Justin-Klein.com – Life of a Traveling Programmer – Page 17

Room 502

Sep 262011

It may not look that great, but when you consider there’s a whole queen-sized bed behind me, the entire wall to the right is a window, and that it couldn’t be more centrally located – for only $20 a night – I was more than happy.

Without enough time to go looking for a permanent place to stay, I decided to check into good old Happy Inn for the night. The same wonderfully sweet receptionist who’d seen me off more than two months prior was right there to greet me. I’d called earlier that morning to check for vacancies, and she remembered just who I was – offering whichever room I’d prefer. Of course I had no idea which to choose, so upon arrival I was provided a handful of keys and as long as I needed to select my very favorite.
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The iOS Setback

Public, Thailand 8 Responses »

Sep 252011

At least I have some amazingly good roomservice to keep me going ; )

You all know how ridiculously behind I’ve fallen on blogging. The reasons for this are many, but by far the biggest has been a series of unexpected tech issues – issues which have consumed nearly every hour I originally set aside to write. In Krabi (and then continuing in Penang) I spent heaps of time reformatting my PC. In Melaka an incompetent webhost stole nearly a week. In KL my backup drive topped off, requiring me to purchase a new one and migrate hundreds of gigs. And well, now that I’m back in Thailand…here we go again 😛
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Bangphli

Public, Thailand 8 Responses »

Sep 242011

Suvarnabhumi Airport’s departure hall.

Damn it feels great to be back in Thailand!! 😀

When I first started planning this trip, I did so by collecting as much advice as I could from everyone I know who’s traveled to the region. Jeff, one of my oldest friends, was included – he’d visited with his wife less than a year earlier – and his top recommendation was perhaps the most unexpected. He insisted that I stop at a lodge called Sananwan Palace in a small town just nearby Suvarnabhumi Airport. Although offering little in the way of real tourist attraction, he loved the “off-the-beaten-track” feel, saying that it provided a cool opportunity to roam around a small Thai town that’s both conveniently located and yet worlds apart from Bangkok. Continue reading »

Singapore Observations

Public, Singapore 6 Responses »

Sep 232011

I’ve already noted the most overwhelming of my observations about Singapore: its lush greenery, its unpredictable weather, its interesting diversity, its similarities to Japan and its obsession with progress. Still, there are a few remaining thoughts I’d like to share before continuing up North and resuming my adventure in Thailand.

Japan The Second

Public, Singapore 16 Responses »

Sep 222011

Spotless and silent, just like Japan.

I concluded my last post with the phrase “Singapore truly is a place unlike any other.”

…except, perhaps, for just one other 😉

A sign with step-by-step instructions for washing your hands. Tokyo expats, eat your hearts out.

While Singapore does have many unique traits that set it apart from elsewhere in the world, as someone who’s spent more than two years living in Japan, I can’t help but be amazed by the countless similarities that also exist. Because aside from its ethnic diversity and proliferation of English, Singapore is quite simply the most Japan-like country I could possibly imagine.