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Showing posts from January, 2014

Koh Larn (Coral Island) Thailand

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Situated to the west of Pattaya, Larn island offers the tourists with beautiful sandy beaches, clear water, breathtaking landscape and stunning sunset. It is only 7.5 km and 45 minute ferry or 15 minutes by speedboat. The island is 4 km in length and 2 km in width or 3,500 rai. 90% of the area is mountain with a variety of trees. There are approximately a thousand of residents living in the main village. There are also school and small medical facility on the island. There is also a profusion of marine life under the water. There is glass bottom boat service where ones can view the scenic underwater life without getting wet. Big boats are not allowed to anchor near the beach as the corals are protected. One of the popular beaches is Ta Waen Beach in the northern part of the island has a 750 m stretch of the white sand. There are also shops and food stalls along the beach. In the south western side of the island, Thian Beach stretches 700 m long and Samae Beach is 100 m long. Thian Beac

35 Years After It Was Stolen, Authorities Return Chinese Vessel to Fogg | News | The Harvard Crimson

Nearly 35 years after it went missing, an 18th-century Qing Dynasty jade vessel will once again be on exhibit at the Fogg Museum after popping up at a Hong Kong auction site. On Tuesday, Jan. 21, representatives from Harvard Art Museums held a ceremony welcoming back the missing artifact, which is now worth an estimated $1.5 million. The censer, an approximately half-foot tall jade vessel for burning incense, was donated by Ernest B. Dane, Class of 1892, and his wife Helen P. Dane to the Fogg Museum in 1942. Harvard first realized that it was missing Nov. 26, 1979. Harvard Art Museums officials contacted law enforcement soon after the piece went missing and posted notices in several newsletters and databases dedicated to reporting stolen artworks, according to a statement released by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the Massachusetts District of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Monday. In 2009, a branch of Sotheby’s auction house in Hong Kong realized that a censer it had

“Awe of heart” or simply...consideration. Not a word spoken allot anymore outside of courts..

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I was having a coffee at the cafe the other day and I was thinking about the culture gap with my Thai girlfriend and I recalled the link I was sent by a friend.. There is a little cultural phenomenon called Kreng Jai. I have spent the last 10 weeks methodically and patiently listening to my girlfriend explain the cultural mysteries I do not understand when we have differences. It is surprisingly simple when she answers my questions but I cannot seem to relay the clarity to acquaintances that determinedly pursue the frustratingly futile efforts to impose foreign values in a Thai culture. "Kreng Jai , which literally means “awe of heart” but can best be translated into “consideration”, is a cause of much  frustration for foreigners who live in Thailand or foreigners with Thai partners . The concept of   Kreng Jai   is an important one in Thai culture and has been characterized as “the essence of Thai-ness”, but   what  specifically this nature entails can be hard to describe.

Happy New Years from Thailand

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I wish good luck, good fortune and good health to family and friends for 2014. High season seems to be busier than past years. The New Years celebrations in the city were just packed....no it was stuffed with tourists this year.  Nonetheless, my  New Years was good. My Travel comrade, Dennis, did steaks at his condo. Good Beef is rare here (pun intended) and he discovered good Australian marbled beef. He's a very good chef. We went to fireworks and it was like an over-packed zoo. I stayed till midnight and then left him and went back to my lady's party. I took a motorbike taxi and hooked up with Ning and we partyd(?) on the beach. Dennis caught up with me later and we went to bar for nightcap. I'll be in touch.