Christmas '08

Christmas started out with a bang... on the bedroom door... AT 7AM!  We held off putting most of the presents under the tree until early Christmas morning and it was just KILLING Micah to not be able to see his presents :-) 

Micah was begging us to buy him a Play station 2 so that he could play ONE game, The Warriors.  It's based on a movie by the same name from the 70's about a gang trying to make it from one side of NY to the other before all the other gangs beat them up... NOT a game that is on my approval list (a game about killing zombies... yes, but not a game about NY gangs) Anyway, we told Micah that he was going to pee his pants when he opened his presents on Christmas morning. 

Both kids were elated to open a WII on Christmas morning.  They're hard to come by in the States but all over the place here in Thailand (that's probably why we can't get them in the States) they also got a set of attachments, mostly for the sports games and about ten WII games.  That thing is so much fun that Mike and I have played too.  The WII keeps track of everything that is played AND how long it’s been played.  As usual, we have video clips and pictures below. 

I looked all over the place for some board games so that we could have kind of a family game night but couldn't find them anywhere.  However, one of the WII games set that I bought was called Family Game Night!  There's Battleship, Connect 4, Scrabble, Trivia Pursuit and a bunch of other board games that we can play together. 

We've been using Gmail Video Chat a lot lately because it works so well, even with the poor bandwidth... and it's free!  So we got to see Mom, Dad, Tom, Lisa and the girls open some presents on Christmas morning.  Mike did the same with Kalia and Lukie who were celebrating Christmas with their Aunt in Utah this year.  

Adam is getting ready to take is holiday leave from Afghanistan.  We are praying and crossing our fingers that they will allow him to fly to Bangkok.  It’s been over a year since we’ve seen him!  

Men in the Kitchen

Whoa... stand back everyone, there are men in my kitchen!  I just had to get a video of this precious moment.  Mike and the boys are making pierogies, a traditional polish food, for dinner and *boy* were they GOOD!

Ban Kruit

Mike and I had an abbreviated honeymoon in Ban Kruit this past weekend. We took a 5-hour train ride south and we were very surprised by what we found.

There is a small, private resort attached to a youth hostel. When I was first presented with this option, I told the travel agent that we simply could not honeymoon at a youth hostel. However, I reconsidered when the airports closed down for almost two weeks.

We purchased a package deal that included a bungalow on the beach, transportation, meals, a massage and some sightseeing. This trip cost a fraction of what we would have paid to go to Koh Samui and I am sure we would not have been as pleased! I think this place is the best-kept secret in Thailand. Actually, because it is on the hostel circuit, they see some big groups at times.

We spent a lot of time cruising the beach for shells. The water was nice… no jellyfish! In addition, for the sightseeing, we saw a coconut “farm” and the most beautiful temple I have seen so far in Thailand… The Thang Sai Wat. The King’s birthday was on the first day that we arrived and that night they had the Temple lit up like a Christmas tree! It was, by FAR, the most stunning thing I have seen in Thailand! We visited it the next day and took many pictures… see the slideshow to the left. Unfortunately, the batteries in my camera were dead and I did not get any pictures of it at night. Oh well, we’ll just have to make the trip next year :-)

Angel Resume

I do not know how or when we got started on the subject of the Afterlife but Mary has talked about nothing else since.  She has made it very clear that she does not what to be re-incarnated UNLESS she can come back as my daughter again.  So, she is determined to just stay in heaven with God and perhaps hire on as one of his angels.  She has asked that I talk to God about this but I told her that is really her responsibility.  Finally, she put together something resembling a resume for the position of Angel.  It is made out to God and Jesus and she would like me to attach some balloons to it so that it can float up to heaven for their consideration.  

Click on the image above to see it in full screen.

Political Strife in Thailand

There is a growing band of discontents here in Thailand know as PAD (Peoples Alliance for Democracy) they are not too happy with the Thai Parliament because of their ties with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (pictured above).   

Thaksin is one of the wealthiest men in Thailand and it's clear that he used his money to get into politics and in turn used his position to acquire more money.  Currently, he is in exile, living in Dubai.  He was convicted of corruption in some big land deal and his wife was convicted of tax evasion.  He is facing a two-year prison term should he return to Thailand. 

Even though he and his political party are banned from politics, his allies remain in power today under a new party name, the People Power Party (PPP).  That is why the PAD is so furious.  The PAD took over the Government House about 3 months ago with demands of dissolving the current administration.  The current Prime Minister is exiled in, and trying to run the Government from, Chang Mai. 

Last week the PAD took over both of Bangkok’s airports and they have stranded about 100,000 visitors.  This is really starting to take a toll on the local economy.  Mike and I will not make that trip to Koh Samui this weekend and Micah’s trip to Chang Dao is cancelled.  In addition, the mail is not moving, which may affect the timing of any Christmas presents sent through the mail.  

This group of protestors is relatively small.  The Embassy keeps tabs on their whereabouts at all times and sends out SMS messages notifying us of the areas to avoid.  We are never in harms way and our lives remain mostly unaffected by these demonstrations.  

Later on that day...

The PM stepped down and the airports will open in the morning :-)

A Visit To The Ancient City

Muang Boran, The Ancient City, is a beautiful park located in a province just outside of Bangkok.  It is a reflection of Thailand’s ancient culture presented in an authentic setting.  The park is over 300 acres so it is not recommended that you walk through it if you want to see everything.  We rented bikes and spent the day cruising around the park and taking pictures and videos.   Since most of the filming was done from a moving bicycle it gets a little shaky at times.

There are 116 replicas of some of the most significant structures and monuments of Thailand.  Actually, some are duplicates, some are new and creative designs and some have been reconstructed from ruin.  You can see Wats, Buddhas, villages, a floating market, boats, a palace, bridges and cattle in this video.  It’s kind of a one-stop shop for sightseeing the best of Thailand.

Mary's Gymnastics Video

And I can't believe
ah, that I'm your Mom
and I get to kiss you, baby
just because I can...

You're my everything Little Girl :-)

Upcoming Travel

We are finally going to take a short honeymoon on the island of Koh Samui December 5th.  At the same time Mr. Micah will be heading north to Chang Dao with his class for a Week on the Wild Side! Honestly, I think I'm more excited for his trip than I am for mine.  

They will take an overnight train to Chang Mai on Sunday night.  Monday they will travel about another hour to the town of Chang Dao and check into a resort called the Royal Ping.  They will spend the week hiking, kayaking, biking and competing on a rope obstacle course.

SURPRISE!

Yes, I did... I threw Mike a surprise party for winning the Thomas Morrison Information Management Award. The award is an annual Department of State award that recognizes outstanding and unique contributions in the information management field. There is a ceremonial presentation by Secretary Rice in DC on Tuesday.

I had a feeling he knew about it because he was messing with me all day on Friday. He got up late and threatened not to go into work. Then he made some comment about showing up at the door with his drawers down. Therefore, I had everyone hide in the back of the bedroom. I called Mike just before he got home and told him we had dinner reservations for 6:30 and that the kids went to see a movie. I had the whole apartment lit up with candles when he walked in the door. Later on, he said he was expecting a bunch of people to jump out when he walked in. Instead, I just gave him a hug and led him into the bedroom and SURPRISE! He was so shocked he did an immediate about face and walked right out the door.

We had about 50 guests and quite a few of them were Thai nationals that work for Mike in the telephone shop, the mailroom, the print shop and switchboard. They were great! They brought mangos and sticky rice, Mike’s favorite Thai dessert.

We did get a video but it somehow, mysteriously disappeared. Stefan is trying to recover it. There were a lot of pictures taken but not on my camera. I cannot believe I forgot to take pictures! There were many, many pictures taken by party guests so I hope to get my hands on those and post them later on in the week.

The Famous Raja's

The businesses that seem most prevalent in Bangkok are the massage parlors, coming in a very close second are the tailor shops.  Take a walk down Sukhumvit Rd. and you'll see the Urban Retreat Spa followed by a tailor shop, then another massage, maybe a 7-11, a restaurant, then another tailor shop... you get it!  It's ridiculous!  They like to stand out in front of their shops and call out at you, as if to say "Here I am... The tailor you've been looking for all along!" 

With all the competition the prices are reasonable and the quality is very good.  That goes for all the goods and services that flood the market here... bootlegged movies and software and knock-offs of every kind; shoes and purses being my favorite! 

So it's a little baffling when you walk into a tailor shop with about a dozen customers milling about, trying on their new threads, or having their measurement taken... sipping on a beer and chatting it up with other customers.   What is it that makes the world famous Raja's Fashions the most popular tailor in Bangkok?  I'm going to say it's your name...  That's right, your name.  It has a special ring to it, well, at least to you anyway.  And when people remember your name it makes you feel kind of important.  Remember that People, because that is, IMHO, that one little special X-factor that distinguishes this particular tailor from all the others in Bangkok.  

The ringleader of this crazy show, Bobby Gulati, never forgets a name!  When you walk into his shop you are immediately greeted by your first name and offered something to drink.  When you become his customer your name and measurements go into The Book.  In conversation with his customers, either in his shop or from the Embassy, the fact that he can remember your name, no matter how long it’s been since he has seen you, is the one thing that impresses people most.  It’s what they remember about Bobby from Raja’s and it’s what keeps them coming back and referring others to him.

 

OH SNAP... Crackle, Pop!

NIST wrapped up the ECA performing arts sessions yesterday with a performance from the various clubs. There was singing, dancing and drama. Mary's group, "Snap, Crackle, Pop", sang two songs and here are the video clips...

Mary is pretty easy to spot in this one... she's added her own little dance.

Who is honest?

I have a special post for you this weekend. I can't tell you what it is because it's a surprise but, I promise, you won't be disappointed!

Misc. Musings... Halloween, Muay Thai Boxing, ECA, Opera

We went to a Halloween parade at the Embassy last Friday. The kids collected candy from all the offices on the first two floors and then had a party in the Cafeteria. After, the kids came home and did all their trick-or-treating in the building. Mary immediately sorted her candy out and packed it up in little boxes for the homeless. Now, you might think that is a very charitable impulse on her part but, in fact, she is developing a terrible phobia about getting fat.

On that note, Mr. Micah has been all about the Muay Thai Boxing this week. There is a Muay Thai boxing gym not far from our apartment so we signed up for 15 lessons. He really loves it and it is a great workout.

The kids have 3 ECA (Extra Curricular Activity) sessions throughout the year. The first session is ending and the next one will start up next week. Mary was in a singing group called Snap, Crackle, Pop and they are putting on a little concert Wednesday to wrap things up. For the next session, Micah will play basketball on Fridays and Mary will play board games on Wednesdays.

I will attend an Opera this evening at the Thai Cultural Center. I think there will also be some art viewing and music beforehand. I will bring my camera!

Introducing Stefan Kuligowski

Mike's oldest son Stefan has finally arrived and we are so happy to have him here. The kids just love him... Mary seems to think he is her own personal playmate but we are trying to break her of that. In addition, Micah loves having an older stepbrother to show around town. We took Stefan to the Golden Mount Wat this weekend and got some great photos. (Check out the slideshow to the left)

Stefan has set up an amusing blog about his adventures here in Bangkok. I highly recommend it based on the entertainment factor alone. However, it is also a very interesting perspective on some of the overlooked details of this fascinating city. You can find it at http://stefansoutofhiselement.blogspot.com/.

He has also placed a series of related photo albums on Picasa http://picasaweb.google.com/StefansBangkokPictures... note the comments; it is practically a blog in and of itself.

He hopes to get a job at the Embassy. There are actually some good positions open right now that would be perfect for him!

He’s an aspiring film maker so I hope that he can secure some form of gainful employment and save up for film school tuition. There happens to be a renowned school in the Philippines that also produces movies (http://www.bigfootentertainment.com/ )… what an experience THAT would be!

Weekend in Hua Hin

A guy in the breakfast buffet line put it this way... "There's not much to NOT like about Hua Hin." That pretty much nailed it: We rode scooters, horses, elephants, ATVs and a large inflatable raft called The Banana... ascended to the top of Chopstick Hill to see a wat (temple) inhabited by monkeys... swam with the jellyfish (only one actually, and not the stinging kind) AND laid out by the beach, pampered by the locals with manis and pedis, massages and fruit smoothies delivered on demand.

Best family vacation ever and I can't wait to go back! Check out the pictures at Picasa.
http://picasaweb.google.com/tinakuligowski/HuaHin#

School Conferences

I am very happy to report that Micah is doing really well this year in school. He has been great about doing homework and behaving in school. He's a very smart kid but, unfortunately, his public school educaiton leaves him at a disadvantage for reading and writing in a private school.

I've started Micah on some extra reading and writing after school. He reads an article from the newspaper or a magazine like Time or Newsweek, then he writes a summary or opion about it. Of course, he hates it... it's like pulling teeth to get him going but I'm trying to make him understand just how important reading and writing skills will become as he gets older.

Mary is doing well also, but her teacher did mention that Mary had not turned in any homework during the time that I was in Manila. Oh well... she's back on track now. She really loves gymnastics! There is a park across from the building where her classes are held so I've been running around the park this week during her class.

I'm applying for a full time job at the Embassy as the Training Coordinator. As for the DS classes, there won't be anymore until spring so I have to make my money last until then.

Other good news... The farm house has two decent offers and the house on Hitt court may have a contract on it this week!! That would be a huge relief if those two houses finally sold!

The kids have a week off starting the 20th of October so we have planned a little trip to Hua Hin, which is a beach resort just a couple hours from Bangkok. We can take a train there for as little as $3 per person. I hope to have some nice pictures to post then.

Maid's 1st Day

I'm heading to Manila next Sunday for two weeks.  I couldn't put it off any longer... I had to hire a maid and today is her first day.  Coincidently she is from the Philippines and her name is Enid.  I hope she does okay with the cooking, that's all I really care about.  It's a little weird having a maid but I'm pretty sure I will get used to it.  Micah mentioned that everyone at his school has a maid except for him... poor kid :-(

Micah has to do community work to earn credits for the International Baccalaureate program so he has volunteered to go to an orphanage next weekend.  I think he's doing pretty well in school.  He really likes his Humanities class... he likes to talk about current events and read Time magazine now.  I actually caught him working on a report about Vladimir Putin last week!

Mary started passing out her cards and Friday she spent a few hours at a friends house and then her friend came over to our place for a while.  Her friends name is Abiha (kind of sounds like "A Bee Hive" so there was a long misunderstood conversation about that after her friend called) anyway, she is still plugging away at gymnastics.  She has almost mastered a handstand which is pretty impressive since she still can't get the cartwheel.

I pulled out this picture (to the left) from yesterday's paper about a group of monks praying at one of the big temples.  I like the monks and the Thai's devotion to their religion.  You can't walk 100 yards in any direction without passing a shrine.

Micah's new religion and Mary's new rules

Last night Micah decided he wanted to look into Buddhism and asked if we could go meditate at a temple (Wat) next weekend. So I pulled out my "Buddhism Explained" book which seemed a bit complicated so I read him a few pages from Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth. Then we lit some candles, burned some incense and meditated for a few minutes.

We needed something to hold the incense so I went into Mary's room and borrowed an empty soda can from her soda can collection which prompted a minor outburst and a posting of rules for conduct in her bedroom, which follows:

1. Do not touch soda can collection
2. Do not fart
3. Do not eat in room
4. LISTEN