The Mama & The Papa

     I was overjoyed to be able to finally experience one of my great traveling adventures with my parents. After a roller coaster of emotions of will they, won't they during the previous months, I was happy to be headed out the the airport on a late Wednesday night to meet them outside baggage claim. Their flight came in near midnight, and I still had two more days left of the semester before I would be 100% free to enjoy their visit.

Bangkok

     I was so proud of them two of them for waking up with me on Thursday to eat a quick breakfast before I headed off to work, and they decided to begin their explorations of Bangkok. This trip was Papa's first official use of a passport and what I would consider both of their first real trips out of the country (Canada and Mexico don't count). Jet lag hit them pretty quick and it was back to the hotel, where I would meet up with them after work.

     That night I decided to take them to Lugi's, our favorite Italian restaurant here in Bangkok. I know what you are thinking, they have flown across an ocean to Thailand and they are eating pasta?  I wanted to help ease their stomachs into Thai food, and introduce them to one of my favorite eateries. The owner is a wonderful Italian man, who makes his own limoncello and strikes up conversation with you everytime you dine there.  

     Friday, I was able to take the two of them into the school, a rare treat for foreigners. Unfortunately, the students were no longer around, as this was the final teacher workday of the term, but I was able to walk them around and introduce them to a few of the teachers with whom I work. They enjoyed seeing where I sit, in the "brain drain." They had a good laugh at the campus dinosaurs, and toughed it out walking around in the heat in a dress and slacks (a sweaty venture). That evening I took them to MBK, a shopping mall we have lovingly dubbed M Be Kray, for its hectic quality. We called it an early night, off to Phuket the next day.


Phuket

    Our time in Phuket was spent lounging on the beach, jumping through the waves, island hopping to Koh Phi Phi and more time on the beach. These days can be best described through pictures. I sound like a broken record, but I felt truly blessed to be able to share this place with my parents.

    We stayed at a nice time share, generously provided my aunt and uncle (I can never say Thank You enough), at Patong Beach. Anyone looking to party should head straight to this part of the island. For a quieter time, we headed south on the island to Kata beach. I will miss the cheap lounge chairs made available near food stands when I go back to the beaches in California.

    Mom and dad even got to ride elephants while we were here. I was disappointed in the camp, and would highly recommend doing some research into elephant riding. The camp did not match the brochure we booked from, and I apologized to my parents for letting this be there elephant experience in Thailand.

    We were in Phuket for a full week, and I could have stayed there for at least another. But, alas, it was time to go back to Bangkok, the parents would need to return to California soon.


Bangkok (Part II)

    Back to the hotel on Saturday evening, we planned to wake up early to visit the weekend market at Chatuchak Park. We hardly spent any time out in the market, covering less than a third of the total market. We were able to do a little souvenir shopping before we took the BTS Skytrain back to MBK. We met up there with a wonderful teacher from our school that wanted to treat my parents to lunch when she found out that they were visiting. 

    A little more Christmas shopping around the mall and then we headed over to the Thailand Arts and Cultural Center. It is a free museum here in Bangkok that has exhibits that change frequently. There was a timeline of sorts that wrapped up a few floors, it was fascinating to place Thailand (Siam) history in perspective with world events. 

    We wandered around the museum until it was time to head to the Sunday evening mass at Holy Redeemer Church. It was refreshing to go to mass with family, instead of by myself. I also enjoyed sharing this part of my Bangkok life with my parents as they have been a strong example of faith and devoting time to attend mass, even when on vacations. Just because you aren't at home does not mean you cannot take time out of your schedule to spend time feeding your spiritual health with a community. Attending weekly mass has definitely provided me a sense of comfort in this enormous city. 

    After dinner, it was time for a small dinner and then back to the hotel. Dad and I planned to go to the swimming pool, but go figure it closed early. Instead we enjoyed the view of the city lights and simple conversation. 

    The time for the two of them to leave came too soon, time cut short by a 24 hour bug, and they left for their airport hotel. They left Bangkok around 6 am the next day and I had a few days to recoup before my friend Katie's visit. :)