Just how Asian are you?

Although I will always be an American...and I will always prefer brisket over cabbage and tofu soup (however I do love a big bowl of cabbage and tofu soup), there have been a few situations in the past weeks that have proven to me that the Asian culture is rubbing off on me.  

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to FaceTime w/ my brother.  The first thing I said to him was, "Whoa, you've gained weight!"  (Disclaimer....he needed to!  He would even say that he needed to!)  Naturally what I meant was that I noticed that he looked healthier and not so sickly.  But instead of, "You look like you are feeling better," or "You look really good," or some other more neutral comment, I exclaimed rather bluntly that I could tell he had gained weight.  It was like I was some old Chinese woman with no qualms in yelling out, “你长胖了！” (ni zhang pang le) which is "You grew fat!"  

Last week we had to go find some cheap flip flops or sandals to wear as house shoes here.  You take your shoes off at the door and slip on a pair of sandals to wear around the house in most Asian countries, so when we went back to America in January, Logan couldn't stand it to walk around the house barefoot, and we both found ourselves wanting to take our shoes off at the door.  Bare feet in the house didn't bother me as much then, but once we arrived here in Thailand and I didn't have my trusty grey Crocs to wear around the house, I almost went crazy.   I'm rocking some awesome pink and white flip flops now, and life feels much more normal.  :)

This last incident is from a couple of months ago when we were in America, and I'm still trying to figure it out.  I think my reaction was a little personality, had a little to do w/ the fact that it involved my grandmother, and maybe also a little to do w/ me spending time in a country where sometimes you have to fight for what you want and you routinely stand in line at the post office or bus station w/ your hands on your hips and your feet spread out wide in order to block off anyone trying to get in front of you.  Basically all that happened was that I straight up told the doctor that what she was asking my grandmother to do was unacceptable and that there was surely some other option for her in retrieving some medical history/medical release that was needed for a procedure to be done.  Anyways, I'm pretty sure I got my way, and then a few days later my mom informed me that my grandmother was a little shocked at how aggressive and adamant I had been.  I just simply had no problem telling the doctor and the staff exactly how it was going to work, just like I usually don't have a problem telling the post office that I know I don't have a slip for the package that I am asking about, but I can see the big white USPS box that is on the back shelf, and I know its for me!  

Anyways, I am happy to hold onto my American identity, and I am happy to add some Asian influence to my life as well.  Sometimes its just shocking to see what attitude or preference I suddenly express that used to not be there!  

--da

Thailand!

Sorry for the quietness on the blog front.  I assure you we are well, its just been a busy few days, or weeks.

Last week we stayed pretty busy trying to wrap things up well before heading to Thailand, plus I naturally did what I do when things need to get done and I'm a little tired...get sick.  Only a cold/sinus infection this time around, but I still managed to whine and sleep a whole lot all of last week.  I do think we managed to accomplish just about everything we planned on doing before leaving, plus a few other things as well...like, you know, replace the batteries on our scooter that were stolen the night before we left.  It was a bit of a wild Monday....starting w/ Logan going out to get us breakfast and finding his shoes had been stolen that were muddy and sitting outside our door, and then at lunch going out for a quick bite, getting on the scooter, and finding out that it wouldn't respond at all..naturally b/c there were no batteries.  This was followed by us waiting a bit to get the batteries replaced, scarfing down a quick lunch, Logan dropping me off at the house to grab our stuff and bring it to the gate, and Logan taking off on the scooter to drop it off at a friend's house so he could use it while we are gone.  About a mile before Logan got there, though, he had a blow out on the back tire, and wound up pushing the scooter the rest of the way.  We made it to the airport on time, but just a bit more sweaty than we had planned.

The first flight wasn't a problem at all.  We got to our provincial capital city, but ran into a little bit of resistance there on me being 35 weeks pregnant and not having this official form from a local doctor that said I could fly, although I did have a note from another doctor in Thailand that okay'ed me for the flight.  I know that the airline has to do its job, and I'm not too put out (at this point) that they caused such a fuss, but at the time I was plenty irritated and worried that we would not be allowed to fly to Thailand, would have to go back home and then bus for two days to get here.  Thankfully they let me through, although admitting it was ultimately up to the pilot whether or not I actually got on the plane.  He obviously was okay w/ it, because we are here now!  The flight attendants were great though...I got a pillow AND a blanket, and they probably would have given me double helpings of the pork and noodles we were served if I had asked for it.  Truly, the most annoying thing about it all was that the flight was a whopping hour and a half...so even if I did go into labor, I don't think they would have had to deliver the baby on the plane.

Anyways, we are here now!  We promptly got Thai tea after we arrived, and really that made everything all better.  Chai yen, or Thai tea, is kind of the solution to any problem.  I think it will be something I send Logan out to get me after I have the baby.

So, now we are in a nice apartment in a great location here in Chiangmai.  We've attended three classes on baby related stuff, and tomorrow we go tour the hospital.  Monday night I have an appointment w/ the doctor I have chosen, and everything is really falling into place well.  I'll admit that I've been stressed and felt like there were too many decisions and things to do and it wouldn't get done, and I was never going to meet my doctor, etc....but God provides...both what I need, and the situation I need to experience in order to increase my faith in Him.

We've got a pretty chill weekend lined up, and hopefully some dear friends will be in town as well.  I probably won't blog a bit til next week, but I promise to get a post or two written next week after we rest a little and get a bit more settled here at the apartment.

Here are a couple of pics of the belly though before I go.  First two are last week...at 35 weeks.

And here we are at 36 weeks today!  And I'll just throw it out there that I love the v-neck maternity shirts from Motherhood.  Not an official endorsement or anything, but they are so comfortable, have held up to lots of washings, and I really like them!

Alright, well, that's enough for now.  I think I'm in need of some chicken and sticky rice tonight...or if not tonight, then at least in the next couple of days!

--da

找不到 (Can't Find)

For about 5 days now I have been looking for (and not finding) chicken breasts.  Its not like there isn't any chicken whatsoever....there are legs and thighs and quarters and whole chickens in abundance.  So where is all the white meat?  Surely the chickens they are cutting up for the legs, thighs, necks, heads, feet, etc, aren't anatomically deformed and missing the one piece of meat I desire to buy....surely not.

I have no idea.  The grocery stores and the markets are just not supplying what I'm demanding.  Of course, since I don't really live in a true supply and demand economy, I can't really complain.

However, when I went to the market near my house last Wednesday, had I so desired, I could have had my pick of both eel and dog meat.

--da

Aquaponics Update (or "Why do you keep judging me b/c I believe in science?")

Yay!  Another post....and its all scientific.  Okay, not really.  But kind of.  Our newest aquaponics (AP) system is doing really fantastic.  Last Friday I went out w/ Logan to check on it and plant a few things, and we are very pleased w/ how good everything looks.  To you, this picture may not be that impressive, but to us, it represents a lot of hope and plans for life here.  Go here if you want a great wikipedia article on AP.  I'm not going to define everything for you, b/c most of you reading have heard us talking about AP, but I'll at least explain what you see in the following pictures!

Below we've got basil in the foreground, and tomatoes in the background.  That basil is looking even better this week, and has grown a ton.  Looks like its about time to make some pesto!  Which makes me really happy.

Here are a few little plants that I'm praying not only survive, but thrive and do extraordinarily well...strawberries.  Its too hot here to grow strawberries all year, but in an AP environment where the plants are grown over water, the temperature around the plants is a few degrees cooler, therefore enabling us to extend the growing season.  Right now, the season usually lasts from maybe late November to February, but really it kind of just depends on when it starts to cool off, and if you are buying strawberries that are grown more locally, or strawberries that are shipped down from somewhere slightly north of us.  

Happy little fish.  Their poop gets pumped up along w/ the water into the beds, which naturally fertilizes the plants.  The water is cleaned by the plants, and pumped back down to the fish, who enjoy less toxic water.  Happy fish, happy plants, happy us!

Since this system is only a few weeks old, we've been checking on the ph pretty regularly.  It takes some time for the system to get regulated, but we're really happy that it is, at this point, somewhere between 7.0 and 7.5.  Ultimately we want the ph to be about 6.5.  

Not planted in this system, but doing well nonetheless, is okra.  We are harvesting a few...I don't know, 7 ish?...each week right now.  Bring it home, clean it, cut it up, and freeze it until we have a bag full enough to fry.  Yum!  For some reason the Chinese don't really grow or eat okra.  I mean, sometimes you find a plant, but I've never seen it in the market to buy.  So this is going to be an enjoyable treat as well.

Thanks for stopping by and reading.  See how committed I've been??  :)

--da

10 points to the first to know the movie quote in the title.