Settling In

After our second week here, we feel more at home and settled in. The house, although still empty, is beginning to feel like our home. Our air freight shipment arrived and was quickly unpacked. I think Christopher's basketball, our computer, Kevin's golf clubs and the dog beds were the most appreciated items. Some items that I was expecting to come via air freight did not arrive so I can only hope they were included in our sea freight and not sent to storage. Our internet was connected and that seemed to make everyone very happy! We felt so out of touch with the world without it.

We have become more comfortable driving the golf cart outside Nichada and, by doing so, increased our options for things to do and places to go. After Kevin received his golf clubs, he and Caitlynne went to the driving range (right outside Nichada) a couple of times. We went to a funky Mexican restaurant (also outside the gate) and met some other Embassy families that also just arrived here. I have taken the kids to the mall and we have been out to lunch with friends. Our social sponsor, Laura, took myself and another newcomer to more upscale (by Bangkok standards) grocery store which was much easier to navigate. We did go back to the first grocery store I had been to and she explained how it was laid out, what the different products were and what items to avoid (or buy). It was so helpful and made me feel much better about cooking here. Laura also took us to a Home Depot-like store so we could buy various household items and small appliances.

Several more families have moved into our neighborhood and there are a lot more kids around. Caitlynne was very happy to meet three girls who will be in 7th grade with her. One of those girls lives two doors down from us and there is also a 7th grade boy across the street. Christopher still needs a 6th grade friend but I am sure once he is out playing basketball or going to the pool, he will meet other boys very quickly. He is going to try out for the school basketball team on August 13th and Caitlynne is going to try out for the school swim team on August 20th. Kevin and Christopher have been practicing their shots on the court at the sports club but once we have our access cards for school, we will use those courts. Caitlynne is also swimming a lot and prefers our small neighborhood pool over the 50 metre one at the sports club.

I attended an orientation at the Embassy and met the Ambassador and her Deputy. Both women seemed very nice and supportive of the families here. The kids and I had a review of our medical records and found that we each needed two shots for diseases unique to Southeast Asia. That was not fun at all and our arms were pretty sore for a few days after.

Our First Few Days in Bangkok

Some of us (Kevin, Caitlynne & Christopher) managed to sleep a few hours our first night in the house. At 3.30 am, I was re-arranging furniture and planning where all of our paintings, rugs, and "stuff" would go when it arrives in mid-September. Is anyone who knows me surprised at all by this?!?

A driver from the Embassy picked us up at 9.30 am to take us to the Embassy (http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/) for our formal check in. This driver was the same one that Kevin and I had in January and he also picked us up at the airport the night before. It was nice to see a familiar and friendly face. He is Thai, has worked for the Embassy for over 20 years and will be Kevin's driver for meetings, trips to the airport, etc. Although Bangkok traffic is known to be horrible, our drive downtown took just about 30 minutes, so not bad at all.

We visited Kevin's new office and met up with his predecessor who walked us through all of the various offices at the Embassy that we needed to check in with... CLO (Community Liaison Office), HR, Medical, Housing, ??? I am sure I am forgetting something. The Bangkok Embassy is one of the largest US Embassies in the world. There are three main compounds spread over 2 or 3 blocks and with a few more offices in other buildings very close by. We were all fine with our jet lag until about 2 pm and then our eyes glazed over and we truly were just going through the motions. We left the Embassy at about 3:30 pm and the kids and I promptly fell asleep in the car on the drive back to the house! When we arrived home, all I remember is Christopher going up to his room and not seeing him until the next morning. 

Honestly, between jet lag and being in a new home in a foreign country, the next few days passed by in a blur. We went to dinner Saturday night at a restaurant called Baan Rabiang Nam (or, in English, the "River Tree"). Kevin and I had gone here in January and LOVED it. I was glad we were able to take the kids there as we had told them about it several times. For about 30 baht (or $1.00), a tuk tuk picks you up from the car park and drives you down a very crowded and chaotic lane to the restaurant. Once you arrive at the door of the restaurant, you know you are in for something special. The restaurant has an amazing setting right on the bank of the Chao Praya river so you can watch the tug boats & barges pass by as well as the boat taxis and the decorated longtail boats. There are also a lot of beautiful river plants that float by in massive clumps so the river looks to be dotted with floating gardens. The food at the River Tree is fabulous and incredibly cheap. I cannot wait for our first visitors to arrive so we can take them there. It is such a great "Thai" experience. 

Our first trip to the grocery store was quite an experience! I was amazed, overwhelmed, and confused all at the same time. I have been told that everything I need can be found in the Thai grocery stores so I guess I will just need to figure it out. There are very few "American" or recognizable brands and all the writing on the packaging was in Thai. While some items were easy to identify (i.e., dog food), others were pretty hard. For example, all of the laundry detergent, dishwasher soap, fabric softener and cleaning products are kept in the same aisle and it was hard to determine what was what. It was difficult to select cereals as well because the packaging did not give a clue as to what was in the box. Also, the cereals were very expensive - almost $8.00 for a small box.

The meat section was interesting in that there are these huge bins (uncovered and unrefrigerated), each full of whatever cut of chicken, beef, pork that you might want. You ask the attendant for the type and amount of meat you need and he/she spoons it out of the appropriate tub and into a plastic bag. I was told not to buy my meat like this (as if!) but only to purchase the pre-wrapped and refrigerated meats which are available in some of the smaller food markets.

The fruit and veg section was so incredible. Every type of tropical fruit - some that we recognized and some we didn't - was on display. I went a little crazy and bought some pomelo, passionfruit, yellow kiwis and guava. I recognized most of the veggies and all of our favorites (zucchini, green beans, broccoli, potatoes, and lettuce) were available. I was also happy to see that pumpkin and squash are sold already peeled and cut. I have several recipes for curries or tangines but I have avoided making them because prepping the required pumpkin/squash is such a chore. As long as all of the produce is cleaned well, it is safe to eat.

We went to the grocery store with someone from Kevin's office who is living here by himself. His maid does most of the food shopping for him so he was unfamiliar with a lot of the foods and where to find some of the specific things I needed. My first task will be to meet up with someone who can spend the time to walk around the grocery store with me and explain where and what everything is. Otherwise, I am sure we will go hungry because I just couldn't figure enough things out to put together into a meal.

Getting Around In Nichada

In Nichada, most families use a golf cart or similar type of buggy to get around in the community and to the areas immediately outside of the gates. We purchased our golf cart from someone who was leaving the Embassy and it was waiting in our driveway when we arrived. Since our automobile will not arrive for another several weeks (and our bikes even later than that), this is our primary means of transportation around Nichada right now. I should note that we are the farthest neighborhood from the center of Nichada and that is just at a distance of one mile. So, while it is certainly not a hardship to be without a golf cart, it is much easier and quicker to get to the grocery store, Starbuck's or the gym with one. While I am fine driving the cart inside Nichada, going outside the gates is always a heartstopping adventure. Since there is an amazing mall, a few great restaurants and some very unique shops outside the gates, it is well worth the effort (and risk to one's life) to get out there.

As mentioned before, golf carts, cars, bicycles and motorcycles (as well as the occasional dog, cow, chicken, elephant, or water buffalo) all share the same very narrow streets. As also mentioned before, there are either no traffic laws or no one enforces them because it seems to be a free for all. We have been told that general rule of thumb is that the bigger vehicle has the right of way so that is what I follow. Given that I don't understand the street signs and that there is no rhyme or reason to the layout of the streets, it is amazing that the kids and I have made it to the mall (twice), to the driving range and out to lunch with friends without an incident.

Photos... FINALLY!

Well, I was finally able to take some photos of our new home. They are not the greatest because I had to take them with my phone but at least you can get an idea of what the exterior of the house and our street look like.

This photo is the view from outside our front gate and looking down the street to the guardhouse and the main road.

This is the view of our home taken from across the street.

This is from our driveway approaching our front door.

These two photos are taken from our front door. The first photo is looking to the right and the second photo is looking to the left.

More to come!

Nichada Thani

Similar to our arrangement in Australia, the US Embassy provides fully furnished housing for all of the US Government employees assigned to support the Bangkok mission. Basically, there are two choices... an apartment downtown or a single family home located in a residential community about 10 miles northwest of the Embassy.

As Kevin and I discovered during our visit in January, Bangkok is not a pedestrian-friendly city like New York or Washington or even Paris or London. The sidewalks are in terrible condition (uneven and broken) and street vendors often set up their stalls on the sidewalks so there is very little room (if any) for pedestrians. Many times, you need to step off the sidewalk and on to the street to pass around the vendors. There seem to be no traffic laws (or at least no enforcement of traffic laws). Pedestrians certainly do not have the right of way. In fact, when the traffic gets bad, the moto-taxis, tuk tuks and bicyclists have no problem with using the sidewalk as "their" lane. It is very difficult to navigate the city on foot and I was especially concerned about getting the kids to school & to their activities and walking the dogs (which would be absolutely necessary if we were living in an apartment). Bangkok also has very little green space. There is one public park downtown (Lumphini Park) and Kevin and I ran there several times in January. It is horribly crowded and is not the kind of park where the kids could go to meet up with their friends and play basketball or hang out. In addition, the park does not allow dogs so I would not be able to walk Sonder and Simpson there. Also, "soi" (street) dogs are EVERYWHERE in Bangkok. They don't seem to bother humans but most carry rabies and we heard several stories about them terrorizing domestic dogs. The apartments we saw were lovely and quite spacious and I am sure if we were moving to any other city, we could certainly make city living work for us... but it just wasn't feasible for us to do so in Bangkok.

With city living ruled out, we decided to live in a community designed specifically for ex-pats called Nichada Thani. A gated community, Nichada is located 10 miles northwest of the Embassy and has about 800 homes - single family homes, condominiums, and luxury estates. There are 40 "neighborhoods" within Nichada and everything is centered around a huge lake and a village center (Starbucks, grocery store, drycleaners, and spa/salon). There is a large community pool, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a gym. It reminds me so much of Lake Ann in Reston. The International School of Bangkok (http://www.isb.ac.th/) is also located within the gates of Nichada and this is where Caitlynne and Christopher will attend school. Everyone uses golf carts to travel around Nichada and outside the gates to the mall, shops, restaurants, gas stations, etc. Nichada is very accurately referred to as the "bubble". The area surrounding Nichada is very poor and dirty. Most people live in very crudely constructed shacks and some homes are no more than tarps draped over a wood frame. Dogs, chickens and livestock share the streets with cars, motorcycles, golf carts and pedestrians. However, entering through the gates into Nichada is like entering Disney. Everything is perfectly landscaped and the trees, bushes and flowers are bright green & flowering. It is incredibly clean and well maintained, quite a contrast to what is immediately outside the gate.

Our home is in a brand new neighborhood called Premier Place 2. It has its own separate pool and clubhouse right up the street from our home. When we first arrived, there were only two other families here (out of a total of 20 homes) so it was very quiet. The Embassy plans to have 15 new families moved in here by the end of August so we will see a lot more activity. The house is brand new and has 4 bedrooms, 5 baths and a study. The kitchen is large and there is a dining room, family room and formal living room. It is nice to have a second floor again. For some reason, it makes the house seem more spacious and the rooms more private. There are hardwood floors throughout except for the kitchen floor which is ceramic tile. The yard is beautifully landscaped and big enough for the dogs to have some room to run around but I will still need to walk them every day.

The Government provided furniture is much nicer than what we had in Australia and everything is newly upholstered. I can definitely work the colours and furniture styles in with my decorating when our household goods arrive. The Embassy provides a "Welcome Kit" (or "Survival Kit" as it is also called) to each arriving family. The Kit contains very basic items (bed lines, towels, plates, glasses, flatware, some pots and pans and a few small appliances) to help you get along until your shipment of household goods arrives. Fortunately, Tim, our sponsor, arranged to have our Welcome Kit unpacked & everything put away and the beds made before we arrived. He was also kind enough to purchase some basic food supplies - bread, cereal, milk, coffee, and eggs so we would be able to make breakfast the next morning.

It began to rain just as we pulled up to the house, so we unloaded the vans and let the dogs run around. Caitlynne and Christopher selected their bedrooms and explored the house. By the time we all got settled and in bed, it was almost 1:30 am!

Next Up... Photos... Finally!

The Flight & Arrival in Bangkok

Our trip to Bangkok was split into 3 legs - DC to San Fran, San Fran to Tokyo and Tokyo to Bangkok. We left DC at 8:15 am on Wednesday, July 20th and arrived in Bangkok at 11:00 pm on Thursday, July 21st. It was a very long trip but all of the flights were on time and we made all of our connections with time to spare. We were even able to watch the dogs de-planed in Tokyo! United was very good about having a flight attendant find us on the plane before each take-off and confirm that the dogs were on board with us.

When we moved from Australia back to the US, I hired a company to move the dogs. They did EVERYTHING... medical checks, government approvals, travel and boarding arrangements, etc. I only had to have the dogs ready to go on the morning we left Australia and pick them up in NY a week later. Easy-peasy. This time, I decided to do it myself and discovered exactly why I paid a huge sum of $$$ to have someone else arrange and manage their travel. I cannot tell you how much sleep I lost and how much I worried over getting these dogs to Bangkok. In the end, everything worked out as it was supposed to and I can only say great things about United and their pet transport system.

The kids, as usual, traveled very well and settled themselves right in for each flight. They even managed to sleep a fair bit on the Tokyo to Bangkok portion of the trip. Kevin and I caught up on some movies, magazines and (not so much) sleep.

Our landing in Bangkok was exactly on-time even though we did hit some bad weather. The airport is very new and is supposed to have the largest international terminal in the world. Knowing this, I was surprised as we de-planed right on to the tarmac and then had to walk a bit to catch a people-mover and travel about 10 minutes to the terminal building. This was the same thing Kevin and I did when we visited Bangkok in January and I thought then that it was just temporary given the "newness" of the airport but I guess this is how all arrivals are handled. Compared to all of the new construction at Dulles Airport and what Dulles is becoming, it was a bit odd to see a "new" airport that was not really so "modern".

We were met right inside the terminal by Kevin's predecessor, his deputy and some representatives from the Embassy. I must say it was a HUGE benefit to have the Embassy reps handle our arrival and all of the customs/immigration details. We were whisked right through the official checkpoints and to the baggage claim in no time at all. All of our luggage arrived and one of the reps took all of the dogs' documentation from me and, a very short while later, returned with the dogs. We couldn't take the dogs out of their crates but they were very happy to see us and seemed no worse for the wear. The rep also returned a pile of paperwork to me - all very official looking and written in Thai (although I recognized Kevin's name written here and there throughout the papers) - and told me that we will need those documents to export the dogs back to the US. I have no idea what those papers say or mean but I will guard them with my life!

The drivers loaded the luggage, dogs and all of us into two vans and we headed for our new home.

Next Up... Nichada Thani

Departure Day

Kevin and I woke up at about 3:30 am and went for a short (3 mile) run with Jan and the dogs. Whenever we move, I do a "farewell" run on the day of our departure. I guess it is my closure with leaving one home and moving on to a new adventure. I still remember, quite clearly, my last run in Fairfax on the day that we left for Australia (six years ago). I am very concerned about how my runs will be in Bangkok and wonder if I will be able to keep up with my mileage given the constant heat and humidity. Only time will tell.

After our run, we woke the kids up, showered and packed up Jim's truck, Jan's Honda and our rental car to drive to Dulles Airport. Unloading everything was a bit frantic, as was to be expected with the kids, the dogs, suitcases, dog crates & carry-ons. Thank goodness Mom, Dad, Jim and Jan could stay with our carry-ons while we checked in and got the dogs through United and TSA. Kevin had gone to the airport twice the previous week to speak with United about the process of checking the dogs in as our baggage. Whatever they told him sounded too easy and I was so worried that this is where we would encounter some trouble. Surprisingly, everything went just like United said it would and the dogs were crated and taken to the plane without any problems. Of course, Sonder barked quite a bit and we could hear him throughout the airport as they took them away. So embarrassing. While at the ticket counter, we ran into the best man from our wedding, Dave and his son, who were flying to LA for the week. It was such a nice surprise to see them before we left!

Then, we said our "good-byes" to everyone (always so, so sad, although this time, I DID NOT CRY!) and headed for the gate!

Next up... The Flight & Arrival in Bangkok