Welcome to the jungle, we've got an amusement area.

J and myself are super excited for our anniversary this year.  We secured a room last night at the Muse Bangkok.  We got a corner suite with balcony and access to the speakeasy rooftop bar for canapés and drinks 1600-1800h.  So, we can get snacks and a drink before heading out for the meal of a lifetime, or at least, one of the meals of a lifetime.  We still hope to get to Gaggan and from there…. We can see where we end up next or who and what chef or experience catches our eye and palates!

With that, though, we’ve been watching more of the Midnight Asia series on Netflix.  The last one we watched was Seoul South Korea.  One of the focuses of that show was the Newtro (New Retro) movement in music.  So, they showed a S Korean traditional folk band that made it modern and added a rock/modern sound to it.  In that, there was some translations of the lyrics.  “The Tiger prowls and sees the egg.  He eats it.  My stomach is filled with waste.  The waste eats too.”  Or something close to that.  J and I laughed because obviously something is lost in translation there.  From the lyrics, I can only surmise that it’s sexual in nature - the tiger prowls, eats the egg, etc. and crude; Stomach full of waste- I’m full of s**t or something along those lines, but it’s funny because it’s so obtuse.

Like the title of the blog.  

Imagine Axl Rose signing Welcome to the Jungle, We’ve got Fun and Games, We’ve got everything you want, Honey, we know all the names.

Welcome to the jungle, we’ve got an amusement area.  We’ve got everything you desire, sweet girl, we know your real name.

If you don’t speak and are not native in English, you would see that and think to yourself… A jungle has an amusement area that knows what my name is???? 

It’s just a translation thing.  A culture and place thing.  A slang and intended meaning thing.  It’s lost in translation.

Much like a package we are trying to get.

And a lesson to those who want to ship to us or wonder why it’s an issue.

We had a package sent.  It contains our mail and some other items, but I use a wrist brace for a TFCC tendon tear.  That’s a small 5mm tendon in the wrist.  Weight bearing.  I had an exam and MRI in the states for this years ago.  The doc told me that my name wasn’t Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods, so ins wouldn’t cover surgery.  Ok, so what about out of pocket?  $50-65k.  NOPE!  So, how do we solve this?  With a brace that is on amazon or available online.  For about $15.  Ok, easy and done.  And it works like a charm.  But I need a new one, since what I have is starting to not velcro after years of use.  

Thai FDA and import calls it a medical device.  So, I need an importing lic to get.  And a Thai Doctor Medical Certification.  

I ordered figuring we could declare one wrist brace and no worries.  60 days later and we are still waiting and I will need to see a doc to sign off on this and do an exam so I can get the item.  And then it will cost us 2700 THB on top of the $15 amazon cost and the $400 cost for the package.

Because you NEVER know what they will hold up or why.

And the problem is, it’s all or none.

So, because I couldn’t find something in Thailand that is a velcro wrist brace, I got in the States and had shipped because it should be simple.  Well, it’s gonna cost us another almost $90 to get, but since we have mail and other needed items, we can’t just toss the box.  And if we just give it up and take the loss and deal with digital copies of any mail we have (sadly, a cheque is included as well) so we can’t just give up the box.  But, if we DID decide to just give it up, then it has a holding fee of 618THB per day to hold and a 35000THB disposal fee.  That is tied to my visa.  Which means I can’t leave or return to the country until this is paid.

For our mistake and trying to find a way around getting me a new brace, has taken:

1. 60+ days of my life and time and over 40 emails at this point
2. A doc visit that will come out of pocket.
3. An additional $90 once package is finally released.

Lesson learned and anything that isn’t personal mail won’t be sent again, but I think it goes to show my point in refusing packages and the hard line.  If Kiddo’s Mimi and PopPop wanted to send her a Bday gift, who knows what will hold up and how long and how much time and baht it could possibly cost to get the items…. That are tied to our visas making life difficult to move forward with.  And if the package would be sent to Kiddo directly, she’s not an adult, so the whole thing would move to another department and that would cost us more.  

It just goes to my point… Nothing YOU can want to send us is worth the time, cost, headache, and potential visa issues to send.

We thought a simple wrist brace declared as a Velcro Wrist Brace - $18 (receipt included showing $17.44 actual cost - rounding up to nearest whole dollar) would be let thru.  We (or at least I) was wrong and so now for that mistake we pay and go thru the steps Thailand requires.

Imagine a box that we DIDN’T have control of or know the content of or needed to justify.

Because the other item that held us up was a small stuffed bat that was lost in the move that Kiddo really wanted.  Part of the 2700THB cost is an import lic for a toy.

And I can hear the outrage.  HOW CAN THEY DO THIS????  It’s a Toy!!!!  It’s a velcro wrist brace.  It’s not a pallet for resale.  It’s a simple item.

It’s the rules.  It’s how Thailand handles those items.

I can walk into a Pharmacy here and get viagra, morphine based cough syrup, or up to 5 Xanax without an RX.  I’d never be allowed to do that in the States.  But here…. Rules are different.  Incoming packages, certain stuffed toys, and wrist braces (or knee, or back, or even a lifting brace) are filed under Medical Device.  So, Doc needs to sign off and importing once a year only allowed.  

Thems the rules.  And I can look them up.  In Thai, of course, but it’s written out.  I’ve been linked to them and had two different Thai speakers basically tell me that is what it says about plush toys and braces.  I didn’t know that, but ignorance doesn’t give me privilege.

So, how can they do that to us?  How is it fair?  It’s the rules.  So, we need to abide that.

I gotta tell you, though… I’ll be happy once this is all said and done and then; NEVER again.

But, it goes with lost in translation.  

We got lost in that and now we need to follow the rules and provide what is required and needed.

In funner news:

Kiddo!!!!!!!

She’s using her scooter.  Chalk face.  Put her in a hairband and isn’t she cute?  And what a little ham as well.  Some outside patio ice cream treat time.  Solo video game girl.  The Tops Monster!  Doing her Doctor Fix It up writing (someone wants to learn how to read and write SO bad).  And a video from J on the roof the other night doing some yoga and getting random fireworks.  Also some pics, including a nice view of the morning... Coffee and kiddo and baseball.  Not too shabby.  Also, a few pics to show the work being done in the area.  It is just moving right along and all right outside our door and balcony.  We can watch it in real time.  So cool!

Thailand… Occasionally frustrating and lost in translation.  Usually, beautiful and fun and, if nothing else, a learning experience when things are frustrating or lost in translation.

But, as you can see, there’s a lot going on right now.  I’ll post as I get a chance, but a lot is gonna pop up this week and next, as next week I get my Cert of Residency.  That might help expedite issues like mentioned above, but will also allow me to do things like banking, mobile phones, internet, water or other services, and get local pricing at things like the Aquarium, the zoos, and other places of interest.  Otherwise, I need to bring J and she needs to get the original copy of her Work Permit and Visa to get us those things.  So much easier for all if I just have a Cert of Res.  Also, I’ve been informed, makes seeking asylum easier.  It shows a willingness to be a member of a country that isn’t my birth country.  So, it’s practical on a number of different levels.  It’ll just be a day at immigration and whatever fees are associated - About 1100THB.

Life continues and we go with the flow of that.  As mentioned previously… Pedal to the metal and try to not get caught head on.  In this, we careened off a cultural sidewall, but that’s our fault and next time we know and can handle that corner better to not scrap the sidewall of culture.  Worse things have happened and we’re all here and still smiling, so accept, adapt, learn, and move forward.

Until next post, hope everyone is well.

Let’s go, Kiddo…. Dada screwed up and now we need to untangle the mess, but at least we know for next time.  As she always tells Poley, “Learning is good… and don’t say Butthead.”  Good advice there.