27 September 2011

First Migratory Bird of the Season

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27 September 2011: Yesterday morning I heard a birdcall that I had not heard in a long time. It was definitely a seasonal visitor, a bird from the north coming down to make Thailand its winter home. It is a similar feeling to hearing the first robin of spring back in the States. Once this Rainy Season finally ends, some cool and comfortable weather will follow. We have also had the early surprise of a few clear days lately, and it makes it much easier to dry laundry outside.
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-Zenwind.
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01 September 2011

Back to Health

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01 September 2011: I have recovered from over a full week of a nasty head cold. I still get about one cold per year, and, like summer colds Stateside, these warm weather colds are the hardest to kick. Because of my busted up sinuses – broken from boxing and from an ice climbing accident – my left Eustachian tube blocks up and thus the hearing in my left ear goes way down despite taking antihistamines. My left ear is my good one; the right ear has major permanent nerve damage from an in-coming NVA mortar round back in 1969; so I am a bit deaf for a while.
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Whenever I start coming down with cold or flu symptoms here in Thailand – body and joint aches, fever, chills, etc. – I immediately suspect Dengue Fever and rule it out first. That is the most dangerous mosquito-borne disease threatening us, and it would require immediate hospitalization.
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I took a short walk to the store in the middle of my cold bout, seeking ice and beverages. It is only about a 700 meter round-trip, but coming back I thought I would have to sit down and rest. It was so hot and I was so thirsty. Checking the weather after finally arriving home, I saw that the Heat Index was over 114*F. Wicked humid heat and major dehydration. Break out the ice drinks!
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It will be an up-hill battle to get back in shape, walking, marching and eventually lifting again. But then, life is always an up-hill battle, isn’t it? The Myth of Sisyphus comes to mind, in which Albert Camus muses on our ephemeral creations.
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-Zenwind.
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