Hiatus, explained

So much for resolving to be a better blogger in '09! The rest of the year flew by and now, we are a family of three. Caring for an infant is probably one of the most difficult tasks, especially trying to figure out the reason behind the fussing and increasingly urgent (and heart-rending) wails. There are, however, moments that make up for the exhaustion and chronic anxiety. This is one of them (our daughter at 6 weeks):

Troubled

Didn't have much of a Songkran this year, and mostly stayed home to avoid clashes between anti-government "red-shirt" protesters and army troops at different points in the city. Unlike before, the situation feels more dangerous. As we teeter on anarchy, both sides claim to be proponents and protectors of democracy.

After protests subsided, an ominous silence lingered, only to be disrupted by an assassination attempt on a prominent "yellow-shirt" leader. The state of emergency has yet to be lifted, and there are accusations of unknown third parties behind some of the violence. At this point, things are so fluid that no one knows what will happen next.

On the bright side, we ventured out for dinner one evening, and the adjacent soi was filled with new year revelers having a blast, splashing water everywhere. It was a breezy night, and locusts buzzed noisily in the trees. On the micro-level, life goes on...

Bang Kra Jao

On a whim, my friend J and I set off for Bang Kra Jao, a relatively undeveloped island not far from the city. There isn't much info on BKJ on the web and I only learned about it a couple years ago, when I spotted the vast green patch within the meandering Chao Phraya from atop a high-rise building.

All we knew was that, to get to this mysterious place, we had to take a boat ride from the municipal pier next to the huge Klong Toey port. When we walked down to the pier, a no-frills hunk of concrete, the only option was a long-tailed boat with a bored-looking operator. He agreed to take us to BKJ for 30 baht. Expecting a half-hour ride, J and I looked at each other quizzically when the boat arrived on the opposite shore about a minute later.

The boatman good naturedly confirmed that this was indeed BKJ (which is actually in Samut Prakarn province, an hour or so drive from the city) and we climbed on to a wooden pier, emerging into another world. We walked into the glaring sunlight down a paved road flanked with overgrown scrub constantly rustling from alighting birds and scurrying stray dogs. Being true urbanites, we delighted (a bit embarrassingly) in the bird calls, expanses of greenery, and huge trees that provided much needed shade.

We soon wandered onto a raised concrete path that snaked through the dank "jungle." Here, the trees provided almost complete shade and the still, shallow waters below were filled with small fish and amphibians. The path took us past the front door of small homes; a wood and corrugated metal shack that sold drinks, cigarettes, and other sundries; and a public park bustling with weekend activity.

We then decided to catch motorcycle taxis to the market. The 6-kilometer ride into the more inhabited parts of the island was great fun, with breezes constantly whipping my hair in every direction. The market boasted lots of friendly vendors with local fruits and vegetables that we never see in Bangkok. We bought some of this produce and snacked on glutenous indian corn, and then caught a song taew back to the pier.

BKJ was a refreshing change from the concrete, pollution, and aggressive people prevalent on the other side of the river. Its highlight was, without a doubt, almost instant immersion into a gentler, more carefree life commonly associated with the more rural provinces.

Sabai Sabai

Been feeling a bit boxed in lately so last Saturday, we got into the car and headed east towards the coast of the Gulf of Thailand (after circling around in the city, trying to find the entrance to the Motorway; my fault mostly- I am a terrible navigator).

The roads were surprisingly good, which says a lot about how often we embark on road trips (never!). From the Motorway, we got onto Highway 344 (Ban Bung-Klang) towards Chantaburi. After 2 hours, we opted for Rayong at the split, ending up on a pretty stretch of road flanked by rubber plantations, palms, and ubiquitous stalls selling local specialties like coconuts, sweet snacks, and roasted chicken.

The town was pretty mellow. Its extensive concrete boardwalk was lined with umbrellas, deck chairs, and makeshift seafood restaurants, but there was hardly anyone about. As the sun set, we walked on the main stretch of beach, watching families playing football, flying kites, and wading into the placid surf. Very sabai sabai. (Aptly, we stayed at a low key little place called Baan Sabai Sabai.)

The beach wasn't bad - Mai thought it was nicer than Cha-Am or Huahin - but there was a lot of trash, including light bulbs, toothbrushes, and plastic ribbons from garlands, strewed on the sand. It's easy to see why people pass through Rayong simply to catch the ferry to Ko Samet, but it's a shame the municipality isn't cleaning up public areas on the mainland.

As it got dark, a couple of the beachside eateries began blaring folk songs, often featuring the incessant tinkling of the onomatopoetic 'ching chap' cymbals. After dinner by the water, we changed our minds about visiting the nearby market and called it a night.

The next morning, we stopped in Pattaya for lunch and then hit the clothing outlet before driving home. Next time we'll take the other prong of Highway 344: Chantaburi.

'09 Resolutions

January wasn't a particularly good month. Got wrapped up in work, bills, vague worries about the future... Felt like I largely operated on auto-pilot, feeling tired without doing anything. And now the month is almost over.

Anyway. As it's lunar new year, I guess it's not too late to think about resolutions for '09. Three things on the to-do list (which sounds a lot like last year's): practice more yoga, learn meditation (stay in the present!), and travel to more places in Thailand, including the northeast. We'll also plan to go up to CM, including a drive up Doi Suthep, past the temple, to source delicious locally grown and roasted coffee. Also wouldn't mind heading back to Trang and its neighboring provinces.

Happy Holidays!

(Taken at Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai, 12/07; this year we stay in Bangkok, which is very quiet at the moment...)

Dinner dash

Went out to dinner last night, despite advice (well, an order from dad) to stay home as red-shirted government supporters were supposedly streaming into the city to battle yellow-clad anti-government protesters.

In central Bangkok, it was business as usual. At Emporium, the sparkly Xmas decorations are up and people sat around outside, enjoying the rare, and very slight, chill in the air. It was almost festive, but I kept thinking that maybe we should have stayed home.

Despite the company, including a good-humored Singaporean friend based in Shanghai, who was supposed to go to Bhutan and is essentially stranded here, we didn't linger. Grabbed a few grocery items and headed back around nine. Turns out, my dad was wrong.