Ballet, Birthday, Baseball, and Beethoven in Bangkok

Ballet: Last Friday night I went to my first ballet class ever.  So fun!  I had missed my jazz class earlier in the week since I was still tired and recovering, so went to ballet with friends on Friday instead.  I couldn't keep up, of course, but enjoyed it nonetheless.  Also enjoyed having dinner downtown afterwards at a Mexican restaurant- fajitas!

Clare, Mutarica, and Holly

Birthday:  Last weekend was my friend's birthday so on Wednesday another friend and I took her out for pancakes and foot massages.  Yummmm and ahhhhhh. After a long not-so-great day, it was so much fun to laugh and celebrate with these new dear friends.  The chocolate lava pancakes weren't bad either.  I definitely praise God for bringing these women into my life!

Enjoying my chocolate lava pancakes

Baseball: As noted in yesterday's post, it has been a week filled with baseball.  Watching, checking, cheering.  and now, the fun continues.  It is rather inconvenient that all the games occur either in the early morning hours or while I am working, but I am thankful for the technology that allows me to at least watch some of the action.  My students are already planning our World Series Victory party.  Mostly they're just counting on a day without homework, but hey, whatever it takes to turn them into Tigers fans...

Beethoven: Last night I was able to go to the symphony with a dear friend from work.  It was so much fun to head downtown on a Friday night and the venue, the Thailand Cultural Center, was beautiful.  We were treated to two symphonies by a visiting Russian orchestra.  The first piece I don't remember the name, but the second one was Beethoven's 9th.  Which of course means nothing to me, but maybe means something to some of you.  My favorite part was the end, which is the song "Joyful Joyful".  It was fun to recognize some of the music.  It started with just the cellos and basses, later adding the full orchestra AND the huge chorus and four opera soloists (the same group is performing the opera Marriage of Figaro tonight).  So the performance ended with this massively talented group of Russians playing/singing in German in front of a Thai/international audience, all the while praising God, "Joyful, joyful, we adore thee God of glory Lord of love...".  Absolutely stunning.  A very fun night out with another great friend.

Kristine and I on the grounds at the Thai Cultural Center

I have a lot more to blog about, but since it doesn't start with B, I'll just have to make another post...