Railay Beach Fun

After Chiang Mai we flew down to Krabi, in the south of Thailand, and spent a few days at Railay Beach. We had one full day on the beach and by the pool and then another day on my boat/beach/snorkel tour (not the best tour of the trip, but it was okay and we saw two fairly good snorkel spots). It was a great way to relax after busy days in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. We returned to Bangkok today in order to have NYE dinner at the restaurant Mike most wanted to go to in the city. Then tomorrow we're off to Singapore! 

Here are a few pictures from the beach: 

Our beach empty in the morning, Sara and I enjoying fresh fruit smoothies after a day of snorkeling, and a rock that reminded us of Michigan's Picture Rocks

My favorite beach at Railay, Mike and Sara right after we arrived, and the closest thing we got to a decent sunset (fairly overcast at twilight every day). 

We saw a ginormous tree monitor lizard at a park like area near my house in Bangkok, then saw this smaller one on Hong Island where we went snorkeling. The sign is from the park near me. 

Busy days in Chiang Mai

Mike, Sara, and I have spent the last two and a half days in Chiang Mai. We went on a day tour of elephant riding, hiking, and rafting , did a cooking class, and lots of shopping and eating. I really enjoy having them her and just spending lots of time together. Here is a small sample of pictures, I'll try to get more of them into Facebook. 

We went on a short (1 hour) hike to this waterfall. The weather was perfect- mid to high 70's!

I got to make one if my favorite Thai dishes: khao soi. These are the ingredients and garnishes. I made that curry paste myself :) 

Merry Christmas from Thailand!

Christmas Eve dinner at The Local (BKK folks, I highly recommend it!) 

Mike and Sara arrive

Mike and Sara arrived smoothly late on Friday night and we had a busy weekend across Bangkok. They started off with a trip to the world's largest outdoor market and a traditional Thai massage. In the evening we enjoyed a great dinner at the Supanniga Eating Room, a great Thai restaurant Mike had researched. It did not disappoint. We got an early start on Sunday with a Thai cooking class. I've been a few times with visitors and it's always lots of fun. This was no exception as Mike took notes and asked lots if questions. Also, since I had done the class before, they let me swap out two of the dishes for something different, which just meant we got to see and try more stuff :) Cooking class is like a five course lunch, so we walked it off afterwards at a few temples. We wanted to stay in that part of town for dinner at a place Mike had researched, but that didn't work out due to massive political rallies being held across the city on Sunday. Instead we popped into another place on Mike's list that was closer to home, though we went more for their signature drinks since we still weren't really hungry! 

A bad lighting slightly blurry photo, but one from their first dinner in Bangkok. Great food and atmosphere at this little place! 

Making coconut milk at cooking class

The preparation for pad grapow gai- a basil chicken dish. 

At Wat Po

Sunset in the city 

I finished!

We ran the 10.5k except, this is Thailand, so it turns out it was 11.7k instead. Ha. No wonder it felt SO long. I can't believe I ran nearly 20% farther than any other time in my life! If you had told me at the starting line, I don't know if I I would have started, but hey, I finished anyway. And today, I took the elevator.  

Before the race...

Crossing the finish line! 

Yes, we ran with the antlers for the most part. A few spots where it was windy so I took them off, but they didn't bother me as much as I thought they would. Also, I have no idea why I have to turn sooo red when I run! 

Many thanks for my friend Karly for the pictures! (And for encouraging me so much the past two months of training!) 

Waiting for Godot: the curse of punctuality

There is a taxi stand in front of my apartment complex, about a half block from the school. It's a busy corner and the most convenient meeting place, whether people are coming from the school, our apartments, or other apartments/neighborhoods nearby. I spend an inordinate amount of my life standing on this corner. 

Last night, as I stood and paced waiting for a rarely late friend (who has full knowledge of this blog post, by the way) I thought about how much I have come to despise this corner. There's no where to sit, little shade, a colony of flies, and often reeks of the nearby dumpster, and yet I often stand there waiting for people for 5, 10, maybe even 20 minutes. With certain people I work really hard to arrive late because I know they have a 90% chance of bring late but it's doesn't always work. If I say I'm going to be somewhere at a particular time I am inwardly compelled to do it. 

It's a tough mental balance, waiting at the taxi stand. On the one hand, I get pretty irritated once we hit the 5 minute mark, and on the other hand, I live in a culture (not just Thai culture, but expat Bangkok culture) where it's kind of okay to be late. I don't want to start out every social engagement irritated, so I try to get over it. I am mostly successful. 

To be fair, I do understand that I am almost freakishly punctual (though really, if you think I'm bad, you should meet the Grampa I inherited it from!) and so I never really mind waiting for people at most other places. I can wait quite well at home or in a comfy restaurant or even at the front of our school where there are shady benches. But oh man, that taxi stand is going to be the death of me! 

Winter in Bangkok

It's been a wintry week in Bangkok, with overnight lows in the 72-75 Fahrenheit range. I've had the windows open and the AC off, and loving it. The sad part is, winter doesn't last long here, sometimes not even this long, and I expect the cool breezes to disappear anytime. Until then, I'll enjoy the goosebumps on the walk to work and the lower electricity bill. Of course the ironic part is that winter in Michigan is about three months longer than anyone (other than my Uncle Bill) wants it to be while winter is Bangkok is only about three days long and it's everyone's favorite season. Oh well. At least I will have three more days of Thai winter in Chiang Mai later this month. It's even cooler up there! 

King's birthday

Today is the king's birthday, and thus also Father's Day in Thailand. It's a beautiful day when Thais honor their beloved king, and it's also a well timed day off in the midst of a busy season at work. Today I enjoyed a lazy day with a friend. Last night we relaxed with wine and chocolate and a Christmas movie and then today we went for brunch. We shared two delicious dishes that didn't require me to eat again for about 7 hours. 

Our Huevos Racheros 

Cranberry and cream cheese stuffed French toast. And yes, that is vanilla ice cream on the side. 

Strange, yet not so strange, events

Two strange things that are very "This is Thailand". 

1. There are large political demonstrations going on around Bangkok. They are all over the world media (BBC, CNN) and twitter, but don't affect my daily life in any way at this point. Hopefully things will quiet down long before they affect quiet Bangna, where I live. That said, in recent days the protests have turned violent and I'd ask you to remembered Thailand in your prayers. We pray for peace, wisdom, and that the calmer heads prevail, not the extremists. 

2. Yesterday evening my internet went out. This happens quite often and usually lasts a few minutes up to a few hours. It is still off 24 hours later and I have learned from a friend that the company has simply closed up shop. Overnight. I can't get through on the usual customer service line, so I am inclined to think this is true. Time to get reset up with a new company. And there are few things more tedious and annoying than setting up new internet. 

However, with a few Thai holidays coming up, we have just 11.5 more days of school till Christmas break, so that is something to celebrate for sure. Can't believe the school year is almost half over! 

Thanksgiving Picture

This is what Thanksgiving in Bangkok looks like. I am thankful for these friends to spend the day with! 

Thanksgiving

I'll be honest, I think thanksgiving might be my least favorite expat holiday. It's rare that I actually "do" thanksgiving abroad, in part because it's tricky to get it close enough so I usually don't try. In lucky years, I have had the traditional four day weekend, whether in Argentina or here last year, and have been able to go to the beach. Thanksgiving at the beach is a nice substitute. 

But this year I am quite excited about my thanksgiving. There will be turkey and all the proper foods and beverages to go with it and a group of friend for whom I am truly thankful. Although it would be nice to have a parade to watch this morning, or to be at my Grampa's house with my family tonight! I am super thankful that we get the day off even in Thailand, and that I have my Thai 'family' here to celebrate with. And also, no snow. I am thankful that there is no snow or chance of snow. 

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, and sending hugs to those who have experienced deep loss in the past month or so. Praying that God's comfort would surround you this season. 

My Aunt Katie

On Thursday afternoon, a light went out and earth got a little darker, a little dimmer. My Aunt Katie went home to be with Jesus. More than anyone else I know, Aunt Katie was joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. She might not have had everything that everyone else had, or been able to do everything that everyone else did, but she had Much More. 

Jesus tells us in Matthew that the Father hides things from the wise and learned and reveals them to the little children, and never was this more evidenced than in Katie's child like faith and deep wisdom.  In addition to spiritual wisdom, Aunt Katie had what I would call people wisdom, and was so good at putting others at ease. Her memory for people and stories was amazing. 

I was thinking yesterday about how Aunt Katie truly exemplified the fruits of the Spirit, and when I opened my devotional reading this morning, that exact passage in Galatians was the reading for the day. Even in the midst of her struggles, Aunt Katie was love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control because she lived each day with her Lord. I love being at my Aunt Mo and Uncle Tom's house in large part due to Katie's peacefulness and laughter that constantly filled their home. Her giggles and joy were infectious. I am so grateful for the many years she spent supporting me and praying for me. 

Aunt Katie was loved by many and will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her. 

Singapore Returns (or is it Return to Singapore?)

This past weekend I had the chance to make a quick visit to my Singaporean family. I arrived late Friday night, exhausted, and collapsed into my new attic room. There were lovely flowers by my bed, a birthday card, and a pair of earrings. What a welcome! 

On Saturday I made my long awaited trip to the famous botanical gardens and saw the whole thing by running 4 miles around the park. So while I didn't get to stop and smell the roses, I did get to take it all in on a beautiful morning. Observing the flowers was great, but I also really liked observing the locals. There were tons of people in the park: picnicking, jogging, walking, doing yoga, dance aerobics, tai chi, and various martial arts I didn't recognize. Great people watching. 

After an amazing lunch (topped off with my favorite egg tarts) and a bit of shopping, we went to the 

National Museum of Singapore, which I thoroughly enjoyed. A great mix of history, culture, and art. We had Lebanese food for dinner in a very lively neighborhood and then walked to a dessert bar that was To Die For. I tried to take a picture of my artisanal dessert, but the lighting wouldn't cooperate. 

On Sunday we had a fantastic brunch after church (Singapore blogs are really just food blogs, after all) and then I was pampered with a pedicure and foot massage. Ahhhhhh. A quick tour of some fun Singapore neighborhoods (including a stop at a bakery) wrapped up the afternoon before I caught my evening flight back to Bangkok and work on Monday morning. 

I think everyone needs a place to escape to in their life, a home away from home so to speak, where they can relax and be away from everything without going too far away. And I admit, I'm quite lucky. My escape spot happens to be a tropical island city state with amazing food! Can't wait to be back- every time I go I add more places to eat to the list :) 

Birthday

Awwww, now what could be sweeter than that? 

I had a nice dinner out with some friends on Saturday night and then a few close friends came here for dinner last night to celebrate my birthday. It was an awesome midweek time to just relax and laugh together. I am so grateful for the friends that God has provided me with in Bangkok! 

Running. It's good for me.

Several of my good friends are running a 10k in December, and in a moment of weakness, I agreed to join them. I have never run that far in my life. I can count on one hand the number of times I ran more than 3 miles, much less 6. But I'm going to try, because this running thing is good for me. 

Running is good for being healthy and getting back in shape and releasing endorphins and all that stuff. But it has an additional benefit to me, despite the sore ankles, shins, and knees and the painful left hip. You see, I suck at running. I am slow. I don't get very far. And usually, I don't like to do things I suck at. Really, who does? But sometimes it is good for me to do things that are harder for me than everybody else, to go to the race with my friends knowing that I will be the last across the line. It's humbling, even though nobody really cares. 

It's not that running is the only thing that I'm not very good at, but it is something that I'm not good at and I do anyway. And that is good for me. Shin splints and all. 

Poverty and education: fighting to keep families together

For five days we wore jeans and cardigans, socks and shoes, we drank afternoon tea, we dreamed dreams. Sometimes I don't think I realize just how hot Bangkok is until I leave. I love the heat as much as anyone, but five days in northern Thailand with dear friends was just what the doctor ordered. And nothing makes a good vacation into an awesome vacation quite like deep conversation that stirs the heart. 

I'm not usually one to launch into visionary kinds of conversations- I'm too practical for that. When you tell me your vision, all it see are the million details to get from here to there. But time after time in life we are confronted with suffering, and suffering often demands a visionary response. In SE Asia we are often brought into contact with the myriad of suffering that is linked to poverty. And I know that poverty and its many secondary issues are all to real in the US too. But there I had to go out of my way to see it. It is much more in your face here- the prostitution, trafficking, begging, refugees and slums aren't as well hidden as they are in more developed nations. 

One issue that I keep coming into contact with lately is how problems like poverty and lack of educational options are splitting apart families and sending children out on their own when they are much too young. Too many parents cannot afford to take care of their kids, sending them away to children's homes where they are fed and educated. These parents do it "by choice", even eagerly. Wouldn't you, if you knew the alternative was malnutrition and a lack of education that would continue the cycle of poverty? What kind if choice is that? Other families, among the rural poor and often among Thailand's hill tribes, send their kids to the city once they finish elementary school, their villages either not having schools or not having good schools. Some of these kids are in the city on their own. The luckier ones, if you can call them that, are in dorms and boarding houses. The parents I work with at ICS are nervous about sending their sixth graders to the middle school, about whether their child will be able to handle it. Their poorer peers are taking care of themselves. Other kids simply don't have access to education because they are migrants or refugees. Others because they are needed all night by their families to beg in the red light district so their family can eat (my friend is actually a part of an informal school which instead of charging tuition, pays a family to let their kids go to school during the day and sleep at night, replacing the income that the kids made by begging). 

It's a large complex issue, one with many root causes, and not one that we were going to solve in five days. But, we did have meaningful conversation about ways we might be able to support one village from one tribe on one mountain in Thailand. We have connections there, people who know this population and can help us understand the roots of why the kids leaving so young, why the families are so broken. It's awesome when similar issues are on several hearts at once and we can see God putting things into motion across the country and region. 

I don't know where God is calling me in all of it. Perhaps only to prayer and to have the conversation. Perhaps to support a future project financially. Perhaps to work in teacher training to help bring better education to the village. But it sure has been exciting to be researching and discussing the economic roots of brokenness and suffering in families and begin looking into how I might be able to come alongside in some small way. 

Note: does this topic interest you? I encourage you to start by checking out World Vision International or one of the other highly successful community based child sponsorship programs. Studies have shown that child sponsorship is one of the most effective methods in helping children in poverty worldwide, especially when done with a holistic community approach like World Vision. Working at the community level allows them to address the economic issues as well as the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual. 

I'm getting a roommate!

This weekend I have a project to work on: get my guest room ready for someone to be able to live in it for awhile. On November 2nd my friend Gillian returns to Bangkok and is going to be staying with me, probably through April or May, though really, it's Thailand, so who knows. My apartment is pretty small for two people, but Gillian stayed here while I was in the States this last summer, so she knows what she is getting into. It will be a little tight, but I think we can make it work. 

I am excited to have a roommate for awhile since there are things I miss about living with people. And making room for her is forcing me to go through a lot of stored stuff, and thus throw a lot of it away, which is always a good thing. The real question, of course, is whether Gillian is going to survive my quirkiness and the empty tea mugs I leave strewn about the place. Though the fact that she comes from Northern Ireland tells me that the mugs might not be entirely foreign. I do enjoy tea drinking roommates! 

Ahka Hill House

After two days in the northern city of Chiang Rai, my friends and I went up into the mountains to stay for two nights at the Ahka Hill House. Ahka is one of the tribal groups who live in the mountains of northern Thailand, Burma, Laos, and China. One of the villages runs this small rustic guesthouse. We went planning to hike, rest, talk, and be in the green. Sadly, it rained most of the time we were there, but we made the most of it. When we started out on our hike it wasn't raining, but it definitely rained for most of the hike and since it had been raining for days, nothing in the place felt completely dry. The food they had was fantastic, some of the best food I've had in Thailand, and if got to drink several mugs of their 'jungle tea', the oolong tea that they grow on hue he mountainside. It was a pretty cool experience all around, and a good time with friends. 

Rainy view from the restaurant area

Tea plantation on the hillside

View from our bungalow 

Rainy waterfall hike

Biggest bamboo I've ever seen! 

This area might possibly be the most remote location I have ever traveled to. When I have been in other  somewhat remote spots, they have all been pretty well visited by tourists. This place was much quieter and remote than the places I went in Patagonia, for example. It was nice to be out in the middle of no where with so much green- I've literally never seen something so green and lush. Not only was it beautiful, it also gave me a better appreciation for the people and cultures that live in this area. 

Today we are back in Chiang Rai, and will be flying back to Bangkok tomorrow for our last days of break. 

Soccer Game

Tonight we went to the last home game of the season for Chiang Rai United, the local soccer team.  They haven't been very good this year, apparently, but won tonight and we had a great time. Soccer fans are crazy :) 

This guy was leading the yells and chants and songs the entire game. Watching him made me tired! 

Favorite Thai food

Meet khao soy, my favorite Thai food. It's a northern speciality, so I was excited to eat it for lunch today on my first trip to northern Thailand. So far, I love Chiang Rai: beautiful, peaceful, green, and cool.

Pictures

Well, I think for now, the picture a day theme will take a rest. I feel like many aspects of daily life are now well photographed and I am running out of inspiration. I'll try to keep looking for unusual things and keep some pictures coming, but not daily. And of course, whenever I travel (going up north next week!) I will take a few photos for the blog. I'm actually pretty surprised that I kept it up as long as I did. 

Picture a day October 10

These are the ground floor shops in the building at the front of our school's campus. The one in the foreground has the best name for a book store/ cafe. Then there's a small music school and a snack shop. Quiet during the school day, this place area is swamped once the bell rings. Above the shops are small apartments for new teachers. I lived here my first 9 months in Bangkok. 

Picture a day October 9

The view from where I sit, or at least, when I'm sitting on the back of a moto taxi! 

The vehicles here are called a song taow, a pick up truck with a structure in the bed that has benches and a roof. They are used like buses. 

I love the pink apartment building up ahead! 

Picture a day October 8

Let's retry this post from yesterday: 

I was downtown with a friend and we stopped in a cute Japanese shop of organic products, not food, but clothes, table linens, blankets, baby stuff, etc. and then we found these, and wow. Whole other level of granola! 

Picture a day October 7

Today's picture addresses something that has long baffled me in Thailand: yogurt spoons. This is a picture of a Tupperware with a four pack of yogurts, and four plastic spoons. From time to time I find the four packs come in a little container and if I'm low on containers I buy the yogurts that come with a free one (the whole disappearance of Tupperware thing seems to be a global problem). But I was surprised to open the container and find these little plastic spoons. But I shouldn't be surprised, not anymore. You see, every time you buy yogurt at the store, they give you a spoon for each yogurt. Now, when I'm buying yogurt at 7- Eleven, that almost makes sense, as in, it's a convenience store so I might be about to eat my yogurt right then and there. But the fact that they give me a spoon per carton of yogurt even when I am stocking up at the grocery store has always confused me. So today I thought about it a bit. And I think it all comes down to the fact that Thais eat with a spoon and fork generally, and the spoons are a good soup spoon size, not teaspoon. Teaspoons are not common. I have them, because I like them for my tea, but I do confess that I usually use them for yogurt too. Maybe if all I had were the giant ones than the little plastic ones might be useful for the little yogurt cartons. Or at least, that's my new theory...

Picture a day October 6

Universal truth: don't go to the grocery store in Sunday night because EVERYONE goes on Sunday nights making for crowded aisles and long lines. 

Picture a day October 5

Live Postseason Tigers baseball in my living room in Bangkok. First inning is going well! 

Picture a day October 4

I had a bowl of mint chip ice cream and the twins attacked with mouths wide open. It was a bit like feeding the pigeons at the park, once if gave them a bite they chased me down till it was gone. 

Picture a day October 3

I walked past the soccer field after school today and thought this was pretty cute- a line up of little guys watching the high schoolers play. It's one of the advantages of a K-12 school, everybody all interacting together. 

Picture a day October 2

This picture does not convey the greenness of everything when I took it. There's a great lightning show going on right now, but so far no rain. 

Picture a day September 30

Posing for a couples pic at the Hello Kitty photo spot in their cafe. Only in Asia. 

Picture a day September 29

No one leves hungry. My stomach is stuffed and my heart is full. 

Picture a day September 28

Happy hour and the family around the fire. Priceless. 

Picture a day September 27

Autumn leaf 

Cider mill donuts.  It's the little things.