Gymnastics Competition at NIST

On Saturday 13 November Tia took part in the NIST Internal Gymnastics competition at school and had a great day as she performed well on each piece of apparatus. 

It is always difficult to know how well she has gone in comparison with the other gymnasts but I had a feeling she had finished quite high.  Usually they award medals for each apparatus but in this competition they award medals for Overall Gymnast and a team medal. 

Tia achieved Gold for Overall Gymnast:

Tia (Gold), Zoe (Silver), Emma (Bronze)

Tia's team also won Gold.

Flight of the Gibbons

During Mum and Dad's recent visit to Bangkok, Dad was keen to have a go at ziplining as he had seen photos and videos of Tia flying through the rainforest a few months ago. 

Not being one to hold Dad back, I booked us both on a bus tour from Bangkok to the Flight of the Gibbons, which is just over an hours drive from Bangkok on the way to Pattaya.  It was a great tour, well organised and enjoyable and even included Thai lunch beside a nice lake at the edge of the rainforest.

I forgot to mention to Dad that once you get your gear on there is a 15 minute hike to the starting point although I have to admit that it was probably harder going for me than Dad.  The whole ziplining adventure took just over 2 hours and includes 24 lines, the longest being 300m.  Once you have completed the first line there is no going back. 

We enjoyed our day and I probably enjoyed it more on this occasion as I was worried about Tia last time.  This time I only had to worry about Dad but seen as he is an ex-paratrooper I didn't expect a few ziplines would faze him. 

ANZWC Melbourne Cup Function

Luckily, we were able to obtain tickets for one of the largest events on the Bangkok Expat calendar - the ANZ Women's Group Melbourne Cup luncheon at the Amari Watergate Hotel.   Over 500 people attend the event, the food is fantastic and the entertainment excellent.

This year was my third year at the event but I still haven't got used to putting my makeup on and dressing in evening/cocktail wear at 8.30am ready for a 9.30am start. 

This year, I invited Janeth and Ida as I was able to secure 3 tickets.  It was their first time at the event and they had a really good time and I think will want to go every year.  We even managed to have a dance. 

Janeth and Kay at the Melbourne Cup

Halloween 2010

Halloween was celebrated in style this year as we went to Ida and Dante's house party on the Saturday 30 October where everyone was dressed in fantastic Halloween costumes. 


Family Photo prior to going to the Halloween Party



Janeth (Black Angel), Adriana (Witch) and Ida (White Angel)

Rick and Janeth at the Halloween Party in the ISB School Compound



BANGKOK TOUR: BAN KRUA SILK WEAVERS

On Wednesday, 14 October 2010, I lead a group of 17 Mum's from NIST on a walking tour of the Ban Krua Silk Weavers.

The Ban Krua community is made up of Chams, Muslims from Kampong Cham province in Cambodia. The Chams in the Ban Krua community are as old as Bangkok itself, having arrived in Thailand in the reign of King Rama I. They fought on the side of Siam during the Burmese-Siamese wars and for their loyal service they were granted land outside the old city.  The site is in present day Ratchathewi district just north of the National Stadium skytrain station.

Silk weaving was a traditional craft of the Chams and they brought these skills with them to Ban Krua.  When Jim Thompson started taking an interest in Thai silk in the late 1940s, he visited Ban Krua Community and helped them improve their designs and patterns.  He also introduced them to chemical dyes.  He convinced them to produce a sample batch of silks which he took to New York. The silks hit Vogue magazine and from then on Jim Thompson silk took off.

There were a group of eight Cham families who produced the silk for his Thai silk company.  We visited Khun Niphon's, who was a boy when Thompson first came to Ban Krua and is the only descendant from the original weavers.   Khun Niphon allowed us to walk around his small workshop to see the weaving looms in operation.  We were also lucky enough so see the dying process and to purchase some of the beautiful silk destined for the 5 Star Hotels in Bangkok and to London.

We also walked around the community and saw the local fire station, mosque and the locals at work before we crossed the khlong and had lunch at Jim Thompson's house. 

All in all a very good tour. 

Tour Guide: Pratunam Wholesale Market and Baiyoke Tower

Today I played tour guide to a group of Mum's from Tia's school, NIST.   We setoff from school at 9am and tackled one of the quickest but scariest modes of transport in Bangkok - the boat taxis.  Amazingly, all 17 of us managed to get on one boat so we were off to a good start.

I then showed the group around some of the vast number of alleyways that make up Pratunam Wholesale Market.  There are some great bargains to be had but the most successful stop of the day was at a shoe store that sells larger sized shoes for the Western feet (it is virtually impossible to get shoes over size 38 in Bangkok!). 

We then headed off to the Baiyoke Tower, the tallest building in Thailand.  The views from the 77th floor (indoor viewing area) and 84th floor (outdoor viewing with revolving deck) are quite spectacular, even on a hazy day.

We then headed down to the Sky Restaurant on the 76th floor where we indulged in a great International Buffet. 

Once everyone was full and feasted we wandered back through the market and returned to school on the boat taxis.

All in all a successful tour.

The Return of the Red Shirts in Bangkok

Next week, September 17th to be precise, marks 4 years since the 2006 Military Coup that ousted Thaksin, the Prime Minister of the time in Thailand. 

Bangkok is still under a State of Emergency so political rallies are illegal and will be broken-up.

The red shirts, however, are planning events to mark the coup so it will be interesting to see if these will be as peaceful as the red shirt cleaners are claiming.

I thinkmit will be a good idea to stay close to home around this date to make sure we are not stranded somewhere if they cancel the sky train or MRT.

Yummy Thai Food

Thai Red Fish Curry

On the Menu Tonight

Prawns in breadcrumbs with sweet chilli sauce. 

Not good for the cholesterol levels but what the heck!

Destruction of Central World Shopping Centre

Today I passed the burnt out shell of Central World Shopping Centre which was, up until 3 months ago, the 3rd largest shopping centre in the world.  It is being rebuilt at the moment and parts of it will, apparently, be reopening later this year. 

It is hard to believe that a building of this size, in the middle of Bangkok, can be set alight by a group of protestors and that everything appears peaceful again now.   I guess it is lucky that it was closed at the time otherwise the loss of life could have been horrific.

I have to wonder where have all the people who worked in the complex gone? Are they unemployed or have they just relocated?    The cost must be huge when you take into account all the high-end electronic equipment, clothing, shoes, etc, that was available.  Was everyone insured?  Will all the shops return? 

It is hard to find out any information but it would be interesting to know the answer to some of these questions.     

Things I have Realised while Living and Travelling Overseas

The concept of personal space means very different things in different countries. You kind of have to get used to that.

Be very careful with all hand gestures, such as the “thumbs-up” sign. In some countries this is a provocative sign.

Be aware that most people are proud of their country and culture and do not take kindly to criticism of their ways, beliefs, opinions, etc.

Don't make promises you do not intend to keep, such as telling a street vendor you will buy something tomorrow when you know you will not return. This is unnecessary and in some cultures is considered bad luck for the vendor when you break your promise.

The first customer of the day is often considered lucky and if that person is you then you can get a great discount.

Aroi Maak (Delicious)

Thai food has to be the best in the world.   Luckily we are able to experience this food every night.  This is tonight's menu - as cooked by our maid Baa Boonmak.



Chicken Noodle Salad (hot and spicy)



First Blog

I finally decided to get my own Blog, mostly as it was mentioned as a great writing tool during my current Uni studies.  Not sure that I'll have enough interesting information to post on it but I'll give it a try.