Trip to the Dentist

This has been the week for dental work. Daeng had a few cavities filled on Friday and started the process of replacing a missing tooth with a three tooth bridge. I was having slight pain from one of my back teeth so I visited the dentist on Monday.

The dentist told me I had an old age problem, like I did not know I was getting old already. She showed me in the x-ray how the bone was shrinking and there was a space between the root and the tooth. Since it is an area that can't be reached with the tooth brush or flossing periodontitis develops in that area.

She gave me the name of the closest dentist that does this type of dental work. The periodontist is in the City of Chiang Rai, about 60 KM south of us.

On Wednesday we packed up and headed to the City of Chiang Rai. We stopped at Tun and Hlong's, Daeng's brother and sister-in-law, and had a great breakfast. The fare was everything from fired bamboo worms to something I had never had before. Hlong had roasted peanuts and chili peppers together. It made the red chili peppers not as hot as usual but made the peanuts RED HOT. They were really delicious.

We headed south on route #1. We were stopped at the first check point south of Mae Sai. We expected that due to the high volume of drugs that are being moved out of Myanmar (Burma).

If you would like more about the drug movement just read a few days back to October 10th in this blog.

The officer in charge spoke with us for a couple of minutes and told us, with a smile, to get out of there. I got him to smile but he would not laugh even though another office laughed at us.

We drove to Chiang Rai, checked into the Jamson Guest House and headed over to the dental clinic.

The Clinic opened at 5:00 PM and we were the first in line. I met the dentist and she looked at x-ray and checked my tooth.

She told us that I should have the tooth roots cleaned, "planed" was the term she used for the deep cleaning. Then should keep taking the antibiotics the other dentist gave me and come back to see her for reevaluation a month from now. She told me the cost would be 900 Thai Baht ($27.00 USD).

I felt comfortable with the Clinic and the dentist so I ask when it could be done. She said, right now and we did it. After the work she put a gum like mixture around the tooth and the gums. She said the antibiotic-containing gel would stay on for about 5-7 days.

She also gave me some pain medication and more antibiotics but told me she did not think I would have much pain. That was an additional 150 TB ($4.50 USD).

She also told me that she was very positive in what she thought the outcome would be.

I felt very good about the trip and the dentist.

Sunday at CHILDLIFE

It's Sunday morning. We showered and dressed for the motorbike ride to CHILDLIFE, also know as Ban Nana, to see Pastor Lota and the kids for Sunday Church Service.

The trip is only about 20 minutes from where we are staying so we arrived just in time to have breakfast with the kids. Rice and a glass noodle soup was the fair for the morning.

I added a little to much chili pepper to my soup so Pastor Lota had to give me some water.

The kids all love Pastor Lota as he gets right down with them and does extremely well with the older children. He makes learning and worshiping fun. I feel he understand the philosophy of If they don't have fun they won't stick around very long.

Singing and being together was very enlightening.

Guljohn Jeamrum, the founder of CHILDLIFE, announced his marriage will be on November 14th and invited all to attend. CHILDLIFE was founded ten years ago.

We are always happy to be with the kids. To learn more about CHILDLIFE just CLICK HERE.

To watch a video about the CHILDLIFE cause CLICK HERE.

We are going to try and make the trip up into the mountain to Ban AYO this coming week to visit the new children's shelter. We talked to Chom-nom on the telephone as he was with his wife in Chiang Mai having a baby.

The baby is a little girl and Mother and baby are doing well. I don't know how Chom-nom is doing but he sounded very excited on the telephone.

Myanmar (Burma) & United Wa State Army

We try not to get involved with the politics here at the border of Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand. I always need to remember that I am an invited guest here in the "Land of Smiles".

There is something happening in Myanmar (Burma) that you might be interested in.

First, read this story written for the New York Times about ten days ago. Just CLICK HERE for the story.

I verified it with some folks that know and the battle between the United Wa State Army and the Burmese (Myanmar) Army is gearing up, big time. You can read about what happened in August by CLICKING HERE.

You can read more News about this subject at http://shanland.org/. Click on the "NEWS" tab at the top left of page.

The fighting, I'm told, will be along the China border, several hundred kilometer north from here and on the other side of a high mountain range.

The high mountain range is the part that will keep us safe here in Mae Sai, Thailand.

To see the area that the expected battles will take place CLICK HERE.

Tachilek is the town on the other side of the little river from us in Myanmar. This town is noted for the supplying of methamphetamine pills called YABA.
Officials have reported enormous drug seizures in recent months, including one in August, 2009 of more than 1,600 pounds.

You can read more about YABA in Thailand by CLICKING HERE.

The massive quanities of heroin and other drugs, which are being sold for weapons money, are crossing the Thailand border here in northern Thailand; mostly above the City of Chiang Mai. That is a few hundred kilometers to the west of us.

I am told that the numbers (quantity of drugs and trafficking) in the stories above are probably very understated. Folks say the movement of drugs is higher than anyone here has ever seen before and this is the "Golden Triangle"!

Don't worry about us as we will stay safe.

Another Party - Sumo's Birthday

As you already know, from reading our stories, the folks here in Thailand love to party. Last night was a nice little party for a little girl's eight birthday.

All the kids in the family and many of the adults got together to celebrate.

Sumo is just fun to watch as she is very active and loves to show off to the camera.

The cake was good, too.

And opening presents is always fun.

We're sure that from this picture you can tell who Sumo's Dad is.

Sumo's Dad invited us to visit him at his TEA plantation up in the mountains by the town of Mae Salong.

We told him we would love to visit him but we had already commented to join Pastor Lota for the 8:00 AM service at the children's shelter of CHILDLIFE on Sunday.

If you would like to see more about Mae Sai, Thailand and CHILDLIFE just CLICK HERE.

He said to come see him and spend some time with them before we return to California for the winter.

Breakfast in Mae Sai - Great Thai Food

We have been taking it easy now that we are back home in Thailand.

We had a great meal at 10:00 AM today when we went to Daeng's brother's home. Yep, breakfast in Mae Sai, Thailand

Daeng bought the food yesterday for 340 Thai Baht ($10.20 USD) and they cooked it for the family this morning.

Going clockwise around the food setting here is what I know it to be:

1:00 o'clock wrapped in cloth is a red sticky rice and chili seeds. ** By the way, you might notice that at about 7:30 o'clock, I am the only one with a glass of water. This stuff is HOT! The red rice comes out of the mountain and is know as an AKHA dish. AKHA's are a mountain people.

3:00 and 11:00 o'clock is a soup type dish with pork feet and lots of vegetables.

4:00 o'clock is roasted red chili peppers. ** Be sure and eat ice cream after you eat one of these so in the morning you can scream: "Come on ice cream!"

6:30 o'clock is fried bamboo worms, crunchy and very tasty.

9:00 o'clock is a small front half of a river fish, (small cat fish) fried. Very easy to eat as the only bone is the center skeleton and that stays together in one piece with the head.

Center is the back half of the cat fish which has been roasted in banana leaf over charcoal with spices and a vegetable that is very stringy but a little crispy after being cooked with the fish. I am told this is also a AKHA mountain dish.

You may have also noticed that only spoons are at the food setting. The meal was eaten with fingers and spoons. The newspaper used to cover the floor was folded up after the meal and no mess!

The majority of the costs for this meal were the bamboo worms $3.00 USD and the fish $5,00 USD. The other $2.20 USD went for a little pigs feet in the soup, the rice, vegetables and charcoal.

The meal feed six people and we all ate until we could not eat any more. There was soup, rice and a little fish left over.

I am still stuffed from the 10:00 AM meal. We probably will not eat again until late this evening and that will be a very small meal.

The Thai folks really like to eat. Maybe that is one of the reason I love it here.

Back Home in Thailand

We visited Mother and left Los Angeles on Wednesday. We had a good trip from California to the Myanmar (Burma) Border here in Thailand.

No, we didn't do the trip in a day and we always lose 14 hours traveling. We completely lost October 1st as we were in the air and it just popped by crossing the International Date Line.

Now, that's the kind of stuff that give you jet-lag as well as being in the air on planes for 18 hour.

As you have heard me say before: "Flying into Bangkok is like flying into the Bronx of New York City." That is not necessarily a bad thing, just not very relaxing.

We did spend three days in Bangkok, with me resting and Daeng shopping. Bangkok is a great place to shop if you like shopping. You can buy anything you want in Bangkok.

We then hopped on another plane for an hour and twenty minutes along with a forty minute car ride to the border, here in Mae Sai, Thailand.

We made it in time for a little party celebrating Kit's, Daeng's nephew, 14th birthday. Barbecue and ice cream cake for all.

Birthday party kisses are always nice, too.

It is nice to be back and relax here in Thailand. There is some unrest here on the Myanmar (Burma) Border as trouble with the WA Rebel Army and the Burmese Army is expected soon.

That will be several hundred kilometers north of us along the China border and on the other side of a high mountain range. We are very safe here in Mae Sai even though it is the farthest north in Thailand that you can go.

We will fill you in with want is happening in the next few days.

New York, New York

Since Daeng wanted to see the Statue of Liberty and I wanted to give her a good taste of New York City, I called the New York Marriott Marquis right at Time Square and made arrangements for a nice room facing Time Square.

The trip to the city was easy using the new GPS we had purchased in California. I was even starting to trust it's directions.

Well, through the Lincoln Tunnel and we were right there at the Hertz car return. Returned the car, complained about a three dollar a day extra insurance charge and got a $30 credit slip on next rental.

Taxi to hotel with bags and hot shower to relax. If we had not had the bags we would have just walked the couple of blocks to hotel.

The hotel is right on Time Square and Daeng could look out the window an see it.

We walked around and eat, took some pictures and called it a night. Statue of liberty in the morning.

Saturday morning, breakfast on Broadway, sub-way to South Ferry, walk to Statue of Liberty boat.

It was well worth the trip. I had seen the Statue from the Staten Island Ferry but it is worth visiting.

Back to the city, visit the largest toy store in the world, more pictures and just having fun.

More food and turn in for the night.

Sunday morning, St. Patrick Cathedral and breakfast at

Radio City.

It started to clear up and Deang said that even though she is afraid of heights she would go to the Empire State Building. I was very surprised but said okay, let's go.

Dinner at Yum Yum's Thai Restaurant on 46th Street and 9th Avenue.

It was a busy day!

Monday morning, pack, breakfast at a little restaurant on 9th Avenue, check out of hotel and shuttle to JTK for the trip back to California.

We had a wonderful trip to the East Coast of the good old USA.

Wednesday it's onward to Thailand.