This week has been busy and crazy, and we've loved every minute of it! As they say, pictures are worth a thousand words, so we've got plenty this week.
Our week started out with a visit Monday evening from our wonderful friends from Sweden, the Norin family. (Check out my Friends and Family post from last month). We were so excited to see them back in Bangkok when we got to church on Sunday and were happy they had time to come over for another visit. They have spent the last month living on an island in Malaysia and had one last week in Bangkok before heading to Hong Kong, New Zealand, California and UTAH!
The boys had so much fun together! Jack loved every minute with Oliver and Alvin, we could tell by the hysterical laughter heard all night! It was awesome. Jack really hasn't laughed that hard in a long time, besides the last time that they were here, of course.
I loved Jane and Ben together, even though they really are too young to actually play together. I think their blonde hair is so similar, especially the curly wisps around the face and in the back. Although, Ben does have more hair than Jane, which might explain why people still occasionally ask if Jane is a boy (doesn't matter how much pink, or how many clips in her hair), and Ben gets mistaken for a girl occasionally.
We all sat around their computer for some time looking at pictures of their island adventures and then listening to some Swedish pop stars. We absolutely loved our time with the Norins. They really are a wonderful example of the kind of family we hope to be. We hated to say goodbye, not knowing when we would see them again, so we invited them over for dinner again on Wednesday, and were happy they could fit it in! They are all exceptional, and we feel blessed to have had them in our home. Our hope is to one day make it to Sweden!
Jack, Janie and I went swimming for the first time since we moved into our new apartment. It was awesome. Jack is a little hesitant because it's been a couple of months, but I could barely keep Jane from diving in the deep end! Afterwards, we discovered that they love to shower. Jack occasionally gets in, but Janie never has gotten in with him, so it was a treat. They had a blast, and I practically had to drag them out when it was time to get ready for dinner!
Friday was a fun day for me and the kids. Anutra invited us to come with her and one of her English classes from the University to the Ancient City. Her students were giving reports on different sites in the Ancient city in English, and I think she wanted a native English speaker there. I really thought she was inviting us because she tells her classes about Jack and Janie, so she wanted to show them off, but I realized within the first few minutes that the presentations were being made specifically to ME! I got to ask questions and talk with each of the students about what they presented on, as well as visit with the other teachers. It was a fun day for the kids and I. We love Anutra, the Ancient City, and having 15 excited baby-sitters wasn't too bad either!
Jack noticed the microphone at the front of the tram about half way through our day. He thought this was the best. So, he started out singing "I'm a child of God" and "ABC's" and ended with phrases such as, "Next station, the floating market!" I was amazed that everyone still thought he was adorable after hearing his voice, very loud, for a very long time. He was pretty hilarious.
This day was also Janie's first day in her whole life where she didn't have a nap at ALL! The bus dropped us off in Bang Na, quite a ways from home, and we caught a taxi the rest of the way. I thought I was in for a taxi ride from you know where, but it was really one of my favorite long taxi rides ever (it took us over an hour to get home, and this is already in the city, with little traffic!). The kids played SO cute together, the driver thought they were hilarious, and Jack is getting really good at "I spy". Janie went down at 6pm that night, and slept until almost 8am. She was amazing! Hopefully, we won't have to do that one again though, I don't want to press my luck!
Saturday was a fun day of normal Saturday things: cleaning, shopping, and being together. We were excited because we had friends coming over in the evening, and Jack could hardly wait! Our friends, Mike and Emily, are returning to England next week because they are expecting their first baby. They have been married less than a year, and decided they wanted to spend their first year together teaching English in Thailand. We decided before they returned home, we needed to get everyone together to wish them well! It was a VERY fun evening. Lots of food, good conversation, and friends!
From the top left to right: Mike and Emily Maitland, Kaddi and Shane Strate, Mary Jane and Bundit Ungrangsee, Joel and Som Selway (on the couch), and Jeff and I. This was a self-timer picture, so you should all be very impressed. This is such a diverse group of friends, and everyone here has a story. It's fun to visit, and we all loved playing CatchPhrase together. You really don't realize how much you depend on your culture until you play a game like that with people who are NOT Americans! Emily had a really hard time describing "I love Lucy" (she'd never heard of it!), and Joel had NO idea what a "Caboose" was. Anybody know what a "Hat Trick" is? I had NO clue! I don't think that's cultural, it's just my inexperience with hockey, I guess!
We got together earlier this time than last, so we could get the kids to bed a better time, but really, we just spent more time visiting! But, the kids loved it. No problems with these kids, they get along GREAT! I think it's a pretty good mix of ages. Starting from the left: Jake Strate with Jane (Jane's first boyfriend, she LOVES Jake!), Narissa Ungrangsee, Cyan and Cyrus Selway, Megan Strate holding Alena Ungrangsee, and Jack.
The kids announced at one point that they were putting on a puppet show for all of us. They brought it out into the family room, and took turns presenting their wonderful stories which consisted mostly of whisperings behind the curtains and a few puppet fight scenes by the boys. It was pretty fun, and I was glad to seem them enjoying our puppet theater so much!
A special treat was that the Ungrangsees brought a favorite Thai dessert of Mango and sticky rice with a coconut milk topping. It was SO sweet and delicious! Mmmmm... I am hoping to learn how to make the sticky rice so I can do it myself!
Our crazy week didn't end at bedtime on Saturday, Sunday was also filled. We had our normal church meetings, where Jeff taught Priesthood, and I worked in the nursery with my friend, Kaddi. After the meetings, there was the baptism of a fellow from India. His cousin, Sancho, was baptized just 3 weeks ago, and they both simply glow. Jeff was honored to speak at the baptism and described it as the "the most amazing baptism ever". I haven't gotten all the details, because we haven't yet had a chance to really visit, because our day didn't stop there. I let Jack stay in the baptism meeting, while I took Janie out for some space before we headed to the Bishop's house with his family for dinner and Jeff's ward council meeting. We got to spend the afternoon with Sis. Sampson and their daughter Leslie, eating an amazing meal of meat and potatoes (beef! can you believe it?), and playing with their toys while Jeff was in his meeting. It worked out for us to get a ride back into the city around 5:30 with Bro. Andersen in the bishopric, who we adore. We think of him as our kid's pseudo-grandpa while we are away (there is a picture of him unscrewing the chair to get Jack out, at our Thanksgiving feast at their home). It was fun to spend time with so many people from the ward, even if it did make for a very busy Sunday.
If you are a Frog and Toad fan, you might recall the story about "the Letter". Toad talks about his "sad time of day" when he waits for the mail, although he has never received any. Well, I had a "sad time of day" today. As church was ending and I was maneuvering through our very narrow hallways packed full of people, I heard wonderful music and quickly saw a big screen with pictures of familiar faces on it. The youth were preparing for a fireside broadcast in the cultural hall and the music was the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square. I walked in, with Janie in my arms and was completely caught up in seeing MY Orchestra playing with the wonderful choir, and I wasn't in it. Seeing all those familiar faces and recalling the feeling of entering that wonderful Conference center to those voices, was overwhelming to me. When I saw Jeff, I couldn't hold it in any more and broke down in his arms. I knew there were sacrifices when we chose to come to Bangkok, but I don't think I realized how much I would miss serving in the Orchestra. I miss playing beautiful music, being surrounded by exceptional musicians, and feeling that extra spirit when I am sharing my testimony through music. What a wonderful organization, and it was such a blessing to be a part of it for that 2 years. So, these wonderful memories caused me to have a "sad time of day" as I recalled them all and was sad that it will be another 2 years before I am able to participate in it again. Like Toad, it was unnecessary to think about the possibilities of receiving a letter, or getting to play in the orchestra again, which makes us sad, but sometimes, you just have to mourn for a while and then move on. Toad went through this each day until Frog finally sent him his letter. I hope I can be done with it now and receive my "letter" when I return home.
Thank you all for keeping in touch and caring for our little family. We love you all!
25 February 2007
18 February 2007
Back in the groove.
Life has slowed down somewhat now that we don't have any family visiting. It's been just over a week since Dad left, but it seems like SO much longer! We have been getting back into our daily groove of things: play dates, Ocean World, parks, walks, and simply surviving! It's been good for all of us to slide back into somewhat of a routine, but of course, with kids, life is always a little unpredictable. Here are some fun, everyday pictures from this week.
Jack and Narissa are such a cute pair. They've been especially close since Narissa returned from spending over a month in Utah. We are SO grateful for her and her sweet family!
Anutra brought her husband, Bird, with her on Tuesday for our Thai lesson. He took Jack into the playroom while we had our lessons. Occasionally they would come out to tell us of their adventures. Jack loved having a super hero buddy. Thank goodness we have two capes now! They are used EVERY day! Bird was a VERY good sport, and Jack had a blast, but we caught Bird asleep on the couch by the end of the night. It's hard work to keep up with a 3 year old!
For Valentine's Day, we decided to meet Jeff for lunch at his work, something we haven't had a chance to do yet. He has a great cafeteria there that serves delicious Thai food very cheap. Jack and Daddy treated themselves to Coconut Milk Ice Cream afterwards, one of our favorite desserts. The Hillmans commented many times about how the ice cream toppings look more like a salad bar, and they are right. This is what Jack chose for his, plus some other surprises the lady thought Jack would like. Mmmmm...
On the way to Jeff's work, we stopped at our favorite park to play for a bit. My kids are always happiest at the park. Janie's smile is pretty solid the entire time she is swinging. I love it!
Also, in the park this week, we saw one of the big water monitors which roam freely in Lumpini park. We see these regularly, but this day, Jack and I spotted something in its mouth. Any guesses on what it is? Jack thought this was awesome!
Jack and Janie were playing so cute this day. They discovered this fun space in the kitchen where normally a dishwasher would be. We opted not to pay more for that, so, now whenever I do the dishes, I sing my mother's wonderful "I love the dishes" song, set to "I love the mountains". Thanks mom, for making even washing the dishes an enjoyable time! That's my mom for you! We are glad this space can occasionally be used as the location for Jack and Janie's "Super Cave".
Tonight, we were lucky to have some friends over for dinner. Kathrine and her two children, Shawn and Malee, live on a small island down south. They travel around 5 hours on Friday to come for the weekend, then they stay (with a family in the ward) to attend church on Sunday and return home on Monday. Her husband works as a tattoo artist on their island and his busiest time is the weekend, so she does the trip once a month by herself! I am amazed at her dedication to attend and bring her children as often as she can. The kids had a great time playing and Kathrine and I loved visiting outside of the church hallways!
Jack and Shawn especially had fun pulling out ALL the toys and getting in the toy box. They loved having this extra time together, but unfortunately, it ended badly. While Jack was trying to get a drink from our water cooler, with just his mouth (he's never done this before, so I think he was just trying to be silly), he burned his arm pretty badly from the hot spout. He's been in pain ever since, and isn't fond of the cold bags on his arm. He's doing better, but we'll see how it is in the morning. Any suggestions?
Well, we hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day this week! There sure was a lot of RED in Bangkok this week. Some for the holiday that all of you were celebrating, but mostly for the Chinese New Year! So, a big Happy New Year goes out to all, especially to one of my favorite Equis employees, and most faithful readers. To Yong, "HAPPY NEW YEAR" to you and your family!
Jack and Narissa are such a cute pair. They've been especially close since Narissa returned from spending over a month in Utah. We are SO grateful for her and her sweet family!
Anutra brought her husband, Bird, with her on Tuesday for our Thai lesson. He took Jack into the playroom while we had our lessons. Occasionally they would come out to tell us of their adventures. Jack loved having a super hero buddy. Thank goodness we have two capes now! They are used EVERY day! Bird was a VERY good sport, and Jack had a blast, but we caught Bird asleep on the couch by the end of the night. It's hard work to keep up with a 3 year old!
For Valentine's Day, we decided to meet Jeff for lunch at his work, something we haven't had a chance to do yet. He has a great cafeteria there that serves delicious Thai food very cheap. Jack and Daddy treated themselves to Coconut Milk Ice Cream afterwards, one of our favorite desserts. The Hillmans commented many times about how the ice cream toppings look more like a salad bar, and they are right. This is what Jack chose for his, plus some other surprises the lady thought Jack would like. Mmmmm...
On the way to Jeff's work, we stopped at our favorite park to play for a bit. My kids are always happiest at the park. Janie's smile is pretty solid the entire time she is swinging. I love it!
Also, in the park this week, we saw one of the big water monitors which roam freely in Lumpini park. We see these regularly, but this day, Jack and I spotted something in its mouth. Any guesses on what it is? Jack thought this was awesome!
Jack and Janie were playing so cute this day. They discovered this fun space in the kitchen where normally a dishwasher would be. We opted not to pay more for that, so, now whenever I do the dishes, I sing my mother's wonderful "I love the dishes" song, set to "I love the mountains". Thanks mom, for making even washing the dishes an enjoyable time! That's my mom for you! We are glad this space can occasionally be used as the location for Jack and Janie's "Super Cave".
Tonight, we were lucky to have some friends over for dinner. Kathrine and her two children, Shawn and Malee, live on a small island down south. They travel around 5 hours on Friday to come for the weekend, then they stay (with a family in the ward) to attend church on Sunday and return home on Monday. Her husband works as a tattoo artist on their island and his busiest time is the weekend, so she does the trip once a month by herself! I am amazed at her dedication to attend and bring her children as often as she can. The kids had a great time playing and Kathrine and I loved visiting outside of the church hallways!
Jack and Shawn especially had fun pulling out ALL the toys and getting in the toy box. They loved having this extra time together, but unfortunately, it ended badly. While Jack was trying to get a drink from our water cooler, with just his mouth (he's never done this before, so I think he was just trying to be silly), he burned his arm pretty badly from the hot spout. He's been in pain ever since, and isn't fond of the cold bags on his arm. He's doing better, but we'll see how it is in the morning. Any suggestions?
Well, we hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day this week! There sure was a lot of RED in Bangkok this week. Some for the holiday that all of you were celebrating, but mostly for the Chinese New Year! So, a big Happy New Year goes out to all, especially to one of my favorite Equis employees, and most faithful readers. To Yong, "HAPPY NEW YEAR" to you and your family!
11 February 2007
Famous Thai massage... mmmm...ouch!
We said goodbye to Dad this week, but not before he treated Jeff and I to a night on the town (our first time out, just the two of us, in 3 1/2 months. Ouch!) We hardly knew what to do with ourselves, walking along the sidewalks with no stroller, no kids in arms, and no huge backpack full of diapers, snacks, emergency items, and extra outfits. It was awesome. We were SO excited and went directly to a tailor to get Jeff fitted for a free pair of trousers and a dress shirt (compliments of the company that moved us over here. They are awesome.). I know, this isn't really exciting, but we were both VERY glad we did it without the children. This place we went was amazing. Everyone that walked in the door, and there were several in the short time we were there, was greeted by name. Even businessman they hadn't seen in years. We were convinced that these owners were either the best businessmen ever, or the shop was filled with very convincing actors. We then decided to try one of the many Japanese restaurants on our street. The food was delicious and we enjoyed a very grown-up conversation for the entire dinner! It was awesome. Thanks Dad!
Another thing Dad decided had to be done before he left was that he needed to experience one of the famous massages that Thailand is so famous for. We didn't try the official Thai massage (but definitely will another time), but opted to go for an oil massage instead. Lucky for me, Jeff doesn't really get into that kind of thing, so he took the kids and Dad treated ME! We both loved our massages, but I think before my next one, I will learn how to say, "soft, please". I think Dad's a little tougher than me. My upper back felt bruised for the next 2 days. Ouch! But, I'm not complaining, it was awesome.
Monday was my date with Jeff, Wednesday was with Dad Hillman, and Thursday.... Jack. After being away for so many nights in a row, I decided I needed a night out with my little man. We walked, more like raced, to the Emporium (a big shopping mall 1 km away) and stopped at our favorite bookstore to read whatever books Jack wanted, which we normally can't do because Janie is destroying all the displays! Then, I let Jack pick a place to get ice cream cones. He chose well....mmmmm. We explored parts of the mall we hadn't seen yet, then started back home, stopping at every street vendor and shop that Jack found interesting. It was so much fun to spend time, just with Jack. We completed our fun date with catching a motorcycle taxi home for 10 Baht (about 30 cents). Jack was in heaven.
My kids LOVE boxes. Aren't they the best toys ever? I feel guilty every time I get rid of one.
Jeff and I couldn't stop laughing when we saw Jack sleeping like this. He was completely out. I was sure he was going to wake up with the flash and fall off the bed. Luckily, he is a heavy sleeper.
In honor of Valentine's Day this coming week, I put together a simple video of one of my favorite couples. In our family, we don't really celebrate Valentines Day in February as a couple, so much as we celebrate it as a family. For our 5th anniversary, I put together a video as a surprise for Jeff and had so much fun doing it. So, for Valentine's Day, I decided to put together a video of Jack and Janie set to one of our favorite bedtime songs. Short and sweet. Hope you enjoy it!
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
Another thing Dad decided had to be done before he left was that he needed to experience one of the famous massages that Thailand is so famous for. We didn't try the official Thai massage (but definitely will another time), but opted to go for an oil massage instead. Lucky for me, Jeff doesn't really get into that kind of thing, so he took the kids and Dad treated ME! We both loved our massages, but I think before my next one, I will learn how to say, "soft, please". I think Dad's a little tougher than me. My upper back felt bruised for the next 2 days. Ouch! But, I'm not complaining, it was awesome.
Monday was my date with Jeff, Wednesday was with Dad Hillman, and Thursday.... Jack. After being away for so many nights in a row, I decided I needed a night out with my little man. We walked, more like raced, to the Emporium (a big shopping mall 1 km away) and stopped at our favorite bookstore to read whatever books Jack wanted, which we normally can't do because Janie is destroying all the displays! Then, I let Jack pick a place to get ice cream cones. He chose well....mmmmm. We explored parts of the mall we hadn't seen yet, then started back home, stopping at every street vendor and shop that Jack found interesting. It was so much fun to spend time, just with Jack. We completed our fun date with catching a motorcycle taxi home for 10 Baht (about 30 cents). Jack was in heaven.
My kids LOVE boxes. Aren't they the best toys ever? I feel guilty every time I get rid of one.
Jeff and I couldn't stop laughing when we saw Jack sleeping like this. He was completely out. I was sure he was going to wake up with the flash and fall off the bed. Luckily, he is a heavy sleeper.
In honor of Valentine's Day this coming week, I put together a simple video of one of my favorite couples. In our family, we don't really celebrate Valentines Day in February as a couple, so much as we celebrate it as a family. For our 5th anniversary, I put together a video as a surprise for Jeff and had so much fun doing it. So, for Valentine's Day, I decided to put together a video of Jack and Janie set to one of our favorite bedtime songs. Short and sweet. Hope you enjoy it!
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
04 February 2007
Jack, the ladies man
This week started with Jeff working late Monday night. Then late on Tuesday night. But, he did make it home in time for our Thai lesson at 7pm, so it could have been worse. I was glad he made it because Anutra brought us a special treat that night. Faa (check out last week's blog if you don't know who she is) and 2 of her friends from school came to play with the kids. Faa was just as excited to see Jack as he was to see her. Janie had a hard day, so she was down at 6:30, but Jack had a late nap this day, so it was nice for him to have the best playmates ever to entertain him (and wear him out) while Jeff and I took turns with Anutra. We could hear the girls and Jack laughing in the play room as they put on puppet shows, built lego towers, and read a LOT of books. Jack was sneaky in taking the camera in there and they had a blast taking loads of pictures. The girls have given Jack a nickname in Thai that to the best of my knowledge is the equivalent of a "ladies man".
Faa is the one on the left, the middle one is Deer, and on the right is Dit. Jeff took this one when he went to make sure Jack was treating the ladies right. Jack absolutely adores Faa and so do we. She came back again on Thursday to play and we hope this continues. We have all fallen in love with her.
Wednesday morning we went to visit the Pakkret Baby home, an orphanage just outside of the city. Last time I was there, I met a woman and her husband who live in the city part-time and they gave us all a ride back in after we left the Baby home. I kept in touch with her, and they were the ones that took us out there that day. I can't say enough nice things about Nancy and Tong. They are some of the warmest people I've ever known. She was a teacher for 30 years, and between the two of them, they have 4 children, so they are very understanding of why their back seat looks the way it does after we are in it! They go and visit a certain baby, Suwanan, several times a week when they are in town, and just love that little girl! I love to see people spending their time doing such good things like this. It's definitely not something that is immediately rewarding, or you get much praise for, but to that little Suwanan, they are making a big difference in her life. We had a fun visit with them to and from the Baby Home and the kids and I had a fun visit with many of the kids of all ages. Jack immediately found the big kids and wanted to go to "school" with them. Jack can't wait to go to school. He's counting down the days.
Jack liked counting in Thai with them because he knows how to do that, but later he told me that the kids weren't being very nice. I asked him what the problem was. He informed me that they wouldn't speak English, only Thai.
As much as I loved Jeff working late those nights, I was very excited for him to meet me and the kids at a reasonable time on Wednesday night at the Paragon for dinner and a visit to Ocean World. The kids and I had a very hectic morning, so it was an extra treat for me to have help with the kids in the evening. Having Grandpa there is always a big bonus too. The kids adore him.
Dad loves aquariums, so we tried to let him go at his own pace. The kids move pretty fast until we get to the playland. This was a pretty typical picture of this night. Dad enjoying all that this fun place has to offer, Jack being a typical 3 year old and changing his focus every 3 seconds, Janie enjoying an entire bucket of carmel corn a Japanese lady gave her, and Jeff being handsome and happy. It was a fun evening together.
If I take the time to do Janie's hair, she has to be entertained by all the things on my bathroom counter. This day, she just loved sitting and standing in the sink and of course, admiring herself in the mirror. Isn't she adorable?
Friday, the kids and I had a free day, so we decided to visit the Children's Museum once again. I love this place.
There are always lots of school kids visiting, which makes me really happy to have blond kids so they are easy to spot. We went and had lunch at a small food court that sells pancakes with pictures of cats on them, crepes, and ice cream. While we were eating, an audience gathered around us. These sweet girls didn't know a lick of English, so they just stood around our table and watched me and the children. I figured that this was probably one of the few times that I knew more Thai than they knew English, so I should use it. I learned their names, how old they were, where they were from, and the name of their school. They asked me where I live, where I'm from, our names, how old we are, and how much my camera cost (I thought that one was odd, but tried my best to put it in Baht). I was feeling a desire to learn a LOT more Thai after this. These girls were perfect to practice on though. Thank goodness I know how to say "what did you say?" They had to repeat things 2-3 times before I understood. Hopefully I'll do better next time because whenever there was a lull in our broken conversation, they just stood very close and watched us eat. It was pretty hilarious.
Friday night, I got to attend a Buddhist funeral with Anutra. It was her Auntie who had passed away, and she thought I would enjoy seeing their customs and meeting her family. She was right. One of the things I found most interesting was that they wait 100 days before actually holding the funeral. Soon after death, they put water on the deceased's hands to represent asking for forgiveness for any hard feelings. The body is stored in a pavilion in the temple that the family pays to rent for the 100 days until the funeral and the cremation ceremony. The ceremony consisted of many different groups of families, all there for their own relative, and all facing different directions toward their pavilion. I got to meet Anutra's parents, brother, and spend more time with Bird, her husband who I think is so sweet. Meeting her family was new to me because I wasn't exactly certain of the protocol on greetings with the Thai Wai, especially as a Farang. They were all very sweet and understanding of my initial awkwardness, and made me feel like I fit right in. They served water and a wonton soup that was quite good. I sat and visited with Anutra and Bird (they were the only ones that I could speak to) while the monks prayed inside (the seating was outside for ours, but we could see inside part of the pavilion). Off and on, we would hold our hands in a reverent wai, but I was surprised to see the conversations continue. This occasion wasn't at all a sad one. People were happy to be together, and I liked this. The more I've thought about it, the more I see the wisdom in the 100 day waiting period. There are many reasons for this, but the one I love is that it is just a time that family can accept what has happened, start getting used to life without them, and say their goodbyes before they are put in the ground (or the sea in this instance). After the 100 days, the body is cremated in another special ceremony that I wasn't able to attend. The ashes are then put in a body of water. I felt so honored that I could attend this event and get a taste of more Thai traditions, but most of all, it was fun just to spend time with Anutra and Bird. They are such a great couple and have become dear friends.
Dad took this amazing picture on his way home from work the other night. I've never seen a family this big all fit on one motorcycle before. Go ahead, count them. I can't believe the picture turned out so well. After well over 1000 pictures on this trip, Dad has turned into quite a photographer!
We all spent Saturday with Jeff and Dad's friends from work visiting the city of Ayutthya, which is the old capitol city of Thailand. There are hundreds of temple ruins throughout the city, but we only visited a few of them. This was one with a huge tower in the middle, and rows of Buddha statues surrounding it. They are all draped in orange robes, like the ones the monks wear here. FYI, the Buddha worshiped in Thailand is a different looking Buddha image than most Americans have probably seen. This Buddha is not the big, fat Buddha, but a tall, slender one who commonly has his hands in different positions, signifying different messages. They are the same Buddha, but at different times of his life, so they look like completely different images. Of course, this is just to the best of my knowledge, so if you know more, please let us all know!
This is everybody. Starting from the right is Nay, me and the kids, Dave at the end, Dad, Pink, Luck, and Luck's husband (I really wish I could remember his name right now because he was great. Sorry!). This was a fun place along the river and they even had a fun playground for the kids! It was a fun outdoor atmosphere, and we enjoyed the luxury of having people there that could order food we would like as well as a few new things. Thai food is delicious.
This is a famous Buddha image located at some of the ruins. I didn't quite get all the details, but from what I could tell, the rest of the Buddha statue is somewhere else on the grounds, but the head remains here, and the tree has surrounded it. There was a guard there watching as people took pictures. He made sure that everyone knelt down in front of it, so as not to put their head above Buddha's head in a picture. I think this is beautiful.
Another beautiful temple, near the ruins, but this was still very much intact. It contained a very large Buddha image inside and lots of people reciting prayers (that's my guess anyway), and shaking sticks in a can. I am hoping to learn more about this soon.
Jane was pretty spent about half way through the day. She woke up early and has had a cold. We were all very impressed with how well she held up with such a busy day!
Does anyone agree that this place looks like Disneyland? Especially if you could hear the happy-go-lucky music that was playing on the speakers throughout the Palace grounds. I just kept waiting for Mary Poppins or Minnie Mouse to come walking by. I feel like this a lot in the parks here. They really know how to landscape here and it always looks freshly manicured.
This was my favorite part of the day, just walking under the trees on these beautiful grounds and enjoying the sculpted animal shrubs, smooth sidewalks, and beautiful buildings. I was surprised to see many of the buildings built to look very European. I asked about this, and discovered that King Rama IV had just visited France when he designed this place. He liked the architecture there (as do I), so he decided to use it as a guide. There is also a building (used as a city hall type of place) that was given as a gift from the Chinese to the King. It is obvious that the style is quite different than the traditional Thai style. Both very intricate and beautiful, but very different. I loved the variation of style all within the Palace walls.
As far as just regular life goes, we definitely feel very blessed. We are seeing so many unique things and meeting some of the most wonderful people ever. On a more personal note, I feel like my challenge this week has been coming to terms with the fact that I will probably not have any English speaking, stay at home mom friends in the building. This probably wouldn't seem like a big deal, but going from having several friends within a one-minute walk in West Jordan, to having my closest friend be 40 minutes away is an adjustment. I realized this week that we've been here for a month and I have yet to meet one. All of the English speakers I've met (all two of them) are working women, so I meet their children on the playgrounds and get to know their nannies really well. The nannies are GREAT, but they are Thai and speak very little English. But, this is actually better than the Japanese mothers who seem to have mostly chosen not to work, because I speak better Thai than Japanese. I have met some extremely nice women here, but if it's not the working thing, it's the language barrier. We realize that we really don't fit in any mold here because we aren't living the rich expat life, we aren't Japanese (like 75% of Exapts here), we are much younger than everyone we've met (besides our friends who are students), I don't work, and neither of our children are in school yet. I'm sorry if it sounds like I am complaining. We really love it here, challenges and all, but the truth is, some days it's hard to be so far away from family and friends. I have hopes that as our building continues to fill up, I might find someone that speaks English that I can relate to with everyday things, but as for now, I will be patient and grateful for the wonderful friends we do have here and at home. So, thank you!
Today, Jeff was sustained as the first Elder's Quorum President in the Bangkok English speaking ward. Turns out they've never had an Elder's Quorum President because they've always been combined with the High Priests because of the size or something. We've had a couple of weeks to get used to this idea, and know that it is our opportunity to give back to this ward. Jeff will be wonderful, as always, and I know he will grow to know and love the people as he serves them. I have always admired his amazing work ethic and his ability to relate to people of all different nationalities, which is exactly what this will be. We love this ward. We have been so touched by the faith and testimonies of its members. The missionary work here is amazing, and people are accepting the gospel at an amazing rate. Last week, 10 brothers and 1 sister were confirmed during our sacrament meeting. Today, a young girl (I think 9), was confirmed. Her parents were baptized just after we arrived. The father was able to join in the confirmation by holding the microphone for the Bishop. He also blessed the Sacrament today for the first time. I didn't know he spoke any English (I think they are from Nepal), so it was so sweet to hear him say the prayer so well. What amazing examples we witness everyday. We feel so blessed to be a part of it.
On a lighter note, I thought I'd finish off with a very typical Jack moment. He spends many hours tying things up using any kind of string or rope. In this instance, it was the vacuum cord. You can see how he's rigged it to the hanger which is attached to the coffee table drawer. Also take note of the underpants. Notice anything? Yes, they are on backwards. 9/10 times they are on backwards, but he definitely doesn't mind, and who am I to complain when he dresses himself so well (usually with more than just underwear, I promise)? Pick your battles, right?
Faa is the one on the left, the middle one is Deer, and on the right is Dit. Jeff took this one when he went to make sure Jack was treating the ladies right. Jack absolutely adores Faa and so do we. She came back again on Thursday to play and we hope this continues. We have all fallen in love with her.
Wednesday morning we went to visit the Pakkret Baby home, an orphanage just outside of the city. Last time I was there, I met a woman and her husband who live in the city part-time and they gave us all a ride back in after we left the Baby home. I kept in touch with her, and they were the ones that took us out there that day. I can't say enough nice things about Nancy and Tong. They are some of the warmest people I've ever known. She was a teacher for 30 years, and between the two of them, they have 4 children, so they are very understanding of why their back seat looks the way it does after we are in it! They go and visit a certain baby, Suwanan, several times a week when they are in town, and just love that little girl! I love to see people spending their time doing such good things like this. It's definitely not something that is immediately rewarding, or you get much praise for, but to that little Suwanan, they are making a big difference in her life. We had a fun visit with them to and from the Baby Home and the kids and I had a fun visit with many of the kids of all ages. Jack immediately found the big kids and wanted to go to "school" with them. Jack can't wait to go to school. He's counting down the days.
Jack liked counting in Thai with them because he knows how to do that, but later he told me that the kids weren't being very nice. I asked him what the problem was. He informed me that they wouldn't speak English, only Thai.
As much as I loved Jeff working late those nights, I was very excited for him to meet me and the kids at a reasonable time on Wednesday night at the Paragon for dinner and a visit to Ocean World. The kids and I had a very hectic morning, so it was an extra treat for me to have help with the kids in the evening. Having Grandpa there is always a big bonus too. The kids adore him.
Dad loves aquariums, so we tried to let him go at his own pace. The kids move pretty fast until we get to the playland. This was a pretty typical picture of this night. Dad enjoying all that this fun place has to offer, Jack being a typical 3 year old and changing his focus every 3 seconds, Janie enjoying an entire bucket of carmel corn a Japanese lady gave her, and Jeff being handsome and happy. It was a fun evening together.
If I take the time to do Janie's hair, she has to be entertained by all the things on my bathroom counter. This day, she just loved sitting and standing in the sink and of course, admiring herself in the mirror. Isn't she adorable?
Friday, the kids and I had a free day, so we decided to visit the Children's Museum once again. I love this place.
There are always lots of school kids visiting, which makes me really happy to have blond kids so they are easy to spot. We went and had lunch at a small food court that sells pancakes with pictures of cats on them, crepes, and ice cream. While we were eating, an audience gathered around us. These sweet girls didn't know a lick of English, so they just stood around our table and watched me and the children. I figured that this was probably one of the few times that I knew more Thai than they knew English, so I should use it. I learned their names, how old they were, where they were from, and the name of their school. They asked me where I live, where I'm from, our names, how old we are, and how much my camera cost (I thought that one was odd, but tried my best to put it in Baht). I was feeling a desire to learn a LOT more Thai after this. These girls were perfect to practice on though. Thank goodness I know how to say "what did you say?" They had to repeat things 2-3 times before I understood. Hopefully I'll do better next time because whenever there was a lull in our broken conversation, they just stood very close and watched us eat. It was pretty hilarious.
Friday night, I got to attend a Buddhist funeral with Anutra. It was her Auntie who had passed away, and she thought I would enjoy seeing their customs and meeting her family. She was right. One of the things I found most interesting was that they wait 100 days before actually holding the funeral. Soon after death, they put water on the deceased's hands to represent asking for forgiveness for any hard feelings. The body is stored in a pavilion in the temple that the family pays to rent for the 100 days until the funeral and the cremation ceremony. The ceremony consisted of many different groups of families, all there for their own relative, and all facing different directions toward their pavilion. I got to meet Anutra's parents, brother, and spend more time with Bird, her husband who I think is so sweet. Meeting her family was new to me because I wasn't exactly certain of the protocol on greetings with the Thai Wai, especially as a Farang. They were all very sweet and understanding of my initial awkwardness, and made me feel like I fit right in. They served water and a wonton soup that was quite good. I sat and visited with Anutra and Bird (they were the only ones that I could speak to) while the monks prayed inside (the seating was outside for ours, but we could see inside part of the pavilion). Off and on, we would hold our hands in a reverent wai, but I was surprised to see the conversations continue. This occasion wasn't at all a sad one. People were happy to be together, and I liked this. The more I've thought about it, the more I see the wisdom in the 100 day waiting period. There are many reasons for this, but the one I love is that it is just a time that family can accept what has happened, start getting used to life without them, and say their goodbyes before they are put in the ground (or the sea in this instance). After the 100 days, the body is cremated in another special ceremony that I wasn't able to attend. The ashes are then put in a body of water. I felt so honored that I could attend this event and get a taste of more Thai traditions, but most of all, it was fun just to spend time with Anutra and Bird. They are such a great couple and have become dear friends.
Dad took this amazing picture on his way home from work the other night. I've never seen a family this big all fit on one motorcycle before. Go ahead, count them. I can't believe the picture turned out so well. After well over 1000 pictures on this trip, Dad has turned into quite a photographer!
We all spent Saturday with Jeff and Dad's friends from work visiting the city of Ayutthya, which is the old capitol city of Thailand. There are hundreds of temple ruins throughout the city, but we only visited a few of them. This was one with a huge tower in the middle, and rows of Buddha statues surrounding it. They are all draped in orange robes, like the ones the monks wear here. FYI, the Buddha worshiped in Thailand is a different looking Buddha image than most Americans have probably seen. This Buddha is not the big, fat Buddha, but a tall, slender one who commonly has his hands in different positions, signifying different messages. They are the same Buddha, but at different times of his life, so they look like completely different images. Of course, this is just to the best of my knowledge, so if you know more, please let us all know!
This is everybody. Starting from the right is Nay, me and the kids, Dave at the end, Dad, Pink, Luck, and Luck's husband (I really wish I could remember his name right now because he was great. Sorry!). This was a fun place along the river and they even had a fun playground for the kids! It was a fun outdoor atmosphere, and we enjoyed the luxury of having people there that could order food we would like as well as a few new things. Thai food is delicious.
This is a famous Buddha image located at some of the ruins. I didn't quite get all the details, but from what I could tell, the rest of the Buddha statue is somewhere else on the grounds, but the head remains here, and the tree has surrounded it. There was a guard there watching as people took pictures. He made sure that everyone knelt down in front of it, so as not to put their head above Buddha's head in a picture. I think this is beautiful.
Another beautiful temple, near the ruins, but this was still very much intact. It contained a very large Buddha image inside and lots of people reciting prayers (that's my guess anyway), and shaking sticks in a can. I am hoping to learn more about this soon.
Jane was pretty spent about half way through the day. She woke up early and has had a cold. We were all very impressed with how well she held up with such a busy day!
Does anyone agree that this place looks like Disneyland? Especially if you could hear the happy-go-lucky music that was playing on the speakers throughout the Palace grounds. I just kept waiting for Mary Poppins or Minnie Mouse to come walking by. I feel like this a lot in the parks here. They really know how to landscape here and it always looks freshly manicured.
This was my favorite part of the day, just walking under the trees on these beautiful grounds and enjoying the sculpted animal shrubs, smooth sidewalks, and beautiful buildings. I was surprised to see many of the buildings built to look very European. I asked about this, and discovered that King Rama IV had just visited France when he designed this place. He liked the architecture there (as do I), so he decided to use it as a guide. There is also a building (used as a city hall type of place) that was given as a gift from the Chinese to the King. It is obvious that the style is quite different than the traditional Thai style. Both very intricate and beautiful, but very different. I loved the variation of style all within the Palace walls.
As far as just regular life goes, we definitely feel very blessed. We are seeing so many unique things and meeting some of the most wonderful people ever. On a more personal note, I feel like my challenge this week has been coming to terms with the fact that I will probably not have any English speaking, stay at home mom friends in the building. This probably wouldn't seem like a big deal, but going from having several friends within a one-minute walk in West Jordan, to having my closest friend be 40 minutes away is an adjustment. I realized this week that we've been here for a month and I have yet to meet one. All of the English speakers I've met (all two of them) are working women, so I meet their children on the playgrounds and get to know their nannies really well. The nannies are GREAT, but they are Thai and speak very little English. But, this is actually better than the Japanese mothers who seem to have mostly chosen not to work, because I speak better Thai than Japanese. I have met some extremely nice women here, but if it's not the working thing, it's the language barrier. We realize that we really don't fit in any mold here because we aren't living the rich expat life, we aren't Japanese (like 75% of Exapts here), we are much younger than everyone we've met (besides our friends who are students), I don't work, and neither of our children are in school yet. I'm sorry if it sounds like I am complaining. We really love it here, challenges and all, but the truth is, some days it's hard to be so far away from family and friends. I have hopes that as our building continues to fill up, I might find someone that speaks English that I can relate to with everyday things, but as for now, I will be patient and grateful for the wonderful friends we do have here and at home. So, thank you!
Today, Jeff was sustained as the first Elder's Quorum President in the Bangkok English speaking ward. Turns out they've never had an Elder's Quorum President because they've always been combined with the High Priests because of the size or something. We've had a couple of weeks to get used to this idea, and know that it is our opportunity to give back to this ward. Jeff will be wonderful, as always, and I know he will grow to know and love the people as he serves them. I have always admired his amazing work ethic and his ability to relate to people of all different nationalities, which is exactly what this will be. We love this ward. We have been so touched by the faith and testimonies of its members. The missionary work here is amazing, and people are accepting the gospel at an amazing rate. Last week, 10 brothers and 1 sister were confirmed during our sacrament meeting. Today, a young girl (I think 9), was confirmed. Her parents were baptized just after we arrived. The father was able to join in the confirmation by holding the microphone for the Bishop. He also blessed the Sacrament today for the first time. I didn't know he spoke any English (I think they are from Nepal), so it was so sweet to hear him say the prayer so well. What amazing examples we witness everyday. We feel so blessed to be a part of it.
On a lighter note, I thought I'd finish off with a very typical Jack moment. He spends many hours tying things up using any kind of string or rope. In this instance, it was the vacuum cord. You can see how he's rigged it to the hanger which is attached to the coffee table drawer. Also take note of the underpants. Notice anything? Yes, they are on backwards. 9/10 times they are on backwards, but he definitely doesn't mind, and who am I to complain when he dresses himself so well (usually with more than just underwear, I promise)? Pick your battles, right?
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