FUZZY HOUSE

 

Last Sunday we met Uncle Aroon at a construction site, tucked into a small soi off the canal road.  We were there to check out a design by our mutual friend T (aka Narong), an architect practicing in Bangkok. 

 

Ren and Aroon (who gets credit for all the photos in this post) documented the work-in-progress diligently, while I kept close eyes and hands on Eamonn, as the design features a stadium stair roof (currently without barriers).  My guess is the 'fuzzy' name may foreshadow some serious rooftop plantings - will have to ask T next time he's in town.

 

Above, architourists big and small traverse the lofted bedroom.  The client is a young dentist (and, of course, the architecture/dentist combo makes me think of this masterwork), whom we happened to meet at the hipster cafe next to the site (a highlight for the kiddos, as uncle Aroon helped spoil them with cake and cookies).

 

Last, Aroon took a nice series of photos of Ren and Benjawan, both girls fashionably au currant in magenta and animal prints ;)  Benjawan was hanging out with her mom, who was working to mix the concrete (work often performed by women at thai construction sites).

Will try to get Ren's take on the visit, as her clases is in the middle of a unit on how things are built...

GOT WOODS, GOT WATER, GOT LIFE

So states the sign at the trailhead of our favorite neighborhood hike.  For the second straight Saturday, we set off into the woods, walking with the sound of small waterfalls nearby, through 'time tunnels' of bamboo and vines (Eamonn's favorite stretches of trail), up up up Doi Suthep until we come upon the forest temple, Wat Palaad.  

Above, Fee and Eamonn enjoy the view while sitting on the waterfall that winds through Wat Palaad.

A perfect place to relax and take a family selfie or two ;)

This morning, Ren brought her sketch pad and took the time to draw some of the buildings.

Fee and Eam take a look at the stream, next to the hermit monk sitting in perpetual meditation (easy for a statue to do).  In all, a great way to kickstart a Saturday.

FRUIT! ผลไม้

Q: What does a pomelo do if you call it names?
A: Nothing - it's got really thick skin.   
(Hahaha...groan)

All joking aside, I feel remiss at the paucity of food posts this time 'round.  Though this time of year is not that great for fruit, we start with a shot of my favorite saowarot - passion fruit - just before I scoop it's delicious guts out ;)

Then Fee gives it her all to get to the good stuff inside the aforementioned thick skin of the som-oo.  A good lesson in empathy - now we know the hard work behind the ready-to-eat, glistening lobes of pomelo offered by fruit vendors.

A NOTE FROM HOME

Ms. Victoria, Ren's teacher at Wildwood, passed along a very sweet sign that was completely conceived and colorfully realized by Ren's former classmates.

We are still trying to find a way to have Ren skype with her Wildwood class sometime soon - to see everyone and tell her friends about life in Thailand.

In the meantime, we are sending big hugs and thanks to everyone in Ms. Victoria's class !!

IN-BETWEEN TIME

School lets out a bit earlier for the nursery classrooms, which offers a sweet little hang-out time with Eamonn as we wait for Yaya (aka Ren) to finish her day.  Here, E regales mommy with highlights from his day.

LANNA FRIDAYS

Kiddos before school today in their new Lanna clothes. 

Fridays offer a break from the daily school uniform, and kids are encouraged to wear traditional clothes from the northern region of Thailand - the old Lanna Kingdom. 

Ren has a wrap-around patterned skirt, while Eamonn is rocking a cute cadre of elephants on his button-down shirt.

TASTE OF HOME

Another snapshot from our school commute.  'Pad Thai Boston' trumpets the sign above (in white), which pops up just before the Hang Dong market.  Who knows, maybe clam chowda pad thai is their specialty ;)

Even better, this is next to a cafe called 'joke' (which is a breakfast dish, a rice version of oatmeal).  Truth beats fiction again.

TREE TIME TUNNEL

After turning off the main road, we drive through this tunnel of bamboo every morning.  Eamonn has taken to calling out 'tree time tunnel!', echoing the conductor from his beloved show, 'Dinosaur Train'.  Truth be told, everyone likes this tunnel - a peaceful final stretch on the way to school.

CULTURAL PRODUCTION

 Ren and Eam have been hard at work since starting school last week.  Ren made the bamboo basket as part of a 'life skills' unit, and has since claimed that all the coins placed in the basket becomes hers.  Life skills, indeed ;)

And Eam, as part of the nursery room's study of animals (which, if you know Eamonn, is the perfect entree to school), painted this lovely sea horse.  According to E, sea horses also say 'neigh' - I must admit, I have no evidence to the contrary.

REN'S WORLD: NEW SMILE

This is the piece of chicken that my tooth came out on.

REN'S WORLD: FIRST DAY

(Ren writing all on her own!)
I had a great day at school. I had the best day at school I ever had at school yesterday. I love school in Thailand! I had a lot of recess at school yesterday!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL (!)

There's just something about kids in cute school uniforms ;)

It was a great day by all accounts as the kiddos started at the wonderful Panyaden School just south of Chiang Mai.  Eamonn was a champ and jumped right in, wowing his teachers with his independence, while Ren declared her day a full success at pick-up time.

Below, Eam leads mommy to his classroom.

Everything about Panyaden is really lovely - find more info here.

DOI VIEW

The view west in Chiang Mai never gets old.  And we are lucky enough to have a window that runs the width of the living room, offering a few miles of ridgeline of Doi Suthep. 

If you look close at the highest point of the ridge, you will find Wat Doi Suthep.  At the night, the temple is illuminated, and seems to float in the sky - will certainly post a night shot sometime if the iphone is up to the task.

UNBOXING DAY

We made a great discovery while unpacking yesterday - big boxes of toys and books handed down from our friends Aroon and Surin!

And as Eamonn shows, you really don't need anything but the box itself (and perhaps some farm animals) to have a little fun.

Eam's recipe for endless fun:
   - sit in the box and play with animals for a bit;
   - ask for the box top to be closed;
   - when closed, call out 'where did Eamonn go?';
   - wait a beat, then pop head out of box;
   - repeat, because if it's funny once...  ;)