New Arrivals

Some of you probably already know there will soon be a new addition to our 301NIB family. We have post-poned making an official post on the blog because we wanted to be completely certain. These first few months can be a little nerve-racking, but I think we are both now confident enough to share the good news with everyone. We are very proud and exited to proclaim that:


My friend Joel has started a new blog.

In actuality, he has had a blog for some time now, which he has used to document his family's adventures here in the land of smiles. He simply chose to keep it secret from me until now. It seems that when first met as fellow graduate students (and fellow Fellows) he didn't realize that I was THE 'Mack Strate' of 301nightsinbangkok fame. Naturally, once he learned the truth he was quite reluctant to divulge the address of his own site, which looked quite modest in comparison to the worldwide success of 301NIB. After several counseling sessions he is no longer as intimidated by the Mack Strate mystique, and is prepared to share his site with the world.

Anyone interested in knowing who else (besides the Strate's) would be crazy enough to bring their family to Thailand to do research should check out:

One Year in Thailand

I heartily recommend a recent webvideo entitled Are you bored of reading blogs?, no doubt inspired by our own recent blockbuster, Pursuit of Happiness. The opening scene, in particular, makes an impressive attempt to attain a 301NIB level of goofiness (but sadly, falls just short).

Oh, there is one other thing...

We learned a few weeks ago that we're going to have a baby. To be more specific, Kaddi will have a baby, but I like to think that it's a team effort. Our doctor at Bumrungraad hospital says the due date is December 17th, just one day prior to Rachy-Rach's own birthday. Rachel is a third child, and this will be our third child. The similarities so far have me a little concerned.

This news brings with it a whole new set of challenges. For example, we have to pick a name for the baby. Normally, this is difficult enough. But within Kaddi's family picking baby names is like walking through a minefield. Each of the siblings has laid claim to certain names, and once a name has been staked out, the consequences for poaching can be...severe. Imagine my surprise to learn that my favorite girl's name, Madison, has actually been off the market since 1982.

Because I am by nature a thoughtful, considerate, person who cherishes the feelings of others and would never do anything to create controversy within my circle of inlaws, I've suggested to Kaddi that give our new baby a Thai name. It seems a fitting tribute given the location of the baby's conception.

If it's girl, I suggest: Sukhanit, Junjaree, Siwilai, Indira, Nuchida or Thirarat.

If it's a boy: Thongchai (my advisor), Charnvit, Sarawut, Somchay, Chaloemchay, or Arun.

I also felt strongly about naming our next son after my Stake YM President, Chaloemporn. Kaddi immediately vetoed this idea because she didn't want our son to have a name that ended in 'porn'.

(She may have a point there.)