The store where I bought the khim never opened before I left. I had to essentially steal it back. Had paid for it - just needed to grab it when they weren't around (remember - boom boom Bangkok). Bringing the khim back meant I had three carry-ons - which worked just fine until the LA to Boston leg. Something had to go. Couldn't be my laptop. Couldn't be my knapsack with our hard drive inside. Khim returned with the casing broken - but the instrument in perfect shape. Isabelle and her cousin, Anika, did this duet:
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Boom Boom Bangkok
We're just back from Burma, and return to an uneasy Chiang Mai. The State of Emergency has intensified now that the violent protests in Bangkok have spread here. Red shirt protesters have set the Governor's mansion on fire, and there are lots of rumors about trouble at the bus and train stations. An 8pm to 6am curfew has been imposed, although the streets are still pretty busy.
The unrest is causing one particular nuisance for me. The store where I bought the khim instrument is closed, and I was going to ship it back to the States. I stopped to pick it up on the way back from Burma, and a policeman shooed me away from the shopping center entrance. When I asked him why everything was shut down, his only words were, "Boom boom Bangkok."
The unrest is causing one particular nuisance for me. The store where I bought the khim instrument is closed, and I was going to ship it back to the States. I stopped to pick it up on the way back from Burma, and a policeman shooed me away from the shopping center entrance. When I asked him why everything was shut down, his only words were, "Boom boom Bangkok."
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Panda-monium!
Thailand's first baby panda just celebrated her first birthday! Her name is Lin Ping and I visited her at the Chiang Mai Zoo today. Unfortunately, she was taking a nap the whole time I was there.
Pandas spend 16 hours a day eating!
And look what happens when a panda wakes up... people (I'm not naming names) go a little nutty.
Isabelle, I have enough supplies for a SUPER panda-monium party!!! And I even bought us matching panda jammies. Wait 'til you see them...
Pandas spend 16 hours a day eating!
And look what happens when a panda wakes up... people (I'm not naming names) go a little nutty.
Isabelle, I have enough supplies for a SUPER panda-monium party!!! And I even bought us matching panda jammies. Wait 'til you see them...
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Live Firing Zone
The U.S. Embassy is closed... journalists are getting shot up... and the Thai government has announced a live firing zone--the area where Thai troops will open fire against anti-government protesters. "Closer to civil war than ever before," is how one expert puts it.
There's a state of emergency here in Chiang Mai, which means there's increased police presence on the streets, and they're able to crack down on gatherings of more than five people.
There's a state of emergency here in Chiang Mai, which means there's increased police presence on the streets, and they're able to crack down on gatherings of more than five people.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Lizards Everywhere!
There are lizards running all over the place in Thailand. House lizards come inside and climb up the walls in your kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. Outside, the lizards run through the grass, swim in the ponds and scurry up the trees.
I met a lizard today. I named her Baby Blue. She's a blue-headed tree agama. She has lots of adventures in Thailand!
I met a lizard today. I named her Baby Blue. She's a blue-headed tree agama. She has lots of adventures in Thailand!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Making Music
When we came back to the hotel last night, there was a talented musician playing the khim (yup, pronounced just like the girl's name). The khim is a traditional Thai stringed instrument that's played with two, thin bamboo sticks. The musician gave me and Uncle Sean turns to play it. (I warn you - this is an incredibly pathetic attempt to nail down Jingle Bells.)
Obviously I need lots of practice! That's why I'm bringing a khim home with me! I bought one tonight so that you can enjoy playing it, too.
At a Buddhist temple the other day, we also had a chance to play a special temple gong - one that has 8 gongs. You can play all 8 gongs at the same time by moving a small wooden lever up and down. The gongs are used to call the monks to prayer and for meditation. We recorded our gong playing because we might use it as part of the soundtrack when we're editing this video.
Obviously I need lots of practice! That's why I'm bringing a khim home with me! I bought one tonight so that you can enjoy playing it, too.
At a Buddhist temple the other day, we also had a chance to play a special temple gong - one that has 8 gongs. You can play all 8 gongs at the same time by moving a small wooden lever up and down. The gongs are used to call the monks to prayer and for meditation. We recorded our gong playing because we might use it as part of the soundtrack when we're editing this video.
Mornings With The Monks
It's morning here in Thailand... which means you are fast asleep! When you look at the globe, you can see that I'm on the other side of the world - which means that when the moon is out and you're dreaming, the sun is out here, and I'm awake.
Every morning when I wake up, I go for a run, and I see some pretty interesting things! There are people here called monks... they're like priests at church, rabbis at temple or mullahs in the mosque. The monks are Buddhist, bald and barefoot! Here, even kids can be monks (as long as they're boys and at least 10 years old).
The monks all wear bright orange robes (which are like dresses), and early every morning they walk down the street holding big bowls. The monks are hungry! At first their bowls are empty, but there are lots of other people on the street who want to feed them breakfast. When you feed a monk, it's called "making merit" which means doing something really nice. And when people are nice to the monks, the monks are very happy--which makes the people happy, too!
Men and women stand on the street and fill the monks' bowls with foods like orange juice, water, sticky rice and sweet fruits. Monks only eat one meal a day, so they are very grateful for this food! After receiving the food, the monks say "thank you" by saying a prayer as the people kneel on the street.
People also give the monks flowers - specifically lotus flowers. The lotus flower is a very beautiful white flower that grows in water. It's hard to believe that before the lotus becomes such a gorgeous flower sitting on top of the water, it is growing out of yucky, goopy mud. The monks believe people should be more like lotus flowers--and rise above the muck. I took a picture of this lotus flower while I was exercising on the "playground" at Chiang Mai University.
Every morning when I wake up, I go for a run, and I see some pretty interesting things! There are people here called monks... they're like priests at church, rabbis at temple or mullahs in the mosque. The monks are Buddhist, bald and barefoot! Here, even kids can be monks (as long as they're boys and at least 10 years old).
The monks all wear bright orange robes (which are like dresses), and early every morning they walk down the street holding big bowls. The monks are hungry! At first their bowls are empty, but there are lots of other people on the street who want to feed them breakfast. When you feed a monk, it's called "making merit" which means doing something really nice. And when people are nice to the monks, the monks are very happy--which makes the people happy, too!
Men and women stand on the street and fill the monks' bowls with foods like orange juice, water, sticky rice and sweet fruits. Monks only eat one meal a day, so they are very grateful for this food! After receiving the food, the monks say "thank you" by saying a prayer as the people kneel on the street.
People also give the monks flowers - specifically lotus flowers. The lotus flower is a very beautiful white flower that grows in water. It's hard to believe that before the lotus becomes such a gorgeous flower sitting on top of the water, it is growing out of yucky, goopy mud. The monks believe people should be more like lotus flowers--and rise above the muck. I took a picture of this lotus flower while I was exercising on the "playground" at Chiang Mai University.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Thai Travel
Kids have a pretty zippy way of getting around here! Lots of families in Thailand do not have cars. Instead, Thai Moms and Dads drive motorcycles or scooters, and that means Thai kids ride on them, too. Imagine - no car seat! Take a look - this is how kids in Thailand get to school, go to the store and how they visit their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
Would you like to travel to pre-school like this? (After the pick-up truck debacle, I don't think we should risk it!)
Would you like to travel to pre-school like this? (After the pick-up truck debacle, I don't think we should risk it!)
Monday, May 10, 2010
Boy from Burma
A lot of kids I see here look like they have dirty faces. But their faces aren't dirty at all! They're covered with a yellow powder. It's thanakha (pronounced tahn-i-kuh) powder.
Thanakha powder is made from the bark of the thanakha tree. People who live in Thailand and Burma take the bark off the thanakha tree, smush it up with some water, and then put the golden paste on their skin. People say it feels really good and smells pretty. Women wear it like makeup and to protect their skin from the sun. Kids also wear it as sunscreen on their foreheads, noses, cheeks and arms.
This little boy has thanaka powder on his face. I met him in a Burmese refugee camp where he has been living since he was born. He doesn't have any electricity in his house. Since his Mom and Dad don't have any lights to turn on, they have to light candles to see at night.
Candles are very dangerous here because the homes are all made of bamboo and most of them have roofs made of overlapping attap palm leaves. Also, the homes are very close together, which means if one house catches fire, all the homes could quickly burn down. That's why the leader in this village is starting a solar project. Pretty soon, the sun will provide the electricity in this boy's house, and his family will have lights! This is very exciting for all the people living here.
The kids here have a big playground with swings, see saws and slides, and they play with balls made out of bamboo. This little boy is about to go down the slide!
Thanakha powder is made from the bark of the thanakha tree. People who live in Thailand and Burma take the bark off the thanakha tree, smush it up with some water, and then put the golden paste on their skin. People say it feels really good and smells pretty. Women wear it like makeup and to protect their skin from the sun. Kids also wear it as sunscreen on their foreheads, noses, cheeks and arms.
This little boy has thanaka powder on his face. I met him in a Burmese refugee camp where he has been living since he was born. He doesn't have any electricity in his house. Since his Mom and Dad don't have any lights to turn on, they have to light candles to see at night.
Candles are very dangerous here because the homes are all made of bamboo and most of them have roofs made of overlapping attap palm leaves. Also, the homes are very close together, which means if one house catches fire, all the homes could quickly burn down. That's why the leader in this village is starting a solar project. Pretty soon, the sun will provide the electricity in this boy's house, and his family will have lights! This is very exciting for all the people living here.
The kids here have a big playground with swings, see saws and slides, and they play with balls made out of bamboo. This little boy is about to go down the slide!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Mother's Day Chiang Mai
Hello, Best Daughter!
Isabelle, since the video Skype isn't working right now, I've decided I'm going to make Flip videos for you and post them here on your blog. I recorded this one outside of the Amari Hotel where we're staying in Chiang Mai.
The hotel only costs $35 a night, and has a huge pool. I've gone swimming twice since we've been here. You know the hot tub at our pool? Well, this entire pool feels like a hot tub because it's very hot right now in Thailand - over a hundred degrees. My first swim was at 4 in the morning - the moon was still out, and it was beautiful seeing the crescent moon through the palm trees as the sun started to come up.
Guess what! I saw two kitties and a doggie tonight! They were playing in a little village that we visited about an hour away from here. I met one Mommy from Burma who told me that she misses her daughter, too.
This woman owns her own business, too. It's a small store in a migrant village, and her house is actually part of the store. The most popular item in her store is the tofu she cooks. Each piece of tofu costs one baht which is the equivalent of three cents. She showed me a picture of her daughter who is still living in Burma because she can't afford to raise two children in Thailand.
The food here is delicious! Last night I went to a Burmese restaurant for dinner. There were six of us, and we ordered 9 dishes, one big beer, and one iced tea. The whole meal only cost $10! Some of the foods have funny names. Two of my favorite dishes have been salads: pennywort salad and tea leaf salad.
Thank you so much for my beautiful Mother's Day picture!!! It's spectacular--and so are you!
Isabelle, since the video Skype isn't working right now, I've decided I'm going to make Flip videos for you and post them here on your blog. I recorded this one outside of the Amari Hotel where we're staying in Chiang Mai.
The hotel only costs $35 a night, and has a huge pool. I've gone swimming twice since we've been here. You know the hot tub at our pool? Well, this entire pool feels like a hot tub because it's very hot right now in Thailand - over a hundred degrees. My first swim was at 4 in the morning - the moon was still out, and it was beautiful seeing the crescent moon through the palm trees as the sun started to come up.
Guess what! I saw two kitties and a doggie tonight! They were playing in a little village that we visited about an hour away from here. I met one Mommy from Burma who told me that she misses her daughter, too.
This woman owns her own business, too. It's a small store in a migrant village, and her house is actually part of the store. The most popular item in her store is the tofu she cooks. Each piece of tofu costs one baht which is the equivalent of three cents. She showed me a picture of her daughter who is still living in Burma because she can't afford to raise two children in Thailand.The food here is delicious! Last night I went to a Burmese restaurant for dinner. There were six of us, and we ordered 9 dishes, one big beer, and one iced tea. The whole meal only cost $10! Some of the foods have funny names. Two of my favorite dishes have been salads: pennywort salad and tea leaf salad.
Thank you so much for my beautiful Mother's Day picture!!! It's spectacular--and so are you!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
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