Nearly at the beach, Imax, Bangkok hospitals and other things...

I should be on my way to a sunny beach with the daughter now, but I'm not. She's off school today, teacher's day or something. Yesterday I was called in to collect her from school in the morning due to her complaining of stomach pains.

Normally I wouldn't have bothered but she's complained of pains in the stomach a lot in the last few days so I scooped her out of school and made for the hospital on Chiang Wattana Road. She was examined, against her will, and given a clean bill of health. The doc said there was no evidence of anything being wrong. Wonderful.

But then he said he could prescribe two kinds of pill. For what said I. Because said he. I quizzed him, didn't he just give her a completely clean bill of health? Yes, he said. There's nothing wrong. So why the pills? Just routine. I declined and we left. Absolutely shocking. Nothing at all wrong but still they give you pills and he couldn't even give a reason for the pills he was prescribing! In Thailand the doctor's word is law and must be obeyed. So, had I been Thai I wouldn't have questioned but gone along with his recommendation, wasted money and my daughter would now have been popping pills for no apparent reason.

We're keeping an eye on her and assuming it's indigestion for now. To cheer her up I took her to the Imax at Paragon to see Open Season. Not a bad movie for the kids and impressive in 3D. There were six people in the screening altogether, including us, which made it quite a nice experience. Quite funny watching the daughter reaching towards the screen trying to touch the characters as they appeared to be coming towards her.

I don't like to harp on about shopping malls but I really think that, with the exception of the True shop at Paragon, Central World Plaza beats Paragon hands down. I find Paragon with it's heavily segregated parking based on social status and pretentious clientele just a tad too ostentatious for my liking. I think Central hits the spot just right. Paragon has better bookshops and that wonderful True shop but apart from that I see no positives.

Anyway, back to the beach. As a result our heading off to the beach this morning is on hold for the moment. She's looking fine now so it could be on for this afternoon. All we need to do now is locate a good beach and head forth towards sun, sea and sand.

On a more grisly note I read about the hearing of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. He's quoted as saying: "I decapitated with my blessed right hand the head of the American Jew, Daniel Pearl, in the city of Karachi, Pakistan." And: "For those who would like to confirm, there are pictures of me on the internet holding his head."

I can't begin to comprehend the hatred involved here, that this guy must obviously be feeling, and the callous attitude towards what was essentially an innocent life. I would dearly love to understand what makes someone like this tick, what his real motivation for such an act is and how he can feel so clearly justified in having committed these acts.

Nearly at the beach, Imax, Bangkok hospitals and other things...