The Great Adventure

 

It began something like this...oh, wait..



Obligatory shot of sheep for my mother....


When you think about vacation, you usually have to settle on one basic idea. It may be skiing, or perhaps some snorkeling, or maybe you're into a cruise. You can't exactly take some time off from work and skip from Canada to Bermuda, then New York City and back again. Its just crazy. But we did something almost exactly like that for our R&R last month. It turns out, Uncle Sam will fly you home for a break-he may not put you up in a hotel, but he'll get you there. And when you're posted on the other side of the planet, that's a pretty pricey flight. Now, if your family is VERY understanding, you might be able to compare flights to other destinations...and, well, if you are willing to stay away from home a bit longer, you can use those flights to venture somewhere new, if you stay below the budget. Did I stress how expensive it is to fly home? Just ask my folks and my in-laws-they can tell you all about it. Well, it turns out you can fly to New Zealand, then Singapore, and finally de-stress your buns in Bali and still not max your allowance. Incredible. So that's exactly what we did, and I'm here to tell you it was worth it. I love you Mom and Dad, and thanks for understanding!

Day One of the Great Adventure began in lovely Christchurch, New Zealand in the brand new Novotel in the "downtown" district. We woke early and prepared to pick up our RV and discovered we were in a ghost town. All around the district were lovely homes, each individually walled in and adorned end to end with cascading flowers, but in the center of the city it felt like a post-war battle zone. It turns out, the hub of Christchurch was completely devastated by an earquake in 2011, and was still sheepishly trying to recover, with new shopping areas and hotels that slowly emerged, but never took hold. It was shocking and strange to begin this way, but the rest of the trip was so different.

A few hours later we checked out of Wilderness Campers with this sleek little number, stocked with groceries (from a REAL supermarket that made me almost cry), gas, electric, and seats for our boys. It was amazing. Among all the white boxy campervans and RV's, we coasted in style inland towards our first destination picked from the NZ Frenzy guide, feeling pretty good about the days to come.

We stopped wherever we wanted, to grab a bite to eat, or make some lunch, like at the lovely Rakaia Gorge. After a smooth 1-hour hike (my 3 year old is a trooper!) we continued on towards Mt. Sunday, and soon the pavement disappeared and we were rumbling over dirt roads, hardly another person for miles. Just sheep. A few cows. But mostly sheep. At first it felt so strange, coming from Bangkok, when we looked at each other around 5pm that day and realized we hadn't seen another human being since lunchtime. Oh, I should add that it doesn't get dark until 9, so if you stop watching the time, and ramble on as we did, you could go a very long time without seeing people at all. Nothing to distract you from the gorgeous peaks and landscape that begin just 30 minutes outside of Christchurch...

Mt. Sunday was my pick, and I had begged Phil to let me get my Lord of the Rings fixx as early as possible so it didn't complicate any future plans. He was glad we did, because this little speck on the tourist map was so remote and so breathtaking-you drive for hours until the mountain tops are covered with snow, and then get out for a leisurely hike to the summit. Mt. Sunday was actually the background or natural structure that they used to place Edoras, and so while there was no "LOTR" sets or structures actually there, when I saw it in the distance it gave me goosebumps.

Behind it, in the sweeping valley was the backdrop for Helm's Deep as well, so double score!!!

It was a beautiful hike, and we returned to the RV and sought a place to stop for dinner after the great workout. Did I mention it doesn't get dark until very late? We were eating a quick supper when someone finally checked their watch and shouted "Oh my god! Its already 7? But it feels like 4! We need to find a place to sleep!"

We drove for a few hours, which sounds terrible, but in New Zealand its not-every mile is majestic, some downright breathtaking. Some miles are just so calm (hundreds of sheep) and all of it is spectacularly CLEAN. Roadside trash or debris? None. Nada. So we "freedom camped" at a place we found online at a quiet abandoned spot, and woke up ready to see what else South Island had in store for us.

Day Two took us on the scenic inland route back out to the coast, on  our way to Dunedin. On the way to the seaside campground we had picked, we stopped to check out the mysterious site in Moeraki: the Moeraki Boulders. These stones formed curiously on the beach, and are sometimes almost totally submerged, but luckily for us, that time the tide was low and dozens of these strange stone orbs were sitting on the beach.

We slyly picked at one, and found there were crystals forming on these looong seams inside, which would explain why eventually they split and break apart, but who knows how they initially form!

That afternoon we settled into a campside by the beach with electricity and water and stumbled out to the sand and almost fell over a sealion that was resting close to the water! We kept our distance and enjoyed the amazing view, and the next day when we checked he was gone. And so were we, on to Queenstown, one of our favorite parts of this trip! Stay tuned....

Late Post: Visiting Ancient Ayuttaya

 

Lets talk about adventures. Holidays. Family.

Somehow the last few months have flown by.

It might have been because they were some of the happiest weeks of my life.

That's probably it.

 

Before I jump into our December adventures, I still want to look back and savor the time with my parents. If you've met my folks, you know how incredible they are. If you haven't, I would certainly introduce you to them: they are intrepid, active in body, curious in mind, and open-minded. In other words, they were perfect visitors to Thailand.

 

They ate like locals, ventured out through the city on their own whenever they could, and asked our nanny a zillion questions (which to her was a huge compliment). They even managed to gain an invite to her home out in the country, near ancient Ayuttaya, which I am just slightly jealous since it took her almost six months to invite US.

When you go somewhere amazing, and wish your family could see it through your ideas-that would be me. And this one time I was thrilled that my parents could. Because they do see it all; the flavors, the people, the culture. Nothing escapes my sharp parents..I just love them so much!

After stopping by Kookai's house and getting a tour of the banana farm, a lesson on making traditional noodle soup, and meeting her family, we hopped in our rented van and strolled through the remains of Ancient Ayuttaya. Its one of my favorite parts of Thailand because nothing is roped off, you are literally walking through history.

 

So there you have it. Its a little hard to look back, now that my parents are gone. We miss them so much. Kookai still talks about my Dad. And our friends thought my mom was the beans. Its true, all true. And hopefully we will be able to share with them another amazing corner of the Earth someday.

 

Or not. Whether its back in our hometown, or on some african safari, I'm just so happy to have such a wonderful, supportive family. And parents that raised me to have such a sense of curiosity, and adventure. Cheers to them!

I Love Loy Krathong

I really do. Its such a peaceful and positive holiday. This being our second time celebrating it, we decided to keep it as low-key as possible. Just a quick walk to Benjakiti Park with the boys, a bit of browsing among the pretty flowered krathongs, and then making our wishes and setting our little floats on the water.

In just a few days my parents would arrive for a long visit, so we were already excited.

 Unfortunately, every time we lit the candle on our krathong, the breeze blew it out. So we picked up a third one on our way home and set it in the pool to take our bad deeds away.

According to tradition, that is quite alright.

And We Danced at the Marine Corps Ball 2013

Saturday began like this:

And ended up like this:

We had a blast, attending our second Marine Corps Birthday Ball. I don't know if any future post will ever live up to the bar that has been set by Mission Bangkok. I know that is silly of me, being such a lemons-into-lemonade person, and I will find other things to love about wherever we go. But with almost 500 guests, this event was fabulous. As soon as the music began, the guests abandoned their dinners for the dance floor. I'm so proud of our Marines, and really lucky that Phil wrangled a picture with them again this year-its an honor to be in such great company.

I'm glad we started the day with a run, because it gave us the energy to keep going until almost dawn. After the Ball ended and the room was cleared, we celebrated with the gunny and his wife at Q Bar before heading home.

Now I just look forward to seeing all the photos our State friends share from Marine events all around the world.

And Then We Ran

Here's a little before-and-after action for you.

There is really no great story behind these photos; just the fact that we love to torture our kids.

When we packed up the kids to do a little 5k in the park last weekend, we tried to arrange them so that we all had a nice time. However, a six year old on a bike doesn't go well with crowds of runners, so after one lap around Lumphini I asked Little P to ditch the bike and finish the race on foot. He was happy to try.

For about five minutes. Then he began to whine and wanted to stop, and my normally agile and extremely nimble boy began to flop his feet and flail his arms. When this didn't get the desired response, he whined a bit more, tried to walk, and started in on the "I can't"s. Somehow, during all this drama, he managed to flop past a race photographer, and was caught and immortalized on film. I will show him this photo someday. Perhaps when he is raising kids of his own.

We did manage to finish the run, flailing boy, jogging stroller and all.

 

This Is My Happy Place

I have to say, it’s not always balls, events, and beach paradise here. My love of Thailand comes and goes in waves, and sometimes comes totally crashing down (just briefly) now and then. I get sick of the traffic, the smell, or the humidity. Sometimes I get tired of being nice about everything, despite things not turning out the way I want.

You really have to get used to receiving a “reasonable facsimile” of things. The food, the clothes, the groceries... That’s why you hear of a lot of people getting deliveries from Target, Walmart, or Amazon every week. I don’t, because I try to enjoy what Bangkok has to offer.

Most of the time I can enjoy “neerios” or having my hair dyed blond-ish, or wearing shoes that looked nice but fell apart in just a few weeks. Sometimes I can’t.

Last weekend I got sick and tired of “same-same.” When it happened I wanted to have a toddler-style tantrum. There was the danger of tears. And it was about soup. Just soup. But the soup I got for lunch was not the soup I ordered, nor the soup in the photo, and that was the last straw. No more same-same, I wanted to go HOME.

It being close to the birthday of the U.S.M.C., there are a lot of unhappy faces walking around the Embassy due to same-same issues as well. Last year I was right there with them, so I totally sympathize. A year later, however, you get used to the fact that the dress you requested from the tailor and the dress you dreamed of in your head are going to be some degree different from the dress you finally get. It’s better to find what you like about your formal dress and focus on that, but when you’re new to this culture it can be a huge disappointment. And you’re not supposed to show displeasure or anger here publicly. It’s a big No-NO.

My advice, however, is to be happy! And if it makes you happy to part with cultural norms and voice your displeasure, decide you don’t want the dress, or send the soup back-do it! Because it’s better to let your feelings out rather than simmer with the frustration of same-same! Grrrrr.

On a more cheerful note, before I was given the soup, we rambled down Sukhumvit Soi 49 so I could find my happy place: the Big Knit Café.

This place is heaven-it’s different from the yarn shops I’m used to, but it’s also cheerier. It invites you to actually sit and stay awhile! You could actually stay a very long while, because they serve coffee, western food, thai food, and pastries. So there you have it. When I get close to another same-same meltdown, just drop me off here for a few hours and problem solved.

How To Spend Chulalongkorn Day

Its such a treat to have an extra round of holidays added to our work schedule, thank you foreign service life! Last year they would catch me totally by surprise, and I wouldn't have a clue until we were dressed and waiting for little P's bus. When it didn't arrive, I would double check the calendar and discover it was some Thai holiday that I couldn't pronounce. This year we are really more cautious, and it helps to be working too, so I'm aware of our breaks from work or school, which don't always collide! But oh well..

So Chulalongkorn Day fell on a wednesday, which made some people groan because they couldn't go away for a long weekend, but that doesn't bother me at all. Between our busy social life and our all-encompassing work life, I'm just grateful for any day at all that we can spend with the boys. Like peddling around a park for a few hours.

We packed up some water and went back to Wenchirabenchatat Park (a.k.a. Rot Fair Park) since the heavy rains have finished, and Bangkok has quickly dried itself off and bloomed anew. We rented two bikes from a young man who reeked of whiskey for 20baht each, and enjoyed the sunshine and gentle breeze.  I like to think of Bangkok as the land of the eternal summer, and even though I was born and raised in multi-seasonal New England, I don't see any sign of myself getting tired of the heat. In fact, I don't ever want to feel cold again-its wonderful to wear light clothes all year, run when you want to, hop in the pool when you want to, or slip on some sandals and run errands when you want to. When I'm ready to bundle up, shovel snow, or rake leaves again I'll let you know.

But don't hold your breath.

After riding bikes, visiting the butterflies, and stopping for a lunch of grilled chicken and sticky rice, we packed up and went home for a break and then planned a family dinner at someplace completely different: Bangkok Seaview Restaurant. I'm still not sure why they call it that, as the trip took us almost 40 minutes outside of Bangkok, but it doesn't matter. What does matter is that this time I picked a winner (unlike the samurai-robot-sushi-bar).

We invited Khun Kookai, because hello, she loves to go on foodie adventures too! And after driving past dozens of roadside seafood restaurants that were beckoning us to stop, we came to the dock for our final destination. Here, you have to buy tickets for their shuttle, as the restaurant is not accessible any other way. Mission accepted!

Then, we hopped on the water shuttle and, as the sun started to set, began a leisurely trip through the waterways where you could see people fishing, living, and relaxing. As the sun hit the water, we arrived. The restaurant was a large stand-alone structure in the middle of nowhere!

So we stepped off the shuttle and selected our table, excited about the meal to come. There were prawns, scallops, mussels, fish, crabs! Fried, steamed, broiled, anyway you like it! No chicken. No pork. No steak. This was strictly seafood. I was in heaven.

But the waitress delivered the devastating news.

They were out of fish.

I know. We glanced over the side of the restaurant, and considered asking for a rod & reel. To come so far, by car then boat...and no fish. At a strictly seafood restaurant. As we grilled (a-ha) the waitress: "Grouper?" no. "Blue fish?" no "Snapper?" no, we could not hide our disbelief, but it was pretty funny too. Then she interjected-they did have a whole deep fried grouper with spicy fish sauce. I almost jumped over the table to tell her we'd take it. The last fish, I repeat, at a seafood restaurant. And it turned out to be so. damn. good. We feasted anyways-on blue crab in a sweet curry sauce, fried rice, grilled prawns, mixed seafood salad, until we couldn't eat anymore and were one of the last tables remaining.

As lighting flashed in the distance, we stumbled back onto the shuttle boat and enjoyed the lights glimmering on the water as we rode home (and got a cute souvenir family photo for just 100 baht!). I definitely can't wait to go back and in just a few weeks my parents will be here, so we can bring them! I just hope next time they don't run out of fish.....



 

Adventures in Pahurat



You would think after a year in Bangkok it would be hard to find myself surprised, but that's the crazy thin

g about this city- its not. The winding alleyways may always wind a little further. Small unmarked walkways may open into a cluster of fabric shops. Or upon a second glance, the toy store you passed by last week might also specialize in handbags or jewelry in the back. It doesn't always make much sense.

I find it totally frustrating sometimes. Such as my hunt for colored pipecleaners that led me back and forth on Soi Wanit in Chinatown for hours before I could claim victory. The things you need are always there, but your umbrellas may be for sale in a pet shop. Or your flipflops at a sidewalk vendor next to pocketwatches. I can handle it, but only if I have the time. When I don't, I feel a stong homesickness and yearning for the days I could hop in the car to get birthday wrap, and know exactly where to buy it.



But I'm rambling...



Seems legit.



Bangkok is like a crazy head of cabbage, with curly leaves and a million tightly-packed layers. And that's the best analogy I can come up with right now, because when I think of the challenges of delving further and further ino each of Bangkok's distinct neighborhoods, I can tell you it hasn't been easy. You even have to be a bit brave sometimes. Or maybe a bit foolish.

A few weeks ago I went shopping in the area of Little India with a friend, and I made the mistake of thinking I knew the ins and outs of the area. As we wandered down a new alley and then another, we found ourselves surrounded by frangrant incense shops, bakeries, gems and amulets, and wildly colorful decorations. In the interior alleys of the fabric market, one man gestured for us to go up these steps.

I balked. And we pressed on around another corner, only to look up and find scarves and bright lanterns hung above us on the second floor. Rewind! Go back! Where were those stairs?! And a few minutes later we were peeking through dusty shelves of bangle bracelets, trinkets and elephant keychains. A shop that specialized in corduroy fabric. I picked up cheerfully dyed fabric lanterns for 200baht apiece, not quite sure why or for whom. Some wall hangings may have also jumped into my shopping bag from this amazing store of embroidered goodies from kashmir. And a few tubes of henna paste. Satisfied, we wandered into Chinatown for a few more items before hopping the khlong taxiboat back to our neighborhood.

Arriving at home, I felt like I had uncovered a bag of curiosities, albeit some were quite musty and dank smelling. But I savored my silly bag of treasures-a pretty little brass bell with elephants on it; a wrap skirt

embellished with sequins, a pack of party favors for later in the year.

Yet another layer of that cabbage has been peeled, but underneath so many more... 



Tour of the Town

The look BEFORE you tell him he can't ride it.

Would you believe me if I told you we've had nothing exciting to talk about? No, I wouldn't believe me either.

Reclining Buddha photobomb.

So let me share the highlight of our summer: a visit from the in-laws. It was truly the best time. We still had to work, but had plenty of time with them. And they with the boys.

Dropping offerings into the bowls around the temple of the Reclining Buddha.

We also got to take them around the city. And then to the beach. And back to the city again. So it was also an adventure for all of us.

Playing around in front of the gorgeous teak mansion.

My Life Lately in Instagram

In trying to write this post today I am filled with so many emotions; sad because the grandparents that came to visit have gone back to the US, thrilled because I have this clean and pretty new blog, silly as I am looking back on our crazy adventures the past few weeks, and content because once again I feel like I have everything in the world I could ever want.

Waves and sunshine 

A little one who has decided cuddling isn't that bad

And he likes to leap too

Discovering what it is like to have a day where you don't have to do anything

And drinking from a coconut NEVER gets old.

A Tailor-Made Tour of Bangkok

Living in Bangkok has many benefits-excellent domestic help, delicious food, fantastic culture, etc. etc. etc....For men, it has the added benefit of being the center of cheap and beautiful tailoring. In fact, we walk past about eight shops every day just to get to the corner or our street. Yet, my husband had not had a chance to get fitted for anything except a tuxedo.

 

So, for Father's Day, we decided to change that.

 

 

That evening, when he came home from his meetings, I handed him the first of three cards, which directed him on a “tailor-made” tour of Bangkok. Stop 1: Jhasper Fashions, where Pinky and Dave tend a neat and sensible shop with shirt and suiting fabrics exactly to our liking. There, we had the man measured for two top-quality work shirts, discussed having some jackets made, and generally enjoyed their company. Pocketed between tailor shops that frequently have those annoying hawkers trying to pull you in from the street, Jhasper is a cut above. Service was quick and professional, so we left having high hopes for what they would make us.

 

Next stop, according to the card, was the tried-and-true favorite, Rajawongse. This shop is so popular with the American contingent that we bumped into three acquaintances as soon as we walked in. How can all those people be wrong?

 

The cozy little shop is stacked corner to corner with great suiting fabrics, from dressy to casual, so we decided on one business shirt and one striped casual shirt. I can see how men find themselves hooked on this place– for a great price you could be sharply dressed in any color or print your heart desires.

 

At this point we presented the Mr. with our last little card. It was time for a snack break. The kids were still behaving themselves relatively well, so it was clear we could stop for dinner and then push on. After a quick dinner at Bully's Pub the tour continued; we were at the last stop. Empire Tailors.

 

Empire is THE BEST according to web reviewers-one reviewer raved the shop to be “brilliant” which does not refer to the bright airy space alone, I presume. After dragging two young kids down Sukhumvit, this shop was a welcome break. Instead of being crammed with options, the shop was spacious and the fabrics were select. Sunny greeted us politely and coolly, and while others tried to impress us with their speed and precision of service, he calmly explained our options and gave my husband time to deliberate over what he wanted.

 

Three shops and six shirt orders later, we planned to return the following week for fittings and the final decision-which shop would be the best? Which shirts would be the most flattering? Which tailor would deliver the closest to what my husband wanted? And my husband, lucky guy, would be the judge.

 

The Decision:

 

It turned out to NOT be a simple decision, after all. All shirts from the three shops were the same price, which did help, but were also really close in quality and workmanship. Also, all three shops provided the best service and were sure to have gotten our repeat business if we hadn't also tried two of their competitors! You can't go wrong by ordering shirts from any of these three, and it pained us to try and eliminate our least favorite.

 

So it boils down simply to which shirts my husband wore first, and which ones made him feel his best. So if you told me there could be only one, my answer is Empire.

 

 

Empire Tailors (Sunny)

12-126 Sukhumvit Road (Between Sois 4 & 6)

02-254-4760

Www.theempiretailors.com

 

Also fantastic and much-appreciated for their help:

 

Jhasper Fashion (Dave and Pinky)

155/32 Sukhumvit Soi 11 (BTS Nana)

02-651-2522

Www.jhasperfashion.com

 

Rajawongse (Jesse and Victor)

130 Sukhumvit Road (Next to Landmark Bldg)

02-255-3714

Www.dress-for-success.com