Officially Elderly Today

Thursday, July 1, 2010--Bangkok

I am officially an elderly person today due to my enrollment in Medicare, the government old-age medical program in the U.S. My birthday is not until the 11th of this month, but one officially becomes a member of Medicare on the 1st day of the month of his/her 65th birthday. I completed the forms for my enrollment back in April. I also signed up for Social Security, the government old-age pension system, to begin at the same time. For full benefits in the latter, I should have waited one more year, but Medicare has a monthly fee I must pay, and it was easier to sign up for both and have the Medicare payment taken out of my Social Security payment each month. (Actually, most Americans take their Social Security when they turn 62 if they are no longer working which I haven't been doing for years now, but I delayed doing that to avoid the penalty for early retirement that is involved. The penalty for starting just 1 year early instead of 4 years early is not so bad. And it is only a penalty if I live to be more than 78 years old. Of course, I plan to do that and face the penalty!!)

The U.S. economy is so poor that the dollar has dropped 8% in value against the Thai Baht in the past year (which, put another way, means that the Thai Baht has risen 9% in value against the dollar over the past year). I discovered that when pulling out my leftover Baht from last year which had my old exchange chart attached. When I compared that chart with the one I made for this year, it was obvious there was quite a bit of change. Therefore, I figured it just to see how much. Too much!!! Thailand, with all its political upheaval and little development, has a currency that is strengthening against the U.S. dollar. Sad to realize.

Well, today was a medical day for me in Bangkok. I began with a trip to my dentist. She found a missing gum-line filling where my partial plate attaches to a tooth, so she replaced it. Then she cleaned my teeth. All that came to a grand total of $58. Then I went across the street to my local dermatologist I have used before. I have a wart returning on a finger and another couple of warts forming on a foot. He looked at them and decided they did not require laser treatment. Instead, he gave me a "hand cream" to put on them. At first I was worried, but then I had to wait and I could see that the women behind the counter were doing some mixing. Apparently, the office operates a compounding pharmacy and they were putting some active ingredient in the hand cream so it would do its job. I'm supposed to wash my hands and feet and use the cream just before going to bed each day. Then I am to see him again in a few weeks when I am back in Bangkok. The cost for this office visit and the medication was $17.33. I won't list the price of either the dental work or the dermatological visit on my travel expenses, since they are not travel related. I just get those things done when I am traveling because they are cheaper here.

Unfortunately, the number of foreign films showing here in Bangkok seems to be decreasing. I noticed it last year when I think there was only 1 film. This year I could only find 1 film, also, plus one American independent film. Maybe more will be open when I get back to town.

While waiting to see one of the films, I explored the neighborhood. I found one whole block that was burned out and being reconstructed. It was the result of the problems with the protestors here a month ago. Then I went to Paragon Mall where I bought some plum-flavored drinking yogurt at the supermarket and then explored the contemporary furniture stores. Toward the end of doing that, I heard noise and investigated. There was a style show featuring the models wearing watches. It was a charity event with the watches to be auctioned.

At 16:20, I saw the Chinese film The Message. It is a World War II spy thriller taking place in the Japanese-occupied portion of the country. It was well filmed and quite exciting. Click here for the trailer.