August 15 - We're home!

Today we'll fly out of Narita into Chicago O'Hare then connect there to a flight to BWI.

We take the Airport Limousine bus to the airport.

On the plane it already feels like America. There are a number of U.S. military and their families travelling on this flight. I'm tickled by the discipline that these military kids have on the long flight.

At O'Hare we have an "incident" that wouldn't have happened in Thailand. To change from the international to domestic terminals we need to catch the tram/train/whatever. It's not the longest of layovers and G's concerned about us missing our flight... but even more, he's determined we're going to make it. So we SQUEEZE on to the tram. More people SQUEEEEZE in behind us and Felicia's getting smashed into other people, luggage and the pole. She's yelling and starting to cry. So, Geoff shoves back. There's more shoving...
There's words flying in our end of the car among a variety of people:
"Stop pushing!"
"You're crushing my daughter!"
"You think that just because you're a big man you can do this!"
"You're just trying to protect you child..."
"I'll call the police"
"Yeah, go ahead."
"You're stupid"
"You think that just becasue you're a big man you can do this!"
"You don't have to push her."
"You're stupid!"
it goes on...

Ahhhh... welcome to America.

So, we taxi it back home and we're greeted by the most welcoming presence of my in-laws who've started the AC and stocked us up with food and diapers :o)

We made it... we're glad... and sad...

OK... now we need to relearn where we keep everything in the house. Man! we need to relearn where we live! We almost didn't remember what to tell the taxi driver :o)

Amen! What a blessing and a privilege it was for us :o)

Now it's time to get the kids ready for school in less than 2 weeks!

August 13 - Airport farewells...

It's a sad and glad day. Peter will take us to the airport and we'll stay in Japan for 2 nights.

We get to the airport and I'm shocked to see that Jack and Ying are there to see us off! Will the hospitality EVER end? Or maybe Jack just wants to be sure that we get on the plane so that after 4 1/2 months he can finally get a break :o) (Just kidding Jack!) Well, I feel bad... there, of course, was some morning airport chaos and we needed to get over to check-in a 1/2 dozen aisles away and I didn't give a proper "thank you" and "farewell" to our exceptional hosts. I thought they would be walking with us.... OOPS!

So, we fly ANA to Japan. The kids get to enjoy airplane toys and don't really give us any trouble. I'm a blob of emotion. Sad to leave a beautiful place with a less "American" pace of life. Although more logistically complicated... life was more simple for us in Thailand. There's been something good for the soul by stepping outside of our American life and getting a sample of a different way... of living, of thinking, of appreciating.

Once we get to Narita we bus shuttle over to the ANA Intercontinental in Tokyo. There's SMOKING INDOORS! Like in the lobby! I feel like I'm back in the 80s. I half expect to see those ashtrays with built in fans and "filters". Don't you remember them from office buildings and holiday-season-infommercials?

There's pretty lights to look at from our connecting hotel rooms.




To make it easy on ourselves we eat at the hotel sushi restaurant. The kids like tuna rolls! OH YEEAHHHHH! Should they EVER be left alone with chopsticks? OH NOOO!

August 6 - Trying to be more Thai

We're flying back to Bangkok tonight so we need to finish check out of the hotel before we have a full Disneyland day. Check out wasn't too bad. We beat the rush (and I mean RUSH!). Of course there were folks who ignored the roped queuing areas. Many had no issue interrupting your conversation with the front desk staff member with whom you're OBVIOUSLY speaking.

We shuttle it over to the park where we enjoy the character breakfast buffet. I load up on the dim sum... yum yum dim sum! (that's the name of a board book in the children's section btw)




OK... so now G is getting the full park flavor today and it's SOOOOO not pretty. Today would've been a good day to be more "Thai" and maybe not made so much of a scene or a big deal during the "trying" times... oh well. There's yelling at people trying to cut/push their way at different ride lines. There's elbowing of folks. The degree of pushing and line jumping is so overwhelming that G and I have lengthy conversations about how the 'line' culture might have evolved into what it is today. I don't think they could pay me enough to be a "cast member" at this park. It's continuous. Cast members denying entry to people who are trying to jump the line by catching up with another member of their party who "got in". Cast members repeatedly announcing the line etiquette rules. Please don't misunderstand. Every OTHER aspect of the experience was wonderful. But MAN! The cultural difference in this ONE aspect was overwhelming. And, when you've got irritated people yelling at each other about it in the line it just kills the magic.








But anyhoo, it was fun. We made it back to the shuttle in a series of swift walks between a series of serious downpours.







At the hotel we get our bags and take two taxis to the airport. Luckily, ONE of the two drivers knew which terminal held Emirates Airlines. The driver of the taxi I was in almost dropped us off at the wrong terminal... at Hong Kong Airport - the largest passenger terminal in the world.

We're almost home... We weather a flight with a REALLY grumpy flight attendant who would snatch the tray of food while you were still holding a forkful to your mouth. HELLOO-OOO!

OK, so we're now at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok and we're going to save time by taking a TAXI. ...where do I even begin? I'll start by saying that there is a designated taxi stand downstairs where you're supposed to pay a fee and get a taxi. You're not supposed to catch a taxi upstairs. If you've already got all your belongings and 4 kids in the taxi you'll have to get out to the sound of irritating, irritated "discussion" with 3 security guards, a taxi driver and a husband who hasn't slept in a few days. You'll have to haul all your bags and kids downstairs through a maze of moving walkways and hallways. Once you get downstairs you can't just catch a taxi; you must pay the fee. If you try to bypass the fee it gets very irritating for the mother and nerve racking to the taxi-van driver. Then to top it off, your oldest child will lose the precious "squishy coin" from the park because she fell asleep while holding it in her hand.

But hey... WE DID IT! We did a Disney thing...

Now we're home... bring on the magic of Baileys!

August 1 - A Trip to Hong Kong

Geoff left for China on Sunday to visit a plant in Donguong and today I left with the 4 kids to meet him in Hong Kong. I'm so glad that at the gate I can corral the kids into a corner and block then in with the stroller.


We flew Emirates Airlines where Economy Class is a lot closer to 1st class in the states. After boarding the flight attendants walked the aisles of the 777 with their trays of tong handled hot towels. The seats where equiped with individual touch screen monitors and airphones. You could watch movies or TV, listen to music, or play video games by yourself or with other passengers. The food was closer to real food and served with real flatware, no plastic. All beverages, with the exception of champagne, was complimentary. They'll gladly pour you a double.

So... the flight... Totoy sooooo does NOT like to remain buckled, particularly when the "fasten seat belt" light is illuminated. What can I say, I was ready to toss him out the nearest exit(which may have been behind us), as were anyone sitting near us. They made their appreciation for Cam's screams very clear. But we survived. Thank goodness that Emirates had great video games and cartoons for the other kids.


So we land at Hong Kong and it takes us forever and a day to get to baggage claim. Per Felicia, she learned this from an airport book from The Tangredi Fam, "We are in the largest passenger terminal in the world!". I can tell... In our journey to EXIT the airport... Flea has to poop(in bathroom stall with auto-flushing toilets.... auto-flushing toilets and Flea are a bad combo); T needs to go to the bathroom; diapers need to be changed; T decides that he's just done with walking... that's it, no more walking, just done... and if he's going to walk the steps will be no greater than 2 centimeters MAX. This is all before we've even made it to immigration. It takes us so long that our baggage is going round and round with the baggage from the next flight. I'm just glad it's still there :o)

EVENTUALLY, we find the driver from the company at which G is working. I find out later from G that we took SOOOOO long that the folks at the business were starting to really freak out that they had lost their potential client's wife and children. But MAN! This guy can walk FAST! Somehow, even with our baggage cart, he was able to move at running speed without actually running. Felicia and I(with the double stroller) were definitely running. I'm not sure why, but people move quickly here. Very, very quickly.

We get to the Harbour Plaza Hong Kong hotel and check-in to one of the two rooms(the other is in G's name and he's still at the plant working). We order hotdogs and fruit from room service and the kids GO TO SLEEP. (yippee!) Geoff rolls in around midnight and we escape to the connecting room. Tomorrow.... explore Hong Kong! (after we sleep in a bit and G gets some work done and we eat breakfast, get everyone to pee, change diaper, and tag them with a hotel card)

June 25 - Back to Bangkok

I didn't sleep well last night. I woke up in the middle of the night, freezing. Looks like we went a bit overboard with the AC setting so I got out of bed to adjust the thermostat. Later (or earlier, depending on how you look at it), I wake up to the sound of DRIPPING. My investigation in the dark reveals a puddle under the AC and wetness in one of the suitcases. DANGIT! So I grab a towel to make a quieter landing area and move the suitcases. All this on top of the LOUD screaches of a particularly freaky looking lizard.

In the morning we're trying to get it together before we head out to do more touring. I discover that last night I actually turned the AC dial the wrong way and only made it colder... hence, the dripping. NICE... Geoff takes a quick shower and heads for the office to look for Internet access. Work is busy for him. While he's gone I get the kids dressed. Nui and the crew show up asking if we're ready to head out. I need Geoff to get back so I can take MY shower. Nui offers to wach the kids so I can get it together. YIPPEE! I get cleaned up; Geoff gets back; Nui's been trying to keep the kids from wrecking the arrangement of carved wood tulips.

Before we head off... we take a couple of pictures of the house and go check-out. At checkout Geoff discovers that Nui's family's connections has gotten us an AMAZING rate at this resort. WOW! Wish we could've stayed longer... next time :o)


Today, we'll go get breakfast in town and visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep before separating. Nui's group will drive back to Bangkok and we'll tour a little more before going to the airport to fly back to Bangkok. At breakfast Geoff spends a lot of the time on a conference call. Our driver, Nui, and her driver pitch in to manage kids. Yippee! I get to eat with both hands! Good food as usual :o)

We have a beautiful visit at Wat Phra Doi Suthep. We take a diagonal elevator to get to it up on the mountain. One if the first things we notice is this beautiful tree of one of my favorite fruits, langka(jackfruit).


After we remove our shoes we head up and pray... Holding flowers, incense, and candles we walk around 3 times, stop to burn the incense and pray, then light the candles.

Next we are welcomed/blessed by a monk who showers holy water and ties sua sin around the wrists of the boys/men. His sidekick takes care of the women/girls.



Next... more picture taking and ringing bells. This first picture is of Nui's parents. They've been extremely generous hosts.




Now, the vans go their separate ways. They'll drive back to Bangkok and we'll take in a couple more sights before catching our flight to Bangkok. On our route we visit a HUGE waterfall that was made up of about a dozen falls like steps. After that we try to go to a wood carving part of town but instead end up at a furniture market... still ok. Geoff spends most of his time on a conference call anyway so it's not a real good shopping opportunity.


Finally, it's time to end the adventure and head home to the Bangkok burbs. K. Supachai drives us to the airport and we have a smooth check in. Guess what... you can enjoy your beer AT the gate while you're waiting to board.





At Suvarnabhumi we're all pooped. Cam's especially tired. We EVENTUALLY make our way to our driver's van. Given the restrictions put on hired-non-taxi vans, it's an excruciating walk and wait in the heat before we can get IN the van that will take us home. Next time we'll take a taxi. We can't wait to do this all over again... :o)

June 17 - Back to Bangkok

So it's another happy pancake morning at the hotel's breakfast buffet :o)

We check out of the hotel and head over to Raffles Plaza where we'll be picked up to join a boat tour. We've got time to kill before we get picked up so we search the hotel shopping mall looking for a uniquely Singapore souvenir... oh well. For lunch Geoff picks out a very wonderful dim sum restaurant, Din Tai Fung. I unsuccessfully lead the kids in a rendition of "Happy Father's Day to you". It turned out to be more of a pathetic duet between me and Felicia.



Then, it's off to the boat for a 3 hour tour... or maybe it was 4-ish? We cruise by several islands and disembark to explore some of Kusu Island. We all enjoy.





Next, it's dinner back at the Quayside Seafood Restaurant. We can't leave without trying the pepper crab.

The pepper crab is TONS more delicious!

We make our way, via Maxi-Cab, to our first and final Singapore destination, the airport. Before we board the taxi I notice that Cam has... smell. Whatever... I'd feel better if we were at the airport, we'll change him there. Not even a MINUTE into the ride Cam investigates the squish in his diaper with his fingers. DANGIT! I get to spend the next 25 car nauseous minutes with a smelly, squishy bottomed boy in my lap while I firmly hang on to his left hand to account for the movement and contact of every poopy digit. At the airport I fish out fresh clothes for Cam and take him to the nearest ladies room. I get poop on my t-shirt during the clean-up process. BACK to the suitcase to get a fresh shirt for me. We FINALLY get checked in. Next, I make an unsuccessful attempt to find a uniquely Singapore souvenir for the house and we go wait at the gate. After an uneventful(yippee!) flight on Thai Air Asia, we make it home... it was a good trip. I hope our next trip will be just as good :o)

May 28 – Back to Thailand

So we get up early again…. Alu & Abel take us to the airport on their way to work…

The kids are better on this return to Thailand flight than they were getting out to PI. I suppose everyone’s just too tired to make trouble :o)
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you... the miracle of flight...

And there's always the new toys...

This trip was way too whirl-wind. Next time I’ll take more pictures and make it home with more sweets :o) Thanks to Ate Christine I at least made it back with a couple of bags of assorted pastilles and a tin of turrones de casoy (love those!). Tita Oyen sent us home with 2 bags of pan de sal (which where ALL eaten by the next day).

I got to meet soo much family but didn’t really get to talk.

We’ll just have to be sure to come back again…

Thank goodness Khun Rin is waiting for us at the airport with the van. At the house, Cambric has a special treat. A birthday package from Virginia/Great-Grandmama Dot is waiting for him. All the kids benefit :o)

May 27 - Got kids? No! Got bird embryo? yep...

So we roll out of Tita Oyen’s place at about 5am again to make the 2 hour drive to the airport in Legaspi. This time Iza and her 2 kids are with us because the driver will continue on to take them home to Albay.



After we make it to Manila it’s off to Ate Christine’s house for Sunday brunch. MORE GOOD FOOD. This is NOT a weight loss vacation. I’m tickled to see that there’s no soda. I’ve been feeling bad about all the high fructose corn syrup I’ve been allowing the kids to consume.

Finally, we have the best ending to the trip. We leave ALL the kids with my cousins and Manay Nori and her girls. Tito Eddie and Tita Oyen take us to get massages. OOOOOHHHH YEAHHHHHH….. Geoff and I have adjoining rooms but we don’t talk…. I’m too into the massage.



THEN! We go to the grocery to buy beer and chicharron. Stop by the corner vendor to buy balut and pick up carry out bbq squid, pork and fish. When we get back to the house the kids stay inside while us 4 grownups drink, eat, chismis(sp?) and smoke….. ahhhhh. The best part is the conversation. I think it would be fun for Geoff’s family & Tita Oyen and Tito Eddie to get together to share political activism stories.

April 3 - Economy Plus some phlegm...

Geoff’s parents drive us to airport at 4am.

Jules has been awake since April 2nd at 6am-ish.

Turner discovers his love of 7-Up thanks to the beverage cart. This blog is beginning as a day by day account… but that WILL change.

Somewhere along the way it turns into April 4.

We’re soooo happy to get economy plus seating from SFO to NRT, the 11 hour flight. Those few extra inches make a huge difference. We only need to do half of the “don’t kick the seat in front of you” patrol. Geoff and the kids are taking up the 5-seat center section with Geoff sitting on the end. I get to sit next to Bill. He’s 89, traveling with his step-son Geoffrey(who’s sitting in regular economy). Bill’s a nice guy to talk to… As long as you can ignore the monster phlegm globs he’s spitting out and leaving on his tray table on tiny airline cocktail napkins. Then, once we were in the final 3 hours he turned into grumpy man. But not too grumpy.

Arrive Japan’s Narita Airport. Go through customs… All our bags make it!

We take a shuttle over to the Airport Hilton and are very happy to have some room to move. But we’re in Japan, this won’t last long.