Just Say No

Anyone who grew up in the US in the '80s surely remembers Nancy Reagan's Just Say No To Drugs Campaign.

My personal favorite was the styrofoam school lunch try with "Say No To Drugs" stamped on the edge. I'm sure that was very effective and well worth the millions some ad exec got paid to come up with it.

Last week, I bought a ticket to Bali on our local monopoly airline. On the ticket folder, I found those five little words again. "Just Say No To Drugs."

Let's see if it works in Indonesia as well as it did in the US!

Maybe I'll Go to the Bank Tomorrow...Or Not

I went to the Bank on Wed, April 4. There was a sign posted that morning that said the Bank MAY close at noon on April 5.

Sure, why not? Really, in what world would you know if the Banks are going to close early tomorrow? Oh, yeah. Most.

(It was the Thursday before Good Friday.)

Coffee anyone?

I just got back from Bangkok, where I went for a week of downtime. Fantastic, uneventful week seeing good friends and borderline-excessively partaking in GoodFood-Shopping-Spa Therapy.

I bought a new computer with lots of bells and whistles (touch and swivel screen not to mention the fingerprint ID and tiny size and weight!). I think that should tide me over on the shopping therapy for awhile.

I did spend a couple of nights in a nice hotel with a gym and pool and great restaurants. I took a taxi from my friends place across town and told the driver the name of my hotel. Keep in mind there are 2 hotels in Bangkok from this conglomerate. While I don't know the Bangkok roads well, I basically know how to get to the hotel from my friend's apartment and the chosen path didn't quite seem right. When I looked up and saw the Hotel's name but knew it was the other one, I polititely explained that this wasn't correct.

The driver was very sorry and i truly believe it was an honest mistake (which it isn't always in a Bangkok Taxi). He pulled into the left lane to make a UTurn and said "would you like a coffee?" I said noo thank you. He smiled again and said "Okay, I stop for a coffee. Just 2 minutes okay?" I again politely said "Maybe we just get to the hotel now?" thinking, what the f*#*? Maybe it wasn't all an honest mistake. This is just weird!

He very nicely pushed the coffee again, pointing out it was just across the street and it was clear there was no point in fighting it. While waiting at the light, he made a quick call on his cell phone. The light changed and we pulled into a gas station with a mini mart. Once again, he offered a coffee? a water? No thank you, I strained with a taught smile.

I looked around. Here I am in the taxi with my luggage. He's left the key and there are loads of other people around. I don't see how this is a scam, but it is just so weird!!

In less than a minute he was back with his coffee. Apparently he was just truly tired. And off we went to the right hotel. Sometimes you can trust people.

After all that, my 45 minute taxi ride only cost me 3 dollars anyways.