We are marking two and a half weeks of school, and a month and 10 days in country and we are now facing some adjustments. Although it is nice having a routine with school, we are now able to face some of the bits and pieces of living and adjusting to a new way of life. The stress of the move has come out differently in each of us. The girls are learning again, how to make friends and how to be a friend. It is not easy, and they have been having a few bumps in the road. Both of them are so use to having friends that are more like family than friends, now it takes effort to reach out to kids who already have friends to see where they could fit into whatever they are doing. It has been a great lesson for them one that we are working through with some tears along the way. One thing that helps is that ALL of the kids here have, at one time, been the "new kid" and with a little reminder, they are more than willing to include the new kids. I have been loving our house, but had a bit of a break down when we painted our apartment and the color was not what I had envisioned. I spent all night feeling guilty and planning the repainting of the colored walls. The next morning I was tired, and after a day of living with the colors we chose, I am actually beginning to like them. Andy is Andy and of course is taking everything in stride, however, he had found himself in the position of Chair for the Bangkok International Choral Festival. This means he is planning this enormous event that is bringing in choirs from all over southeast Asia and a guest conductor from the US. He is quickly learning how to do this, and thankfully has an assistant and the person who did it last year for his boss. It is causing a bit of stress and is coming up very very soon October 2nd and 3rd.
With all the adjustments to life here, we are finding our people! We have joined a Unitarian Universalist gathering on Sunday nights. So far we have attended one, and it really made this place feel like home. We lit the chalice, sang some UU songs, and chatted while the kids did an activity. Amazing how much connecting with people in that way makes all the adjustments a little easier.
I had my first Thai massage, it was lovely and so affordable that I just may make it a weekly event. I have been swimming laps on Saturday morning and it feels great! What a good way to get exercise, especially here where you'll do anything to beat the heat. Andy has found a community volleyball team that he will be doing on Wednesday nights and has been riding his bike a lot back and forth to school and to the grocery store. We have AnnaLisa signed up for Ballet class, and Addie in Girl Scouts. Addie will also be doing 4th and 5th grade strings and Choir. And we have found a new violin/ viola teacher for the girls, they will start lessons next week. Our schedules are quickly filling up! We are really focusing on keeping a balance, and ample time for homework and sleep. Things we have been utterly deprived of for the past several years.
Ok, now to SNAKES! It is snake season and we have been spotting them often. So far I have personally witnessed two large green snakes. As I was walking home from school the other day and a large green snake zipped across the sidewalk about 3 feet from me! It was beautiful, but made me a bit nervous about the kids accidentally encountering one them. When we got home that same day, we were playing in the parking lot of the apartment complex we live in and we heard all of the Thai staff yell Ngu! Ngu!! I do not know many words in Thai, but I know that one means SNAKE!! Again, we spotted a bright green snake in the tree. It was casing a large lizard that it was hoping to have for dinner, until we interrupted it and the lizard spotted the snake. This prompted the lizard to run for it's life! It turned around and launched its self off the branch, and flew down about 30 feet from the tree. Trailing right behind it was the snake! The lizard ran up the next tree and the snake followed it. We could see the snake slithering around in the branches, and then lost it. We are expecting to see many more snakes in the coming months and are bracing ourselves to be cautious, I have the snake hotline in my favorites for my phone and have been studying up on what snakes are most common and where and when they like to come out.
All in all, I think that life here is suiting us well. We are adjusting to the heat, loving the food, and finding our people and friends. We have planned our first long weekend in September. We are planning to go to Chiang Rai, to spend some time in the mountains and jungle there. We will get a chance to visit some villages, ride elephants, and do some cloth and basket weaving. We are really excited!
Love,
AnnaLisa is so excited to do ballet!
