March 12, 2012
Another beautiful (hot and humid) day in paradise. We started with a buffet breakfast that was fit for royalty. i've overdone the photos but i couldn't resist. it's included in our room costs. Mary then prepared for her conference presentation..a little glitch involved a call to Martine in China, a second downloading of the presentation in PDF format but all was well when it was downloaded successfully for viewing..stress Mary didn't need but her presentation was fabulous. We watched the whole group.(2 hours) and had noodles and beef (spicy) for lunch. We arranged transportation to the airport, found out it would be better to buy a phone in China (if we even need one at all!), found out how to send out postcards and booked a private boat tour down a river that takes to the Wat Arun Temple, apparently one of the oldest attractions in Thailand, for tomorrow morning. We did a little more shopping, took an intermediate Yoga class and then settled into the hot tub. We had a fabulous meal of pork tenderloin medallions and lasagna...yes lasagna and it was enough to finally slow us down. We're blogging and writing post cards.

March 12 2012 Bangkok

Early morning. In the dark, in the breakfast Nook/Study brewing coffe and writing this with a Book Light attached to my MacBook Air. Don't want to wake Jo. A few notes:

Tropical weather, tropical plants - huge palm trees and flowered bushes- don't recognize half of them. Small and very large Geckos (small dog) everywhere on the grounds. Humid, but breezy - we are both tolerating it well. Will present my research at 12nnon and hope to go the Grand Palace by Sky Train (Ferry first) and to buy Cell phones for each of us.

Jo and I are in Tokyo Airpot waiting for our flight to Bangkok. We survived a 13-hour flight here from Toronto. It is 4:30 pm. Tokyo time and 2:25 A.m - on March 10 - My Birthday!
A MAN IN FIRST-CLASS BOUGHT US CHAMPAGNE FOR US WHEN HE LEARNED IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY.....( we could not get rid of him......lol!)

CLUTE Institute Conferences

Last year I was in New Orleans giving a presentation at the CLUTE Institute. This year, they are in Bangkok. I will be presenting on March 12 @ 12 Noon. It's on the "new pragmatism" among students in the digital age.

"Mini" Pre-Birthday Party. Mini Food. Mini Dress. Mini hand sanitizers, lotions & potions for the Plane(s) Trips.

Had a "Mini" Pre-Birthday  party!

Early Birthday Celebrations & Gifts

Funny Money & Bangkok - WE ARE HERE!!!!!!

Foreign Currency Exchange Office in Ottawa was interesting. Clerk extremely helpful.
March 11 in Bangkok
Pics..Mary's birthday in Bowmanville, us at the airport and celebrating with champagne with Dennis on the plane over the ocean. more pics at Tokyo airport and my two plane mates 'Tom' and 'Yoko' who were on their honeymoon trek to Calcutta. excellent English. No limo driver at the airport but cabbie was excellent. and two thirds cheaper! pics of mary and i at the Courtyard Marriott. Walk to the location of the conference (4.5km in 34 degree C..actually it was OK) only to find it's the wrong hotel. A wonderful concierge sends us in a cab (bearing free bottles of water) to the Anantara Resort and Spa, the correct location of the conference. Yahooey! This is where the fun begins...It's amazingling exotic so we manage to convince the mangers of both hotels to move us to the location of the conference. Two cabs later we are moved. Room isn't ready and it's time for the Conference meet and greet so we head to the garden room. No one is there! head back to the lobby and find out we've spent the whole day on Tokyo time which is two hours ahead so we're too early for the meet and greet. We just figured we time travelled!  Room is ready. We walk into a SUITE which includes two huge balconies, a separate den, free bottles water, free internet and free breakfasts in the Hotel restaurant every morning of our stay...They've upgraded our room because there are no more economy rooms left...AND they're charging us the lower conference rate (which we were supposed book by November 2011) We are blessed!We sent pics of the room...awesome. Pics of Mary on a very large table in front of the hotel. Please look at the guard coming through the doors behind her...we were'nt supposed to sit on this table let alone put your feet on it. Pics of the guard and me...we apologized and made friends. Went shopping and mary bought a beautiful designer 'knock off' top to  present her paper tomorrow. Time for bed...We love Bangkok...Good Night Moon....Mary and Jo  
Photos appear in Destination Asia- sorry! NEW BOGGER!
AND THANKS TO CRIAG - JO'S HUSBAND FOR CLEARING UP THE MYSTERY OF THE WRONG WATH TIME ON OUR WIRST ON SUNDAY MARCH 11 UTNIL 3 PM.!!!!!!!