Tuesday, the 11th day of September 2001 means many different things to many different people. For me, it evokes a number of strong memories. I consider there to be several powerful connections between myself and 9/11. First, I associate it with the death of both my mother and a favorite cousin. My mother passed away … Continue reading A Philatelist’s Tribute to 9/11
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Sunday Summary #3
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 week of 29 August to 4 September just seemed to fly by. I wasn't much busier than last week but add in … Continue reading Sunday Summary #3
Phuket Weekly 2022 #1 (1-7 January)
It has been a bumpy start to the New Year, to say the least. In Thailand, we have entered our Fifth Wave of COVID-19 and yesterday the government raised the Restriction Level to 4 (out of a possible 5 which is complete lockdown); they are anticipating 10,000 cases per day by the end of the … Continue reading Phuket Weekly 2022 #1 (1-7 January)
May 2021: Everything is Broken
As I typed the title, my somewhat flawed memory was telling me that was the title of a Bob Dylan song a long time ago1. I am too lazy now to pull up MusicBee and confirm but it describes my current state accurately. My job is broken and I have an increasing number of broken … Continue reading May 2021: Everything is Broken
Daily Phuket #54: 23 May 2021 – Saturday AND Sunday Stamps
What a whirlwind few days but I will keep it brief. Basically, our company (agency) lost the contract bidding process for the bulk of our schools for the upcoming term which means that a whole lot of teachers are now out of work whenever the schools are able to reopen. Two months of waiting without … Continue reading Daily Phuket #54: 23 May 2021 – Saturday AND Sunday Stamps
Daily Phuket #4: 26 February 2021 – Mounting the Bluenose
Today's photo may seem like a bit of a cheat but I have honestly not left my home all day. It does depict an important part of my daily life, however...stamp collecting. After teaching at school every day, something that consumes even my rare days off, most of my free time is spent either working … Continue reading Daily Phuket #4: 26 February 2021 – Mounting the Bluenose
Books Finished (2020 Edition)
I did it! I (just barely) met my goal of finishing 50 books in this very long year. Our local lockdown certainly helped as I racked up 17 books during my 105 days of "captivity". I had a brief panic attack last night when I realized the count in Goodreads was one shy of the … Continue reading Books Finished (2020 Edition)
At long last…The Year That Would Not End, is Ending!!
As I write this, Thailand is experiencing a surge of COVID-19 cases that has been declared "worse than the first wave". All group gatherings have been banned, forcing schools here in Phuket and elsewhere to close until at least just after the New Year and the cancellation of all holiday-related activities. We are not in … Continue reading At long last…The Year That Would Not End, is Ending!!
Monthly Meanderings: September 2015
The past month has been one where my ENTIRE focus has been on work with very little leisure time. But today marks the first day of an indefinite period of no income (AKA, a holiday”) as the school term finally finished yesterday. How am I spending this first day of vacation? By traveling to my … Continue reading Monthly Meanderings: September 2015
Philatelic Pursuits: November 2014
I always find myself working on my stamp collections more during the last part of the year than at any other time. 2014 has continued that trend. I don’t know if it’s because I look forward to seeing new Christmas stamps (one of my thematic collecting interests) or if it’s because I always feel relieved … Continue reading Philatelic Pursuits: November 2014
Mark Joseph Jochim 