Merry Christmas!

I know, it has been ages since our blog has been updated. We're in Bangkok at the moment, for vacation and to get new visas (Myanmar will only issue 10 week visas, so we have to leave the country periodically to get new ones). I was able to access the blog for the first time since, well, the last time we were in Thailand, and realized how much we've neglected it. I'll try to be better about it in the future!

Bangkok is a bit of a culture shock coming from Yangon. So big, so busy, so modern...with huge shopping malls and fully stocked grocery stores and any kind of food or drink we might want. So we've mall-hopped, stocked up on groceries to take back with us (granola bars, taco seasoning, Kraft mac & cheese), had pizza delivered to our hotel room, sipped Starbucks lattes, and hit Toys R Us so many times I've lost count. And tomorrow we head back home to Yangon for Christmas.

Yangon. It has become home to us over the last six months, and although we'll be sad to leave Bangkok and all its infinite possibilities, it will be good to be "home" for Christmas. Inya Lake has been decorated for the holidays with Christmas trees (fake of course), lights and garlands, and a giant gingerbread house (real, surprisingly). We'll be missing our far-away friends and family as we gather under our teeny tiny fake Christmas tree to open gifts and stockings, as we listen to Christmas music and wish there was even the slightest possibility of snow...and celebrate Christmas.

Our taxi driver dropped us off right in front of the 'foreigner entrance' to Shwedagon Paya, where we were immediately greeted by a group of friendly women, and it was impossible to avoid paying the official entry fee. I was amused to see that here there was a (no doubt overpriced) souvenir shop, and elevators to take us up to the raised platform of the stupa.

We were met at the elevators by a very persuasive English-speaking guide, and we agreed to pay him to show us around for an hour and tell us the history of the temple. Alden was more interested in exploring the different shrines, temples, and statues, than a history lesson, though, so I only caught parts of what the guide was telling us.

The golden stupa itself is huge, and there are also many, many smaller shrines, temples and statues around it. The floor of the platform is smooth white marble, and with all the glittering gold of the stupas and shrines, it is quite an impressive sight. It was hard to take everything in, but the sun on the platform was hot (I appreciated the wisdom of the Burmese who carry umbrellas to shade themselves from the sun) and after an hour we were ready to head down.

I insisted on taking one of the staircases down instead of the elevator again. The long marble stairway was cool and shady, and lined on both sides by vendors selling flowers, gold-colored Buddha images, sandalwood carvings, and an assortment of other things. Alden has been fascinated with Buddha ever since we visited the Big Buddha in Phuket (he called Shwedagon the 'Buddha's Castle') and wanted to stop and look at all the Buddha statues for sale. We ended up buying a small carved sandalwood Buddha figure and a sandalwood elephant, before heading back down and retrieving our shoes.

Next time we go, I think we'll skip both the guide and the elevator, and take the stairway like the Burmese visitors do. I'veposted some pictures from our visit to the web album.

Finally, after nearly a month and a half of travelling, we made it to Myanmar, our home for the next two years. We've been here for two weeks now, and our first impressions are good.

Our new home is wonderful--it's a hotel/residence on Inya Lake, with beautiful, well-maintained grounds. The staff is incredible and have helped us get settled right in. We have a spacious two bedroom apartment with teak floors and heavy teak furniture. The damage of the cyclone is evident here in the broken windows, water damage and downed trees--they told us 80 trees fell on the property--but the recovery here and elsewhere in Yangon is evident as well. We weren't sure what to expect, but from what we've seen and been told, Yangon at least seems to be recovering well. Markets are well stocked, shops are opened and roads are clear. From what we've been told, prices went up sharply on basic items after the storm, but prices are now beginning to drop. Prices for imported goods at the supermarkets--peanut butter, cheese, chocolate--are high, but fruits, vegetables, rice are inexpensive.

We've been to the school, which is also recovering from some cyclone damage--windows broken and some roof tiles blown off. Joe and I met with some of the staff, toured the school, saw our classrooms and Alden's classroom, too. The other teachers will begin to arrive in the next few days--it seems that no one stays here for the summer. Perhaps the weather has something to do with that--we're now in the thick of rainy season and it rains off and on, all day every day. It's not so bad because it is still warm out, but I am starting to wish for some sunshine.

Alden is settling in well. It didn't take us long to find a nanny we all liked, and soon I think we'll be able to start leaving for short periods. He doesn't seem to suffer from any culture shock and in fact seems happy with everything--he loves his big new bedroom, swimming in the pool and having chocolate milkshakes at the restaurant, and he's gone happily around the city as we explore.

I've posted some first photos of Yangon here, and now that we know we can post to the blog we'll get more up soon.

We're trying to find a work around to post messages. Blogger is currently blocked by the government.

Next stop: Yangon

Today is our last day in Phuket. Our original plan was to stay here for another week then spend a few days in Bangkok, but we are weary of traveling and anxious to get settled in one place for a while.

Tomorrow we go to Yangon via Bangkok. We'll be in Yangon for the next two years, maybe longer. We hope that, in addition to teaching there, we'll be able to make ourselves useful in the recovery process somehow. It seems that many of the school faculty are already involved in that process. Here's a link to the school's community service website, and you can see some of the projects that are already being done. And the school's website is here.

I know that we will return to Thailand again soon, and explore more of this beautiful country. I've posted more pictures from our trip here.

long-tail boat ride

This morning we took a long-tail boat ride from Rawai beach to Coral island. It was a beautiful day to be out on a boat and the water and islands were gorgeous. Rawai beach was also a great place to look for shells and bits of coral, and Alden left with his pockets full of treasures. We all enjoyed the trip, especially Alden, who has been wanting to ride on a boat since we got here.

We considered doing one of the package tours that take you out for a full day to tour different islands, but in the end we thought that might be too much for Alden--I think he would have to be a bit older for a longer trip like that. This shorter trip was perfect for us. More pictures from the boat ride here.

The Phuket Zoo

Yesterday we went to see the Phuket Zoo in an effort to find something really exciting for a three-year-old. I don't know what we were expecting exactly, but more than anything, the muddy concrete enclosures and forlorn-looking animals reminded us of the zoo at Niamey's Musee. We watched part of a crocodile show in which the crocs were baited with sticks and two performers did tricks like kissing them on the nose and lying on their backs. Alden enjoyed the aquarium and feeding bananas to the elephants, but eventually we tired of getting bitten up by mosquitoes and watching the animals do tricks, so we caught a taxi back to Karon. More zoo pictures.

The Big Buddha

Yesterday we went to see the Big Buddha on the hills above Phuket. We went with a Pakistan-American family that is staying at our hotel, and all of us crowded into their rented car (with no air-conditioning). It was a hot and bumpy ride up the hill on poorly paved roads, but the view from the top, when we got there, was beautiful. The Big Buddha is, indeed, BIG, but it is under renovation and so was covered with scaffolding and not much to look at. When it is finished it will be covered in marble, apparently. Alden thought we were there to see elephants and was not terribly impressed with the Buddha, but he did have fun looking for new rocks.

More pictures

First impressions of Thailand

We've been in Thailand now for a few days. The flight to Bangkok was really long--15 hours--but we had a row of four seats to ourselves, we all managed to get a little sleep, and we survived it. By the time we arrived in Bangkok we were all exhausted, and the last thing we wanted to do was spend 12 hours in the airport waiting for our connecting flight to Phuket. We paid a small fee to change to an earlier flight, and within two hours of arriving in Bangkok we were headed for Phuket.

Phuket is beautiful: lush and green, with rolling hills and golden sand beaches. We booked rooms at a hotel in a quiet area, Karon, far from the bustle of some of the busier areas like Patong. The hotel is huge, and seems mostly empty, and we're often the only farang at the pool or strolling the beach. Not only is this a quieter beach in general, but this is also low season, and it didn't take us long to realize that many places—shops and restaurants—were closed for the season. The hotel restaurant isn’t bad, though it is overpriced. Down along the beach there are a row of stalls selling sandwiches and traditional Thai food, and those are pretty much our only options unless we take a taxi into town.

We ventured into Patong in search of a grocery store so we could fix some of our own meals at the hotel. In contrast to sleepy Karon, Patong was busy and bustling with tourists. There were busy market stalls and many shops and restaurants, even McDonald’s, Subway and Starbucks. We were surprised at the number of tourists there, since our little corner of the beach seems so quiet.

We’ve settled into a comfortable routine, exploring the surrounding area or relaxing on the beach in the morning while Alden plays in the sand. In the afternoon we swim in the hotel pool or go explore other areas of Phuket. The weather has been quite nice so far. It is rainy season, but today is the first day we’ve seen rain; it’s cloudy and there is a light sprinkle of rain, off and on. Rather like Portland, but warmer. Phuket pictures

goodbye Portland

It was bittersweet as we left Portland, our home for the last four years. We said goodbye to friends and family in Portland and beyond, and left knowing that it would be some time before we would be back again. It was hard saying goodbye to our cat, Bella, our home, our friends, neighbors, and family. We'll miss many things about living in the beautiful Northwest.

Goodbye, Portland!

more pictures here

Here we are