HAPPY NEW YEAR (2009)!!!

Just before this year closes, I'm dedicating this write up solely to a weighty problem. I think it's apt considering I have been eating non-stop, makan party after makan party since before Christmas. We haven't even started on the New Year celebrations yet!

In the past month, I have been told, no less than 6 times, that I look eh.... 'very prosperous'!!! Mike has not been immune to such comments either. Even my own father-in-law commented that he had failed to recognise me when I called out to him at a lift landing. My sister-in-law (yes, that's YOU, Ah Kor Joan) said she hadn't recognised me either when I had gone to pick her up at the airport recently (it's not as though she had just come back after living abroad for some time, for goodness' sake... she had only been on holiday for a week!). Unfortunately, they speak the truth. I HAVE put on so much weight in the past year, I frighten even myself. Sigh. Now if only my bank statement were as prosperous, I'd be set for life.

(below pic) Here I am, looking very prosperous at Mike's bro's place on Christmas Eve this year, just before we went for Midnight Mass. Didn't help that my sis-in-law, Lynette had cooked a delicious meal!

(below pic) Don't you think my bro-in-law, David and his wife Lynette put up a beautiful tree?

Anyhow, I have to say this. This is not post-pregnancy weight. I did manage to get back to pre-pregnancy weight after my younger kid was born because the breast-feeding helped heaps! I've put on weight because I've neglected myself.

I do not have a habit of snacking. I am however, a 'BERNG-TARNG'. (local Chinese dialect for Rice Bin). I cannot do without a full plate of rice especially for dinner and I can't eat much during breakfast (yes, I know, that is so upside-down. Heavy breakfast, light dinner right?). Put a dish of belachan and some rice and I'm done for. Just when I think I'll skip dinner, my Filipina helper, Judy will plonk a bowl of delicious Fish Head Curry on the table. Tired? Angry? Upset? Stressed? No problem, just eat more rice. So you see, that's my downfall.

The irony is in 2007, my weighing scale needle moved downwards the most it had ever in many years. It probably had to do with the fact that I was taking Belly Dancing classes 3 times a week from 3 different teachers. The weight loss was slow over a period of a year but at least it was healthily done. Then due to other commitments, I had to stop ALL my classes and thus, sans-exercise, the weight which I had lost earlier, came back with double vengeance (they most certainly do not tell you this in Belly Dancing classes!).

I don't know whether to laugh or cry when Mike asks me what the issue is with being the size that I am. He says he loves me the way I am and doesn't find 'anything wrong' with me. Yeah, I know. He is being sweet and kind (wait a minute! What dya' mean by the size that I am, Bucko???!!!).

Anyhow, I don't like it that my clothes are getting tighter and tighter! The last time I was this heavy, I was pregnant. Back then I had an excuse. But now???

(below pic) Us, looking like a BIG bundle.

So with the impending new year, comes new resolutions.

While I would like to say that my New Year resolutions should be the following in exactly this order:
1) To be a better person
2) To be a better person
3) To be a better person
4) To be a better person
5) To be a better person (or wait, should it be world peace???)

What I would REALLY like to say is:
1) To lose weight!!!
2) To lose weight!!!
3) To lose weight!!!
4) To lose weight!!!
5) To lose weight!!!

Aiyah, I know, I know, while people are starving elsewhere, that's so superficial of me right? But I'm only human hor.....OK Lah, politically correct, it should read as:

1) To be a better servant of God
2) To be a better wife
3) To be a better mother
4) To help my son with his Chinese
5) To improve my own Chinese
6) To come up with more shoe designs (Yes, I know you are waiting for that!)
Then maybe resolution # 1001 can finally be

.........To lose weight!!!

(below pic) Anyhow, in a bid to be a better self and that includes looking less 'aunty', me VAIN self treated myself to a new hairdo:

My kids think I look even more 'aunty' with permed hair but I don't care cos their Dad thinks it rocks! Eat your hearts out kiddos! It's the first perm I've had which I actually do not hate. Customers who saw me last year might recall me with very short hair because I'd chopped it all off (much to the dismay of one of my belly dance teachers) to a crop. I'd damaged it with a perm, rebonding, perm again, rebonding again....so I finally got sick of it and decided to 'start anew'. It's taken me a whole year just to get it back to shoulder length.

I digress but if you recall, I grumbled once about never being able to find the 'perfect' hairdresser. Well, I've finally found her..... : ) My daughter's been to her twice already and likes her too.

(below pic) Here we are with our new hairdos. Me with my permed and coloured hair and Tessa with her newly cut bangs which she now sometimes regrets getting (BTW, we're in her lime green, typically IKEA bedroom) :

So, anyhow, I seriously worry about what all the fat cells are doing to my heart so because of that, I aim to lead a healthier lifestyle. I'll try, I'll really try but if I don't, I don't. It's not a be all and end all for me. It's just a new year resolution and you and I know what happened to this year's new year resolutions.

Seeing things in perspective, what's most important to me is my health, my husband and kids!

So, here's to THAT new year resolution and Cheers to yours as well.

(above pic) Here we are! Mike and I looking like some 'prosperous' tourists in KL's Petaling Street (Chinatown) yesterday morning (29 Dec 2008).

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!! See you in 2009!!!

A Very Merry Christmas

Tis' the season to be jolly ~ Fa la la la la, la la la la!

(above pic ~ my feeble attempt at decorating my very cluttered office desk)

Mike and I cannot believe that this year, we had completed our Christmas shopping 2 days before Christmas. For as long as we can remember, we are usually still wrapping Christmas presents on the day itself! Although our immediate families are small, the number of relatives in our extended family (aunties, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews etc) is sizeable.

It's nice for a change. With our shopping done, what it means is we can actually take our time, sit back and really soak in what Christmas really means for us.

One year, us 'smarty pants' relatives tried to do the right thing and exalt the true spirit of Christmas which meant the adults coming to a consensus or rather, coming to our senses (of course unanimous agreement only amongst the weary gift-buying adults) that there would be no exchanging of gifts. We agreed that if we felt like it, we could buy but only for the kids. That didn't sit very well with the kids and they revolted (ok, that's putting it mildly). Some kids received pressies, some did not. Some gave and some did not receive. That resolution got chucked out the window the very next year and so it was back to the gifting process!

Mike is one person who loves Christmas. I mean, REALLY, REALLY loving it. In June, he'll be telling me that it's only 6 months to Christmas. By September, you can hear his heart beating to the rhythm of Jingle Bells and at the end of October, his tree and Christmas decor will be up! (In our lifetime, we've only met one other neighbour who was as passionate about Christmas as him! She lived across the street from our house and you could hear both Mike and her blasting their stereos with Christmas carols way ahead of the Orchard Road light up!)

This year though, we didn't put up a fake tree nor did we buy a real tree. What we did was dig out a real living pine tree from our Grandma's garden and plonk it into a pot (Granny was moving out). It's a very tall tree but relatively 'slim'. We had already given away our fake tree and most of the ornaments to our Filipina helper when we moved house in June but I was adamant we should not waste money on a real tree this year. Anyway, Mike lugged it home and it really looked quite pathetic in our living room. We were disappointed with how lame it looked and had actually changed our minds and gotten ready to go buy a real tree. We'd already gotten changed and had stepped out the main door when Mike decided to give it one last shot by re-entering our home! (Ok, that ended up with me, waiting for him and falling asleep on the couch as he waved his magic wand over the tree). Once the tree had been decorated, lit up and we had pressies strewn below it, it didn't look so bad after all (and then I had been unable to sleep the whole night because I had fallen asleep on the couch!).

It's Christmas Eve and we don't have to rush for any last minute presents. That's a really cool position to be in this year! We're looking forward to going to Christmas Mass and tucking into all the 'Chrismassy' food. But best of all, we're looking forward to being with our family and friends.

So from all of us at Cartoon Lagoon, we wish you

A VERY BLESSED CHRISTMAS!

Didgeridoo

My first reaction on reading that actress Nicole Kidman might now never have another child because she had blown into a Didgeridoo, was to nudge Mike off the sofa...


Wife: (Hard Nudge)

Hubby: What?!

Wife: All your fault!

Hubby: What you talking about?!

Wife: I blew into a Didgeridoo, lah! First time was on that one you bought in Gold Coast?

Hubby: Oh, Yah! (Laughing) You read the article too, ah?

Wife: No wonder, lah! Don't have 3rd kid! When we went to Gold Coast, John was less than a year old, remember? We left him at home and only brought Tessa. Waste money on all those pregnancy kits! People should put warning labels on them!

Hubby: (Laughing) One boy, one girl, just nice, okay?

Wife: Alamak! Tessa also blew into it!

Apparently, Nicole Kidman had ignorantly blown into a Didgeridoo during a TV interview and this according to the Australian Aborigines, is a taboo because a female blowing into one will render her barren.

The Didgeridoo is a long, wooden flute-like instrument with its origins from the Aborigines in Northern Australia.
See write up on the Didgeridoo --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Didgeridoo)
or
http://aboriginalart.com.au/didgeridoo/what_is.html

It takes skill and practice to control your breathing to blow into one continuously.

We have several at home (of which 2 are Australian made). The artwork on the Didgeridoos is what drew us to them. There was a time when we were Didgeridoo crazy; buying the Didgeridoos, listening to CDs and trying to blow into them, albeit meekly and without much success. The music takes some getting used to and can draw one into a trance like state.

(above pic added 5th Jan 2009 ~ me and our Didgeridoos)

As recently as 2 months ago, we had just acquired one, although not an authentic one. Given that we read somewhere that Australian Didgeridoos are now sort of controlled items and you cannot anyhow sukah-sukah export one out, the ones we buy are no longer from Australia. The authentic ones are made from tree branches or trunks and the hollowed areas have actually been eaten out by termites. Those for sale were about 1.5m long and had mouth pieces sealed with wax. I'm not a Didgeridoo expert so excuse me if I've got my facts wrong.

Since I've long thrown out my maternity clothes and nursing bras, I think it's safe for me to continue blowing the cobwebs out of their hollow tunnels. Hey, had I learnt of this taboo earlier, I would have saved myself a whole tonne of worrying about any surprise pregnancy!

Rushing Christmas Orders

We really apologise for the delay in deliveries caused by our surprise extended stay in Bangkok!
Back home, like Santa's little elves (ok, overweight elves, lah), we've been working late into the night! So the good news is that we are on track again and customers who placed orders with us before we left for Bangkok, should be able to get their shoes within the next two days!

Customers who placed orders last week or this week, should be able to get their orders by early next week.

Many of our customers have been asking when we are going to participate in a flea market again. Given the cranky weather December is known for, we have no intention to participate in any open air flea markets this month.

There's still time to order Cartoon Lagoon's Hand Painted shoes as Christmas pressies!

View our designs at our website:
http://www.cartoonlagoon.com.sg
and place your orders (via email or telephone) by 19 Dec 2008 to get them delivered to you by *24 Dec 2008! (*only for local deliveries)

Cheers!
Fiona and Mike

Kids

Wonder if any mums out there with teenagers are able to identify with what I've gone through or am still going through.....

You get preggy and throw up nearly 5 months out of 9 months. Go through a horrendous C-Section recovery to give birth to that cute lil' baby that only knows how to suckle, cry and poop, poop, cry and suckle.
You give up your sleep, spend nearly all your waking hours either at work (so you can afford to buy more expensive diapers which don't stick to your kid's butt, milk powder that's supposed to make your baby MORE intelligent AND cute lil' baby outfits which they will outgrow in a month) or at home carrying your colicky baby.
You lose sleep over your feverish baby who's fretting non-stop because he or she's teething.
You lose contact with most of your gal pals because you're in so deep with this thing called Motherhood, you don't know left from right.
You hold your breath on their first day at school.
You wonder if they are doing okay in school.
Your heart palpitates when they come home with their exam results.

Then one day, your kid's suddenly OLD enough tell you,
"Mum, can you please NOT tag me in your Facebook photos? I have a reputation to uphold, you know?!"

Well, well, well.
Guess it's time for me to dust out the cobwebs from my stilettos, throw out the baby wash towel and become a Yummy Mummy!

Mummy continuing with the grumbling......
Where's my LBD? (Little Black Dress) Can I still freakin' fit into it? Is Black now the new black? Or is white the new black?

Bangkok Food Pics

(above pic - John & Tessa digging in at the weekend market, Chatuchak)

Street food in Bangkok is very colourful. It is no wonder that many of the city girls are ram rod slim - they seem to survive on the mango / prawn salad sold every which way you turn. Mike saw them tossing baby prawns which were still alive into the rojak concoction of sauces and vegetables. Somehow, it seemed a bit gross to see the live prawns jumping about (somewhat cruel like the way drunken prawns are cooked) but still when you taste the vinegar based salad, it is really delicious.

We also tried (the word is tried) to buy some fried insects but after hemming and hawing, we found we really didn't want to eat any of it, so we ended up not buying any. The street vendor and her husband just nodded in amusement.

(below pic) I walked past this man with a sort of ice cream trolley and took a double take when the colourful array of food drew my attention. I went back and stared into his steaming basket and realised it looked very much like our 'siew mai'. Decided to pick one tiny basket and went to look for my kids who were picking out some jeans at a nearby shop. We took one gulp each and I knew I had to run back to get more. The most delicious Siew Mai I've ever tasted! (no, we didn't get any stomach upset at all). He was located in an alleyway near the Indra Regent Hotel and the pasar malam shops surrounding it.

(below pic) Someone recommended that I eat Pigs' Trotters when in Thailand. Up till then, I had no idea it was all that popular. I mean, Pad Thai or Tom Yam soup yes but Pigs' Trotters? I did see it on our first day there and and it was simply delicious! Ate it about 3 or 4 times in all. It's sold as commonly as Chicken Rice or Char Siew Rice is sold in Singapore. Definitely has vinegar in it.

Also to die for are the dried wanton noodles (if you stare hard enough in the above pic, you should be able to locate the bowls of wanton noodles!). They are very generous with their portions of dumplings. They do not give you a spoon though and probably because if you order the dry ones, they do not supply a bowl of soup to go with it. When Mike ordered one to be packed back to the hotel, the lady actually (without our prompting), packed a styrofoam bowl, chopsticks, spoon, two packets of chilli; one green and one red saucy thingy to go with it and all for 25 baht (less than S$1.50). Oh, BTW, you can order a small bottle of coke for 10 baht (about S$0.50) to go with your noodles.

(above pic) We also visited the famous Floating Market Damnoen Saduak and I had delicious beefball noodles there! I think I ended up paying a bit more than a whole bunch of kids in school uniform but it was still reasonable. My kids refused to eat anything soupy there because they saw the boat hawkers washing their bowls in the river. They were convinced the water for the soup came from the river too. That's Singapore children for you. Actually, the soup tasted a bit grainy (sandy) and the colour looked a bit like the river's too but what the heck, I don't really want to know the truth! All I know is it was so tasty!

(below pic) Here's a delicious box of BBQ prawns which Mike had 'Tar Pao' back to the hotel room for me.

Now your see it..... (addendum: Ho ho...so my kids read my blog! They pointed out several grammatical / typo errors like 'your see it', which obviously should be 'you see it'. I'm usually a stickler for good written English but somehow, I don't spend a lot of time proof reading my blog entries - sorry about that!)

(below pic)

Now you don't!

The damage? 100 Baht (About S$4.50)

Throughout our trip, we were eating and munching as we walked along the streets or wherever we went. We didn't even get any tummy upset until.....we moved into a FOC hotel provided by the TAT and ate the buffet spread. How ironic!

Day 14 - Arrival back in Singapore

A group of us broke out in applause when our plane landed at Changi International Airport past midnight on 3 December 2008. For many, including our family, it marked the end of many question marks.

Coming in second to the question of 'Are you a Singaporean?' would be 'Is our flight confirmed?'. But with our time in Bangkok, then later U-Tapao, you realise that it doesn't matter if the airline has confirmed the flight. There is no such thing as a confirmation until your plane has landed at your destination!

We had left our hotel on 1 Dec at midnight and arrived at U-tapao International Airport at about 2 am or so. It is definitely a military facility cum commercial airport. Although the terminal itself is small, there were numerous commercial liners at the parking bays.

(Above pic shows the check in counter at U-Tapao at about 3 am. This is not considered crowded as it is the wee hours of the morning)

There was a First Aid clinic in between the departure and arrival halls of the small terminal.

Our makeshift airline check-in counter wasn't open and there was a single A4 sheet of paper pasted above the table, that said our morning flight had been cancelled, then an arrow pointing to the evening flight. What did that mean? Had that paper been for the previous day's flight? Did they mean today's flight? Someone told Mike to buy the Airport Tax in preparation for the flight. We had already pre-paid our airport tax with our tickets but apparently we had to pay for THIS airport's tax!

Here's my son making the most of the situation. I must say, both our kids have been Super Troupers throughout this experience. I wouldn't exactly call it an ordeal because we tried our best to be positive through the 2 weeks (well, until the last day when we were all kinda weary already after our flight got cancelled again!).

We wait.......we walk around asking questions. There is confusion. Where do we go? What do we do? Where are the airline check-in staff? We wait again. We nod off. We try to eat and drink food we'd brought along. We pull our jackets closer as it is a bit chilly. When it's finally past 6.30 am, we realise that the counter isn't going to open at all. When it's past our flight time of 9.15 am, we realise the plane isn't going to show at all! Mike walks to the airport tax counter and angrily slams the airport tax coupons on the counter demanding a refund. The ladies do it without any question.

The flight schedules are manually updated at this board.

Mike has been chatting with some other Singaporeans. In a group of 15, we make a decision to leave U-Tapao airport and follow a guy back to a resort provided free of charge by the TAT. We decide to go there for lunch, catch some shut-eye and then be back at the airport for the night flight.

Although we were not in a celebratory mood of any kind, we were pleasantly surprised by the size of the resort (600 acres)! Below shows a pic of fake giant ants crawling up the wall - no idea what the significance is.

We checked-in, had lunch (it was a sumptous buffet spread) and then walked around to explore the resort.

Told my kids this was totally surreal. One minute, we were sleeping at U-Tapao Airport and the next, we were paddling in this lake with cows and rats floating on lotus flowers! Didn't know if we should laugh or cry!

We buy large packet of fish food and have a good time watching the fish swim around our swan paddle boats!

After lunch, I set my phone's alarm clock to ring in an hour's time, hit the cold shower and knock out as soon as my head hits the pillow. I wake up an hour later to find Mike and kids in deep sleep. Worried that we'd miss the bus, miss the plane, miss anything, I drag myself up and spend the next half hour yelling at the 3 of them to wake up (we were in two separate rooms) while packing up our bags.

We meet up with the rest on time and head for U-Tapao airport again. This time, it's a complete mess over there. Just imagine a gigantic pasar malam that is free for all. Like some bazaar with food, 'lady-boys' singing and dancing and check-in counters strewn all over. People are everywhere and I am talking about just outside the terminal.

We turned up at the airport and the check-in counter still had no staff attending to it. Apparently, it had been like that since morning (when we had left the airport). Finally, they turn up and we are told (with no real surprise) "SORRY, YOU ARE NOT ON TONIGHT'S FLIGHT MANIFEST." There are 40 people on the wait list. We wait. Things do not look good.

Mike is running around trying to see if we can buy tickets for other airlines departing that night. It is not easy. No one is picking up. The online options say they are all sold out.

My kids and I hold hands and pray to put our trust in God and if or not we would get on board that flight that night, we would leave it in HIS good hands.

Now, I wouldn't be sitting here typing this blog now if not for the help of CHAN our group leader. A very composed and positive thinking Singaporean, he kept us going by liaising with the MFA and embassy people! It was our guardian angels, CHAN and JOEY from MFA who finally and I mean FINALLY got us on board the night's flight. To these two guys, we owe everything! Although the 15 of us just met for the first time that day, the camaraderie was apparent. Singaporeans were bonding just by the fact that we were Singaporeans.

We had to let the airline check in all the passengers who had been confirmed on the night flight first. The irony is some of these people who were confirmed on that flight, had made their bookings much later than we had. I mean, we had been stranded since 26 November and no one at the airline seemed to give a hoot that we'd been shifted from flight to flight.

Then we stood huddled for the lottery draw. When our names were called, we jumped for joy! I actually shouted! I love Thailand and the Thai people but shuffling to and fro between airport and hotel and the uncertainty was taking a toll on me. We got our boarding passes and paid our airport tax (with NO COUPON issued to us???). I asked the counter staff for the airport tax coupon but they said they didn't have any. We just paid and did what they said.

I am sure I speak for the whole group of us when I say we held our breaths until we finally landed at Changi. We knew that even getting the boarding pass could mean we would get off- loaded at the last minute. They had even issued me a duplicate seat no. I was so sure I'd be the lucky one to get off-loaded! Finally, we took off and I believe many took their first comfortable sleep in days.

When the wheels of the airplane touched Singapore ground, we broke out in applause. That spoke a thousand words.

To Chan and Joey ~ Many thanks!

To the Thais, we haven't forgotten you ~ We will be back!

(If anyone who has appeared in my photos wishes for it to be removed, please let me know).

Day 13 - Bangkok Airport closure

In two hours' time, we'll be leaving for Utapao Airport in Pattaya. We're actually leaving nearly 10 hours ahead of our flight given that a jam is expected ahead near Utapao. We've been told there was some chaos in the reservations last night during check in. We hope and pray for a smooth journey ahead.

I cannot explain what I'm feeling. My kids are excited to be home. Relieved to be headed home? Sad to leave Thailand. My husband and I; we are sad to leave the many Thais we have made friends with. Being here 13 days and seeing them every single day, we've managed to exchange alot of information despite the language barrier. As some Thais we met are able to speak some English and Mandarin, it made it a lot easier to communicate with them. So many Thais (man in the street) have apologised to us for the inconvenience caused. They are upset too that their livelihoods have been affected.

Mike, the kids and I will have 14 days (including tomorrow) to be with each other, 24 / 7. That is more than I can say about the time we've spent together as a family in Singapore for so many years! Looking back, I would say that our assurance that God has a plan for us in everything that happens to us, we see it as a Blessing that we've had the opportunity to be together as a family.

To our Thai friends, Good-Bye and take care! Our hearts ache for those who depend on the tourist industry, who have told us that they have had no income the past few days due to the Bangkok Airport shut down. We could do no more than try to patronise their businesses as much as we could. We wish we could do more for you but we can only pray for your well-being! Despite everything, we wish to say to our Thai friends, "Thank you for your hospitality"! This is not our first time in Thailand and it will not be our last!

Day 12 - Stranded in Bangkok

So this is early morning of Day 12 in Bangkok. In about 24 hours' time, we're supposed to leave our hotel in Bangkok for a long ride to U-tapao, Pattaya. U-what you say? Yeah, we've never even heard of it up until now. Some refer to it as a Military Air Base, some call it a naval base, some say it's an International Airport. I don't care. All I know is the airline had better be able to SEE OUR RESERVATION in their system when we arrive at the airport tomorrow and their plane had better be able to get off that single runway. Our departure booking had been confirmed by the airline over the phone but when I tried to check it just now online, I could not access it.

From the bits and pieces of news we've been able to gather, things were chaotic for the first few flights from there. A group of Singaporeans we met at our previous hotel (hey, Jonathan, Bobby and Graydon, hope you and your families are well!), left the hotel this afternoon for U-Tapao. We pray for their safety and smooth arrival back to Singapore. I can just imagine them kissing the ground once they arrive back home.

Bumped into a young Singaporean couple (whom we had made friends with yesterday) just now at the hotel lobby and they tried but could not get on the same flight as us (2 Dec, early morning). They will be leaving on the same day but at night. We got talking and realised, (they were not the only ones) that relatives are very anxious for them/us to get back. We're so grateful for the all calls, smses, emails and facebook notifications we have been receiving! Please do not worry too much. So far, it's been life as usual in the city. Trouble? You can't tell from here. We walked about and it was apparent that the streets were more void of foreigners than usual. Most of the people were locals.

I did get pretty annoyed by a taxi driver today who was blaring a very passionately spoken (or should I say, shouted) speech throughout our ride. I whispered to Mike that it sounded like a speech (it was in Thai) made by a PAD supported. When Mike asked if the speech was a "Yellow" or "Red" shirter, the driver said yellow. He then said vehemently that he hated the ousted PM Thaksin and the current PM Somchai. I was fuming as I listened quietly. I wanted to whack him on the head with my knapsack not because I care two hoots about Thai politics but because the darn Yellow colour (anti govt) has caused MUCH MUCH inconvenience by shutting down the Suvarnabhumi (pronounced Soo-wana-poom) Airport, to the very people who are spending MANY MANY Baht in their country! Many foreigners are not returning to Bangkok ever and this will have a severe impact on the daily livelihood of the man in the street.
The local grapevine says many wearing the Yellow shirts are paid daily and fed daily to sit and do their poo at the protest sites. Some locals say if you are jobless, that would be a good option to get $$$ and free food. They say it pays better than their jobs. Middle and Upper class? Bah! I don't buy that crap! I've seen the sea of faces. The majority are working class or not working at all. You think the middle and upper class who are busy running their businesses have the time to sit it out patiently in their yellow T-shirts waving plastic hands? Let me say again that I wish not to play any part in Thai politics but I'm stuck here in their country while they pussyfoot with the airport closure. Do something, somebody, pleeeeze!
The Thai PM has left Bangkok and has moved up North. Eh, does he know we're still here?

I did eventually call the Singapore Embassy in Bangkok. I told them my husband was running out of his medication and my kids were sick. They told me sorry but there was nothing they could do. To say I'm disappointed is an understatement. Some Singaporeans say you have to 'BANG TABLE' then they will do something.
I read in the Bangkok Post that royalty, dignatories and important company executives have already been safely flown out of the country. What are we, then? The scum of the earth?

Some Thais have asked if I will ever return to Bangkok. Of course. Nothing is going to stop me. I love it here. I love the vibrancy, the simplicity, the food, the culture, more importantly, the humility of the people - I guess the political chaos is part of the bargain. The PAD do not do justice to their country's well-being. There was an election and the majority have spoken. What do you call taking over a country's airport? Whatever they want to call it, it sounds like terrorism to me.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has provided stranded tourists with free hotel accomodation and meal coupons. It is a good peace offering and no one can complain about the lack of luxury at this hotel we are in. The problem is if you've not heard of this offer, you would likely still be living at your own expense or in the streets. The lack of information provided sucks big time! It's frustrating that my airline hasn't even contacted me about rescheduling a new flight. I had to hear from others that we had to call them to get our new flights or they would just forget about us!

Going back to the hotel, every service personnel seems to have been advised to treat us like any other paying customer. That's fantastic. We've even received apologies by the Thai people for our situation. That is really sweet.

Oh shucks....watching Thai news concurrently and Haatyai seems to be flooded right now. There goes our road option if our U-Tapao adventure flops. Sigh, I just hope I still have a job to go back to when I can finally get back home! (Boss, are you reading this???) BTW, I'm disappointed that with the no. of foreign tourists stranded in Bangkok, the Thai news broadcasting stations have not made any effort to provide English subtitles. What is worse? To not hear any news or to hear news but in a language you do not understand? Sigh.

I'm rattling on and on..... many thoughts in my head but not very coherent in the flow. I checked my previous post and it was full of spelling mistakes. Guess I'm tired and not in a good frame of mind. Both our kids have taken turns to fall sick. One has just recovered from a fever and now the other is having it. Hopefully, their Mummy and Daddy will have the health and mental strength to keep it going!

Let me end today's post on a lighter note. We made such good friends with a couple of masseurs near our previous hotel that when we went back to visit them today, one of them gifted us with Thai souvenirs which she had bought & kept in her locker, in the hope that we would drop in on her again. Considering her commission (she gets NO salary) and the value of the gifts, her action moved me to tears. They will be the most valuable souvenirs I am bringing back with me to Singapore.