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
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
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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