Hua Hin Beach Escape

For some reason, I have no photos of the beach! Ah well. To be honest, the best part of the beach was meeting people, talking to Thais AND expats, while our kids were playing in the waves. The resort the stayed in was PHENOMENAL and I highly recommend it: the Centara Grand Hua Hin. Wow. Just wowza.

 

We also drove around the countryside quite a bit, in our usual unplanned adventures way...

 

 

 

We stopped by the train station, to please the kids. They were delighted to see the trains coming and going, and people there were delighted to see our little blondies coming and going. They caused quite a stir.

 

 

My handsome somewhat-bearded hon.

 

Oh, and if you wonder what kinds of paradise are out there, here's one example for ya.

Four pools. Yes, FOUR pools to pick from.

So one day we tried this one.

 

The next day we dabbled in this one.

And so on and so forth.

Scenes from Khao Yai

Wow, my apologies! Has it really been almost a month? Time flies when you have to go back to work! Since my last update we have been SO busy: I had a week of CLO training here in Bangkok, my beloved had a 5K to plan in connection with the National Police Week 5K held annually in D.C., we chilled out at an Earth Day concert at Benjasiri Park, shook our tail feathers at the Brazilian Society of Bangkok's annual ball, and zipped off to the beach at Hua Hin for a working weekend.

 

Before that, I was still riding high on our fantastic trip to Khao Yai, so let me do a quick re-cap!

 

 

 

Khao Yai National Park is GORGEOUS. And fun to drive, with all its twisty turns and steep inclines. The viewpoints are phenominal. The trails are lovely too. We went on two hikes that weekend, and stretched our legs on some challenging trails. Here's Little P flexing for us.

 

We drove through gorgeous towns, and by traditional homes that made us stop and stare.

 

We ate delectable food-whether we knew what we were ordering or now, it was all win-win.

There must not be a great deal of farang vacationers to Khao Yai, because there was very little English spoken or written. It didn't matter really. But it led to a few surprises.

 

My boys had some quality time together, away from the rush of Bangkok life.

 

I love how this is always present whenever you see a hilltop in the distance. Back home that would be a cell phone tower or something...

 

We stayed HERE. And enjoyed this view from our private villa every morning and after dinner. And at night you could hear music from the people celebrating Songkran wafting from a distance. But only until the respectable hour of 10, and then it was quiet and still.

 

We visited three vineyards, and were welcome to walk around them all as we pleased.

 

We sampled wine. Before lunch, even!

I'm crazy like that.

 

Cute villa. There it is. Simple, small, but perfect for a family of four and their canine companion.

 

We leapt over small waterfalls.

 

We conversed with nature.

 

It was fantastic.

Songkran in Khao Yai

Songkran arrived at last, and with it the heat of summer. Now, you may think we are city folk, but actually we are not. Because I honestly would rather have a hot poker in the eye than spend Songkran getting pushed and shoved and firehosed in downtown Bangkok. I know, I know-usually I just embrace the event wholeheartedly and throw myself and my boys into the occasion. This time. not. so. much.

 

So we packed up the car, dog and all, and headed north. About two hours north to the hills. And about that embracing? We did that too.

You see, when you get out of the city, they still celebrate Songkran like its New Years Eve, because for them it is. It just happens to last three days. And like almost everything the Thai's do, they do it well-meaning and in the nature of kindness. So we were pleasantly surprised to find we could roam and venture north of Khao Yai National Park past lovely little villages and find the festivities in full swing, minus the sweating and firehoses and drunk farang.

So it would start like this. And you would drive up to small crowds or families hanging by the side of the road with a tell-tale plastic barrel presumably filled with water. There would be dancing, loud music, children.

If you slowed down like these guys, they would splash you gleefully or wave you over to gently pat white paste on your face and say a blessing. Yes, that's a mickey mouse water gun pack. Mickey Mouse. And four guys clinging to a ceramic barrel of water in the back of a pickup truck, a sight which was repeated all three days.

 

We had packed our arms as well.

Enough for all of us.

So not only did we get the lovely experience of cool fresh air, scenic mountain and valley landscapes, but we also had a lot of fun and laughs. The Thais we battled with water were so amused to see a carload of farang cruising around, getting soaked. My husband was even offered a beer and ice a few times. Right in the car window. No joke.

 

Sometimes we left the windows up, but mostly we did not.

This cute kid got a little creative with his paste.

 

And this happened to me all weekend long, so I feel VERY blessed.

A Little Bit of City, A Little Bit of Country

This week was filled with a lot of highs, and very few lows. I must confess that the week before was not one of my best; turning 39 was depressing, I was feeling a bit stretched, and was ridiculously nervous about an Easter event I had to prepare. This week, on the other hand, was phenomenal. My office is a fantastic place to work, my kids have been behaving SO WELL I have to blink hard sometimes, and my husband and I are enjoying some long-awaited together time.

I was saying the other day that living here isn't always the greatest. Most of the time it is. The schools are fantastic, the people are so friendly, the food is delicious, the weather is beautiful, and so much more. But when its bad, it can be really bad. You can't just have bad days here, because if your day is just somewhat bad most of the time some part of the city or its locals will cheer you up with some random act of kindness. Or you go out and get a big batch of sweet spicy som tham, and all of a sudden the world is a better place. Seriously.

But then there are those rare days that cannot be saved by kindness nor som tham. And those days are abysmally bad. They are usually so hot that you wish you could do nothing all day. But you can't. And after an exhausting day you are sweat-soaked, dehydrated, and demoralized by some of the things you see around you. I don't want to go into any further detail, but there are those days. And they are few. And you won't hear about them from me again, because I hate complaining. But I don't want to outright lie to you and say its always peachy in Bangkok. It almost always is. But the week before my birthday? Not so much.

The following week, like I was saying, was certainly peachy. It was downright awesome.

Thursday we finally ventured to Asiatique, the shopping, dining and entertaining destination on the Chao Phraya, for our weekly date night. I'm sorry I put it off for so long, but at first it seemed like it would be a pain to get there and back.

Which, of course, was not the case. Duh.

So, after a quick BTS ride to Saphan Taksin, we hopped the free ferry boat after a 10 minute wait, and stepped onto the pier and into another world. Bangkok just amazes me sometimes.

There were beautiful restaurants, cute rooftop sushi bars, pubs, spas, and of course shopping. It was like stepping into Chatuchak without the narrow alleys, close calls with cars, and deceptive prices.

We stopped at several spots for a cooling beverage, ogled the thai-style decor for sale in some of the shops, and finally settled for a quick dinner right at the pier at "Happy Fish."

It appears there were a great many happy fish around Asiatique-you could also stop by this fish spa and have your toes nibbled and legs exfoliated. We passed it twice, and I loved hearing the kids giggle at the sensation. I suppose we will have to try it sometime, but since it presumably does not include a calf and scalp massage, I'm not in any hurry. Thailand, you spoil me.

We took a ride in the ferris wheel for just 250 Baht per person (air-conditioned ferris wheel, I kid you not) and enjoyed a beautiful view of the city at night, before heading home to get some rest.

Saturday we woke, and packed the car with pies, goodies, and gifts and set off in our flowery Songkran shirts for a party in the country.

I know I go off all the time about how wonderful our nanny is, and for that I do apologise. But we really lucked out when we found her because we were looking for an employee, not a servant, and she has a strong enough personality to hang with us and our exuberant boys. Some of the behavior I see nannies tolerate from the kids they care for shocks me, and I was glad to have someone who wouldn't put up with that nonsense from my boys ever. She knows she wouldn't be doing me any favors if she did.

So we have become so comfortable that we were actually invited to her family's annual BBQ/party, a huge fete where all the aunts, uncles, cousins and friends gathered to eat, celebrate, laugh, etc.

And then someone let the farangs come.

I can't tell you how pleasantly surprised I was when we arrived and discovered they had a stage set up with a sound system and band, a caterer and tons of yummy food that was served fresh for hours on end! Thais know how to party. Oh yes.

We feasted on grilled prawns, tom yum goon, fried trout, spicy fish salad, and all sorts of delicious things. We ate until we were totally fully.

And then we ate some more.

We smiled, clapped, and played with the family even though only my husband spoke thai, and only a few of them spoke english. It didn't matter-we were accepted, even if it was only for their amusement- and had a fantastic time.


 After an initial bout of shyness, the boys began to socialize as kids do. Little P discovered he was the center of attention, so he sat on the stage next to the MC most of the afternoon.

The boys discovered their hosts were generous, as after the daughters performed a funny dance with wigs and other silliness, their family members came up one by one and handed them 100 baht notes. When the opportunity arose, the boys demonstrated their dance moves as well, much to every one's amusement.

They helped hand out gifts. They were allowed to tap on the drums. They just had a grand old time, and we did as well.

My favorite part of the party, however, was getting to see our nanny's two sons play with their band. So shy in person, I was happy to see how talented and brave they were to perform in front of their whole family, and I can only imagine how proud their parents were of them too.

We are not very different after all.

The afternoon reminded me of parties at my parents' farm, where a few canopies for shade and some tables spread with food were all we needed to have a wonderful time.

Sitting around, admiring each others' kids, it was exactly the same as back home. We don't speak the same language here, but that never really bothers me anymore, because in Thailand a genuine smile is enough for any situation.

And as you can see, there were a lot of genuine smiles that day.

Top Ten Souvenir Finds In and Around Bangkok

Well, hullo longtimenosee. That was a totally unexpected blogging hiatus. Usually if there is nothing new posted here, it simply means I have nothing interesting to share. This time I was a little caught up in returning to work, running races, and zipping around to different things with the kids. Just ordinary life. Today, however, I return to tell you about my

Ten Favorite Places to Buy Thai Souvenirs

10. Honorable mention goes to the Doi Tung Lifestyle shop located at the Mae Fah Luang Foundation offices. This shop features handcrafts woven and crafted by people from villages in the Chiang Rai province, as well as pottery, coffee and macadamia nut products, housewares, and made-to-order apparel. I love this shop because it is part of a wonderful effort initiated by H.R.H. Princess Srinagarindra to create work opportunities for people where they previously did not exist. I dislike this shop, however, because I think it could use a lot more merchandise in varying prices. The nursery, however, is worth the trip. The flowering plants and orchids are absolutely beautiful and better quality than you will find most anywhere else.

Mae Fah Luang Foundation Head Office 1875/1 Rama IV Rd, Lumphini, Bangkok. Lifestyle shop open mon-fri. Nursery open 7 days a week. Located right as you exit the MRT at Lumphini Park.

 

9. Sara's Wand on the third floor of Terminal 21 is my go-to place for cute little soaps. Tiny and wrapped in cute paper, they smell wonderful and add a sweet scent to my care packages. I pick up thai-crafted soaps here and there, and these are my favorite so far.

 

8. Don't leave Terminal 21 yet, because across the way on the same floor is the delightful Thaniya shop, my favorite place to go for candles because they are made in Thailand from organic materials, and sold in keepsake blue and white pottery. Better yet, I noticed they started stocking candles that are poured into red clay containers made by hand on Koh Kret. But we shall get to that later..

Thaniya , Terminal 21, No. 3066, Suhkumvit, Bangkok



Not Koreena's shop, but if you see this from the escalator you are in the right spot!

7. Koreena silk and scarf shop is a frequent stop for me. Located in the Amarin shopping mall right next to the Erawan Shrine on Sukhumvit, it is so easy to get to when I need to pick up something quick. If you head to the third floor you will find a thai arts level, with shops specializing in the kitschy elephant-themed knickknacks and souvenirs that I do not purchase. But if you wander through here and locate Koreena I highly recommend their goods. Handbags and wraps made of shimmery silk at a great price and beautiful scarfs and pashminas abound. I spend a bit of time picking through her hand- and machine-embroidered scarves. The hand-embroidered ones are spectacular, but if you don't want to spend too much the machine-embroidered scarves are just as beautiful. I bought a hand-embroidered scarf as a gift, and then a machine-embroidered one to hang in our house. And the salesperson always throws a little freebie in the bag, either a cute shirt or a little coin purse. Nice.

6. Narai Phand is the "Royal Thai Government Handicrafts Center" and its  just a stone's throw from the Amarin. I can guarantee you will find something there, because it has absolutely everything. I would NOT buy a few things there, because they are marked up more than others, but the prices on the Bencharong pottery sets and bronze decor aren't too bad. Besides, it would take twice as long roaming through steamy Chatuchak Market to find such a big selection of items. You will also find the same wall hangings at Chatuchak, but here they are open for you to examine for quality and to ensure the pieces aren't flawed or stained.

Narai Phand is located on the ground floor of the President Tower, 973 Ploenchit Rd., Lumphini, Bangkok. Five minutes on the skywalk from BTS Chitlom.

5. Silk prints at the weekend market- the hawkers claim they are printed on thai silk, but I'm not so sure. But with those pretty designs do I really care? Most of the times I attack Chatuchak weekend market, this is one of my stops. I buy a bundle-they come to about a dollar a piece-and carry these lightweight goodies home to dole out bit by bit in future care packages. Matted and framed, they will be stunning.  I had a few set aside for myself, but ended up sending them all out to friends and family. So if you're heading that way anytime soon, let me know! If you enter at Gate 2 its on your right hand side before you get to Bangkok Bank.

4. Sampeng Lane in Chinatown is messy, confusing and crowded. Yet, I find myself there almost every other week searching for party supplies, fabric, or clothing. Its hit or miss, but most times a big hit. And on my way out I usually stop at this costume jewelry shop that sells souvenir pins-please forgive me because I can't remember the name or location, but if you are heading towards the China Mall end and you find a shop that is playing "Gangnum Style" over and over again, you've found it. They're bright, blingy and cheap but I love their pins. They come in the shape of the Royal Barge, or Hanuman's face for example, so I think they make a cute trinket for kids or grownups and I keep a box of them in my office to give away at any time.

 

 

3. The Amulet Market makes me feel like I'm in an Indiana Jones movie. Its comical at times, yet there's an element of danger. Its fun to pick up a few amulets from the sidewalk, where sellers just throw down a blanket and let you pick through their collections. The last time we brought home half a dozen (they're 20-40baht each, usually) and I looked up what they represented online. But before we left, we wandered towards the riverfront and down an alley and found ourselves walking on planks along the river, tiptoeing or squeezing through amulet shops and by dusty stores full of things that we probably shouldn't buy, such as ivory pieces and bronzes that looked like they were scavenged. We didn't dare buy anything, but it was an adventure on top of a shopping excursion.

 

 

 

2. Koh Kret. Its an island. Its an artist community. Its a tourist trap. But if you find a sign directing you off the walkway to a pottery village, follow it. By "pottery village" they mean a cluster of houses with one shop that molds and decorates the adorable clay containers you see up above at Thaniya. And they are so inexpensive you will want to buy more than you can carry. Which is a problem because you will have to lug it back to the ferry and then to your car. But its worth the sweat and effort to do so. We went a few weeks ago and I wish I bought more. The kids enjoyed watching the craftsmen at work at the pottery wheel, and one shop gave little P a lump of clay to take home and try for himself. (Oh boy.) I plan on going back very soon.

Koh Kret is reachable by driving or taking a taxi to Pak Kret, just 15 minutes from Bangkok. At the pier behind Wat Sanam Neua board the ferry. It costs just 2 baht to get to the island!

 

 

 

1. Mai Eak wood-carving stall is one of the few shops that will draw me back to Chatuchak Market. Reason number one: Khun Busaba and Khun Somsak are farang-friendly and won't overcharge you. Reason number two: stacks of wood carvings. Stacks. Want a dancer on a dragon? Want a dancer, no dragon? Want a dragon playing poker with an elephant? Well, maybe not, but they have a HUGE variety to choose from. I honestly bought most of our Christmas gifts here, and still go back from time to time to buy Buddha carvings.-there's one on my desk to be mailed right now.

 

Mai Eak is open at 8 am at Chatuchak Weekend Market, Section 11 Soi 12/7.

My Life Lately Via Instagram

My efforts as a kindergarten mum (or year one here) tend to be hit or miss. Sometimes I am supermom, the one all his classmates know by name, and exclaim with glee "Here comes Miss Heather!" when I'm around. Other times I miss the mark, like on Sports Day when we arrived to find our son was the only one not wearing the requisite t-shirt. I did NOT get that memo. Or Christmas, where the classmate gifts just kept rolling in.

Well, if all the tots exchanged valentines and candy on Valentine's Day in day care back in the US, I assumed they would celebrate it here in Y1. Uh, nope. Bought these cool wands that light up, printed a catchy valentine message, tied with a sweet ribbon.  Philip was the ONLY kid in his class who handed out valentines. I should have known better. But with my luck, Easter will be HUGE. Go figure..

 

Nate got a special bike. It doesn't have pedals and it doesn't go too fast, but he loves it.

 

He also loves face-painting. Which is done here at nearly every party and celebration. This is him patiently waiting to be a puppy. Which he carefully selected.

 

 Philip is trying out Tae Kwon Do. Its nothing too serious. Just some good old fashioned throwing punches and tumbling. We'll have to balance it out with some music lessons or something...

 

Maori performers from the New Zealand Gala. There was a life-size cardboard sheep in the backdrop, but I think he was on the dance floor by this time.

 

We accompanied Daddy on a working weekend to Pattaya. The beach was not to my liking, but the hotel was fantastic. Nate and I had smoothies at the pool bar, which the boys both thought was wicked cool.

 

I got some rest, relaxation, and knitting. Daddy got food-poisoning.