Santa, Socializing but sadly no Snow

We started our Christmas festivities in style at the Snow Ball Charity Ball. Note that Alex is grinning like a chimp who has an apple (or is it a banana). Not sure where his hands are but the girls are smiling....


Sadly we have to say Adeus to our intrepid Brazilian rock climber - Cristiano. And to bid the farewell in the usual style - he has chosen to the the routine V6+ 'mopping up' bouldering with Christie.....




Earlier in October, when the moon was full and all the magik (with a 'k') was in the air.... We had Cristiano climbing in grass skirt. It's a democracy - he can wear them if he wants to.

Helllloooooo Halloweeeeeeennnn


How about this for pouting, I think Michel won that competition lips down.





And whose hand was in this picture - about to an internal examination? Did he think that he's a doctor?


Wait - he is a doctor !!

And finally........

It's done - well almost. We won't mention those little left overs such as skirting board (kickboard), shelves, etc...

Dining area with new blinds on the windows that can drop from above as well as raise from below.

Next to my 'work area' cunningly hidden in an armoire.



LCD TV will be put up on the wall - at some stage. For now - it rests comfortably on a small glass front cupboard.


Opposite the TV setup is the living area and the wonderful fireplace.

I have it setup with candles, plant and my momentos from my around the world travel.

The bookcase at the back is in fact my shoe cupboard !!






A close up of the glass top dining table. I found it at Ikea - words in many many languages, all meaning LOVE. I then match it with a custom made cast iron tablebase.








Towards the front door of my apartment. The kitchen is just visible on the left.

Retirement Home, anyone ???

Look idealic, doesn't it. The land has a pond and a little stream.... Not to mention bamboo forest!!

We (my sister, my aunt and I) bought it as our retirement place. Plans to have fruit orchards as well as nature spots.... Ummmmmm









My uncle's busy directing the troop to start working on building the road around the pond.

Food - well - kind of

With constant monsoon at Krabi - my sisters and I decided to go north rather than south. We went to visit one of my uncles' plantation in Udon (north eastern Thailand). The pool that the front of the smaller house (the white wash area) used to be a natural swimming pool that we can swim in until the blue frogs decided to move in. Now it's their cooling off pool with us - human as envious bystanders.


We went to a local market (about 2 minutes drive from the house), some of the local delicacy are for sale. This is grasshoppers with kaffir lime.








and the next one is silk worm stir fry....

Nieces and nephews (that's including me)

This place is actually a restaurant. We had to go and pick out our dinner - mostly while they are still alive!!!


Below is me - picking out a relatively 'small' squid. He and his fellow inmates made excellent charcoal grilled.















Here we were, working on the result of our daily catch. The entire table was made up of either nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles. This time, I was a niece and not an aunt.






The place name pronouces On-nosh but typical Thai spelling makes it quite hilarious!!

Fun with the slide

After attending the wedding (and it's a full day fare). A few of us took a couple of days off - relaxing by the pool, including my dad. A 72 years young man on the water slide.....








Not to be outshone by my own father, here is one of me - although not quite as composed

More paying of respect...

Earlier in the day, the bride is showing her respect to the groom. Moments after the engagement ceremony.


Go here for more pictures: Au and Tui wedding pictures


I think the picture speaks for itself. They were paying respect to her uncle. He, in turn, accepted their homage with a gift - noted the thickness of the envelope. The bride's mother and my eldest sister (red) looking on with approval, in the background. The envelope was passed to me for safe keeping - I was petrified throughout the evening in case I lost it....


As I'm one of the bride's sisters, most of the pictures were taken from the bridal propective as well as those that appeared in them....

Words of wisdom

Ok - every pictures seems to include me even though I was supposed to be a photographer. Here I was imparting some words of advice and blessing to the couple. Notice that the groom was laughing - oh boy, I will never be that good at these formality stuff







Don't think my big sis was any better at giving advice either - so she just stuck to blessing the couple in silence !!







The groom's sister was WAYYYY better than either of us, by the look of it.

Welcoming the groom party

Here was my uncle and I - sent out as an advanced party to welcome the groom and his extensive family - in full regalia... There are auspicious meanings attached to every items brough by the groom party. In front were sugar cane (obvious meaning), banana tree (not so obvious a meaning)....


The groom's sheilding his mother from the glaringly hot morning sun.




Bridal doors are ladies from the bride family and friends holding their jewelry as 'doors'. The groom must 'open' it, not only with his 'envelopes' or wallet but also with his wits and charming words. The doors progressed in difficulty and value as he moved closer to the house and his bride.


Once the engagement ceremony was over, the bride's mother carried away the dowry. So heavy was it that she had to carry them on her back !!!! Another reason Thai values both sons and daughters equally :-)






No wedding will be complete without the ubiutious mobile phone shot - here the bride's mother was probably making sure that there's enough lunch for all the quests !!!!

Paying respect to yet more elders...

After the religious ceremony and the cultural ones, the bridal couples were busy paying their respect to all their elders - the bride's uncle and aunt.







The groom was told 'thou shalt not argue with thou better half (aka your wife)" by my father. I think he (the groom) was taking this advice quite well :-)





With each elder, came a gift in acceptance of the bridal couple's homage. A good home starter's kit, in modern day's terms. From the groom's parents - the deed's to the land.





And more gold, for the bride.....