U. S. Soldiers Home, Washington:<\/b> during a century of travel (well
\n 78 years!) both in and out of service I have travelled to over 150 countries
\n (I count both North and South Dakota as countries) and for some reason
\n have jotted signs and happenings that I thought funny at the time (and
\n now wonder why). So here is the perfect opportunity to share some of my
\n anecdotes. <\/p>\n
In the Bangkok post office two Scandinavian girls came in with backpacks
\n the size of a Volvo Auto on their backs. They were wearing dresses and
\n proceeded to take them off in the middle of post office and stood there
\n in their panties while they looked in their backpacks for jeans and blouse.
\n Naturally, I volunteered my help. Patrons were dropping their mail at
\n the sight of this goings on. You don’t have to go to the strip shows.
\n You can just go to the Post Office. <\/p>\n
Elephant School Chiang Mai, Thailand: Elephants go to school for seven
\n years and live to be around 80. An American military retired man living
\n in Chiang Mai, with his Thai wife told me that the elephant’s pregnancy
\n lasts 2 years and he compared it to a U.S. Senator’s two year term
\n of office. It is high level, there is lots of noise and it takes two years
\n to get any results. Someone has asked me what elephants learn in their
\n school. They learn potty training, basket weaving and how to pick up logs.
\n I was given some bananas to feed the elephants at the elephant training
\n school. I gave my elephant one and ate the rest myself. He has never forgotten
\n this. I rode this elephant for an hour over mountainous hills sometimes
\n so steep that I feared I might fall off and down he cliff with the elephant
\n on top of me. The ride costs 480 bahts ($16.00) I kind of got roped into
\n taking the elephant trip. A Thai girl told me that she and her husband
\n would get a free ride on the elephant if they got eleven other people
\n to sign up for the trip. They had just gotten married and the elephant
\n trip was their honeymoon. (Don’t ask!) Elephants don’t eat
\n after midday and monks don’t either. However, the elephant I was
\n on ate everything his trunk could pull up along the road and it was about
\n 1230 noon. Monks smoke but do not touch alcohol. If I understand correctly,
\n Buddhism does not tell others how to live but it is within oneself to
\n better yourself, treat others how to live and don’t steal bananas
\n from elephants. <\/p>\n
I met a British retired military that spends his time living in monastery
\n guest houses in Thailand. He gives them a donation of $80 a month, which
\n pleases them. He married a Japanese girl while in India (I don’t
\n know what she was doing there) but she got homesick so left Thailand to
\n return to Japan. He believes in reincarnation. He thinks it is the only
\n way to handle the thousands of people that have died before us. He unfortunately
\n had a stroke while revisiting England but returned here to spend out the
\n last days of his life. He reads a book a day he rents from library in
\n Chiang Mai, sees the sites and eats tomatoes. <\/p>\n
A lady in a tailor shop (“our materials are the sheapest”)
\n in Banglampor (the budget hotel section) of Bangkok claimed she knew me
\n from when I was stationed there and said I should buy a suit from her
\n for old times sake and the wonderful times we had together. I was never
\n stationed in Thailand. <\/p>\n
Next month, Mac discusses clothing.<\/b> <\/p>\n