Food

Already there have been many food highlights here in Thailand. If we were coming directly from the US, it probably wouldn't be as exciting - except for the prices. For us though, food has been pretty amazing.

We have had:

DQ Blizzards - "medium" size 35 baht - $1.25

Pad Thai - each dish 20 baht - $0.75

Salads - each 100 baht - $3.25

Includes greens, your choice of five vegetables/nuts, meat and cheese (additional), and fresh homemade dressing. We chose passion fruit dressing.

Fresh mango, passion fruit, pineapple smoothie - 50 baht - $1.75

(we split one, so this is my half)

Mexican!

Campbell's Soup

And of course some things that are identifiable in any language

Welcome to Thailand

Well, we made it to Thailand! We had good travels and a minor visa problem that we think is resolved. I liked the colorful airplane seats on ThaiAir.

We're staying in a nice basic apartment about 10 minutes from the hospital by "song taow." It's a truck that holds maybe 8-12 people and picks up people along the road. It's our main form of transportation and probably what will take us to the hospital! Yes, they drive on the left side here.

We went to the hospital yesterday for the first time. It's clean without being sterile and cold. We weren't set on a doctor, but we liked the one we saw and think we'll stick with him. The best part of the visit was the ultrasound where we all looked at the screen together and he explained everything we were looking at. We saw the four chambers of the heart, his legs, face, and even his tongue that he stuck out at us! Eric was most impressed with his large boy parts.

After visiting the hospital we walked to a nearby mall to look around. On the way we stopped to get this video.

In the evening we made our way to the outskirts of town (in a song taow) to the big grocery store. It was better than a Super Walmart. They had everything we could want - or as much as we could carry including things we haven't seen in 18 months like Miracle Whip and Campbell's soup! Plus they had great things like a box of Panang curry and you just add chicken or whatever. We were really excited about the Australian Tim Tams that come in seven different varieties here, Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup, and a pineapple for $1. We also picked up toiletries. Can you identify the three different languages?

We're thankful to have made it. Thanks to everyone for thinking of us. I'm still having trouble walking, but it's probably just gonna be that way until he's born. We're starting to explore a little too. Eric went for a run today and made it to a nearby national park. There are also numerous great cheap restaurants and small shops near us. What a blessing.

Snow II

So I was wrong. We got more snow the next day, and it actually stayed for about three days! So exciting. Most students are on break now, so I think they were enjoying the snow too. And of course don't miss the umbrellas - used year around for sun, rain, and snow.

Snow

We finally got snow! It started yesterday late morning and continued throughout the day. It was just enough to put a light layer on trees, sidewalks, buildings, etc. This part of the country is really not designed for snow though. Tile is slick, and motorbikes still go fast. Eric went out last night to pick up our date night meal of Indian food and said it was good I wasn't going out. With my current walking/balance problems I probably would have either fallen or been run into.

As for the snow, amazingly it was still there this morning, but now most of it has melted. Sigh. I just want real snow. Like the kind you have to shovel, and the kind that causes snow days. The kind that stays, causes drifts, and makes you realize that you're not really in control of your schedule. (but I do want it in a place where my home has insulation and good heating) Eric says I'm crazy. Sigh. Maybe next winter.

More Baby

I'm sure some of you are a little tired of hearing about the baby, but here are a few more pictures as we prepare for him to arrive. We had another appointment today. Everything went really well - thank the Father for that. As we get closer I've been having nightmares that we won't make it to Thailand to deliver, and I'll be giving birth here flat on my back in stirrups in a room with six other women and no husband. That's not quite how it is here, but... it could be.

How Eric sometimes feels at the doctor visits. He's not allowed into the room because it's full of other women also waiting to see the doctor. No appointments or private rooms at this hospital.

Our friend who came along to translate pretending to be pregnant too.

The doctor we see now. She would be the one who would deliver our baby if we were staying here.

The changing table now has some of our cloth diapers washed and ready to go. So thankful it fits right in our bathroom.

Baby Shoes

For some reason shoes have been a popular gift for our baby.

One knit pair and one crocheted pair from a friend's mom

(Complete with socks inside)

A pair handwoven from grass bought by a friend

(She told us the army used to wear shoes like these.)

Thick dragon shoes bought at the market by a friend

Warm dragon slippers for when he's a little older from another friend

January update

This month our Christmas decorations eventually came down, and our changing table went up. We're in the middle of finals this week and are working on our visas for Thailand. (We'll head there the end of January to have our baby the end of February.) We also have two more doctor's appointments, an apartment to deep clean, and a few more students to hang out with before everyone leave for winter break. Lots of good stuff, but we're really looking forward to Thailand. (80 degrees... ahh...)

New Years Eve

Although the "big" new year is still coming up in February for people here, many also celebrate the "small" new year that we call Jan 1st. There's a three-day holiday on the 1st-3rd, and family and friends get together for a meal or to go to KTV - aka karaoke. We had some brothers over on Friday night to hang out. Eric taught them "chopsticks" which is our asian version of "spoons." They also played UNO and just had a lot of fun.

They left around 10 because of their dorm curfew, so Eric and I made macaroni and cheese (a precious gift) and stayed up until midnight. Happy New Year!