Thursday, November, 13, 2008 by monica @ transplanting me
if i hadn’t seen it. and felt it. look what a11 wore to bed the other night.
and, yes, that is two layers she’s wearing! i’ve actually heard the words “record setting” used to describe this year’s cold season.
funny thing is the other morning it was 16 - that’s celsius. and i was freezing. i had on my hoodie seatshirt and thick socks. and then i entered 16 degrees into the temperature converter i have on my computer and it said in farenheit that’s the same thing as 60 degrees. hmmm… i guess maybe i’m acclimating?
Posted in a11 - previously known as lb, family, nablopomo, thailand | 6 Comments »
Thursday, November, 13, 2008 by monica @ transplanting me
here’s a current picture of me. the shirt i’m wearing was actually too tight on me when we moved. and now it’s too big. woo hoo!
and, yes, that is the best recent picture of me that i have. it’s also the only.
Posted in me me me, nablopomo | 11 Comments »
Wednesday, November, 12, 2008 by monica @ transplanting me
or rather how i’m gonna end up gaining back all the weight i’ve lost.
being from america i’d never heard of a tim tam before. much less eaten one. they’re from australia. they also come from indonesia, but those in the know have informed me that the australian ones are the real deal and the ones from indonesia are poor imitations.
this weekend on the field trip i had my first ever tim tam. and i was amazed. it was so good. and when i shared that i’d never, ever had a tim tam before everyone within ear shot passed out from shock. once revived they all simultaneously asked, “so, you’ve never had a tim tam slam?” and i answered, “a what?” and immediately i was instructed how they’re done and that i could not survive another day without trying it out!
i managed to make it 2 days before i purchased some tim tams. australian ones. and i came straight home from the store, poured myself a cup of coffee, bit off the corners of the tim tam and sucked coffee through it. and all i could say was, “WOW!”
and then i did it again.
and again.
Posted in food, life is good, me me me, nablopomo | Tagged tim tam, tim tam slam | 8 Comments »
Tuesday, November, 11, 2008 by monica @ transplanting me
sometimes it’s the little things that get me all excited and this weekend after an outing with a11 she pointed out one of them. and then she mentioned that i might be weird. not in a disrespectful way mind you. more of in an “i’m concerned about you and maybe we should find you some help” kind of way.
see we had been out shopping for our christmas angel child. we’d managed to find what they wanted plus a few extras. and while this did make me feel good it isn’t what put a spring in my step. as we were walking to the car someone starts following us. and i start to get that little thrill down my spine that i always get when someone is following me in their car in a parkig lot. not the “oh my, a stalker is on my tail” kind of thrill - i’m talking about the “they want my parking spot” kind of thrill. i mean this is the kind of thing that can turn the suckiest of days into a amazingly wonderful bluebirds start singing kind of day. it makes me fantabulously happy when someone wants my parking spot. when i get in my car and am pulling out of my spot if i happen to notice someone waiting for my spot i can’t wipe the smile off my face i get so happy. and if they happen to follow me to my spot because they want it so badly. well, that’s like winning a lottery. it’s amazing. and i’ve never felt like it was odd or strange that i had this reaction. at least not until a11 pointed out that she didn’t believe this was at all normal.
but i think it might be contageous. because on our way home from the store we happened to stop by the open air market and as we were pulling out of the parking lot i noticed a smile creep across a11’s face. and i heard her quietly say, “someone took our spot.” smile worthy, indeed.
in other news - i got an email today from my mom today. actually two. they were forwards of the iteneraries for my mom & dad’s trip to visit us in january. they aren’t flying together. they’re very much like the president and vice president of the united states. too risky to have them on the same flight. they get here a day apart. i think i might make a couple of those construction paper chains for the count down to their arrivals. i was talking with s9 about how it will have been over a year since we last saw my dad (my mom visited this last may) and how neat it will be to have them around. and what all things we could possibly do. when i reminded s9 that he and his brother and sister would still have to go to school he said, “oh, yeah. well, it will still be great to see them.”
Posted in a11 - previously known as lb, conversations, family, life is good, love all around, me me me, nablopomo, s9 - previously known as ff | 3 Comments »
Monday, November, 10, 2008 by monica @ transplanting me
*this is a photo heavy post. sorry about that, but i didn’t want to leave anything out! i’ve uploaded many more pictures from the field trip to flickr.
the field trip was scheduled to start at 8am friday morning. and at 8:15am the bus pulled out of the parking lot.
i think that’s pretty impressive considering there were 80 gajillion parents hopping on and off the bus to check on their kids and then the kids were hopping off and on for one last hug from their parents.
four hours and four pit stops later we arrived at the village.
our kids got a look at the house the girls would be staying at and the lahu kids got a look at us.
this is where we extra moms headed out to find a place to stay and the kids were split into groups for the day’s activities. on our way out i did manage to get a picture of the group that was getting ready to plant vegetables and the area they were planting in.
the first place we (the moms) looked - i might not should say we, because i was sort of just along for the ride at this point - was a wat. and it just so happened there were some goings on at the wat on friday. so i stayed and watched the dancers while the other moms went room hunting.
but there were no rooms to be had at the wat so we searched some more. they found a lovely chalet right on the banks of the river. we got checked in and rested for a bit and then went out in search of food.
after we had eaten we invited ourselves back to the village to check on the kids. we got there just as they were wrapping up the s’mores making. s’mores are not a traditional lahu snack. it was just a small taste of american culture our kids wanted to share with them.
then we got to watch - and some even participated in - some traditional lahu dancing.
then it was time to hit the hay. the boys headed over to their house that was all mosquito netted up.
we headed back to our hotel and i promptly fell asleep. the next morning we arrived back at the village - this time invited - in time for the hike and orange picking and the lahu tribe’s thanksgiving celebration. then it was time to eat a little lunch and load our dirty legged kids onto the bus for the trip back home.
Posted in culture shock, food, friends real & cyber, kids, life is good, nablopomo, s9 - previously known as ff, school, thailand | 8 Comments »
Sunday, November, 9, 2008 by monica @ transplanting me
here’s a few teaser pictures from this weekend. posts to come with all the details of both these events during the week. but i’m still recovering.
field trip to the lahu village -
early morning view from our hotel room
view from the hike through the lahu village
thai style house that slept 16 boys
the fire hazard that is loy krathong
our family releasing a lantern
thousands of lanterns in the sky (wish i’d thought to bring the tripod)
Posted in a11 - previously known as lb, c14 - previously known as tb, family, life is good, love all around, michael, nablopomo, school, thailand | 6 Comments »
Saturday, November, 8, 2008 by monica @ transplanting me
have you ever had one of those weekends where you volunteered to be a chaperon for a field trip, but you were ignored - i mean like your offer was never acknowledged? and it turns out no chaperons were needed because the teacher had asked the parents that are already friends of her family to go with? but you go anyway. and the teacher knows your going and after you ride 4 hours and show up and help with the unloading you’re summarily dismissed? well, if you haven’t i can tell you all about it. and once i’m in better spirits i’ll also tell you how fun it was and how we crashed and participated anyway.
and then - once we got home - the family participated in our first loy krathong lantern release. it was very cool.
Posted in family, nablopomo, s9 - previously known as ff, school, thailand | 4 Comments »
Friday, November, 7, 2008 by monica @ transplanting me
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
popular field trip
no need for more chaperons
we worked around that
me and two others
who couldn’t resist going
are field trip crashers
we’ll follow the bus
observe the activities
participate, too?
we will sleep in beds
in a comfy hotel room
others will rough it
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
tomorrow is the big fourth grade field trip to the lahu village! i cannot wait. it sounds like it’s going to be so much fun. i was a little bummed because my offer to chaperon was never acknowledged so i thought i wasn’t going to be able to go. but then i heard a rumor of some other moms who wanted to go, too. so we’re going together. we’ll be riding up in one of the vans and it sounds like we’ll be able to help out while we’re there.
here’s the itinerary:
- 8a - leave school (there are lots of stops scheduled, including lunch)
- 1p - arrive at the village unload everything
- 1:30p - rice pounding, vegetable planting, handicrafts and making sticky rice treat
- 4p - buffalo riding, dinner preparation, begin showers
- 5p - dinner, lahu language and culture explanation
- 6p - traditional dancing, bon fire and s’mores
- 8:3p - bed
next day:
- 7:3a - breakfast
- 8a - hike to orchard, feed fish, collect fruit from fruit trees
- 9:45a - get ready for thanksgiving service, pack up
- 10a - traditional thanksgiving service
- 10:3a - games and activities
- 12p - thanksgiving lunch
- 1p - head home
- 5p - arrive back at school
and the smart part? we won’t be sleeping in sleeping bags on the floor. we’ll be sleeping in beds. in a hotel room. wonder if we’ll be able to get margaritas?
the sixth grade has a camping trip in march. i’ve already got dibs on chaperoning that one. and i’m gonna give the teacher weekly reminders.
Posted in haiku, nablopomo, s9 - previously known as ff, school | 5 Comments »
Thursday, November, 6, 2008 by monica @ transplanting me
that’s what i’ve got living with me. s9 started basketball practice today. he’s got mad skillz. the coach of the under 11s had to be impressed with their ability to handle the higher level b-ball drills.
look at those moves.
floats like a butterfly stings like a bee. wrong sport? works any way.
wonder if i’ll be so tickled about basketball season at early saturday morning practices?
and rugby is still going full force. rugby makes me wish i had hot water to my washing machine.
Posted in c14 - previously known as tb, family, kids, life is good, nablopomo, s9 - previously known as ff | Tagged basketball, rugby | 6 Comments »
Wednesday, November, 5, 2008 by monica @ transplanting me
getting a full body massage. and specifically - at the exact moment i heard - the charming thai masseuse was using all the force she could muster to dig her elbow into the small of my back.
and what do i think about this change?
well, i wasn’t surprised. and so far nothing’s changed. come january will it? who knows. but i’m a “the proof is in the pudding” kinda gal. so until then…
Posted in random | Tagged 2008 election, obama | 4 Comments »
