Thailand

When Todd’s parents got their mission call to preside over the Bangkok Thailand mission, they invited all of their children and their spouses to visit them.  Todd and I started making plans to visit them in the spring of 2011.  Work calendars were cleared, childcare was arranged, and passports were obtained. 

Todd at the floating market

Jenny and Janis at the floating market

Floating Market

Our Floating Market boat driver and the Branch President's wife

On July 1^st, very, very early in the morning Todd and I headed to Sky Harbor airport to begin our 27 hour trip.  That’s right, 27 hours!  Going to the other side of the world takes a while.  From my journal:

“We had a short layover in Tokyo and I was so excited because I am part Japanese.  I loved seeing the Japanese features I have in everyone’s faces.  The Tokyo airport was very clean and quiet.  Todd was convinced the flight to Bangkok was going to be short – it wasn’t.  It was another 6 ½ hours!  We spent more than a day traveling!”

It was so great to be able to visit this special land with Mike and Janis.  Thailand is so special to them and I can see why.  It is called the land of smiles because the people there are so happy, genuinely happy.  As far as I can tell, the divide between the rich and poor is pretty wide and most of the people live very modestly, if not in abject poverty, at least compared to American standards.  Yet, they are a happy people.  A few months after we visited, Thailand suffered a severe flood.  I remember being so worried for my in-laws and all of the church members.  My father-in-law told me about one of the members who had followed the church’s advice to obtain a year supply of food.  This man lived in a two story home and, as the floods drew near, took all of his food storage to his top floor.   The first floor in his home had flooded, but the water did not go to the second floor.  Everyday this man took his little boat, filled it with food from his supply, and went around his neighborhood giving food to those in need.  He did that until the floods ran dry and the stores reopened.  What an amazing example this man, whose name I don’t even know, is to me!  My eyes have been opened as to why we need to follow counsel from the Lord’s servants, it is not just to bless us, but to bless others too. Another way I found Thailand, especially Bangkok, to be special was the fact that a huge city was erected in the middle of a jungle.  I have never seen vegetation like that before, not to mention all of the wild animals milling around.   And in the middle of all of this jungle are skyscrapers and freeways – the scariest ones I have ever been on.  (I am so grateful for American traffic laws.)  Also, Bangkok is very modern, but it is also ancient. The dichotomy is striking.  We would see ancient temples, and Buddha’s, and towers, and then there would be modern buildings right next to them. 

Oh yes, there is McDonalds in Thailand

From my journal:  “We went to so many fascinating places.  The Branch President’s wife owns and drives a taxi and she took us around.  We went to a floating market…we went to the Snake Garden Show (Todd’s favorite part) where snake handlers wrestled cobras, pythons, and jumping snakes.  I got to pet a cobra…..off we went to the Rose Garden…Todd and I rode an elephant…we got to play with another python and I kissed it too, it is supposed to be good luck…We saw two cultural shows and I was invited to the floor to dance…Todd met some Italians there and enjoyed speaking with them.”

Oh boy, that is a big snake

Look how sweaty we are!

Now that is what a snake handler looks like

This was pretty scary!

Dancing snakes

I can’t talk about Thailand and not mention the food.  Oh my, the food was so delicious.  First of all, their produce is very different than ours.  Their fruit is so amazingly good, sweet, fresh, just yum.  Every morning, Noi, my in-laws helper, would make beautiful platters of fresh fruit for us.  They just don’t have fruit like that here.  Noi is a wonderful cook and really spoiled us.  She made delicious Coconut Chicken Soup.  I tried to make that here and it is just not the same.  She also made sticky rice that is to die for.  Everything she made was great.  We went out to eat quite a bit too and the Thais love their spice, which I do too.  I even ate street food, a first for me, and it was delectable.  I remember it was fried pork on a stick….I could have eaten that all day.  One great thing that came from this trip was that Thai food has made its way into my kitchen.  It might not be as good as Noi’s, but it sure is yummy and different!

One last thing about Thailand.  Everyone here complains of the heat.  And believe me, Phoenix is freakin’ hot!  But Thailand is just about as hot, the temperature was in the low 100s, which isn’t so bad, but the humidity is suffocating.  I wore glasses on this trip and when I would leave the air conditioned house or car and go outside, my glasses totally fogged up.  It was very funny.  It was so hot/humid that my hair curled up, I was wet all of the time, and it felt like the sun was literally right on top of me frying my skin.  Coming back to Phoenix, in the middle of July, was actually a reprieve from Thailand’s weather!

Going to Thailand was a once in a lifetime trip and it was fantastic, but the best part of all was spending all of that uninterrupted time with Todd, and visiting with his parents who we missed so much.