Ok, enough of the alliterations, you say. I agree. The heat must be making an omelete of my brains.

As you can see I’m back on the river at the Chatrium Hotel. I was actually supposed to be here a few days ago for my birthday, but Thip was making good progress on her dissertation so I decided to wait until after she submitted the final draft to her committee to come back and celebrate.

That was about three hours ago. Both of us can now sit back and chill (literally — by the Chatrium swimming pool for me) for a couple of days until she has to start preparing for her final orals scheduled for next Friday (a week from now).

We celebrated the milestone with — what else? — lunch. Dim sum to be exact. The best dim sum I’ve had since my trip to Hong Kong 12 years ago, maybe ever, at the Chef Man Restaurant at the Eastin Grand Sathorn Hotel.After lunch I checked in and am now contemplating the view, this time down river in the opposite direction from my last stay here.

As soon as my lunch is digested, I’m heading to the pool. My plans for the weekend? Well, my birthday bash will consist of another run at the seafood BBQ buffet, probably this evening. And tomorrow, if I can peel my sweaty body off the lounger by the pool, I’m heading up the river to Wat Pho, the oldest temple in Bangkok and my favorite tourist destination here.

This may not sound like a birthday bash to you — no strippers, no boozy karaoke, not even a birthday cake or dinner with the wife. But given the circumstances, my age and the heat, it’s good enough for me.