Spreadin' My Social Wings

The day before I left for Thailand (-Tues.- 05 May 2009g.) , I spent the day spreadin' my social wings. Kalia Kulagowski called me up and wanted to do lunch. So, in celebration of Cinco de Mayo we went to a little Mexican restaurant in Orem.
Then Lane called me up and wanted to hang out before I left for three months. (Who doesn't want to hang out with Lane? He's a hottie.) So he came over and we [Kalia, Caitlin, Lane, and I] all played a few rounds of 'Banana Grams.' Fun game. I'm good at amusing myself. :)
That night we had a final post-Winter Semester hoo-la at Michael's. It was actually Kelli and Curtis's anniversary. But Curtis had to work, and Christy was also at work. So we played with the kids. After the kids were sent to bed, we played a few hands of a funny card game that I don't recall the name of right now.
P.S. Aiden was SUPER great at Twister!
Chloe was the spinner in this round. We all took turns playin' and spinnin'.
I don't know what the face is all about...nevertheless, Aiden's a Q.T.!
Chloe's got the same good looks as her brother.
Kelli brought a watermelon. When she cut it, it turns out that there was a small heart shape in the rind. Fun, huh?
Chloe had just recently celebrated her fifth birthday and was gifted a 100 piece, bear puzzle that we helped her put together. Quite intense. Michael stole a piece...and that stressed us all out a little. But the piece was relinquished. haha.
In the jammies and ready for bed!...actually, he was wide awake. Nevertheless, bedtime is bedtime.

I love my buddies and miss everyone terribly. I wish everyone could come to Thailand with me. Oh how fun that would be! :)

At Home with Meh and Pa

You might want to start looking at this blog from the bottom up. As I uploaded the photos, they have been placed in the order which I uploaded them and not the chronological order in which they were taken. Nevertheless, start from the bottom and you can watch the videos of Meh and Pa's house/property in Sankamphaeng, Thailand! :)This is a Spirit House. Alex explained to me that when Thai's build houses on a plot of land--there is the belief that spirit(s) reside on that land. They will be disrespected and cast out once the house for the living people is built. Therefore, they build and dedicate a little house or two for spirits. I think they are awesome and beautiful! They also place offerings of food, water, candles, and incenses, etc. on the platforms in front of the spirit homes for the spirits which supposedly reside therein. It's quite fascinating.


This is the view from upstairs. Their homes are pretty open, airy and nice. Meh and Pa's is concrete which reminds me a lot of our apartments in Russia.
Geckos galore! I'm serious.
Pictures of the King and Queen everywhere. In homes, restaurants, on the streets, etc.
A replica of the Jade Buddha statue...big controversy with Laos...the original resides in Bangkok now(?)...perhaps...I can't remember specifically. Google it. A large population of Thailand is Buddhist. Most families create shrines of Buddha and other statues, etc. They also include ancestral photographs and offer money, glasses of water, bowls of rice, incense, candles, etc. to the ancestors, statues, etc.
Ancestral photographs in a china cabinet.
Beautiful shrine ornamented with offerings.

Here are random wildlife photos of when I was staying at Meh and Pa's in Sankamphaeng (a small village on the outskirts of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand). I currently live in Lamphun. I tried to upload a video of the house in Sankamphaeng...but it's taken too long and I need to get going. You m

Sewage/water system.

Random pile of coconut shells...

All of the countries I've ever lived in have red, white, and blue flags. :)

This is Mah and Pa's neighbor's fence on the right side of the property facing out of the driveway.

I just took a bunch of pictures of flowers, shrubbery, and wildlife for my Biology class. :) Sorry I didn't turn the photos. I can't download them to the computer and then edit them. And my time is dwindlin'...

It looks and feels a lot like Louisiana here. The weather is constantly about 100 degress Farenheit with a hundred percent humidity. And it smells wonderful! :)

The fish here are yummy. They make shrimp nuggets which are pretty much the most delicious things ever. I went to the market...and they snap frogs in between bamboo sticks...and fry them up. Luckily for me I am from Louisiana and eatin' frogs and 'gator and other such critters doesn't bother me!

Typical outhouse. Most Thai's use a "butt sprayer" to wipe with instead of toilet paper. Journal worthy experience. :)

Pineapples grow up out of the ground. :)

And they are delicious because they are fresh from the backyard without any growth enhancers or pesticides.

Coconut. Also quite delicious.

They have those little silk worms I used to find as a kid when hikin' in the woods with my siblings and cousins. And there's some kind of exotic yellow-greenish fruit/growing thing on this tree...?

That's a fake big in a potted pond.

The yard arrangement.

Average transportation.

Random piles of hay and old palm leaves.

Durian. These are the "stink fruits." I tried some last night at a market with Stanley. At first they taste like mango...then I almost threw up. It was quite instant. Thais supposedly love them. But Tawm said they smell like poop! haha. She's adorable!

Stink fruit gone bad...(not that it was ever good?)

Exotic and beautiful.

Grub? Looked dead...perhaps.

Small citrus fruits.

Cool, crawly creature.