Sharing in the Culture!

I think we all have these fantasies of living in a different country. Certainly there are the questions - How will I communicate? Will we be the only farang (didn't know that term until we got here!)? Are we going to stick out like Pat's chopped finger at the fireman's party? How will we make out with the food? What about accommodation? The list goes on and on. It's still going on. What's making that noise? Sounds like something eating the monkeys - oh it is the monkeys - turf wars. They're cute but I don't think I want to encounter one on the way to the mail box or the pool. Although we have jungle behind us and jungle in front of us they don't get to close. I think we smell bad.



Monkey, Monkey up the tree, I see you - do you see me?
 

So aside from celebrating my birthday for the first time in Koh Lanta, which was soooo much fun! Good people, good food and super birthday cake - thank you Darlin'! The November full moon brings the festival Loy Katong or Loi Kathong (I've seen it both ways). You either build or buy, which is what we did, a little boat made of banana leaves or a coconut shell with flowers, incense and a candle inside. Once it gets dark you light the incense and candle then set those boats afloat. You are supposed to put a piece of yourself in the boat (in my case I plucked a few of my many white hairs). "The act of floating away the candle raft is symbolic of letting go of all one's grudges, anger and defilements, so that one can start life afresh on a better foot." How appropriate for us.The whole of Old Town was just a bustling. As was the rest of Thailand. This is big! Bangkok apparently had quite the fireworks display. There was a Ukee Days size parade (well maybe smaller but with more pomp, a little more colour).

This was filled with boats.

 

 

Each hotel had an entry.

It was all very pretty and colourful!!

 

The sky kept changing into all these different colours and at one point there was a rainbow over the ocean where the locals were putting their boats in. For us we went to a restaurant for Thai Tapas and for me in particular there were the most delicious ginger margaritas! Maybe too delicious! And I said I wasn't going to drink because of the drinking at my birthday the night before. Ha ha ha - what happens to people when they are in a different country?

So beautiful - later we watched a lightening storm over the islands.
 

It was so much fun - we met people from Poland, Italy, England, Thailand, France and this goes right back to one of my questions - how will we communicate. Sign language, actions, some Thai a little of this, a little of that. It's amazing actually how many foreign words I have picked up over the years. I even understood a little of the Polish as my mother used to speak it fluently as a child and then some when I was small. Funny, I didn't think I was paying attention to her. I've always thought you should at least be able to say 'please' and 'thank you' in whatever country you are in and I am glad I have paid attention. My Thai is expanding slowly - add something new at least once a week if not twice. The Thai people smile and correct me. Which is so great.

I had my first Thai massage. Thought I would start with just a back, oil massage to get into the whole thing and it was nice, really really nice- but suddenly the massage women put her hands on one side of my back and the next thing I knew I was being contorted into all kinds of different positions. She had her legs pulling my arms one way and her hands/arms pulling my legs another. Thank goodness for Yoga!! You need to be bendy. I was in bow position, a semi plank using her to rest my shoulder on. She actually walked up my back on her knees and when she got hold of my poor bursitis infected left hip well - that will never do! Some one else was called over, much discussion took place between them. "How long did I have the pain" - me "too long!" Must get rid of the pain - yikes! This is bursitis. I've been told that I will be living with pain for the rest of my life! No more cortisone shots for me - been to that well too many times. The work began with many 'sorry, sorry Madame", and I've got to say I felt so good afterwards - and yes I am going back. They have some treatment for the hip pain. We will see! Sigh wouldn't it be wonderful! Pain free...........

Thank you again to all of you for the many, many birthday wishes - I felt/feel truly blessed and loved.



Cheers!



Bugs and Bikinis!

It's not often you expect to hear those two words in one sentence, but let me tell you, here in Thailand they actually do go hand in hand! After only two weeks, I do not blink an eye when a Gecko goes running across the roof or wall. Mind you I like them and they do make cute noises. Ants that's another biggy - they march in a line and mores the pity to you (meaning a bug) if you are in their way. Watched them take care of a poor dead Gecko - Ed came along and sprayed the sh*t out of them! He really likes this stuff called Baygon. It makes lots of things Be-gone! We have also gotten used to shooing flies off the produce and meat in the markets, after all you can wash everything once you get home and then it gets cooked so we're going with anything they may leave behind will either get washed away or cooked (possibly additional protein). Never thought I would hear myself say that!

Love the spots on this one!

This one actually enjoyed being on it's back, not to keen when I flipped it over.

 

Large moth - about four inches across.

The other bugs I like are the ones that are really good at camouflage. They catch me every time! Think it's a leaf and try to brush it away and then fuff - it flies into your face. Or you almost step on them. That would just be sad - poor thing just doing it's job and squish. There are any amount of new bugs and we generally see something different every day! Like yesterday morning for instance. Having coffee in our sitting room and Ed kept looking at something on the floor. Finally he went over and it turned out to be a snake! Now that was  just too much excitement for us. The thing (14" long), green and yellow checkered pattern just did not want to go into the dust bin.  I was jumping from chair to chair to get the window open, Ed was trying so hard to sweep it up (quick little bugger!) without hurting it. Finally Ed got a good grip between the dust bin and the broom and it got flung out the window. Interesting factoid about golden tree snakes, they can climb up walls (and trees) then they flatten themselves out and create a hollow in their underbellies. Then they 'fly' after prey on the ground. Now really - how do you deal with something like that! They will bite, and they will grow to about 4.5', but the venom will not kill a human. Also good to know! They will kill small rodents and lizards. We haven't quite figured out what the rodents here are and are not sure we want to either.

 

Which brings me to the bikini. The connection is that you are forever knocking little flies and mosquitos off of your arms and legs. A bikini was not something I was thinking about as I am about to turn 58 and never thought the word bikini would enter my vocabulary after about the age of 28. So there's been a 30 year hiatus from wearing one. But again here in Thailand it just makes sense! Put on the bikini, drop a dress over your head and, as our Natalie would say, voila! you are ready to swim anytime, anywhere. Don't even need a towel really. Just fling the dress on the beach or poolside, jump in, swim and then drop the dress over the head again. Bikini dries in no time. You see a lot of people here with wet bottoms and no one gives it a thought other then ' hey maybe I should go for a swim'. And so you do!

 

Time of day doesn't much matter either!