Update, January 22, 2017

I hope that everyone had a safe holiday season. For many, the celebrations are far from over. Next Saturday, January 28 is the Chinese New Year; the year of the Rooster. The Vietnamese call this Tet, and for those communities, it is one of the most important holidays of the year. Last week, the Vietnamese community here in Ottawa did their community celebrations on the 17th, ending with a big lunch. They always celebrate as a group before the actual day,  and with family on the actual weekend.  The Chinese celebrate with family on the actual date, and with their local community afterwards. The Chinese community will have their get together on Friday, February 3. I worked with the Vietnamese last week, and will be doing the same work for the Chinese on their big day. My assistance is mainly driving those who have limited means of transport, including some that are restricted to wheel chairs. As a result of all this, I get to help celebrate New Year three times.

By the way, in Thailand where the official year is based on the Buddha,  this is the year 2560.
All official documents bear this date.....often with 2017 also appearing.

Speaking of Thailand, I will be returning to do some work there on 13 of April. This time, I am trying something a bit different. Instead of going via Chicago and Tokyo, departing here early in the morning, like about 0600, and getting there 30 hours later, at midnight, I will do a night flight.
I will depart Ottawa at eight in the evening on 13 April, and fly down to Toronto with Westjet,
and then depart at ten to two in the morning of 14th, with Cathay Pacific (CX) airlines and go to Hong Kong. I will be arriving in Hong Kong at 0500 on the 15th, after a 14 hour flight. There will be a three hour stopover, then on to Bangkok for another three hour flight also with Cathay Pacific. I will arrive Bangkok at ten in the morning, Bangkok time on 15th of April. That is the plan. It should be a much less tiring flight being all at night time.

I did look at the possibility of going via Europe, such as London, with a day or two stopover, but that would have cost over 1300 dollars more....for the airfare alone.
The fact of the matter is that I can go all the way to Bangkok and back for 1145 dollars, and it cost over 1400 dollars to fly into Northern Canada !. I will probably do an update late March, and well before departure.