Deprived?

They are fleeting, but there are occasional moments I feel a pang of regret that my kids are “missing out” growing up overseas.  Being a million miles away from the good ol’ USofA means there are some trademark bona fide American flavors they have never experienced.  Without exception, the one thing we always request when someone is coming from the States and asks what they can bring for us is “FOOD!”  We stockpile Cheezits, salsa, Velveeta, taco seasoning and chocolate chips.  The ginormous SAMS sized parmesan cheese container has been rationed to get us through until we are back in the States this summer.  And the M&M’s that we tried to ration……are long gone!

My poor deprived kids!!  Im not sure that the younger kids even know how a drive-through window works.  They’ve never had “happy meals” as a snack after school.  My kids are unfamiliar with the powerful magnetic force of a blinking “hot” sign outside Krispy Kreme.  They’ve never been waited on by a carhop on roller-skates at a Sonic.  Their cholesterol may be dangerously low for their age because they’ve never tasted a greasy chili dog at the Varsity or had Checkers cajun curly fries.  They know “blizzard” only as a snowstorm rather than a Dairy Queen ice-cream concoction, and think that “munchkin” is Gigi’s nickname, not a decadent Dunkin Donut bite.

But for all these disturbing holes in their upbringing, there are some redeeming flavors of their unique childhood that I hope they’ll look back on with fondness.

“Rotti”….its kinda our favorite thing these days.  After our first revolting experience with street food, it took us 2 1/2 years to warm up to the idea again.  In fact, Tristan and C are still arguing over whether rotti can be defined as “street food”…..C insists that anything pedaled down the street on a bike with a propane tank attached to it is still considered “street food”!

Instead of McNuggets or a Slurpee, this is what my kids get for an after school snack some days

(don’t you feel sorry they’re so deprived?!)

Britain placing her order

the “Rotti man” takes dough balls….

…and flattens them into a thin pancake….

….and whips it around and throws it like a pizza crust…

…then tosses it into hot oil on a griddle….

….and adds sliced banana while its frying up….

…then folds it into a “crepe” of sorts…

(never mind the flies buzzing around, and exhaust from motor vehicles and dust and debris from the construction site behind us)

….sweet anticipation….

…once they’re golden brown, they’re drizzled with sweetened condensed milk….

….and generously sprinkled with cinnamon sugar….

…and lastly chopped into bite sized pieces….

…”order up!”….

Curbside dining…..literally!

6 hungry little mouths fed for about $3

Yeah……I don’t think they feel like they’re missing out too much when they’re stuffing their little chipmunk cheeks with this deliciousness!!  Colonel Sanders ain’t got nothin’ on the Rotti Guy!

Wet n’ Wild

Songkran
Its the Thai New Year Festival and its wet n’ wild!

Survival skills required!  In order to properly document it, you must have

1) a resilient sense of humor.

2) waterproof hardware for your electronics. and

3) an ironclad immune system resistant to water borne disease.

(……only time will tell if we have the latter.)

Its a three-day nationwide water fight and its ca-razy!!  You’ve got to see it to believe it.  There is no white flag to waive.  No “Im holding a baby” or “Im wearing dry-clean only clothes” or “Im carrying groceries” excuse that offers you safe haven.

Nope.  Its just 72 hours of liberty to assault anyone and everyone with water guns, hoses and buckets of water.

Friends.  Enemies.  Complete strangers.  Its an all out war.  The attitude is jovial.  Boisterous.  No one seems bothered or inconvenienced to show up at their destination dripping wet.  Its expected when you leave your home during Songkran.   Traditionally, its something about washing away the misfortunes of the past year, but for us foreigners, its just a wet and wild party!

We made friends with the guards of our building who were all to eager to have 6 little assassins in their command.  They obliged by filling garbage cans to the brim with water and outfitting the kids with high pressure hoses.  We spent hours with neighbors on the street by our building hosing off cars, spraying down tuk-tuks and assaulting passers-by with water guns…..all who retaliated in kind!

Only in Thailand!  We love these people. this culture, these traditions!

Friendly fire….defending our turf against neighbor boys!

Even Gigi got in on the action!

We took a tuk-tuk ride around the city to check out the action outside our neighborhood…..and got DRENCHED!!

Kids said it was better than a water park….(and a whole lot cheaper!)

After a bucket of ice water thrown in our tuk-tuk….freezing!!!!

A little soggy coming home after our ride around town!

My Sister. My City.

The glittering lights and hustle and bustle of this wild and crazy metropolitan city that never sleeps.
And the company of my dearest friend, confidant, partner in crime; the sister who has shared every season, move, grief and joy of my life.
My two worlds for a brief time collide and my heart sings to have gotten to share a slice of my life with this girl.  This girl!!

Two years apart has been TOO long!

We crammed just about as much fun as we possibly could into 2 weeks together.  The perfect balance of racing around experiencing the sights, smells and tastes of the culture, while still finding time for some lazy afternoons by the pool and even sneaking away for high-tea in celebration of her birthday.

Having Uncle Derek and Aunt Katherine visit has been anticipated for MONTHS.  It was an absolute BATTLE to get the kids to go to school every day and Gigi totally took advantage of having Uncle Derek wrapped around her little finger during school hours when there was no competition!

Derek and Katherine, fresh off the boat, (or plane in their case) bravely accepted their first challenge.  Pretty sure there is no one else in the world we could do this too…..we left them with 6 kids, jet lag, and a city they were unfamiliar with and walked out the door less than 48 hours after they arrived.  C and I got 2 nights away together.  Gotta take the chance when it comes (which is not very often with no family around).  Kids were so glad we got out of the way so they could have their aunt and uncle all to themselves.

Having visitors in town totally gave us the liberty to be “tourists” in our town and do the things we never take the time to do.  Checked some things off our Bangkok “Bucket List”.

Ancient City

A day trip to the Crocodile Farm and Ancient Siam park was a favorite outing.  Biking the grounds of the park was one of the coolest things we’ve done here.  We’ll definitely be sending visitors there with our highest recommendation!

And tho Im not sure Ill be offering the same unreserved recommendation of the crocodile farm, (lions and tigers and crocs, oh my!!!!), it was nonetheless a “culture experience” that left quite an impression.
Traumatic perhaps.

But an impression nonetheless.

Night Bike Tour

A fun unconventional “double date”  I remember Katherine and I talking long before either of us met our husbands….worried that our relationship would change if either of us married someone the other didnt like.  And once I married C, worried that HE wouldn’t like the guy Katherine would marry.  We couldn’t enjoy each others company better.  The four of us had a blast together on our night bike tour.  Great laughs.  Deep conversation.  Good exercise.  Unforgettable memories.

Wat Po, The Grande Palace and the ginormous night flower market were among the highlights!

Birthday Celebration

How fun to have my sister here for her birthday and get to do the sister things we never get to do!   Birthday girl got celebrated in style, starting a day early with pedicures (thanks Aunt Diana!!)

These kids love their auntie!!  Its never too early for cake, because you can call your favorite pound cake a “coffee cake” and it totally flies for breakfast!

Tristan, Derek and C got outvoted…..Cinderella movie was girls choice on her birthday, then it was off to high tea for some quality sister time!  Aaahhhh….the “clink” of crystal and uninterrupted conversation….therapy to my heart!
Guys picked us up a few hours later for a fun night out at Asiatique and dinner on the river.

Girls Night

Fun to host a little ladies get-together so all my Bangkok friends can meet my favorite girl.  Our last “shin-dig” in our old house before we moved this week!

Photoshoot

Katherine shares my love of photography and inspires my artistic inclination.  We scouted out a new location for some photoshoots I have coming up and I got to do a little practice session on her and Derek (another post, another time).  Tagalong Gigi got to share a strawberry smoothie with Auntie Katherine and I snapped away some candids in a cute little cafe.  Oh how I long to see more of this….my kids with their aunt.  Breaks my heart they are growing up so far from each other!

 Treasuring the memories we’ve made and the bond that we share in spite of space and time and distance.

Miss her already so dearly!!