tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11647046115172081322024-02-19T18:52:49.705-08:00All over the MapOne family's globe-trotting adventures while working and living abroad.3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-21739229235366158402017-04-09T17:32:00.001-07:002017-04-09T17:32:34.410-07:00Relocations!My blog has moved and so will we be! As of July 2017, we will be living overseas again! To find out more, follow our new adventures at https://traipsingalloverthemap.com/<br />
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See you there!3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-28546728812230445432016-12-21T05:42:00.002-08:002016-12-21T09:26:25.266-08:00Perspective This Holiday SeasonHoliday season 2015, our first year back in the U.S. for the winter holidays, felt very different from this year. I knew before coming home that being back here meant being bombarded by advertisements, commercials, consumerism, and materialism wherever we went and looked. That was one of the reasons we took steps to insulate ourselves from it -- by enrolling our child in a school that allowed no technology in its lower school, by staying offline and away from the radio as much as possible, by not having a television in our house. It also helped immensely that I wasn't working for much of the holiday season last year and didn't have to hear about all the greed. The holiday season was actually enjoyable and relaxing. We visited friends during Thanksgiving, we enjoyed time off outdoors, we stayed away from the shopping malls, and we traveled during the Christmas holiday break.<br />
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This year has been almost the opposite. Life has felt hectic and overwhelming since before the Thanksgiving holiday. For Thanksgiving, we traveled to Oregon to visit a friend we met in Thailand, so the days leading up to our visit were filled with preparations for the trip in addition to working. Luckily, our visit there was relaxing and restorative, and it was so good to see my friend whom I've missed dearly.<br />
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However, since then, I've felt agitated and flustered by all that is around me. Everywhere I look, there are ads and commercials urging us to buy more, more, more! People can't stop talking about what they want for Christmas, what they're buying for their children and grandchildren. I see pictures of Christmas trees with piles and piles of boxes under them, and homes so filled with holiday decorations that there is not an inch of wall space showing. Children are urged to make lists and lists of what they want, and to keep asking for more. Look at all the "abundance" in our lives, these pictures say. Yet, the same people complain about their finances, about not being able to retire, about not being able to save for their children's education.<br />
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For this holiday, we are visiting friends whom we met in Thailand, but who recently moved to South America. Because mail is slow and unreliable there, they asked us to bring them some things and Christmas presents from their families for their children. The pile of things we have received on their behalf is staggering -- we are bringing two or three suitcases of things just for them. Looking at all the things, I only see the piles of trash that will be generated and thrown away thoughtlessly and carelessly; it makes me feel nauseated.<br />
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People are spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars just to make themselves and their children "happy" -- temporarily -- on things that will be sitting in a closet gathering dust within a month or two. Then they buy and read books on how to "de-clutter," throw out or donate all the things they had spent their hard-earned money to buy and accumulate, and pat themselves on the back for being "disciplined" and "giving." Oh, the irony of it all.<br />
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I was never one to buy and accumulate things, and always tried to live minimally. But it took me moving to Thailand to see how unnecessarily and overly abundant and wasteful life is here in the U.S. And it took me coming back to see how truly privileged our lives were in Thailand -- to be able to live overseas and experience another country and culture, to be able to afford household help and live so comfortably in a big house, and to be able to travel so much. One value I admired in Asia was the lack of waste. Everything was kept and reused; if something was broken, it was repaired, not thrown away. Things served multiple purposes. Only enough food was made to be finished at each meal. Those were ways of life I was taught growing up, but had since forgotten. I enjoyed re-learning and living those values again in Thailand.<br />
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Now that we're back, I am continuing living that way while appreciating and feeling very grateful for the fortune and abundance I've had in my life -- not just for the holiday season, but every day -- and giving back whenever, however, and wherever I can. And I hope everyone will think about how much they have in their lives as well, and think about giving back and helping the less fortunate instead of how much they are getting and receiving. 3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-81737862824976884092016-10-13T19:21:00.001-07:002016-10-13T19:21:28.452-07:00Sad NewsAfter many years of illness, which had worsened in the past week or so, the King of Thailand passed away today. The country is in mourning, and will be officially for the next year. The flag will be at half mast for the next 30 days. Government officials will dress in black for the next year. The people of Thailand are devastated as the King was truly loved and revered. He did so much for the Thai people during his time as King. A nice write-up of the King's life can be found <a href="https://apnews.com/4a263ab3f70143eea1ef5416892053e8" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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When I saw the news this morning, my heart was broken. Even though this had been expected for several years now, it still came as shock. I was devastated for the Thai people, but I was affected by the news more than I had expected, especially given the distance of time and space that I now have from Thailand. I felt as if it were my King who had died and I mourned right along with the people. All day at work, I felt sad and couldn't focus on work. But I had no one to talk to about this. Who else could understand why I felt the way I did despite the fact that I am not Thai, am not in Thailand, and it is not my King who has died?<br />
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Luckily, a good friend whom I met in Thailand, and who returned to the U.S. just a mere three months ago, called me tonight to commiserate. She has been feeling the same way as I do, just completely crushed by the news. She even had a good cry this morning after hearing the news. We talked about how strange it is that we only lived in Thailand for two (me) to three (her) years; yet, we feel so close to the people and the country that the loss is like our own. It is true that Thailand still fees more like home to me than the U.S., but my grief still took me by surprise. It was nice and cathartic to be able to process this and talk to someone who understands and can sympathize without me having to explain anything.<br />
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3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-5614369011587177332016-07-13T09:53:00.001-07:002016-07-13T09:54:40.878-07:00One Year <span style="font-family: inherit;">It was one week ago last year that we packed up everything we took to Thailand--and a bit more-- and came back to the craziness that is America. I remember well the day we left--going through our house with its empty rooms, with so many memories created there, one last time; our driver packing all our belongings onto his pickup truck; driving through the streets of our village and seeing for the last time all the shops and people that had become such a big part of our lives.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was one year ago today that I wrote what appears below, having been home for only one week. Since then, our physical environment has become more familiar, but I still feel as foreign and out of place as I did then. Oh, how I miss that place and that life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's what I wrote one year ago today:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; line-height: 19.32px;">Signs that life in America might be almost as foreign to us now as life in Thailand once was:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; line-height: 19.32px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; line-height: 19.32px;">- Even when it's 90 degrees outside, it still feels cool enough to me to put on pants and a long-sleeved shirt.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; line-height: 19.32px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; line-height: 19.32px;">- When paying for the bill for a meal, my husband wonders out loud if we need to tip, as if not tipping were an option.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; line-height: 19.32px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; line-height: 19.32px;">- Everything now seems negotiable, regardless of what we're shopping for.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; line-height: 19.32px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; line-height: 19.32px;">- Getting use to having and operating voice mail again.</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; line-height: 19.32px;"><br />- We miss seeing Asian faces around, even though we are already in a town with a good-sized Asian population, so we go to the local Asian market just to feel at home.<br />- The kid has been mispronouncing words the way he's heard them pronounced the past two years: "kitchen" is now "kitshen" and "chips" is "ships."<br />- Forgetting about and getting used to the tedious process of credit and background checks just to rent a place, instead of being able to just show up and sign a lease on the spot.<br />- Paying for everything with cash.<br />- Forgetting that we no longer have free access to virtually any book, movie, or music we will ever want.<br />- It feels too formal and impersonal when people address me by my last name.<br />- Being unused to hearing European foreign languages instead of Asian ones.<br />- American food is no longer appetizing, feels overly processed and "fake," and doesn't taste good.<br />- Feeling closed off from the outside world because the doors and windows of all the houses are always closed, we have to drive to get anywhere and can't just walk or use a scooter, and don't hang our clothes outside to dry.<br />- Forgetting that we can't just buy minutes at the 7-Eleven to use our cell phones.<br />- Looking at 7-Eleven stores with fondness instead of indifference.<br />- Forgetting that many places you need to go to are closed on the weekends.<br />- Not blinking an eye when my kid runs off out of my line of sight at a public place full of people.<br />- Everything feels too clean, quiet, and sterile.<br />- Getting used to seeing so much green in all the trees and grass again.</span></span><br />
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<br />3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-77045178577162654402016-05-14T15:18:00.002-07:002016-05-14T16:10:18.301-07:00Yearnings for a Distant TimeIt's been ten months since we moved back to the U.S. from Thailand. The longer we stay here, the more I long for our life abroad. At least once a week, I think back to what my life was like a year ago on that particular day, and I can't believe that was me, living that life. That life seems so distant now, so dream-like, so surreal. Was it really me riding on a scooter through the streets? Was it really us strolling through the markets, bargaining with people with gestures and in a foreign language? Is it really possible that we saw, walked through the streets of, and ate amazing food in all these different cities in Asia every few months without even a second thought? Was it possible that we were surrounded by people unimaginably rich and improbably poor, all of whom were kind and friendly? And that everyone, educated and uneducated, knew more about the U.S. and the world, and what was going on here, than I did?<br />
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It's worse when we speak with our friends abroad. Every little thing they mention about life abroad makes me ache for the "good old days," when every day was filled with interesting sights and sounds, kind and friendly people, and amazing and fresh food. Right now, I feel as if I'm in limbo, just biding my time until we can move abroad again. We are working towards our goal professionally and personally, keeping our eyes and ears open for international schools, and asking our friends abroad to keep us posted on any openings at their schools. Another family that we became close with in Thailand has just been offered a job in Chile, at one of the best schools in South America. I am so happy and excited for them, but at the same time, it fills me with impatience and anguish because I want to be there with them right now, not two or three years from now.<br />
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There is something about life in the U.S. that is constraining and suffocating. It is sad and depressing. Sure, there were ups and downs when we were abroad, but for the most part, I felt carefree and I knew everything was going to turn out fine no matter what. We lived in the present, thought about the future sometimes (but not with fear or worry), and enjoyed ourselves on a regular basis. Here, there is a seemingly endless list of things to worry about and to think about. Life feels unpredictable and uncontrollable.<br />
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On an almost daily basis, I listen to my colleagues bemoan the number of bills they have to pay, the high cost of living and health care, and the high cost of higher education in this country. I am ashamed and sad when I see the numerous homeless people in Washington, D.C., the national capital of what is supposed to be one of the world's wealthiest countries. I am outraged when I see the Smithsonian museums put on an amazing event for children, but the cost is so high that only the affluent families of the suburbs of D.C. can afford it, while the inner-city kids are left out once again. After having been in a developing country where even the poor people can live a decent life, where health care is affordable and good, where people take care of and watch out for one another so hardly anyone goes hungry or is homeless, the gap between the haves and have-nots of this country, and the lack of caring, is more apparent to me than before. It is a disgrace and infuriating that a country such as the U.S. is in the state that it is, and that life here is so oppressive and miserable for so many. So, so many people just think of themselves, are apathetic, or don't feel any responsibility whatsoever towards helping fellow human beings. Others are either willfully or unintentionally ignorant, but have no desire or curiosity to learn and question the status quo.<br />
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Many Americans insist that America is great, and everyone else loves and wants to be in this country. That is not so. Most of these people don't want to see or know the truth. They have no idea that people all over the world don't like this country or its people, and that we are the laughingstock of many in this world. Most Americans live in a bubble and are completely ignorant about the rest of the world, even when it comes to simple, basic knowledge such as where a particular country is located, let alone current events, views, and cultures around the world.<br />
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Most of my current views about this country and its people are negative. As I told a friend overseas, when I went to Thailand, I regained some faith in humanity, but completely lost it again once we returned home. I hope one day we'll be among more caring and kinder people, those who care about each other as human beings, again.<br />
<br />3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-41529757454558254192016-01-03T16:18:00.001-08:002016-01-03T16:18:06.812-08:00A Whole New WorldTraveling is addictive; the more traveling you do, the more you want to do it. There is just too much in this world that is too beautiful, amazing, fascinating, interesting -- the adjectives are endless -- to pass up. From the time we returned to the U.S. in July up through this point, the most traveling we had done was a ten-day road trip to the mid-west, so we were all itching to go somewhere again. We've missed being able to travel like we did in Thailand, exploring a different country and culture every few months. We also love and wanted to continue this new tradition of being abroad during Christmas time, which allows us to get away from the holiday craziness here while continuing to see the world.<br />
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Still, given how expensive it is to get out of the U.S., especially during the holidays, we didn't want to break the bank. So we decided to book a short trip to Bogota, Colombia, during the winter break. This was going to be our first time in South America, making it my husband's and my fourth continent and our son's third. It wasn't as long of a trip as our previous holiday trips to Vietnam in 2013 and Taiwan in 2014, but it felt wonderful to be out there again, experiencing and exploring and learning. Our trip there also made me realize a few things; I will elaborate on that later.<br />
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To prepare for the trip, we sought advice and recommendations from friends who had lived there and who are currently living there. My son's Spanish teacher also is from Bogota and gave us a lot of good advice. My husband brushed up on his Spanish, but I didn't bother. We both had been fluent in Spanish many, many years ago -- he had taken four years of classes while I had had six years of classes in school -- but it's been over 20 years since we used the language, so I knew that a few days of studying wasn't going to help me. My husband, though, was able to hold basic conversations with the locals while we were there, which helped tremendously as most people spoke very little English. It took me a while, but after our time there, I was beginning to understand more, though it still felt very strange to speak it again. Then, when we first got there, we started speaking Thai again! I don't know what it is with Spanish and Thai, but we constantly get those two mixed up, speaking Spanish when we should be speaking Thai and vice versa. It was pretty funny.<br />
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Our first activity and one of the highlights of our trip was a graffiti/street art tour we took our first full day there. It was a wonderful way to see the city, learn about its history, and the issues that it's dealing with. The tour was free (imagine that!), but it was very well-done and our tour guide was very knowledgeable. She was German and had been living in Bogota for 3 1/2 years. Our tour group was very diverse -- there were people from all over the world, including a couple from Seattle who used to live in Washington, D.C. We walked around the city for 2 1/2 hours, learning about how street art began in Bogota. Bogota has a vibrant street art scene -- there are 3000 to 5000 artists in Bogota creating street art, so our tour guide focused only on the prominent artists, some of whom are world-renowned. The art is used to promote art itself, but also to bring awareness to and protest against some of the social and political issues in Colombia, such as poverty, homelessness, the living conditions of the indigenous people, industrialized farming, and violence against women. Of course, among the country's many problems is the U.S., which has its hands in so many things all over the world. The more we learn about our country from those abroad, the more we're embarrassed to identify as Americans.<br />
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All the art was so interesting and vibrant. There were so many different styles, from paint to stencils to paste-ups. Because artwork is often painted over quickly, a piece of street art is considered old if it's six years old.<br />
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Our tour guide told us of the origin of the legality of street art in Colombia: In 2011, a 16-year-old boy who called himself Felix the Cat was doing street art in Bogota. At the time, street art was illegal there, so the police came to stop him. He ran away from the police, who shot the boy and killed him. The police officer who shot him didn't receive any consequences for killing him. The people of Bogota were outraged, and were further inflamed when, shortly thereafter, Justin Bieber flew into Bogota with his own private entourage and blocked off a street just so HE could do "street art." And what did he spray paint on the walls of the city? A f*cking marijuana leaf. Then he left, with no consequences. The locals, of course, were completely beside themselves given the disparity in treatment between the two street artists (using this term loosely for JB, of course) just because of the differences between their social and financial statuses. They quickly painted over JB's "art," protested and petitioned, and finally, a law was passed to legalize street art and protect street artists. The police officer who killed Felix the Cat was punished for his actions.<br />
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We also had an opportunity to visit a salt cathedral in <span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.3;">Zipaquirá, which is about an hour's drive north of Bogota. It is an underground Roman Catholic church built within the maze of tunnels of a salt mine. Through our hotel, we hired a driver for the day to take us to a local market, then to the salt cathedral, and back to our hotel. The market was very extensive, with food stalls and vendors selling all kinds of vegetables and fruits, eggs, meat, fish, flowers, and household items. We were the only tourists there. Because it was Christmas Eve, the market was full of people buying food for holiday celebrations. There was so much energy there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.3;">The drive to the salt cathedral was beautiful, with mountains and fields along the way. We got to know about our driver a little bit, using what Spanish we knew to converse with him. Once at the salt mine, we explored the grounds a little before going underground. We fell behind a Spanish-language tour and just followed the group, understanding only a little bit of what was being said. It was only on our way out, after running into an English-language tour group, that we realized there were tours given in different languages. It was a pretty funny experience.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20.8px;">The salt cathedral was amazing, lit up with lights that changed colors. There were giant, elaborately carved crosses, chapels, and sanctuaries with rows and rows of pews; beautiful statues and carvings of angels and other religious symbols; and religious artifacts from different parts of the world. After the tour that we didn't understand, we had lunch outside, overlooking the mountains. Our driver then drove us to the main town square, so we could walk around and take photos. It was so quaint and charming. So many people were out enjoying Christmas Eve festivities. Unlike the U.S., Christmas Eve seemed to be an actual holiday with most places closed.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20.8px;">Another excursion was going to the top of Monserrate, which we did by taking the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">teleférico (cable car). It was really cool, but a little nerve-racking to be in a glass enclosure so high up. The view at the top of the mountain was gorgeous, with a church and pathways all decked out for Christmas. After coming down from the mountain, we went to a Mexican restaurant that we saw on our graffiti tour (for the street art on its facade), where we had really good and different limonada, fajita, enchilada, and quesadilla.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In between those big outings, we also meandered among the narrow streets of La Candelaria, a historic neighborhood, with its quaint and charming European-style buildings and cobble-stone walkways. We felt as if we were really in Europe. We also took in a few museums, the magnificent churches and government buildings; happened upon and enjoyed a chaotic, but vibrant, street festival packed with Christmas revelers; and sat on the steps of plazas to people-watch and bask in the brilliant sunlight and blue sky. We ate amazing food such as tamales, empanadas, ajiaco, avocados, enchiladas, and chocolate con queso (hot chocolate with cheese). And everywhere we went, curious Colombians looked at us. On our flight there, I sat next to a young woman from Colombia going home to visit her family. She told me that people in Bogota were unfriendly and rude, like Americans, so I was expecting American-like manners. But we didn't find that to be the case at all. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 18px;">People were polite, friendly, and helpful. They were also very good-natured and understanding when we mangled our Spanish. I found the Colombians there to be easy-going and likable. </span><br />
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Before the trip, I felt ambivalent and reluctant about it, as if I had never been out of the country before. I was nervous about being in a country for which there seemed to be so many safety precautions to be taken. But after getting there, it was like I was home again. I realized how contracted my world had become again already, after only six months, and how unaware of this change I was; it happened slowly, over time, and was hard to detect. Being back in the suburbs of the U.S., with no culture and no stimulation of any kind, my mind shrank and my mentality had already changed a bit. Being in Bogota, I felt myself come alive and become energized again. I was interested and stimulated. I could see the same thing happening to my son: the light came back on in his eyes, and he was taking everything in, asking questions, engaged, writing his heart out in his journal, which he hadn't done in a few months. It was an unexpected, but amazing, transformation that occurred almost immediately, even after spending just a few days there. Then, after getting home, I felt the same transformation in the opposite direction happen again, almost immediately. It was then that I realized I no longer have a viable future in the U.S. and that we will have to leave it again. There are just too many things I can no longer deal with in this country and too many things I long for that are not here. While living in the U.S. has its positives -- most of them related to the conveniences and resources that it can offer -- they are outweighed by the considerable number of negatives, in my opinion. Maybe I'm seeing life abroad through rose-colored glasses at this point, but we hope to test out our thinking in the next year or two!<br />
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<br />3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-80627061481169870702015-12-31T07:32:00.001-08:002015-12-31T07:32:31.881-08:00Happy New Year!Another year coming to an end. Another new year just around the corner. What does it have in store for us, I wonder? As we begin this day, the last day of 2015, I am thinking about the last two years, when I finally fulfilled my dream of living abroad and traveling and seeing more of the world. During those two years, I felt more at home, energized, and alive than I felt in my previous 30+ years. I felt more purpose and meaning in my life, and I met more kindred spirits in those two years than I ever did.<br />
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For us, the last two new year's eves were spent on the road: Vietnam in 2013 and Taiwan in 2014. It was amazing and incredible. What I've learned from the last two years is this: home is not a physical location. Home is where your heart is, where your loved ones are. I felt quite at home in countries where I didn't know the language or the customs, where I didn't know anyone. But my family was with me, and together, we had our adventures and overcame obstacles. Through it all, we became closer, got to know ourselves and each other better, expanded our horizons, and made a home for ourselves in unexpected ways and places.<br />
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I hope this coming year brings more of the same. And I hope that all of you get closer to fulfilling your dreams in this new year, whatever they may be. May you find your place in this big, chaotic world, surrounded by those you love and those who love and support you.<br />
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<br />3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-53737300724069362442015-12-15T17:16:00.003-08:002015-12-15T17:23:06.966-08:00Irreversibly ShockedIn a few weeks, we will have been home for six months. I haven't been keeping up with blog posts because I have been feeling completely uninspired. While the first month or so at home felt...tolerable (I won't say it was fine because it wasn't even that), I've been growing more and more unhappy about my life here, feeling more and more out of place. Yes, I have a raging case of reverse culture shock.<br />
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The first and most obvious change was my physical environment and surrounding. Life in an American suburb is mind-numbing, to say the least. It lacks any kind of culture and stimulation. This kind of environment can zap anyone of life. Add to that the impending winter, the bitter cold, shorter days, and weak sunlight. During the warmer months, there is at least color in the trees and flowers. Now, everything is gray or brown. Adjusting to the cold also has been torturous. I get cold easily and do not warm up easily. I hate the restrictions and feeling of confinement from all the layers we need to put on and from having to be inside just to keep from freezing. And the need to hunker down for an entire season...I can't even. People rush around in their layers in order to get to somewhere warm. They don't stop to talk (not that they normally do anyway), make eye contact, or even acknowledge others' presence. Winter is an isolating season.<br />
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But what's been far worse has been the people's mentality and attitude. Americans may pride themselves in their individuality, but, as they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The younger people are so intent on being different and standing out that everyone becomes the same in their differences. And from this mindset of individuality comes a sense of entitlement, rudeness, and selfishness. Everyone thinks they are so different and special, deserving of whatever it is they think they've earned.<br />
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Even in everyday life, entitlement rears its ugly head -- people grow impatient waiting in lines and cut ahead in traffic. They think they are more important than everyone else and their time is more precious. Everywhere I turn to, people are unkind to each other. Nothing is sacred; there is no respect for anything, especially from the teenagers.<br />
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As for selfishness -- well, it permeates our culture. Everyone is looking out for only Number One and not for anyone else. They are judgmental about who "deserves" help and who doesn't. There's no human connection and a dearth of empathy for fellow human beings. One morning, a few weeks ago, as I was walking out of the metro train station, a woman in front of me suddenly slipped on something and fell. Only two of us stopped to make sure she was okay; everyone else -- in a train station full of people at the height of rush hour -- didn't even acknowledge that something had happened! They just rushed by in a hurry as if they didn't just see a person fall. This incident, to me, epitomizes the current state of humanity in our society. We've stopped seeing each other as human beings that need our support.<br />
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As for the people's mentality -- well, you've seen what's been going on. It has now become acceptable to openly make discriminatory statements against minority groups and advocate for the ban of certain minority groups from this country, all based on generalizations and stereotypes (which, of course, don't apply to the American people at all!). It's a slippery slope because once we allow discrimination for one group, it will soon become acceptable for other groups as well. It's been disheartening and scary to see how many people are still so prejudiced in their thinking and actions. The more things change, the more they stay the same.<br />
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On a more personal level, people have continued to amaze me with their ignorance, confusing Thailand with Taiwan, Thai with Taiwanese. They are ignorant of the culture and politics of other countries, and have no desire to learn. On the contrary, almost everyone I've ever met in Asia, including un(der)-educated taxi drivers and housekeepers, is very knowledgeable about other countries. Some of them know more about the U.S. and our government than most Americans do. People here also don't see the need to learn about other cultures or learn other languages. I am tired of the willful ignorance of the people here. For such an expansive country, Americans are really very insulated and narrow-minded.<br />
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As you can see, it's been a challenging few months. It feels like it's been over a year, and has been emotionally draining and exhausting. I hope things get easier, but at the same time, I hope they don't so I don't get complacent. The way things are going here, I do not want to stay and have my son grow up in such a hostile environment.<br />
<br />3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-60388704434807197692015-11-12T06:59:00.005-08:002015-11-12T13:00:26.455-08:00First Holiday Season at HomeThis morning, when I turned on the car radio, Christmas music was playing. After a moment's shock, instead of feeling the anticipation of the impending holidays, I was immediately overcome with sadness and a sense of emptiness. I cried.<br />
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Before Thailand (B.T.), I loved hearing Christmas music on the radio, looked forward to it, and was a little sad when it ended. But along with the music also comes the Holiday Season, and all the hopes and promises that come with it. It is something you're supposed to look forward to. From around Halloween until after New Year's, it's a huge build-up of commercialized frenzy, anticipation, and excitement, even though it's supposed to be a religious holiday. Kids put on holiday shows at school and at church, make lengthy wish lists of what they want Santa to bring them, talk for months about what they want for Christmas, make "holiday" crafts, bake cookies, eat said cookies and other holiday treats. They count down to Christmas and "track" Santa on where he is on his journey. Now, there's also Elf on the Shelf that may bring little gifts before Christmas arrives, and other gimmicks to get kids in the "holiday spirit" (because they really need help with that!). Christmas music is blared everywhere. Ads and commercials tell you all the wonderful Christmas surprises your loved ones will want and you should get them. Everywhere you go, everyone and everything dictate your feelings, behaviors, and actions. Holiday festivities and shows abound. People shop, shop, and shop some more in anticipation of the festivities they will put on and will attend. People get together and eat and drink and pretend that life is perfect and wonderful with no cares. Families get together and try to cram a whole year's worth of time together into one or two days. And the piles and piles of presents -- things that are cherished for the moment, but all too quickly forgotten and tossed aside for the amount of time and thought put into them.<br />
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It's supposed to be a "magical" time of the year, full of joy and love.<br />
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But when it's all over -- and it's always over much sooner than you expect and hope, and much quicker than all the time you put into preparing for it -- there's a sense of let-down and a void. People get on diets and "detox" programs to get rid of all the crap they put into their bodies for all those months. They exercise to lose the "holiday pounds." Life goes back to "normal." It was the roller-coaster emotional ride of the holidays that I could never get used to. You're high as a kite one day, and down in the dumps the next. Never having celebrated Christmas as a child, I could never really get into the "holiday spirit," and always thought the anticipation and commercialization of it were overblown. It felt like everyone pinning all their hopes and dreams on that one day. And it's gotten only worse, too, in my opinion -- much more commercialized and crazed.<br />
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In Thailand, it's much more low-key and manageable. Because Christmas is not celebrated in Thailand, there is no crazy hysteria over the holiday. Some places, like the westernized malls, and some restaurants and public places will decorate with lighting and play holiday music (which they also do in July...). Our school, being an international school with an American curriculum, puts on a big, elementary-wide holiday show. Each class may have a party with food from different parts of the world, depending on the nationalities of the kids in the class. Teachers receive little gifts from some of their students. But that is it. It starts in the beginning of December (not October or November) and ends before Christmas Day because the school's break begins at least one week before that. It is nice and sweet.<br />
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I don't know why hearing that Christmas music made me sad. Maybe it reminded me of all the past holiday seasons and the exhilaration that I felt while I was immersed in it, but also how hollow and unfulfilled it left me. And this year, it'll take extra effort to get through it because I haven't had to deal with it or felt this way for two years. It's taken me a while, but I'm beginning to realize that I can no longer deal with the over-the-top, emotional ups and downs that are so much a part of American life because I tend to internalize the mood of those around me. Americans are a passionate people, I'll give them that, and compared to, say, the Asians, they wear their emotions on their sleeves. They're elated, devastated, pissed off, depressed -- sometimes all within a day or even an hour! But I appreciate and connect more with the even-keeled temperament of the Asians. Even though there's no thrilling roller coaster ride with this type of temperament, being in a more emotionally stable environment not only takes the pressure off to have an opinion and emotion about everything. It also allows me to let go and brings a sense of peace and contentment that I've never felt here. For me, that is priceless and worth much more than any temporary sense of euphoria that the holiday season brings.<br />
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<br />3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-60090006299238662992015-10-18T12:03:00.001-07:002015-10-18T12:44:26.030-07:00Awkward!Over the last three months or so, I had increasingly noticed that something was off, not quite right. But I could never put my finger on it. Then, one day, as I stood waiting for my son to be dismissed from school, watching other parents, it hit me -- ever since coming home, I'm often at a loss as to how to behave or what to say when interacting with my fellow Americans. It's like I'm that awkward teenager again, all squirmy and twitchy, not sure where to look or where to put my hands.<br />
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The first example is interacting with my son's teachers. Before Thailand, this was a no-brainer: my child's teacher is a professional, an authority figure, so our interactions are more formal in nature. In Thailand, though, all the lines were blurred: my son's teachers were not only professional educators and authority figures, but they were also our colleagues, our friends, part of our social circle, and sometimes our bosses! And sometimes we were our colleagues'/friends'/bosses' kids' teachers, too! We had to learn to straddle being friendly-casual and formal-professional. In one conversation, we could have discussions on travel destinations, where to shop for groceries, and hiring maids, to how our children were doing in each others' classes and personally, to professional development! This new kind of socializing took a while to get used to and learn to navigate, for sure.<br />
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So now we are back, and I have NO clue how to behave towards my son's teachers. What do I say to them? If I ask them about their families and personal lives, is that too casual and out of line? Would that be seen as being nosy? If I ask his main teacher about her life abroad (she's from New Zealand and has lived all over the world), is that getting too personal? Would she think I only cared about her as my son's teacher if I only ever talked to her about school?<br />
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These days, I must seem like such a strange creature in others' eyes -- standing off to the side, watching people, looking confused and consternated. But it's only because I'm trying to figure out all over again how the heck to act and what to say in different social situations. Luckily, I'm not too bewildered to make sure the thoughts racing through my head stay in my head and don't come flying out of my mouth.<br />
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Then there's the act of walking down the street. During the last two years, I had gotten used to smiles from everyone while walking down the street, and returning those smiles. Strangers strike up conversations and talk comfortably with each other. However, the friendly ways of the Thai people are very different from those of the American people, especially in our area of the country. Most people don't even make eye contact with others, either looking past or through each other, let alone smile. So many times, I've found myself smiling at someone, then wiping it off my face as I see the stony expression on the other person's face and it registers that no one smiles at each other here. Once or twice, I have been surprised when I unexpectedly receive a greeting initiated by a stranger. My facial muscles have been performing gymnastic feats as I continually, and sometimes quickly, contort and distort my face from stony to smiling to frowning, depending on other people's expressions.<br />
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Professionally, I've found myself in a similar position, as if I've just graduated and have no idea how professionals speak with each other! I'm so used to interacting casually with everyone from our maid to the administrators at our school in Thailand that I'd forgotten how to "act professionally" and the words that people use professional settings here. And by the time I figure it out, the moment is gone.<br />
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It's hard to believe we were gone for only two years; everything feels so foreign, I might as well be a new immigrant stepping foot on American soil for the first time and speaking a foreign language. Which is how many expats describe their experience when they go home again. In fact, I would probably fare better if I were actually speaking a foreign language....Hmmm, maybe I should pretend to be a foreigner until I'm more used to acting "American" again. <img alt="winking" src="https://s.yimg.com/lq/i/mesg/emoticons7/3.gif" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 39px; text-align: center;" /><br />
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<br />3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-46419185016254169222015-09-21T07:30:00.000-07:002015-09-21T07:30:42.661-07:00The "After" LifeSo we've been back for about 2 1/2 months now. Day-to-day life is finally beginning to normalize a bit. But it's been a very long two months, and our time abroad feels like a dream. I have to admit, it's been pretty hard for me being back, a lot more difficult than moving abroad two years ago. Prior to our return, I already had concerns about repatriating and all the adjustments that come with it, all based on how I felt last summer when we came back to visit for one short month. From conversations with various friends who went back to their home countries and then returned abroad permanently, I also knew moving home permanently was going to be ten times more painful than simply visiting during vacation. To prepare myself, I tried imagining life in America and how I would handle things, and read articles about strategies on dealing with repatriation. But, of course, nothing can truly prepare one for reality except for reality itself.<br />
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The adjustments have been both big and small, affecting every facet of life -- physical, emotional, mental, cultural, spiritual. On a daily basis, the landscape of American life feels uneventfully familiar, yet also trying and taxing. The day-to-day routine is duller. lacking in adventure, and much less colorful (literally and figuratively). Gone are the days when, while walking down just the two blocks of my street, I encounter people of all ages wearing everything from pajamas to cocktail dresses, scooters, cats and dogs, vibrantly colored flowers and plants, and sometimes monitor lizards and other scaly beings. Now all I see are cars and maybe a few people. The buildings and landscape are earth-toned and completely lacking in vibrancy. I'm no longer accustomed to the chillier climate or dressing in layers and wearing any type of footwear other than flip-flops. Now I pay my bills the "old-fashioned" way -- electronically, through my bank account, rather than with cash at the local 7-Eleven. Grocery shopping these days is at once boring and overwhelming and stressful. I've had to re-learn everyday tasks like grocery shopping, driving with different rules and traffic patterns, writing checks, and loading the dishwasher. I've even forgotten certain common English words and expressions, even though we continued to speak English in Thailand.<br />
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I also feel much more restricted now, even with a car. I'm so used to being able to just walk, bike, or scoot for a few minutes to get to anywhere -- grocery stores, markets, restaurants, cafes, playground -- that having to drive a car just to get to any of these places now feels tiresome and confining. My son also has felt the loss of freedom he enjoyed in Thailand, where he had more independence, and was able to run off with friends for hours at a time and run of the campus when at school. Now, whenever he wants to go somewhere, he has to depend on us to drive him, and his movements at school are more restricted as well.<br />
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The bigger changes are even harder to adjust to. The biggest shift I've had to get used to has been the loss of community after coming back. Here, we live farther away from everyone; our friends are scattered all over the D.C. metro area across D.C., Virginia, and Maryland. To get together, we all have to check our busy schedules and plan weeks ahead. Also, most extended families don't live close to each other and see one another only during holidays, so there's also little to no support from family for many. In Thailand, not only did we have the ready-made support network of our school, but we also lived within a five- or ten-minute walk of most of our close friends. We could just gather spontaneously after work or whenever the mood struck us, right in our own neighborhood, where restaurants and coffee shops abound. Even living in a more Thai neighborhood our second year, we felt enveloped by a community. While out and about, we would meet and strike up conversations with Thai people who were out for a stroll or just socializing with each other, and befriend them. Even though being back home eliminates the cultural and language barriers, it nevertheless feels lonelier and more isolating to be living among people we're supposed to have more in common with than among those we weren't even able to communicate with.<br />
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Something else I've really had a hard time adjusting to is the bombardment of expectations and obligations, especially from my family. Almost as soon as we stepped off the plane, we were inundated with questions and advice that implied unspoken expectations that we will return to "real life" now that we've gotten the fun of being abroad out of our systems. Some questions and comments include: Will you be buying another house to settle down in? You're home for good now, right? You need to put down roots for your son. Why would you want to leave again, anyway? Are you doing this or that with your son? You need to get x, y, and z things for your new home. You (meaning me) should be looking into doing a, b, or c for job possibilities.<br />
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Many people seem uncomfortable with uncertainty and change, and have been quick to want to put us back into boxes that we were in previously because that was what we were and will be in their minds. When we respond that we're not sure where we will be living or whether we will be going abroad again in three to five years, so we're not going to buy yet another house, or that I'm just going to take a moment to adjust and to see what comes up for me job-wise, people are taken aback. My own mother immediately began to "instruct" me on what I should tell my relatives about our new living and working "situation," as if our choice to live in an apartment rather than a single-family house, and my preference to take my time looking for a job that I actually might be excited about, were shameful actions to be hidden. It is annoying at best and demoralizing at worst, and especially difficult to swallow after two years of having the freedom and space to be myself in all respects, without judgment or criticism. Since returning two short months ago, I've already physically and mentally felt my world and energy contract and stifled again. I feel completely uninspired, as if all the hope, creativity, and imagination I had ever had and felt for the past two years have disappeared forever. While I'm fighting like hell from being stuffed back into these confining and limiting boxes, it is still exhausting and draining to have to spend energy actively ignoring feelings of suffocation and swimming against the current all the time.<br />
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The culture of consumption and materialism that we live in is another change I'm trying to get used to. For the past two years, I lived in houses that were already furnished, and we did not buy one single piece of furniture while in Thailand. Everything that we owned could fit into ten plastic containers that traveled to and from Thailand with us. For two years, I did not spend one minute thinking about accumulating material things. Don't get me wrong, consumerism and materialism are alive and well in Thailand, especially with the middle and upper classes. There are more mega-sized, very high-end shopping malls in Bangkok than I've ever seen anywhere else. But because we mostly hung out with expats, we weren't exposed to that as much. The people we hung out with are more our kindred spirits in this respect and with other values. No one spent energy thinking about looking for and acquiring things. And as many of them are nomadic by nature and have never lived in any one place for more than a handful of years in their adult lives (some of them are only 30 years old and have already lived in five or six different countries since graduating from college), they don't tend to accumulate much in terms of possessions. Then we came home. Immediately, the amount of stuff we owned tripled because we had stored some furniture, appliances, and other things with my parents. Seeing the piles in front of me totally overwhelmed me and made me feel weighted down.<br />
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After two years with people who mostly focused on having experiences instead of things, it struck me how many people in this country spend so much of their time and energy talking about, researching, and thinking about the things they want to have or how to get more of what they have, working their butts off to make enough money to buy (more of) the things they want to have, and planning for the things they want to have. Bigger homes, nicer cars, shoes, brand-name clothes, electronic devices, accessories for everything in one's life--the list goes on. If you want it, it's out there to be bought and had. And if you already have it, there are always better and bigger things to strive for. So many people are working themselves to death just so they can have nice things and hold onto what nice things they already have. They become slaves to these things. I was never into material possessions as an adult, but after seeing all this focus on material things around me, I realized that a lot of my mental energy used to be spent on that as well because that was what was "normal." I've come to realize that I no longer have tolerance for this aspect of American culture, and I don't want that to be any part of my existence anymore. It's quite freeing, actually -- when I see ads or catalogs for beautiful and shiny new things, I don't feel a twinge of desire. On the other hand, because there's neither a sense of want nor urgency to acquire anything, most of our living room remains an open and empty space, and I have no desire to shop for things that need replacing.<br />
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Going hand in hand with the culture of consumerism and materialism is the information overload that exists everywhere I go. Even though I still had access to American news while in Thailand, I could limit my exposure to it and control how much I wanted to know from such a long distance. In addition, I understood so little of what was around me--the television, the radio--that it was easy to ignore. Our lives were simple and quiet compared to our lives here; we truly lived the maxim of "ignorance is bliss." Being back here, I'm constantly being inundated with ads, information, news, opinions, and entertainment. At seemingly every moment, there are different messages battling for my attention; there are so, so many distractions all around. I've been limiting my time on the internet, listening to the radio, reading the news, and being out in public just to stay sane and focused.<br />
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The people here also aren't what I've gotten used to anymore. After living in a very relaxed atmosphere among extremely laid-back people for two years, it's hard to get used to all the type-A personalities and uptight people in this area. Add to that those people who are also self-important egomaniacs -- very common in this area, unfortunately -- and you get what feels like a rushed and unfriendly environment.<br />
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I've also had a hard time with the narrow-mindedness of the people of this country. Within the first two weeks of returning from Thailand, I heard very derogatory comments about African-Americans, gay people, and other minority groups, from three different individuals -- a relative, an acquaintance, and a stranger! I was floored. I nearly got into a shouting match with the relative who made these comments, and I had to walk away from the acquaintance. But the stranger backed down once she realized we did not see eye-to-eye. And hearing all the discriminatory comments on the news directed at those who believe differently, those with different skin colors, women, and other minority groups makes me sad and angry all at once. It's a disgrace and embarrassment.<br />
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In general, I feel as if I've been having an out-of-body experience for the past two months. I see myself going through the motions of re-settling back into life here, but I feel as if I'm watching someone else do it and can't quite wrap my brain around what's happening. I feel numb and detached from my life--in denial. I think one of the reasons we still have packed-up boxes and hardly any furniture is that I still can't quite believe we're home for good. Then there are the times when it feels as if nothing has changed and yet everything has changed--that strange feeling my life here has always been the way it is and that Thailand never actually happened, yet feeling out of place and time at the same time. Sometimes, though, I'm reminded, with a jolt -- as if waking up from a dream--of where I am, and I miss Thailand and our life there so much that it hurts. Mentally and emotionally, I've been all over the place.<br />
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At any rate, I don't know that I <i>want</i> to get used to some of the things I mentioned above. I want to remember that things can be different. Nevertheless, I've taken to heart some of the advice about repatriating that I've been given and read (such as <a href="http://www.thecultureblend.com/?p=1383" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.thecultureblend.com/?p=1444" target="_blank">here</a>), and am taking my time readjusting. The "old" me would've wanted to rush through the process, and get on with life already. But now, I'm being patient and letting myself feel the grief of what I've lost. I'm trying to appreciate what is now in front of me. And I'm allowing myself time to reflect and think. And plan for more adventures in the future, of course. Because there will be more adventures. I'm not even close to being done<br />
<br />3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-22716542555446932022015-08-15T07:20:00.001-07:002015-08-15T07:20:14.706-07:00The Endless SummerNot that I'm complaining, but this summer is getting to be quite long! Because our school in Thailand finished in early June and school here doesn't begin till end of August for my husband and early September for my son, summer will be 11 weeks long and 14 weeks long for each of them, respectively!<br />
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This summer has been quite hectic, busy, and chaotic. June was dedicated to wrapping up school, planning for our trips to Hong Kong and other parts of Thailand with our visitors, hosting and traveling, and packing. July was spent moving back to the U.S., apartment and car shopping, completing paperwork for work and school, visiting some friends, and planning our road trip.<br />
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We took off for our road trip at the end of July and just returned earlier this week. We went to Chicago for sightseeing and to visit a high-school friend of mine, Michigan to camp along the shores of Lake Superior, and Minnesota to visit friends of ours. It was quite exhausting as we aren't used to driving such long distances and for such long periods of time anymore. But it was good to get away and decompress.<br />
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Now we're back in our own state, and just moved into our own place yesterday. The move probably covered a distance of less than 20 miles, but it was much more stressful than our move back from Thailand. In another week or so, my husband will begin working, and summer break will be over. I'm ready to begin to settle down, unpack, and stay put for a while!3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-17904244276466574502015-07-29T10:50:00.002-07:002015-07-29T10:50:16.711-07:00Changes and AdjustmentsIt's fascinating how quickly one's environment becomes a part of oneself, how quickly we absorb our surroundings and the way of life and thinking around us. After just one week in the U.S., Thailand already felt like a distant memory, a hazy dream. Now, after three weeks, it's almost as if we never left. The people who rode on a scooter with the wind in their hair, traveled to islands and other countries on weekends -- they seem like other people, living other lives.<br />
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That's not to say, of course, that we have slipped seamlessly back and that coming back here and re-establishing our lives hasn't been difficult as hell. Our first week back, while staying with my parents, I tried to shield myself from the outside world as much as I could. The only places I went to were the library and the playground. I didn't watch TV, read the newspaper, go through the mail, or expose myself to any kind of media. It made coming back less overwhelming.<br />
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But I could only hide for so long. We had apartments to see, cars to test drive, appointments to make. The minute we started this process of repatriation, things got stressful. Quickly. The problem is that no one gives you the benefit of the doubt here; no one gives a crap. No one is watching out for us to make sure everything we need is taken care of, is resolved. There is no human connection; it's all about business.<br />
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The other thing is where we have come home to. I've always detested American suburbia. To me, the American suburbs are devoid of personality, soul-less, indistinguishable from one another. Over time, I had gotten used to these types of surroundings, and it helped that we had pretty easy access to all that Washington, D.C., has to offer. However, coming home to the suburbs again after two years abroad, living in a country full of life and character, has only highlighted how mind-numbing the 'burbs can be. Even driving down streets I used to think were picturesque, past houses I used to consider charming, I feel boxed-in and claustrophobic. Everything is just too clean, too sanitized, too quiet. Too organized, too controlled.<br />
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It's funny, too, watching the people in this area -- everyone speed walks, purposefully, as if on a mission. Even during the weekend, in the supermarket, out at the playgrounds, everyone is in a hurry to get somewhere. I remember feeling frustrated when I would be stuck behind students walking to class on campus in Thailand. The students would walk slower than snails move, as if they had all the time in the world. Now I wonder what the rush is. Now I'm the one sauntering.<br />
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I feel even more weighed down now that we have begun acquiring the material possessions necessary to live here -- cars and furniture among them. I've never been one to accumulate much in the way of material possessions, but now they feel even more limiting and restricting than before. And even though we are lucky beyond belief to have so many of the conveniences, creature comforts, and options that so many in the world don't have, I no longer enjoy them. Instead, I feel these amenities only serve to complicate life and enable me to "participate" passively in life without doing much, making me lazy and complacent.<br />
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Of course, coming back has its advantages -- we're much closer to family and friends, we've been able to visit the library almost every day, we've visited the free museums in our area. And I've certainly come to appreciate the level of intellect that exists in this area; the depth, independence, and strength of many American women; and the freedom we have to express our opinions and thoughts, and to disagree with each other and our government. Still, I do feel the stress of daily life here creeping slowly back into mine. If only I could export the best of this country abroad, life would be grand!<br />
<br />3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-26320618809355283942015-07-14T14:48:00.002-07:002015-07-14T14:49:23.399-07:00One Week in America<span style="font-family: inherit;">I can't believe we've been back for only one week. Thailand already seems so far away and a distant memory, and our life there feels like a dream. It's been a disorienting, confusing, and overwhelming week, trying to understand again how life works here and re-establishing our lives again. Everything has stayed the same, but we haven't. Life here is almost as foreign to us now as life in Thailand once was...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">- Even when it's 90 degrees outside, it still feels cool enough to me to put on pants and a long-sleeved shirt.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">- When paying for the bill after a meal, my husband forgets and wonders out loud if we need to tip, as if not tipping were an option.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">- Everything now seems negotiable, regardless of what we're shopping for.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">- Getting use to having and operating voice mail again.</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><br />- We miss seeing Asian faces around, even though we are already in a town with a good-sized Asian population, so we go to the local Asian market just to feel at home.<br />- Our son has been mispronouncing words the way he's heard them pronounced the past two years: "kitchen" is now "kitshen" and "chips" is "ships."<br />- Forgetting about and getting used to the tedious process of credit and background checks just to rent a place, instead of being able to just show up and sign a lease on the spot.<br />- Paying for everything with cash.<br />- Forgetting that we no longer have free access to virtually any book, movie, or music we will ever want.<br />- It feels too formal and impersonal when people address me by my last name.<br />- Being unused to hearing European foreign languages instead of Asian ones.<br />- American food is no longer appetizing, feels overly processed and "fake," and doesn't taste good.<br />- Feeling closed off from the outside world because the doors and windows of all the houses are always closed, we have to drive to get anywhere and can't just walk or use a scooter, and don't hang our clothes outside to dry.<br />- Forgetting that we can't just buy minutes at the 7-Eleven to use our cell phones.<br />- Looking at 7-Eleven stores with fondness instead of indifference.<br />- Forgetting that many places you need to go to are closed on the weekends.<br />- Not blinking an eye when my kid runs off out of my line of sight at a public place full of people.<br />- Everything feels too clean, quiet, and sterile.<br />- Getting used to seeing so much green in all the trees and grass again.</span></span>3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-21345961381628636282015-07-05T19:34:00.000-07:002015-07-05T19:37:08.010-07:00Sh*t, Look at All the Places We Hit!My last post from Thailand -- a final walk down memory lane to all the places we've visited in our two years here. There are still a million other places we never got to, but I'm happy with how much we got to travel. So long, Thailand. Thanks for the memories. We will never forget our time here!<br />
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<u>Thailand</u><br />
Bangkok<br />
Ayutthaya<br />
Koh Chang<br />
Koh Samui<br />
Kanchanaburi<br />
Erawan National Park<br />
Chiang Mai<br />
Sukhothai<br />
Koh Lanta<br />
Koh Larn<br />
Rayong<br />
Khao Yai National Park (my husband) </div>
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<u>Malaysia</u><br />
Kuala Lumpur<br />
Penang (my son and I)</div>
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<u>Singapore</u> (me)</div>
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<u>Vietnam</u><br />
Ho Chi Min City<br />
Hue<br />
Hoi An<br />
Hanoi</div>
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<u>Japan</u><br />
Osaka<br />
Nara<br />
Kyoto<br />
Nagoya</div>
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<u>Taiwan</u> </div>
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Taipei<br />
Hualien<br />
Taroko Gorge<br />
Sun Moon Lake<br />
Chuang Hua City<br />
Lukang<br />
Toayuan<br />
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<u>China</u></div>
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Hong Kong</div>
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<u>Cambodia</u><br />
Siem Reap</div>
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<u>Indonesia</u> (my husband)</div>
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Bendung<br />
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<u>The Philippines</u> (my husband)<br />
Manila</div>
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3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-80547786464991235442015-07-03T20:51:00.000-07:002015-07-05T03:34:59.322-07:00Living the Island Life One Last TimeFollowing our trip to <a href="http://traipsingalloverthemap.blogspot.com/2015/07/northern-thailand-sukhothai.html" target="_blank">Sukhothai</a>, we returned to Chiang Mai for one more day, then came home to regroup for a couple of days before heading out to show our visitors island life as the last leg of their visit. We went to a small island, named Koh Larn, about a 30-minute ferry ride from Pattaya. Unlike beautiful Koh Larn, Pattaya is a seedy city frequented by foreigners for its sex industry and about 1 1/2 hours' drive from us. Just walking through the port area of Pattaya made me feel dirty.<br />
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It was on this trip that our visitors got a small taste of what living and traveling in Thailand might be like. First, we had hired a driver -- our morning taxi driver during the school year -- to take us to and from the port of Pattaya for an agreed-upon price. But the day prior to our departure, I received an email from a teacher's aid at our school, who is neighbors with the driver, telling us that the driver's taxi cab had been rear-ended, so a taxi-driver friend of his would drive us instead, and that the friend was asking for more money. It wasn't that much more money than what we had agreed on, but it still didn't sit right with me that we were paying the price of his accident. Nevertheless, it being the day before we were to leave, we agreed to the change in driver and amount of payment.<br />
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On the day of our trip, the driver showed up on time to pick us up, but he didn't seem to know where he was going. Due to that and bumper-to-bumper traffic for much of the way, a trip that was to take less than two hours took about three hours instead. By the time we got to Pattaya, it was early afternoon and we were all starving.<br />
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Once in Pattaya, we were immediately visually assaulted in every direction by leering men. We tried to ignore it and look for lunch. Unfortunately, walking around, it seemed every restaurant was closed except for a fairly pricey western-style grill. Fortunately, the food was decent, and as it was my husband's birthday, I surprised him with a large piece of the best chocolate cake I have tasted in Thailand.<br />
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After lunch, we took the ferry to get to Koh Larn. Once there, we walked to the place where we were staying. The streets there were narrow and crowded with people, animals, tractors, scooters, tuk tuks, and songthaews. It was quite a scene. Our first afternoon there, we took a songthaew to Samae Beach. The songthaew ride was harrowing -- the driver drove at breakneck speed on narrow roads that were steep and windy. We held on for our lives. At Samae Beach, we walked and our kids played in the water. Samae Beach was busy, but fairly scenic with mountains in the distance. There also was a building with a solar-paneled roof shaped like a sting ray.<br />
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After a couple of hours there, at around 5:30 p.m., we decided to head back to the hotel. As we were walking towards a songthaew to get on, a group of people got on and took up all the space. So we decided to wait for the next one. Immediately, everyone from the passengers to the songthaew driver began talking in Thai and gesturing. Everyone was insisting that we get on, even though there was not one single space left on the bench in the back of the songthaew. After some confusion, one of the passengers told us in broken English that songthaew was the last one from the beach for the day, and that we HAD TO get on that one. Everyone started shifting and a couple of people got up for all of us to sit with our kids in our laps. Then, once everyone realized we were completely ignorant of the ways of the island, they asked us whether we were staying on the island that night because the last ferry heading to Pattaya was at 6:00 p.m.<br />
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We got so lucky that we decided to leave at that time rather than stay longer; otherwise, we would've been stranded at the beach and would've been walking for at least an hour or two on windy, steep roads alongside speeding scooters and cars just to get back to our hotel. We were also lucky that people were nice enough to inform us about what was going on. This experience was the epitome of living and traveling in Thailand, and of our experiences with the Thai people -- you're never completely certain of what is going on, no information is ever communicated to visitors to inform them of any kind of schedule, and you just have roll with the punches or you'd go insane, but people will help you out once they realize you're a clueless <i>farang</i>.<br />
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We finally returned to our hotel for a shower and dinner. The shower in our friend's room had no hot water, so we reported it to the concierge. Of course, when they went to check it out, hot water came out. Later, when she decided to shower, there was again no hot water. The way our day was going, we were neither surprised nor upset about the shower.<br />
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Dinner that night was a disaster. We chose a restaurant recommended by someone at the hotel. At first glance, it seemed like a cute place with an amazing water view. But that was the only good thing about the restaurant; nothing else seemed to go right. We waited forever for our food to arrive; the waitstaff made mistakes on our order; all the lights at the restaurant kept going on and off; and our friend's and her son's dishes were super spicy despite instructions to add no spice, so dinner was torture for them.<br />
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As if that weren't enough already, the power went out at our hotel that night. It wouldn't have been a big deal except it was hot and muggy without the air conditioner. My husband spoke to someone at the hotel who spoke English who told him that it was probably caused by some work being done on the cables in town. After about half an hour, I was about to wake up my son to go outside for some fresh air when the power returned. Phew.<br />
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The misadventures continued at breakfast the next morning. When I booked our rooms, I had made sure that breakfast was included, but when we ordered breakfast for our kids, we were told by the Thai staff that they weren't included and that they could only get a small box of cornflakes and milk each. I was quite annoyed by this information as there was no indication that the kids wouldn't get breakfast on the hotel website or the booking website. We three adults ordered breakfast and had to give the kids some of our food to supplement. Luckily, as we were heading out for the day, we ran into the Australian proprietor of the place. He asked us how breakfast was, and we told him what had happened. He told us the kids were entitled to a full breakfast like everyone else, and the problem was resolved for the next morning.<br />
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The rest of our second day there went well, fortunately. We hit another beach called Tien Beach after another harrowing songthaew ride. Getting to the beach area was a bit of an adventure itself with rocky terrain and a walk above the rocky shores, but the beach was gorgeous with pristine water. It also was a quieter beach with fewer people, though there were quite a few speed boats and other boat tours. We rented umbrellas and beach chairs at 50 baht per person for the entire day, parked ourselves under the umbrellas, enjoyed the temperate water and the view, ordered delicious food delivered to us for lunch, drank delicious cocktails, and had a relaxing and wonderful day at the beach. It was just what we needed.<br />
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The next morning, we all had a full breakfast, got on the ferry to go back to the port of Pattaya, and our driver picked us up, all without incident. The drive back took only an hour and 20 minutes as there was no traffic whatsoever. All's well that ends well!<br />
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The view from Pattaya's pier:<br />
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On the way to Koh Larn: A beautiful house on its own island, and views of Koh Larn from our ferry.<br />
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At Koh Larn: Colorful buildings near where we stayed, a wedding being set up at the parking lot where the songthaews usually park and pick up passengers, the view at the horrible restaurant where we ate the first night, and a menu item at another restaurant.<br />
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At our hotel:<br />
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At Samae Beach: Building with sting ray-shaped, solar-panel roof, a floating pier, a colorful shack, and the colorful rocks at the beach.<br />
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At Tien Beach. The third picture is of my husband's foot. He stepped on a sea urchin, and a woman who was referred to as a "doctor" came over with a stone and pounded on the wound site to break up the spine that had gone into the skin.<br />
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<br />3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-52230405496227928002015-07-02T00:05:00.001-07:002015-07-02T00:05:36.691-07:00Northern Thailand: SukhothaiIn the middle of our <a href="http://traipsingalloverthemap.blogspot.com/2015/07/northern-thailand-chiang-mai.html" target="_blank">trip to Chiang Mai</a>, we also made a quick trip to Sukhothai via a five-hour bus ride. We had planned on staying there for two full days, but because there isn't much to do in the city outside of the ruins, we left a day early and returned to Chiang Mai.<br />
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Sukhothai was an early kingdom that existed from the 1200s to the 1400s. Its capital, the ruins that we visited, has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Instead of biking through the historical park, as originally planned, we hired a tuk tuk for the day to take us to all the sites of the ruins. It turned out to be a good plan as the ruins were fairly spread out. The ruins were in a number of different zones, and each zone required purchase of tickets. However, the two kids were free, and each of the three zones cost only 100 baht for adults.<br />
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The ruins were magnificent. I enjoyed these ruins even more than those in <a href="http://traipsingalloverthemap.blogspot.com/2014/02/ayutthaya-on-makha-bucha.html" target="_blank">Ayutthaya</a>: Not only was the main site in Sukhothai grander and more majestic than the main one in Ayutthaya, but Sukhothai was also practically free of visitors and tourists, making everywhere we went peaceful, quiet, and meditative. While the adults walked and reflected in silence among the ruins, our boys ran around and explored on their own, using their imagination and creativity to make up games and stories as they used the ruins as forts, hideouts, and whatever their imagination allowed. We all enjoyed ourselves immensely and are so glad we made it to this beautiful place before our departure.<br />
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<br />3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-42424581756415301642015-07-01T06:59:00.000-07:002015-07-02T02:01:40.657-07:00Northern Thailand: Chiang MaiAfter spending almost a week in <a href="http://traipsingalloverthemap.blogspot.com/2015/06/seeing-bangkok-again-two-years-later.html" target="_blank">Bangkok</a> with our visitors, we all headed to northern Thailand for a week, where none of us had been before. One of our stops was Chiang Mai, a small, quaint city. It is very easy to get around in Chiang Mai, and we liked its small size, but it also was fairly touristy. We stayed in and explored the Old City, where there were many beautiful temples, vestiges of the old city wall, and a moat that went around the city. Food in Chiang Mai was amazing, and everything was surprisingly inexpensive.<br />
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Other things we did in Chiang Mai included exploring two temples: Wat U Mong, a temple complex with tunnels, and a well-known, but overcrowded and touristy, temple in the hills called Doi Suthep. We also did some shopping at the expansive Night Bazaar; and visiting the <a href="http://traipsingalloverthemap.blogspot.com/2014/12/fun-with-depth.html" target="_blank">Art in Paradise 3D Museum</a>, which we had previously visited in Bangkok. Our friend and her son also went to a night market and to a Thai dance performance on their own. Finally, the highlight of our time in Chiang Mai was spending a day at the <a href="http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/" target="_blank">Elephant Nature Park</a>, a sanctuary and rescue center for injured and abused elephants. We spent the day learning about the elephants, feeding them, petting them, and bathing them. It was an amazing experience. Overall, we enjoyed visiting Chiang Mai and liked the city better than Bangkok.<br />
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At Wat U Mong:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A stupa at Wat U Mong.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The emaciated Buddha at Wat U Mong.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the tunnels at Wat U Mong.</td></tr>
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At the Elephant Nature Park: </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHb7IlA6WHMADOJgSUoyeIYDeQqZJBtmLORCsXFlNLQn5gTZGFg092MeOxohLMk7u5t7cBun_FQsh7dP1uaWBLdI1KZW7tbVYgPbVjHH-aYXA2pO4ojiyRyu7ANDFCH8-EN_vpdyrKqV6/s1600/IMG_5598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHb7IlA6WHMADOJgSUoyeIYDeQqZJBtmLORCsXFlNLQn5gTZGFg092MeOxohLMk7u5t7cBun_FQsh7dP1uaWBLdI1KZW7tbVYgPbVjHH-aYXA2pO4ojiyRyu7ANDFCH8-EN_vpdyrKqV6/s320/IMG_5598.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feeding the elephants.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJ8S9zcsY0_SxBuJwjPm0OP3nb1rlrq0sVuCxXNJRwDqTT5EHQe63oEr9tXWjSd2aEzfspLrNhiPmsQxwjzfJL4LC_28uhJemEVAhOxwomHZx4Auv3tOEW5VmEZe42TqP5yceIWBxp1-A/s1600/IMG_5625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJ8S9zcsY0_SxBuJwjPm0OP3nb1rlrq0sVuCxXNJRwDqTT5EHQe63oEr9tXWjSd2aEzfspLrNhiPmsQxwjzfJL4LC_28uhJemEVAhOxwomHZx4Auv3tOEW5VmEZe42TqP5yceIWBxp1-A/s320/IMG_5625.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Petting the elephants.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmch_jOQqeIpw2QKTgIViVfwtiWHtWyp49M2yXgBCaL7WUHHHbtG_Q22GYdKUCmhVvhRopSEMThNLc4PbVm3q1WSGL0Ws2QKTkFrcQEfml7nVOw-xZ4EG0ppPg5HT2EHZixooqNnJzBt4n/s1600/IMG_5633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmch_jOQqeIpw2QKTgIViVfwtiWHtWyp49M2yXgBCaL7WUHHHbtG_Q22GYdKUCmhVvhRopSEMThNLc4PbVm3q1WSGL0Ws2QKTkFrcQEfml7nVOw-xZ4EG0ppPg5HT2EHZixooqNnJzBt4n/s320/IMG_5633.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This poor baby elephant was injured after stepping on a trap.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9IK_d7qIJp9EXPFtSoWzQT-W9oOa2XaGcl5dYxZKasZQXlNlCqtlJyzkLfso0eEihcxMPb2Hfq1LJnu7yufUuoPr_ru_cE5sdh1s5fMFNUZPU9cFC7aJtzx_L22h0C0AfX59TPeoIcPH/s1600/IMG_5660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9IK_d7qIJp9EXPFtSoWzQT-W9oOa2XaGcl5dYxZKasZQXlNlCqtlJyzkLfso0eEihcxMPb2Hfq1LJnu7yufUuoPr_ru_cE5sdh1s5fMFNUZPU9cFC7aJtzx_L22h0C0AfX59TPeoIcPH/s320/IMG_5660.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ahhh. Scratching an itch against a tree trunk.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrRuhdaWc7gHCyO-yfjJE3CbrHGW40lvk7EijcU59woqjjCRybNVeUgqU30r_mdT3rKt0qu9Ku1cT2-8qTxrxMMo7K0Znu4iSgKe_Hy_4gawGzKISR4FVMC6DyO9gs_1vzoPVujGa9n6q/s1600/IMG_5701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrRuhdaWc7gHCyO-yfjJE3CbrHGW40lvk7EijcU59woqjjCRybNVeUgqU30r_mdT3rKt0qu9Ku1cT2-8qTxrxMMo7K0Znu4iSgKe_Hy_4gawGzKISR4FVMC6DyO9gs_1vzoPVujGa9n6q/s320/IMG_5701.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bathing the elephants.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Gupig8sQUa3U_l5e46wyU3tJioWsnBmPyxQj8Sa-sSwj_gFHTC4-z7BM0stzXkGuvKYVSM-VXcuyKu1ViAqoL-8ehl8RZrUpSo0l-w-T-hYpk-fS8iG9R7JY8AzOWSeQBngcvY-WvtZW/s1600/721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Gupig8sQUa3U_l5e46wyU3tJioWsnBmPyxQj8Sa-sSwj_gFHTC4-z7BM0stzXkGuvKYVSM-VXcuyKu1ViAqoL-8ehl8RZrUpSo0l-w-T-hYpk-fS8iG9R7JY8AzOWSeQBngcvY-WvtZW/s320/721.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These two elephants were frolicking in the river. So cute!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHaZBVwHNhgF2hmfX7F52gdx2bgELNL06r8DVZI_1FfXL2rFcBTpP6S-sEMYPpILSskwzu9JFaonGYDtx4R1cL35GhNP4i9cB93bFjkOorghSHyXpcgj6Tog_KWVxAT7EerBkCaSOk01N/s1600/IMG_5717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHaZBVwHNhgF2hmfX7F52gdx2bgELNL06r8DVZI_1FfXL2rFcBTpP6S-sEMYPpILSskwzu9JFaonGYDtx4R1cL35GhNP4i9cB93bFjkOorghSHyXpcgj6Tog_KWVxAT7EerBkCaSOk01N/s320/IMG_5717.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This baby elephant got up on a log and kept making little whimpering noises to get attention and food. He even reached his trunk into his care taker's pocket!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNODMfanpbAlVnwEC7A9mLQto6embTEXLYb-jfZnIBrC6Tcv_ozIZH0DuAamxQncfxdZPq7hattiKb1EQLDLY-sryL0aQi0-ETgEZIx5l-8trI-30MUV-UK7nXDPNcu9orzEhyZmdbQ3k/s1600/IMG_5745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNODMfanpbAlVnwEC7A9mLQto6embTEXLYb-jfZnIBrC6Tcv_ozIZH0DuAamxQncfxdZPq7hattiKb1EQLDLY-sryL0aQi0-ETgEZIx5l-8trI-30MUV-UK7nXDPNcu9orzEhyZmdbQ3k/s320/IMG_5745.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buddies.</td></tr>
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Scenes around Chiang Mai:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZbTIRS17P40_Ud3eyyaJs7_iz-VyifQ989VPXrHivlQ5Bd1eJe2hB-8pBVZaoagqyeShxspsC0sbP5CY_iCs_iQV1SqbrCfKqgcVsNbcnB_LeFBvBJorbHwOcrbeOHTO-wPVKIWK2P6J/s1600/IMG_5757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZbTIRS17P40_Ud3eyyaJs7_iz-VyifQ989VPXrHivlQ5Bd1eJe2hB-8pBVZaoagqyeShxspsC0sbP5CY_iCs_iQV1SqbrCfKqgcVsNbcnB_LeFBvBJorbHwOcrbeOHTO-wPVKIWK2P6J/s320/IMG_5757.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A part of the city wall of Old Chiang Mai City.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Volkswagen van bar.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfiuiixflDQax1LlEl5HeGZTopLRoRIOWrffyXeUvvBrzZAAsPJEgQLZyFS15AaVKTL7hyG_u4nND7Fc3J27-3w3eBtBPCp7fNDxMxJGXnTIFupRDsBZ6znh5g4y1bJIgU6h6Kbh4ZrxN/s1600/IMG_5581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfiuiixflDQax1LlEl5HeGZTopLRoRIOWrffyXeUvvBrzZAAsPJEgQLZyFS15AaVKTL7hyG_u4nND7Fc3J27-3w3eBtBPCp7fNDxMxJGXnTIFupRDsBZ6znh5g4y1bJIgU6h6Kbh4ZrxN/s320/IMG_5581.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A temple we saw.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaGv_Wb3yBic4-JKd_nVO-n-PUyXO_OmC5zBs6XRp5x50leDxQNKeAGje2AMW2RUTOe8zucqsj91dyhPyjFg3zyHUjDhL-mZVFgB4tkpsPqbbzZMNwQKb9BshQj62DFG4vS1VjTFZbhuw/s1600/IMG_5585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaGv_Wb3yBic4-JKd_nVO-n-PUyXO_OmC5zBs6XRp5x50leDxQNKeAGje2AMW2RUTOe8zucqsj91dyhPyjFg3zyHUjDhL-mZVFgB4tkpsPqbbzZMNwQKb9BshQj62DFG4vS1VjTFZbhuw/s320/IMG_5585.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loved this.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnx80ue5lDpysARa6s_d9sh4KuykJJRroS-vXp-M97KYmwQ8uPUcibY43lUu12EUtrs7V1fcGbmQdOa4MAAeSFgCdW5hasUpIudFbuaMM7Nh1goofv1Cfmlq4qWwCZOuibeWb81LitNeB_/s1600/IMG_5764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnx80ue5lDpysARa6s_d9sh4KuykJJRroS-vXp-M97KYmwQ8uPUcibY43lUu12EUtrs7V1fcGbmQdOa4MAAeSFgCdW5hasUpIudFbuaMM7Nh1goofv1Cfmlq4qWwCZOuibeWb81LitNeB_/s320/IMG_5764.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another temple.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFhw3JVsfLnTqqQuaHojzgTZ84vazl4TkvH8ksgGRxInTDXKkrXO3ZyIabsFCodh-9-a6fGgcrntsMuk1E7eZHvIBigDaqqU3nzd7dUYH5hWNVWyxHzpBUdDRPKU6ZqtNU_yJr4WB53Uo/s1600/IMG_5781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFhw3JVsfLnTqqQuaHojzgTZ84vazl4TkvH8ksgGRxInTDXKkrXO3ZyIabsFCodh-9-a6fGgcrntsMuk1E7eZHvIBigDaqqU3nzd7dUYH5hWNVWyxHzpBUdDRPKU6ZqtNU_yJr4WB53Uo/s320/IMG_5781.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first time I encountered a temple where women weren't allowed inside.</td></tr>
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<br />
At Doi Suthep:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgea25qMaPKvRelEsZEsO2DPonPaAYx7S_V9u3DTlAVbwP_od0gL6ojgfMpkVXsH1TALlHEO3wPwYK8AzkxVx6TUgKKc-ozeV7nNp8BPOt73bD5SVi1sMxmPwbpBsZQZxHiNw8GoSGx5X3X/s1600/IMG_5813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgea25qMaPKvRelEsZEsO2DPonPaAYx7S_V9u3DTlAVbwP_od0gL6ojgfMpkVXsH1TALlHEO3wPwYK8AzkxVx6TUgKKc-ozeV7nNp8BPOt73bD5SVi1sMxmPwbpBsZQZxHiNw8GoSGx5X3X/s320/IMG_5813.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The steps leading up to the temples of Doi Suthep.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhxSufCihAOCHgW2GvstIXCTP4tOOJ01J00p2KXDwfmiPBrGvRMxHaj0xNVgbmLXIi_kR8cU9pN0_eS69E42pGV36Dp1ajsPqr-OpWccSzIfy3Lsz4jrUtwqcW5VoRCSSOqTHv1Ejpw33/s1600/IMG_5791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhxSufCihAOCHgW2GvstIXCTP4tOOJ01J00p2KXDwfmiPBrGvRMxHaj0xNVgbmLXIi_kR8cU9pN0_eS69E42pGV36Dp1ajsPqr-OpWccSzIfy3Lsz4jrUtwqcW5VoRCSSOqTHv1Ejpw33/s320/IMG_5791.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The temples up top.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu516lhyqoWw5uyeLkyMrFFhJxtHaCKLwTSSC24eMLS9QB72p1O8K0UbobHGP6lJBWqyoLxtOrY-x0aFRXDTQI7JVkvrShHa7N8KotoLU1jcxeq7ro9V8w4jgfN-cwg8pII1HrPVXLwA7z/s1600/IMG_5792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu516lhyqoWw5uyeLkyMrFFhJxtHaCKLwTSSC24eMLS9QB72p1O8K0UbobHGP6lJBWqyoLxtOrY-x0aFRXDTQI7JVkvrShHa7N8KotoLU1jcxeq7ro9V8w4jgfN-cwg8pII1HrPVXLwA7z/s320/IMG_5792.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stupa at Doi Suthep.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIxefReN9vB8Iwe5AQhav82VIb2X0DjrynxqWtDAfYCzGNMe52_Rof7RjyQOD6r-pCx_3QyyrJRP-XbEFWRiYMgslyGWpig2FVeJWXcFThcI1TefM0_vKRNJmHpZ4x4NGO_1gmgJDwcBc/s1600/IMG_5800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIxefReN9vB8Iwe5AQhav82VIb2X0DjrynxqWtDAfYCzGNMe52_Rof7RjyQOD6r-pCx_3QyyrJRP-XbEFWRiYMgslyGWpig2FVeJWXcFThcI1TefM0_vKRNJmHpZ4x4NGO_1gmgJDwcBc/s320/IMG_5800.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Girls dressed in traditional costumes to make money.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFNfWgauWlpucaQ48rkrAmdSOcUVwyg0YQiT1CPU-9FFYWjRteQmTdXi6qJXe2WmO-Tl0WuvRhTS7YLSN2CzL798UujKXRiVj_V1IuoQ1UQ4J4_miLlWxdBQ8UtlIdepomSVvsLezetHL/s1600/IMG_5809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFNfWgauWlpucaQ48rkrAmdSOcUVwyg0YQiT1CPU-9FFYWjRteQmTdXi6qJXe2WmO-Tl0WuvRhTS7YLSN2CzL798UujKXRiVj_V1IuoQ1UQ4J4_miLlWxdBQ8UtlIdepomSVvsLezetHL/s320/IMG_5809.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Doi Suthep.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkfrito66ZOSjsrMqyHaLhmwcOi7m3Y3mi5fNGX2YSJdu4myO6OCJDVMbhRPNRr3OnlSIsnKRMKrC5IM7UFNO8bwNWsNZM7_op_MYEHhKhZUD4j38lkb8HFSaUfcTZif-AaJrYb8W2RZp/s1600/IMG_5810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkfrito66ZOSjsrMqyHaLhmwcOi7m3Y3mi5fNGX2YSJdu4myO6OCJDVMbhRPNRr3OnlSIsnKRMKrC5IM7UFNO8bwNWsNZM7_op_MYEHhKhZUD4j38lkb8HFSaUfcTZif-AaJrYb8W2RZp/s320/IMG_5810.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Doi Suthep.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At the Night Bazaar:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtecB1T1VIRn4rmbSikfqXYsaJao0gzSDMITVRaXFsUxvQPM8FZWQSMT6d5MCMoVDiO6aZ98U18fmmROkdrAy1M5J21Xay2JfLd2g8KoiGGP_YOfSucqAPqzs6q2_r1a2-yYXDnVFC9yP/s1600/IMG_5937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtecB1T1VIRn4rmbSikfqXYsaJao0gzSDMITVRaXFsUxvQPM8FZWQSMT6d5MCMoVDiO6aZ98U18fmmROkdrAy1M5J21Xay2JfLd2g8KoiGGP_YOfSucqAPqzs6q2_r1a2-yYXDnVFC9yP/s320/IMG_5937.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-91216194969937497532015-06-29T02:46:00.001-07:002015-06-29T17:48:36.786-07:00Waking from a DreamIt's hard to believe that we'll be going home for good a week from now; it feels so unreal. I still remember two years ago, right about this time of the year, I was about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, leaping into the unknown, having sold the house we had just bought two year prior and most of our possessions, and quitting a job that was tearing apart my soul piece by piece. It felt as if we were about to leap off the side of a mountain blindfolded and with our hands tied behind our backs. It was scary, exciting, exhilarating, and stressful, all at once. I stayed up nights worrying, thinking, analyzing, and thinking some more. And now, we've come full circle: We're about to embark on the same journey, but backwards, going back to where this all began. Everything will be the same, yet nothing will be the same. We may be returning home with the same material content in our suitcases, but our minds and spirits are no longer what we started with. Again, I'm staying up nights worrying, thinking, analyzing, and thinking some more. Again, it's scary and stressful, but not quite as exciting or exhilarating.<br />
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These past two years have been beyond anything I could've imagined. Yes, there are the perks of being able to travel every few months on a budget. There's a reason everyone refers to living abroad as a "working vacation." And there's also that element of escapism involved: Living abroad certainly lets one off from social and familial obligations, responsibilities, and expectations. But while it's possible to travel and see the world and escape from reality without uprooting one's entire life, living abroad is a lot more than that, as this <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/expat/2015/06/21/what-makes-the-expat-lifestyle-so-addictive/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">article</a> makes clear. When you are constantly living far beyond your comfort zone, day in and day out, you are awakened, rewired, irrevocably changed. It shakes you up and changes everything you've ever thought about life. You feel alive. You become fearless. You feel capable of anything. You feel the freedom to do what you want to do, and you become more willing to try new things and take risks. When you are freed from the constraints of lifelong expectations and influences, you are free to examine yourself, learn about yourself, and get to know yourself and your priorities. You feel free to be yourself.<br />
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Two years ago, I felt afraid embarking on this journey. I was afraid of the unknown. Now I'm afraid of the known and familiar. I'm afraid of, once again, living a complacent life, of putting my brain on auto-pilot, of going through the motions and sleepwalking through life. Going back to the U.S., I can't help but feel as if I'm waking up from a pleasant dream to reality again. When we used to live in the U.S., I frequently felt at a loss. I often felt as if I was "messing up" my life somehow. Living here, I have never felt that way. If I did, the mistakes didn't feel irreversible, like they did in the U.S. I'll need to keep in mind that, just like moving here, going home is yet another leg of our adventure that will reveal other surprises in store for us and offer other life lessons. Life truly is an incredible journey. </div>
3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-80419228151148164582015-06-16T21:09:00.000-07:002015-06-16T21:09:44.423-07:00Seeing Bangkok Again, Two Years LaterA couple of days after <a href="http://traipsingalloverthemap.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-hustle-and-bustle-of-hong-kong.html" target="_blank">our trip to Hong Kong</a>, we finally had our first and only visitors, the adventurous souls that they are -- a good friend of mine and her son, who's been best buds with my son since they met as three-year-old preschoolers. They'll be here for about three weeks, during which time we will show them around Bangkok, travel to northern Thailand with them, and get some R&R on a small island close by. They will head home late on July 1, and we will follow shortly on July 6. And thus our own adventures will come to an end for now.<br />
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We have kept their first few days here more low-key, given the long flights they just took and their jet lag. The first day they were here, we hung out at our house, treated them to their first real Thai meal, played at the playground down the street, fed the fish in the lake by the playground, and went out for homemade ice cream at our favorite ice cream shop down the street.<br />
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The next few days were spent downtown showing them some of our favorite sites: <a href="http://traipsingalloverthemap.blogspot.com/2013/09/staycation-getaway-part-i-friday.html" target="_blank">Wat Pho</a>, <a href="http://traipsingalloverthemap.blogspot.com/2013/11/not-old-macdonalds-farm.html" target="_blank">the snake farm</a>, and <a href="http://traipsingalloverthemap.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-grand-palace.html" target="_blank">the Grand Palace</a>. I felt like a completely different person visiting those places again after two years of living here. The first time we visited these attractions, everything was so new, different, and novel. Everywhere we looked, there was something amazing and fascinating to see. We seemed to stick out like sore thumbs, gawking at our surroundings and feeling so clueless. Now, two years later, the novelty has worn off, even if these sites are still breathtaking. They are now a normal part of our lives in Bangkok. It seems as if we've always lived here, and everything is familiar. While showing my friend around, I tried hard to remember what it was like for me to see these places for the first time so I wouldn't rush her through and she could take in everything as a first-time visitor, but it was hard to remember. It's funny how much things can change in just two years.<br />
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One thing that we got to do for the first time was go to a floating market. The Damnoen Suduak floating market, one of the more well-known floating markets, is about 1 1/2 hours of drive southwest of Bangkok. The name originally referred to the canal, which King Rama IV had ordered to be built in 1866 to facilitate water travel. It was opened to the public in 1868. Today, the market consists mostly of floating souvenir stands for tourists.<br />
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Floating down the canals, the atmosphere felt a bit like the bayous of Louisiana, pretty in a rustic sort of way and serene. There were many stalls selling pretty much the same or similar things. In the busy part of the market, there were at times four boats right next to one another trying to pass each other. Food vendors would row by selling their foods, but we didn't buy anything because the dirty canal water sometimes splashed onto the boats. The vendors were pretty aggressive in their attempts to sell their trinkets, but we managed to haggle the price down by as much as 50 percent with the few things we bought. It was a fun and unique experience.<br />
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<br />3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-22532341053982358322015-06-14T19:35:00.004-07:002015-06-14T19:50:36.307-07:00Neighborhood ConcertThis dream-like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gaz.mellen/videos/10153336364600406/?pnref=story" target="_blank">video</a> shows a performance that took place last month at a bar down the street from us. The singer had been the choir teacher at our high school for the past three or four years. She is taking the next year off to travel the world -- with Bangkok as her home base -- get married, possibly start a family, and research where she is interested in attending graduate school after her year off. The person who posted this video is the husband of one of the high school art teachers and is a professional musician. He and the choir teacher are teaming up to play gigs at various venues in Bangkok. The fire dancer in the background is another art teacher at our high school. She is British and previously lived and worked in China, where she met and married her French husband, who is an amazing graphic artist. [As a result of marrying in China, their marriage certificate was in Chinese and they had to get it translated into Thai to obtain their visas when they arrived here. But because they weren't able to find anyone to do that, they had to get married again in Thailand just to get a Thai marriage license. Then, last summer, they had another wedding in France so they could celebrate with friends and family.] She also previously had been part of a circus, where she learned fire juggling, fire dancing, and other "circus skills" that she taught the students through an after-school club this past school year.<br />
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I love that there are always local events like this "concert" happening in our neighborhood, bringing people together and allowing for such fun and casual gatherings for friends to socialize. I also have really loved being able to meet and get to know such a variety of interesting personalities. Those featured in the video are but a small fraction of the types of interesting people we've befriended here. I am really going to miss being surrounded by such fascinating people who, in turn, make my daily life here much more interesting and fun.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_343162101"></span><span id="goog_343162102"></span><br />3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-54410166217553907712015-06-13T02:26:00.000-07:002015-06-13T02:26:30.393-07:00The Hustle and Bustle of Hong KongWell, the longest summer break of our adult lives has begun. Earlier this week, we started it with a quick trip to Hong Kong, another destination that aroused my curiosity. It was what I had expected, but also full of pleasant surprises.<br />
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Here are a few things I really liked about Hong Kong:<br />
1. While we were there, the weather was beautiful with clear blue skies. We really lucked out as so many people we know complained about the smog there and being unable to get a view.<br />
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2. The public transportation system, while not as cheap as the one in Taiwan, was still easy to access and easy to use. The system uses a card called the Octopus Card, which can be used to pay for fares for trains, buses, trams, and ferries, as well as retail shops, grocery stores, movie theaters, and parking. Kids under a certain age are charged half price. Best part of all: before we left Hong Kong, we were able to return our cards and get refunds of the money we put on them, minus a nominal processing fee.<br />
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3. The diversity in Hong Kong surprised me. There were people from all over the world, and we heard more languages being spoken than we have in a long time.<br />
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4. The mountains and waters, the green space, and hiking trails available.<br />
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5. The magnificent Hong Kong skyline.<br />
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6. The variety of things to do in Hong Kong: there is a little of something for everyone, with prices ranging from the extremely pricey and sophisticated to the very cheap and even free.<br />
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7. For a city so crowded, it is surprisingly clean and not as noisy as I would've expected. The traffic was orderly and the people didn't shove and push as much as those in Taiwan!<br />
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8. Hong Kong is truly a place where the east meets the west -- in between the skyscrapers are little alleyways with markets of stalls selling food, clothing, watches, shoes, and handbags; and nestled among the traditional Chinese medicine shops, restaurants, and Chinese schools are churches, jockey clubs, and cricket clubs.<br />
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What I didn't like about Hong Kong:<br />
1. It is extremely crowded with people and skyscrapers everywhere, and felt claustrophobic to me.<br />
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2. The city reminded me a lot of New York City with its fast-paced lifestyle; everyone seemed to be rushing all the time.<br />
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3. It is a very expensive place to visit, especially the hotel and food costs.<br />
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Having seen the city now, we know it's definitely not a place where we would want to live. Still, we had a fun time and took advantage of the outdoors and the beautiful weather while there. This trip also was tinged with some sadness for me as it was the last trip out of Thailand for us before we return to the U.S.<br />
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<br />3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-90595397303383351502015-06-05T00:49:00.003-07:002015-06-05T01:15:16.592-07:00Thailand, the New Land of Opportunities?Planning and preparing for our return to the U.S. the past couple of months has forced me to return to a most dreaded topic: the financial aspect of living in the U.S. I've had to confront certain facts that I haven't had to think about the last two years: how costly it will be to live in our area of the U.S., how little our money will buy at home, and the adjustments we're going to need to make to our lifestyle. Not that we live lavishly here, mind you. I've always been frugal, and always will be, regardless of how low the cost of living is where I live and how much money I have.<br />
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But here are the depressing facts: Currently, both my husband's and my income total less than half of what we earned back home prior to our move here. Even more startling is the fact that both of our current earnings amount to less than what my husband's income alone was and will be back in the U.S. Yet, our comparatively small incomes still allow us to live here comfortably and pay our bills at home all on one income, hire household help, and travel, all with little to no effort. Even though we were able to save almost as much back home as we do now, we had to watch our pennies carefully, we weren't able to travel nearly as much as we do now, whether domestically or internationally, and we rarely hired household help. And did I mention how little we make now compared to when we were back home?<br />
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Recently, I came across this <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/middle-class-in-every-us-state-2015-4" target="_blank">infographic</a> showing how much income is needed to be middle class in each state of the U.S. I noticed several things right away: 1) Maryland, where we call home, requires the most income of all the states; 2) the median household income in MD is not much lower than what my husband and I earn currently in Thailand; and 3) we used to make considerably more than the upper end of what's considered middle-class in MD; yet, our quality of life was not even half as good as it is now.<br />
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The differences are shocking. I realize that there are huge differences between Thailand, a developing country, and the U.S., a first-world country. Yet, the idea of making a decent living and supporting one's family in the U.S. feels close to impossible while the possibilities seem endless here. Whereas <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/business/project_syndicate/2012/06/the_american_dream_is_dying_here_s_how_we_can_fix_it_.html" target="_blank">the U.S. used to be the land of hopes and dreams</a>, where people with less fortunate circumstances headed to make better lives for themselves and their children, it now seems neither appealing nor conceivable to do so. In short, America is no longer the land of opportunities.<br />
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In contrast, it seems easy to make a living and support oneself here. Even those in the lower economic class making only a few hundred dollars a month seem to struggle much less than those similarly situated in the U.S. Moreover, one can make a living doing almost anything; there seem to be many more opportunities for people to make a living here -- if you have a skill or talent, smarts, and creativity, you can make a living. For example, many people are able to open small restaurants or sell food or crafts from their own homes. Then there is the taxi driver who has a side business, making a ridiculous amount of money, doing paperwork for expats and taking them to the immigration office to help them with their visas. We also know people who make a great living as private drivers. And it's been suggested to me to start an online English tutoring business, which would allow me to work with Thai students while living in the U.S. Here, it seems if you see a need and have the skills to fill the need, you're set.<br />
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In addition, food and healthcare costs are a fraction of those in the U.S. As a result, while the poverty rate is pretty high, the rate of hunger is very low. And even if one has no insurance here, one can still afford health care and will not be bankrupted just because of one catastrophic illness.<br />
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There are also not the exorbitant childcare costs here, it seems. Extended families still live close to each other, spend their free time together, and watch each others' children. It is also very common for many people to have household help, which also helps to reduce the unemployment rate.<br />
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Of course, Thailand is far from perfect and definitely has more than its share of problems -- including corruption and a rigid social hierarchy that prevents upward mobility. And maybe it's easier for <i>farang</i> who are outside this rigid social system to make it here. I also know I'm over-simplifying things. Still, returning to one's home country to live and work should not be more of a financial feat than moving to and working in a foreign land where there are so many barriers to overcome as a foreigner -- language, cultural, social, political, just to name a few. Perhaps, as one of my colleagues says, Thailand is the new wild west, waiting to be discovered and transformed.<br />
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<br />3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-8232911118849657322015-05-31T06:52:00.001-07:002015-05-31T06:52:35.627-07:00Cooking with PooNo, we're not preparing food with feces here in Bangkok. Cooking with Poo is the funny name of a cooking school owned and run by a woman nicknamed Chompoo (meaning "rose apple"), Poo for short. I heard about this place when we first arrived, and my husband and I both have been interested in taking a cooking class there since. But as our time here is coming to a close, with neither one of us having had a chance to check this activity off our list yet, I decided to book a class for my husband as an early birthday present (his actual birthday is late next month) since he enjoys cooking.<br />
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The story of Poo is an interesting one. She lives in the largest slum of Bangkok, in a section of Klong Toey, and used to making a living making and selling food from the shanty where she lived with her family. However, the price of rice increased to the point where she could no longer afford to do so. An Australian woman who also lived in the area helped Poo start her cooking school, initially in Poo's house. Five years later, the school has grown to include a nice-sized kitchen that can accommodate up to 12 people, and Poo has mastered the English language so that she is able to communicate well with foreigners. She holds cooking classes six days a week for 11 months of the year, taking July off to train her staff. There are six different menus, one for each day of the week. Her school has become quite popular among Bangkok's visitors.<br />
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Because of the success of her school, Poo has been able to move her family to better living quarters on the second floor of her cooking school. She also helps her community by making small loans to help others in the neighborhood better their lives, raising funds to pay for higher education for the young adults in the community, and training and employing those in her community at her school.<br />
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The cooking classes for laypeople in Thailand are unlike those in the U.S. The classes here include the students in the entire process of food preparation -- from learning about and purchasing the ingredients to cooking and consuming the dishes. To begin, my husband and his group were given an hour-long tour of the local market. The market was huge and covered many, many streets and blocks. It was such a maze that my husband said he could never figure out how to get out on his own. The food there was extremely inexpensive and everything imaginable is sold there; it's where the locals from the area shop. Many of the markets around us, while still inexpensive, are a bit pricier because they cater to the middle-class and foreigners, but the locals in the poorer sections always know where to buy the same goods for much less money.<br />
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Once at the school's kitchen, the group prepared the ingredients, cooked, and ate. Each person made so much food that some were able to bring some home. The process took quite a few hours. According to Poo, one of the dishes, massaman curry -- one of my husband's favorite dishes -- requires such a lengthy amount of time to make that many Thai people make it only once a year! For the cooking class, Poo prepared ahead of time so there would be enough time to make the dish. Following the main courses, the students tasted an array of Thai fruits, with some that my husband had not tasted before. The students were all given recipe cards of all the dishes they made.<br />
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After the meal, some people purchased Poo's cookbook of the same name as her school. Poo then took the group around the neighborhood. My husband thought the neighborhood was quaint, with narrow streets and homes nestled close to each other. He quite enjoyed the day, meeting new people and learning new and interesting things.<br />
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At the market:<br />
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Some of the things sold at the market, some more appetizing than others:<br />
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In the 'hood and at Poo's school. The mosaic was created by an Australian artist for Poo's school. The paper sign was formerly used by Poo for her school when she first got started, cooking for two at a time.<br />
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Having a blast cooking with Poo. I wish the participants could've kept the aprons.<br />
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Some of the most delicious Thai food I've ever tasted. The massaman curry in the third picture was amazing. Glad we have the recipes!<br />
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And...this is Poo!<br />
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<br />3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164704611517208132.post-64329287564946978592015-05-26T04:45:00.001-07:002015-05-26T06:54:55.175-07:00Third Culture KidsThird Culture Kids (TCKs) are <a href="http://denizenmag.com/third-culture-kid/" target="_blank">defined</a> as children who spend a part of their formative years in a culture different from their parents'. In their book, <i>Third Culture Kids: The Experience of Growing up Among Worlds </i>(1999), authors David C. Pollock and Ruth E. Van Reken (who was herself a TCK) state that, while TCKs build relationships with all cultures, they tend to be noncommittal to any one culture. They are citizens of the world.<br />
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Like everything else, being a TCK has its advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, TCKs display cultural awareness and understanding, maturity, and a global perspective. They are able to connect with different peoples, and are flexible, tolerant and accepting, open-minded, resilient, and adaptable to change. They are world travelers and are more likely to be multi-lingual. They are at home everywhere. On the other hand, they tend to feel like outsiders, except with those with similar experiences, and may lack a sense of belonging, identity, and commitment. They experience a sense of restlessness and feelings of loss (because of so many transitions and goodbyes in their lives). Their idea of "home" can be confused. They may be unable to develop deep, intimate relationships.<br />
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(Souces: http://whichschooladvisor.com/guides/pros-cons-third-culture-child/; http://denizenmag.com/2009/10/whats-good-about-being-a-tck/; http://www.worldweave.com/procon.htm; http://www.expatinfodesk.com/blog/2013/04/16/the-pros-and-cons-of-raising-a-third-culture-kid/)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A shirt we bought in the U.S. last summer that celebrates another part of my son.</td></tr>
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Though I certainly have been able to relate to most of the characteristics attributed to TCKs ever since learning about them, I never thought of myself as a third-culture anything, kid or adult. Part of it may be because I didn't grow up thinking about myself in those terms and descriptions, and part of it was that I've always considered myself "American," having lived in the U.S. for over 30 years. Nevertheless, growing up, I often felt like an outsider that didn't really belong anywhere, both physically and mentally. I could never put my finger on exactly why that was, though, and generally just assumed that I was the one with the "problem."<br />
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Then there were all the moves, both in Taiwan and in the U.S. I'm not used to living in any one place for very long, and if do, I feel bored and antsy. The first house that my husband and I bought was the longest I have ever lived in one place my entire life -- just seven years (and I was able to stay that long only because I switched jobs several times and had a baby during those years, so I was too busy and tired to move). While filling out the application for admission to the bar after graduating from law school, I realized for the first time that I had moved five times within the previous ten years. Filling out all the addresses where I had lived since graduating from college was no small feat! As a young adult, I sometimes envied my friends with their long histories with people and places, and fond memories of growing up surrounded by the same people, sharing inside jokes with them, living in the same house in the same town their entire lives, and knowing every nook and cranny of their little corner of the world. I wondered what it was like to be able to go home to the house where I had grown up and be friends with people I knew as a kid.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son wrote "Sammakorn," the name of the village where we live.</td></tr>
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Another "struggle" of TCKs is being asked where they are from. Like many others who have moved a lot, I have always struggled to respond to this question in one simple sentence. For most people, like my husband, he can simply respond with the city and state where he was born and raised (though that's changing for him now as well). But for me, an entire thought process goes through my head before I can answer the question: Does this question mean where I was born? Does it mean where I attended elementary school (four total in three different cities on two different continents), middle school, or high school? Does it mean where I went to college? Does it mean where I lived after college, or where my husband and I lived for over a decade after we married? It's, as they say, complicated, and made even more so by our move to Thailand two years ago. These days, if I tell people that I'm from America, I get remarks such as "But your face doesn't <i>look </i>American!" (or simply, "But your face..." followed by pointing to my face) "How can you be American?" or "But where are you <i>really</i> from?"<br />
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It was only in recent adulthood that I came across the term "third culture kid." Learning of the term and reading about TCKs, a light bulb came on -- I was finally able to explain me to myself! There were others like me; I wasn't the "problem" after all. And living here, among people from all over the world, has only brightened that light bulb. I feel at home and comfortable here, despite the questions (which are more amusing than anything else, and it's fun to watch people's facial expressions as I relate my meandering history). I am among people like me -- people who consider their "home" to be nowhere and everywhere, people who understand. It doesn't matter if I don't fit in with any one culture; no one else does either, and everyone is accepted for who they are.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son's collection of foreign currency from our travels and our friends' travels. He currently has currency from 11 different countries, and loves learning about the people and pictures on the money and converting them to the U.S. dollar and Thai baht.</td></tr>
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It wasn't often that I heard the term used while living in the U.S., though I know many adults and children there for whom the term is fitting. Being abroad, however, is a different story. This term is very common amongst the expats and the international school community, for obvious reasons. Since moving to Thailand, I've had multiple, in-depth conversations with other expat parents about the pros and cons of raising TCKs. I've heard students discussing themselves as TCKs, and one student even presented a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9N0Y9wXsNU&feature=share&list=PLsRNoUx8w3rPYhXRH5iSjlt4DdBA8eAih&index=11" target="_blank">talk</a> on it at a <a href="http://traipsingalloverthemap.blogspot.com/2015/04/tedxyouth-event.html" target="_blank">TED Talk event my school hosted</a>. My friends and I have discussed the many positive aspects of growing up as a TCK, and we've discussed the numerous drawbacks of life as a TCK. We wondered if we were doing right by our children or if we were subjecting them to a life as outsiders, wandering lost and rootless. I thought about adult TCKs that I know and how they seem to be coping with life, having lived as TCKs while growing up. We sought advice from those with more experience.<br />
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Despite the difficulties I went through growing up as a TCK, I still wouldn't trade it for the world. I feel that growing up as a TCK has had a positive effect on me as a person and has broadened my mind. And I want my son to grow up with similar values and perspectives. I want him to see that there are people of all shapes, sizes, colors, and blends in this world; that there is not one that is "better" than others; and that there are many, many ways to live life, do things, and think. I want him to be able to see the world from different points of view. I want him to be able to put himself in others' shoes, have compassion and empathy for those who are less fortunate than he is, and be able to relate to those different from him, whether it's ethnically, socioeconomically, or what-have-you. I don't want him to grow up in a bubble, be narrow-minded, and treat others as less than fellow human beings just because of where they come from, how they look or speak, or their differing ideas or opinions.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2n3JtlIFft3zX7YrSaXfwiEn8BRMee6GWBQzomU6zyNMq6YPgExWpk87PAM6I9Aw9YfnWhL3SEjl-giOZrK1BG3bo5GtDzZYexW68yYQIcw_gknYiHNaUMto_QkU-uV5rusU-cz8h-hJJ/s1600/IMG_4762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2n3JtlIFft3zX7YrSaXfwiEn8BRMee6GWBQzomU6zyNMq6YPgExWpk87PAM6I9Aw9YfnWhL3SEjl-giOZrK1BG3bo5GtDzZYexW68yYQIcw_gknYiHNaUMto_QkU-uV5rusU-cz8h-hJJ/s320/IMG_4762.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the places my son has seen.</td></tr>
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And living abroad seems to have been a very good experience for him. The reasons listed <a href="http://www.thecultureblend.com/?p=2035" target="_blank">here</a> are all the reasons I love about being able to give him this experience. Even after just almost two years of living abroad, his perspective and thinking already reflect his experiences: He accepts others as who they are, without judgment, regardless of how they're dressed, their behavior, their sexual orientation, their religion, their socioeconomic class, etc. He looks forward to visiting new places and having new experiences. He is adventurous about trying new foods (one thing I love about living abroad is that there are no separate kids' menus; children are simply expected to eat what everyone else eats, and they do). He is quite aware and respectful of differing cultural values and traditions. He loves learning about other countries, their peoples, and languages, and talks about where we should move to next (after America). He enjoys looking through his passport and reminiscing about all the places he's been to. He no longer bats an eye when hearing other languages spoken (going to birthday parties where the birthday song is sung in at least five languages is the norm for us these days), has developed an ear for picking up languages, and has become very interested in learning languages (his Thai is coming along very well, to the point where he is now reading and writing, and is able to translate for us occasionally when others are speaking to us in Thai!). Most importantly, he has been so happy these last two school years at a school with children who come from different places and accept each other for who they are, and where he feels at home and is accepted.<br />
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Of course, I also realize that, as parents, we all bring to the experience of raising children our own childhoods, our own relationships with our parents, our own realized and unrealized hopes and dreams, our own insecurities and baggage, and our own projections of how we want our children's childhoods to be, and we parent accordingly -- a combination of the way we were parented ourselves and the way we would've liked our parents to have raised us. I am quite aware that I am giving him opportunities I had had that I want him to have, as well as parenting him the way I wish I had been parented myself. How our children react to and feel about our parenting is a combination of a number of factors -- environment, personality, and relationships, just to name a few. There is just no telling how he will react to our parenting and our chosen lifestyle. For all I know, my son could grow up to resent having lived this kind of life. He may resent having moved so much, feeling like he doesn't belong anywhere, not having the same childhood as those who have the stability of growing up in one place, or not having friends from his early childhood days like some people do (though with technology, that's now less of a concern as it is very easy to keep in touch with friends). He may grow up never wanting to step inside a bus, train, or plane ever again. So far, his easy-going personality and adventurous spirit tells me he will look back on at least parts of his life with fondness, but who knows, really? Still, in this day and age when many seem to forget their own and others' humanity, and when the world is getting ever smaller and more intertwined, it can't be a bad thing to try to learn more about it and to try to forge connections with each other as fellow human beings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPb_GWtH5s5mUtWYMLTXFF1bO4oYYcFUa3m3hcz5eZVsxly1Xr-AYqxhqKJjpSsi3zssLggUXGVOIax1AK_SI0UZOTVly613M3s_48rKpuCz1o3OaEPly-YiUc-GFwQcahLvIDBgV3JrGg/s1600/11077958_1098717850155163_9024098286147319016_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPb_GWtH5s5mUtWYMLTXFF1bO4oYYcFUa3m3hcz5eZVsxly1Xr-AYqxhqKJjpSsi3zssLggUXGVOIax1AK_SI0UZOTVly613M3s_48rKpuCz1o3OaEPly-YiUc-GFwQcahLvIDBgV3JrGg/s320/11077958_1098717850155163_9024098286147319016_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Third Culture Kids (TCKs), a Facebook community.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span>3Wanderershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11845817781348078978noreply@blogger.com0