Leaving Thailand

I can't believe our two years is almost up here in Thailand! The mixed emotions hit us everyday. Here are some thought about the best and words of our life here in Nichada, enjoy, Kristy

Walmart versus Thai Grocery Store

Grocery shopping in Thailand is not an enjoyable process. Neither is shopping in Walmart. For those of you who find Walmart too bright, too crowded and too thrifty....be thankful.

First of all, I have to call for a taxi and wait in the 95 degree, humid weather. Then the cab ride can be interesting, depending on how much english the taxi driver knows...and what else may be in his system. Thank goodness it is only a 10 minute ride.

I arrive at the warehouse- type of grocery store and am instantly hit with the smell of exhaust mixed with humidity in the parking lot. I enter the building and go by many food stands with a variety of unrecognizable food items that all seems to make me nauseous. I make my way up the escalator and enter the "Walmart zone."

To this point I have yet to year a word of English and now I am overwhelmed by people speaking Thai and a Thai radio blaring commercials. The other day I asked 4 employees where the sparkling water was (it had been moved) and I even used my poor Thai, "Chang nam?" No one could help me. I went home with out my favorite drink.

If you are reading this post, you are able to shop in a grocery store and read all of the signs....I am not so lucky. 98% of the signs are in Thai, the currency is Thai baht and the metric system is the only system. As a result I have no idea how much I am spending until I get to the check out AND I have to pay cash. I really should bring a calculator.

Now the smells are the biggest challenge, especially in the meat/seafood department. A few things are packaged but most are in an "open buffet" set up. I have never seen so much raw meat in one place and much of it is not unfamiliar and some of it is downright scary. You just scoop some up, throw it on the scale and the tag is printed for you: in kilos and baht of course. The seafood is incredible, so many things and so very pungent. I quickly buy my package of chicken breasts and smoked salmon and head on my way, to a safer, less stinky section.

I had no idea there were so many kinds of rice, or noodles...or milk in a box! There are only 3 aisle that I frequent- those that cater to expatriates. A few familiar brands are there: Prego, Pepperidge farms, Nestle, Laughing Cow but we are beginning to branch out a bit. There is also a small selection of European products which sounds interesting but actually they just confuse things for me. Now there are Thai, English and French labels to decipher!

Wait- the fun isn't over yet. There is the check out line, which moves INCREDIBLY slow. Slower than Walmart. Apparently folks aren't being timed and so why hurry? The cashier is the bagger, like at Walmart, so no hurry there either. Then I pile all of my bags into the cart, go down the magnetic escalator- kind of cool, head to the curb and hail a taxi...but you have to find a driver that knows where I live so that usually takes two tries, using a mixture of Thai and English. I land in the taxi, and try to decipher the smells for my ten minute return trip. Then I am dropped off in the parking lot, unload the groceries, haul them up 10 steps, load them on a cart, into the elevator, unload them into the apartment and finally return the cart back to the main floor.

Ugh! Walmart is looking pretty good to me these days, I will approach it with new eyes next summer.
Kristy

Gecko, Gotta Love 'em

One would think that after 15 months living in a place one could adjust to geckos, no luck. They move so incredibly fast and they come out of nowhere! Yesterday I just about jumped out of my skin when I saw one scramble along the molding and run into the closet. This one was about 4 inches long, which is pretty big for a house gecko. I had one in my classroom that was the size of a small paperclip, he was rather cute. But please try to imagine how one little gecko could disrupt learning in classroom.

Neither of the girls are fond of geckos and they quickly scream out for help when they find one in their room. Apparently the most common way geckos enter the house is through the air conditioning units but I haven’t told the girls this yet. Please be assured that we do not kill geckos, that is not the Buddist way. We use a glass to trap the gecko and then slide a piece of paper between the surface and the glass. In our house this has been designated as an adult responsibility.

My favorite Ahnika/gecko story occurred bright and early at 6 am on a school day. She was following Gary into the kitchen and she saw a gecko race down the from the ceiling to the wall, jump on Gary’s shoulders…race down his back to his heel and then race under the refrigerator! “I didn’t know they could jump! I told myself I could handle them because they just stayed on the walls and ceilings, now I am totally freaked out!” she exclaimed.

One evening I came home and Mikayla was just a little upset. She had been home alone or so she thought. She had found a gecko in her room. She managed to catch it herself -because one couldn’t just leave it be. It sounds like the catching process took her quite a bit of time. But the worst of it was that in the process of catching the small guy she had chopped part of the tail off of the gecko! She was so worried for him and felt just awful.

She has recently redeemed herself however. This weekend we were at the beach and had taken inter tubes from the sand into the water, we were just about to take off behind a boat when she found a small gecko on her inter tube- “wait, wait, I have to help the gecko!” She bravely took the gecko on her BARE HANDS and walked the 50 feet to shore for the non-swimming creature.
So although they are fast and startle us we are adjusting to the cute, little, harmless creatures. You all should really come and see them, up close and personal. Cockroaches are another story however….

First Day of School

Another year, another picture. This year we looked through all of the "First Day of School" pictures, it was amazing to see them change each year. Where did the time go? Can you see Ahnika's braces? She has handled the aches and pains well, she has said several times that she misses fresh vegetables. A mom doesn't hear that very often.

The Night Before the First Day of School

What a difference a year makes. There is simply no comparison to this August and last August, things are amazingly easy the second time around. Since we arrived back in Bangkok on July 27th we have been relaxed yet busy. We have been putting a few more things together in our apartment, baking a lot (all three of the girls) because we now have a bigger kitchen, a full size oven AND a mixer.

Gary and I have spent a lot of time at school, but in a mellow way whereas last August was so stressful: new bank accounts, work visas, setting up internet connections, buying bikes, learning the basics of Thai, buying school uniforms for the girls, figuring where each meal would come from… the list goes on.

But now it is Saturday night and I am ready for school on Monday and I won’t be going in on Sunday. The girls took care of their own uniforms and not only are they familiar with the school they are so comfortable here they were both student hosts today for incoming new students.

Yes, we are still busy. But the stress and anxiety of the unknown is gone. The girls still want to return to the states next summer and that is the plan. So that means that those of you who want to visit us have 9 months. We do have an extra bedroom and bathroom. We also have a lovely new golf cart, bright red, that we are enjoying as we scoot around our community. So if you come to visit us you wouldn’t even have to ride a bike in the heat.

Our Visit to the States

I am writing this as we are flying countless hours back to Thailand, our temporary home. After a mere 5 weeks in the US we have seen so many familiar, wonderful people and it has been great to reconnect while being fed, loved and spoiled. Someone labeled our situation as “rock star status” … need I say more.

Years ago as Gary and I pondered when to go abroad we felt strongly about two things:
1) we wanted the girls to be old enough to remember the experience
2) we wanted them to know where their home and history was. We didn’t want our girls to fall into the category of “third culture kids” or those who move so often that they feel they don’t have a home country and culture. After spending a few weeks in the states, we all know exactly where we belong.

As I sit on the plane I am going through the pictures during our short visit, I have tears in my eyes as I write this. I am simply so grateful.

During the past 5 ½ weeks we have been in 9 different cities….and slept in 12 different places…at least Gary and I have slept in only 12. The girls had many more, it was a sleepover marathon and they wouldn’t have had it any other way. Thank you to each of you who helped us out; with a meal, a bed or a ride here or there. It does take a village, and we know where our village is.

Back in Bangkok

We arrived safely in BKK last night around 10:30 pm. It was close to 24 hours of travel and 4 countries: Canada, US, Japan and Thailand. In all of these countries we had to go through immigration, the longest line was the US immigration- and the slowest I might add.
Arriving in BKK was such a different feeling than last year, there was no anxiety and we were able to return to our "home" complete with familiar bedding and personal items.

We are all jet lagged and it should really hit us in the next few hours as it is night in the US. But our wonderful mae bahn tackled the unpacking and we are almost done already. She was glad to see us, but brought us the sad news that her husband passes away two weeks ago. (He had a stroke at the end of May) She is so loyal to us and says she will not need any time off now that we have returned.

It is nice and sunny here, 89 F and humid...it was raining when we left Seattle and 62F. After several mild-no cold- weather in Seattle I am fine with the temp here. Now I can wear my sundresses! I wore my jeans almost every day in July and I only wore them 3 times during the last year here....

Hope all is well with everyone,
Missing you all already,
Kristy

Carbon Footprint....in the Rain

I posted on FB the other day how proud I was of myself for biking everywhere. Since moving to Thailand we have not bought a car, and we are not planning on it. Our little planned community is so small we can bike everywhere and we can even bike to the nearest mall.
The other day I biked 7 minutes to school, then after school I biked to the bank, the grocery store, walked to the seamstress and met Ahnika at her doctor's appointment- all with no car. We are all feeling responsible and "carbon footprint conscous." Fast forward one day later...
Ahnika and I came out of the market to a serious thunderstorm and a downpour! We threw our grocery bags (cloth bags, mind you) in our bike baskets and began furiously pedaling! Almost instantly I had a large raindrop in one eye and counldn't see a thing from that eye and could barely see through the rain with the other. "Go faster, Mom" Ahnika shouts at me.
The rain was warm, but there was a LOT of it. We were laughing most of the way home, squinting and enjoying the puddles that were already forming.

We pedaled home in under our usual 7 minutes and we were completely drenched.
The groceries were drenched- the paper bag of flour was wet, the cereal box we already soggy and collapsing...in 7 minutes.

Now I am from the rainy NW, but this we don't usually do our grocery shopping in the rain. So I as I was trying to salvage the flour I thought to myself, "sometimes you just gotta have a car... and a footprint."

Bali April 2011

Bali Blog

I’m learning that you can tell a lot about a country, and the people that live there, by the traffic. Bali transportation, like Thailand and all of SE Asia, is dominated by motorcycles; scooters to be more precise. The scooters in Bali carry anything and everything as in Thailand but the roads are smaller, rarely more than one lane each way. Drivers honk, but it’s more to say excuse me than get the hell out of the way. Although might has right, scooters are allowed to weave in and out of traffic with impunity. It’s a very relaxed chaos here.
Bali is definitely a place to relax. We only had time for one day at the beach but the beach we picked was gorgeous. Small, with white sand and anchored with contrasting volcanic black rocks on each end. Uncrowded, quiet, and tops optional, with a few mom and pop shops selling drinks and a bit to eat.

Even our bike ride was relaxing. We were taken up country and coasted down, down, down through villages, farms, and of course, terraced rice fields. Our guides were in no rush. They allowed us to take all the pictures and video we wanted. They moved when we moved and stopped when we stopped. They answered all our questions and made us feel at home.
The terraced rice fields are an incredible site; a modern day Machu Picchu. In Thailand, water is moved with small engine water screws. In Bali the water simply flows downhill through a series of irrigation channels. In Thailand, machines are used for plowing, planting, and harvesting. In Bali no machines are used, just an ox for plowing, every thing else is done by hand. At the end of our bike ride we where served lunch among some rice fields in different stages. After watching people cut, thrash, collect, dry, etc. Ahnika commented that she had a new appreciation for rice.

We had a great rafting trip. The classification was in the 2-3 range but the water was warm and the canyon filled with plant life. There were a couple sections 50 to 100 yards each where the basaltic canyon wall had been carved depicting Balinese stories. It was recently commissioned by a local hotel but looked like something from a lost generation.
We spent a day diving a World War II ship wreck near our second hotel in Pandang Bai. The ship wreck had become a huge reef covered with life. We also paid a local with a very nice Polynesian style boat a whopping $20 to take us to his secret snorkel location. It was one of the best snorkeling sites I have been to. He also took us (just to satisfy my comparison curiosity) to a touted snorkel location described on many inter-net pages. It was good, but hiring that local was money well spent.
And of course there was Ubud. The arts and crafts where great but Ubud has become too commercialized, and overrun with hoards of people coming in on tour buses.

10 Best Things about Bali by Kristy
10) Green, green everywhere- so many shades of green
9) Banana leaves, folded into bowls, used as placemats, woven into curtains
8) Clear water and colorful coral
7) Art: batik, carvings, jewelry, baskets and paintings
6) Self-sustainable living
5) Smiling school children walking to school in colorful, ironed uniforms
4) White sandy beaches
3) Woman carrying amazing things on their heads: tables, fruit and rice
2) Daily ceremonial offerings of flowers; outside of businesses, temples and your hotel room door
1) Peaceful, kind people


Check out more Bali pictures at the following link

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1660021754592.73476.1658637733&l=9f3b24ee62..

Kayaking in Laos

One of the three parts of ISB’s mission is to produce caring, global citizens. What better way to do this than to shut school down for a week and send kids off to do just that. Ahnika, for example, went to a school in Bangkok to paint. I’m not talking artwork, I’m talking painting the walls of an old school. Because Ahnika is a freshman, and freshman pick last, most of the more exotic trips were already filled.
I, on the other hand, went with seniors to kayak the 4,000 islands group of the Mekong river, in southern Laos. We spent the days kayaking, biking, hiking, inner tubing, and site seeing. The nights we spent interviewing local people to learn what life is like for an average villager along the Mekong river. Students were broken into groups that had at least one Thai speaker. Thai and Laotian languages are close enough that a conversation could take place. The students would write questions together. The Thai speaker would translate and someone else recorded. After dinner, students would take turns reporting to the group what they learned about the people through their conversations.
It was very obvious to the students that they lived a privileged life. They learned a lot about the people, their families, their hardships and the way progress of the outside world was changing their lives. But the trip was about having fun too. We kayaked every day, sometimes twice a day, never in serious rapids, but plenty to keep a bunch of rookie kayakers thrilled. Most of the students had never kayaked before. Teaching them how to coordinate their paddling in these double kayaks while also teaching them how to steer was no easy task. They would run aground, run into bushes, run into each other. They would splash each other, whack each other with their paddles and go in circles.
The area we kayaked was home to some notable distinctions. The Khone falls are the widest stretch of falls in the world. Covering a width over 6 miles meant you never saw the whole thing at once but the sections we did see where beautiful. We were able to spend time watching the Irrawaddy Dolphins. These are a species of fresh water dolphins that are considered highly endangered. The river is also home to the Mekong catfish, the largest freshwater fish in the world.
The river is very warm, not bathwater warm, but warm enough to float down the river for close to three hours in an inner tube.
Although there are lakes and rivers all around Bangkok and its suburbs, the water is not clean enough to swim in. The Mekong was the first body of fresh water I have swam in since I’ve left Seattle. The lead guide told us we could swim in the river. I think he meant wading, because he had a strange look when I actually went out into the river and started swimming. The current was strong enough that at about 15 to 20 yards off shore I would swim facing upstream but not get anywhere.
The last night of the trip we spent camping on a huge sand bar about a mile long and one half mile wide. There were seven senior boys that needed one more body for some four on four touch football. They asked me to play like they were asking some guy in a wheelchair. There was even a little argument as to what the teams would be. Obviously nobody wanted the old guy. Well the old guy held his own, toasting his defender, “the captain” of the other team, for a long touchdown and getting a pick to preserve a 3 to 2 victory. Of course I didn’t let them know that I could hardly walk the next two days.
The experience was awesome, from kayaking in a unique ecosystem to eating dinner prepared by village families, I can now truly say I am a global citizen.

The first picture reminds me that life is what you make it. The second picture is the group queing to run a stretch of small rapids between some very large rocks. The third picture is a set of trees that have been pushed over year after year when the river floods during the rainy season.
The fourth picture is sunset from a village. Fifth is a village house. The sixth picture is a forest losing its leaves. Here forest lose their leaves in January and February in preperation for the hot season that lasts March through June. The seventh picture is an ruin that dates back four to five hundred years. The stone in the eigth picture may have been used for sacrifices.

Haircuts

Getting your haircut in Thailand is proving to be a bit of a challenge. Gary came home one day and was so proud, "I got my haircut for 60 baht ($2)" I told him it looked like it was a $2 haircut. The girls both tried the salon inside our little community, run completely by Thai woman who speak little english. Apparently the salon is known for cutting off twice as much hair then you request, of course this is a tragedy for a young teenager or preteenager.

So the latest discovery is "Hair by Jib." I have gone there 3 times now and each of the girls have gone once and are pretty happy with their 1/2 inch trims. Jib is a Thai/American, who speaks fairly good english but can't seem to remember me, "just a farong (foreigner)." Jib is a very unique guy/stylist, he takes his work very seriously. He has tatoos completely covering his right arm and most of his left arm. He sports an interesting mohawk and wears a few earrings. I especially like his shorts with socks and black army boots. Of course he doesn't wash or dry my hair, just does the cutting, while sitting on a wheeling stool. He is a man of few words and when he does speak it is broken english and he rarely smiles. I am inferring that he considers his job an art form.

He is not the cheapest salon in our neighborhood, but we can ride our bikes and it is cheaper than a haircut in the States. Hopefully we can convince Gary to go there too. So Jib it is!

A Wife

Kristy's Post:

A girlfriend and I once agreed that every mother/wife should have their own wife; someone to organize their life, plan the meals, do the grocery shopping, ask how your day was, and some cooking and laundry would be nice. Well, I think I officially have a "wife" of my own. I think I have died and gone to heaven.
I usually leave the house at 6:20 and return between 4:30 and 5pm. When I got home tonight, I was still removing my shoes just outside the door (we are in Thailand) and I was holding my lunch bag. Our mae baan greeted me at the door, said "swadeeka" (hello, how are you?") took my lunch sack and whisked back to the kitchen to finish dinner.
By the time I changed clothes and entered the kitchen she had washed the tupperware from lunch and was working two pots on the stove. The table was set, the fruit was cut for the next morning's smoothie, all the laundry was done and the beds made with clean sheets. Shall I go on?

Many teachers joke and say that the school couldn't expect so much from us if hired help wasn't so inexpensive. Many teachers have more than one person hired, administrators with larger homes have up to 3 people which may include a gardener and someone to clean the pool. Of course most of the families that live in this wealthy community also have a driver; this would include the US embassy employees.
I did have to bite my tongue the other day when our wonderful teaching neighbors who have a four year and are hoping to adopt a baby said that they would have to hire another nanny if when they get the baby....keep in mind they do have one nanny and a cook. :)
Sometimes I think I am living on another planet, but when I return to my home planet, I have to find a big suitcase, because this mae baan is coming with me!

We loved Australia

Australia has a lot to offer, but it has its drawbacks. Most notable and inescapable is the cost. Although the Aussie dollar is valued about the same as the American dollar, the cost of goods in Australia is about half again to double the cost in the US. For example, a Kit Kat on sale in a grocery store is $.99. A bottle of beer with your dinner will cost you $6 or $7, a mixed drink $12 to $15.

People in Australia are extremely friendly and easy to strike up conversations with. They always seem willing to give directions, advice, or just chat in a friendly down to earth manner. They are however a little more gruff when working. Waiters, hotel workers, etc. sometimes seem like they are inconvenienced by your presence. Tipping is not customary in Australia, Hmmm. I can tell you it has nothing to do with working long hours. Shops, grocery stores, and hotel desks close as early as 5 or 6 o’clock. Part of this early close feel was because of the Christmas holidays and part of this is my jaded perspective caused by the inability to obtain beer after a day of sightseeing. Beer is only sold in liquor stores, which often closed early.

In the small town of Cairns, pronounced “cans”, the way someone from Boston might pronounce the word cars, was a wonderful botanical garden. We sort of stumbled across it while trying to fill the second half of a day with something to do. Ahnika and Mikayla loved, the flowers and loved taking pictures. There were cacti that grew like vines up the trunks of palm trees, and trees that had trunks and branches covered with huge spikes. And of course a denseness of vegetation that reminded you that this was the tropics.

Just outside of Brisbane was a koala sanctuary called Lone Pine. It started many years back with koalas but is really more of a zoo now, complete with wombats, wallabies, Tasmanian devils, dingoes, emus, birds, and a platypus exhibit. I’m sure I’ve missed some of the wonderful animals on display. Oh! How could I forget, the girls got to see up close and personal, some mating kangaroos. I missed this however, and since no one will describe it to me, I will always wonder how kangaroos do it. I bet you’re wondering too.

The East coast of Australia is dominated by sandstone. Much of this striped rock is quarried to add a beautiful color to the towns and cities. But most important is its erosion to produce mile after mile of long, light yellow sandy beaches. Some are more quiet and secluded, but anywhere near a metropolitan area and you’ve got plenty of people action. The Gold coast beaches are the best because the water is warm enough to stay in as long as you like, yet little chance of death from a box jelly. Near Sydney the water is a little cooler, but nothing like Puget Sound. Bondi beach in Sydney treats male and female the same when it comes to tanning ones breasts.

Some of you old Seattle natives may remember from the TV show Hear Comes the Brides, “the bluest skies you’ve ever seen are in Seattle”. Well, I’ve got to tell you the Australian skies are just as blue and at night the stars are exceptionally bright. It’s quite a contrast coming from Bangkok. On New Years Eve, we were in a small town away from any big city lights and the Milky Way put on a show to rival any fireworks display I have ever seen. I just wish my camping buddies were there to see the Southern Cross as it rose above the horizon and Orion’s Belt almost at the zenith. That alone was worth the price of the plane ticket.

As we came into Sydney, we diverted to the east and spent the day in the Blue Mountains. It was the weirdest thing. Three little tourist trap towns blended together, servicing thousands of people that come there to view the Blue Mountains from three or four easily accessible vantage points and a few miles of trail. It might be comparable to Paradise lodge at Mt. Rainier National Park except more people in a smaller area. The valleys were immense, capped with shear walls. It was a look that said, “impassable.” But somewhere out there we are told, are miles of wonderful trails without the hordes of people. I just wish we had the time to explore it.

Sydney itself was a blast. If you ever go, get a hotel in the suburbs near the train line and do without a rental car. We paid $50 for the whole family to have a pass that let us travel on any train, ferry, or bus. They are all interconnected and allow you to travel anywhere in the city, even to the beaches. No hassles, faster, easy to figure out, and honestly quite fun.

When people think of a postcard view of Sydney, they think of the unique design of the Opera House. Now that I’ve been there, the Opera House is only one part of a triune beauty, which also includes the bridge and the harbor. The bridge adds strength to the scene, while the harbor, with its movements of dozens of passenger ferries, adds some life.

On our last day in Sydney we hopped off the train at Central station in search of Paddy’s market. This is the China town section of the city. Although not as high quality as Pike’s place market in Seattle, it was several times the size, with a large selection and the prices couldn’t be beat. I bought a zip up fleece with an embroidered “Australia” and a kangaroo for 20 bucks.

Twice we visited a revived, old town portion of Sydney adjacent to the bridge and the harbor called The Rocks. It had high quality shopping and great places to eat and drink. On the weekends it had a street fair with wonderful gifts and souvenirs. Preserved in one of the old buildings was a free museum to teach you all about Sydney’s beginnings.

We had a great time in Australia. There is plenty of beauty and plenty to do. We were very fortunate to have 18 days to see most of the eastern seaboard. If the price comes down I think the Wood House would all agree that more exploration is needed.

SCUBA diving in Cairns

Of all the things in Australia that I thought might kill me I never imagined the possibility that a cyclone might do me in. The last day of our 3-day scuba adventure came to an end a day early. At 3:00 am, cyclone Tasha broke our bow mooring line. The engines were started and the stern mooring line was released so we could get away from the reef and into deeper water. The deeper water couldn’t puncture the hull and sink us like the coral could, but it did have bigger waves. The ride to the leeward side of a large island was like a cheap roller coaster with no inverted maneuvers but plenty of bone jarring action. While behind the protection of the island the storm passed, and as the day progressed we were treated to a nice lunch at a newly renovated resort, but no more scuba diving.
The diving we had the first two days was splendid. We had several guided dives that helped us feel comfortable with our newly acquired skills and allowed us to focus our attention on enjoying the reef and all its wonders. The diving we originally did in Thailand seemed two dimensional, with flat reefs all at one depth. Here the diving took on a third dimension with coral walls that would go down, down, down. We saw some very cool stuff on a night dive including sharks, rays, and sleeping sea turtles. There was one turtle awake and swimming. The guide helped Ahnika and Mikayla scratch it’s back. Apparently turtles like this because our fingernails removed things from their shell that they cant get off themselves. You can imagine how special the girls thought this was.
The first picture shows Mikayla, Ahnika, Gary, and Kristy from left to right. The second picture is a giant clam about 3 feet across. The meat of the clam is white so the colors you see are other organisms living on the clam.
~Gary

We've Arrived in Australia!

December 21, 2010
After 4 days in Australia, here are a few words from each of us...

Mikayla:
About a year ago I wouldn’t have imagined that I would be in Australia for my winter break, but here I am! A few weeks ago I wouldn’t have imagined that I would be on a boat, on Christmas day, getting ready to scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef. And I few days ago I wouldn’t have imagined, even in my wildest dreams, that I would hold a Koala. ☺

Ahnika:
The best perk so far is that they speak English. ☺ After living in a country for 6 months that doesn’t speak my native tongue, I can be fully grateful for that simple commonality. In fact, I could even be considered an Australian here. People don’t question your presence like they do in Thailand.
As my family notices the differences that separate America and Australia, I’m just amazed by all the similarities. Having been in two new countries in the last six months has given me a better perspective of the US. I’m quite the visual thinker, and I have a constant map of the world stored in my head. Now, each time I visualize that map, the US seems smaller, but more accurate in size compared to Asia and Australia.


Kristy:
The English influence in Brisbane was so evident; the Parliament Offices, churches and the architecture of so many buildings. They have recently created a gorgeous river walk full of running/walking paths, markets etc. And even have several city pools “lagoons” along the river, which had many teenagers at all hours. Brisbane is definitely a clean, green and friendly city that one could grow to love, somewhat of a mix between Madison and Portland.
There are showers in almost all of the public bathrooms, even at the airport!
The Koalas were adorable. We all loved watching the moms with their babies. The kangaroos were different than I expected, so incredibly muscular with gigantic feet and LONG nails.


Gary:
So how would you like to go? In Australia, Queensland especially, there are a number of ways. Of the 10 most poisonous snakes in the world, all 10 are in Australia, and several, including the coral snake are in Queensland (northeastern Australia). The most poisonous creature in the world and possibly the most agonizing death occurs at the hands, or better said tentacles, of the box jellyfish. If you’re a James Bond fan you know of the blue ringed octopus, a certain death sentence. You could step on a deadly stonefish (I won’t bother with the neurotoxin details). Lots of very poisonous spiders but probably treatable if you get to a doctor in time. Rip currents drown a few dozen people or more every year. If drowning sounds peaceful, you could always be left on the reef by a dive boat. My favorite demise would be the saltwater crocodile. They live in the estuaries. The largest on record is over 5 meters.
Good ‘ay mates, we’re having a great time down under.

My first drive

Do you remember what it was like driving for the first time? In case you’ve forgotten and you want to relive it…come to Bangkok and get in a rental car and take a drive to Khao Yai National park. It’s like driving in a car that you are unfamiliar with times ten. Everything is backward, everything! A guy showed up with the rental van at 6:45 am, showed me where to fill with gas, handed me the key and said “I come back at 7 on Monday, you pay me then.”, then walked away. No paper work, no money up front.

As we where about to drive away that morning, I looked up and adjusted the rear view mirror; it just didn’t feel right; all the angles were confusing. We met some friends in our little community Nichada, then started off with a drive through some local streets first. Not so bad, the speeds are slow and I had been on these streets many times in taxis and on my bike. It was also 7:30 am on a Sunday morning so the traffic was light but would grow quickly on this three-day weekend of the Kings birthday.

As we entered the freeway things started getting crazy. Keep in mind this was an 11 person passenger van with curtains covering half of each window behind the driver so the visibility was poor. As I checked my (right) side mirror to merge on this elevated two-lane freeway, a car was passing another on the left at a very high rate of speed. I let him go whizzing by then pulled into the lane. As I brought my attention forward I realized that I hadn’t noticed the onramp was coming to an end. Now my heart was pumping, my hands where clinched and beginning to sweat. I was using every bit of my starbucks double mocha to keep from crashing into someone or something while at the same time trying to keep up with my friend that drives like the Thais. OK, it should be noted that he was from California. But still, California drivers got nothin’ on the Thais.

It wouldn’t be so bad if the speeds where constant and everybody drove in the same direction. Apparently there are no laws that encourage this. Our two lane freeway had sports cars and SUVs going 70 miles an hour in the right lane, while big trucks, scooters, and little Toyota pickups with 10-15 workers in the back, where doing 40 miles an hour in the left hand lane. And then there where the crazy drivers doing 80 plus miles an hour making the others look like ski gates in a downhill race.
The two lane freeway soon gave way to an even more exciting 3 lane (each way) highway that had cars merging and exiting from roadside stands, while about every 2 miles you could expect to see cars from the other side of the highway doing u-turns in front of you, or the cars in your lane slowing down to make a u-turn. Oh, and people drive the other way on the shoulder. If you miss a freeway exit, no problem, just back up until you get to it.

In America we have signs for deer crossings, elk crossings, etc. Keep in mind the damage they can inflict on your car. In Thailand they have signs for elephant crossings. You might as well run broadside into a cement truck. In Thailand the most common animal to cross a highway or freeway is by far the homo sapien. You’ll sometimes see a half dozen of them on a highway median attempting to cross three lanes doing 60 plus mph. Two to four of them will make a break for it while the others, either because they are slower or more cautious will remain behind. As you pass, you glance in the rearview mirror and find yourself half looking for carnage and half hoping they will make it.

October Break in Phuket: Part 1

Phuket and Coral Island

Left Bangkok on Sat Oct 23 and flew to Phuket, a tropical island in southern Thailand. At the airport we were roped into a “free tour” which sounded too good to be true…and it was. The first part was an island tour on Sunday to “see” the island and a few key tourist traps. However, we managed to squeeze in our first elephant ride.

Phuket
Saturday- arrived at Aquamarine hotel completely impressed or actually in awe of the 4 pools, 2 of which were built in to the side of the hill, with 180 degree views of the sea and complete drop off- straight down. One of these pools was of lap pool length and 3 of us did lap at least twice to an amazing view- absolutely gorgeous. It was hard to keep swimming, just wanted to stop and look at the view.
Sunday-
Glimpsed part of a traditional Thai wedding at our hotel:
Simulated parade of groom to meet his bride’s family in the town center, offering to Budda, traditional attire and during the ceremony 5 orange clad monks were at the front of the room sitting on tables, praying, chanting etc.
Then…. “free tour” of island, included key viewpoints (spectacular) and too many touristy streets, seen by van only, then a trip to a cashew processing plant. Did you know cashews grow outside of a fruit that looks just like a red or yellow pepper? Lots of free samples.
Another stop: biggest jewelry store in the world, somewhat interesting however …we were clearly in the wrong store. We knew it and the sales people knew it.
Next: oyster/pearl showcase where we were educated in the qualities of pearls of all shapes and sizes…again no purchase
One quick stop at a gift store…then…
ELEPHANT RIDE- our first, very interesting! They are truly gentle giants, and were all pets it seemed. Ahnika and Gary lucked out with the famous “Mary” elephant. The guides all just kept calling “Mary….Mary…Mary….” til a guide climbed on-literally by holding onto an ear and climbing up as if rock climbing. The are so darn big! The elephant/guide relationship really reminded me of my sister on her horses- name cooing, scratching and patting. It seemed that they loved their elephants, therefore we are trusting that they are taking good care of them. Did you know that an elephant can eat 300 kilos of food every day?
While riding/guiding Ahnika’s elephant, the guide grabbed a piece of bamboo and fashioned two different rings for her- out of a leaf! Of course she shared one with her sister who was riding a different elephant with her mom.

Returned to hotel, walked down to the beach to have great Thai meal cooked in a hut; don’t really want to know about sanitary conditions in Thailand, just want to eat when hungry.
Then walked back to hotel to attend evening of wedding celebration (we were invited by the groom himself Sat night) more good food. This wedding ended promptly at 10 just after a private fireworks display for the wedding couple.

Monday-
Snorkeling tour- picked up at 7 am, hour long van ride to dock to jump on crowded boat. Beautiful boat ride with free food (thank goodness) to Phi Phi island. Apparently Leo D’Caprio’s movie “The Beach” was filmed here. The color of the water was breathtaking. We were on the boat for quite a while, going all around the island then stopped to snorkel….but only had 45 minutes! (Never referring that tour group to anyone).
So glad I could be with the girls on their first snorkeling adventure- they were squealing with delight! It was very exciting, just not long enough. Long boat ride back- perfect view for reading. Mikayla has started reading the “Clique” series, such high quality literature, it makes her mother so proud.
It was during this boat trip I starting pinching myself to be sure it was all real. We are so incredibly lucky to be going on this adventure as a family.
Ahnika is happy because watermelon is served everywhere and most places will blend her up a watermelon juice- “no problem” or “mai pen rai” in Thai.
Monday evening- just hanging by the pool. However, since we are so close to the equator is completely dark here by 6:15. This is hard to adjust to because it always feels like summer to us so we expect long, northwest, sunlight days until 9pm.

Tuesday-

Did you know you can’t eat a banana leaf? But you can cut them into plate size circles and use them as decorative coasters for various serving pieces. “no eat, just “de-COR-ate” we were told at dinner.
The fruit still amazed us; mangos daily, watermelon juice, dragonfruit, papaya. There was quite a selection every morning at our buffet breakfast. Nice way to start the day, ended Tuesday with 2for 1 drinks at the poolside bar…which were basically fruit and alcohol.

Dinner twice tonight

       I went to a driving range today.  $6 for unlimited buckets, chipping, and putting.  After a couple hours, a neighbor and I stopped at a local restaurant for my second lunch of the day.  It was about 3:30. My neighbor speaks great thai and knows the place, so he ordered two tall sweet teas and two dinner plates of rice with pork, vegetables and an overeasy egg on top.  Total price with generous tip-60 BHT = $1.85 per person.  At 6:30 I had spaghetti and a salad cooked by Ahnika.  Then at 7:30 headed out to a restaurant with about 10 others for what I thought would be drinks.  This place was on a busy local street.  It had a sheet metal roof with cheap 4 foot double fluorescent lights all around and no side walls.   There was no atmosphere except all the locals and the pouring down rain (while still about 80 degrees).  It's all about the food and drink at this place.  The blackened halibut was $1.10 and a 22 ounce beer $2.25.  So here I am blogging after midnight to digest some of this food. 
       I realized today while at the restaurants and on the taxi ride there, that I was learning thai.  After my second lunch today I was able to tell the cook that I had a happy tummy.  I could tell the taxi driver to take me to Chai raan ahaan, yuu thii soi samakee (Chai restaurant on street Samakee).  I was able to tell him where and which way to turn or when to go straight or slow.  I was also able to ask for change at the restaurant, trading 500 bht for sii loy, and haa, yii sip (4 hundreds, and 5 20).  When I came here, I had doubts that I would ever pick up the language.  Now I know that this will truely be my second language. 
     Ahnika swam in the swim-a-thon last night.  She swam for two hours, taking only about 6-30 second breaks to drink water.  About 3.5 miles and goodness knows how many calories. 
     This morning Micki ran her first cross country race.  As an 11 year old she finished first in the girls under 13 group.  It was fun watching her last 300 yards as she reeled in several people including a few boys.  I'm sure you can tell the boy in this picture got toasted.
     What a great start to the weekend!

3 Days in Hua Hin (Head of Stone)

     How much would it cost to hire someone to drive you for three hours, drop you off, drive three hours back home, then pick you up three days later and drive you the three hours back to your house?  Could you get someone to do it for $160?  This is why we don't own a car.
     Our latest adventure was a three day trip to Hua Hin, a long white sandy beach with a huge stone rock that apparently looks like a head at the end of the beach.  We stayed at the Marriot.  It was fabulous.  We splurged, spending about $150 a night.  The rooms were well appointed with two queen sized beds.  The hotel workers were very courteous and the free breakfast was more like something you would find at Anthony's on a mothers day morning.  I ate so much each morning that I didn't need to eat lunch either day.  Even the girls went back for seconds and thirds. 
     Our first day there we had lunch while the room was readied, then had beers in a bucket of ice by the pool while we read and swam with the kids.  We finished with a lavish meal at a restaurant on the beach. 
     The next day we had a driver take us to Pa Lu A falls and then to the giant Buddha.  We hiked up to the forth of five levels and went for a swim in the river.  The coldest thing I've experienced yet in Thailand but nothing like the rivers in Washington.  The river was loaded with fish.  If you look carefully at the picture of me and the girls standing next to the falls, you'll see a carp trying to jump up the falls like a salmon.  Nice timing Kristy!  We finished that day with dinner, drinks and shopping at the Hua Hin night market.  No beer gardens here.  Just walk around with any drink or beer as you please.  The hustle and bustle, along with seeing how low you could get a vendor to go on a cd, jewelry, fake designer hand bags etc. was a blast.
     The last day we finished with another huge breakfast and more hanging around the pool. 
     Over the course of the three days, Kristy and I did manage to get in plenty of exercise.  I twice rode bike and lifted in the workout room along with a mile swim in the ocean.  While Kristy and Ahnika got in a yoga class and a run on the beach. There was a family of 4 girls there from ISB that hung out at the pool a lot, so Micki was pretty much swim, swim, swim.

Work For 3 Weeks - Get a 3 Day Vacation

       So how many of you have accepted a job, worked for three weeks, and then taken a three day vacation?  On Tuesday I left for Penang Malaysia.  After an easy morning, an hour and a half flight, and a taxi drive, I was in my hotel room relaxing and unpacking.  Oh and my room was in a smoking area so I got upgraded to the the only non-smoking room available, the top floor.  I've always wanted to get in an elevator with other people and push that top button, as if to say "hey look at me, I'm on the top floor".  After some calls to the concierge and figuring out the combination to the safe etc. I headed out for some wonderful Indian cuisine with five lovely ladies.  The meal was great but the others where party poopers, so I walked them back to the hotel and headed out to the Soho pub.  They had a foosball table that was in great shape.  Those of you that know me well know that I couldn't resist.  Luckily after 20 years of not touching a table I had a chance to warm up on a few lackeys before the real competition showed up.  By then there was quite a crowed watching.  It went to the final ball of best two out of three but I lost.  Anyway, I met some chaps that where great to drink with and had a good time.  I met two younger guys from Liberia.  They were soldiers at the age of 12, escaped to Morocco, and then with the help of extended family made it to Penang.  You may have read the book ":A long way gone".  These two young men haven't haven't read the book but I have.  I highly recommend it, but it will tare your heart out.

       Early the next morning the six of us went to the embassy to apply for visas. This took about an hour and then we had until 2:00pm the next day to enjoy.  I choose a 45 minute taxi ride to a national park.  There I choose a 5 mile hike along the beach and adjacent hillsides.  I saw two different species of monkeys, several lizards, including a relative of the comodo dragon, and lots of cool plants and insects.  Halfway back on my hike I stopped on a beach that had a small oceanography college.  I had brought my swimsuit so I asked the guard at the beach gate (no roads to this place) if I could swim on the beach and leave my bag there by the gate.  He said "no".  Before I could figure out what to do next he said "the monkeys will take it".  So he offered to take my bag into his guard house.  So here in a national park with only a guard at the gate, a few college people out on the dock and an occasional hiker passing by I went for about a mile long swim on the beach.  I made it back in time to meet the ladies and do a little shopping on the streets as we looked for dinner and then a place for some drinks. 

       The next day I got in a good work out in the hotel and then headed out for more shopping before we had to depart for the airport. 

       Oh, and the free hotel breakfast in the morning was fabulous. 

Attached are two pictures from my hike