Train to Pattaya

December 13, 2025 I’m in Thailand. Above is my view from my balcony on the 7th floor of the Krungkasem Srikrung Hotel, around 7am. The Bangkok (Hua Lamphong) railway station is on the extreme left. Another view of the canal, the Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem. According to Wikipedia in order to serve as a new outer moatContinue reading “Train to Pattaya”

Bathurst, Australia

November 26, 2025 I’m back in Sydney. My 2-year visa had expired, and the Mandarin Training Center refused to give me another. However, I discovered that I can go back to Taiwan without a visa and study Chinese, though I have to depart in 90 days. I’ll be doing this for, hopefully, some years. ButContinue reading “Bathurst, Australia”

Datong District, Taipei

Note: I will be travelling to Thailand and Cambodia in February 2026. If you are interested in meeting there, even if only for a week or two, respond in the comments below. August 10, 2025 Jenny is coming to Taipei. I met Jenny 35 years ago, when we were both undergraduates at Sydney University. SheContinue reading “Datong District, Taipei”

Want to go to Thailand or Cambodia?

From December 2025 to February 2026, I will be in Thailand and Cambodia. The reason is that I will reach the end of the Taiwanese government’s two-year Chinese language qualification in December. So, I will take a three-month holiday in South-East Asia, then in February come back to Taiwan and re-enroll at the same ChineseContinue reading “Want to go to Thailand or Cambodia?”