end of an 2-hour boat ride, I went on the deck to get some fresh air. I felt nothing but a thick layer of humidity running through my face. It is very.........warm even late at night.


State Tower - this place is referring by my colleague. They accidentally "found" this building while looking for a Starbucks last time in Bangkok. When they got the coffee on the ground floor, they also found the entrance to an extraordinary city view on top of the building.


With a purchase of an very expensive drink, I get to see a view like this for "FREE" on top of State Tower




Later on i found out, according to my tour guide, Sirocco in State Tower is where you get to enjoy the MOST expensive (about $330 USD a meal) lobster meal in bangkok. For those of us who are on a tighter budget, we can skip the whole seafood idea but go straight to the Sky Bar on the roof of building at the 64th floor.




Standing on top of the stairs looking down the bar.
I actually got stopped by the security guard when trying to snap some shots of this beautiful bar. But toward the end of night, the he was nice enough to grant me one shot. I took more than one shot, but who is counting anyways?




Gate/Temple in front of the famous Siam Lum Night Bazaar - pretty much a night market mixed with live performance, bar, street food, and arty crafts. It is a very organized market for the western tourist; this means you won't be able to get a good bargain out of anything. Later on we went to another night market where any bargain is possible, including the "special service" along the side of the street. Hum...I wouldn't want to get into too much details here, though.



Bangkok Airport - getting ready to go home. Since I didn't have time for a real temple, I think this decor will work as well.