Life in the Kingdom

Sawadee Kha from Thailand,

I hope this finds you all well.

It's a little over three months since our arrival. We continue to settle in our new home. There are many challenges as we adapt to a new culture as well as many rewards. Like the Thai Massage we continue to be "stretched". It's the "cool" season now- temperatures at a cool 26 degrees :) The humidity has lifted though making it comfortable to be outside.

Now that Michel is back from 6 weeks in Europe we have taken the opportunity on the weekends to explore outside of Bangkok. We went to Singapore recently, visited a beach town in the south of Thailand and this past weekend we drove in a northerly direction to the mountains. This country is incredibly beautiful " savouy".

Kelsey has made friends here and enjoys the weekend Bangkok nightlife. Due to her enjoyment of dancing and the many dance clubs here - shoes that she is able to buy cheaply here in Bangkok require the services of the shoefixer ( many who can be found offering this service as a street vendor.) I think she's adjusted to the early morning wake up for school ( I mentioned in my first Blog posting that it is 5:45 am).

Michel's work is going well at Michelin. The project he is working on is proceeding as planned. He's experiencing a 'photographer's bliss' and he has taken incredible photos that depict the people and pulse of the city. We've been told that a visual record of our stay needs to happen in the first 6 months because after that we might start to overlook the sights which startled us in the beginning.

I've started Thai Language training and go to a school 3 afternoons a week for private tutoring. Thai language is a tonal language using 5 tones .. so the same word can have many different meanings. I have made many gaffes :) My weekly visit to the orphanage for disabled children is one of the highlights of the week. Recently I completed a lecture seris at the National Museum on Thai culture and religion. The People of Thailand interestingly integrate Buddhism, Hinduism and Animism in their daily life and evidence can be seen all throughout Bangkok. Thailand is an agricultural society that relies on nature. In Thailand the energy of the earth and the cosmos is understood as a living organism - everything happens according to the natural rhythms between earth and the heavens. One of the obvious reminders of the Thai's relationship to earth and heaven is the devoted use of the spirit house. These spirit houses are found at every building structure and is believed to offer protection from unwelcome 'forces'.

The King of Thailand's 80 th birthday is this week and the country has geared up to celebrate this milestone with much fanfare. There are pictures and lights everywhere and many stories are told about the King's care and love for the Thai people. Each Monday the city is filled with people wearing yellow shirts with the King's emblem. Yellow is the King's colour and Monday is the King's day ( the day of the week he was born). It's quite a site to witness a sea of thousands of people wearing these yellow shirts. The King is loved and respected and his influence is evident. The Royal Family is known for its work in poor areas with an emphasis that focuses on improving the lives of the Thai people. This is contrary to the upcoming Thai election on December 23rd where there is an 'air' of distrust and skepticism. Our first Christmas abroad will indeed be different. Although the Thais do not celebrate Christmas, they recognize other rituals during this time involving gift giving, good food and spending time with family. There is no shortage of festivals and celebrations here!

Hope you enjoy the photos. Wishing you all a wonderful and loving holiday season!

Go well

Dorothy, Michel and Kelsey

Bangkok

Sawwadee kai... Well I finally set up this blog! After 6 weeks in Bangkok I'm beginnning to adjust and cope with the culture shock not to mention the heat and humidity! The first few weeks were spent looking for a place to live and finding our way around the city. The traffic is incredible yet there are many modes of transporation. Our main mode is the sky train however the Tuk-tuk is great for short distances. Motor bike taxis are easily found for those brave souls who want to get to a destination quickly. They weave in and out of traffic- passengers in most cases are not wearing helmets. A couple of weeks ago we moved into our new 'digs' - on the 33rd floor of a condominium in the heart of Bangkok. Kelsey has settled into school and has a 40 minute drive on the bus. Wake up time is 5:45am. School begins at 7:20am here. Michel began work and after four weeks here left for a six week training stint in France and Spain. The language barrier challenges us however one can usually find someone who speaks English and the Thais can generally understand English better than speak it. They are very patient and tolerant. My Thai language guide book is helpful at times although we hope to enrol in some Thai language courses eventually. Primarily a Buddhist country ( temples can be found everywhere here) one rarely sees much expression of anger or impatience. The Thais generally do not like any outward expression of anger or impatience. Maipenrai is the Thai term for "no worries" and is used with harried foreigners!

The food is something else... every cultural cusine in the world is offered here. There are Thai street chefs everwhere ready to cook up a Thai delicacy for 30-40 baht ( $1 cdn).

There is much visible poverty and homelessness here. The slums are found tucked away amongst some of the more affluent areas of Bangkok. There are many orphanages here filled with homeless children with AIDS and wiht children who have been deserted. They are crying out for support and the children love to get visits from people who will spend time with them. The Anglican Church that I attend here is very involved in Mission work. I hope to make a three day trip in November to the Burma (Mynamar) border to take personal supplies and food to a refugee camp there. They are always in need of washing powder, soap, talcum powder and shampoo as well as games and books. The gap between the rich and poor is SO visible. Without a welfare system many young people from poor families leave school - many of those residing in the slum areas of Bangkok move into street work to support their families. There is good work going on though and many groups established who are trying to help. The injustice of it fills me and I still struggle to find a way to make a difference - even in some small way. This journey has really touched me- my limitations and perceptions are open - like an open wound. Yet I am thankful to be here and there is a sense of knowing that it is all necessary and a part of the journey.

I continue to discover and explore and we'll continue to share this experience for those who wish to follow it.

Go well

Dorothy