Home Sweet Home

Laura and I returned from our weekend in Vietnam safe and sound.  I do like to travel but I really like being HOME, and by HOME I mean where my heart is.  I am at home in a lot of different places, Thailand, Washington, Idaho and Utah - all at the same time!  My heart beats in different places but it is always to the same rhythm.

On this last day of November I would like to list the top ten things I am thankful for...

1.  Life and each breath I take.
2.  My family and the ability to be a wife and mother.
3.  My grandson, Austin, and all my future grandchildren - being a Nana is the best!
4.  The ability to learn and grow - sometimes in ways I would rather not
5.  SUN, Wind and yes even RAIN -
6.  Light, especially the light of the gospel to guide my path and Eternal light of the Savior
7.  Friends that are always there to support, even 30+ years later.
8.  Touch, taste, sight, smell and hearing - I love the senses they make the world JOYFUL
9.  Jane Austen and good books (as a lifetime member of the JA society - I felt some pressure here)
10.The wonder and hope in little children eyes, especially during the holiday season.

My home is where my heart is!

M & M's

Markets and Motorcycles....

Vietnam has markets much similar to other Asian cities.  But, one must shop when presented with markets in the city and when they are on every corner....

You can buy fish and have it cleaned right on the street



Talk about crowded isles...



Markets are one stop shopping, you can find fruit next to the fabrics which are located next to the handicafts which is by the shoe outlet and you only have to move ONE STEP! 

Off to work

Lots of smells and colors



Vietnam drive thru

 Vietnam's motorcycle ratio is a whopping 1 in 4, in a country of about 80 million that is a lot of bikes!  It has become the "family"car.  Many times you see four on a bike, two parents and two kids - plus their load on the back!.

And they are OFF!

Water anyone?

Valet Motorcycle parking...I am NOT kidding

Typical side street

The air quality can be low in the city due to the cycles and not the cars.  I think the worst part is the NOISE pollution.  The honking is deafing at time.  No real rules, go when you want, driving on the sidewalk is okay and honk you horn every 25 feet or so!

Mekong

The Mekong River stats in the Tibetan Plateau and runs through China’s Yunnan province, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and end in the Vietnam Mekong Delta where it empties into the South China sea. It is the river of boundaries. Many people crossed the Mekong to flee political persecution or for economic reasons. While living in Thailand, I have met people who crossed the Mekong fleeing their homeland for a new life. I learned that in Vietnam it is called, “Cuu Long, which means Nine Dragons, for the nine mouths’ that flow from, this great river to the sea.

One of the places that I wanted to visit was the Mekong delta. It is called the “fruit basket” of Vietnam. A country girl at heart, cities are fascinating but I always try to visit the outlining areas of the places that I have the opportunity to visit to get a small sense for life outside the city. So, after spending a two days in Saigon, I was eager to get to the country. I hired a tour guide and off Laura and I went. After 1 ½ hour drive south of Ho Chi Minh City we arrived at our starting point. Laura and I boarded a river boat that would take us down the Mekong to visit some of the unique places on the river’s delta.

 Our first stop was to the home of a family with a working orchard. It is not life orchards in America, it is small and in the middle of a bamboo and coconut jungle. We tasted fruits that are grown on the orchard, mango, papaya, rose apple, water coconut, and pineapple. The fruit was so fresh, the pineapple tasted different then the Thailand variety, which I prefer). Everything in their house was made from the coconut tree, they do know how to use what they have.

Next we took a “cart” ride through the village. The Vietnamese in that area still live simple lives, except they have cell phones! It is pretty funny to watch them squat next to the road talking on the phone. We stopped by a honey farm, the bees are different then the honey bees we have in the states, they are smaller and not aggressive. The hive keepers wear no protection when changing the hive boxes. Laura and I then took a small canal boat ride back to the larger river – it was a woman’s duty to row the small boat, they do it standing up in the back.

Once we were transfer back to the larger river boat we went to a coconut candy factory, which was no factory at all – but a small family business. I ask our guide if there were others and he said yes, but this family makes the best. I of course had to sample and then walked away with a few packages.

Coconut Milk and Sugar being mixed together

 

Cooking the mix...can you smell the coconut!



Must wrap to unwrap to eat!

We then made our way back up the river and to our tradional Vietnamese lunch! Not sure we ate much, as it starred at us!

Rice field with family tomb

Our driver and guide accommodated me on the way back to our hotel by stopping so that I could take a picture of the beautiful rice fields. Vietnam is the second largest exporter of rice in the world, Thailand being the first. It is not uncommon here to find right in the middle of their rice fields to have the tombs of their ancestors. They believe that ancestors should be buried on their land as they will then watch over and protect the crops and bring the family prosperity. I love how the Asian culture reveres their ancestors and honors them. I wish that was a part of American culture.

It was a wonderful day for this country girl.

Pho, la la la...la la la

In keeping with the holiday spirit...Laura and I had PHO in Vietnam! Most people like to pronounce it FO like in Fo Sure, but it is pronounced FA as in the holiday song... Fa lala la la la la...!! It is the most delicious soup, we like it with double noodles, fresh basil and a squeeze of lime. Oh, and you can’t forget the slices of red hot pepper to give it a kick, although you better not eat them, unless you are prepared to burn your insides!

Pho la la la..la la la

Good Morning, Vietnam

If someone would have told me that I would be traveling all around Asia a few years ago, I would have laughed at them.  Yet, here tonight I find myself in Vietnam, Saigon to be exact.  Today it is call Ho Chi Minh City, but the locals still refer to the downtown district as Saigon.  Much has changed since the 1970's and yet something’s are the same.  The Vietnam people are still happy, were conical hats, love rice and have more moterbikes then any other country! 

On our first attempt to see Saigon, it started to RAIN....and by rain I mean...a DOWN POUR.  The up side is that it was a warm rain, the down side was we were at least a mile away from our hotel.  A nice cab driver saw us and pulled over.  Laura rushed out and stepped off the curb into a foot of water, lost her shoe and I was laughing so hard I didn't know if it was tears or raindrops on my face.

Laura sitting on the window ledge of a shop

Rain, Rain go a way little Laura wants to play!

At least my toes were looking good despite the rain!



Laura getting ready to run to the cab!



Thanksgiving Thailand Style

Us with Elder Partridge, from our ward in the states!

So, November has been a little mixed up.  Thailand doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving, not a big surprise there it was kind of a pilgram/Native American thing.  But, then the big question is...do I miss out on roast turkey, sweet potatoes and the pies?  I was so happy to hear that we do celebrate Thanksgiving in Thailand and you can choose any day you like!  Some wonderful new friends invited us to have Thanksgiving with them and 20 other "close" friends as well as 10 missionaries!  As a result we held Thanksgiving on Novemeber 19th!  It was the perfect day, the ISB students had the day off of school (some teacher thing..) and the weather sunny and warm, and by warm I mean 90 degrees! 



Laura and her "New Beau" Eli (4)



The turkey was divine, the pie heavenly and the company  was "celestial." 

There was no football, no TV and no dishes to do (thanks to our helpers) just food and friends, I believe that is the way Thanksgiving should be!!

Amanda (our fall semester adopted daughter) and Laura

Ready, Set...China Take 5

Yangshuo, Kids and Me



John (15)



Yangshuo is a small country village south of Beijing.  John, Laura and I spent three days riding bikes, walking the night market street called "Fourth Street".  I love spending time with my children and when we are traveling it is one with one time, in this case it was two with one. As a mom I can't think of anything better to do with my vacation time then to spend it with my family!  I love being a MOM!



Laura (20)


 

Heidi (50)

Here are some of the pictures of from the rafting trip I took with Laura - and by raft I mean about 8-10 long piece of Bamboo tied together with a small metal chair tied on to it.  Our raft guide didn't speak any English, so Laura and I enjoyed the 90 min river ride with each other and the beautiful China countryside.

What a great trip...What a great adventure...What great kids...What a great LIFE!

Ready, Set...China Take 4



Yangshuo and Li River



I decided early on in the planning of my trip to China that if I was going to go then I would make time to visit a small town about 1800 Kilometers south of Beijing known as Yongshuo. National Geographic loves to photograph here; it is a panoramic natural beauty. Surrounded by karst peaks, a limestone landscape, and bordered on one side by the Li River it is a photographers paradise..

I talked Laura and John into a biking/river boat trip. They were eager to make me happy, but when we got lost out in the middle of China’s country side with no cell phone and no Mandarin to our name, they were not so keen to please me anymore. I eventually found the trail by doing hand gestures and repeating “Yongshuo” in my very best Chinese accent! It was a wonderful adventure and one that I will cherish.

Here are some of my favorite shots

Ready, Set...China Take 3

長城/ 萬里長城, known in the English language as The Great Wall of China.



When one approaches the Great Wall there is a sense of history, as if each brick can tell its own story. It was a very surreal moment as I climb the stairs to step back in time to a place that many others have only dreamed about. We were blessed the day that we visited the wall, we actually had clear skies. It was a beautifully clear, chilly autumn day; perfect for our adventure. Our guide, Richard, told us the history of the wall, the many wars and battles that had been fought, and about the spirit that keeps the wall alive. It was an incredible moment in my life when I took that first step on the wall and look around at the vista before me. I felt the wind on my face, the sun on my shoulders and an overwhelming since of the vastness of China and the world in general. I was reminded of lyrics to a song: “If walls could talk…” I imagined the stories this wall could tell. The lives that were lost just building the wall alone is amazing. The Great Wall is not just a wall, but a symbol of the bravery and wisdom of the Chinese people. I will be ever grateful for the opportunity to have…WALKED THE WALL.

The Great Wall of China

• While the Great Wall of China is not one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it is typically included in the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World
• In 1987 the Great Wall was placed on the list of the world’s great national and historical sites’
• During its construction, the Great Wall was called “the longest cemetery on earth” because so many people died building it. Reportedly, it cost the lives of more than one million people..d
• The Great Wall of China is also known as the wanli changcheng or Long Wall of 10,000 Li (a li is a measure of distance, approximately 1/3 of a mile). The main wall is around 2,145 miles (3,460 km) long with an extra 1,770 miles (2,860 km) of branches.
• The earliest extensive walls were built by Qin Shi Huang (260-210 B.C.) of the Qin dynasty, who first unified China and is most famous for the standing terra cotta army left to guard his tomb. It is from the Qin (pronounced “chin”) dynasty which the modern word “China” is derived. Little of those earliest walls remain.
• Because the Great Wall was discontinuous, Mongol invaders led by Genghis Khan (“universal ruler”) had no problem going around the wall and they subsequently conquered most of northern China between A.D. 1211 and 1223. They ruled all of China until 1368 when the Ming defeated the Mongols. What survives today is the stone and brick walls predominately from the Ming dynasty, (1368-1644).
• The Chinese invented the wheelbarrow and used it extensively in building the Great Wall.
• The Great Wall’s western section, with a long chain of watchtowers, provided defense for those traveling the Silk Road.

Ready, Set...China Take 2

One of the places that I wanted to see was the Hutong area, it is the “old village” – people still live in these areas that surround the Forbidden City.  They are usually 1 to 2 room dwellings, about 20’ X20’, have no bathroom facilities still today and in some structures there is no running water.  They do have a community shared bathroom.

We took a rickshaw ride through the neighborhood and then meet with a family that lived there.  It is quite interesting. 

After the visit it was LUNCH TIME....

Ready Set...China Take 1

While living in Hong Kong I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to visit China, specifically Beijing and the Great Wall. Unfortunately we didn’t live long enough in Hong Kong to make the trip, but that didn’t stop me. I felt that it would be a shame to live in Asia, currently Thailand, and never see one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Wall. I had the perfect motive, Laura had to leave the country for visa purposes and John had a week off of school. Did you know how easy it is to book airlines reservations on the internet and find hotels and places to visit? Armed with my computer and a need to be organized it took me no time at all to plan a week’s visit to China. Ron had to work so he unfortunately couldn’t come, but all that means is that I might have the opportunity to go again! LOL



Our trip was during the last week of October and we left 90 degree Thailand for 40 degree Beijing! What a climate change, we had to wear layers as we don’t have a lot of colder climate clothes in Thailand. Ron had been to Beijing earlier this year and met a struggling art student, named Richard, who served as his tour guide, and so we had contacted him to take us on a tour of Beijing. Richard spoke English fairly well and the first place that we went was to the Forbidden City.

The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost five hundred years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government.  Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms and covers 7,800,000 sq ft. The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese architecture. After being the home of 24 emperors — fourteen of the Ming Dynasty and ten of the Qing Dynasty — the Forbidden City ceased being the political centre of China in 1912 with the abdication of the last Emperor of China..

Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City

Beautiful Beijing

Amelia and Jackson

I went to Hong Kong for a hike last month, see past blog, and while I was gone...the family acquired sugar gliders!  I specifically said NO pets and yet I find myself with 2 little marsupials, Amelia and Jackson.  Secretly I have to say they are pretty cute.  I don't touch them - because then I would have to be responsible for them - and I am not taking that from JOHN.

Introducing for the first time on my blog....Amelia and Jackson