Out To Lunch

Slowly but surely getting "back into the swing."  On Tuesday, I met Jen for lunch at Tamar Bakery and Restaurant.  This little establishment is run by Tamar Center, a non-profit that helps get women off the street and into alternative jobs.  From their website:

Tamar Center is a center for help, healing and hope, offering the ladies jobs in their card-making program, hairdressing salon, bakery, restaurant and other income-earning activities, as well as giving courses in life skills...

tripadvisor.com

The restaurant is a bit difficult to find; the only sign out front is a banner under an awning.  Even though I had it clear in my head where to find it, we drove past twice before I had to call Jen and have her come out to the curb to wave us down.  It was a small, modest storefront with an air of cleanliness and pride of work.  We had a nice, basic lunch - I had fried rice with chicken and a banana mango frappe - that was very inexpensive.  The bill for two of us came to just 170 THB, just over five dollars.  Their baked goods are supposed to be wonderful, but we were too full to indulge.

On Thursday, I visited Foodland for grocery shopping in the morning, where I met up with Mika.  She rode back to the condo with me so I could put away the food, then we headed out to lunch on my side of town.  Cape Dara is a resort just minutes away from us, but because it is tucked away down a small road, we'd never really noticed it.  Mika had been once before and recommended it for the lovely view.  The majestic entry frames the pool in dramatic fashion, with the gulf as the backdrop.  The hotel has several restaurants from which to choose.

My lovely dining companion!

We had cantonese dim sum in the Ming Xing Restaurant, ordering several dishes from the set menu.  The restaurant is pretty, with lots of pink and white and a circle motif throughout.  The booth seat was a bit low for me, so I had to sit on a couple of pillows; what I really needed was a booster!   I don't remember everything we tried, but we liked nearly everything.  We were a bit disappointed that a cantonese restaurant had no rice dishes - everything was noodles, rolls or dumplings.  I felt like a dumpling myself by the time we finished with our mango pudding and waddled out the door.  The set meal was quite pricey, but was a nice change of pace.

An associate of Tim's from China was working here in Thailand for a couple of weeks, and we intended to take him to dinner on Friday.  Those plans fell through, but I'd solicited some restaurant ideas from Mika, and Tim and I decided to check one out ourselves.

According to the website, "Steak & Co." is on Soi Lengkee just off Third Road.  Our driver seemed hesitant when I told him the location, and drove to a restaurant called "Soi Lengkee."  I instructed him to continue on and pointed out the street where we needed to turn.  He insisted that this was not Soi Lengkee, it was Soi Buakhao.  I questioned my memory at this point, but we continued down the street and spotted our destination.  I consulted with the Russian(?) manager to confirm the street on which his establishment was located, and he confirmed that it was Soi Lengkee.  Why The Face?!

We enjoyed a lovely, albeit a bit pricey meal that started with an actual basket of bread brought to the table.  You have no idea what a rare and wonderful occurrence this is around these parts.  Usually one has to order, and pay for, a measly piece of bread with one's dinner.  We appreciated the sorbet brought to cleanse the palate before the entree, and a lovely lemoncello digestif to finish the meal - very nice!  When we got back into the car, I relayed what the manager had said, but Mick held his ground, insisting that "Thai people" call this road Soi Buakhao.  I'm afraid we must agree to disagree on this.  I would say that our driver is feeling quite comfortable in his role at this point...

The Game

The drivers at Ford get together to play "football" (soccer) once a month.  Mick told us he was playing Saturday night and asked if we wanted to come watch.  It sounded like something fun to do, so I texted Mick to pick us up before the game.  I figured out how to copy something from the translate app and paste it into a text message, and crossed my fingers that the app was translating properly.  He texted back, "OK," so I hoped we were on track, and we were.

Tim and I had a nice relaxing Saturday hanging out at the pool and ordered some pizza for an early dinner.  The delivery guy actually made it up to our condo door this time.  The first two times we ordered, they had trouble finding the place, since there is a "Garden Cliff Spa and Resort" just up the road from us. Everybody thinks that's our place the first time they come, so I always write in the "special instructions" section to go past that place, all the way to the end of the road.  I also wrote in the "special instructions" section to call when they arrived and I would come down to the security gate, thinking they would be stopped there.  But I guess the security guy let him in, and he rang the bell without trying to call me first.  I wonder if anyone reads those "special instructions" when they're in English?

Anyway, Mick picked us up at the appointed time, dressed in his ManU Ford jersey.  He is pretty crazy about Manchester United, and wears the number of his favorite player.  It was about a twenty-five minute drive to the soccer field - about half the size of a regular soccer field, and raised up on a cement slab.  It did have real grass (I think) and lights for the night game, with netting that completely enclosed the field to keep in stray balls.  A game of younger guys was just finishing up, shirts vs. skins.  It was still hovering around 90°F, and as humid as heck.  Don't know how they played for a solid hour in that heat.

The drivers trickled in on their scooters, and I felt like we were something of a curiosity to everyone - what are these two old farangs doing here?  Mick's wife came up and introduced herself and her younger sister, both petite little ladies.  Another driver's wife was chasing her little toddler around the sitting area.  Felt quite a bit like the softball game atmosphere at home.  The equipment was makeshift for a lot of the players, some playing in sneakers, just a few with shin guards.  Mick had cleats with very little cleat left on them.  The game was self-officiated, with an occasional "Hand!  Hand!" shouted in English, but no other controversy.  We were struck by the much more subdued celebrating when a goal was scored - if you weren't watching, you wouldn't have known someone scored.  Mick's team won, 8-6, and everyone parted amicably.  I enjoyed the evening, and would love to catch a Pattaya United FC game at some point.

blog.incheon2014ag.com

They also play something in southeast Asia called "Sepak Takraw." One of the Ford wives was telling me how she frequently sees this weird mash up of soccer and volleyball being played near her house - she thought they were kicking a wooden ball.  I looked it up online and found this: Sepak Takraw on Youtube; the ball is made of rattan.  You've really got to be nimble to do these insane high kicks and flips. This would definitely be another fun spectator event.


Tim went with some co-workers a while back to a local pub called the "Punch and Judy," (remember the old movie theater on the Hill in Grosse Pointe?) and wanted to take me there (to the pub, not the theater.)  I'd read some rave reviews about their "Sunday roast," so we planned our outing for Sunday evening.  I went to mass Sunday afternoon, where the road work is continuing it's destructive march across the front of the church.  The entrance was blocked, but we were able to go in through the exit.  They announced at mass that both entrances would likely be blocked next week, and suggested parking either at the Mosque just south of the church, or the Index Living Mall to the north.  I'm curious to see what we'll be facing next week.

John XXIII relic in monstrance in front of his picture

The church had an elaborate shrine in the front for the touring relics of the church's newest saints, John XXIII and John Paul II (the priest was holding the relic of John Paul II for veneration when I took this picture.)  According to UCA News, the relics include a small piece of skin from John XXIII and a vial of blood from John Paul II.  The relics were recently presented to the King of Thailand, who had met both popes when they were alive.  (See article here: Papal Saints Relics Arrive in Thailand)

We managed to make our way out of the church parking lot and headed south to dinner.  Dinner at the Punch and Judy did not disappoint.  It is a British pub with icy cold beer on tap and a Sunday roast special that would satisfy any farang appetite - roast meat of your choice with two kinds of potatoes, gravy, veggies, "pigs in blankets," yorkshire pudding and (I think) black pudding or blood sausage; in short, the British version of a big Sunday dinner.  Cheerio!

inspirepattaya.com

After dinner, we stopped at TukCom to pick up some videos.  We'd just finished season two of Newsroom, and were hoping season three would be available; it was.  Also picked up the next season of Homeland, House of Cards, and Game of Thrones.  That ought to keep us busy for a while.  

I haven't posted any potty shots in a while, and thought you might enjoy this one, seen in TukCom:

Gotta go!

The Prince of Tides

I thought I bought a cantaloupe, but the inside looked like a honeydew.  The label says it is a Japanese musk melon.  I will have to keep my eye out for this one - it was deliciously sweet, almost like eating candy.

When we were out recently, we drove along beach road, where the tide was waaaay out.  Mick said this happens every May.  He said when the tsunami hit Thailand, the tide went out like that in a short two or three minutes, then quickly came back in devasting fashion (not in Pattaya, but in South Thailand.)

We noticed the same low tide phenomenon outside our condo - water so low that many rock formations were revealed that we'd never seen before.  People were out on the rocks, looking for clams or oysters perhaps.  I've got a pretty cool app on my phone called "Global Tide" that provides tidal data for anywhere in the world.  It's pretty interesting to follow the tide in our corner of the world.  

Witnessing the daily changing of the tides makes me appreciate the dynamic nature of the world on a massive scale.  In addition to all the life teeming within them, the oceans have lives of their own.

for comparison...

The water is down at least twice the height of the person standing on the ledge

 

"As in nature, all is ebb and tide..."

Nikola Tesla

"Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked."

Warren Buffet

Big Fish

Continued jet lag + post home-visit blues = droopy blogger.

I was entirely too spoiled while I was home.  Now I have no energy or enthusiasm.  This, too, shall pass, I know.  I am not looking for sympathy; at least I didn't have to jump right back into twelve+ hour work days like someone I know.

I was happy to get out of this funk for a few hours on Thursday, when I met Mika and her sweet little girl for a day out.  We met at "Underwater World," a modest aquarium on the south end of Pattaya. The facility is open-air under a large, tent-like roof, so the 90°+ weather followed us inside.  The entrance fee is 500 THB (Thai Baht) for foreigners (about $15 USD).  Says so right on the ticket.  Not sure what the locals pay, because that part was all written in Thai, of course.

Mika and her little one arrived shortly after me, and we proceeded down the ramp to the first displays.  The first area is interactive - a "touching pond" allows you to reach your hand into the water to feel the fish swimming around and the starfish lying at the bottom of the tank.  You really have to be willing to reach down in there to touch them, though.  They also have feeding spots here where you can pay to feed the koi with baby bottles (again!); or you can slip chunks of fish onto the end of a metal skewer and hold it down for the big sea turtle to snatch.  The sea turtle looked just like "Crush" from Finding Nemo.  Didn't realize how educational that movie was.  For the adventurous, you can really get interactive by donning a wet suit and literally taking the plunge to swim with the residents.

I couldn't help myself.

After the activities in the main entry, we followed our little leader down a ramp into a dark, winding passageway where it was much cooler.  This part is divided into three main sections: the Coral Reef Zone, the Open Ocean Zone, and the Giant of Siam zone.  Each zone has a transparent acrylic tunnel that allows visitors to walk "through" the water and see the creatures swimming overhead.  The Coral Reef zone has lots of colorful, tropical fish, and yes, we found Nemo.

Nemo!

Lion Fish

Puffer Fish

Crab

Sea urchin

The Open Ocean Zone holds huge fish like sharks and rays, and the Giant of Siam has freshwater fish swimming in and out of a "shipwreck."  Smaller tanks and displays on the walls help identify some of the fish, along with granting an up-close look at some pretty fascinating creatures.

I think my favorite part was just past the underwater tunnels, where several dark rooms were decorated with many huge tanks of jellyfish that were illuminated with colored lights.  The sensation was quite like being transfixed by a lava lamp.   Hundreds of jellyfish danced in mesmerizing waves, with their insides clearly visible to the observer.  I was obviously captivated because I forgot to take a picture.  Mika's daughter instructed us how to do the jellyfish dance, and we had our own little dance party among the jellyfish.


I told Mick we'd be about and hour and a half, but we finished in just over an hour, so we sat in the concession area with a cold drink.  Mika's little one had a cup of ice cream, which she ate in tiny little bites.  She is so sweet and good-natured, and already learning three different languages at the tender age of three.  She speaks her native Japanese, and is learning Thai and English at her international school here in Pattaya.  She clearly understood much of what was being said when Mika and I spoke English to each other, adding to the conversation in Japanese.  I was absolutely charmed.

We took one more quick walk through the tunnels, being sure to reprise the requisite jellyfish dance, then made our way to the car.  Mick knows this area quite well, as he lives nearby, and so took many twisting, looping alleys to our chosen lunch spot, Mikes Mexican.  The three of us enjoyed a nice meal together, then Mick kindly drove them home.

Before going home myself, I stopped at a local Starbucks and asked them to grind a bag of coffee beans we brought with us.  They were quite amazed at the size of the (1 lb.) package, and asked where it was from.  Then they wanted to know how much it cost.  Their packages are half the size, and cost twice as much.  They very kindly ground the coffee, then I headed home (kahp bahn).

Happy Mother's Day to all.

The Return

After leaving Detroit around 2 p.m. on a Thursday, and twenty-plus hours in the air, I arrived in Bangkok around 11 p.m. on a Friday.  Where did my Friday go?  I remember watching some movies, eating a lot of airplane food, laying across three seats for a quick nap in Tokyo's Narita airport, and making some headway reading The Shipping News (brilliant writing). Guess that could make my Friday disappear - can't help but feel a little cheated, though.

Bangkok airport was surprisingly crowded for such a late hour.  Following a long walk from the gate to immigration, I was now an experienced expat with my passport and Arrival Card at the ready.  I was mildly concerned when the immigration officer took a long time checking my passport, while three people passed quickly through the lane next to me.  But after dutifully standing on the shoe prints on the floor to pose for my entry photo, I was cleared to proceed to baggage claim.  I had been spoiled traveling with my SkyMiles Priority spouse, with luggage always arriving at the carousel quickly; but on my own, my "low priority" status meant waiting a while before my bags appeared. The customs guys were casually scanning people's luggage as we walked through the "nothing to declare" line, and I was quickly on my way.

I called Mick to say I was on my way out, and after unsuccessfully holding my breath through the rather long smoking zone and weaving my way through a multitude of monks, I easily found him at the usual meeting spot.  "So wat dee kap, Madam!"  (Nice to be back.)  Mick loaded my bags, but we were somewhat hemmed in by other cars, so he uncharacteristically sat patiently at curbside, waiting to pull out.  He showed me a picture of a really long fish he caught the day before, about which he was quite proud.  Finally, he managed to squeeze around the vehicles and head out, but then said, "Sorry, madam, have to go back, maybe pay some money."  In my jet lag fog, I didn't pay much attention.  He circled back around to the same spot, put the car in park and ran into the airport.  (Do I need to pull up "driver bathroom" on my translate app again?)  I was looking down at my phone when someone knocked on the window - it was Tim!  Mick pulled off the ruse perfectly.  What a nice surprise - Tim had told me on the phone that Mick was going to drive him back to Pattaya after he got in from India about five hours ahead of my arrival, then Mick would drive back to get me.  Instead, we had a nice hotel room in Bangkok, happily postponing the drive back to Pattaya until the next day.  We were able to spend about twenty minutes of our thirty-third wedding anniversary together before the clock struck midnight.  Fun Fact:  May 1st is Labor Day in Thailand - a national holiday!

We were back at Suvarnabhumi Suites (I no longer have to look up how to spell that!), where we'd stayed before our trip to Delhi.  This time we had a pretty little deck that overlooked a koi pond and

decorative waterfall, with the swimming pool just beyond.  Tim said they called this "a view of the city" when he checked in.  Breakfast was served until ten a.m., so I woke Tim at what I thought was nine.  We again enjoyed the rooftop breakfast, although french toast without syrup leaves something to be desired.  We lingered on the roof, enjoying the view, since we had until noon to check out.  We headed to the lobby at what I thought was precisely twelve noon.  After checking out, Tim looked at his own phone and said it was only eleven o'clock - huh?  I realized I was still looking at Michigan time, which was eleven hours behind.  Oops.  Made for a bit of a long wait in the little lobby for our driver, but the time passed quickly.  Had to grab a picture of this cool Transformers(?) structure in the parking lot before heading out.

The traffic coming back from Bangkok was very heavy, and it took almost two-and-a-half hours to get back to Pattaya.  Mick was in fine "creative" driving form, something to which I'll have to readjust.  We stopped home for about an hour, then went for a late lunch/early dinner at one of our favorite places, The Coffee Club.  They have, hands down, the absolute best waitstaff in the city.  The first time we went, we thought we were lucky to have such a great waitress.  But it has been true every time we've come, no matter who waits on us.  Hats off to you, Coffee Club!

We shared some delicious "Vietnamese spring rolls" stuffed with crab and prawns.  The shell was very unique; it looked like shredded coconut, tasted a bit like a crispy rice, and was crunchy and delicious.  I also had a delicious passion fruit "shaken" tea and a tasty chicken and avocado wrap.  Yum.

I managed to stay awake the whole day, as is recommended to battle jet lag, and kept busy with unpacking and finding places for all the stuff I brought from home.  I headed out to "temple" at five-thirty.  The road construction near the church is now in full gear, and I wonder if we will even be able to get into the church lot next week.  Found out Father Francis, the pastor, has left for another assignment, with two new priests coming to replace him.  I wonder how their English will be... Five mini alter servers were in attendance today.  The smallest one seemed to be the one in charge, correcting the form of the others.

Ran into Tesco-Lotus after mass to pick up a few grocery essentials (no good veggies left at the end of the day, unfortunately), then Tim and I picked up "House of Cards" where we left off in March.  We thought we'd finished Season Two, but, holy moly, did we miss the juiciest bits.  I had Frank Underwood invading my dreams that night, and not in a pleasant way; not the best show to watch before going to sleep.  Kevin Spacey is so good at being bad.  I bet this show gives Obama bad dreams, too...

The Home Place

A note to Ford employees:  Ford China is closed on April 5th for Tomb Sweeping Day.

Being back home is like being able to go back into the womb after being born; everything is cozy, safe and familiar.  After being a "woman of leisure" for five months, taking care of this big ol' house rocked the boat of my pleasure cruise a bit.  It was a drastic change from trying to find something to do, to trying to decide what to do first.  I looked at all the stuff we have through new eyes, realizing how much we don't need.

My first priority, of course, was to see all the special people in my "womb" life.  A sister and her family drove in from Wisconsin for the Easter weekend, and we were able to have several of my siblings and their families for dinner that Saturday.  My sister who lives in Northern Michigan surprised us by driving down for the day, and my three "local" siblings came with their families.  It was the first time all four sisters had been together in a long time, and I was so appreciative of everyone's efforts to make the drive.

The following weekend we had Tim's brother and his wife staying with us from Indiana/Chicago.  Many of his siblings and their families gathered at his sister's farm for a delicious dinner.  Best of all, our son from LA was able to get home for a long weekend.  All was right with the world having all of our sons home, if only for a short time.  We were so grateful to be able to see so many of our family members.  Pardon the cliche', but that is what life is all about.

Down on the farm...

should be an album cover...

I enjoyed just showing up at the library unannounced to see the surprised reactions of my old co-workers and patrons.  I got such a warm welcome, and it was nice to see that things were pretty much business-as-usual.  Some of us were able to get together for dinner after they got off work, and it was like I'd never left.  I was "feeling the love," and felt so lucky to have these good friends.

I was also able to surprise my "besties" from the other library, with the help of my former supervisor. They had already planned an outing together, and the unbelieving looks on their faces when I appeared were priceless.  It was so, so wonderful to be able to hang out with good friends, and enjoy the bounty of American treats that I had not really been missing until they were suddenly available to me.  Sadly, I have quickly regained the weight I'd lost while we were in Thailand.  Somehow it feels worth it.  Kind of.

One of the greatest pleasures, besides seeing all those people I'd been missing, was to be able to see my beloved Detroit Tigers play at Comerica Park.  After that chilly homecoming, the weather gradually warmed, and we had a beautiful, sunny, warm afternoon at the ballpark.  The Tigers were in excellent form, with the amazing David Price on the mound and a fantastic walkoff in the bottom of the ninth.  Couldn't have scripted it any better.

I was able to stock up on some American-size sandals and such with a trip out to Tanger Outlet Mall. You can get pretty much everything in Thailand, but not necessarily in the "farang" sizes.  Found some Tigers t-shirts to bring back for Mick's wife and daughters.  Mick is getting that Manchester United jersey he has been wanting for a while.  Also hoping to bring back some Starbucks for Tim and a few household odds and ends.  I sent Tim back to Thailand with a tablecloth and a frying pan in his luggage.

Enjoyed spending some rare time with my youngest brother.  We usually see each other when we have a house full of people.  It was nice to have some one-on-one for a change.   Enjoyed lunch with my sister-in-law, just like we used to do "back in the day" when we both found ourselves with some free time.  I also enjoyed a nice dinner with an older brother and sister and their spouses.  I was definitely feeling a bit like a celebrity, being in such demand as a dinner companion!

Me and my Dad

My last weekend was spent driving to Indiana with my oldest son to visit my 90-year-old Dad and his wife.  I was so happy that my brothers from Virginia were able to come the same weekend, and my sweet niece and partner joined us as well.  We enjoyed the short time we had together, catching up on each others' lives and playing the requisite board games.  It was hard to see my Dad struggling to get by, but it was good that we could spend some time together.  Two of my boys surprised me with a nice early Mother's Day celebration when we got back to Michigan.  Don't know what I did to deserve such a wonderful family, for whom I am so thankful.

the big Chinese Checkers game

My final days were spent trying to prioritize what I could get done before heading back.  I got to do some housework, but much more is left to be done - alas.

That pond that was frozen when we arrived at the end of March was beginning to see some spring activity when I left.  Geese, ducks, cranes and herons - nice to know the circle of life continues...