Thai Copperfield and other short stories...

The Story of Thai Copperfield:

  I'd like to begin with a story about Thai Copperfield.  Never heard of him?!?  What a shame, let me enlighten you.  Thai Copperfield is a Thai man that dresses like a cowboy and does magic tricks.  Most of the students at QSI know him, besides being a hot commodity at birthday parties, Thai Copperfield can be randomly seen all over the island.  My first time meeting Thai Copperfield was at a student's birthday party.  This past Saturday I went to the Marriott in Kamala for said party.  Thai Copperfield was a pretty good magician, but an even better performer, his jokes kept most of the students laughing, even if they had seen his tricks before.  Half-way through the show, Thai Copperfield put his red hankerchief into his hands and lost it.  Where did it go?  Well I guess I must have had it, because I was called forward.  Even though I stand in front of the students five days a week, it still felt awkward to go up front (but they cheered for me, so that was encouraging).  Thai Copperfield checked my shirt pocket, but his hankerchief was not there.  Then he checked my left and right sleeve, but still no hankerdhief.  Where was it?  Well, he bent down, unzipped my fly, reached in and pulled out a hankerchief.  (I didn't have the heart to tell the students that it was not the same hankerchief, but he in fact stole my red one that I keep in my pants.)  An awkward trick and an awkward moment in my life later, I walked away as my students continued to cheer for me.  (Asians don't share the same feelings of physical boundaries that Westerners like myself have.)

(PS. This is the third photo I own where you can see that the hair on the back of my head is thinning...)

The Story of Skyping with Meridel:

  My sister Julie and I have been planning a time for me to Skype with my niece Meridel.  Today, I received an email agreeing on a time and giving my her skype name.  I signed on 8 hours early to make sure that I had her screen name added, and by chance they were on.  So I skyped with them early.  It was my first time seeing my niece in a non-picture form.  I enjoyed it.  (We skype again tonight, at our originally planned time.)

The Story of the Thai Postal System:

  Yes, my stories are getting lamer and lamer.  I mailed four postcards on Monday.  Impressive because it is my first time mailing anything from here, home.  Four people will be receiving postcards in the next two or three weeks.  Don't feel bad if this isn't you, I only mailed things to people who put specifically requested it because I felt obligated to.  Don't feel bad if it is you and you now think that I only sent you a postcard out of obligation, I was really going to send you one anyways.  Really.

The Story of Celebrating Chinese New Year:

  Ok, I didn't actually celebrate the Chinese New Year at all, but I watched as some people lit fireworks that were hanging from a powerline.  Why they did this?  I don't know.

The Story of Me Telling Stories:

  This is what happens when I am allowed to ramble...