A little video of Thailand.

A little collaboration of random happenings during my four weeks in Kuraburi and Thai Muang. 

 

In other news ........

Departed from the land of Thailand. 

Now in India. With my cousin. Living in the sticks. Aka Thottanaval.

I*n*c*r*e*d*i*b*l*e thus far.

(More details to follow.)

Just got a Valentines day package in the mail. TODAY!

Thank you Mother!!!!

Wishing all a Happy Valentines Day back home.

With an extra bit of love from over here.

Godspeed.

Bangkok: Sawadee ka to you.

Began my first day by wandering around and stumbled upon a great outdoor market.

The hot item of the day (or for life I should say): Buddhas. So. Many. Buddhas.

Found an awesome tour guide, "KJ", who ran me all around Bangkok showing me temples, delicious food, and markets. Pictured in the back left: Wat (wat means temple) Pra Kaew.

The Royal Grand Palace- our first stop.

Photos cannot do any justice to how beautiful and intricate these temples were. I had never seen anything like it!

More of the Grand Palace.

Coating more Buddhas with paper gold. Doesn't it look great? [Mom, let's do this with some of your ceramics at home.]

Beautiful intricate artwork covering the ceilings, floor, and walls.

Wat Pho. A mere 26 meters of gold-coated Buddha.

Wat Arun. My favorite of the three temples we visited.

Did I want/choose to wear this costume and take photos? Not really. (Apparently was part of the tour package I purchased) So soak it up peeps, this is more than likely the last time you'll see me in a getup like this!

The wat up close.

Enjoying the flower and fruit markets after a long and hot day in the sun.

Took plenty of tuk-tuk rides through the city. Great way to experience Bangkok.

KJ and I got along so well that she decided to take me to her daughter's work and introduce me to her family!

Ended the evening with a visit to the nearby Chinatown. Which was gargantuan by the way.

Freshly squeezed pomegranate juice? For less thank a buck? Sweet. Finished off my Bangkok trip on day two by shopping all day at the enoooormous MBK market! Great to see Bangkok. So great to have experienced Thailand.

Thai Muang in review.

Welcome to Home and Life Orphanage and Bakery.

From left to right. Front row: Sea, Ocean, Um, Cindy, Kho, Leela. Second row: P' Rosa, Peach, Spy, Steve, Pupe, Boom, Bim. Third row: Sun, Root, Pat, Sam, Faa, Benz, Bow, P' Kate, P' Bai Tuey (me).

It's crazy how in just two weeks you can learn to love so easily! This is Mook. If I could adopt any of the kids, it would be her.

Sea, the baby of the Home and Life family.

All of the meals they prepared were delicious. Manuela on the left was the other volunteer my first week. What a great Lady.

Lots of moving, painting, plastering, and working on the new bakery.

New-found forest friend. I didn't dare touch it though. Yellow = poison???  Who knows.

Visiting the temple is a weekly event for the kids. Breath in, breath out.

The kind monk let me take a photo and capture his pleasant state of being.

Found myself in a downpour more than once.

Also visited the local school a few times to teach English lessons. Isn't this girl the CUUUTEST thing in the world?

Older kidlets.

P' Rosa, taking care of her three-legged cat post surgery. Even my dislike for the animal subsided in this moment of pity.

P' Bom, a manager at H&L. To say we got along well was an understatement! Enjoying some shopping in Phuket.

Co-volunteer for week two in Thai Muang- Alexa! I completely lucked out on terms of fellow volunteers. Completely.

And just when I was missing A Bountiful Kitchen, Bom made delicious home made croissants for breakfast last Saturday.

He also lent me his "special drink from the marshmallow tree" which saved my sick little body more than once.

Brookie loves the beach. And floating on her back in the ocean. And getting freckles on her nose. Especially in February.

Sawadee Ka.

Selling their baked goods at the market. The little punks . . .

Market-girl-Gabby who hangs out with Fried-chicken-Chelsey. I think she should be a Baby Gap model. Or something.

Saying goodbye yesterday. So stinking sad. So satisfied, however, with such a meaningful experience. Thank you H&L!

Thai Muang: Home and Life Orphanage

Project number two in Thailand- volunteer at Home and Life Orphanage. This has been an incredible experience! (What a cliche line, but really- I mean it!!) Founders Root and Rosa started the orphanage after the tsunami of 2005 left thousands of families broken and several children without parents to care for them.  Home and Life began solely as a tsunami victim orphanage but has gradually turned into a place for all types of children from homes where parents couldn't take proper care of them. Home and Life allows each child an opportunity to go to school, live a healthy lifestyle, and escape the pressures of child labor. Together the children and staff consider themselves a family. They do a great job of following up on this label- they care for each other, share what they have, and show unconditional love to one another. Home and Life is without question the exception to most Thai Orphanages.

Currently there are 25 kids here at H&L. Getting to know them and learning their personalities has been an absolute breeze! In just two weeks I've come to love and appreciate them so very much. More blogging to follow on what I've been up to and how the departure goes (leaving on Sunday- don't remind me). 

More information on Home and Life:  http://www.homelifethailand.com/

Um (yes, that's his name), Beam, Bai-Tuey (Thai name they chose for me), Kho, and Sea in the front.

Typical Thai Eats

Lots of onion and GARLIC in everything! Today my soup had entire garlic shallots in them. No kissing for Brookie tonight.

Tomatoes, cilantro, mushrooms, carrots, and so many delicious fresh vegetables.

Nam Piik Pao- A deliiiicious chili paste they use for tom yum kung (see below).

Had an excellent cooking class in Kuraburi from a friend named Pad. This dish: Kai lookuey. Deep fried hard boiled eggs topped with fried and fresh onions and a tamarind sauce. I was skeptical at first, but I assure you- it is tasty!

Tom Yum Kung- a flavorful soup infused with ginger and lemongrass. Also served with prawns, greens, and tomato.

This dish is simple but good. Cooked greens (I say greens because I have not a clue as to what these leaves are and have never seen them in my life), onion, garlic, and egg. Great source of protein eh?

Enjoying the feast with some other volunteers. Pad (back middle) is the lad that taught the class.

THE FOOD HERE IS SO FLIPPING SPICY. They just throw these suckers in anything like it's no big deal. My spicy tolerance, however, is getting so much better! Ice water anyone?

The fruit. Ohh the fruit here is so wonderfully sweet. Love buying these little pineapples at the market. Trying all types of fruits I've never seen before. Mango is still my #1 fruit though. Two per day (ideally).

Buayloi. A Thai dessert we made at my current project. Flour and water steamed and served in coconut milk.

Let's just say the final product looks much better than it appeals to my palate.

The food at Home and Life (current project) is delicious. A meat-curry creation served every night with rice and vegetables.

I should mention, though, the best part of mealtimes at Home and Life- sitting by sweethearts like Go! Ohhh he's adorable.

Some of the most authentic eats have been at my favorite spot to grab a meal- street markets! Pad Thai, fried chicken, sweet banana crepes, fresh fruit, fried fish, and anything you can imagine on a stick.