USA

Why I Prefer Oaxaca

Posted on by Laughingnomad

We expats are finding what we did not find “at home.” Much  like the hippies did in the 60’s. I retired in 2002, traveled for 5 years, went back “home” for 2 months and was bored to tears. Most of my friends had moved on (or I had moved on). I was just going back and forth between the computer and the TV. I thought, I could just die here in this chair! Where are you going to go…the mall? Similarly, my son married a Thai who was used to colorful life on the streets and brought her to the states on a 3 month tourist visa to see how she would like it. She hated it and went back a month early. I understood completely.  Many of the comments I hear here I also hear from expats in Thailand.

As for why I am here and not somewhere else…I lived with a Mex-American family for 4 years of high school and then worked on behalf of the migrant community for 30 years…most of whom were from Oaxaca and for the last 10 years developed and administered a violence prevention/alternative ed program for Latino high school dropouts. I loved the families we were working with from Oaxaca and mentored several of the girls from the Mixteco. I wanted to come see the culture where they all were from and what made them who they are. 10 years later I am happily still here. But it is sad that we cannot find an authentic culture at home and have to “borrow” someone else’s.

Emergency Trip To Salem

Posted on by Laughingnomad

Lost my iPhone! And locked out of iCloud and email! But most of all family and businesses lost access to my phone number! But I lucked out this time. Weather is mighty fine! Sleeping in Doug’s trailer at the farm with Oso (his dog) plastered against me under the covers! It will be a relief to return to Oaxaca on May 10th.

The U.S. Is A Mess!

Posted on by Laughingnomad

Got back to Oregon in the middle of an ice and snow storm on Jan 5. The Lexus was sliding all over so had to rent an SUV. Had no idea it was so expensive to rent a car in the U.S.!

Bob flew up to Salem after spending 6 weeks in Las Vegas recuperating from his hip replacement. We spent 2 weeks in an AirB&B…which I wouldn’t do again. Weird being in someone’s house when you are not the guest.

Then spent 5 days with my dear friend Patty after which I moved to the cozy little “Nomad,” one of Doug’s trailers out on the farm.

So a month in Salem spent with a doc appointment, taxes and meeting with the Estate Attorney to redo my will. And a thousand other things among which was getting estimates from geologists to reinforce the house and keep it from slipping down the hill.

I was in Thailand during the election so I could just ignore it and pretend it didn’t happen. But back in the U.S….

Christmas In Chiang Mai

Posted on by Laughingnomad

November and December 2016

After a month in Bangkok and a 5 day visa run to Hanoi, I’ve been in Chiang Mai with Doug since November 21. We are staying at the Smith Residence and I have a great view of the sunrises over the city from my 6th floor balcony.

“I take care mama,” says Doug in a Thai speak accent. I open the door each morning to see a smiling face as he holds out something for me to eat…pastry, fruit or a Thai dish he has made himself in his balcony kitchen which is basically a sink. But he bought an electric wok and a little charcoal grill to grill meat and fish. We both have a water kettle for morning coffee. It’s remarkable what he is able to cook up.

My Christmas present to Doug was a fancy buffet dinner at the Le Meridien Hotel.

Meanwhile, Bob has been with Greg in Las Vegas while he recuperates after his hip replacement there last month.

Hong Kong and Thailand 2015-16

Posted on by Laughingnomad

It’s been two and a half months since I left Oaxaca on Oct 3. The time is slipping by without me even noticing it.

Flew into Las Vegas first to spend some time with Greg and a return visit to a spinal surgeon who gave me some injections in my back.

Greg was really cute taking care of me. Bought more food than we could possibly eat…fruit and sweet corn I missed in Oaxaca. He prepared my snack corner by the toaster and coffee pot. So nice when your children love you. And of course we went out to eat a lot. Probably gained 5 pounds which I will now lose in Asia.

Hong Kong was a treat spending 10 days with Josh and Polly to whom Josh has just gotten engaged.

Had morning Dum Sum. And Josh took me up to the American Club restaurants on the top floor of the Stock Exchange Building where he is the Executive Chef.

Because there are no parks in Hong Kong Central, on Sundays, migrant working families congregate on cardboard on newly renovated shopping “mall” sidewalks in Soho.

Flew to Bangkok November 10 where I’ll be for two months to hang out, see some friends and get a cap on an implant I had during my last visit to Bangkok. I’m staying at the VX50 Guesthouse at the On Nut BTS stop for a month. But developed excruciating pain in my right leg after sleeping on the very hard bed at the Guesthouse. Visits to Bumrungrad Hospital ensued.

When I arrived it was still ungodly hot for November but now, after a couple weeks, it’s tolerable. Couldn’t live here year round.

Made some new friends, Paul and Robert, while sitting in front of the Parrot Cafe on Suk 22. Robert calls the regular expats Parrot Heads! Me and two couples, American expats with Thai partners, were headed for the French Consulate to hear some Indian Devotional music when we discovered the event was actually at a lake. So too late for the event, it was Sushi instead.

Las Vegas Again & Great Salt Lake

Posted on by Laughingnomad

October 3, 2015
Flew to Las Vegas from Oaxaca early on my way back to Asia. Had an MRI and injections with a spinal surgeon that works with Greg. They really rolled out the red carpet for me and I asked Greg to buy lunch for the entire staff.

MRI not good. Cortisone injections to little effect. But hey, I’m not in a wheelchair!

Flew out to Salem on Oct 27 after spending a 5 day hiatus in Salt Lake City visiting a couchsurfing friend to give Greg a break. He was house sitting in Deer Valley which brought back memories of the family ski trip there when the kids were young.

[GREAT SALT LAKE]

Las Vegas On The Way To Oaxaca

Posted on by Laughingnomad

June 4, 2015
Really enjoying Greg in Las Vegas. Weather warm but perfect for me.

Greg took me to a concert with Robert Plant (of Led Zeppelin) on May 28. Love his new group. But it was at a stand only venue and it nearly killed me. We had to leave early.

OMG, the strip is the best people watching in the world!

Greg’s best friends (both single like Greg) drove out from LA to spend the weekend with Greg and I. OMG, intense conversations! Wore me out! But I ate it all up. Mostly about male/female relationships, sex and politics. Ha!

Greg is throwing one of his bash’s on Sunday. About 20 people for dinner. He cooks. Has a friend that is a sommelier helping him. He dropped off two cases of wine yesterday. Greg has become quite the wine connoisseur. (Had to look up that spelling)

Angelo, the sommelier has a fusion restaurant that we went to last night. Foie Gras and escargot for appetizers and a wonderful tenderloin that Greg and I shared. Greg spends money on me like water. Makes me nervous but I don’t say anything. It’s his life. Am looking forward to talking with Angelo at the party. His ancestry is French, Italian and Mexican and he grew up in Mexico City and Guadalajara.

Had a pedicure yesterday by some lovely Vietnamese women. Where did you live, I asked. Hue she said. You know Hue? She was surprised when I said yes. Then I had my hair tinted.

So guess I’m ready to take on Oaxaca again.

Spirit Prayer

Posted on by Laughingnomad

It was an amazing experience.

I was in my familiar Governor’s Cup coffee shop in Salem Oregon talking with my friend when I told her I didn’t know what to do with all the Indian rocks my father inadvertently dug up while tilling the soil on his sheep ranch in Klamath County. She pointed to a guy with a long pony tail and said, why don’t you talk to him. He happened to be a Native American with a doctorate in anthropology. So he contacted someone with the Klamath Tribe. It just happened that people with the Tribe were coming to Salem for a Tribal meeting a few days after David picked up the rocks. So he transferred them to the Tribal members.

The reason so many of them were broken, he said, was that when someone was buried they broke up their household bowls and pestles and buried them along with the body. So the Tribe is going to rebury them on Tribal land. David asked me to write a prayer to the Spirits and to cleanse the house with a sage smudge.

    Prayer To The Spirits

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Nearing The End of Insanity

Posted on by Laughingnomad

I have been renting the house out in Salem Oregon ever since I retired in 2002. After traveling for 5 years I settled as an expat in Oaxaca in 2006. I return to Salem about once a year for regular medical checkups and follow up.

This February, while I was there, the renter, after 5 years, decided to move. All of a sudden 3 weeks turned into 3 months. So I took the opportunity, between renters to clean the house out of 40 years of s**t that had been stored in the basement.That was the beginning of insanity. Each item required a mental and emotional decision…get rid of it, save it or sell it. Then packing it all in boxes…taping, carrying, shoving…a pickup load at a time to go to a storage unit or Goodwill.
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