Bangkok!

This incredible city is one of my (many) hometowns. I spent my formative teenage years, navigating the streets by tuk-tuk and wandering Bangkok’s markets and shopping malls.

In May, I had the pleasure of rediscovering Bangkok all over again. The BTS Sky Train has transformed the city. I loved riding in the cool air-conditioned cars, taking in the scenery from the streets outside and people-watching inside. There are still miles of traffic jams but the trains offer a blissfully efficient alternative. I did feel a thrill of nostalgia in my one tuk-tuk ride down the soi where I was staying.

For four days, I packed in as much as I could. Grilled chicken and catfish with papaya salad and sticky rice at the night market. A ferry ride up the Chao Phraya River past one of my favorite sites, Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn. A wander through the back streets of Phra Arthit where my father’s office used to be. Meeting with old friends at the Bangkok Art and Culture Center, an oasis of calm reflection in a chaotic city.

The main event, however, was a memorial for my stepfather, John McBeth, at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand. Friends, family, and colleagues spent the evening fondly remembering John. His journey, from a rugby-loving kid in Taranaki, New Zealand to one of the most storied journalists in Asia, gave us plenty to talk about as we sat at the FCCT’s venerable bar.

I was also fortunate to connect with many old colleagues from my days in Jakarta and Dili. In particular, Keith Richburg of the Washington Post who took a chance on me as a cub reporter. I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor to guide me through all the pain and glory of getting a story to print with my name on it.

I’m back in Valencia for a while, getting back to writing. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I have managed to finish the first draft of my novella! Thanks to the unwavering support of my writing group. Of course, I now want to burn it immediately and fix all the problems I see in it. Sigh. I guess that’s the process.

More Asia travel is coming this summer. Will keep updating - and writing!