Thanksgiving in Duchess

We just got back from spending two days with my sisters and their families.  This was the first time all of us had gotten together at Jeremy and Crystal's house and it may have started a new family tradition.  They are such great hosts and their house accommodated everyone easily. 

The ladies outdid themselves with this year's cornucopia.  I thought I was exercising restraint by only having one helping of supper, but that was quickly undone once Crystal brought out the trays of dessert.  I actually lost count of how many pumpkin squares I consumed over the weekend. 

This morning we all went to Dinosaur Provincial Park.  Crystal has been talking about this place for years and we have been mostly ignoring her.  It turns out that this place is awesome.  It felt like a combination of an un-commercialized version of Drumheller and an un-discovered version of Writing on Stone.  We had the entire place to ourselves and the cousins were free to wander and explore.  The rock formations and desert plants made for some nice family photos.

And speaking of photos, I need to thank these kids for being in the perfect spot, at the right time, and for looking so good.  This snap has got to be the most interesting photo that I have ever managed to take. 

And here's a photo of Orco climbing some hoodoos.  You can probably tell from the photo but he did. not. like. it.

It was a wonderful weekend and a perfect way to reunite with family after our recent vacation.  Our time together reminded us of just how much we have to be grateful for.

- C

Home

We got home ten minutes ago, and since then I have been asking myself whether we ever should have left in the first place. It was a wonderful trip, but we already had everything we needed right here in the people that we love.

I can't describe how good it made our family feel to walk through the door and find a banner and letters and treats from our aunts and uncles and cousins. Then in the kitchen we found fresh fruit, bread, milk, and homemade jam from our friends the Chapmans.

The kids are all reading the funny letters and talking about how lucky we are. On the final leg of our flight, Heather and I had been discussing what stores would be open when we got back so that we could pick up groceries for something to eat. But people were already planning that and thinking about us, days before those thoughts even crossed our minds.

Thank you all so much for your thoughtfulness, your prayers, and your time. Thank you so much for the warm welcome home. With the friends and family we have, I don't see any reason for us to ever leave again :)

Love,

-CHEMTD

Last Full Day in Thailand

It was a bittersweet feeling today. We have had some amazing experiences and are sad to leave Thailand, but each of us also misses home and are looking forward to getting back to Canada (except the kids won't allow us to say the "S word" quite yet).

For breakfast we went to the restaurant at the end of our street. The people here are so nice and the food is amazing. One of the other advantages to being back in Bangkok is that our entire family can eat for the same price that one person's meal cost in Railay. The older lady that owns the restaurant knew we were leaving tomorrow so she brought us a couple bowls of desserts. As a missionary I always felt that Thai desserts were lacking when compared to the rest of the food but this trip has given me a new appreciation for the subtle flavours of the sweets. I don't have a photo to show, but my favorite is made with sweetened sticky rice, cooked with coconut and taro and topped with egg custard. I would choose a slice of that over cheesecake any day; fortunately, Heather has told me that she will learn to make it.

After breakfast we made our way towards the train station, but not before some guy came and pretended to take Deacon away. I know that all the kidnapping jokes are a form of flattery, but it can still be a little disconcerting. Deacon is so patient with each person and hasn't been phased at all; infact, one day he said to us,

"Do you know why I like Thailand so much? Because everyone here loves me."

The room we rented is in the neighborhood of Saladeang, a place that I had never visited or even heard about before. Despite being in the heart of Bangkok, it was clean, quiet, and slower paced, and we again found ourselves thankful to have left Railay early so that we could have a different experience.

The Train station in question was one of the stops of the BTS Sky Train, an elevated track that proves to be an efficient way of getting around. It was just two blocks from our house and had the dual benefit of getting us to Siam Paragon Mall without traffic, and of adding another form of transportation to our list.

We didn't do any shopping at Saim Paragon (or the nearby Siam Center or BKS malls), because the stores were all higher end, or luxury brands; I can't think of any mall back home that sports Lambourgini, Bentley, and Rolls Royce dealerships. We made sure to stop at a Swenson's ice-cream shop to get two of their 8-scoop "Earthquakes". It was quite filling despite the fact that we shared them between the six of us, causing me to wonder how I ever managed to eat one on my own, a popular activity for missionaries stationed in Bangkok, or those coming from a moves meeting with some time before their train left.

On our honeymoon, Heather and I went to a movie on our last day in Bangkok and we decided to do the same with the kids. We splurged and got tickets in one of the three "Blue Ribbon Theaters" that feature 16 semi private pods with leather power seats that recline into beds, complete with pillows and blankets. We chose Pixar's "Inside Out", an older movie but one that we hadn't seen before. It was in English with Thai subtitles. It was really cool when, before the movie started, they requested everyone stand for a tribute to the King, which featured music and different pictures from his life. This presentation takes place before each film shown.

Our Blue Ribbon tickets gave us access to a seperate lounge where we were served fruit juice (the non-alcoholic option) and little desserts before the movie. After our refreshments, we went across the hall to a dimly lit spa where we each had a 15 minute massage. We would have been just as happy with regular tickets (I'm still apologizing the Heather for the $32/person charge), but there is no denying that it was an experience we could not have had back home. And for hard-core movie buffs, this is the only way to see a show.

After the movie we took the kids for pizza, something we haven't had in over a month. Visiting Pizza Hut is also something Heather and I did on the last day of our honeymoon and was also one of the perks of being a missionary serving in Bangkok. After eating mostly rice for a whole month, this food tasted really good and it was a nice feeling to be in a booth by ourselves as we relived our favourite memories from the trip and "cheersed" each others glasses of pop.

That was supposed to be the end of the day, but one of the kids - Mason - got the idea that we should watch another movie! It was suggested that mom and Deacon go see Pixels so dad and the older kids could watch Attack on Titan, a movie we had initially been interested in but panned in favour of Inside Out because we thought it might be too scary for the youngest member of the family. Might be? I think it was too scary(weird-disgusting-disturbing) for even the oldest member of the family. If you are already youtubing the live action trailer, all I ask is that you don't judge me; the advertisements in the theater made it look pretty cool (along the lines of Pacific Rim maybe?) and the Thai rating system placed it at a pg-13. All I can say to that is, "what!?!"

Staying for the movies, meant that the Sky Train was no longer running by the time we got out. Fortunately, we had no trouble catching a taxi back to our house for a fair price. The driver was an awesome guy who, when I told him I had been a missionary in Thailand (everyone wants to know how I learned the language), immediately asked, "like those guys with white shirts that ride bikes and are always in pairs?" How awesome is that? Another cool thing is that he and I are almost the same age and that he also has four children, an oldest daughter and three sons!

Of course the really awesome person was Heather, who agreed to all of these crazy ideas because she wanted everyone to have fun and make some more memories before the clock wound down on our last full day in the Kingdom. It was 2AM when we turned off the lights, only four and a half hours before the alarm on my watch was set to ring. And that's why this blog post was a little late.

- C

Lumpini Park

We hadn't planned on being back in Bangkok for our last Sunday, but decided that today was the perfect time to visit Lumpini Park, often referred to as Bangkok's "green lung" in the heart of the city. There were some run down areas but the green spaces and the shade was an oasis from the hot and smelly streets outside. The park was full of joggers and cyclists taking advantage of the paved roads and trails.

One of the children's parks we came across in our wanderings. I only included this photo so I could show the next one.

A park sponsored by Michelin - who knew tires could be so much fun!

Are you seeing this Sam? That's a water monitor, they grow to be the size of a young crocodile and the park is home to hundreds of them. I knew they were here but didn't say anything to the kids. Accordingly, they were pretty surprised when we were entering the park and one of these guys appeared from under the bridge we were on, swimming lazily through the water.

After that, we stayed near the edges of the ponds, counting how many monitors we could see and trying to find the biggest one. There were a couple times that we almost stepped on one before noticing it. The presence of these lizards made something as simple as a park feel exotic and exciting, and is exactly what I would expect from this amazing city.

Another distinctly Thai experience is drinking pop out of a plastic bag. During my mission, this was the most common way for a street vender to serve a soda or a shake, but for some reason, we hadn't seen it yet this trip. Fortunately, we found this lady at one of the entrances to the park, and the cold drink with ice cubes was a perfect remedy to the afternoon heat. The green Fanta is supposed to be pineapple, orange, and banana flavour but the only flavour in the world it resembles is... green Fanta.

I had a surprise planned before we left. After finding a quiet place to sit near the clock tower, I explained that usually a country is dedicated by Priesthood authority when it is first opened for missionary work. I then took out a copy of the dedicatory prayer that was pronounced on Thailand, something that I read once a week during the course of my mission. I shared the introduction which explained that the dedicatory prayer was offered by Elder Gordon B. Hinkley at 6:30 in the morning on November 2, 1966 with a small group of people who "met in a quiet area of Lumpini Park in the heart of Bangkok".

After that, I had to ask Heather to read the prayer. I have always loved it and have always felt the spirit of it, but today was a special experience to visit the actual site where then, Elder Hinkley said, "And now, Father, in the authority of the Holy Priesthood, even the authority of the Apostleship in us vested, we dedicate and consecrate this land of Thailand, this ancient Kingdom of Siam, to the preaching of the everlasting gospel, even the Restored Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Through the benefit of years we were able to look back and see how those blessings that were asked for, have been fulfilled. And I am forever grateful for how the work started that morning in 1962 came to bless my life as well.

- C

My Magic Umbrella

Only yesterday we were in Krabi, so it seems reasonable that I can still do a post about my magic umbrella. It had "Railay Beach Club" printed on it and the number 28 on the handle (our house number).

Cool story El, but it sounds like any normal umbrella. But the thing is, it wasn't just any umbrella, it was magic! I know it was! The way to use the magic umbrella was easy: when it looked like it was going to rain you just had to bring it and then, it wouldn't rain! Then, the times that you had a lovley day, no sign of rain, you wouldn't bring the umbrella and it would rain... :| So I just brought the umbrella, no need to risk the bad weather.

I became very good friends with my magic umbrella. It became a law (sort of) that I was the only one to have an umbrella, and no one else could touch it. It was sad when we learned that we would be leaving, but now my umbrella will have a spot on this blog!

P.S. I made sure to give my umbrella a hug before we left ;)

- E

Our Retreat from Railay

Where do I start - a lot has happened in the last 12 hours. We are currently in an area of Bankgok, three days sooner than we had planned on returning to the capital. So what happened?

Last night before going to bed, I started thinking about dangue fever, something that hadn't crossed my mind since we got here. Before turning out the lights I did some reading and learned that there have been some health advisories for Railay Beach and other areas of Krabi province due to increasing cases of dangue fever. The infected mosquito is the smaller, white and black striped variety, precisely what had been stinging us. I was especially concerned about what would happen if one of us developed symptoms in the evening after the long tailed boats returned to the mainland. In that case it would be very difficult to get to a hospital within the 12 hour window necessary for a positive prognosis.

When we got up this morning, Heather and I discussed it and decided that we would try to leave Railay today and either travel to Krabi town where we would be closer to a hospital, or if possible, travel all the way to Bangkok and out of the high risk area. We woke the kids and told them we were leaving right away (they were bleary eyed and wondering why we were going, so I initially told them it was because "I just killed someone by accident and we need to get out of here". They didnt think it was that funny). Heather and the kids packed while I went to the office and explained our situation. The staff at the Railay Beach Club were amazing and let us check out without having to pay for the next three days, whew.

We carried our backpacks to the restaurant to say goodbye to the friends we have made. It was difficult to leave sooner than expected but they understood our concern. They shared that they had a healthy 12 year old nephew who had passed away suddenly from dangue when it had caused internal bleeding. We are going to miss these people and their relatives at the restaurant. They were so kind and generous to our family. We exchanged information to stay in touch via facebook and left our Dutch Blitz with Baang so he can keep playing. I really hope we will be able to see them again.

As it was our last opportunity, we also ordered two things that Deacon has been requesting, a carrot smoothie and a fresh coconut. To no one's surprise but his own, he did not care for either item.

We had really gone rogue now. We decided to go to Ao Na Mao and found a long tail boat to take us there. Next, we got a minibus taxi to take us to the airport, even though I didn't know yet if the airline would let us fly out today.

It turns out that all we needed was more money. We had to pay a penalty for changing our tickets, and the difference in cost between today's more expensive flight and the "promotional price" of our tickets for the 31st. It felt like I was handing over a lot of money, but it really only came to an extra $230 and three hours of waiting, and we were flying to Bangkok and our final hurdle, ie not having any arrangements for Bangkok.

Thanks to a couple minutes of free wifi for Internet searches, and an understanding taxi driver, we were (amazingly) able to find an affordable hotel, that had room for us, that met my requirements for location. Our hotel, "Lovely House", is a converted home with six rooms and a shared bathroom that appears to be run by a girl named Noon and her older sister. Despite our after-dark, near-emergency booking, we were given their regular rate which is much less than the surrounding hotels. When we insisted that we stay together, they let all six of us stay in one room and gave us the mattress from a neighboring room for only $8 more a night, even though doing so would make the other room unrentable. After dropping our things off, we went out and had an awesome meal at a restaurant Noon recommended after furnishing us with umbrellas for the light rain.

Heather and I felt a strong impression that we should leave Railay today. I don't know if that means that someone may have been infected if we had stayed, or that someone is already infected and needed to be closer to a hospital, or for some other reason altogether. We will miss Railay, it really was a paradise. But if our journey today, which turned out so well despite deviating so far from the playbook, is any indication... we made the right choice.

- C

 

An Illegal Card Game & an Alien

Tonight was the second time that we played cards with Baang at our favorite restaurant. He loves the game even though the kids showed no mercy tonight and Ella won four or five hands in a row. We stopped at a conveniance store before going and got some pop and a couple handfuls of three-pack Oreos for the game. It wasn't much of a gesture, considering that our friends are always giving us fruit and other treats when we come by, but we wanted to contribute something.

During one of our games, Baang made a strange comment about playing cards. After I questioned him further he admitted that playing cards were illegal in Thailand. What?? He assured us that these cards were fine, but his reasons - it was a kids' game and from out of country - seemed vague to me. When we got back to our house I checked some forums on the Internet which agreed that while gambling was illegal here, games that don't involve gambling are permitted. That sounded reasonable and calmed my fears a little. And we saw a lot of blatent gambling at the muay thai match in Chiang Mai that no one seemed to care about.

But... I also came across a piece of legislation from 1943 called the Playing Cards Act which prohibits any form of playing card from being imported into the Kingdom. I imagine under that legislation we could possibly be fined, or deported, or even charged. I'm sure probably overreacting, but I don't want to take the slightest chance of doing something wrong. Plus, how embarrasing would it be if our family ended up being numbered among those foreigners who come here to get involved in illicit activities?!

As we were walking along a dark pathway from our house, Mason spotted a glowing green orb on the ground. It was a little smaller than a pea and I was excited that the kids were seeing their first firefly, something that we missed seeing in Chiang Mai, where our chances were probably best. I crouched down and was about to prod it with my finger but luckily asked Mason to first light it up with a flashlight he was carrying. When the light came on I saw that the bioluminescence wasn't coming from a firefly, but from a large segmented, armored... uh... thing.

It was approximately 8cm long and had two of the glowing orbs, one on either side of its tail. It still gives me the willies to think about touching it accidentally and I wonder if it would have bitten me. I guess it depends on whether it uses the light as a lure for hunting, or for identifying itself to other members of its species (assuming it's not the only one of its kind on this planet). When I tried to turn it over with a stick, it curled up into an armoured ball, like an armadillo. Seeing things like this makes me glad I was a scout in Canada where we have very little to worry about while sleeping outside on the ground. Incidentally, young scouts here are called "Tiger Cubs" instead of our "Wolf Cubs".

Setting the camera on the ground and using a timer to avoid blurring from hand shake, I was able to capture this low shutter speed image that accurately shows how this creature looked with the lights off. As Ella would say, "pleasant dreams".

- C

 

Red White and Blue

One of the many things I admire in the Thai people is their patriotism. Almost every home or shop you enter, displays a picture of the King and other members of the royal family. I remember from my mission that this picture was sometimes the only form of decoration that poorer families had. For me, coming from a place where a national leader can be chosen by a mandate of only 34% (of the 60% who actually vote), seeing and hearing how universally loved the King is, was just as new and unfamiliar as the food.

There is mandatory military service for 21 year old Thai men, and the National Anthem plays over all broadcast media and government public adress systems every morning at 8AM and again every night at 6PM. I have many memories of standing in train stations or public squares while the anthem played, wishing that we did the same thing back home. On one of our evenings in Chiang Mai, our family was fortunate to witness this phenomenon when the entire length of the Saturday Walking Street market, with its thousands of shoppers and stalls, came to a complete stand still and near silence (save for a few disrespectful tourists) as the Anthem played.

The Thai flag with its red representing the blood of the people, white for the purity of their religion, and blue signifying the royalty of their monarchy, can be seen everywhere. Flags fly from traffic lights at intersections, outside home and shops, and are even attached to taxis and other vehicles. Witnessing the Thais' pride and love for their country is every bit as unique and exciting an experience as seeing an elephant in the wild. I hope that as a family, we can take this example home with us and be better citizens where we live.

- C