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Low and Behold!
When what to my wondering eyes should appear? But a miniature elephant; to my side he was steered! This little guy had a bad case of bamboo munchies too - he barely let me pull the pieces out of the bag before his infant snout was fondling for them in my hand! And yes, he really did just "appear" on this sidewalk about 5 walking minutes away from my Thonburi home here in Bangkok. It is definitely not a tourist area or popular place for foreigners either, so I'm gathering that elephants are also fun and entertaining for the Thai people and their children as well. So cute!
Say "HEY" to Thailand's famous King! He's the reason this country is full of rice paddies instead of drug fields and non-profit organizations instead of homeless people scattered like snow in the Swiss Alps. The people here L-O-V-E the King, as he has definitely given his people a reason to love him. This picture was taken at one of his many birthday celebration spots around Bangkok and Thailand. Yup, the King's birthday is a national holiday here! Offices are closed and kids are out of school, like Christmas in the United States. If you were to go see a movie at a theater here in Thailand, there is a dedication video that is played in respect to the King right before it starts, and everyone stands for it. There is a song that's been written about him that is broadcast in the mornings and evenings over public speakers all over Thailand; when the tune is in the air, life comes to a halt as joggers freeze, workers break, CARS CRASH TO STOP AND! No no no, now I'm kidding. The cars don't stop, but if you were shopping in a giant department store, imagine every person stopping what they are doing wherever they are when the first few notes hit their ears. As soon as the song has completed its play, it's as if someone pressed "PLAY" and all goes back to action. Talk about respect!
Christmas in Thailand... the Thai way? Actually there is no "Thai way" considering their non-belief in a Savior taking on the form of a human in order to share in our Earthly trials and save us
from our broken natures. BUT! They don't fall short when it comes to giant Christmas trees, glittering snow flakes covering department store windows, and so many lights they outnumber the stars that are visible from a Bangkok street... which is like none, ok, but maybe stones in a creek? bees in a hive? I don't know, but there's a LOT. So yeah, they got the whole decorating thing down for sure. Anyways, our boss and his family invited Jorge and I over for a Christmas Eve dinner! I could not have asked for anything else or different or more as far as food goes - WOW. Stuffing, Special-K loaf, mashed potatoes, pomegranate punch, salad, yummy gravy, pumpkin pies with ice-cream... and then we enjoyed leftovers and popcorn as we watched 'Shrek the Halls' and a Planet Earth video on seasonal forests - some with snow! I also played a few Christmas tunes on the piano while we sang and wore these upscale Santa Claus hats. They really set the mood :)
When what to my wondering eyes should appear? But a miniature elephant; to my side he was steered! This little guy had a bad case of bamboo munchies too - he barely let me pull the pieces out of the bag before his infant snout was fondling for them in my hand! And yes, he really did just "appear" on this sidewalk about 5 walking minutes away from my Thonburi home here in Bangkok. It is definitely not a tourist area or popular place for foreigners either, so I'm gathering that elephants are also fun and entertaining for the Thai people and their children as well. So cute!
Say "HEY" to Thailand's famous King! He's the reason this country is full of rice paddies instead of drug fields and non-profit organizations instead of homeless people scattered like snow in the Swiss Alps. The people here L-O-V-E the King, as he has definitely given his people a reason to love him. This picture was taken at one of his many birthday celebration spots around Bangkok and Thailand. Yup, the King's birthday is a national holiday here! Offices are closed and kids are out of school, like Christmas in the United States. If you were to go see a movie at a theater here in Thailand, there is a dedication video that is played in respect to the King right before it starts, and everyone stands for it. There is a song that's been written about him that is broadcast in the mornings and evenings over public speakers all over Thailand; when the tune is in the air, life comes to a halt as joggers freeze, workers break, CARS CRASH TO STOP AND! No no no, now I'm kidding. The cars don't stop, but if you were shopping in a giant department store, imagine every person stopping what they are doing wherever they are when the first few notes hit their ears. As soon as the song has completed its play, it's as if someone pressed "PLAY" and all goes back to action. Talk about respect!
Christmas in Thailand... the Thai way? Actually there is no "Thai way" considering their non-belief in a Savior taking on the form of a human in order to share in our Earthly trials and save us
from our broken natures. BUT! They don't fall short when it comes to giant Christmas trees, glittering snow flakes covering department store windows, and so many lights they outnumber the stars that are visible from a Bangkok street... which is like none, ok, but maybe stones in a creek? bees in a hive? I don't know, but there's a LOT. So yeah, they got the whole decorating thing down for sure. Anyways, our boss and his family invited Jorge and I over for a Christmas Eve dinner! I could not have asked for anything else or different or more as far as food goes - WOW. Stuffing, Special-K loaf, mashed potatoes, pomegranate punch, salad, yummy gravy, pumpkin pies with ice-cream... and then we enjoyed leftovers and popcorn as we watched 'Shrek the Halls' and a Planet Earth video on seasonal forests - some with snow! I also played a few Christmas tunes on the piano while we sang and wore these upscale Santa Claus hats. They really set the mood :)
1 comment:
Hi Kel, A cute little elephant walking down the street is certainly something you won't see in Batavia! Awesome! And the story about the king is amazing! What a year you are having. Love, Mom
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