Summertime in Bangkok - July
Stephanie's words:
My third trip to Bangkok was surprising. It's July and I had expected it to be hotter than before, but the evening and morning showers kept things tolerable. I've grown to really enjoy the Sky Train- it's cheap, amazingly clean, air conditioned, and going so many fun places.

That's Mark and me in Florida on a summer vacation, probably about 1969. I'm the one that got the chubby genes, on the left. I think that's the summer Mark played with Jellyfish and came out unscathed (same with the time he caught a mink barehanded!); we walked the beach and swam every day - swimming's always been important to the family.

Mark's always been a healthy eater- he loves GOOD food in particular, and he can cook like no one I know. Mom and I worry that he's lost weight; he's always been thin but now we'd like to see him put weight on since it seems he can fight the cancer and associated illnesses better with a good, healthy weight. While I was in Bangkok, he was on a "pressed sandwich" kick. Since it's tough for him to swallow breads, he makes a warm sandwich in the oven, then he uses a board and some weights to press the sandwich flat. It's awesome! He's also been on a sour candy kick, and since you can't find them anywhere in Bangkok, I brought 6 or 8 packages... they went quick! Mark's also introduced Bangkok to the wonders of a good brownie - we like the easy-to-make Betty Crocker mixes, and then he adds his own touch with chocolate chips or nuts, etc. I made a meatloaf while I was there, but not knowing exactly how much a "kilo" is in actual size-amount, I wound up with a HUGE plastic bag of hamburger, which we used for the meatloaf, froze, made burgers with... they are possibly still thinking of what to do with all that hamburger.

While I was in Bangkok, Mark and I both read a lot. It's fairly easy to get books in English; he'd pick some up from a friend or we'd get them at the JJ Weekend Market. Mark loves CIA novels with all the government mystery and intrigue. I was impressed and amazed at his reading speed- one of the days I was there he read THREE NOVELS in about 12 hours, and was able to tell me all about them... one was a history of pirates in Southeast Asia.

Mark loves to read in the sun on the apartment patio, which overlooks the Asoke Sky Train station and the local market. If you're at the station or Soi Cowboy, walk an extra 20 yards past the soi, look up, and you'll probably see him... wave!