December '10 Tropical Island and Ozark Mountains

Koh Larn

Koh is the the Thai word for island.  Koh Larn is only a 45 minute ferry ride from Pattaya.  We spent the first Saturday of December at this island.  It was not really great beach weather as we encountered some rain and cloudy skies.  However the water was warm, the people were friendly, and the food was delicious. 

 It is so easy to spend a day at the beach here in Thailand compared to the US.  When we lived in Texas we would plan a beach trip and pack up the car with the essentials, umbrella, blanket, towels, ice chest, food, drinks, toys, chairs, and a lot of other stuff we would need.  Here in Thailand, we say, "Get your swimsuits on we're going to the beach"  We grab some towels and we're off.  We get to a beach and we find some chairs, and table that aren't in use and we drop our stuff.  A woman comes up to us and says "100 Baht for rental" (apx 3.00 USD).  We pay.  Then she asks, "What you want drink?"  He tell her, and for 5 drinks, 2 of them being beer, we pay another 100 Baht or less.  In an hour or so the kids start wanting ice cream and a guy appears carrying an insulated bag of Walls Ice Cream treats.   Three ice cream treats run us about 90 Baht.  Lilli and Chloe like to have pedicures on the so we give them 100 baht each and they go get their pedicures.  Everything is so reasonably price there is no need to pack up everything and haul it ourselves.

Koh Larn

Back in Pattaya after a day at the island

Christmas in Thailand

We were quite surprised when the kids came home from school and told us the dates for their Christmas programs and concerts.  It seems that in recent years in the U.S. schools can no longer use the word Christmas nor celebrate it in anyway.  Here in a Buddhist nation though, our kids had an elementary Christmas program and a high school band Christmas concert. 

Lilli plays the tambourine during Jingle Bells

Chloe and Smyth's band concert was outside of Central Festival Mall in Pattaya on Friday December 10.  The mall was decorated beautifully for the season.

And there is Chloe on the jumbo screen!

(on the right)

The high school band.  Smyth is on the back row second to the left.

December 11

I turn 25.... again.

My birthday fell on a Saturday this year.  Robert booked Saturday and Sunday night at the brand new Pattaya Hilton.  The kids spent the day with us at the Hilton, we went to church Saturday evening, the kids went back home and then came back to the Hilton on Sunday for more swimming and lounging by the pool.

Necklace from Robert's parents

Ordinarily I would not post a picture of me in a swimsuit, but since this was the first time I have ever been able to have a pool party for my birthday I felt I should post it.

I really didn't need pepper on my food but I wanted to see them use this behemoth pepper mill.

This was truly one of my best birthdays ever.  Robert did a wonderful job planning the evening and organizing the kids' schedules so that all I had to do was sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Home For the Holidays

As much as we were enjoying our Christmas celebrations in Thailand we did long to be among family for the Christmas season.  We flew to Arkansas December 18.  We spent the first night and next day in Fayetteville and Bentonville with Robert's sister, Patricia, and Robert's brother and sister in law, Bill and Dee.  I have to note that whenever we travel home to Arkansas inevitably one of us ends up at a Medi-Quick clinic or an emergency room.  The first day we were in Arkansas Lilli was playing with a stray cat that had recently adopted Patricia.  The cat bit Lilli, so off to the clinic we went.  We were happy that we got the clinic trip done early in the visit and we did not have to go again for the remainder of the trip.

First holiday celebration was at Bill and Dee May's home.  They have an annual "Thanksmas" party, their family get together between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

LtoR:  Lilli, Elizabeth May, Smyth, Bill May, Richard May

The still "newlyweds" Michael and Alyssa May

Richard May, Ryan May, Ann May, and Sloan Breazeale

Hemmed In Hollow

The first hike Robert and I ever did together was the Hemmed In Hollow hike in the Ponca Wilderness Area of the Buffalo National River.  We first did this hike back in 1985 and have done it a few times since then.  We had a beautiful sunny, but cold, day while in Arkansas and decided to hit the trail.  Chloe and Robert's father joined us.  



This was our first time to do the hike in winter when all the leaves were off the trees.  The views were spectacular.

 

Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa May's Home

Chloe is excited over her new computer.

Lilli is happy with her inline skates.  Robert's sister, Patricia.

Grandma and Grandpa May

Christmas at Grandma Ruth Ann's

We spent our second week in Arkansas at my mother's house in Johnson County, near Clarksville.  My dad, Gerry, and his wife Terri came up to Mom's house for the week.  My brother and sister in law also came to see us while we were at Mom's.  We enjoyed riding 4 wheelers, playing Scrabble, and shopping in Fort Smith for American stuff to take back to Thailand. 

Smyth's girlfriend, Shannon Brokaw, flew in from Portland to see him for a few days.

Christmas at Grandma Ruth Ann's

New Year's Eve

Sadly, I did not get enough pictures while in Arkansas and none of New Year's Eve.  My mother, and her friend, Mike, and Robert and I went to dinner in Paris for New Year's.  That would be Paris, Arkansas.  We had a nice dinner together and enjoyed the Christmas lights around the courthouse square.  We then returned to Mom's house and had a wild night of Scrabble.

And at the stroke of midnight we said goodbye to 2010 and welcomed in 2011.



November '10 A Time for Family, Celebrations, and School Events

Cross Country Run, Swim Meet, and Volleyball Tournament

November brought a busy schedule for the kids at school.  Lilli and Chloe participated in a cross country run hosted by St. Andrews International School.  Chloe also swam in a swim meet hosted by Regent's International School.  Smyth tried a sport this year he hadn't played before, volleyball.  He went to International School Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to compete in a tournament.  He met other international students that attended schools in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

Lilli approaches the finish line!

Chloe on starting block 2

Smyth serves!

 

Lilli's Birthday

Lilli enjoyed celebrating her 8th birthday on November 15 at Khun John's, a local outdoor restaurant that serves both Thai and western foods.  Her real treat came on November 18th when Grandpa and Grandma May came to visit and we celebrated her birthday again. 



Whatever Floats Your Krathong

Loi Krathong is a Thai holiday that is celebrated on the full moon night of the 12th month of the Thai Lunar Calendar, usually November by the western calendar.  "Loi" means to float, "krathong" is a boat or raft.  During the night of the full moon the Thais will float their krathongs on a body of water.  The tradition is believed to originated in ancient times to pay tribute to the water spirits.  Today it is simply a time to have fun.  We celebrated the evening back at Kuhn John's on Lake Machapran with many other Farangs and Thais with a large buffet, a loud band, and many beautiful handmade krathongs.

Lilli helps me pick out handmade krathongs

The krathongs are made out of banana trunks, palm leaves, and fresh flowers.  There is a candle and three incense sticks also placed in the krathong.

Smyth and Chloe get ready to float their kathrongs

After looking at the murky water none of us were too anxious to wade in up to our knees to set our krathongs afloat.  This little guy was more than happy to do it for us and several others at 10 Baht a krathong.  You can barely see the many lights of the krathongs in the background.

Also corresponding with Loi Krathong is the Northern Thailand holiday Yi Peng.  On this night people will light and release khom loi (floating lanterns).  These are an awesome sight as hundreds light the sky above the lake with the floating rafts.  

Lighting a khom

My little Canon Power Shot could not come close to capturing the beauty of the night.

Grandma and Grandpa Visit Bangkok

One of the many perks of having Bob's parents to visit was that I got to play tour guide and see some areas of Bangkok that I had not previously seen.  I found that the easiest way to see Bangkok is to hop on a river taxi on the Chao Phraya and get off at the pier stops that have an attraction that you want to see.  Our first stop was the pier for Chinatown.  The brochure promised an easy 1 kilometer walk.  Something was lost in translation.  The walk was at least 2 kilometers and was not easy by any means as we had to share the unlevel sidewalk with street food vendors, people selling handbags, shoes, birds, and many other items you might would have never considered buying off the sidewalk.  We made it to Chinatown, snapped a picture, then turned around and started our way back upstream to the pier.

A brief glimpse at Chinatown

River taxi

River Scenes

While enjoying a lunch at a riverside Italian restaurant I saw a very formal boat procession going up the river.  Not accustomed to Thai pomp I had no idea what the parade could be for but  I could tell that it looked very important and that I should probably take pictures.  The next day I read in the Bangkok Post that the inauguration of a new bridge over the river called for the King to make a rare appearance.  He and many other dignitaries and monks were escorted up the river on several boats .  And I captured it!



The Grand Palace

One of the most beautiful sights in the world has to be the The Grand Palace in Bangkok.  I marveled at the stunning gold and array of colors used on the buildings throughout the palace grounds.

Richard and Ann's first visit to the Grand Palace

I don't know these ladies but Ann and I thought their dresses were beautiful.  Richard said I should take a picture of them, so I did.

The saffron robed Buddhist monks are a common sight throughout Thailand.

Another Big Buddha

Another point of interest only about 20 minutes from our home is Buddha Mountain.  It was laser carved and then filled with gold in 1996 as a tribute to the King's Golden Jubilee, his 50th year as king.

http://www.thingsasian.com/stories-photos/2473

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is not a Solvay Peroxythai holiday.  I guess the reason being that we are in Thailand and the Thais do not seem too concerned about Pilgrims, Plymouth Rock, turkeys, and the whole Peanuts Gang that seem to mark the beginning of the holiday season for Americans.  However, the stores had a large supply of Butterballs, albeit at $65.00 per bird, so we did celebrate Thanksgiving at our home, on a Saturday.  We had Grandma and Grandpa here, we invited David and Michelle Anderson and kids (Solvay family from Texas) for dinner, and I muddled my way through cooking an American feast using mostly Asian products;  Japanese green pumpkins, Chinese coconut, and Thai potatoes. 

Family Fun Day

Another fun even in November was the annual carnival at ISE.  There were raffle prizes, games, bungee bouncing, and a Thai Craft Fair.  This is the big fundraiser for the PTA.

Chloe, willing to try anything, loved the bungee bounce.

Lilli always has to follow along.

Canal Tour

Bob and I got to take a day off and take his parents into Bangkok before they had to fly back to the states.  We enjoyed a 2 hour canal tour on a longboat.  The canals are off the Chao Phraya River and are much like a residential area you would find in a large American city only instead of accessed by streets one must navigate through them by boat.  We saw temples, slum areas, large mansions, schools, and little shops.  One highlight was when a woman rowed up in her canoe to our boat offering cold beers and cokes for sale.  Afterwards our tour guide pulled our boat over to a coffee shop and ordered a latte, much like a drive through Starbucks.



As November is always a time to count our blessings and remember what we are thankful, we will strive to continue to be very thankful throughout the rest of our time in Thailand.  We are thankful we have our family together, to have the opportunity to experience a new culture, and to get to meet people from all over the world that are fast becoming friends.