our kitchen

This is to show you what our kitchen was like when we moved in. This photo is taken from roughly the same position as the photo below of Victor and B sitting at our kitchen table - the one where you can see the fridge and sink.
That yellow pipe is the electricity and the blue one is water.
The floor is tiled and the walls are cement.
I think we've improved things somewhat, don't you?

Some of the kids from the orphanage watching the games... ...and cheering on their team!!
Then there was the som-tam making competition. Som-tam is a spicy and sour papaya salad that's a Thai-favourite Thai dish. The judging panel were all non-Thais. (I hadn't been given any warning that I was to do this. First I knew was when my name was called out over the microphone! Thankfully Victor was there to translate.)
The spiciest som-tam I've ever tasted! SO HOT!!! My mouth was burning for hours!!

Mothers' Day at church

Mothers' Day is a big deal in Thailand. It's celebrated on the Queen's birthday. Our church had a special games day. We always all have lunch together after the morning service (about 100 people). On Mothers' Day this was followed by games until about 5pm. You can see the enthusiasm of our worship leader.
A special song for Mums. Most of the children in this 'choir' live in an orphanage run by one of our church members. They come to church every week. Can you spot Victor? (He passed himself off as a big kid. Fair enough.)
At the end of the service all the Mums came forward and we prayed for them. Then all their children came and prayed for their own Mum, and the Mums blessed their children. I though of my Mum and cried.

Victor's Mum stayed with us for the weekend of Mothers' Day so that Victor could bring her to our church celebrations.

Let the games begin! Red vs White, with Victor the ref in black.

(more pics of games in the next blog entry...)

Our car!

Yes, it's huge, isn't it?!

It is such a blessing. Great in the rain and the heat (has aircon), good for visitors (do come and try it out), good on mountain roads.

This was its much-needed first wash. The car is on the road and I am taking the photo from the front of the house. Those gates close and lock for security.

Victor and B in our kitchen

Here is Victor with his school friend, B, who became a Christian in our living room about 2 months ago. Victor is doing baptism preparation with him.
I took the opportunity to take some picture. A bit repetitive, I know, but I wanted to show you a bit of our house.


One looks out the back (past our fantastic front-loading washing machine) to our very small 'yard'. You can see the cement wall which is the end of our space. It's just enough to hang clothes. (And for Khaw to lie on the warm cement. Not that the wall keeps him in.)




The other direction shows our fridge, sink unit, and out through the living room to the front door.
I must take more pics to show you. The kitchen's the most home-like room, though. Tiles and cement are good for cleaning, but not very cosy.

more pics from hot springs picnic...

Some of the beautiful countryside on the way to Sankampaeng. Everything is so green now, with lots of newly-planted rice.










Victor at the hot water pool (for cooking eggs).














Our eggs cooking in cute bamboo baskets.














Another butterfly.














And our picnic. (hot springs in background)

Picnic at the Hot Springs

A few weeks ago we had a public holiday and so headed out of Chiang Mai about an hour to Sankampaeng Hot Springs. What a great day! It was our first (and only, so far) picnic in Thialand.

We took some eggs to boil in the hot spring water. Victor then ate them with some packet noodles he had brought. I stuck to a cup of tea and some dried apple.

The gardens there are really beautiful - and clean! (amazing for Thailand!)
One of the great benefits of life in the tropics is the butterflies. They are everywhere and all colours and sizes. I love them.

We also had a bathe in a tub of hot spring water - so good! Even in the steamy weather a hot bath was great!

More pics will have to come separately...

My Language School

Here I am having a Thai lesson. Khruu Wan (Khruu = Teacher) is an excellent teacher.

The school is outside Chaing Mai and surrounded by beautiful ricefields. Just last week the rice was all planted. (Will have to take some pics to show you...)

The rainy season is really underway now. Much nicer than the hot season and great for incredible clouds. (The cloud pic is from the school not of it.)

Welcome to our new blog!

Welcome to our new Chiang Mai blog! After many attempts I have finally figured out how to get blogger to speak English with me.

Here is our house - the butter-coloured one, and Victor on our motorcycle.

By the way, this is really Rachel's blog, but Victor might join me every now and then. And he will be featured regularly.

And here is the other member of our family, Khaw, and his best friend, at the back of our house. "Khaw" means "white" in Thai.