Thai Flag

In Bangkok it is not unusual to see people wearing red, white, and blue t-shirts, pins, buttons, etc. because those are the colors of the Thai flag.  However, we were impressed by the size of the flag that we saw people carrying outside the mall on this day.  People were struggling to wave it around because it was so large!

Weather Like Southern California

A colleague who has been living in Thailand for a long time told me that the great weather we've been having hasn't lasted this long into January for over 15 years.  The average daytime temps have been about 23ºC / 74ºF, with cool breezes, and blue skies.

In the other countries we have lived, we also experienced abnormal temperature changes.  We were forewarned about an extremely cold winter in Marrakech that didn't materialize.  In Shanghai it snowed for the first time in 25 years.  In Singapore…well, the weather really didn't change that much, but the buses were really cold from the low settings and my glasses would fog up each time I "alighted."

For now, we'll enjoy opening the sliding glass doors of our condo to let in the cool, gentle breezes and an occasional mosquito or fly.

Asiatique

A school colleague recommended a place called Asiatique for dinner one night.  We were pleasantly surprised by the variety of shops, restaurants, and entertainment there.  They have lots of Thai food but also a variety of international restaurants.

We took a short, free boat ride along the Chao Phraya River and hung out at Asiatique for the whole evening strolling through some of the 1,500 boutiques and 40 restaurants.  We even splurged and spent $8 USD to ride the giant Ferris Wheel.  It wasn't as big as the one in Singapore, but it gave us a great view of Asiatique, the river, and the night skyline!

Indonesian Vacation

For Winter Break, we decided to visit Indonesia.  We got an amazing deal on a seven-day cruise which visited the islands of Simbawang, Bali, and Lombok.  We had not been on a cruise for a while, so it was nice to unpack only once for a whole week and take advantage of the all-you-can-eat mindset.  

After the cruise, we spent a week in Jakarta at one of the best hotels we've ever stayed in: The Grand Mahakam!  Jakarta was unusually sparse as most of the locals left the big city to spend the holidays with their families.  Even the taxi drivers repeatedly commented on the lack of traffic on the roads.  

It was a great New Year's week for us, and the three million locals who were left in Jakarta all seemed to have come out to the same beach with us to celebrate the longest lasting fireworks show we had ever witnessed!  (It's probably still going on now!)

Mr. and Mrs. Claus joined us on the cruise ship.

And of course the elves, too!

Tim was interviewed in Jakarta by some local students who were practicing their English.

This was one of the many beautiful beaches in Lombok.

A sign on the bus window.  What does the last one mean?  Do not…?

The pre-fireworks show on the beach was a multi-sensory extravaganza!

This is the lobby of the Grand Mahakam Hotel in Jakarta.

A beautiful swan stood watch to greet the hotel guests.

And a colorful peacock graced the entrance of the hotel restaurant.

The inlaid marble floors and rod iron staircases were beautiful.

They even set up a winter wonderland in the lobby for photos!

We had a spectacular dinner at Skye restaurant on the 56th floor of the BCA building.

McDonald's helped us learn some Indonesian.  What do you think "buka" and "jam" means?

Interesting directions on the inside lid of the toilet.

On our last day in Indonesia (just before heading off to the airport), we visited Taman Mini Indonesia Indah which is a large park with houses and pavilions from all over Indonesia.  You can visit all of Indonesia in a couple hours!

In the middle of the park is a huge lake with all of the major Indonesian islands represented. 

Could this be Mount Sinabung?

The West Sumatra Pavilion

This bajaj is one way to avoid the traffic, but it's a tight squeeze inside.

Since it was Christmas time, we saw lots of decorations in Indonesia: Christmas trees, tinsel, lights, and Santas!  Some of the Santas that we saw were a bit different from what you might see in America, so we took a few pics whenever we could.

A very plastic Santa face with a super long beard.

Santa's face may have shrunk in the washing machine.

A 2-D Santa with a happy thumbs up.

A kindly version of Old St. Nick.

This is the Santa you see if you've been naughty!  (Not that we would know.)

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Yes, it's Christmas time in Bangkok and the shopping frenzy is in full force.  Trees and lights started going up in mid-November…just like in America!

This tree is outside Terminal 21, a large shopping mall, and reaches higher than the sky train (the concrete structure behind the tree).

One day we went to Siam Paragon (another very large shopping mall), and on our way down the glass elevator, we saw a bunch of people wearing red, green, and brown shirts.  Later we found out that those 852 students were setting a Guinness World Record for the largest human Christmas tree!

Who can resist a giant teddy bear at Christmas when it's 80º outside?

The new year is on the horizon, but it's not going to be 2014 AD in Thailand.  Here it's actually going to be 2557 BE!  That is because the official calendar of Thailand follows the Thai Buddhist Era (BE).

Of course, with influence from the West, 2014 is also displayed as the coming new year in Bangkok.  Whenever we write dates, we have to write slowly because it is different than back home.  Instead of 12/16/13 (mm/dd/yy) it's 16/12/56 (dd/mm/yy) or 16/12/13.  It's easier to just write Dec. 16, 2013!

We Ho! Ho! Hope you have a happy, chili holiday wherever you are!

Father's Day in Thailand

Father's Day in Thailand (December 5th) is also the king's birthday.  He is the world's longest reigning living monarch.  He is also the only monarch ever to have been born in the United States!  

King Bhumibol Adulyadej turns 86 years old this year.

We have been told that people in Thailand celebrate Father's Day by spending time with their fathers, sharing a meal, and sometimes giving gifts just like we do in America.

In Thailand, each day of the week has a color assigned to it.  The color yellow has been designated for Monday and since the king was born on a Monday, yellow is his color.  On the king's birthday, Thai people honor him by wearing his color or by wearing the color that symbolizes good health (pink).  

The king also has his own flag which is yellow, of course.

In addition, the king has a special anthem called Sansoen Phra Barami, which means "Glorify his Prestige."  It is often played at ceremonies, special events, performances, concerts, and even before every movie that is shown in a theater.  Each time it is played, the audience stands through the entire anthem. 

Thanksgiving

Yes, with a little bit of effort, Americans can celebrate Thanksgiving even while living overseas.

This year our Thanksgiving meal was:

 eaten in a Thai condo, 

catered by a Mexican restaurant, 

hosted by a Canadian teacher and her Filipino husband,

and shared with Australian, German, and Thai teachers!

As one of three Americans at the party, I was given the honor of carving the turkey.

This bird fed 15 hungry people.

All the fixin's.

Delicious pumpkin pie completed the feast.

It was kind of like the famous painting by Norman Rockwell, "Freedom From Want."