In 2005, I took a huge risk. Having not landed a decent entry-level position after finishing my bachelor's at Michigan Tech, I saved money for a plane ticket to Thailand where I started teaching. I landed in Grungthep (Bangkok) in March 2005 with $500 in my pocket, no return ticket, no credit, no backup plan. After a year, I moved to Chengde, China, and then back to Thailand where I met my wife, Sangthong Sakulnorasing. We married in 2008.  

Sangthong (แสงทอง) means "golden sun". Coincidentally, my Chinese students in the year prior to our meeting had named me 阳光 (Yang Guang), which means sunshine or happy feeling. Sangthong's Karen name, "naw mumu" means "good feeling". Her maiden name comes from her father, Tee, who walked from Myanmar (Burma) when he was young, seeking freedom from junta abuses against Karen people. Neither Sangthong's mother nor father had surnames when they were born. Their family name สกุลนรสิงห์ is a portmanteau of the word for surname (สกุล) and a mythical human-lion (นรสิงห์) from ancient India. Her family lives in a village about 6km east of the Myanmar border, surviving on the land under patronage of King Rama IX's sufficiency economy(เศรษฐกิจพอเพียง)

In 2005-06, and again in 2007-13, I worked in Thai public and private schools, teaching English, math, and science. It took that much time and more for me to understand nuanced differences between Thai and other cultures. We are all humans and native species on this planet, but Thailand and my place of birth are literally day and night; 12 hours different. I slept while my family and friends back home worked, and vice versa. Over years, my body and mind adjusted to the phase shift which is virtually impossible to explain fully to people who have not experienced this phenomenon personally. If I had to do it without her, I would have given up. If she were not the unique individual she is, it would not have worked for us. I once summarized marriage to a coworker friend by describing the situation like another person wants to dig out a part of you, and the initial response is reflexive -- to reject the deep intrusion into self -- but if that person is persistent, and if you do not give up, then the part s/he will have dug out and occupied only adds to your individual life and identity. The two grow together and become one, in a sense; of course, Adam and Sangthong Tanielian are literally two distinct bodies, but their lives are only what they have become because of the other. In my case, Thailand and Thai people are central to my way of thinking, my logic, my morality, work ethic, the way I feel and how I act. We have lived in other places, but in spite of our prolonged absence, each time we return it is more comfortable and accepting than the last. We live, learn, love, and grow together. Her family is my family. Her people are my people.

In 2006-07, my friend Bora Colak was getting ready to enter medical school. He and I both shared interest in becoming psychiatrists. The dream was to earn my doctorate in law -- to prove I can handle the legal stuff for bigtime forensic work if needed -- and then go to medical school. Then I found out how much debt I had, how much money I didn't have, and how much more debt I was not willing to take on. If education were free, or if I had a sponsor, I would have completed the mission Bora and I set out, but I am not certain I would focus on psychiatry. In 2010, Princess Sirindhorn handed me my MBA from Ramkhamhaeng University's Institute of International Studies. By 2014, after the requisite delays with an overly demanding dissertation advisor who quit the program and left me in the lurch for a year, I defended and got the pass. I would have received the LLD from the Princess' hand again, but Ramkhamhaeng requires three consecutive weekends of practice walking prior to the actual ceremony, and I could not afford to fly from Hofuf, Saudi Arabia that many times to practice walking. A classmate of mine, Palapan Kampan, noticed I can write, and so he offered me a post-doctoral research position out of the National Institute of Development Administration. We partnered on several projects together, mainly focusing on ASEAN trade policy. Even though I have slowed down with peer-review publishing, I credit Dr. Palapan Kampan for helping me develop my style, and motivating me to produce professional grade academic research under time and cost constraints.