Japan now says they will allow me to apply to get a letter letting me through immigration in Japan. I would need to test negative for Covid within 72 hours before the flight if I received “the letter”. Friends in Japan are losing faith in their government for mishandling the Covid 19 virus. Infected people are increasing. So now everyone is telling me not to return for safety reasons.
Croatia was allowing tourists in under certain screening or quarantine. I was thinking as using that as my escape route into Europe. But the last few days England put restrictions on people coming in from Croatia since Covid cases are increasing. So now will this cause problems for my escape? Actually I have no problems being in Thailand. It is safe, medical services are good. Everything is fine. But I can’t stay here much longer, maybe not past September 26 when the Covid amnesty ends. Since things change from day to day I guess I will just have to see what the next month brings.
I bet you expect this title to indicate I am going to yada, yada about “mask” issues. Ain’t gonna happen on this website. I save that for my egghead facebook page. Here you will find recent perspectives on Covid and political demonstrations in Thailand.
Thailand continues to have very few, not more than 15/day, positive Covid tests and still at zero daily deaths. Talk about “safety” and “freedom”, Thailand gives tourists a lot of those 2 so come to visit when possible. Now tourism is blocked. Even returning Thai nationals need to quarantine for 2 weeks in Bangkok at their expense. Diplomats and UN people need to quarantine if they are even allowed into the country, no entry permission is guaranteed.
The website at the Japanese Embassy indicates I can now apply for return to my country of residence. Not sure what that means since it does NOT indicate an automatic system for residents to return, those who aren’t “exceptions”. But I need to sit a while longer without travel in Thailand to recover from surgery. The hospital here says they will help with immigration if the stay goes past September 26, the last day of the visa amnesty granted to tourists who got “stuck” here due to Covid-19.
So, I make the best of things staying at my friend’s estate outside Bangkok. He has 2 free dogs, a swimming pool, large back yard for dog Frisbee games (not throwing dogs) and a coffee maker. So, life is now on autopilot until all things improve.
With free dogs, frisbees and coffee.
It seems an escape West might work through Croatia but that situation is changing as they accept US tourists and Covid positive people increase. Croatia’s acceptance rules keep changing. It is in the EU but not in Schengen so automatic entry to other Schengen countries is not possible. But as an EU country, showing a period of stay there, Covid negative, can be a positive to entering Schengen, other EU countries or other countries in the area, Scotland or England.
Oh, concerning Demonstrations, almost forgot, let me just say read the news. There are currently pro democracy demonstrations and you will read also about some complex political issues surrounding demonstrator demands. Most of the demonstrators are University students. Stay tuned.
So, musical food, failed catheter episodes and a real desire to escape from an uncomfortable hospital bed…. What is the result? Still going through recovery and trying to figure out what all is expected and what might be some unexpected symptoms or effects, I am (Yoda English). Going back to a great place to recover, comfortable bed, back yard, free dogs, pool (can’t yet go in) and many kinds of food, has all been something to look forward to.
Would Steve McQueen forgive my 50cc motorcycle?
Looking at the Japan Embassy site they seem to be so magnanimous by letting residents of Japan come back if they are accepted by special application. So, I say, “pick your nose!”. To go back now to doctors who will just complain about the surgery I had (typical arrogance), or have to find some place to recover…NO! Not interested. Japanese bureaucrats will just have to wait until I am ready to fill out papers they might want for me to completely dislodge myself from residence there.
And, so the unexpected travel itinerary continues to be a day by day jar of jelly, wiggling every morning with no substantial change in form.
Some Open countries are seeing more Covid 19 infections. Those countries will go back to more strict regulations for health concerns. Let’s just hope our friends and family stay safe and healthy.
Even up to a month ago my friends in Japan were egging me on to get back to Japan. I sold my condo in Chiba, outside Tokyo, but have some things left to do before I can officially “detach”. My best drinking buddy passed away last month so there was no hurry to get back to see him.
As you know Covid forced (as they put it) the Japanese government to close entry for anyone below Long Term Residents, those with a critical reason to be in Japan such as family. My long term business visa status was not sufficient so I stayed in Thailand, unable anyway to move on.
Just a few days ago the numbers of confirmed Covid cases increased “dramatically”. So now my friends, looking after my good health, are encouraging me not to return to Japan.
In this world of uncertainty one thing is certain……UNCERTAINTY!
At sometime the ether wears off. In my case it was about 2 am. People around me asking this, that and the other (a phrase my grandfather used). You can imagine what they were. One was whether or not I wanted to urinate, which I did. It was very painful and bloody. but after the second round, somewhat successful, a young (maybe 19) nurse’s assistant determined I needed a catheter. Not knowing when a catheter is necessary I was just the stupid recipient.
Well, it was one of the most painful experiences of my life. As I tried to muffle the screams she kept the progress up as blood kept bloodying (not that much). A more senior (30 or so) nurse came in and assisted. Again, torture and foreboding! Would this just be a small sample of the painful immediate future? They finally gave up and pulled out the catheter. Thirty minutes later the doctor came in and asked them why they were using a catheter when fluids were coming out. Well, my Thai isn’t good enough to understand the medical conversation so I just egged on the doctor, hoping he would nix the inquisition and punishment. He explained the catheter was not necessary and let me go on living. Later on the explanation was some prostate issue. To make a long story not as long, the urologist was consulted and medications were put in my daily diet. That took care of everything.
Inserting the CATHETER
My friend Bob, who, with Chris, forced me to wear just a bottle of Johnny Walker Red on the way back from the Cornell Dorm showers on my birthday (18th) while lining up girls to view the live exhibit walking back to his room (me). Oops, no main verb there. Ok, well, anyway, Bob asked I explain what food was provided. Actually I was originally given the pale face food, tasty scrambled eggs, potatoes and something. Since my mother cured me from eating greasy eggs I just ate the potatoes. It was ok, I was not really hungry, getting used to my restricted intake in my diet routine. I requested the Thai meal after which was a variety of stuff with a bowl of rice, very filling and a little too much for me but much more palatable than eggs. The food was not bad. But then I was not being regular (all you old fogies will know what I mean) and was having some slight pains so the doctor recommended the fruit and salad courses. That was ok except the salad was served with a “dressing” with the English and Thai label “EGG”. I dipped my spoon in expecting the usual way too sweet dressing and, as expected, it tasted like half sugar and half other stuff. Since it would have made me feel unwell I just ate the vegetables without any dressing, healthy and OK but not particularly tasty but that didn’t really bother me since I am used to eating most anything.
THAI SALAD DRESSING
The doctor came in later and asked me about the new diet, along with other more pressing questions, and I explained fruit alone would be nice and that is what came for the next meal.
Ok, now I get to coffee but I will let that wait for Part 3.
As the world turns and we all are stuck in unexpected situations and environments a few of us have had to use hospital facilities, myself included.
While in Khanom, southern Thailand, my 64 year old hernia surgery broke open. It was not that the lower abdomen bulge was too worry-some at first but digestive problems and pains forced me to seek medical attention in Bangkok. Fortunately I have a good friend from Norway who founded our Bubbles Dive Training Center with me in the early 90’s living in Bangkok in a very large “spread” complete with big yard, swimming pool, large house, maid, gardener and cook and free dogs, one a Pincer and the other a Jack Russel Terrier (the one who attacks my face with her tongue several times a day). The living situation could have turned out worse.
As soon as I could I made an appointment to get the hernia checked out and a week later I met with the surgeon and decided to go ahead with the repair that evening. There were several reasons for the rush. Digestive issues accompanied increasing pains, laparoscopic surgery could again be banned if Covid in Thailand took a bad turn (gas coming from the process, entering a Covid positive patient and then being let out in the operating room could infect operating room personnel). Also, there was no reason to wait. I guess I could have checked out more hospitals and surgeons but waiting might make the physical problems worse and I very much believe in luck. No matter how much care you take on an issue things could turn out very different from the plan.
The surgeon was to do the operation at 9 pm so at 5 pm, after consultation, I changed into hospital garb, lay down on the slab and prepared to just let whatever———- happen, totally out of my control anyway.
THE SLAB!
The young (20 or so) assistant stuck a needle between my finger tendons (the preferred spot) for the semi-permanent tube for medications, etc. It was very painful and she never found the vein. An older nurse came by and showed her the alternate spot, just behind the thumb knuckle. That vein was good. I didn’t sign up for torture but soon found that was not the only torture I was to endure. My painful winces didn’t stop the young attendant from casing more pain with that damn needle. Don’t people know that needles hurt?!
THE NEEDLES! OUCH!
As I was wheeled around the facilities on the slab I had this strange feeling of helplessness and fate. It was a little embarrassing laying down while being wheeled around when I could have made it on my own two feet. But hospitals have their procedures so it was up to me to just shut up and chill out!
After a few hours sleeping in my private room they came to put me back on the slab for transport to the operating room. Once there people went in and out, fixing a tube of electrolytes to the semi-permanent hole in my thumb. After about 20 minutes the anesthetist stood behind me and with no explanation put a mask on my face and said “oxygen”. Tasted fresh! After 20 seconds the taste changed to a slightly dirtier, rougher flavor. That taste increased and in 3 seconds I saw one trillion pin holes in the ceiling. LIGHTS OUT!
Yesterday was my first weekday in Bangkok staying with my old buddy, fellow Bubbles, Bjørn. Below is a photo of his backyard. There were several reasons to move up to Bangkok. Some countries signaled their interest to get tourists back so might let me enter. Thailand, so far, has only given us tourists amnesty through July and Japan still won’t let me return.
Bjørn’s backyard in Bangkok
The other important reason for leaving beautiful Khanom for the big crowded city was to get the possible hernia checked. So yesterday i went to Mission Hospital, established by the Adventists, a very reputable hospital. After a train and taxi ride i arrived for temperature check at the entrance. Almost no one was inside. Most people are still probably wary of visiting hospitals. After registering i waited 10 minutes for the blood pressure, weight and height measurements and then waited 5 minutes to see the general practitioner.
He said it was best to talk to the specialist so the nurse directed me to another chair outside another room. 5 minutes later the specialist was ready to check me out. Yes, it turned out to be a “recurrent hernia” right where i had the original hernia operation when i was 2. Ok, so the verdict is, make a Sunday appointment with the surgeon to see what next steps might be.
Then direction to another chair and 2 minutes. The assistant, dressed as a nurse, explained today there was no charge. What? I brought all this US$150 equivalent in Baht to pay for the diagnosis. Ok. Well, zero is better than the alternative. Good thing i am not in the US. I would be out a few hundred dollars just to say “Hello” to a doctor.
On the way out, by the entrance, a few tables were set up with a few girls (younger than 30 so i say, “girls”) selling some confection along with rice crackers which “didn’t have much sugar” for 100 Baht (32 Baht=US$1). This would make a nice snack to take back to my friends. They are a very nice snack, and, “not much sugar”. So i was saved what would have been a bank busting hospital bill in the US by a few rice crackers. Oh, when i paid the girls directed me to put the 100 Baht note in the hospital contribution box. I suspect they were made as a charity project to provide funds for some hospital project to keep others healthy.
I am not going to make a definitive comment on this article beyond what i know. The only coconut monkeys i have seen are in tourist shows. The showman sends the monkey up the tree. The monkey twists the ripe coconut until it falls and goes to the next ripe coconut to repeat the process. In Khanom, the south of Thailand, there are coconut trees in almost everyone’s yard. Haven’t seen one monkey. With the short trees some people use a long pole with a knife on the end to cut the coconut tether so the coconut falls to the ground. Coconuts have a very hard shell so there is no chance of them cracking open when they fall. But with the taller trees people just wait for the coconuts to fall. Again, never drive under or spend time under a coconut tree. Coconuts are heavy. If one falls on your head there is a very good chance you will be killed. Many times i have come upon coconuts lying in the middle of a road having fallen from a tree.
Trucks drive around every so often and have people put their coconuts aboard for shipment to market. Not sure when and how people get paid for loading their coconuts on the truck. They probably get paid cash right on the spot.
Large coconut groves might use monkeys to harvest the crop but, again, all i have seen are the tourist tricks.
This is about remoras and it is about a conundrum, but it’s not about remoras having a conundrum and it’s also not about flying spaghetti monster‘s.
I have a conundrum but I want to talk about the remoras first. Just five days ago, most of the way through my morning swim on the beach, I felt something like a jellyfish bumping up against me but sticking longer than jellyfish do and no sting. Then I felt a little ticklish where they were. I looked down and saw what looked like a foot-long remora which tends to stick around whale sharks, sharks and other large fish to clean off the algae and bacteria on the skin or scales. Immediately I was reminded of the fish in the waterfall area last month, the ones cleaning your feet. These remoras, if that’s really what they were, I haven’t looked them up yet, just seemed to find different places on my body they needed to clean. This was before I took a shower so who knows what they found for breakfast. I never had this experience in many thousands of hours in the ocean. It was kind of fun and refreshing. Several days later they were around me again and have been there almost every day since. I also noticed there were fewer beach fishing nets strung out and so maybe these were the tiny fish these fishermen were trying to capture for some food reasons. I can’t imagine them being much except bones.
Remora on a shark
Now for the conundrum. Have you ever been in a situation where you were in a place for a long period of time and it started to grow on you so you felt like it was not a place you were going to leave? I’m not asking if it was a feeling of want or need. It’s the kind of feeling where you just don’t expect to be going anywhere because you feel as though you are one with the surroundings and the furniture, if there is furniture (not in the case of outdoorsers of course). Enjoy my new vocabulary.
What started the whole chain of events was what I think is a hernia and I hope it’s nothing worse. I don’t think going to a local country hospital is the right thing to do. So the best thing to do is to go to Bangkok and try one of the well-known hospitals up there to get checked out. Because I haven’t been back to Japan to do some bureaucratic stuff my health insurance will expire the end of July. And there’s a good chance I won’t be able to get back before the end of July so it just seems best to get things checked out now.
But I have been stuck in Paradise due to the COVID-19 crisis, never really expecting to be here more than a month but it’s been more than two months now. By saying that I’m not suggesting I feel it’s time to go because I feel like part of the furniture. I feel like part of the beach, part of the ocean and pretty settled. I don’t feel a real need to leave except I do feel it may be growing on me too much and I do have visa restrictions so it’s about time to skedaddle.
My old friend whom I started Bubbles with (my scuba diving training business in Phuket Thailand) lives in Bangkok in a large house with a pool. He works for the UN and so has a very stable work and living situation which keeps him there for a long period of time. So I will go up and stay with him and get a few health things checked out at some good hospitals while doing my best to avoid any viruses.
So the remoras I explained and the conundrum is solved, I just bought a flight ticket for Friday from Surat Thani to Bangkok. So life goes on, travels continue and new things Lie ahead.
Last week I thought I had a major accomplishment. On the route to the beach and the route to shopping there were no more dogs chasing the motorcycle. The ones chasing the motorcycle either became friends when I stopped to talk with them and pet them or they shied away.
Over the many times passing chasing dogs I found the owners either abusing them or teasing them by chasing them on the motorcycle. I’m not a dog psychologist but I suspect this contributed greatly to their motorcycle chasing habit. Those dogs no longer chase my motorcycle since they know I will stop and try to be friends. They cower and slowly slink away. But today the three dogs at the property next to this resort started chasing the motorcycle again. But they are a very special group. They are in mortal conflict with the dogs at this resort property and that’s another reason to chase me. But I stopped and two of the three came to smell the other dogs’ scents on the motorcycle and my hands and then shy away. The third one is still too uncertain to approach me. Individually none of them will chase me any more as they used to. It’s only when two or three are together they form a very bold pack.
Finally became a friend
So today I was going to write of a major accomplishment last week, no more motorcycle chasers. And then today the pack of three decided they would see if they could scare me off.
I’m not a dog psychologist so I don’t know why dogs chase cars and motorcycles but it really is a better idea for owners to teach them not to do that. After all, if you have kids don’t you teach them not to chase cars and motorcycles?
