Raising a family in Thailand // Documenting Issan food, culture, music, and people
Everybody has a talent. It may be obscure, it may be something you’re sure nobody else can understand… but you should definitely take advantage of it.
One of my talents is meeting random people who change my life at the damndest times. It happened again today.
We just finished having beers.
A self-explanatory photo set because I have no time, only children.
I am taking the family on a work trip from now. It will be an overnight bus ride, followed by a boat ride to Koh Samet and a smaller ferry-to-shore. We plan to return on Monday night, just in time to finish preparation for the new school term.
Tomorrow I’m off on a faculty trip to Suan Dusit University in Bangkok, then to Hua Hin the next day. I’ll be back on the 6th. Haven’t been to Hua Hin since our honeymoon, nor to the beach for far too long..
Worthless. Priceless.
I’m eating a plate of crab fried rice that looked unremarkable, but actually tastes quite amazing. This is a touristy dish that I pass on in Thailand because it’s usually got bits of shell in it, but it’s what they made for me today, and I’m glad they did – there’s huge chunks of crab meat hidden in the middle, and the egg was crispy with a runny yolk. Yum.
Meanwhile, there’s a guy who looks like jesuscristo floating in the huge hotel pool. If he turns it into wine, I’m calling off the afternoon lecture..
Note to organizers:
If you hire me to lecture at a conference or other event, please do not change the topics five minutes after it starts.
That is all.
I was in a bank the other day, holding Max and waiting for Nam to finish renewing our car insurance, when a student from a while back spotted me and came in to say hi. Then she started tearing up and thanked me repeatedly for passing her last year, and pointed down to her bulging midsection.
“I’m six months pregnant,” she said, “and I just don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t graduated yet.”
I remembered her case very well – it had been a tough call, with various problems if I chose to help her, but in the end, I passed her. I dealt with the problems. I forgot about her class and started teaching new ones… and now she was here.
I was kind of embarrassed, but I squeezed Max closer, and looked her in the eyes and told her to be a good mom.
—
It’s 50,000% better to be told someone’s pregnant after you make a decision like that than before.
4:30 AM. Meeting in front of my office for trip to Wang Nam Keow. Students arranged the time. Why am I the only one here?
From the front of our bungalows, we can see Koh Chang.
