New Friends

We had lunch with a very interesting group of friends.


Hans is Swedish and he has just arrived in Bangkok since June 08. He is the SEA Director for IBRA, a Christian radio station which is currently in 100 countries. They do wonderful things in so many countries and brings the gospel to thousands and millions of Christians and non-Christians all over the world. Isn't that absolutely great? Its a wonderful ministry.


We also met C & D who are Filipino missionaries to Macau, China and Wira a Finnish who was in Northern China for two years doing some work with the orphanage.


What makes all these people leave their country, families and life?


Leave everything which is familiar, to a place where environment and surroundings are foreign?


Some does it for personal adventure.


I know my new friends do it because they love God and people. To fulfill a higher purpose which God has called them to. To bring love, peace and the Gospel to them who needs it.


How about you?


Will you be willing to go?

Farewell to Melika

Coming and going seems to be the most constant thing for the expatriate's life. Now I see you and now I don't! Either they are relocating or off for home leave. I am not really used to seeing good friends leaving...

Melika is a cute and lovely girl. She and her Daddy are leaving Bangkok, heading towards the US. We don't know when we will meet her again... She is 2.5 years old now, bubbly, full of life and absolutely cute.

We went out for lunch to spend some time together...

Mary has been like a Mother to her

The whole group of us

Latest addition to Bangkok, Sonia and family

My boys have new friends and they have heaps of fun together

Let's pray for Melika so that God will be with her and take care of her and her Daddy.

Hi-Tea At Heather's

We were invited for cakes, cookies and tea this Sunday afternoon, according to Heather. When we arrived, it was like a Malaysian style hi-tea, not English style. There was spaghetti, 3 types of salads, garlic bread, 2 other types of bread, scones, cookies, ham, salamis, desserts, juices and ice cream. Wow!!! It was really good. I particularly enjoyed the scones.... freshly baked this morning!

The other pleasant surprise was seeing the Lau family and Taeng family there as well. We have seen the Laus since early Dec and Taeng since Christmas 07. It was a wonderful and lovely time of chatting and catching up.

All of us even have our belated Christmas presents. Food and gifts?!! This is a real treat. Thanks, Heather!

The children had a great time playing together too!

From left: TL, Peng Peng, Heather, Hannah, Robert, Ivan

Hannah & Daddy

Hannah & Grandmother

The Lau 'lovebirds'

Junior Lau

Latest addition to Taeng family... The little angel

By the way, I have to give credit when credit is due.... Lau family is our inspiration to travel around Thailand by car. They have probably traveled the whole of Thailand by car in the last 3 years!

Songkran Holidays to Trang - April 2007

We took this trip with our "Travelling Buddies" i.e. P'Koong (Thai), Chor (Thai), Taka (Japanese), Nus (Thai), Sean (Malaysian) and Noot (Thai). This would be our 2nd trip together. Just for this trip, there was an additional Japanese student. Ethaniel has an additional friend ;-)

The chemistry of our group is extremely wonderful. Ivan and I are the only couple who has children. Taka and Nus are newlyweds. The rest are singles. We are very easygoing with each other. Everyone just goes with the flow, no complains but heaps of laughter and fun. Joel & Ethaniel enjoys the company of the group tremendously and vice versa. They truly love my children and I can see it in the way they treat them, with sincere affection. So, here goes another totally enjoyable trip!

12 April 2007, Thursday

Took almost 10 hours overnight journey in a van from Bangkok to Trang. We all slept in the van. Joel and Ethaniel slept like a baby.

13 April 2007, Friday

Tham Le Khao Kob Cave
We arrived in Trang and went to Noy's factory to meet up. She took us to Tham Le Khao Kob Cave. It was a real experience! There was a passage which we have to cross with a sampan. An overweight person with a belly will be badly scraped! Incidentally, if you are claustrophobic, it would be a traumatic experience. We were easily in a horizontal position for 5 mins.


After leaving the cave, we proceeded to lunch and then to the waterfall.

There are two things which made this waterfall so memorable:

Dream come true
I have always wanted to go to the source of a waterfall and not just downstream. That day, I managed to do that! Taka, Joel and I trekked up to the waterfall. It was a beautiful and breathtaking sight. It was like a dream come true! Difficult to express the emotions of gratefulness to God for the wonders of His creation.

Tragedy
Two days later, we discovered through friends who called up and the newspaper that there was a flash flood which happened at the exact waterfall and many were killed. We felt that our lives were spared! Actually when we left that evening, it was already drizzling.



That night we had dinner at Noy's friend's restaurant. The food was delicious and the night ended perfectly with a 2 hours massage at a local hotel.

That night we spent a night in Noy's house, our host. It was an amazing home. They designed it and built it themselves. Its very unique. Checkout the photos at my online album - Noy's House. Ivan and I loved the teakwood concept. It was absolutely stunning!

Khun Noy

14 April 2007, Saturday

We had breakfast hosted by Noy. Our intention was to go to Koh Muk Island but because the boat was delayed, we detoured and visited a land belonging to Noy. It was presently rented to a group of people rearing "Fighting Fish". The fishes here are World Champion.

Ethaniel & Joel trying to catch the fishes

Fighting fishes are reared in the containers

They also train the chickens fight

The Champions and selected ones are separated

This is a special location for the fishes to be reared because there are mountain springs that provides natural mineral water. This strengthens the fishes in a very different way.

Hawk

After that, we went for lunch, hosted by Noy again. I had the largest and juiciest oyster I have ever eaten! It was huge! When its in my mouth, my cheeks are puffed up. Now my craving is satisfied. I had 3 of them... Ooo.... that was satisfying..... Burp!

To Koh Muk Island

We went to 2 destinations before arriving Koh Muk Island i.e. Koh Chuak Island, Emerald Sea Cave. To get to Emerald Sea Cave, we had to make a human chain to swim into the cave. It was high tide. It was pretty exciting. There is no picture here because we were not able to bring the camera in.


We arrived Koh Muk Island in the evening. The island was very quiet. Not too many tourist and that's good. We had a relaxing time. Doing nothing much really... eat, play football, Taboo, Pictionary and sleep.... That's what I call a holiday!


I have a video clip of a football game played by the adults and Ethaniel.

15 April 2007, Sunday

Still enjoying ourselves at Koh Muk Island

16 April 2007, Monday

We left to Amari Trang in the afternoon. Its was a beautiful 5 star resort. Very quiet too. There were hardly more than 10 people around the hotel. We loved the environment. Ivan, Joel, Ethaniel and I loved the place so much that we decided to extend our stay for another 2 nights. The rest of the gang will be leaving tomorrow with the van, so, we have to find alternative transport. Easiest alternative was to buy a bus ticket. We managed to get some seats, so, we are staying!! Hurray! For some pictures of Amari Trang Beach Resort & Spa visit Amari website.

Today was my birthday. We celebrated it at the Italian Restaurant at Amari Hotel. It was a very pleasant dinner. Ivan and the ladies bought a cake and we sang a birthday song. I was very happy to be able to spend my birthday with the people I love.


For more photos of our Trang trip, please visit my online album.

Relationship Ajustments in a foreign country

I have never left Malaysia more than one month at a time. I have never studied overseas or stayed far from my parents since the day I was born. Unlike my husband, Ivan, who grew up overseas most of his teenage life, apart from his family. So, when he received a posting to Bangkok, Thailand, I did not know the full extend of the adjustment.

Adventurous and easygoing by nature, I embarked on the move as a challenge. The arrangements of renting out our apartment, selling both the cars, sourcing for a mover, saying goodbyes, etc, etc. was very tedious. Not to mention that I had to handle a major event at my workplace just before leaving. All the stress was crazy!

From a buzzing busy life in Malaysia, suddenly thrown into a country that speaks very little English and majority of the time, NO English, traffic jam everywhere, big metropolitan city, congestion and homebound. It was a real challenge alright!

April 16, 2006 is my birthday, Easter and the day I left Malaysia to relocate to Thailand. Three in one? I did not know that leaving my family, especially my Mother would be that difficult. There was a deep sense of loss.

I am the 3rd child in a family with 3 other siblings. The middle child syndrome, they say. My elder sister is residing in Australia and my youngest brother in Singapore. My eldest brother is in Malaysia but very caught up with his business. So, that leaves all the attention to me. Mom baby sat my eldest son Joel for 2 years, so, that relationship was close.

Homesickness rose within me when I was at the airport, leaving from KLIA to Don Mueang Airport, Bangkok, Thailand. A strange feeling which I have not felt before. It was difficult to describe the emotions.