Begin Adventure

After a week with Auntie Kristin camping in a volcanic national park, swimming in a lake after exploring the inside of a collapsed volcano, climbing through lava tunnels, a home cooked Thai meal (beef salad, shrimp lemongrass soup, Laotian style pork basil and sauteed baby bok choi), followed by Sunday brunch at Thai Temple with Amy and Blake, accompanied by a long, well-deserved nap on Amy's couch, and a short stroll along Embarcadero, closing with Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (great movie!) and my final meal in America: Italian!, I think I am ready for Bangkok!

A 12 hour flight to Taiwan (where I was "accidentally" swapped by the flight attendant to sit in the American section with a lot of leg room, so much easier to sleep!) and 5 hour flight to BKK later, I have finally reached my father's first home. I pinki promise I will enjoy it more this time than last time I visited, 20 years ago. So my year plus long adventure begins: A few weeks in Thailand, a week in Cambodia, a week in Bali, and then a month in New Zealand, until my year long grant to teach English begins. I will have the month of October in Bangkok, then start teaching in November in Sawankhalok in Sukothai province. Gosh that seems so far away. Let's see if I survive the coming adventures first.

Enter Uncle Dtaw, my father's gay brother, and Uncle Fung, who is not really an uncle, but is Uncle Tham's best friend from 1st grade. My caretakers for my time in Bangkok, and the sweetest gentlemen I have maybe ever encountered. They have graciously left me this one hour break to rest and freshen up (or write in this blog!) after a delicious Chinese style lunch with way to much food! Two full chickens, beef with eggs, tom yum koong, thin noodles with squid, and bitter melon greens. Plenty of leftovers for my roommate, Kayleigh, when she gets in late tonight.

The city of Bangkok has been a blur so far. Toooo much to handle. Luckily, Uncle Dtaw and Uncle Fung have my time completely occupied, so I don't have to think about how to conquer this city till my roommates get here. And now off for seafood BBQ with my two "uncles". Food pictures to come.