When my blog started out, it was a tool to keep family and friends up to date about my experiences living in a new land. An easy way to stay in touch with everyone, if you will. Over time, I’ve realized that my entries are more like articles in a magazine. Not in quality, mind you, but in terms of how they tend to focus on a particular story, event, or subject. One entry is about a type of dessert in Thailand, another is about a new mall that is being built, another is about a trip to Hong Kong. So this entry is not driven by a particular event. It’s just some random musings about what’s going on.
Since returning from Kauai nearly four weeks ago, life has been very busy with work. With it being the start of a new fiscal year, there are lots of projects under way and I’ve been putting in extra hours in order to get them accomplished. While it can be tiring since all my work is done sitting in front of a computer, I enjoy the work I do and the people with whom I work. To top it off, I feel like the work I do – creating training materials – has a positive impact on people, so it is meaningful.
Barely over the jetlag, the final bits of planning are falling into place for our June trip back to the US. Normally, I wouldn’t travel again so soon but there’s this tricky bit about my yearly visa. It expires in June so I need to return to the US to apply for another one. Had I had my way, I would have waited until later in the summer of even the autumn before returning.
Speaking of the June trip, our original plan was to connect in Tokyo and spend a few days on the way back visiting Daniel and Jason. Unfortunately, because of the unsettled situation there, Daniel’s employer kept them out of the country for several weeks just around the time we needed to finalize our travel plans. They’re back in Tokyo now, but it is too late for us to change our tickets. Maybe if we can, we’ll fit a long weekend visit in later this year. But if we do it, it needs to be before another friend in Tokyo, Taro, moves back to the US to get married. (See? All of these logistics to deal with…)
The trip to the US will not be only for visa application purposes. While there, we’ll meet my sister, brother-in-law, and nieces for a week in LA. That’s right, we’re going to Disneyland! Also a chance to meet two of Tawn’s cousins and their families, along with his aunt and uncle. They’ve been very welcoming to me over the years and I’m excited to see them again. Plus, the cousins’ children are just about the age of my oldest niece, so they should have fun playing together. Of course, I have my own cousins there, too, as well as a few Xangans with whom I need to catch up.
As for Tawn, he’s been very busy with his fashion design studies. He’s supposed to present four looks at a student fashion show in a few weeks. Needless to say, “the annex” (our second condo unit which serves as an office and workroom) has been a frenzy of fabric, thread, and the occasional needle on the floor. I’ll share photos as the time comes. (Seriously, I think of my life in terms of potential blog entries.) In the meantime, I’m just trying to keep my head down and stay out of the way.
Finally, I recently went to the doctor about some pain in the ball of my left foot. He diagnosed it as capsulitis, an inflammation of the capsule surrounding the joint where the fourth toe and the foot connect. Doing some online research, the cause is probably from wearing shoes (esp. running shoes) that are too narrow. I have wide feet and while I purchase some of my shoes from zappos.com when in the US, I also have some pairs that aren’t sufficiently wide. That’ll teach me! Right now, I’m trying to stay off the foot as much as possible and am wearing support pads to help redistribute the weight into the arch and away from the ball of the foot.
Well, not an event, but that’s an update of what’s going on. Oh, as I’m writing this there’s a caramel rice flan in the oven based on a NY Times recipe. That’s an event you can be sure I’ll be writing about soon!
christao408 
Man, you guys are jet setters. I lime the way you approach your blog though, it looks professional and you really seem to make sure that your ideas and how oh want to represent the blog are within clear and precise parameters. I can only think of a couple of other blogs that do this here so its a rarity. Sorry about your foot. It sucks to have that kind of pain in such a vital part of daily living. Hope u can find a long term solution to that…
Sound like a busy man and Tawn busy also! Sorry about your foot. I have wide feet too and sometimes forget about the width when doing an order over the Internet. It will nice I am sure to see all the relatives in LA. Trip quickly approaching but a happy one!
Thanks for the update! Whenever anyone says I travel a lot I’m just going to point to you as the person that really gets around.
My goodness, June again so soon! It would be fun to meet you both if you have time ~ ~ and Tawn should be sure to visit the Fashion Inst of Design and Merchandising in downtown LA — a nationally known school of fashion, with a pretty interesting ‘museum’ throughout the school.
Can’t wait to see Tawn’s designs. A friend of mine is caught up in the Visa tango with the government here (she’s Canadian) but will finally have her visa (after eight years) in hand tomorrow. Meanwhile, I always enjoy your blog and enjoyed this update too.
Always on the move I see. By the way, a girlfriend of mine has the same foot problem. At times it hurts more for her than others. And thanks again for allowing us all to accompany you in your trips.
love love love this post. Thanks for the update 🙂 i hope to “surprise” run into u when u r in LA! (haha unlikely but u never know….. although I’ll be traveling a lot for work in june so I may not even be in LA… sad face)
@The_Eyes_Of_A_Painter – I was talking with my Thai tutor about the injury yesterday and she explained that it is quite common in women, because the stress put on the ball of the foot when wearing high heels is similar to that of wearing a shoe that is too narrow. Perhaps I’m just feeling sympathy pain for all my sisters out there who feel they have to wear heels to impress The Man. LOL@Sinful_Sundae – Are you in LA? I didn’t realize that.@nurseynursey – Sadly, with Thailand it is never more than a one-year visa. Bleh! Let’s imagine a world without borders, please.@slmret – Thanks for the recommendation of a place for Tawn to visit, Janet. We went to FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology?) when in NYC a year or so ago and so FIDM would be a nice west coast companion. We’ve extended our trip by one night and I’d really like to get Tawn to SJC for a cuppa. Will be in touch as we get closer.@Roadlesstaken – Yeah, but I’m not posting any videos of me singing. You get that distinction, Alex. LOL@Fatcat723 – That’s the challenge with ordering on the internet, isn’t it? Plus, there seems to be so much inconsistency from manufacturer to manufacturer. Sometimes an 11 feels like a 10, othertimes a 11.5! Thanks for your comment Rob.@ThePrince – Thank you. Hopefully, having a professional blog is a compliment. Right?
a nice updates entry indeed, and yeah…to ba professional blogger is not a bad idea……
@christao408 – haha! you know…now that i think about it, it may cut both ways i suppose. but like i said, your blog maintains a clear identity and that alone makes it a relevant – and practical – work of art!
HEHE. Yes I am in LA. I live in the Valley but work on the westside….
If you’re going to be in the Downtown/Hollywood/Bevery Hills area, let me know and we can grab a coffee nearby (or at our house). We have a few trips planned in June, but maybe the dates will sync up!
I am wondering, if your sister and her family will join you in LA, you probably won’t be coming to KC. Well that means I will have to go to Bangkok to see you and Tawn.
I liked this entry a lot – gave me a cool peep into your life. That visa process… sounds exhausting. Oh, and I especially find it funny that you mentioned you plan out blog entries and it seems like life kinda flows around it… because I find my life doing that as well. Must be a frequent blogger symptom.
Sounds like an event filled trip! I bet everyone will enjoy Disney. Hope the Visa renewal process is smooth!
Nice update even without any photos and videos. Looking forward to meeting you guys, the weather will be great by then!
@ZSA_MD – I’ll be there during the last week of June, want to meet up by then?
@christao408 – A cuppa in SJC sounds ike a wonderful idea, Chris!
Don’t let your foot get too bad. Surgery on the foot’s very painful.
i liked this entry.. it’s a bit more personal than your other entries, and really keeps us updated on those day-to-day-life type events. it’s like.. you would usually compose italian dishes (with one centerpiece as the main attraction, and garnishes to go around it), but this one is more french (an all-around dish, with everything meant to be taken in together as a whole). that was the first thing i thought of when i read this entry XD
All the news and all I heard was Carmel Rice Flan! Oy….I love FLAN!Be safe in your travels!
@seedsower – Caramel rice flan… has been made and pictures will be posted in the next few days.@iskrak – I like your metaphor. It’s tasty!@yang1815 – I’ve been using the metatarsal pads to some effect, although I think it is kind of like punching someone’s right arm to make them forget about the pain in their left arm.
@christao408 – Is that why Christians turn the other cheek?
@yang1815 – Um… eh?
@christao408 – to forget about the pain from the first cheek?