It was a rather late start as usual.  I needed to prepare online classes so that was my excuse for a delay.  The staff of course mentioned how hot it was but I must be getting used to it because I just powered on through.  Thankfully it was a short ride today.  

After a few Amazon coffee stops I barreled into Khon Kaen on the approach road and then found my way to a plush condo that was pre-booked:  it's called 185 Residences if you're interested.  The city had a nice chilled out vibe to it and it was fitting to stop off at a nice restaurant at the entrance to the downtown area.  It was so cheap.  That's one of the huge advantages of touring Isaan, it is the least expensive in all of Thailand. 

Heart

0

Comment

0

Link

Log in to comment or reply

Heart

0

Comment

0

Link

Log in to comment or reply

Heart

0

Comment

0

Link

Log in to comment or reply

At this point I got cracking on all my documents that the new employer wanted for the Malaysia visa application.  Things were well on track for that and everyone was quite impressed with the speed that things were going.  There was only one problem and it was that my passport was soon to expire, probably in less time needed to apply for the visa.

There is a long backstory to that, but it was all due to six months ago when I had the passport stolen at a gas station and then my Embassy would only give me a two year replacement due to my lack of carrying around a birth certificate.   See the full story here

Interestingly, my new employer suggested I go back to Shanghai and re-apply for a new passport at the consulate there while finishing off the remainder of the school year.  But with all the latest news about quarantines and what happened with my friends, this wasn't looking so appealing.  The other option would be to go back to Canada and apply there.  Or, a third alternative:  just keep on biking and eventually head to Malaysia earlier and just teach online while doing all this.  The passport issue would sort itself out.

As I spent a couple days in Khon Kaen, it was looking more and more appealing to follow option #3

[Update April 2024]:  Why I didn't do this is beyond me.  It would have been the best option.  

Thailand has helped me out in so many ways.  I can think of several times in the past when I've faced a life crisis.  I just came here on a bicycle and sorted the problem out to emerge victorious on the other side.  I was expecting this trip to be the same.  There's something about Thai style that allows you to work through these problems so effectively. 

[Update November 2022]:  But in 2020, it was different.  I've never seen Thai people panic before.  At that time it happened and it was an eye-opener.  The whole chill vibe got upended remarkably fast.  This isn't to say it was permanent.  Thailand came to grips with the pandemic and dealt with it like any other country in the world, well except for one which we won't name.

I had an absolutely amazing sleep in that condo after having completed the bulk of the paperwork on the upcoming Malaysia job and more or less secured the next year.  Then of course I woke up to news where the WHO declared the coronavirus a pandemic.   This was one of those "Where were you when 9/11 happened" kind of moments.  

I'll always remember that day as 3/11

That was probably one of the last good sleeps I can remember.  After that day, there weren't many more.

This was not looking good.  I decided at that point I needed to regroup a bit, leave the bike behind, and do a cheap return flight to/from Bangkok.  There was some key stuff that needed to get done there, people to meet, and more.  Plus I needed a mental change of pace from all that had just happened.