Tag Archives: Bangkok

As The Broom Sweeps

I had no idea that hiring a nanny/maid would end up being like a soap opera (my moms favorite: As The World Turns or is it Young & The Restless) that I get to tune into daily. I just figured it would make my life easier and it does in a lot of ways but I also wasn’t aware of the baggage that comes with it.

I guess when you think about it, you are bringing a total stranger into your life and they have issues. These issues are normal people issues but I just figure like any other job, you leave your crap at the door and do your job without affecting the rest of the environment. This does not seem to be the case with domestic help.

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Hiccups

yummmmm

And no I don’t mean the good kind that are a direct result of the French wine I will be having in less than 2 days. Our preparation for this trip has been a complete comedy of errors from the start. I thought I would share this mess with you so that you might shake your head and smile but really it’s more for my mental health… I need to vent!

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Asiatique Trip

Waiting on the shuttle boat to Asiatique.
Killi watching the boats on the river.
The Asiatique experience.
By the end of the night we were a hot mess… but that’s Bangkok for you.
Panoramic shot

Last night the boys and I decided we would head to Asiatique on the river. If you have ever been to the States, it is very similar to Broadway on the Beach or Barefoot Landing in Myrtle Beach, SC. They have transformed the once (a long time ago) main pier used for international trade along the Chao Phraya River into a beautiful shopping and dining experience. Asiatique The Riverfront is an evening market that is open from 5-12pm and is home to 1,500 shops and 40 restaurants. In addition to the shopping and restaurants, they host the Joe Louis Puppet Theater, which is a traditional Thai puppet show, and Calypso, a cabaret lady boy show. We did not attend either of the shows this go around but I would love to see both of these performances on the next trip over.

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Donation has been made!

Lara hard at work in her scarf
St, Mary’s Womens Group with their beautiful scarves

God is good! 280 scarves have been sold for a total donation of $3,617USD OR 105,870 Thai baht to the Mercy Center! Thanks to everyone for your support! I tried to do a print screen into WordPress but I couldn’t figure it out so I just took some pictures of the donation with my iPhone, sorry they aren’t the best quality!

Cruisin’

Happy Mothers’s Day to Me!
the map of our journey
Waiting for our cruise to begin with tiger beer through a straw
and some toast 🙂
our boat
traditional thai dance
our first stop
wat kanlayanamitr
wat arun
me and wat arun
Rama 8 Bridge
cute 🙂
Rama 8 Bridge
Wat Pra Khew
Lebula: Hangover 2
tuk tuking it back to the BTS

A few weeks ago, the States celebrated Mother’s Day.  Although Thailand has their own Mother’s Day, August 12, to celebrate the Queen’s birthday, I opted to celebrate the US version.  It started like any other Sunday: mass, playtime with Killi, nap time, lunch, etc.  Chris went out to run some errands and to “do” my Mother’s Day.  I assume Killian had this awesome idea and it was dad’s job to make it happen since Killian does not get an allowance yet.  After about an hour and a text message that says “dang it the place is closed!”  Chris comes back with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, probably the prettiest I have ever received, and an envelope.  I open the envelope to discover Killian has planned a dinner cruise down the Chaophraya River for his awesome parents.  (Who knew 22 month olds could be so thoughtful!?)

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Scarves: A Big Thank You!!

I just wanted to thank all of my friends and family that supported this mini-fundraiser that I put together for the orphanage. It was a lot of work but it sure did pay off big! I stuffed three suitcases full of 280 scarves. My biggest worry was getting through customs without being harassed. I have said from the beginning that God has blessed this project and He took care of us every step of the way. We made it to the US, filled out our customs form stating what we were bringing back, made it to the officer at customs and he welcomed us home. A huge weight was lifted off of my shoulders. I figured the absolute worst thing that could happen was I would lose the initial investment if they confiscated the scarves but that was highly unlikely. The only other thing that could have happened was we would have been taxed, which would have taken away some profits from the orphanage but luckily nothing happened!

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Beer Goggles

I am sure that most of you know what beer goggles are but for those that do not, the basic idea is the more you drink the prettier the women/men get.  If you have beer goggles on an individual that normally is a 4 (on a 10-point scale) turns into a 11.  I truly feel that by living in the States, Americas have “beer goggles” on at all times.  Until you leave the States, you have no idea that you even had these goggles on and there is no going back to the previous state of inebriation.  We have come too far….

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Fear

I have been debating whether to write on this topic or if it is to “sensitive” but I have decided after much deliberation that I would share because I wanted to share all of my experiences, with my friends and family that were interested, when I took this journey. 

I haven’t been away from home long but I am really starting to miss the ability to be blissfully ignorant.  I don’t mean this in a cruel way by any means, so please do not take offense.  I loved living in my southern home where I didn’t really have any worries, I didn’t live in a big city therefore I only saw “bad things” happen through the media.  Let’s be honest here, if you are living in rural America there really isn’t a terror threat level that one needs to worry about.

I knew moving here would be different.  I know around the world there are many people that hate Americans and what my country stands for.  I understand that I am in a relatively safe location but one can never be too careful.  The other day I experienced fear like never before.  The feeling lasted for only a moment but it was so intense it literally stopped me in my tracks and took my breath away.

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They’re watching. They’re always watching…

You’ve heard of the CIA and MI6 but I bet you have never heard of the NMN, the Nanny Maid Network. We all know the Las Vegas motto: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. This might be true for Vegas but what you must remember about Bangkok is that what happens here might stay here but everyone is going to know about it.

Back in the South, I never really had to encounter the sex industry like you do in Vegas. I’ve been to Vegas and it’s all around but it’s what you come to expect and really it isn’t surprising; they don’t call it Sin City for nothing! In moving to Bangkok, I had a rough idea of the sex industry and I had read about “Soi Cowboy” in my research before moving here and yes I had seen Hangover 2 but it doesn’t really prepare you for what you actually see once you live in it day in and day out. Before you move here you think that the “red light district” is Nana, which is a few BTS stops away from where I live but in all reality, it is everywhere. My home is located between two sois, on one you have restaurants, salons and shops but then on the other you have brothel after brothel.

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Where’s The Cake?

the MC for the evening
the bride & groom with the MC
ready for some Chinese food!
the appetizers
shark fin soup
fried shrimp covered in mayo… :/
mushrooms
duck with peppers and onions
“chicken” soup
yup that’s a fish
some noodles
this was a chilled soup but it tasted like buttered corn (but not in a good way)
“chris I’m hungry…”
orchids for a wedding favor 🙂

First of all Chris and I have decided that nothing we see here in Thailand is “weird” but simply “different” compared with what we are familiar with.  I will be honest, I am so grateful for these “different” experiences, they are truly opening my eyes to the world and I know I will forever be changed by this experience abroad. I am going to paint you a picture of this very “different” experience that is the Thai/Chinese Wedding.

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