Letter to George No.2

February 1, 2011.

Dear George and Division 11,

Hi everyone! Here's how to write some numbers in Thai. Today I rode up a big mountain on a motorbike to see the Big Buddha in Phuket. It was very windy at the top. I'm staying beside a wat. Every evening, mom and I go over and watch the monks chant in the temple. We light a candle and incense. We send blessings back home. Bye from Thailand. Love,

Isabella xoxo



sending blessings





practicing Thai



The Frog Prince of Ko Jum

January 27, 2011.

The exchange is to take place in the open sea. Our worries, however, fade fast when we read the names of the longtail boats coming for the pick up. Freedom, Joy, SunSmile....how can we go wrong? Golden Pearl catches our eye. We notice a family on board along with a friendly looking boatman. He turns out to be Chang and he steers us to a stretch of beach dotted with coconut palms and orange lanterns dangling from bamboo rods. Our hut is rustic but comfortable- 2 mattresses with mosquito nets, a cold shower, toilet and a broom to sweep the veranda. We add a clothesline to the palm tree. Bella soon makes friends with our neigbour Laura, a friendly young lady with strings of shells dangling from her veranda. Bella is keen to start making chimes for our abode. We soon discover that the beach is littered with shells and coral washed up by the waves. The water is refreshing in the hot sun and we are soon doing starfish floats in the salty waters. The beach becomes our classroom today. We write the alphabet in the sand and make up math problems with shells. We look for alphabet shapes in the coral and discover that Y and V are the most common. A red hammock becomes our book room. Mark's reading Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, I'm enjoying Wade Davis' The Wayfinders and Geronimo still tops Bella's reading list these days. Swaying in the hammock, making sandcastles and wading in the waters occupies our afternoons. We are then treated to a brilliant sunset with Ko Phi Phi on the horizon. The sweet light of dusk catches our silhouettes as we wander the beach. Even I am adjusting well to the laid back tempo of this island. Agenda and activity are no longer priorities. The only monkey chatter left is from a troop of gibbons cracking crabs on the rocky outcrops by our guesthouse. Supper is tasty with fried rice, curries and noodles. A frozen Kit Kat satisfies our sweet tooth. The orange lanterns now glow in the night sky and neon lights festively wrap round the coconut palms while Bob Marley plays in the background. We head to the beach and set off the 'rocket laucher' that we bought back in Bangkok. The LED light blinks away as Mark, with his sling shot expertise, shoots it high into the night sky. With helicopter wings, it whirls down for us to catch. Bella is thrilled. Cheap nightly entertainment. One evening we are treated to a fire show put on by the nice lad who brings us our food. He turns up the tunes on his motorbike and ignites two balls of fire on chains. He swirls and whirls with the flames. Occasionally, he blow out flames from his mouth resulting in loud applause. Eight year old Muk, a chubby cute girl who lives at the Golden Pearl, follows suite and dazzles us with her fire skills. Obviously, the health and safety commission is non-existent in these parts. Muk also drives her own motorcycle to school. With the mozzies out in full force now, we make an early retreat beneath our mosquito nets. We are awaken in the early dawn by the call to prayer from the nearby mosque. The days continue here on the low key setting. Excitement mounts when a golden tree snake is discovered in one of the bungalows. Mental note to check our hut regularly but we are only greeted by the occasional coakroach, fuzzy hornet and scrambling geckos. The geckos are welcome visitors although they leave a scatter of gecko poop on our mosquito nets. Another burst of adrenalin happens when Bella spots another golden tree snake in the hollows of the bamboo swing. The gigantic swing hangs between two palm trees on which we enjoy our daily rides. Bella tells Chang that a snake is huddled inside the bamboo. Chang pulls it but only manages to get its tail. We back off. Eventually, the snake makes its way out and into the grasses. We decide to explore Ko Jum on motorbike and ride like a Thai family. Bella, in front, is takes her duty seriously to honk at the roosters, monkeys and dogs crossing. Mark drives with steady hand and I hang on in the back. A few paved sections lend to a smooth ride but most of the island is unpaved. We pass by rubber trees and stop to see how the rubber is tapped and then pressed. I drop by a Thai classroom to discover a chatty and lively bunch of Grade 5 girls having lunch. I give them Canada stickers and they practice their English on me. Thai spirit houses protect the residences along the way. They are decorated with garlands of white jasmine and yellow marigolds along with offerings of rice, sweets, tea, coconut milk and red Fanta. At the end of the road, we discover an even quieter stretch of beach. A cyclist from Romania is fixing his bicycle tube and Bella spots a hut selling ice cream. We play on the rope swings and enjoy the cool treats. A hermit crab joins our company. Some afternoons, the rains cool us off. It begins with a whisper in the breeze, then a rustle in the palms. We feel the temperature drop and a shadowy curtain darkens the beach. The sun is eclipsed behind the clouds and a few drops begin to fall. Store owners have already moved their wares in and you witness a peculiar scene of people riding motorbikes with umbrellas in one hand. You seek shelter fast because the monsoons rains fall fast and hard. Mark and Bella stay in the waters one afternoon as the rains pour down. They delight as the drops dance like diamonds off the waves. Needless to say, it is hard to say goodbye to Ko Jum. We hear a 'eek!' as Bella puts on her running shoes one morning. She is greeted with the combined emotions of surprise, shock, and delight to find a frog inside her shoe. We tease her to kiss the frog prince of Ko Jum. She's not a taker this time. The frog hops off the stairs and we leave the island wondering, what if?...

Climb On!

January 23,2011.

The full moon which followed us on the long train ride to Krabi Province also brings followers of the full moon parties down south. We notice a younger crowd of party goers unloading from the packed buses after a tiring 5 hour journey following the sleeper train. We decided to find a quiet hide away in town rather than traveling another leg to the islands. We find ourselves in a lavender room at P. Guesthouse. Bella notices a cute little boy playing Jenga at the table. They enjoy a game together. He turns out to be P., of P Guesthouse and before we know it Bella is doubled up with him on the motorbike and zooming off to Krabi Kindergarten. No helmet, just a big wide grin and a wave to mom and dad at the table.Over the course of our time here, Bella and P become great playmates.They paint with watercolors, dance around and laugh hysterically at Talking Tom the Cat on the iPad. P Guesthouse becomes our base here. One morning we head down to the pier to catch a long tail boat to Hat Rai Leh, a popular beach for climbers and kayakers. We sit on the wooden planks and wait for the long tail to be filled up with enough passengers for the 45 minute journey. We play rock, paper scissors and make up names for the limestone islands emerging from the sea in the distance..Turtle Island, Turkey Island, Tiger Island.It turns out that one is actually named Chicken Island. Approaching the beach at Rai Leh, we notice the sea has turned a beautiful emerald green and the massive rock face of limestone. Peering closer we make out the silhouette of climbers scaling the walls. Bella is ready to attempt her first ascent. She is hugely disappointed when the first outfitter doesn't have climbing shoes her size. We walk by fancy resorts that line West Rai Leh. They tease us with papaya scrubs and fancy pools. The East end is a little more affordable. No Limits, another climbing shop, has friendly staff and shoe that fits. We sign up for an afternoon class. We fuel up with muesli, yogurt and fruit. We meet Tom at high noon and head for the rocks. It happens also to be high tide and we negotiate the incoming waves that splash along the boardwalk. Tom carries Bella in one arm and gear on the other. He teaches us the figure 8 knot and we practice. We are now ready for our first ascent up a route called Continued, rated at 5.0. We head to higher ground and Mama climbs on. The rockface is dotted with grooves to grasp but it is harder than it looks. I reach the top with beads of sweat but a sense of accomplishment. Bella is keen to climb. Climb on! she declares, dust her hands with chalk and starts her scramble up the rock face. She is definitely more flexible and bendy than mama and is excited to point her feet like a ballerina in the grooves. Unlike the indoor wall at the YMCA back home, she looks for natural hand holds and indentations. I am impressed and a little nervous as she gains height. She beams with pride at her first ascent. The tide is now out and a sandy beach is exposed below. We climb route 123, a small outcrop of limestone down by the water. It is a nice view from the top. Tom gives me some pointers to keep my legs straight, to scout the route before the climb and to point my toes. I finish my last climb, a personal best of 5.8. I am exhausted but exhilarated at the top. By this time, the stretch of sand is filled with climbers keen to climb. Dangles of ropes hang from the different routes. We thank Tom for the lesson. He has been a great teacher, patient and kind. He presents Bella with one of his carbiners. She proudly clicks it on to her backpack. We have only a short time left before our longtail heads back for Krabi Town. We take a refreshing dip in the Andaman Sea. We float easily in the salty waters. Bella does not want to leave. We promise to return the next day. The roots of the mangroove trees are exposed with the outgoing tide. They look like gnarly fingers stretching for treasures in the sand. Looking closer, the boatmen are lounging in hammocks in the mangrooves. We have to walk out into the waters and board the boat. We enjoy some rice and noodles at the night market back in Krabi Town. We return the next morning to enjoy the beach. It is all about sand castles and swimming today. Lining the stone path to the sandy stretch of beach is a band of monkeys on a bamboo fence, contentedly grooming one another. The karst topography is filled with stalagtites, dangling from the ceiling. Occasionally, the sacred ones are garnished with colourful ribbons. The dark caverns by the beach are decorated with shrines which brighten their shadows with splashes of colour. We swim into a lagoon when a fellow traveller warns us of the jellyfish in our midst. We climb onto the rocks and get a glimpse at the translucent blobs floating about. We are glad to escape. It is a happy do nothing kind of day. We feel the salty ocean spray on our faces as we head back on the longtail boat. Bella reads Geronimo Stilton in A Fabumouse Vacation for Geromino. We hear broken record chant of the Pinky Picks tune I know a song that drives mice wild, but I don't care cause it makes me smile. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,yeah, yeah, yeah! But unlike Geronimo who ends up at Catstinko eating june bugs and moldy mozzarella, we enjoy emerald seas, sip tropical fruit shakes and scale limestone walls. Climb on, girl!

Star Light, Star Bright

I believe we left off at the fish spa in the streets of Bangkok. Two thousand toothless honeyfish nibbling away as Mark and Bella sit in the tank for a 15 minute spa, resulting in silky smooth legs for the upcoming train ride. Before heading to the train station, we find some solitude in the quiet wat that divides hectic Khao San Road and the busy Chao Praya River. Bella knows the secret entrance and leads us to the vase of lotus flowers. She chooses a lovely pink blossom, lights the incense and sends her blessings. Her first whispers are to her good friends back home...Anya, Madeleine, Noelle. We then hail a taxi to Hau lampong Railway Station and to Bella's delight the taxi is pink. The station is busy with travellers and locals with their backpacks and goods. The King looks down upon us from the golden framed photo between the Arrivals and Departure boards. We find a place to rest among the aisles of red seats. Bella finds a little Thai friend to pass the hour. Together they play Pollies on the tile floor and giggle as Zhu Zhu zooms between the seats. Mark checks our departure gate and bumps into a former Grade 6 student from Byng Elementary, now in his twenties. "Mr Nelstrop!" exclaims Kyle, "Is that you Kyle?" replies Mark in disbelief. They have a brief conversation before Kyle boards the train to Chaing Mai with some buddies. In the hustle and bustle of activity, a whistle blows. Everyone stops in their step and stands to salute their King. The national anthem plays and a chorus of local voices join the taped recording. The whistle sounds again and everyone resumes their step. Life continues on as normal at Hua lampong station. It is now time to proceed to Gate 10 to board our train to Surit Thani. We are on a 2nd class sleeper with fan. Upon boarding car No.9,  we realized that we were spoiled by last night's comforts. Mark notices the wafts of urine and the coakroach. I noted that it's going to be a long 14 hour journey as Bella and I will be sharing the not so spacious top bunk. Bella is intrigued with the sleeping arrangements and is keen to climb the ladder to her overnight accomodation. She points out the number 5  embroidered into her pea green curtain. Logically, it is reserved it for 5 year olds. The air is warm and musky. Mark is nauseous. I smile as I am reminscence about our past adventures on local trains. Stopping at stations on the outskirts of the city, Bella notices the barefoot kids playing in the tracks. She wants to get out and give the girl her runners. Lessons learned on trains rides. We try a squat toilet in motion for her first time. She is curious about where the hole ends. Night falls and the train rattles on. Mark and I are exhausted and a tad grumpy. Bella, wide eyed,  peers out the open window and proclaims, I see the first star! Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight...I wish for happy travels she announces to her friend in the sky. I then notice a beautiful sepia tone full moon rising outside our window. Indeed, star light, star bright...and how a 5 year old can change your perspective so quickly.

Letter to George: No.#1

written by Bella

January 18, 2011.

Dear George, Mrs. Dennis and Division 11,

Hi! I am in Thailand. I went to visit the Royal Palace. It is very fancy. I rode in a tuk tuk. It was fun! The best dessert here it the chocolate banana. Yum! I am going to have fish spa. Bye for now.

Isabella




dessert on khao san road



fish spa

Sawasdee

Thursday, January 18, 2011.

Sawasdee. Greetings from Thailand. We arrived here a few days ago. The weather is quite comfortable. We are staying nearing the historic Phra Sumen Fort at the Bhiman Inn. The room is a little on the musky side. A host of mosquitos greeted us with bites in the morning leaving me with a swollen eyelid and Bella with itchy spots. Bring out the calamine and antihistamine. On the brighter side, there's a nice little swimming pool and some tables overlooking the river to set up class. In fact, we can hear the voices of kids in the school complex across the river. Bella did some journaling with me and math with daddy.
Our first morning started with a walk to the Grand Palace also known as The Royal Kingdom to Bella. She put on her fanciest dress for the occasion. She is hoping for a royal encounter with  the King and Queen of this Kingdom. We are greeted many times by the King Rama VI on larger than life posters adorning the streets down to the Palace. Long live the King declared all the signs. We unfortunately are not granted audience with royalty today. We manage to pose with the guards at the palace and visit the weapons room. We also saw the very fancy golden coronation throne. Next door to the Grand Palace resides the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. We also entered the palace of the revered Emerald Buddha. Being winter here, this jade buddha was adorn with a golden cloak. The Emerald Buddha sits on top of a golden throne known as a Busabok. The walls are adorn with beautifully painted murals detailing the life of the Buddha. Making sure that we didn't point our feet in its direction, we joined the assembly on the marble floor to show our respect. We then dipped our lotus flower into the blessed brass pot of water and gently tapped one another's heads with a blessing. After leaving the temple grounds, we hail our first tuk tuk for a lift to Khao San Road. Bella was thrilled with the ride and prefered it even over the pink taxis. She is now on the hunt for pink tuk tuks. Khao San Road was quiet at this time of day, lined with shops and toursity wares. We dine on pad thai, banana pancakes and sipped watermelon shakes. The food here appeals to Bella's palette with pancakes, pasta and pizza on the menu. On our walk we discover the Fish Spa, a tank filled with little fish which nibble your dead skin cells, leaving your skin silky smooth. Thai exfoliation at its best. Bella was a little hesitant to dip her hand in for a try and I must admit it felt a little creepy at first as the masses of fins hone in on you. After a minute, it becomes a gentle tickle and then quite soothing. We later dangle in our legs for a fifteen minute spa. Our attempt to book a bed on the sleeper train results in frustration. There are no more tickets on the sleepers to Chang Mai for 5 more days and we do not want to stay in the busy city for that long. We then find out that our hotel is giving us the boot since we only reserved for two days. In the evening Mark goes to scout for a new room in the neighbourhood while I put Bella to bed. He returns with a pamphlet from the Navalai River Resort down the road. It proclaims to be "Oriental Chic...the mantra of thai art and culture, the romantic scenery of the Chao Phraya River, the state of the art colonial influenced architecture..." It also blows our budget 3 fold but upon arrival, we are are giddy with the bathrobes, slippers and the complimentary basket of longans and mandarins. Within minutes, Bella and Mark are dipping into the rooftop pool. We take advantage of the free Wi-fi and send messages home. We sleep soundly without mosquitos buzzing in our ears. We also visit Wat Pho in our time here, home of the largest reclining buddha, resting in its enlightened position. We are warned of pick pocketers as we enter the temple. We stare up at its golden serene smile and walk down the long path to the swirls on its toes. We buy a tin of coins and Bella drops one coin into a long line of pots on the other side of the temple. She slows down the procession of coin droppers but we are impressed with her mediative intention of only dropping one coin in each pot. Later that day, we search for a vegetarian restaurant hidden in the back alley of Khao San Road. There we enjoy potato curry, cashew fried rice and sticky black rice with mango and coconut. The neon lights and street hawkers of Khao San are out in force as we make our way home. Bella enjoys a chocolate covered frozen banana with rainbow sparkles. She desperately wants a massage and her nails painted. She falls sound asleep on the comfy bed in our upgrade. We are now off to the south, catching a night train to Surit Thani and then a bus to Krabi. The north will have to wait for another day. It's time for some beaches and playtime!



upgrade



Airport Adventures

We just arrived at the immaculately tidy Changi Airport to catch a flight on Cathy to Bangkok. En route in the taxi, Bella wanted to know whether we'll be sitting in those really fancy seats in the front. We had our first lesson class and privileges of the wealthy. We told her that her not so fancy seat was in fact a privilege. Upon arrival at Terminal 1, Mark has misplaced his passport in his black passport pouch, in his black travelpack. After some unpacking, we manage to find its whereabouts. My stress level rises and Mark remains zen. Bella finds the 'Travellator', the flat walking escalator a thrill. There's free internet here so she even enjoys a game of Starfall. At our boarding gate, she is curious with the cargo being loaded on the planes and wonders where the cats have to go. Mark reassures her that they are safe in cages in the cargo and given pills to make them sleepy for the ride. Worries are diminished. As I write this note, Bella is playing her princess deck of cards with Mark. She's been an amazing little nomad and it's only the beginning. We look forward to touching down in Bangkok in a few hours.

The Legend of Sea Plum

It was very fitting that I noticed a beautiful picture book entitled Singapore Children's Favourite Stories on Ashley's book shelf. Our bedtime story on our last evening here was called How The Island of Singapore Came About. It begins with an adventurous mermaid named Sea Plum whose curiousity leads her to defy the dictatorship rule of a cruel king named Hai Loong Wang by swimming outside the borders of the Mer Kingdom. She even convinces her timid sister Sea Pearl to join her. They discover a beautiful hair comb, studded with glittering gems. The sails of ships and strange two-legged creatures beckoned them closer. But as they frolicked in this splendid new world, the evil king emerges from the depths and with his golden staff issues the punishment. From this moment on you will be turned into mud-skippers. For ten thousand years you and your people will only be able to crawl on your bellies, and slither helplessly in and out of the water's edge.
He cursed not only the mermaid but also all the other mer people of the kingdom. The underwater volcanic cone of Shilepo rose from the ocean floor exposing its top half to be an island in the tropics. We know this island as Singapore today. The moral of the tale reads...
"However, all was not lost. The mud-skippers eventually learnt to live in their new home and soon Shilepo became a thriving island. Fisher-people moved there. Traders. Merchants. People came from all over to settle on this beautiful island, but no-one suspected the true story of how it had come about. So, next time you see a mud-skipper, be kind to it. Remind yourself that you might be looking at Sea Pearl or Sea Plum, the adventurous mermaids, who along with their families and friends are still waiting to return to their own beautiful kingdom beneath the waves."
As we write the beginnings of our story overseas, I feel that we too are morphing into a new species. Spending time as a family and experiencing travel as a team is very rewarding. Even in this first week, we are getting more familiar with the rhythms of our day. Together, we make decisions and discoveries. We even noticed that the blanket of heat which drained us on day one is no longer so heavy. Like Sea Plum, we wake up to each day with anticipation of adventure. It feels good to shed the old skin. I look forward to seeing what our new disguises reveal. I have a feeling that Bella's will have a definite tint of pink with sparkling gems. Well, at least, she'll be easy to spot.

A New Classroom

I have to admit that my first attempt at homeschooling Bella was a total diaster! After carefully setting the table with coloured crayons and sharpened pencils, I opened the notebook to a fresh new page. Aaahhh, the start of being teacher mom. Yes, I was excited with lesson plans playing out in my head. Even had a great icebreaking activity. I ring the silent bell and ask Bella to join me at the table..to which she responds a definitive "NO." She wants to watch babyTV with Alex. She wants to go swimming with daddy. Hey, it was only to be 20 minutes of structured time in Mama's School. I thought I would get the routine happening upon arrival. Mark, spreading peanut butter on his toast, chuckled...which got me even more wound up. Long story short..I bribed her to sit down for 10 minutes. She did a half hearted sketch of the plane ride and declared, "Done." I put the notebooks away for the next few days and I learn a few lessons myself as we explore Singapore as a family. There's a new classroom here and it's not at the table with pencil and paper. Math is looking out for the No. 123 bus, counting how many stations till Little India, buying lucky dragonflies in Chinatown with new currency and counting the change. Socials is following the purple line on the NorthSouth track to Dhoby Ghant and transferring to the red line to Orchard Road. It's making observations about the different cultures on the subway, taking 'one bite' of different cuisines and discovering that we do like coconut milk but not the dosa. It's about removing your shoes off at the Hindu temple and correcting mom when she incorrectly points out Lord Shiva, 'that's not Shiva, mom, it's Krishna. He's on our yoga video.' Science becomes feeling a giraffe's tongue when feeding it carrots, noticing the camouflaged caimans in the swamps and spotting the dominant probiscus monkey with the longest nose. It is the fascination of watching the mimosa plant fold at your fingertips. Language Arts is learning the legend of how the tapir lost its horn in its vanity and making a Venn diagram to compare Sea Plum and Ariel in the mermaid stories. Reading is identifying the letters in PRADA. There's definitely no shortage of daily physical activity as we walk and explore the streets of Singapore and get refreshingly wet in the water parks. Taking risks is being the leader and taking your parents through the maze of Chinatown. Follow me! It is holding the hoop with confidence at the front of the stage and beaming with pride when winning her first contest. As for recess and play, it's all about Ashley. Together, the girls shared lots of giggles and laughs. They put on fashion shows, dog shows and woke up each morning to eat breakfast and get their hair done by Tita. As for Critical Thinking, there's always wonderings in each day. Over spring rolls, Bella asks, "Why are you and daddy making me a world traveller?" to which I respond, "To see how other people live" and daddy replies, "To be a family."  So our new classroom is changing and it's very refreshing to say the least.

Magic Moments in Singapore



treetop walk


January 17, 2011.

Aunty Kersti back home introduced me to the term 'magic moments.' These are the times when life stops for a brief pause...allowing you to smile, laugh, wonder, learn or just to be...in the magic moment. Bella, Mark and I have been collecting magic moments for many years now. In our reflections of our time here in Singapore, we all agree that the top magic moment was spending time with Uncle Will, Aunty Mel, Alex and Ashley. On the weekend, we enjoyed a Shanghainese dimsum with them and walked the promenade with Bella and Ashley. We played 'I Spy' and danced on every stage we passed. In the evening, Mel and Will treated us to a delicious dinner at Roberston Quay while Tita kindly looked after Bella at home with the kids. Mel mentioned the visa for Australia which we had no idea about. She later organized the papers for us. Will shared his vitamins when I wasn't feeling so well. We enjoyed a treetop walk together at Hort Park and the kids played and had ice cream in the gardens. Tour guide Will took us for a car tour of the city. We got a glimpse at the 'black and whites,' old colonial homes nestled in the green hills right in the city. We passed by the famous Raffles Hotel that's been there for years along with the outrageious new Sands Casino with a fancy pool up top. We drove around Sentosa island as the rains fell and got a better sense of what Singapore's all about. We want to thank Will, Mel, Alex, Ashley and Tita for being so kind and generous and for spoiling us rotten. We hope to return the favour when you come to Canada.We couldn't have asked for a better start to our trip overseas.

Maryanne (tita), Alex and Bella