OceanicThai

Sea Cucumbers, Sea Urchins, Sea Anenomes, Starfish, Limpets, Mollusks, Hermit Crabs, Mud-Skippers, Fiddler Crabs, live corals, schools of fish...today we saw them all at low tide at the beach of Khook Khlooy, where we usually go play once a week. Today was the lowest tide of the month, and it was wonderful. Jasper was grabbing the hermit crabs by the handfuls, he was so excited he didn't even care they were trying to come out and pinch him. (Hermit crabs really hurt when they pinch.) I was really excited, too, I've never seen the kinds of starfish we saw today, very thin, slender arms with what seemed like orange and blue coloring, peeking out from under the rocks they were under. I thought maybe they were octopi, but we couldn't see their bodies, and the arms looked too brittle, not fleshy. We were all enthralled. It was wonderful to share the moment with our children, to share it as a family. Discoveries are best shared with the ones you love and the ones that love you.

Tapuu Island, actually, but it kind of got a new name when it was featured in a James Bond movie. It is translated "Nail Island" because the top part of the island is heavier than the bottom. We see pictures of it on signs coming in and out of Phang Nga city all the time, and today was the big day we finally took the kids to rent a long-tail boat and tour the islands we live practically next door to. We remembered our camera, and I'm so glad we did. Is there any place in the world like this? This archipelago of islands, one after the other, placed in jewel-like ocean water, with bizarrely shaped limestone formations and caves...it is heart-achingly beautiful.

I thought this blog got deleted, I was so mad! "This blog not found" kept popping up. I finally figured out what was wrong. Why was I so upset? It's just a blog.

Today, Saturday, we hope to take the kids island hopping on one of the rental boats at Phang Nga Bay. Half of the time we forget our camera, but today we won't, can't. Kennedy will want to take photos to use for his oil paintings. I would like to get some photos of the kids, we never take enough photos of all our adventures, we are having too much fun enjoying the moment.

We bought an expresso machine and put our 6-year-old old coffeepot to rest. What exquisite concoctions we are making here every morning...latte's, mochas... I have been eating too much chocolate lately, since we've been indulging in buying chocolate for the holidays. Usually we don't buy or make too many desserts or candy, we eat too much of it when in the U.S.A. They say chocolate kicks up the serotonin levels, I could use more of those anyway. Tomorrow I'll go on my bike in the morning and do penance!

Driving along a very dark highway last night, to Baan Tung Mapraw, to drop off our broken truck, I had to wonder what in the world we were doing. We could have had it fixed at the Ford dealer at Phuket for 70,000 Baht, or $1,750 but the head mechanic had offered to fix it at his house for $1,250. The head is broken. Driving along, trying to avoid the small moped/motorcycles here, there and everywhere, I was just praying we weren't getting soaked. A common occurance for everyone here, especially westerners. Our Thai friends probably think we are idiots for paying so much, why didn't we just get it done with second-hand parts at a little cheap garage somewhere? We tried to explain that if we don't fix it right this time we will have more problems in the future. We drove up to a ramshackle little cement house where the mechanic lives with his mother, sister, neices and 2 of his own children. He is obviously the breadwinner for the whole family. They were nice, brought out cold...

Baan Nam Chem had a beautiful memorial park dedicated to those who had lost their lives there, and along the coast, a year ago. We wrote our name in their giant guestbook, then walked along the 10 foot tall, wave shaped black stone memorial, reading the names and home countries of those who died. We visited the temple where we had worked, "yok sop," or in English, lifting bodies. That is what my husband did, anyway, I couldn't bear to do it, so I helped with translation and with those who came to look for their loved ones. We brought a gift basket to the Thai folks that took us in and let us sleep at their house, but they had moved already. A local girl told us another group had come, too, the day before. Other westerners that had helped at Yan Yaw temple, they had come and done so much, they are heroes to me. I don't even remember most of their names, they were tourists, or ex-pats, younger and older, they came from all over the place, and came to do what many Thais ...

Newsweek had an article about the one year memorial of the tsunami here in Southern Thailand, focusing particularly on Baan Nam Chem. Leave it to them to insinuate Christians just "moved in" to make converts. What is common knowledge here, among all the Thais helped, is that Christian organizations were responsible for 70% of all the rebuilding that was done here, especially the houses. "We Love Thailand" is a group of Christian organizations that organized tremendous help for the region. Hundreds of both western and Thai Christians worked selflessly to help tsunami victims, from the first hour on, and many are still working. The communities that were helped are grateful. Shame on you, Newsweek, for turning a beautiful thing into something ugly.

Ton, from Northern Thailand, was leading the Muslim children in songs at the Christian Christmas party this morning. Most of the young Thais that put it on were tsunami volunteers. Adorable toddlers came with mommies and daddies to join the fun, mostly watching while their older brothers and sisters played games and got presents. Almost all of the women and older girls had their headscarves off until it was time to go, which I thought was odd. Tasty Muslim food, a piece of curried chicken, saffron rice, clear broth with radish, a cookie and a soft drink, was served up to all for lunch. A baby monkey being trained to run up coconut trees to fetch coconuts for its owner entranced our children. On the way home they fantasized about bringing a baby monkey home to raise. I told them there was no way we were going to raise a monkey! "What if we could train it to use the toilet and not to bite? What if we found a baby monkey on the beach with its mommy and they loved on us and asked us ...

We are gearing up for Christmas celebrations as a family and at our Thai church. I have wrapped up 50 bags of candy to give to the kids that show up for the church party. The whole region here is also gearing up, to remember the devastating tsunami that came Dec 26th, the day after Christmas. There are memorials planned at different key points throughout the region. At Phuket where the rest of the victim's remains, now just bones, are. At Baan Niang, and at Takua Paa, where we worked at Yan Yaw temple, processing the dead. We will go. I've wrapped gifts for the family that gave us a bedroom to use while we helped at the temple, and for the man that arranged it for us. I am thinking of all the people that came to help from all over, and all the people that saw the horror of it first-hand, of those that came to the morgue/temple Yan Yaw looking for their loved ones, and of the dead... And people are coming back to remember, still devasted, still traumatised. A Thai friend told ...

My husband finished another portrait, from a photograph of our daughter's best friend from the village we used to live in. Our house is full of paintings & I enjoy them immensely. Paintings of Burmese tribal men and women, paintings from our old village, paintings of friends. I am eagerly waiting for his paintings of Southern Thailand. He started on one already and although he doesn't seem to like it too much, I think it's wonderful.

We are going to a Muslim village Saturday with "Save the Children" or some other organization. We have to meet at 8 a.m. to caravan, so that will be a bit of a challenge with all of us Saturday sleepyheads, but we really want to go. The Muslims in this area are very moderate compared to the Muslims in the Southernmost regions. I read in the paper the other day that since early last year over 1,000 people have died from shootings and bombings. So tragic. Some of it was government mishandling situations, like the 68 or so young men that died from what was probably heat-stroke while they were being detained by police. But the Muslims are also killing Buddhists and bombing schools that they feel are trying to integrate their children into mainstream Thai society. It is such a mess there. The parents of some of our friends moved out and are trying to sell their land. They are Christians and they are afraid to live there any longer. Christians and churches are also target...

Tired, I'm so sick of feeling tired all the time. I had one friend tell me she thought I was depleted of serotonin because of the high-levels of stress in our lives these past few years. I talked to someone else and they wondered if I have a low-level depression or something. I don't feel depressed, I just feel tired. I am trying to take my anemia pills and my heart pills regularly, I try to excersize. I feel happy about what I'm doing, for the most part. (I admit I get bored homeschooling sometimes.) What energizes me? When we go to the beach, then I feel great. I get so excited to explore tidal pools, look for shells, crabs, go for long walks. I love to go to the parks here, there is so much to see. I am invigorated by the beauty around me, refreshed and awakened by it.

Bat Yeor wrote a book on the decline of Eastern Christianity under Islam, a book about dhimmitude. What a heartbreaking book, and what a look at history I had no idea about whatsoever. Over a thousand years ago the great civilizations that eventually became modern-day Iraq, Iran, Syria, Turkey and Egypt were subjugated under invaders. After hundreds of years of massacre, slavery and severe oppression, some of the orginal inhabitants of these areas no longer exist. Dhimmitude ended under great pressure from Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries, beginning in Turkey. Bat Yeor is a historian who has done pain-staking research in this field.

I try to get up shortly after 6 a.m. I like to ride my bike early before it gets too hot. Breakfast, with a big latte' coffee Shower, dress, makeup, hair (I do my hair straight & long) 8 a.m. Kids do science with dad 8:30 a.m. I start math (We use Saxon & Sonlight curriculum) 12 p.m. Thai lunch 1 p.m. Kids do Thai lesson 1:30-3:00 p.m. Homeschool 2 p.m. I am usually done at this point, the kids do the rest on their own. This is where I'm supposed to be furthering my Thai, but I have no teacher at the moment and I have felt so tired lately I am often just reading a book instead, or writing in my journal, or doing anything else. 4 p.m. Start dinner (Not a whole lot of ready-made foods here, so it takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to make dinner.) 6 p.m. Teach English Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings 8 p.m. Reading, or on the computer 10 p.m. Force myself to get ready for bed...I am naturally a night owl

These are the sounds I hear every night. Trucks screaming by making our enormous front metal doors rattle. Sad, loud songs of the entertainment women across the street trying to lure customers in. Croaking frogs in the brackish water left from the rains and the dirty restaurant water next door. Voices of the construction men and their families living in the shacks in back.

Krabi and Phang Nga must be the 2 most beautiful provinces in Southern Thailand. 2 days ago we walked along a beach whose horizon was dotted with islands. It was low tide and people were picking their way around the nearest islands, walking and sometimes wading out to them. We walked out to the nearest island, finding starfish along the way, stranded by the low tide. Tidepools beckoned us to circle the tiny island in search of sea urchins, mollusks, and other treasures of the ocean. We headed back as the sun began to set, following the narrow stretch of sand left going to the beach, and then the tide took over. Looking at the glorious sunset my spirit just filled with wonder at such overwhelming beauty.

Our tree is prettier this year than any other year. We sprayed some fake snow on its plastic branches, hung up the new plastic ornaments we bought yesterday. When it was done, it made me feel kind of sad and definitely homesick. I wonder why they don't have glass ornaments here? The plastic ones are very pretty, for being plastic; it must simply be the economy. I remember 6 years ago buying this tree and a bag of rather homely ornaments. Today I am thinking of America's beautiful cities, towns, and the lavish, gorgeous Christmas displays. My own hometown is a poetically lovely, a preserved Victorian treasure, especially lovely at Christmas time. I am glad to be here, I love it here, but I still feel homesick sometimes.

I am having bouts of culture shock...no surprise, really. I have had them since we taxied into the Thailand airport 6 years ago. Here, it is because of the Southern Thai culture. What I have appreciated all these years has been the politeness of Thai people. They have taught me so much about being polite, even when I feel irritated or preoccupied. I wonder if there is any other culture where the people are as polite and gracious as the Thai. This morning when my husband went to ask the builders next door to please stop using all our fill dirt for our driveway, again, the man just gave him a disgusted look and wouldn't even talk to him. I couldn't believe it. They have been coming over for 2 days now using the dirt the owner of our house bought for this house. Of course we asked politely in Thai. It is going to take some time to get used to another culture. I am sure that in a couple of years I will find plenty of things to appreciate, like perhaps the honesty maybe?

We came down from Eastern Thailand, as soon as we had enough money, to help after the tsunami. We ended up at Wat Yan Yaw, the main temple where they were processing bodies. Our time there was like being in a nightmare, a tragic and frightening one. We went back to the temple last week, and walked around the grounds. They had put fill dirt in, throughout the entire temple area. It was so strange to see the refrigerated body containers gone, the mounds of donated goods gone, the room of computers gone, and all the people, soldiers, doctors, volunteers all gone. No one was there, just a handful of placid monks. They had some pictures posted, though, and they were extremely graphic, and they brought it all back. There was the destroyed beach area, the bodies, there was where I worked, there was where my husband worked, there was my husband...there he was, all suited up in his white smock, apron, mask, gloves, working among the bodies. No mistaking his tall frame, certain stance, the way h...

The other day my son went out to play with the boys from the shack across from our shophouse. They seemed to be having fun together, then he came in, upset. "They threw rocks at me." Why? I think it is because he looks different than they do, he talks differently, although he was trying to speak Thai, they speak another dialect. They acted from powerful inner impulses, perhaps they felt upset and threatened by this person who was so unlike themselves. Adults can also feel strong emotions when confronted by people of another language and culture. I think it is a strength of America that society has done so much to try to cultivate an attitude of appreciation towards other cultures, some regions more sucessfully than others, of course. There is always more to do, of course, and always more room to grow, and there are always groups of people that cannot see the value of anyone but themselves, but I feel there are also vast numbers of peoples that are kind-hearted, genero...

I was teaching English 2 days ago and one of my students asked me why it was that sometimes foreign (western) tourists are unfriendly and don't want to talk to them. This man in his 50's asked, "Do they want to 'protect' themselves?" I thought about Thai culture, how open they are with strangers about their own lives, and tried to quickly formulate an answer, "They don't understand the Thai culture and they don't know you, so they are afraid you might want to do something bad to them." American idioms flowed through my brain..."Don't talk to strangers." "It's none of your business." How could they possibly understand these strange and apparently unfriendly ideas? I see sometime in the future I will have to teach them the word "privacy" and how it is so highly valued in western countries. Here it is not valued or understood. Perhaps it is the luxury of the rich, but not part of the thinking of the everyday...

Here is another voice from the ocean of humanity. We have lived here in Thailand for over 6 years, first in Chiang Mai then Esaan, the East, then 6 months in Central Thailand. Now we are here in Southern Thailand, 2 months since arrival. We have lived in all 4 regions of Thailand now. We live in a shophouse along a major road in Phang Nga. Our "front door" is a big metal roll-up door. People walk by on their way to nearby shops, peering in at us. Sometimes they just come on in, after taking their shoes off first, of course. The owner and her relatives come in quite often, calling up to us if we are on the upper floor . The other day a "worker" type with his western-style sweat-soaked clothes walked right into our house to sell us some rattan shelves he had just built and laquered. He was convinced we should buy them from him. We did. 2 weeks ago an elderly lady in a rumpled traditional skirt walked in. She held a well-used natural fiber basket and told me in ...