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Nowadays in the rush and clamor of living we tend to forget the precious moments on Christmas morning when all the shopping and hunting for just the correct item (at the right price) pays off and our Dad, finally receives a little credit and reward for years of love and kindness. Happily because of the Internet it’s easy to find Christmas Gifts for Dad online.

I remember the smile on his face as he pulled back the final bit of wrapping paper to reveal the present within. My dad looked just like a kid again as he pulled that fishing reel out of the box and held it up for all to see. “Imagine the big fish I’ll be able to catch with this fine reel on my pole,” he said and everyone in the room beamed as we could imagine along with him the wonderful fish and times he would have with his new Christmas gift.

Christmas gifts for dad were always a special thing around our domicile. My father, like many Dads, was a unpretentious man who never asked for anything. More often than not, he’d say “give it to the other guy” or he’d make sure everybody else got theirs before he took any. That’s why Christmas gifts for dad were so special. It was the one time each year when he would accept and really enjoy receiving gifts.

He liked the wrappings, and the pretty bows and would always “ooh and aaahh” as he gingerly tugged at the corner or held the package up to the light. “Just checking”, he would say or when he was feeling mischievous, he’d guess that we’d gotten him a “stuffed cat” or ” a box of pre-digested aardvark fat” with “stony crackers”. We didn’t laugh but smiled and played along with his silly jokes knowing that usually what we’d done for him was likely to be something he’d really wanted.

But gifts for him were relatively easy. He wasn’t fussy and he was always genuinely pleased with whatever he got. Christmas was the time we were able to fulfill the longings and the little hints he’d make over the year about not having “any socks that didn’t have holes” or “I know I could shave at least 6 points off my game if I had a Putter like that”. We just listened, sometimes writing a little note to ourselves or making a quick call when we were alone to confer with another family member about what size or color was the best choice.

It all paid off on Christmas morning. Dad’s beaming face. The sounds of Christmas carols in the background, the fun and excitement as he opened each of his gifts and thanked everyone for choosing exactly the right thing, what he “really” wanted (even if it didn’t quite fit and he would have to return it to get the right size), we all laughed and wished each other a very Merry Christmas.

Christmas is a joyous time and being able to share gifts and time with loved ones and your Dad always makes it the best Christmas every year.

General

Bangkok may be the most exciting metropolis in South-East Asia. Its charm is accessible to anyone who is not put off by its busy atmosphere. Bangkok demands that visitors get in and enjoy the lifestyle of South-East Asia.

Bangkok is a captivating, fascinating and dynamic city with countless places to see, terrific shopping malls, a diverse and exciting nightlife, and thousands of restaurants. Since traffic is usually standing still, it is better to take the Skytrain and remain above street level. Even there, expect crowded platforms full of people shoving to board the cars.

Siam’s new beginning.
Large parts of Thailand fell under Burmese rule during the eighteenth century. After the destruction of the former Thai capital, Ayutthaya, a handful of men under the leadership of General Tak Sin went in search of a new place to establish the government of the kingdom. In 1772, they settled on Thonburi, a small town on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. The little town was built around an important temple. The site was well protected by the river and hastily erected land walls. Tak Sin expanded the temple complex into the royal temple of Wat Arun, in honour of the goddess Aruna. Wat Arun survives today as the landmark of Bangkok.

An inglorious end.
Tak Sin ruled the Kingdom of Siam with an iron fist for ten years. Years of war transformed him into a merciless despot. He saw himself as Buddha’s successor, and demanded to be worshipped as a god. This led to rebellion and to his execution on 6 April 1782. In accordance with time-honoured custom, he was placed in a cloth bag and beaten to death, because royal blood could not be allowed to spill on the earth.

A city of temples.
Following Tak Sin’s death, Bangkok was founded anew as a different city on the opposite bank of the river. King Rama I used the old capital of Ayutthaya as a model for the construction of his new residence. There he built the Royal Palace and the Royal Temple of Wat Phra Kaeo, named after the statue of the Emerald Buddha, which Rama commanded be brought here from Wat Arun. Today, this is Thailand’s most revered image of Buddha. The area around the Royal Palace is the historic centre of present-day Bangkok, Canals, called khlongs, used to wind through and around the new capital, and much of the city’s commerce took place directly on the water. Nearly all of the khlongs were filled in during the twentieth century to allow for the expansion of the city.

All of Bangkok’s busy streets and wide boulevards were originally canals. The first bridge over the Chao Phraya River, the Memorial Bridge, was dedicated in 1932, joining Thonburi with the constantly expanding city on the opposite bank. The last of the khlongs with their colourful floating markets can still be found in Thonburi.

The face of the Bangkok metropolitan district, known as Krung Thep Mahanakhon in the Thai language, was mostly modernized in the 1980s, when an explosion of construction of high-rise buildings and skyscrapers forever altered the cityscape. The Skytrain now weaves its way through a concrete and steel jungle, with only the occasional glimpse of a golden stupa or ornately decorated palace to remind the visitor of Bangkok’s glorious past.

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General