Especially a saucy, southern, momma lion! We don't play nice when you mess with those we love, especially when they come from our womb! Our former driver learned this lesson just the other day when his no good butt got himself fired for his crazy antics. Everyone told me to relax. Use the driver when I wanted. If I had something to do I shouldn't feel bad about asking him ( they said tell, not ask, but i just couldn't do it) to take me. It was his job after all and got paid well to do it. So, I said well heck, when in Rome (or in this case Thailand), and put him to work. And boy did he work! Worked himself right out of a job is what he did!
So, to fully understand what went down I must start at the beginning. It's rather long as we have been here for three weeks and put up with a lot, so God bless you if you get through it! Well, God you anyway, even if you don't read the whole thing ;-)
Well, it all began on a dreary, but turned sunny, Monday in Thailand. We were greeted promptly at 10:00 in front of our hotel by a very nice gentleman named Mr.O. Mr. O was to be our permanent driver for our stay here and he seemed like a very nice fellow. Great manners, spoke English, and the kids liked him. I thought to myself we hit the jackpot! No switching drivers for us, which I found out was quite the common occurrence. Anywho, he drove us to another hotel and that was the last we saw of him until house hunting concluded on Friday.
We actually saw Mr. O again the next time on Saturday. Saturday was the first day that we were going to go out on our own after being with our guides the whole week. When he came to pick us up at the hotel I was waiting in the lobby with the kids when he walked in. The hubby had ran back
upstairs to get a forgotten item so Mr. O took the opportunity to ask me why we hadn't called him all week. When I informed him that we were house hunting with our guides he asked where we were
going to live. When I told him where, boy... he actually had the nerve to tell me " oh, well, you no
ask me where I want you to live." Now, anyone who knows me in real life knows that running from confrontation is not something I do well. I run to it. Always have. Not sure why, but note to self: check with a shrink on that issue. Anyway, my filter was working very well that day and I politely deferred to my hubby. He too was a little shocked by the statement and then the follow on questions of whether or not we would reconsider. Turns out that we live about 30 plus minutes from Mr.O and he simply did not want to drive out to where we would be. At the end of the day however, I still liked the man so I asked the hubby if we should reconsider. My hubby, the ever sensible man that he is, informed me that doing so wasn't the right decision. For many reasons reconsidering would have been wrong for our family. I know that now.
So, here we are. The first Monday that hubby goes to work. Turns out that before we were even able
to talk to HR about getting a new driver (because ours still had not dropped the issue completely and kept asking us if we signed anything) Mr. O had carried himself down there to inform them that he
didn't like where we chose to live and to ask them to ask us to reconsider. Oh boy! No he didn't! But... Oh yes! He did! Since we had decided that we were in fact not going to reconsider and since
they told him the same thing, he seemed to accept his fate and informed us that he would drive for us
until they found us someone else, and that seems to be where the real trouble starts.
So, fast forward a week and we land in our new place. Mr. O decided that since he was having to
drive a car to our place instead of his normal mode of transportation ( a scooter) that he would ask for
overtime. Okay. Sounds harmless, right? Nope. Not so fast there, sparky! At first it sounded like he was asking us to " cook the books" so to speak. Hmmm... Well, we assumed the best, that it was a simple communication problem, and told him that once life got back to normal that he could expect a small amount of overtime. Well... apparently Mr.O sharpened up his English that night and came back the next day and point blank asked the hubby to sign his time sheet from 6 am to 10 pm whether he was driving or not. Let me let you guess what he said to that one, lol!
Once Mr. O realized that he wasn't going to get his fake overtime, or whatever you call it, he decided that acting like a certain four legged animal ( the lovely Jackass) was THE way to go! Several times
he showed up late to pick me and the kids up ( loved that...NOT!!), lied about how far away things were to avoid taking me places ( yep we know this for a fact since when the hubby was with me later, he would insist on going on those errands), and then the bad day happened. Now really, the bad day deserves a post all to itself, however, I will spare you some of the names and curses that I wanted to throw at this man and instead focus on "The Day".
So, I had grocery shopping to do. I felt somewhat bad about asking to go home decor shopping, but grocery shopping was something this momma had no trouble asking to do. I needed food for the babes and by God, food I was going to get! The hubby had told Mr. O to come right back after dropping him off at work. When did Mr. O show up??? Two hours later! Yep, he did! And get this... He only showed up after Hubby called him to find out where he was. Once he got here he was somewhat polite and helped me load the two little ones and off we went. As we were leaving I told him to take me to my favorite spot for shopping because I could get just about everything I needed there as well as get the big kid his lunch box for school. So picture it: white woman ( yes this important as I tend to stick out amongst all the dark skinned Thais), two blond hair blue eyed babies who draw much more attention then their mother, no stroller, ABANDONED in an underground parking garage that is attached to a CLOSED mall! Yes people, that is in fact how it all went down!
We drive up to the entry way which is in the underground part of the garage and as he is helping me get the kids out I turn to him and say " what time does it open?". You see, it was rather dark and well, I'm not from here so I had no idea! Well, what does he do? He looks at me, tells me 11 and then hops in the van and speeds off like a bat out hell before I even have the chance to tell him to wait and take us somewhere else! So here I am, two kids, alone in the underground garage. I was a little pissed at this point but figured that we could manage by just going mall walking. Well, apparently here in Thailand gangs of old people clad in matching track suits do not mall walk before opening. Here, malls are closed up tight until that 11 o'clock opening. As I am frantically looking around this very nice gentleman walks up to me and says what I already suspect, that the mall is closed. So, I ask him ever so nicely to point me in the direction of Starbucks which I knew to be open. Thankfully this very nice man helped me carry the kids up to the street level and then we booked it about a quarter of a mile to the Starbucks. By this time I was steaming pissed. I mean, no. Not steaming. Boiling Pissed!
As we are waiting at the opened Star Bucks I felt the need to call the hubby and complain very loudly and very aggressively that if he didn't fire the man that the he himself would be in serious trouble. Poor man didn't know what hit him. All he heard was yelling and cursing and threats. SO SORRY BABE! It wasn't his fault and he didn't deserve that. Anyway, after the mall actually opened we did our errands (the hubby called me more that day to check in then he probably has in our entire 10 years of marriage!), and then called the crappy Mr. O to come and pick us up. Even though the hubby told the company not to tell Mr.O about his firing until the end of the day when his driving duties were over, I walk out to find him in a very heated conversation on his cell phone. Turns out I do understand a few words of Thai (or he was throwing some English into this conversation) because I understood the words "my fault" and "madam" (what he called me) very well.
Here is where the scary part really starts. Since he was so pissed about what happened, he decided to put the life of my babies and mine in jeopardy by driving like a crazy person all the way home. Speeding. Taking turns way too fast. Almost flipping the van around tight corners. Going 40 in a 20 through our neighborhood. Flying over speed bumps. And that is only naming a few of the bad things. When we got home I was so thankful to God that he watched over us and that we made it. Once I unloaded the groceries (Mr.O usually did this as well as he usually let us out of the car, which he did not this time) I told him we were done and went in the house to tell the hubby about the latest stunt of bad driving.
After a chat about all the crappy things Mr.O had done, hubby's company told him that we would have to wait a week for a new driver. The hubby responded with a very firm "NO" because I was not going to put the kids back in the car with him. After the hubby informed them about the over time incident it was clear to them that Mr.O was in fact DONE! Oh, and get this. After the new temp driver started, Khun P, our maid, walked out and saw the new man. She asked me what happened to Mr.O and I told her just a general "something not good". She said "Oh, he no like kids, hmm?" Say what??? Apparently he informed her that he didn't like my kids. Okay, dude was so lucky he wasn't around me when that revelation happened!
Anyway, we should be getting a permanent driver here soon. The hubby was told that he could interview them if he wanted. He said no, but I insisted. They need to know about me and the kids. They need to know that my kids cry. They hate the car. And, they need to be given the choice as to whether or not they want to drive for a family. In the mean time we will stick to the tricked out Sponge Bob golf cart. Oh yeah buddy. We have Sponge Bobbed it out!
Well, better jet. Until next time, I hope all is well.
Kristen
Friday, September 28, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
I have a maid???
Yes, I have three question marks instead of three exclamation marks because I really did not think we would ever end up n this position. Now don't get me wrong, I really like our maid, and hiring her wasn't as difficult as I imagined. I though that maybe we would have to contact some employment agency or something, but no, she came with the house. When our landlord took us through the final walk-through this lady was walking around, following us, and cleaning as she went. Finally the landlord explained that she had hired her to clean before we arrived to make sure that we were comfortable and then told us that she spoke a little English and was willing to work for us. So, Khun P hands over her references, we hash out a price for two days a week, and BAM! We have a maid!
I never in a million years thought that I would like having a maid. Now, call me crazy all you want, but the idea that someone was going to come into my house and clean up messes that I didn't even want to clean kind of gave me the willies. Seriously, the hubby runs in the mornings and because of how hot it is here his gym clothes are soaked by the time he gets back. Reaching into the hamper and accidentally grabbing his wet clothes is a little gross to be honest with you. Khun P doesn't seem to mind however. By the time she leaves, all of our clothes (yes even the really messy stuff) is all cleaned and folded and put away. Heck, this woman even folds our underwear into nice little squares. Our towels??? Fluffy and rolled up and displayed on racks like we were staying in a hotel. Our clothes??? Folded as if they were being displayed in a fancy department store.
Now for the bad ( if you could even call it that). The other day she kicked me out of my kitchen and fussed me for cleaning my own bowel. She informed me that my cleaning supplies were not up to snuff. My broom was wrong and my iron didn't have steam. Oh, and the little ironing board was just not cutting it for her. She also laughed at the lame pots that I bought to get us through until our shipment comes in. Thankfully she assisted me in fixing all these terrible (lol) issues by coming shopping with me and helping me get set up.
Really and truly this woman is awesome. I am so glad we were given the opportunity to hire her. She likes my kids, plays with them all, entertains the middle boy so that he doesn't miss the big boy while he is at school, and to top it off , she is really good at her job. It's actually kind of nice having the help, and for $20 a day, I say she is worth every penny if not more.
So, with all of that being said, I really should get going. I just figured that since I mentioned it previously that I should at least report back on hiring a maid and how it went. Until next time, I hope all is well!
Kristen
I never in a million years thought that I would like having a maid. Now, call me crazy all you want, but the idea that someone was going to come into my house and clean up messes that I didn't even want to clean kind of gave me the willies. Seriously, the hubby runs in the mornings and because of how hot it is here his gym clothes are soaked by the time he gets back. Reaching into the hamper and accidentally grabbing his wet clothes is a little gross to be honest with you. Khun P doesn't seem to mind however. By the time she leaves, all of our clothes (yes even the really messy stuff) is all cleaned and folded and put away. Heck, this woman even folds our underwear into nice little squares. Our towels??? Fluffy and rolled up and displayed on racks like we were staying in a hotel. Our clothes??? Folded as if they were being displayed in a fancy department store.
Now for the bad ( if you could even call it that). The other day she kicked me out of my kitchen and fussed me for cleaning my own bowel. She informed me that my cleaning supplies were not up to snuff. My broom was wrong and my iron didn't have steam. Oh, and the little ironing board was just not cutting it for her. She also laughed at the lame pots that I bought to get us through until our shipment comes in. Thankfully she assisted me in fixing all these terrible (lol) issues by coming shopping with me and helping me get set up.
Really and truly this woman is awesome. I am so glad we were given the opportunity to hire her. She likes my kids, plays with them all, entertains the middle boy so that he doesn't miss the big boy while he is at school, and to top it off , she is really good at her job. It's actually kind of nice having the help, and for $20 a day, I say she is worth every penny if not more.
So, with all of that being said, I really should get going. I just figured that since I mentioned it previously that I should at least report back on hiring a maid and how it went. Until next time, I hope all is well!
Kristen
Saturday, September 22, 2012
It's only a flesh wound...
To our van that is! That's right! Our nice, no dents, no scratches, perfect condition van, was maimed by a ruthless drunk driver on a scooter! Oh, and not just any scooter mind you. Picture it... Old Thai dude, drunk as a skunk, trying to fit his mobile BBQ Pitt in between two vehicles stopped at a red light. We were just sitting there, waiting for the light to change when... BAM! I turn around and all I see is this poor old dude laying over the handle bars of his tipped up scooter. At first I was so confused because I could not for the life of me see how it happened. Our van is huge and traffic had been stopped for a while. Then I opened the door.. And the smell of alcohol almost knocked me over! There was broken beer bottles all over the ground in front of his scooter.
I think what bothered me the most about this situation was the way it was handled. Our driver got out of the van, instructed us to stay inside, spoke to the drunk scooter drive and the driver of the car he hit when trying to sandwich between us, got back in the van, SMILED at us!!, made a funny hand gesture about drinking and said " oh, too much drink", then we went on our way! Yep, nothing was done. No exchange of information. No calling the cops on the drunk guy. No shooting from the rooftops in dirty language about how drunk drivers shouldn't drive. No nothing! Heck, in the states even the health department would have been called because after the accident the scooter driver simply took out his shovel and started scraping up the coals that had come out of his BBQ Pitt that was roasting his whole pig. Yep, a whole pig! I think that was probably the freakiest part of the whole thing, you know. Looking out the back window and seeing that damn pig looking at us. Freaky!
In a country where scooters appear to outnumber vehicles 5-1, it was bound to happen. They told us it likely would. Just didn't think it would happen so soon! Thankfully we prepared by getting the kids all new carseats that worked with the crazy seat belts they have here. What's really funny about that though is that while we are riding around with two rear facing kids and a high back booster kid, people put three plus people on a scooter with no helmets all the while holding on to what apears to be a ten month old child! In fact, when stopped the other day we actually saw a man in a truck smoking, holding his baby, and driving with his knees! Good times!
Well, I had better jet. Almost time for our daily golf cart ride. Yep, my new mom mobile is a golf cart! It will be a super sweet ride once we get the flame stickers and Sponge Bob hood ornaments for it! Until next time, I hope all is well!
Kristen
I think what bothered me the most about this situation was the way it was handled. Our driver got out of the van, instructed us to stay inside, spoke to the drunk scooter drive and the driver of the car he hit when trying to sandwich between us, got back in the van, SMILED at us!!, made a funny hand gesture about drinking and said " oh, too much drink", then we went on our way! Yep, nothing was done. No exchange of information. No calling the cops on the drunk guy. No shooting from the rooftops in dirty language about how drunk drivers shouldn't drive. No nothing! Heck, in the states even the health department would have been called because after the accident the scooter driver simply took out his shovel and started scraping up the coals that had come out of his BBQ Pitt that was roasting his whole pig. Yep, a whole pig! I think that was probably the freakiest part of the whole thing, you know. Looking out the back window and seeing that damn pig looking at us. Freaky!
In a country where scooters appear to outnumber vehicles 5-1, it was bound to happen. They told us it likely would. Just didn't think it would happen so soon! Thankfully we prepared by getting the kids all new carseats that worked with the crazy seat belts they have here. What's really funny about that though is that while we are riding around with two rear facing kids and a high back booster kid, people put three plus people on a scooter with no helmets all the while holding on to what apears to be a ten month old child! In fact, when stopped the other day we actually saw a man in a truck smoking, holding his baby, and driving with his knees! Good times!
Well, I had better jet. Almost time for our daily golf cart ride. Yep, my new mom mobile is a golf cart! It will be a super sweet ride once we get the flame stickers and Sponge Bob hood ornaments for it! Until next time, I hope all is well!
Kristen
Friday, September 14, 2012
No more eye candy, please!
When we were driving around the city with our guides it seemed that it took forever to get anywhere. They stayed on the big roads and never went down the side roads. When we are with our driver however, we seem to get where we need to go and quick. Now, I know that I wrote about hi,s um, speedy driving, but that wasn't the reason. We take the side roads. Yesterday I learned why our guides never took us down those streets. Eye candy! And boy did we get an eye full!
Personally, some of the things we saw down Eye Candy Lane I was hoping that my boys wouldn't see until they got married. Or ever really. At one point the hubby and I made eye contact (shocked eye contact) and I promptly told the big kid to put his eye muffs on. Our driver took this as an indication that liked what we were seeing (communication problem, ya think!) and announced "oh, yeah, eye candy, ha ha!" As we were driving down this street we soon realized that the desire to BE eye candy had no age limit or sex attached to it. At one point we saw this very old woman dressed in what I can only describe as a madam type outfit and I very loudly announced to the hubby that eye candy had no age. He shot me one the funniest and dirtiest looks I have ever seen! I mean seriously, this woman was dressed in an all black flapper type outfit with fringe.
And as for eye candy knowing no sex, well, if you read about the girly men in one of my previous post, you know what I mean. Once we got to our final destination the hubby looks and me and asks "did you see the really tall lady with the (insert crude hand gesture here)?" Really people, this "person" had boobs up to her chin. I kid you not! Super hard to miss. Especially since the only color on her body were strategically placed black triangles and she was standing fairly close to the road. My reply, "yes, dear sweet man of mine. And that was a man!"(Insert shocked looked from hubby here!). I still think he doesn't believe me on that one, but I stand firm on my assumption!
Anywho, once the discomfort had subsided a bit I asked the hubby to have a talk with the driver about avoiding Eye Candy Lane. Since the hubby is very non-confrontational the conversation went something along the lines of "umm, driver? Do you think maybe we could avoid going to that umm area, again? We don't really want the kids exposed that sort of thing". Not really sure if he understood or not because the hubby, like myself, has a tendency to use a lot of words when trying to get his point across, and here, a lot of words are not needed. In any event, we have hopefully put Eye Candy Lane behind us.
On a separate note, the hubby and I have identified a new species of man here in Thailand, The ROWD. As you may remember, OWD stands for "Old White Dude". The ROWD is the REALLY OWD. I kid you not, I swear we saw about a 70 something year old man with probably a 20 something year old Thai woman. The ROWD is a rare species compared to the OWD, but they do exist. And, if you are lucky enough to spot one, you will be rewarded with laughs for quite a while. Just be careful not to make eye contact as they seem a bit skittish compared to the OWD who is quite proud and out. It's... interesting to say the least!
Well, my kids are wanting to get dressed and head down for breakfast so I guess I had better jet. Until next, I hope all is well!
Kristen
Personally, some of the things we saw down Eye Candy Lane I was hoping that my boys wouldn't see until they got married. Or ever really. At one point the hubby and I made eye contact (shocked eye contact) and I promptly told the big kid to put his eye muffs on. Our driver took this as an indication that liked what we were seeing (communication problem, ya think!) and announced "oh, yeah, eye candy, ha ha!" As we were driving down this street we soon realized that the desire to BE eye candy had no age limit or sex attached to it. At one point we saw this very old woman dressed in what I can only describe as a madam type outfit and I very loudly announced to the hubby that eye candy had no age. He shot me one the funniest and dirtiest looks I have ever seen! I mean seriously, this woman was dressed in an all black flapper type outfit with fringe.
And as for eye candy knowing no sex, well, if you read about the girly men in one of my previous post, you know what I mean. Once we got to our final destination the hubby looks and me and asks "did you see the really tall lady with the (insert crude hand gesture here)?" Really people, this "person" had boobs up to her chin. I kid you not! Super hard to miss. Especially since the only color on her body were strategically placed black triangles and she was standing fairly close to the road. My reply, "yes, dear sweet man of mine. And that was a man!"(Insert shocked looked from hubby here!). I still think he doesn't believe me on that one, but I stand firm on my assumption!
Anywho, once the discomfort had subsided a bit I asked the hubby to have a talk with the driver about avoiding Eye Candy Lane. Since the hubby is very non-confrontational the conversation went something along the lines of "umm, driver? Do you think maybe we could avoid going to that umm area, again? We don't really want the kids exposed that sort of thing". Not really sure if he understood or not because the hubby, like myself, has a tendency to use a lot of words when trying to get his point across, and here, a lot of words are not needed. In any event, we have hopefully put Eye Candy Lane behind us.
On a separate note, the hubby and I have identified a new species of man here in Thailand, The ROWD. As you may remember, OWD stands for "Old White Dude". The ROWD is the REALLY OWD. I kid you not, I swear we saw about a 70 something year old man with probably a 20 something year old Thai woman. The ROWD is a rare species compared to the OWD, but they do exist. And, if you are lucky enough to spot one, you will be rewarded with laughs for quite a while. Just be careful not to make eye contact as they seem a bit skittish compared to the OWD who is quite proud and out. It's... interesting to say the least!
Well, my kids are wanting to get dressed and head down for breakfast so I guess I had better jet. Until next, I hope all is well!
Kristen
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Jack talk Thai very well.....
Well, Jack may talk Thai very well, but this Southern Louisiana native does not! (kudos to you if you got the movie reference!). It seems that since I have been here that I have had to resort to grunting and pointing in order to get my point across in some cases. I realize that to some that may sound rude, however, our culture training expert assured us that it was an effect and accepted form of communication. In any event, I have also found another good form of communication. Ready for this? It will blow your mind. When a person is trying to ask you a question in another language and you have no earthly idea what they are trying to ask you, simple look lost and begin looking around frantically for the nearest person who speaks both languages! Yeah, I know. Rocket science, right???
No, seriously though, I did have that happen to me the other day in a home store. I was looking for bedding and the very nice sales girl kept asking me if i had some sort of card . I assumed she meant credit card and was just using the wrong word. So, since we were clearly having a misunderstanding and since standing there playing charades with her was getting us no where, i began my frantic search for the nearest bilingual speaker, my guide in this case. Turns out, the darn lady was no where to be found and I was left to figure it out on my own. And figure it out I did! As it turns out she was asking me if I had an index card. Since I originally assumed she was using the wrong word for credit card and then made a second assumption that she wanted to see my shopping list (seemed sort of intrusive but whatever), it never dawned on me that I was standing in a store called "Index". The poor sales lady was simply asking me if I had a shoppers savers card (not in so many words mind you) because it would adjust the price by 5%. Boy did I feel like an ass after that one, lol! Once we got the whole thing figured out my sweet guide showed up (thanks for nothing in this case!).
So, with that incident behind me I realized something about the way I speak. I use way too many words. Seriously, the English language is awesome. Like, LOVE it!. However, we have a lot of fillers in our sentences, and using less words, especially here, will get your point across so much better. For instance, when I went back to Index to finish my shopping I told the sales lady "I would like to look at something cheaper" when she told me the price of the bedding that I wanted . What she heard however was "blah, blah, blah, cheaper". I know this to be true because she looked at me all cheery and and asked "cheaper?". So after I realized this, may day consisted of questions the likes of "cheaper? different color? " and sentences the likes of "no, no like." English teachers would be having a field day! Oh, I have also found that carrying around a book with pictures of the things you want and then pointing at the picture also helps. Just throwing that out there.
Anyway, communication problems aside, things are going okay over here at the moment. We move tomorrow to our permanent place and hopefully life will settle down somewhat. I'm looking forward to being able to cook more as well as I do believe that my stomach can take no more exotic food. Moving to somewhere where the food is shall we say "different" is THE BEST diet ever, by the way! So, until next time I hope all is well!
Kristen
No, seriously though, I did have that happen to me the other day in a home store. I was looking for bedding and the very nice sales girl kept asking me if i had some sort of card . I assumed she meant credit card and was just using the wrong word. So, since we were clearly having a misunderstanding and since standing there playing charades with her was getting us no where, i began my frantic search for the nearest bilingual speaker, my guide in this case. Turns out, the darn lady was no where to be found and I was left to figure it out on my own. And figure it out I did! As it turns out she was asking me if I had an index card. Since I originally assumed she was using the wrong word for credit card and then made a second assumption that she wanted to see my shopping list (seemed sort of intrusive but whatever), it never dawned on me that I was standing in a store called "Index". The poor sales lady was simply asking me if I had a shoppers savers card (not in so many words mind you) because it would adjust the price by 5%. Boy did I feel like an ass after that one, lol! Once we got the whole thing figured out my sweet guide showed up (thanks for nothing in this case!).
So, with that incident behind me I realized something about the way I speak. I use way too many words. Seriously, the English language is awesome. Like, LOVE it!. However, we have a lot of fillers in our sentences, and using less words, especially here, will get your point across so much better. For instance, when I went back to Index to finish my shopping I told the sales lady "I would like to look at something cheaper" when she told me the price of the bedding that I wanted . What she heard however was "blah, blah, blah, cheaper". I know this to be true because she looked at me all cheery and and asked "cheaper?". So after I realized this, may day consisted of questions the likes of "cheaper? different color? " and sentences the likes of "no, no like." English teachers would be having a field day! Oh, I have also found that carrying around a book with pictures of the things you want and then pointing at the picture also helps. Just throwing that out there.
Anyway, communication problems aside, things are going okay over here at the moment. We move tomorrow to our permanent place and hopefully life will settle down somewhat. I'm looking forward to being able to cook more as well as I do believe that my stomach can take no more exotic food. Moving to somewhere where the food is shall we say "different" is THE BEST diet ever, by the way! So, until next time I hope all is well!
Kristen
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
So, what is your favorite part of Thailand???
This was the question posed to me by our driver the other day after having been in the country a whole week. Now, my first response I seriously had to filter (thank God my filter was working that day!) because I really just wanted to tell him that I pretty much hated everything. Instead of spilling the beans on that little secret I politely said "oh, the mountains are beautiful so I really like those." This response seemed to make him happy and so the subject was dropped... Thankfully! Because seriously, I'm not sure just how much my poor little "brain to mouth filter" can take seeing as how I just now learned how to use it at the ripe old age of 30.5.
So, I guess the reason why I am writing this post is to illustrate that there is a stark difference between the Thai people and we Americans. After giving him my filtered answer, the question has haunted me since. I realize that "haunted" is probably too strong a word, but oh well. I was haunted. Anywho, I guess what really bothered me about the question was that if I had told him the truth, that I was truly not happy here, he would have gone out of his way to make me feel at home and tried to show me the beauty of Thailand. Such is the Thai way. They are super friendly people.
Now, had a Thai come to the U.S. and had an American asked said Thai the same question and had gotten the unfiltered response of "nothing, I hate it here", the Americans response would have been quite different. The American would have surely looked at the poor honest Thai and said "Well, F-U, A-hole. America is great! Go back to where you came from if you don't like it here. And by the way, speak English!". Now come on. You know what I say is true. In fact, I do believe I have heard and seen these exact words said and written before in response to someone saying something negative about being in the U.S or how we Americans should be more tolerant of non English speakers. Americans in general seem much for confrontational and direct then the Thai people. I find this both refreashing and alarming. More so alarming. I guess I have been conditioned to seeing direct-ness as being more honest. I like honest.
So with all of that being said, I now have a mission. I truly want to find that one special thing that I love about living in Thailand. My dear, dear, wonderful and sweet hubby, says that once we move into our new place that things will be more "normal" and that we will soon like living here. Me? I'm not so sure. I'm hopeful however that what he says is in fact true. The mountains really are beautiful by the way.
Well, the hubby is off today so we will be leaving here very soon to start our day. We have a lot of stuff to do before moving day. So, until next time, I hope all is well!
Kristen
So, I guess the reason why I am writing this post is to illustrate that there is a stark difference between the Thai people and we Americans. After giving him my filtered answer, the question has haunted me since. I realize that "haunted" is probably too strong a word, but oh well. I was haunted. Anywho, I guess what really bothered me about the question was that if I had told him the truth, that I was truly not happy here, he would have gone out of his way to make me feel at home and tried to show me the beauty of Thailand. Such is the Thai way. They are super friendly people.
Now, had a Thai come to the U.S. and had an American asked said Thai the same question and had gotten the unfiltered response of "nothing, I hate it here", the Americans response would have been quite different. The American would have surely looked at the poor honest Thai and said "Well, F-U, A-hole. America is great! Go back to where you came from if you don't like it here. And by the way, speak English!". Now come on. You know what I say is true. In fact, I do believe I have heard and seen these exact words said and written before in response to someone saying something negative about being in the U.S or how we Americans should be more tolerant of non English speakers. Americans in general seem much for confrontational and direct then the Thai people. I find this both refreashing and alarming. More so alarming. I guess I have been conditioned to seeing direct-ness as being more honest. I like honest.
So with all of that being said, I now have a mission. I truly want to find that one special thing that I love about living in Thailand. My dear, dear, wonderful and sweet hubby, says that once we move into our new place that things will be more "normal" and that we will soon like living here. Me? I'm not so sure. I'm hopeful however that what he says is in fact true. The mountains really are beautiful by the way.
Well, the hubby is off today so we will be leaving here very soon to start our day. We have a lot of stuff to do before moving day. So, until next time, I hope all is well!
Kristen
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Old white dudes need not apply...
We were warned about some of the, how do you say it.. "different" things as for as people go here in Thailand. Sure, we had heard about the lady boys (thank you Hangover 2!!) , gay scene, and the sex culture. What we didn't hear however, but very quickly saw, is that Thailand is flooded with old white dudes. Apparently old white dudes love Thai women. Or better, yet, as our guide put, Thai women like old white dudes. It seems that Thai women see white men as more stable and loving towards their families (per our guide). I mean seriously though, they (old white dudes, or OWDs) are as popular as Star Bucks and Bank of America in L.A. You see them everywhere and on every corner! You sometimes even see them in packs. It actually became a game between the hubby and I who could see more old white dudes. I think the funniest OWD we saw was one who was with a very obvious lady boy (super tall, big hands, wide shoulders, ton of make-up). Now, we aren't sure if he (the OWD that is) knew this or not, but he seemed very proud to have her/him on his arm.
Now, as for what our guide told us, we have no idea if any of this is true. But, here is the info she gave us. Thai women out number Thai men. Take into account that it seems that half of Thai men bat for the other team in some form or fashion, and women outnumber them even more. She said this reason, as well as the more stable reason previously mentioned, is why OWDs like it here. They can find plenty of good looking young women looking for a nice husband.
And finally, the lady boy or very girly man. This is something that I personally find very fascinating, especially since I can spot them and my hubby has trouble doing so. We have this very lovely lady boy, but very much bio man, who works in our hotel. Super nice person. When I informed the hubby of this fact, the look of shock on his face was priceless. He had no idea and was quizzing me on which lady at the front counter was her. Last night when we got back from dinner she was the one who brought our bags up to our room. Once she left I looked at the hubby with this expected look on my face and his response was "What? i see that the room is clean but I sense that isn't why you are looking at me like that. What am I missing? I feel it is something big.". Yes, dear sweet man of mine. You did miss something. Did you not notice that the girl handing you your bags had hands like a professional basketball player and could probably palm a basketball??? Not to mention she sounded like a MAN. His response when told was something along the lines of "wow, she really fooled me!".
So with that being said, this post is in honor of my lovely sister in law A, who was very interested in regards to this topic as well as the topic of certain monkeys!
Until next time, I hope all is well!
Kristen
Now, as for what our guide told us, we have no idea if any of this is true. But, here is the info she gave us. Thai women out number Thai men. Take into account that it seems that half of Thai men bat for the other team in some form or fashion, and women outnumber them even more. She said this reason, as well as the more stable reason previously mentioned, is why OWDs like it here. They can find plenty of good looking young women looking for a nice husband.
And finally, the lady boy or very girly man. This is something that I personally find very fascinating, especially since I can spot them and my hubby has trouble doing so. We have this very lovely lady boy, but very much bio man, who works in our hotel. Super nice person. When I informed the hubby of this fact, the look of shock on his face was priceless. He had no idea and was quizzing me on which lady at the front counter was her. Last night when we got back from dinner she was the one who brought our bags up to our room. Once she left I looked at the hubby with this expected look on my face and his response was "What? i see that the room is clean but I sense that isn't why you are looking at me like that. What am I missing? I feel it is something big.". Yes, dear sweet man of mine. You did miss something. Did you not notice that the girl handing you your bags had hands like a professional basketball player and could probably palm a basketball??? Not to mention she sounded like a MAN. His response when told was something along the lines of "wow, she really fooled me!".
So with that being said, this post is in honor of my lovely sister in law A, who was very interested in regards to this topic as well as the topic of certain monkeys!
Until next time, I hope all is well!
Kristen
Monday, September 10, 2012
The Help
This is one part of Thai living that I am not sure that I will ever be comfortable with. The help. Apparently at the level the hubby is working at and with the neighborhood we will be living in, it is seen as sort of a slap in the face not to have help. By "help" I mean a maid and nannies for each kid in some cases. The driver I will get used to, as there is no way I am getting behind the wheel of that van! The maid and the nanny thing? Yeah.. not so sure about those two.
I'm not really sure what is turning me off from having a maid. Everyone has one. Some even have a live-in maid (so not doing that even though our house has a "maids quarters"!!!) who cooks for them and irons their underwear. Sure it would be nice to have someone to come in a do some light cleaning once a week, but really I can do that myself for a whole lot cheaper. Plus, and this seems really odd coming from me, I just don't like the idea of being someones boss and having to tell them what to do. What if I don't like the way they do something and would rather it done a different way? I would have to "boss" them (in a nice way of course) and redirect them. I just don't like it. Alas, the hubby insists that we have a maid since it is expected and since everyone has one, so I guess we will. And no, don't worry. I wont start jumping off bridges just because everyone else does it, but apparently this is non negotiable.
Now, on to the nannies. No. No. N-O! That is one thing I will no budge on. I want to raise my babies. I went through a lot of trouble getting them into this world so I want to have the ups and downs with them. They need me, or at least I think they do, and I have been blessed with a hubby who have given me the freedom to be able to stay at home with them. So, no nannies. It was so funny though when I told the guide that we didn't have a nanny back home. She asked "how did you do it with three all on your own? My sister has just one child and she uses her nanny, her maid, and my maid and she still seems so tired all the time!". Well, for one they are too expensive back home and I would have to work just to afford care, and two, I had help. I had the hubby. He is a fantastic father and loves being with the kids. Seriously, ask the man why he hasn't played golf in a few years. He would tell you it was for two reasons. He doesn't have anyone to play with and he feels guilty for taking time to himself when he could be with the kids. The man is a Saint! Really, I should nominate him. Anyway, after I explained the cost thing I simply told her that it was amazing what a person was capable of when they had no alternatives. She agreed. Sort of. Her words were "well, I guess mothers care is probably the best". Yet another culture difference. Back home, if a mother can and is willing ( being willing is the key), her care is seen as the best in most cases. Here it is the norm for extended family or nannies to raise the children and for the mother to work.
Well, I think I just about covered our experiences with the "help" so I guess I had better get going. Once we do hire a maid I will be sure to let you all know how that goes. In the mean time, I hope all is well!
Kristen
I'm not really sure what is turning me off from having a maid. Everyone has one. Some even have a live-in maid (so not doing that even though our house has a "maids quarters"!!!) who cooks for them and irons their underwear. Sure it would be nice to have someone to come in a do some light cleaning once a week, but really I can do that myself for a whole lot cheaper. Plus, and this seems really odd coming from me, I just don't like the idea of being someones boss and having to tell them what to do. What if I don't like the way they do something and would rather it done a different way? I would have to "boss" them (in a nice way of course) and redirect them. I just don't like it. Alas, the hubby insists that we have a maid since it is expected and since everyone has one, so I guess we will. And no, don't worry. I wont start jumping off bridges just because everyone else does it, but apparently this is non negotiable.
Now, on to the nannies. No. No. N-O! That is one thing I will no budge on. I want to raise my babies. I went through a lot of trouble getting them into this world so I want to have the ups and downs with them. They need me, or at least I think they do, and I have been blessed with a hubby who have given me the freedom to be able to stay at home with them. So, no nannies. It was so funny though when I told the guide that we didn't have a nanny back home. She asked "how did you do it with three all on your own? My sister has just one child and she uses her nanny, her maid, and my maid and she still seems so tired all the time!". Well, for one they are too expensive back home and I would have to work just to afford care, and two, I had help. I had the hubby. He is a fantastic father and loves being with the kids. Seriously, ask the man why he hasn't played golf in a few years. He would tell you it was for two reasons. He doesn't have anyone to play with and he feels guilty for taking time to himself when he could be with the kids. The man is a Saint! Really, I should nominate him. Anyway, after I explained the cost thing I simply told her that it was amazing what a person was capable of when they had no alternatives. She agreed. Sort of. Her words were "well, I guess mothers care is probably the best". Yet another culture difference. Back home, if a mother can and is willing ( being willing is the key), her care is seen as the best in most cases. Here it is the norm for extended family or nannies to raise the children and for the mother to work.
Well, I think I just about covered our experiences with the "help" so I guess I had better get going. Once we do hire a maid I will be sure to let you all know how that goes. In the mean time, I hope all is well!
Kristen
Please slow down!
I believe that I mentioned in a previous post the we have a driver here in Thailand. Now before you go thinking that this is some sort of prestigious thing, don't! It's about safety, although I'm not really sure just how safe it is. If you know me on Facebook you have seen my pictures of the roads that we travel on and know that they are rather small and congested. What you don't see in the pictures however is how aggressive the drivers drive around here. Scooters dart right out in front of you and it is your job to make sure you don't hit them. Big vans move with the speeds of race cars. It really is frightening! Because of that and because they drive on the opposite side of the road here, the company that hubby works for has provided us with a driver.
Our driver seems like a nice man. He is great with the kids and he loads my groceries into the back of the van for me. And, he seems like a decent driver by Thailand standards. He navigates those tiny little roads very well and he hasn't hit a scooter driver yet. To me however, by my American standards, the dude drives like a bat of hell! Our first ride with him I swear I saw my life flash before my eyes. Now, I'm not sure if he really does drive that fast or if it just seems that way since I cant see what speed he is going, but man it feels fast!
We have only had one problem with the guy and it doesn't really pertain to his driving skills. When he found out where we were going to be living he tried talking us out of the house. He wanted us to live closer to the city or in the city. We however did not want that because we would then be too far from the big kid's school and the hubby's work. He tried telling us that the school wasn't as good as the one in town and that is was too far for him to drive to come and pick us up. We didn't really know where to go with all of that so we just sort of dropped the subject and figured we would figure it out later. Well, the hubby had to go in yesterday for his first day of work and they asked him how he liked the driver. He said that he was working out fine but that we may need to seek an alternative because of the distance thing. Apparently they were already aware of the situation because the driver had mentioned it to them and he was told that he had two choices: hitch a ride with another driver going that way or to rent an apartment closer to us. The third choice was an unspoken one but I am sure you all know what it was. We have no idea what the driver decided to do, but as of this morning he still drives for us so...
Anywho, I guess the driving thing is yet another thing that I am going to have to get used to. I never realized that a person still had a lot of growing to do at 30.5 years old, but I guess I do now! In the mean time I just pray that our guardian angel flies really fast!
Until next time, I hope all is well!
Kristen
Our driver seems like a nice man. He is great with the kids and he loads my groceries into the back of the van for me. And, he seems like a decent driver by Thailand standards. He navigates those tiny little roads very well and he hasn't hit a scooter driver yet. To me however, by my American standards, the dude drives like a bat of hell! Our first ride with him I swear I saw my life flash before my eyes. Now, I'm not sure if he really does drive that fast or if it just seems that way since I cant see what speed he is going, but man it feels fast!
We have only had one problem with the guy and it doesn't really pertain to his driving skills. When he found out where we were going to be living he tried talking us out of the house. He wanted us to live closer to the city or in the city. We however did not want that because we would then be too far from the big kid's school and the hubby's work. He tried telling us that the school wasn't as good as the one in town and that is was too far for him to drive to come and pick us up. We didn't really know where to go with all of that so we just sort of dropped the subject and figured we would figure it out later. Well, the hubby had to go in yesterday for his first day of work and they asked him how he liked the driver. He said that he was working out fine but that we may need to seek an alternative because of the distance thing. Apparently they were already aware of the situation because the driver had mentioned it to them and he was told that he had two choices: hitch a ride with another driver going that way or to rent an apartment closer to us. The third choice was an unspoken one but I am sure you all know what it was. We have no idea what the driver decided to do, but as of this morning he still drives for us so...
Anywho, I guess the driving thing is yet another thing that I am going to have to get used to. I never realized that a person still had a lot of growing to do at 30.5 years old, but I guess I do now! In the mean time I just pray that our guardian angel flies really fast!
Until next time, I hope all is well!
Kristen
I cooked!
I cooked! I know that doesn't sound like a huge deal or anything, but trust me it is. We have been here for a week and have been playing the "is this good or not" at just about every meal. At our first hotel they had a ton of "western" foods to choose from, and while the selection was much more limited at our second hotel, we still ate well. The trouble we ran into was on our first day of house hunting/school touring...
Our guides were sort of in charge of the whole day including where we ate, and since we had no idea of where we were, we just tagged along. So, being the nice guides that they were, they took us to a hotel that was supposed to have "everything" as they put it. However, since the hubby and I were ready to try Thai food we ordered Pad Thai noodles instead of our "western" food. Now, normally I love the stuff. Can't get enough kind of love. But this? This was not good. So not good in fact that the guide who ordered it, a native Thai mind you, didn't even eat it. It smelled awful. I mean really awful! Poor lady was trying to teach us how to eat the food by adding the different condiments and such, and she couldn't even stomach it. So after that incident and after ordering several different chicken dishes that didn't look quite like chicken, we decided to stick to mainly eating breakfast. At least that meal seems to be somewhat universal in its selection.
The next day the guides were much more accommodating to us (and to themselves it seems) and took us to a place called Food Loft. Despite the fact that we all ordered Chinese it was much closer to what we Americans were used to. Sandwiches, plain grilled chicken, chicken fried steak, etc. The kids loved the place and the view off the balcony was awesome! The problem however is that we can't drive. And calling up our driver just to take us to dinner seems a little silly, or at least right now it does. Ask me in a few months how I feel! Anyway, we did ask him to take us grocery shopping for supplies and I made my very first pot of meatless spaghetti. It was the first meal where every single one of us cleaned our plates! It made me feel good as a wife and mother that something so simple as cooking for my family can make them feel better and at home. I think we will be eating in more often!
I hope all is well with everyone!
Kristen
Our guides were sort of in charge of the whole day including where we ate, and since we had no idea of where we were, we just tagged along. So, being the nice guides that they were, they took us to a hotel that was supposed to have "everything" as they put it. However, since the hubby and I were ready to try Thai food we ordered Pad Thai noodles instead of our "western" food. Now, normally I love the stuff. Can't get enough kind of love. But this? This was not good. So not good in fact that the guide who ordered it, a native Thai mind you, didn't even eat it. It smelled awful. I mean really awful! Poor lady was trying to teach us how to eat the food by adding the different condiments and such, and she couldn't even stomach it. So after that incident and after ordering several different chicken dishes that didn't look quite like chicken, we decided to stick to mainly eating breakfast. At least that meal seems to be somewhat universal in its selection.
The next day the guides were much more accommodating to us (and to themselves it seems) and took us to a place called Food Loft. Despite the fact that we all ordered Chinese it was much closer to what we Americans were used to. Sandwiches, plain grilled chicken, chicken fried steak, etc. The kids loved the place and the view off the balcony was awesome! The problem however is that we can't drive. And calling up our driver just to take us to dinner seems a little silly, or at least right now it does. Ask me in a few months how I feel! Anyway, we did ask him to take us grocery shopping for supplies and I made my very first pot of meatless spaghetti. It was the first meal where every single one of us cleaned our plates! It made me feel good as a wife and mother that something so simple as cooking for my family can make them feel better and at home. I think we will be eating in more often!
I hope all is well with everyone!
Kristen
Sunday, September 9, 2012
The pale skin, blue eyed, blonde hair, phenomenom!
Anyone who has ever had children will probably tell you that THE most beautiful children they have ever seen have been their own. That seems normal, right? I mean, we as parents and caregivers put so much time and energy into these little people, getting to know them, taking care of them, raising them, etc, that we cant help but think so. So, with that being said, I am sure it comes as no surprise that I happen to think that I have three of the most beautiful tiny humans ever made. I mean, my hubby IS dead sexy and I'm not so bad either so they really had no choice but to come out good looking! Okay, okay, just kidding! Well, I am kidding about myself. What I say about my hubby is totally true!
So, I am sure you are probably wondering what all this has to do with living in Thailand since this blog is supposed to be about that. Well, let me tell you. Apparently Thais love my kids. I kid you not, LOVE THEM! The other day we were being spontaneous (go us!) and decided to have our driver take us to the Tiger Zoo for our first outing without our orientation team. At this zoo there were so many awesome things to see and do. You could take pictures with a big tiger and a crocodile. You could feed a baby tiger. Heck, you could even feed big crocs and ride an elephant. Even with all of those cool and neat things to do and photograph, the single most photographed thing was probably my kids! We had experienced the pointing and stares and the touching their cheeks earlier in the week with our guides, but nothing to this degree. When we first walked in, there was this group behind us who was making a huge deal about the kids. They were snapping pictures and giggling over them, and it was actually quite funny. They even sat by us at the crocodile show and one young girl stood by them posing and taking pictures with them like they were the main attraction!
Earlier in the week when we had experienced something similar, but on a lesser scale, our guides told us that they see American children as little dolls. She said it was especially true with our kids because of their pale skin, blond hair, and blue eyes. They stand out in an all Thai crowd since they are dark skinned, dark hair, dark eyed, people.
I have to be honest though in that I don't like it much. It was funny at first how much attention they were attracting, but now it seems a little uncomfortable. Especially the touching part. People kept grabbing the baby's hand and touching her cheek. I think I used an entire bottle of Purell on just her at the zoo. With all of that being said, I think that this is where I have to learn to let go of some things, yet still be on guard on with others. It's a hard line to walk because the Thai people are so different. In the U.S. people tend to be very intolerant of children. No kids in come restaurants, trying to ban them on certain flights, and the list continues. Our guides thought it was ridiculous because they love children so much. They want them around and people in general are very accepting of them. You don't get the "oh crap" stare from a waitress here. No one has complained about a crying baby or kids laughing a little too loud in our hotel. It's just... different. And what is really funny is that I don't think of them as weird, but I do think of myself that way. Why do I feel that this is uncomfortable, and why don't I like it??? Questions, questions....
Well, my kids are ready for me so I guess I had better get going. Until next time, I hope all is well!
Kristen
So, I am sure you are probably wondering what all this has to do with living in Thailand since this blog is supposed to be about that. Well, let me tell you. Apparently Thais love my kids. I kid you not, LOVE THEM! The other day we were being spontaneous (go us!) and decided to have our driver take us to the Tiger Zoo for our first outing without our orientation team. At this zoo there were so many awesome things to see and do. You could take pictures with a big tiger and a crocodile. You could feed a baby tiger. Heck, you could even feed big crocs and ride an elephant. Even with all of those cool and neat things to do and photograph, the single most photographed thing was probably my kids! We had experienced the pointing and stares and the touching their cheeks earlier in the week with our guides, but nothing to this degree. When we first walked in, there was this group behind us who was making a huge deal about the kids. They were snapping pictures and giggling over them, and it was actually quite funny. They even sat by us at the crocodile show and one young girl stood by them posing and taking pictures with them like they were the main attraction!
Earlier in the week when we had experienced something similar, but on a lesser scale, our guides told us that they see American children as little dolls. She said it was especially true with our kids because of their pale skin, blond hair, and blue eyes. They stand out in an all Thai crowd since they are dark skinned, dark hair, dark eyed, people.
I have to be honest though in that I don't like it much. It was funny at first how much attention they were attracting, but now it seems a little uncomfortable. Especially the touching part. People kept grabbing the baby's hand and touching her cheek. I think I used an entire bottle of Purell on just her at the zoo. With all of that being said, I think that this is where I have to learn to let go of some things, yet still be on guard on with others. It's a hard line to walk because the Thai people are so different. In the U.S. people tend to be very intolerant of children. No kids in come restaurants, trying to ban them on certain flights, and the list continues. Our guides thought it was ridiculous because they love children so much. They want them around and people in general are very accepting of them. You don't get the "oh crap" stare from a waitress here. No one has complained about a crying baby or kids laughing a little too loud in our hotel. It's just... different. And what is really funny is that I don't think of them as weird, but I do think of myself that way. Why do I feel that this is uncomfortable, and why don't I like it??? Questions, questions....
Well, my kids are ready for me so I guess I had better get going. Until next time, I hope all is well!
Kristen
Amer-Thai, Welcome!
Hello and welcome to Ameri-Thai, my new blog dedicated to my life abroad in Thailand!
So far life in Thailand has been so similar yet so different then my life in the U.S.. This trip, this move really, was my first experience outside of my protective bubble of home. When I was younger (gosh I hate saying that!) I was much more open to having new experiences. Now that I am older (30.5, yikes!) it seems that these new experiences, like living in Thailand for example, rattle me more then what they would have even five or six years ago. I guess that comes with being a mom of three little ones and liking my version of "normal".
Any who, we haven't really been "normal" by any standard this past week. After four flights with three young kids we finally arrived in Thailand at 11pm Thailand time. Since there is a 12 hour time difference between Thailand and Louisiana (where we stayed the month prior) we were wide awake and ready to go. Instead of sleeping we had dinner at 2am. This past week has been pretty similar as in we do things like eating and sleeping all at the wrong time. Twice we have come back to our temp place wanting to take a short nap and instead sleep for 10-12 hours. I have never experienced jet lag before and everyone I have ever talked to about never dealt with the 12 hour time difference. Hopefully that gets better soon.
Not everything has been as difficult as I anticipated. There are plenty of "Western" things like McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, Star Bucks, Subway, etc, as well as plenty of places to grocery shop. They have stores that are comparable to Wal Mart and Target and a huge seven story shopping mall. We even had Baskin Robins ice cream yesterday! In the big areas like the ones previously mentioned, most people speak some English so there isn't a huge language barrier. The people are extremely friendly and will literally bend over backwards if they think that will help the situation. So.. those are the good things!
The not so good things are safety and what do I do with my time. Since we are living in a third world country just about every area looks as though it would be unsafe. In the U.S. if a place "looked" rough, it probably was. Here, it's harder to tell. We have been through some streets that in the U.S. I would have never ventured to. I think the real shocker for me came when we were looking at houses. Every house we looked at was in a gated community. Some had more gates then others. Our second choice house was almost in the heart of the city and it was in a gated community. The house itself also had a gate, a 10 foot high concrete wall surrounding the property, and then the house had an alarm. The house was gorgeous and they even had elephant statues in the pool spitting out water, but that much security was a little intimidating. I mean, where I come from, if that much security is needed you probably shouldn't be living there!
As for my time, I am not really sure what to do with myself all day. I don't really feel secure enough yet to venture out on my own with our driver, (yes we have a driver!) so that pretty much leaves me with three kids stuck in a hotel all day. The only outside space they have here seems to be the roof top pool which is a no go with four non swimmers (yes, I said four because I cant swim!). We were hoping to move to a hotel that was close to our new home but our driver doesn't drive that far out of the city so until we get the driver thing squared away we can't really go anywhere. Hopefully the hubby is working on all of that today as well as our move in date for our new place.
Well, I have a little girl crying at my feet for a nap, so I had better jet. I will be back soon as I have so much more that I need to get out. Hope all is well with everyone!
Kristen
So far life in Thailand has been so similar yet so different then my life in the U.S.. This trip, this move really, was my first experience outside of my protective bubble of home. When I was younger (gosh I hate saying that!) I was much more open to having new experiences. Now that I am older (30.5, yikes!) it seems that these new experiences, like living in Thailand for example, rattle me more then what they would have even five or six years ago. I guess that comes with being a mom of three little ones and liking my version of "normal".
Any who, we haven't really been "normal" by any standard this past week. After four flights with three young kids we finally arrived in Thailand at 11pm Thailand time. Since there is a 12 hour time difference between Thailand and Louisiana (where we stayed the month prior) we were wide awake and ready to go. Instead of sleeping we had dinner at 2am. This past week has been pretty similar as in we do things like eating and sleeping all at the wrong time. Twice we have come back to our temp place wanting to take a short nap and instead sleep for 10-12 hours. I have never experienced jet lag before and everyone I have ever talked to about never dealt with the 12 hour time difference. Hopefully that gets better soon.
Not everything has been as difficult as I anticipated. There are plenty of "Western" things like McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, Star Bucks, Subway, etc, as well as plenty of places to grocery shop. They have stores that are comparable to Wal Mart and Target and a huge seven story shopping mall. We even had Baskin Robins ice cream yesterday! In the big areas like the ones previously mentioned, most people speak some English so there isn't a huge language barrier. The people are extremely friendly and will literally bend over backwards if they think that will help the situation. So.. those are the good things!
The not so good things are safety and what do I do with my time. Since we are living in a third world country just about every area looks as though it would be unsafe. In the U.S. if a place "looked" rough, it probably was. Here, it's harder to tell. We have been through some streets that in the U.S. I would have never ventured to. I think the real shocker for me came when we were looking at houses. Every house we looked at was in a gated community. Some had more gates then others. Our second choice house was almost in the heart of the city and it was in a gated community. The house itself also had a gate, a 10 foot high concrete wall surrounding the property, and then the house had an alarm. The house was gorgeous and they even had elephant statues in the pool spitting out water, but that much security was a little intimidating. I mean, where I come from, if that much security is needed you probably shouldn't be living there!
As for my time, I am not really sure what to do with myself all day. I don't really feel secure enough yet to venture out on my own with our driver, (yes we have a driver!) so that pretty much leaves me with three kids stuck in a hotel all day. The only outside space they have here seems to be the roof top pool which is a no go with four non swimmers (yes, I said four because I cant swim!). We were hoping to move to a hotel that was close to our new home but our driver doesn't drive that far out of the city so until we get the driver thing squared away we can't really go anywhere. Hopefully the hubby is working on all of that today as well as our move in date for our new place.
Well, I have a little girl crying at my feet for a nap, so I had better jet. I will be back soon as I have so much more that I need to get out. Hope all is well with everyone!
Kristen
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