Happy New Year and We're All OK

Best wishes to everyone for a happy and safe 2007! Bangkok was pretty much what I expected (trashy) but the tourist sites were incredibly beautiful. The Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha were definitely the highlights and I'll put up pictures as soon as I'm back in Shanghai (on the 9th.)

My parents were safe in the hotel and I was nowhere near the bombs that went off around the city but our tour guide Patt suffered minor cuts from shrapnel and her friend, who was just a few feet closer, was hospitalized with serious injuries from the same blast.

We're out of the city now and in the southern town of Hua Hin, relaxing and doing a whole lot of nothing, with loose plans to head into town for dinner and to see the night market tonight. Off to Siem Reap, Cambodia on Saturday to see the famous temples at Angkor Wat and then it's back to work at the hospital for me, heading into the final weeks of budget prep, while my parents head to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand.

Again, Happy New Year and best wishes for 2007.