Loyal shopper

A story to share kaa!

Yesterday, my sis-in-law and her daughter went shopping at the supermarket at Central Chidlom. After all was done, they went to the taxi stand offered by the store. My sis-in-law tripped over an uneven pavement and fell siting down. 

Almost immediately, a man who was at the car park booth as well as several store staff approached her to see how she was doing. One saw it as he was in the booth there while two others saw it from the store's CCTV ka. My niece told the staff that they were thinking of either stopping at Payathai hospital or rubbing some ointments at home. They all insisted that she went to see a doctor to check her bones, noting that she is over 60+. 

The staff with one customer service member took my sis-in-law and my niece to Bumrungrad and saw through the whole process there. Fortunately, it was a sprain with no broken bones.

Both felt real touched by the service and I'm sure their loyalty to the Central brand has grown deeper.

Cheers to caring store, caring people and services ka.

fun and nervous finale in the US

I’ve already been back home after almost one month away and it wasn’t a smooth trip back as expected ka.

Seattle was the port of my departure to Narita. The very morning I left Montana early at 7.30, feeling happy to have about 5 hours in between for my international flight. Little did I know it turned out to be an unusual long journey to arrive Bangkok.

To make the long (wrong:)) story short, low visibility at the Seattle airport hindered my flight to land and so by the time we were there, my flight had already gone.

Because it was check-through baggage, I had to track down where it was while rebooking a ticket. Life was more complicated when each staff told me different things which made me walk around the airport without much success. Finally, all was done once I found my way to the ANA office. While staying overnight at a hotel provided by the Alaska Airlines and was on a call with my travel insurance what and how to claim for some relevant items.

This experience from missing the international flight has made me give even more priority to life skills, English proficiency, and cross culture interpretations ka. 

For the cross culture interpretations in particular, when I tried to ask for more info from Alaska staff, the guy said, 'I can't help you now as I'll have to board all the passengers.'  Another one when I asked two ladies at an ANA counter, 'I need your help.'. One answered almost right away, 'I can't help you.'  These two cases showed different reasons ka. The first was about his priority though my question could be just one short answer while the second was that the ladies had no idea about ANA process as they were an Air France team ka. With some sound interpretations, I wasn't angry but was able to think of other options for my next steps to get to what I wanted to know ka.

Happy to be home ka:))!

Elderly living

About 8 years ago, I was in Montana visiting my American friend's family (Mom and Dad) at MIssion Ridge, Billings, Montana. I recall that I was very impressed with the place as it looked like a great one for the elderly to do activities together in this senior center as it offered a whole lot from a chapel, special concerts and talks, nice meals, and shuttles to the city, etc. 

My second time at this place has given me some different things to learn. 

Dad passed away three years ago and so Mom who is 92 continues to stay there at her apartment, managing her own life without much need to move to another type of 'assisted housing' (offering help on medication from nurses and closer attentive services).

Mom said after having lived there for 15 years, she found that it was time for her to move out. It wasn't the financial issue as it is affordable for her (though services and other fees have been much higher and in fact, this place is sort of hiso and expensive ka.) She said it was sad to learn and see people dying there and she had been writing so many 'with sympathy' cards that made her feel depressed. She also thought that it was getting harder making conversations when many had stories about grandchildren and pets to share while she had neither. Having lost her husband is definitely one of the factors added up to her feeling much less happy staying there.

Another factor I didn't think of was health issues. Some elderly could become quite stubborn when they got sick. This place had to put them in quarantine not to spread the disease to others. Everyone at the old age has to stay as fit as possible so they get nervous when someone is sick and mingle with them.

Much earlier on, I thought having various activities would be great. I think this place needs more younger ones to offer more life to it ka. Even the staff here are mostly young, the turnover is high just like other places in the US and they are around to finish their tasks, not to really be with the residents working on some projects together. When I came over, I could contribute a little by bringing to them a new face and some different stories to share ka.

I hope Mom will be happier as luckily, my friend has placed Mom as her first priority in life already moved from another state to take care of her mother. They will stay at one nice home together with the main floor for her Mom and the den for herself to give each other some space. 

There're so many factors Thais need to think when building a community for the elderly na ka.

Pets

Hello from Montana where it snowed yesterday and the weather is warmer now at 4 degree Celsius today ka. 

On this trip, I've learned a lot about pets and it seems that many more have kept pets and here are what I'd like to share:

- Petsitters (especially for dogs) have become common and it isn't an easy job. Besides taking care of them, petsitters have to learn how to handle unhealthy dogs....like how to feed sick dogs using syringes, how to offer medicine like Fosamax (for stronger bones) which would have to make sure the dog won't lie down for 30 minutes, etc.

- Training dogs to be 'therapy dogs' is something real new to know. I feel people are much lonelier and pets are their real friends. I met a dog who is 'therapy dog' visiting homes and hospitals to make people feel less stressful ka. Too bad I didn't get to ask how the training is and what the therapy dogs have to do. One thing I know is that therapy dogs look cute and friendly ka.

- Keeping a pet means costs and commitment. An American friend of mine has a dog 'Lucy' who is over 13 years old. She spent a lot on Lucy's health from bringing her to the vet to buying special food for Lucy as she needs to be on a special diet. In addition, Lucy has hearing difficulties along with other weaknesses. All cost her a lot in the thousands and she said, 'It's a commitment'. Another friend said, 'it's responsibility.' In some cases I'd think that pets could be more well taken care of than family members who  live far away too ka! 

What do you think when we compare the situations with those in Thailand ka?

Digital life?

Good afternoon from a wet New York city ka.

When I started thinking seriously what I wanted to learn from this trip, it wasn't that easy to answer. I only told myself that I'd get ready to 'learn, unlearn, and relearn' whatever I got to see and do. One thing that popped up, though, was about the change from analog to digital!

In Seattle, Nong A, a Fulbright alum insisted that I go to 'Amazon Spheres' and I'm glad we both made it there. It was exciting to see how Amazon has tried every possible way to boost creativity and innovation using nature as its key theme. The three glass domes with over 40,000 plants looked spectacular, serving as lounge and workspace for its employees. Since it isn't open to public that day, we enjoyed learning the thinking and construction from the exhibition instead. 

A Fulbright alum is working there and had I called him, we could have been allowed to visit his office. I decided not to so he could focus on his work. 

When mentioning about alums, I failed to add one more word onto my yesterday's list ka. A senior alum said I've been alumming. I gathered that it could mean I met up with one alum after another.....our American friends in this group may jump in to help if my understanding isn't correct na ka. 

Closer by was 'Amazon Go' that Nong A and I visited. It was a supermarket with not that many varieties to choose from. It could become a 'New Normal' for us some time soon. When it looked similar to other supermarkets, we were allowed to go in only when one of us had its app that is tied to a bank account. After Nong A was done with it, we both walked around to 'feel' it. We saw lots of sensors on the ceiling and thought that those could help track the products people took out of the shelves. All customers would bag the stuff themselves and leave the place without any need to go through cashiers......all paid digitally through the app they've had on their smart phones. Awesome mai ka?

There were a few things like Amazon Go that I read about and didn't quite get it until I saw it with my own eyes. Starbucks Reserve was another I wanted to visit. It sounded so hi-so from what I read but I didn't feel so when I went there.....stunned only because of the huge place with different counters offering coffee, tea, bakery, and  liguor. Coffee tasting area and coffee processes were good to see too ka. I now hope I can see any CVS MinuteClinic for minor illnesses as well. Wonder if it goes highly digital in some ways or not?

New vocab

Hello from New York where I can access a desktop easily to write ka.

I couldn't believe how much I have for sharing and it's sort of challenging to think of what to choose:)) 

Let me talk about the three new words I've learned so far and some of you may know them already ka!

- Gentrification is a process of renovating deteriorated urban neighborhoods by having many more richer people to live in the areas. In fact, it has happened for some time especially around Harlem neighborhood where I noticed 6-8 years ago that the neighborhood close to Teachers College has become alive and much nicer than the time I stayed at the school dorm. A TC student and Fulbright alum told me there's a plan to gentrify further down the streets ka.

Yet, while it's been a good signal for more quality living, I personally have some concerns about residents there who may have to move but today when I was walking, I saw many African Americans still with more Latinos. I guess there could be some good arrangement for residents there to choose to stay or move as well. 

- Glamping is from 'glamour' and 'camping' which means you can do some camping in a hi-so way ka....very trendy among upper middle people to have a luxurious tent-living.

- Flagel is from 'flat' and 'bagel' ka! As NY is THE place for best bagels, I had all ears to learn from my American friend. The only difference between falgel and bagel is the shape and nothing more ka. I guess people want something different once in a while mung ka!

Happy happy learning ka!

One powerful sentence

Hello all! I’m in the US for about 2 weeks now and before the trip, life was filled with some work, bedroom renovation, and preparation for the trip ka! Busy retirement ka:))

I didn’t plan to take a trip to the US and take a long one but this was how it started ka. 

I know my American friend and her family since my Columbia days and we’ve been in touch since with exchanges of visits. 

My friend wrote me an annual Christmas card and asked me if I had any plan to go to the US. I answered to myself, ‘No!’

The next sentence read something like this, ‘it would be nice if you could visit while mom is still with us.’ This hit my heart hard to the point that I began thinking seriously about it and here I am.... traveling alone to America..... not yet in Montana which is my main objective to take my long journey.

The trip planning turned out to see myself go to a few States based on the timing and two promises ka. 

One powerful sentence really works na ka!

I sure can do more writing as I can access a desktop using my alma mater's alum benefits ka.