Movie Time

I went to the movies with a friend today and saw Transporter 2. I'm glad I didn't go by myself, because I would have been so lost! At the ticket counter we told the clerk what movie we wanted to see and then she pointed to a screen and asked us which seats we wanted to sit in. Apparantely, here, seats in a movie theater are assigned. We found our seats (row E, seats 5 & 6) and settled in for the previews. We saw trailers for 2 or 3 American movies and 2 for Asian movies- one with Jackie Chan. Then, "Please stand to honor the king" appeared on the screen, and everyone stood and listened to the King's Anthem and a montage of pictures of the King's life and work in Thailand. Again, I am glad I had someone to follow, otherwise there is a good chance I would have offended an entire country today! I managed to get through the rest of the afternoon without offending anyone ( I hope!).

Aparment Finalized

Some of you have asked about the status of our apartment. Yes, the deal is finalized and we'll move on October 5th. I'll send our address via email when we get settled.

Crocodile Farm

Yesterday we went with ex-pat friends to the Crocodile Farm outside of Bangkok. Along with a farm that breeds and raises crocs, there are several shows involving handlers and animals (monkeys, elephants, crocs). We saw the crocodile wrestling, which really was more like 2 guys in a croc pen shoving them around and doing silly tricks with them. After the show was over, I said to Derek "I don't know what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn't that." They also have a zoo with all sorts of animals, from tigers to porcupines and everything in between. The coolest part of the day was getting to feed the animals. All in all, I'm glad we went, if only because we'll know where NOT to go when you all come to visit!

The Hunt is Over!

After 2 days of recon work on my part, Derek and I went with the agent to look at the short list of apartments that I had created. We decided on the one we want and our agent gave our offer to the owner this afternoon. We're assuming nothing will go wrong, and we'll be able to move in sometime in early October. Yippee!!!!!!!!!!! It's on the 21st floor of a high rise and has some good views from the windows. Apparantely, the best Vietnamese restaurant in Bangkok is next door, and the Soi (street) that it' on seems to have some nice shops and restaurants. Hopefully it will be a good place to call home. It will have 2 bedrooms, so book your plane tickets now! I'll post pictures when we move in.

To our friends and family in Texas, we're thinking about you with Rita approaching. Please let us know how you're doing.

Laundry Day

Derek and I decided that we would send out our clothes to be laundered but, since they charge per piece, I would do our socks and undergarments. I agreed without even thinking about it. After all, I did laundy all the time back home. Right? Sure.... First of all, I realized that we had no laundy soap. No problem, I'll just pick some up at the market. Picture me standing in the soap aisle staring at about 20 different brands of laundry soap all labeled in Thai. In fact, the only reason I even knew it was laundry soap was becasue there was a nifty little picture on the bag of a washing machine. (Apparantley, it can be used for handwashing as well- I know this thanks to another nifty little picture.) Dain, the trailing spouse who's been showing me around, and I finally decided to take a risk on a bag- it's only underwear after all- and I brought it back to the apartment without really giving "laundry" any more thought.

This afternoon I began my laundry adventure. I sorted my whites and darks as I was supposed to and took my pile of darks to the washing machine (I had even managed to find where it's hidden in the apartment at this point). However, one look at the washer and dryer and I realized I was NOT in Kansas anymore (or Georgia, or Phoenix, or Texas). First, I had to decide which one was the washer and which one was the dryer. It probably took me a good 3 mintues to do this based on the labels on the front of the machines. (It's a stacked unit where both are front-loading). I figured it out when, upon opening one of the doors, I saw labeled, in English, "Clean Filter Before Each Use." Aha! Although I rarely clean the filter, I at least KNOW that I'm supposed to do it on the dryer! I was making progress.

I threw my small pile of darks into the washer, and realized that I had no clue as to where to put the soap or how to choose the right cycle. After several minutes of staring at the stickers on the front of the machine, I finally set one dial to the right temperature (I think) and the other dial to the right setting (I hope). However, I still didn't know where to put the soap. Do I just throw it in the chamber with the clothes? Is there a special container? I pulled on a few things and found a little drawer that I assumed the soap goes into, filled it with soap, and hoped for the best. As I turned on the water, I held my breath and said a little prayer that nothing would go wrong. After all, how would I be able to explain an exploding washing machine to our maintenance staff when the only Thai words I can come close to pronouncing are "hello," "thank you" and "goodbye!"

I've kept a close eye on the washer and it looks like I've been successful. The water and soap are managing to stay IN the machine and the clothes are being jostled around as if they're getting clean. Another hurdle crossed.

I wonder when I should try cooking?

Going to Market

I ventured out with another trailing spouse for Nike to the market this afternoon. It was so helpful to have someone walk me through how things are done. Besides getting cereal, milk, more Coke Light and Oreos, I also found one of my favorite indulgences- Laughing Cow Cheese! I bought my first Thai fruit: mangosteen. It looks a little like a plum, but with much thicker skin. The inside is a very sweet, white almost citrusy fruit. Very good. It was a nice afternoon snack.

The MiniMart

Derek and I went to the minimart by our hotel tonight to re-stock up on the essentials (Water, Diet Coke, Oreos, etc). To give you an idea of what things cost, we bought 6 bottles of water, 6 cans of Diet Coke (Coke Light), a sleeve of Oreos and 2 bags of potato chips for 245 baht, about 6 dollars. The woman behind the counter put all of our items into one plastic grocery bag! I found the memory card, so pics will be coming soon.

I Arrived!

After too many hours in planes and airports, I arrived in Bangkok on Sunday morning. Derek and I got to the hotel where we're temporarliy living, had lunch at a Thai place around the corner and I took a nap. D woke me up after a few hours and we explored a little of the city. We checked out a possible permanent apartment building and went to the Emporium- a huge mall. We met some of Derek's co-workers for dinner. I'm exhausted and am going to sleep soon. Sorry, no pictures today but will get out with my camera tomorrow for some first impressions.

Day trip to the beach

While we were in Portland we drove to the ocecan for Labor Day. Here are some pics from the day.

New House!

We bought a house! It will be finished in January. We'll most likely rent it out until we return home to Portland. It's less than a mile from Derek's work. These are pictures of the same model house in another neighborhood (ours will have a 3rd car garage), our lot, me in the "living room," and Derek in the "garage."