Living in Thailand: 2012

Elephant (Chang) snacking on a salt lick. We spent a couple of hours in the back of a songtheaw trying to find one of these. And when we finally did...what a sight. It truly is a magnificent animal. The elephant is revered in Thailand. There are several captive elephants in Thailand and are often used as an amusement ride for people. What a treat to see a Thai elephant in the wild!

Sukhothai

We finally made it to Sukhothai! Sukhothai was the ancient capital around the 13th century. It is during this period that the kingdom seceded from the Khmer Empire and started to become Siam. Colin and I both love ruins and Sukhothai has been high on our list of places to go. We had put it off because it is in a remote location. Colin had some days off so we took a road trip and spent two nights in Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai. We loved it. The ruins were gorgeous. Since they are hard to get to they were not crowded at all (I love visiting ruins minus bunches of people). We rented bikes and rode them through the historical park and then we drove to the ruins further away. Amazing.

Same Same but Better!

"Same Same but Different" is a popular saying in Thailand. I am not certain of the origin. Maybe it is from the plethora of identical souvenir vendors trying to convince you theirs is different. Or maybe it stems from when you want an item that turns out to be unavailable and instead you are given something else and told it is the same, but in reality it is not. Both scenarios happen.

Once I saw a t-shirt that said "Same Same but Better". Very clever, I like that better.

I went back to the U.S. in September to celebrate my Mother's 75th birthday. My sister and her family flew in from Arizona and stayed with us for a week. The weather was gorgeous and I had evaded the summer drought (it was hotter in Indiana during the summer than Bangkok). I feel a little guilty because I did not pay my dues for the nice weather....I only took the good (I was home April, May, & September). I had such a lovely visit with friends and family, but, three weeks is not long enough and I missed so many people!

Upon my return to Thailand, life has been basically the same as it was before my departure to the U.S....but definitely a case of Same Same but Better!

Better because of visitors from the U.S.!! Having visitors is truly special. Not just because you miss them and want to spend time with them (which you do) but also because they have taken the time & effort to share and experience this crazy new life you lead. Our first visitor (in Asia for business) was our dear friend Phil. Phil has been to Thailand many times so we did not have to try to razzle and dazzle him (or if you prefer shock and overwhelm...which is what sometimes happens to first time visitors to Bangkok). It was just nice to see him.

Watch out Thailand! Here Comes my Mom!

The next visitor was my Mom!! I am very proud of her for making the trip alone. She has never

been to Asia and she has a few mobility problems. However, she put on her walking shoes (sunscreen, water bottle, and sunglasses)and was ready to go. We did alot of sightseeing during her two week visit. She even took the water taxis on the Chao Phyra River (not for the faint at heart). Having two weeks of quality time with my Mom in Bangkok is priceless and will be an everlasting memory.

Phi Mai (Khmer ruins, Angkor style)

Chinatown

Grand Palace

Floating Market with Mom

One week after my Mom left my sister was scheduled to arrive. Any sane person would have taken the week to rest and relax and prepare for their next visitor. Living in Thailand has made me start to question my sanity. Colin had some extra vacation days to use, so we packed our bags and flew off to Vietnam for a three night four day vacation. I realize that it is possible that I have become a little travel obsessed and my desire to see new countries may be getting the best of me.

Hanoi Vietnam

I think that for many Americans the word Vietnam conjures up emotions and feelings. I am too young to have memories of the war. However, I still feel the weight of it. Of course my visiting Vietnam as a tourist does not erase the past, but for me personally now when I hear "Vietnam" I don't just have images of a jungle war but I have images of a place (specifically Hanoi and Halong Bay) and the people that live there. I like that.

We spent one full day exploring the Old Quarter of Hanoi. The Old Quarter is chaotic. You can not walk on the sidewalks due to parked motorbikes, there is heavy traffic that just seems to go around each other, horns blaring, and pollution that is worse than Bangkok. We still had fun exploring sites including the beautiful Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword), Hoa Lo Prison Museum (John McCain was a POW here; major propoganda at work), The Opera House, and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Our wonderful boutique hotel was an oasis from the crazy streets. We finished the night off with a wonderful Vietnamese meal at a restaurant called Highway 24.

Opera House

Halong Bay

We spent two days and one night on Halong Bay and loved every minute of it. Serene and mystic, the bay was a respite from the streets of Hanoi. Time to reflect and relax as we sail past impressive limestone islands shrouded in light fog. The cooler temperatures were also a treat. We lucked out in that our boat mates (three other people) turned out to be interesting travel companions. Also, the weather held out for us and we were able to kayak and to eat all of our meals outside. Unfortunately the weather did not hold out for our canoe trip to the fishing village. Buckets of waters dumped on us as fierce winds made our canoe struggle to inch forward. Our poor rower was a local Vietnamese woman that put up a good battle against the wind. Needless to say she made a great tip from us.

Sandra's Visit

Lucky lucky me! My sister Sandra came to visit! It was not easy for her to leave Marcus (my Nephew) and Christian (my Brother-in-Law) for three weeks (thank you Christian for watching Marcus!). It meant so much to me to be able to spend so much time with her.

We did the obligatory "you must see this when you visit Thailand" sites, such as the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and the Reclining Buddha. I also took the opportunity to do a few things that I have been wanting to do but holding off for a visitor: a vegetarian Thai cooking class, a bike ride through "The Green Lung" of Bangkok, and hiking in a National Park called Khao Yai. Thanks Sandra for doing these with me!!! All three activities surpassed my expectations. The bike ride started with a tour through a Thai neighborhood along the canals, and then we put our bikes on a ferry to cross the river and rode through the green oasis of a nature conservatory. So peaceful. I love getting out of the concrete jungle! The cooking class was so much fun. It was a half a day class in which we went to the market, made ten vegetarian Thai dishes and finished with Thai dancing. I have made two of the dishes from the class (papaya salad and pumpkin hummus). Sandra said it was the best Thai food she had on the trip. Khao Yai was amazing.....so nice to get out of the city.

My house seems quiet now....My visitors are gone and Colin is in Korat. No worries though, my sister Linda arrives in a week. Hmmmmm...what should I have her do =)

Bike ride. We also rode through several very narrow areas...too narrow to ride and take photos of

This is what happens when you invite the guys to go along (Chang is a Thai beer)

Ayuthhaya (ancient capital after Sukh)

Winery

Khao Yai Park

Community Projects

I have helped plan two events since I last blogged through a Community Projects Committee. The first event was a twenties themed luncheon (attended by six women's clubs). The goal of the party was fellowship between the six clubs and to raise money for a school in Northern Thailand (children from the hilltribes sleep on the school's floor during the week because they live so far away. We provided money to buy beds, mattresses, blankets, etc.). The other activity was a toy drive/party for a boy's orphanage. Spending a day with about 80 boys from the orphanage was absolutely amazing and a good way to end the year.

The boys patiently waiting for the party to start

Colin giving gift to a house mom

Musical chairs

Play dough time

Twenties party/fundraiser

Farewell Until Next Time

As you can see the fun continues in Thailand. Of course I greatly miss my friends and family in the U.S. The hard part about living overseas is the saying goodbye. I love going back to the U.S. but I hate saying goodbye when it is time to leave. And of course we have this with Scotland too (always saying goodbyes to the people we love). As an expat you are continually meeting new people in your new home....but it also feels like you are continually saying goodbye as expats either move on to a new assignment or they move back to their home. This month I had to say goodbye to a great friend that I met while in Bangkok, it is time for her to embark on a new journey in France (the up side is that now I have a friend to visit in France!).

I am ending with some various photos. For now, farewell until we either meet again or we email, facebook, blog, call, skype, instant message.....what a weird digital world it has become!