Lonely Planet: A Sick Bag Tour of Asia

Buddy John just left for a few weeks in China, then I see this on Youtube today.

Got a big laugh from #2. John's been through Bangkok a few times, and knows all about gastrointestinitis.

But here's the thing...

We think health care is so great here in the States. (Not!) If you're going to get sick, get sick in Thailand. They have about the best health care in the world.

When he got deathly ill in Bangkok, a doctor paid a house visit to his hotel, hooked him up to an IV, gave him medication, and healed him up. Sum total of the visit: about 80 bucks. That's not the co-pay. That's the total cost of the care.

Getting sick is all a part of traveling. My advice is to take your shots and bring plenty of Imodium.

The Low Anthem

A few weeks ago I was in All Asia on Mass. Avenue in Cambridge to see my buddy, Jason's, band Bean. Bean played its usual fun set, and just when I was leaving another band was just starting to play. Three guys with a whole bunch of instruments including one guy playing the standup base. What the…? The band was The Low Anthem, out of Providence, Rhode Island. The first song sounded like some serious Robert Johnson stuff. So I stuck around and listened. Nice melodic songs looking at life through country eyes. This morning for some reason, a couple of lyrics stuck in my head from their song, Country Wine:

“cause I’ve been drinking city whiskey
chased with country wine.

Hmm…sometimes lyrics just resonate. Kind of the story of my life. Kinda.

Anyway, you might want to check them out.