Cabbages & Condoms

When Ramiro and I decided to hire a maid/nanny, we said that we would make Friday night date night. We had the pleasure of eating out, our first Friday night, without baby. Our friend Frieda also minus one (her husband Scot away on business) decided to venture out for a night on the town. We went to a Bangkok classic, Cabbages and Condoms. It is a restaurant that provides family planning and HIV education to the community. The food is good and they have a coconut drink that we think is the best in town. The dining room is outdoors. The mock ceiling is adorned with lamps, vines and thousands of lights. If you look closer you will see that the lamps are covered in condoms. Overall it is a unique dining experience.

We got caught in a down poor on the way home. It was a good thing the rain held off till we finished dinner since we were seated outside.

Click on pictures to enlarge. Check out these outfits!!

Getting Around Bangkok

Ramiro and Bryce Ride the BTS Sky Train.

Bryce loves to be carried and the streets are horrible for using a stroller. There are no sidewalks on side streets and the bricks and cement are not even on the roads that do have sidewalks. We have a few different carriers, this is the most recent addition.

Bryce's First, 4th of July

On the 1st of July Ramiro came home early from his trip to my surprise.
We Celebrated the 4th of July with the American Embassy on the 2nd, with good old fashion BBQ. Over a thousand people, US Embassy employees and their families attended. We had a lot of fun.

The 4th we went to the Great American Rib Company for a buffet. Our friends reserved a indoor (air conditioned) table. It was a good thing they did. It started to poor buckets half way through our meal. All the people outside scrambled in to a cosy dry (packed) dinning room. They put a huge tent over the buffet and the party continued. Bryce, the stud muffin, had 3 cuties to dine with.
Tommorow will be the big American comunity BBQ, with fireworks. However, many Americans left for the 3 day weekend. It should still be fun.

Bryce, Jordan, Hannah, and Kayla (the twins).

Durian Fruit

With it's large, distinctive thorny husk and fragrant smell, Durian fruit is known in Asia as the "King of Fruits". The edible flesh emits a distinctive odour, strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Regarded by some as fragrant, others as overpowering and offensive, the smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust. The odour has led to the fruit's banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in Southeast Asia. This I found out after trying to board the MRT(subway). The attendant would not let Lisa and I board. So Lisa whisked us away to a taxi. As soon the taxi driver noticed the fruit he took it and closed it into his glove box stating "It stinks."
I had heard roamers but I never smelled anything foul, so what was all the commotion about? I sampled a little piece before buying it. It has a sweet nutty taste to it. I actually like the taste. Many people say it taste good if you can get over the smell.
Lisa and I got out of the taxi and headed to the BTS (sky train). We were going opposite directions and it was the most central stop. I placed the fruit into my bag so that there was no stopping us this leg of the trip. We said our goodbyes and I boarded the next train. With in minutes of boarding the train one lady moved to the other end of the car. People were staring around to see who was the offender. I took a seat and smelled a odour. It smells really bad. I was enclosed in a train car with it right under my nose. I may as well have not showered for weeks. The smell made me so self conscious the rest of the way home.
I bumped into my neighbor upon returning home and shared with them. They reported back it tasted like a banana and a sweet onion mixed. They also confirmed the smell.

BAMBI

We made many new friends at Bangkok Mothers and Babies International (BAMBI). It was great to meet new moms and for Bryce to have a playgroup. The Mums were all so nice, and such a variety of International backgrounds. It was held at the British Club, a nice venue. We ordered a nice lunch that Bryce and I were able to share. We are looking forward to meeting at BAMBI playgroups again.

Tonight the local Marines are holding a dinner event that Bryce and I will attend. They seem to have events most Fridays. Tonight has a luau theme.

Baby Gym

Bryce uses the wobbly gym to stand.
Pretty soon he will be saying look ma......... no hands.

City View

Some of you asked for a view of the city from our balcony. I took a few at sunset and then after it was dark so that you could see the lights. I think it is a good view. this is the east side of the building so sunset is not as spectacular.
There is one other thing. There are these black birds with a white stripe that circle and dodge our building every night. They start around 4:30 pm and go till late in the night. It sounds like a choir of chirping birds.
Today, Ramiro left for a two week business trip. Bryce wanted to go with him so he climbed into a suitcase.