Awesome August

“Everything is awesome when your livin' a dream” (from The Lego Movie)

These days I really feel like I am living in a dream… not looking back on the past and not focusing on the future. By just living in the now, I was able to enjoy an entire birth month. So many birthday celebrations and really amazing moments were shared with family and friends as I mindfully turned 74 years young! 

Wow, even a second Mothers Day was shared with my daughter and two grandsons in the same year…first in Hong Kong in May. 

Then again in August because the Thai Queen’s Birthday is August 12th Thailand celebrates Mothers Day. Fathers Day is celebrated in December when the King has his Birthday.  For their last trip before school starts in Hong Kong, Carrie, Aidan and Taylor came to visit me.

Because I had a couple of days off of school we took a speed boat to Ko Samed, affectionately called the “white diamond sand” Island and only reachable by water. We tried a new resort, Samed Pavilion near Jeps, the place where we stayed last year. Then we experienced absolutely fantastic weather, bright sunny skies, brilliant blue water and even an amazingly beautiful super full moon rise the evening we went on a night squid fishing expedition, catching a baby octopus and a clam. By 11pm when they grilled the freshly caught squid we graciously skipped eating them.

 

 


It was so much fun seeing how the boys have grown and how much they continue to love the ocean.
They both have taken surfing lessons so when they move back to California they can be “surfin’ USA.” But for now the family is loving Hong Kong and I am happy because it is only a three hour airplane ride for me to see them.           Nothing beats beach henna tattoos!

After another boat ride back to the mainland and a taxi transport, we arrived back in Ban Chang to enjoy a fabulous Birthday dinner at Romson’s Restaurant located on one of the three beaches within 5-10 minutes of my house…so lucky to be so close to the ocean and celebrate with my family and and my Thai friends who are like a second family.
 

From sunrise to sunset, then moon rise and the famous Fire Show our beach holiday could have been any better, truly livin’ a dream and as the Awesone song continues ”…everything is better when we stick together!”  

 

 Exhausted… sleep is always the best way to end a day at the beach.

Sweet Dreams and Many Blessings from Thailand

The last time I saw Paris

After packing a big vegan lunch and a very early morning breakfast at Plum Village I was off to the small, quiet and peaceful Saint Foy La Grande station near Bordeaux. There I boarded a fast train to Paris. Cruising at over 100 miles per hour. I enjoyed the greenest rolling hills, fresh cut hay fields, and such exquisite chateaus with grape laden vineyards. I know why the Impressionists so loved Southern France. I marveled at the expanse of sunflowers that Van Gough painted while munching on my lunch.

Returning to the old Montparnasse train station,  I was reminded that Paris is a bustling place.  A short taxi ride to my Eiffel Hotel, (walking distance to the Tower) and then I was off to explore the city of love. 

Close to 50 years ago and teaching Art in St Louis, I was excited to travel to Europe and especially excited to see the great artworks in Rome and Paris.   

I clearly remember the huge Louvre Museum and the famous Mona Lisa smile…that has not changed.

In fact the centre of Paris, the old wonderful buildings and charming tree lines streets, quaint sidewalk cafes and French patisseries remain unchanged as well as the Seine River and the magnificent Eiffel Tower. The boats cruising the mid-city river however have changed. You can ride a boat taxi to all the famous landmarks, get off and then get back on for the next stop. It is a wonderful way to site-see and avoid traffic.

 

It was really a hot day in July but great for photos. Amazingly I saw the both the Right and Left Bank communities, shopped a bit and visited most of the places I had seen before, maybe with a bit more appreciation and respect as I have aged but Paris hasn’t. The Grande Old Dame is as beautiful as ever.  A perfect day ended with a lights on the Eiffel Tower, a plate of fresh fruit, amazing cheeses and crusty French bread. YUM!