my life » Devon

Grand Palace

Devon — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:29:48 +0000

Or, The One Where I Got to Do Something Tourist-y for Work

As an analyst, most of what I do for work will never be posted to my blog. Once in a while, though, I get to do something outside of my standard job duties that is worthy of mention here, and today happened to be one of those days.

We had some associates in town from Taiwan, so we took them to see one of our distributor-operated facilities, which happened to also be a short distance from the Grand Palace. To give you an idea of what traffic is like here, even when it isn’t rush hour, it took us an hour to drive the 10 miles from the downtown office to the facility.

After touring the facility, we went to the Grand Palace, where I got to act as a chaperon/marker (i.e. Follow/Look for the tall white guy.) I managed to snap a few shots with my phone — I’ll go back later with a real camera, but these are still more interesting than spreadsheets, right?

Also, next time I go, I will not be wearing a tie. A little too warm for that. Nor will I wear dress shoes. Next time.

Some goals for 2012

Devon — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:16:03 +0000

With classes out of the way, I need to find a new source of motivation and or stress. Living in Thailand/Malaysia/Indonesia will probably provide a fair amount of excitement, but as those changes aren’t really completely under my control, I can’t legitimately use them as goals. So in lieu of exciting goals, I’ve come up with a few that are less exciting but a tad more actionable:

Visit at least one new country for each country I live in during 2012. Given my itinerary, I shouldn’t have any problem crossing this off of my list. And no, a layover in an airport does not count as a visit to a country.
Make an attempt to start learning a new language. I realize that this is a weak goal, but until I have a better idea of exactly where I’ll be living, it doesn’t make any sense to be more specific or to fully immerse myself in any single language for the time being.
Learn how to cook a few dishes native to each country in which I reside.

Okay, so it’s not a very long list, but that’s okay. After all, I did just move to the other side of the globe, and that should count for something, right?

First Impressions of Bangkok

Devon — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:19:30 +0000

Greetings from Thailand — I’m still recovering from jet lag (a few more days to go if the time zone rule is correct), and I haven’t attempted any sightseeing yet, but I’ll try and write a bit every few days regardless. I purchased a new phone on Friday, so I should be able to post a few more photos from my daily routine (which is currently anything but routine.) I don’t have my own apartment yet, so these photos are not representative of where I’ll be living, but they are very indicative of the weather here and the city in general.

Bangkok reminds me a lot of Guatemala City — much more crowded, of course, with a huge infusion of cash from Japanese investors, but if you moved Guate down to the coast (or built up a coastal city like Escuintla), you’d end up with something very similar to Bangkok, inclusive of odors.

Although I haven’t found an apartment yet, I have had a chance, thanks to my current hosts, to try out a ton of amazing restaurants. It turns out that authentic Thai food is actually quite like what you’d find at a good Thai restaurant in the States, with the main exception being that the dishes here are a whole lot spicier. Even the spaghetti sauce is spicy here. One of the great things about Bangkok, though, is the availability of a lot of other ethnic cuisines. My boss introduced me to an incredible Lebanese restaurant, and on Saturday, we ordered in some Indian food. There’s a bakery right across the street from where I’m currently staying, which has become my primary source of high-calorie breakfast pastries.

The weather here really has been terrific, averaging around 80-85°F. No, I don’t miss the cold Utah weather at all. Especially when the winter is sans snow.

Granted, I’m not a parent, so I’m just making assumptions here, but I imagine it’s nice not having the kids stuck inside for half of the year.

I’ve got some great hosts, so the transition to life in Bangkok has been pretty gentle so far, but I’ll be sure to keep updating as I experience more of Thailand.

Travel Update (Revised 18 December)

Devon — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 04:49:22 +0000

It’s been a couple of weeks since my last post, and while I don’t have a ton of new information, here’s what I know so far:

I’ll be flying out of SLC on January 8^th and will arrive in Bangkok on the 10^th
For at least my first few days in Bangkok, I’ll either be couch surfing or at a hotel for a bit until I find an apartment

Not a lot, I know, but more than I knew before. I already have my plane ticket, I’m getting caught up on my immunizations (plus a few extras just for good measure), and I’ve started working on my entry visa. I’ve already sold my apartment lease as well as my TV, so as soon as finals are over, I’ll begin packing everything else into storage.

Dec. 19^th Update: I submitted my visa application last Thursday with a visa courier service, so that’s one more thing to check off on my list. I’m using a Thule 699 case to ship my bike over — disassembling my bike wasn’t too difficult, but with a 58cm frame, I was doing well just to fit it into the case, even with the fork removed. If my bikes survives the trip over, though, it will be well worth the trouble and the cost.

Confirmed: Thailand in January

Devon — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:03:32 +0000

I have been asked to report to the Bangkok office by the 11^th of January, which means that I’ll have three weeks after I graduate next month to prepare for the move.

I signed a contract for a storage unit, and since the majority of my belongings are still in boxes from my move over the summer, I don’t anticipate too much trouble clearing out of my apartment. I shouldn’t have too much trouble selling my grill, TV, Xbox, or receiver, either, which will be much better than letting them devalue in storage. My mother has already called dibs on my 6-Qt KitchenAid, which is okay, because that will give me an excuse to upgrade to the new 7-Qt model when I get back to the States in a year or two. Everything else will just sit unused while I’m away, which is a rather depressing thought, but such is life.

I’ll add more details as they become available, but that’s all I know right now.

Thailand in January

Devon — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 01:41:30 +0000

Given that I’ll be graduating from BYU in a month and a half, people have begun to ask me what I plan to do following graduation. While nothing is 100% certain until it actually happens, it is extremely likely that I will be moving to Thailand in January to work in Unicity’s Bangkok office for two years. None of the details have been hammered out yet, so I really can’t say more than that at this time, but that is the plan currently in operation.

I’ve tried to answer the most common questions I’ve been asked – feel free to ask more in the comments, and I’ll do my best to respond to them.

FAQ:

Wait – you haven’t graduated yet?

Nope. I’ve been taking only 1-2 classes per semester since I started full-time at my current position over two and a half years ago. I’m finally taking the last few courses I need to finish my degree in Computer Science.

How do you feel about moving to Thailand?

I’m still trying to wrap my head around it all. It will definitely be an adventure. With my current class load, I’m spending most of my waking hours on projects for school or work, so any worrying will have to wait until after I graduate.

Don’t you realize it’s been flooding there?

Yes, I read the news, too. Fortunately, I got my swimming merit badge back when I was in Boy Scouts, so I should be alright.

What will you be doing over there?

Pretty much whatever Unicity wants me to do. I’ve been working as a forecast analyst for our corporate Operations group since I started here in 2009, so I’m sure that at least a portion of my duties will reflect that.

So do you speak Thai?

Not at all. English and Spanish, but no Thai. If I’m there for two years, though, I’m sure I’ll have plenty of time to learn a bit.

Is there an English [LDS Church] ward you could attend?

Yep. Which is really good, since I won’t know any Thai.

Can I crash at your place then if I visit?

Absolutely, but since I don’t have any housing arranged yet, I can only guarantee you a couch or an air mattress at the moment.

Are you taking your KitchenAid?

Probably not. Most of my cooking equipment will remain behind, at least until I get settled into an apartment. I will, however, be taking my bike.

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet

Devon — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 04:38:54 +0000

Written by David Mitchell, it is the narrative of multiple characters associated with a Dutch trading outpost in Nagasaki, Japan at the turn of the 19th century. Mitchell’s attention to detail shines throughout the book, as does the large amount of background research required for him to successfully weave together a tapestry of Dutch, English, and Japanese storylines.

Approximately half of the narrative is from the perspective of Jacob de Zoet (pronounced ya-COB du-ZUT), a clerk in the employ of the Dutch East Indies Trading Company, with the remainder being shared between other major and minor characters.

This isn’t a novel that will necessarily make you laugh or cry: The protagonist is Dutch, and the emotionalism of his story reflects his native sensibility, but you will steadily find yourself growing attached to de Zoet and his friends and allies. You will grimace as they suffer through their trials, and you will find closure as they do. This is, by far, the best novel that I have read in a long time, and I encourage you to add it to your own to-read list.

Spotify Premium

Devon — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 01:24:20 +0000

There’s been a lot of buzz lately about the US launch of Spotify’s music subscription service, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to review it for those who either haven’t received an invite and are hesitant to pay out for one of the premium packages.

Spotify currently three different subscription levels in the US: Free, Unlimited, and Premium. A Free subscription allows you to listen to up 20 hours of music a week from a desktop with the occasional ad. The Unlimited subscription ($5/month) removes the ads as well as well as the time limit (hence it’s aptly named.) Taking the jump to a Premium subscription ($10/month) adds the ability to listen on mobile device as well as store music on your desktop or mobile for offline playback. In addition, you have the option to stream the music at a higher bitrate (quality) than Free and Unlimited subscribers (160 kbps vs. 96 kbps.) For more details on the different subscription plans, refer to the Spotify site.

Like Rhapsody, Napster, Zune Pass, and Thumbplay, Spotify allows you to chose exactly what artists, albums and or tracks you want to listen to. Unlike Pandora, you aren’t going to be provided with a playlist based on your past interests and recommendations, but are required to either create your own selections or use playlists created by others in the community. If you only know what type of music you like but not specific artists or albums, then a subscription service probably isn’t for you. You also probably aren’t forking out $10-$15/month for albums on iTunes or Amazon.com, so subscribing to any music service is unlikely to be in your budget.

Compared to Rhapsody, et al., Spotify has a much larger library of international artists (primarily because the majority of Spotify users aren’t in the US – yet.) As of writing, Spotify is still missing a few of the newest releases, but that makes little impact in my opinion, and is greatly outweighed the superior collection of foreign artists.

Streaming on the desktop client (there is no web app) works flawlessly. I had no problems streaming on my mobile at 96 kbps, but playback stopped a few times while streaming for a few hours at 160 kbps. (This says more about the mobile network that I’m on than the app or Spotify, I fear.) Compared to the Amazon mp3 app or the Google cloud music service, playback of a track starts considerably faster, which is a definite plus.

Overall, I do recommend Spotify for those who are musically adventurous. I, for one, am tired of switching between different cloud services, so I’ll probably stick with Spotify for the foreseeable future. YMMV.

P.S. As of writing, I still have a few invitations remaining, so if you want to try it out, let me know.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Devon — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 21:07:00 +0000

I cannot overstate the value of a good pancake recipe. This is a great one, melded from a variety of different recipes that I’ve experimented with over the years. Best used in combination with your favorite toppings. The standard recipe feeds 2-3 people, but it can easily be doubled to feed a larger group.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Fluffy, smooth buttermilk pancakes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 8 pancakes

Ingredients

1 egg
¼ Cup vegetable oil
1 ¼ Cup water
1 Cup all-purpose flour
⅓ Cup buttermilk powder
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp baking powder
4 oz cream cheese, softened

Cooking Directions

Beat together the egg, oil, and water until combined
While whisking, slowly add in the flour until dissolved
Whisk in the softened cream cheese until completely combined
Whisk in the buttermilk powder, sugar, and salt
Whisk in the baking powder
Cook over medium heat

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

Devon — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:57:27 +0000

I’m gradually making my way through David Sedaris’s portfolio, and this is collection of essays is right on par with When You Are Engulfed in Flames. (In actuality, the reverse is more correct, as Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim was written prior to When You Are Engulfed in Flames.)

Sedaris does an amazing job of honestly portraying his view of the world, and the often comical circumstances in which he finds himself. My favorite of all the essays in this collection is “Six to Eight Black Men,” Sedaris’s recounting of his introduction to the Dutch tradition of Sinterklaas, which differs significantly from our own view of St. Nick or Santa Claus.

If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend listening to at least a portion of the essays on the self-narrated audiobook. There’s a reason Sedaris is able to book reading tours with every collection he publishes. YouTube has a healthy selection of many of his readings. Just be careful where you choose to read or listen to these essays, because you’ll inevitably start laughing and or crying.