Today, 29 August 2022, Thailand Post released a single 3-baht stamp in sheets of 10 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Asian-Pacific Postal Union (APPU). The history of the APPU dates back to a postal roundtable held in Manila in 1961. At that meeting 18 countries met to draw up the Asian-Oceanic Postal Convention, … Continue reading Stamps of Thailand 2022: Asian-Pacific Postal Union
August 2022
Sunday Summary #2
Welcome to Sunday Summary. This is a meme in which I attempt to summarize the week that came before. It replaces previous series such as Sunday Salon, Daily Phuket and Phuket Weekly. This past week (22-28 August 2022) was busy and wet. Aside from one four-hour Sunday morning webinar, a Thai cultural celebration on Friday … Continue reading Sunday Summary #2
Mom: 21 Years Gone
NOTE: I wrote and published this article last year (2021) and doubt that I can improve upon it. Only a few details have been changed. It was twenty-one years ago today -- 27 August 2001 -- that my mother passed away following a lengthy illness and problems with her medication. She died at home in … Continue reading Mom: 21 Years Gone
Thainess Part 4: Spirit Shrines
Various animist practices have also been integrated into Thai religious life. Belief in ghosts and spirits is strong in Thailand, stemming from traditional pre-Buddhism beliefs, and you’ll notice miniature shrines set up in villages and cities throughout the country. The houses, called San Phra Phum, or shrine of the guardian spirit, are part of a … Continue reading Thainess Part 4: Spirit Shrines
Ukraine Independence Day 2022
August 24 marks the Independence Day of (modern) (День незалежності України), celebrating the 1991 Declaration of Independence (Акт проголошення незалежності України). This was adopted in the aftermath of the coup attempt in the Soviet Union on 19 August, when hardline Communist leaders attempted to restore central Communist party control over the USSR. In response (during … Continue reading Ukraine Independence Day 2022
Sunday Summary #1
Welcome to Sunday Summary. This is a meme in which I attempt to summarize the week that came before. It replaces previous series such as Sunday Salon, Daily Phuket and Phuket Weekly. Following a long period of relative inactivity, I find myself wanting to write more and more. While I maintained a private journal during … Continue reading Sunday Summary #1
Christmas Stamps 2022: United States
September 15, 2022: Holiday Elves (Set of 4 Stamps - North Pole, Alaska) The Postal Service evokes the holiday spirit with four new se-tenant stamps featuring a colorful digital illustration of elves preparing toys on a winding conveyor belt in a snow-laden forest. Like many beloved Christmas traditions—including Santa Claus himself—elves did not become a … Continue reading Christmas Stamps 2022: United States
Thainess Part 1: Greetings
The wai (ไหว้, pronounced like the English word "why") is a gesture that you will encounter almost immediately upon arrival in Thailand. An integral part of Thai etiquette, it consists of a slight bow, with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion, or pressing your palms together at chest or nose level and bowing … Continue reading Thainess Part 1: Greetings
Thainess: An Introduction
I recently began teaching Kindergarten at a large school in Phuket Town, southern Thailand. The school gave me a bare-bones curriculum which simply includes a title for me to determine a topic from. For example, last week the title was "Andaman Pearl". Through some inquiries, I discovered that the topic was to be "Places in … Continue reading Thainess: An Introduction
Mark Joseph Jochim 