Back up and running, on the other side of the world

I apologize profusely for the lack of contact for 3 weeks... but it was just because of how wonderfully occupied my family and I stayed for our time in Thailand!

About that, some quick highlights (in no particular order):

1. Played footsie with a 3-month old elephant. I realize the logistics of this may be difficult to figure out, but this baby elephant (which probably still weighed a solid 3 times me) just could not get enough of trying to step on my feet and then kept getting reeeeeally excited and running back to mom to check and then coming back to me for more. I don't think I've ever been so overwhelmed by convulsions of cuteness-based laughter.

2. Bitten by a tiger. An adorable, 3-month old (hmm... theme), fuzzy death-machine. TIGERS! I have the tiny little scar to prove it. I discovered that if you rub a tiger-cub's belly they take that to mean you want your arm in their mouth. Note: tiger cubs still have massive paws with massive claws and massive razor-sharp teeth.

3. Ate the best Pad Thai and Thai curry of my life. Which I MADE! We took two separate cooking classes and are all now certified experts. Roommates: hold me to the promise to make a big ol' pot of Massaman curry and Pad Thai (or stir fried chicken/beef/shrimp/pork with oyster sauce) when I get home. We didn't throw that wok away, did we? Daaaaaave?

4. Gawked shamelessly (though I tried my hardest to be at least a bit discreet) at members of the Karen tribe who had extended their neck about 10 inches with brass rings.

5. Discovered that there are at least 25 situations in the English language when the word "Thai" can be used for excellent puns.

6. Lazed on the beach to watch the seasons change from monsoon to beautiful (even in the dead of winter).

7. Discovered that Mom is actually Mitch's superior at 7-card Gin Rummy!

8. Becoming more convinced that the entire rest of the world has a palate almost exclusively for lagers. Trying to keep the beer-snob in me under wraps.

9. Southeast Asia is REALLY excited about Obama.

10. Mitch shocked and stunned us all by actually being FAR more excited about getting suits made than either Matt or me.

11. Tuk tuk drivers are very reliable for volunteering good, interesting information for about 6 sentences. After this, however, they can be depended upon to tell you that the site you were hoping to visit is actually closed today (I think my favorite reason was that it was apparently a "monks' holiday"), and that you should instead go to some other site... on the other side of town... for only 200 baht.

12. Mitch actually got a tuk tuk driver to say he would take us to Brooklyn for 30 baht. That was impressive.

13. Sent off the old year with a beautiful hot-air balloon contraption. Hundreds (thousands?) of them filled the sky on New Year's Eve, creating (in Matt's words) "do-it-yourself constellations". Phenomenally beautiful.

14. Welcomed in the New Year by lighting the biggest firework I've ever seen. I think my ears are still ringing. Learned that I still can be overtaken by absolutely uncontrollable giggles (even while facing a very real threat of limb-loss).

15. Thailand does not have traffic laws - it has traffic suggestions.


Well I think that will do for a quick summary of Thailand. A new post to catch up to the present...: