Bangkok for Barack

HALLOWEEN - Bangkok style

Swimming with ELEPHANTS!

Swimming with elephants - can you believe it?  We had a fabulous time last week on Koh Chang (Elephant Island) during our week long fall break.  Relaxation was the focus, but we found ourselves with incredible activities to fill our time:  long walks on the beach, shell collecting, snorkeling, kayaking, trekking through the Thai jungle for 2 hours on elephant back - which culminated with us swimming with the giant beasts in fresh water ponds.  It was an experience none of us will forget.

Ni Hao

Went to Shanghai, China for work last month.  That city is like nothing I have ever seen.  I have been to China before, but it was my first time in this amazing town.   There is nonstop construction, lights, sounds, people - an assault on the senses.  I stood on a balcony trying to absorb all I was seeing and hearing for quite some time, and basically felt overwhelmed.  It made NYC seem easy to manage somehow.  The number of huge skyscrapers jammed in along the highways makes one feel very small and insignificant.  Population estimates are over 20 million there, but it seems like more.  My eyes stung with the pollution.  The modern and contemporary buildings were such a surprise and the city drips with commercialism.  It is easy to see it as the world's fastest growing economy.  

H2O + SAND!

Ko Samed was heaven.  

It is raining hard right now - I love the storms here.  They happen fast, with lots of thunder.  The kids are in bed and I am listening to the pounding of giant rain drops while typing this on our balcony.  The view is hidden by the sheets of water, but most of the time we have an amazing panoramic scene of the Bangkok skyline from all four of our balconies.  They each show a different angle.  

We have a long weekend next weekend, so we are headed to the beach.  If anyone is interested in the island where we will be, the link is:  http://www.kosamed.com

Isabel has been busy with play dates, and activities.  She takes piano lessons, swimming lessons, Thai lessons, Hip Hop lessons, and choir.  She has made quite a few Spanish speaking friends.  The kids at our school are from all over the world.  She seems to hang out most often with a girl from Bangkok, who has a Thai mother and a Canadian father.  

CJ is busy with friends too.  His best bud here is a little French boy named Seb.  He is also taking all kinds of lessons, but spends most of his time getting his BUG CLUB in order.  

I will post some pics of our school and our condo soon.  We miss you all!

K

C J ' s fabulous creatures are world wide