Updated 28-Jun-2024
2009 In Review
This past year has been very interesting. A major reason was the relocation out of the US to Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Living abroad as an expatriate has a sense of permanent discovery to it, especially the first year.
I transitioned out (aka dropped out) of my PhD program at the University of Hawaii. Yes, once again I am a dropout. I also dropped out of High School, but then ruined my record by recieving BA (High Honors) and MS degrees from the University of California, Berkeley.
On the employment front, I was nearly fired from my last semester of teaching at the University of Hawaii, but managed to teach the online course for Spring, 2009. I then got a certificate in teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) and taught English for about 7 months. Not content with one transition, I began consulting in Internet Marketing (SEO, SEM, Ecommerce) and put my teaching career on pause.
Again, that wasn't enough to keep me out of trouble, so I co-founded with a Thai business partner a Thai publishing company (Lanna Innovation Co., Ltd.) and we published our first product in December, 2009. Funny thing is I founded a publishing company in the US last year (Parliament Press), but haven't made much progress on it. My energy became focused on this new venture, but I am starting to get some traction for the first publishing company.
On the health front, I caught pneumonia in February, and then Dengue fever in October. Currently I am nursing a strained back. On the plus side I began regular workouts at my nearby gym (5x/week on average) and lost 10kgs. There is another 15kgs to go, but things are much better than they were in 2008.
In terms of where I live I have a great studio apartment in an older, remodeled hotel which includes adequate Internet, cable TV, built-in desks, shelves, armoire, a small refrigerator, new bed, balcony with a view of Doi Suthep, and maid service twice per week. I pay about $240 USD per month.
For transportation, I purchased a 2 year old Honda Wave 125i motorcycle (for about $1,100 USD) and put in about $1 USD in gasoline every week. The other day I had to get a new front tire, and that cost me $11 including a new Japanese tire, tube and the 20 minute tire change labor.
2000-2009 Decade in Review
Ten years ago it was 1999, I was living in Berkeley, California, working as a Network Engineer and had just started a Masters degree in Information Management and Systems.
Over the past 10 years I have been in school for all of them (ending, mercifully, this past summer).
I have lived most of the decade (7 years) in Honolulu, Hawaii. There was a brief period before the summer of 2001 when I lived in Berkeley and after that when I lived in Vancouver and Victoria, BC, Canada and for the past year in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
In this last decade my two main sources of employment were network and Internet marketing consulting and teaching at the University (marketing, network engineering, communication and innovation) and in a private language school (English for business, teaching in English as a second language, IELTS test preparation).
Upcoming Year 2010
- I will celebrate my 44th birthday in 2010
- Learn Thai
- Lose the extra 15kgs, focus on health
- Grow my publishing companies to sustainable profitability
- Seriously begin the aircraft projects
- Spend at least 4 weeks traveling, better 6-8 weeks
- Help people
- Enjoy life
Upcoming Decade 2010-2019
- This decade will be spent in my 40s and 50s
- Find a mate and start a family
- Find success in projects and entrepreneurial activities
- Generate financial security
- Travel
- Help people
- Preserve and sustain the environment
- Enjoy life
