The Arrival of Winter has caused Delays!

The changing weather is already causing delays!
It's snowing outside!
Winter has arrived in Denmark. This is not what our building site needs at this moment! 

Progress on our Plot - January 28, 2014

A view from the other side. - January 28, 2014

 It took awhile for winter to appear BUT it's here now!
And f course it's arrival had to occur right in the middle of building our Dream home!

I'm sitting up at school trying to Focus but my mind is scattered!!
I just got a SMS (text in American terms!) from Tom who just let me know that the house is not going to be delivered tomorrow!  The builders have to lay a foundation down that must dry for 4 days. How is that going to be done in the snowy weather?

NO! NO! NO!

So what does this mean? We get to wait on another date once again! I believe that we are now on
Plan M! My nerves can't handle this much longer!!! Just breath, look out the window at the pretty snow falling!

There is a meaning behind everything right?!

I just want to be home snuggling in my bed at the NEW HOUSE!!!

I'll be back with a new date for the construction of the house!!

Website for our house (but it's in Danish)
http://www.boelliving.dk
We have ordered a Balder 110 m2
You can see the pictures atleast!

This will be the outcome eventually! (Back of the house)

 

Building a House

The Story of Obtaining our plot and Building our Dream House!

We started this process around Easter 2013.
We found a cheap plot in our area (a big plot)
We talked to our friends if they wanted to buy half!
They enthiusiastically said YES!
We endured a long buying proces and then an even longer papertrail process!
 

Proud owners of a plot - Spring 2013

We are now the proud owners of half of a plot!

What did we just do? I'm beginning to freak out about the sudden real world responsibility about being a home owner!
Theres a dilapidated house and garage on the lot!

Full of Green - Spring 2013

Summer 2013 - house is torn down and the lot is cleared of all the trees except one that will be in our backyard! Tom decided to keep the garage, they are expensive and its functioning!! Now I truly appreciate that decision!

Tearing down old house - Summer 2013

Cleared Plot - Summer 2013

WAITING!  WAITING!  WAITING!
Did I mention that this game of waiting is truly testing my patience!
We had to wait on so many different offices within the city to sort out our paperwork!

I can't even begin to describe them all!
We had to get permission to split the lot AND this was the bulk of the waiting time, a very lengthy process!
We had to get seperate deeds for the 2 plots before any building could even begin!

Now we are into the Fall of 2013! Will we be able to get a house built by the end of the year?
At first it looked like we, Dynah and Tom could! We were given dates of moving in at the end of December 2013. We were so excited! We were actually down in Greece, getting away from everything when we got the news but of course the good news could not last that long!
The bank papers were not in order as of yet, just a few minor details. The building company canceled all work due to these small details! There goes our JOY! They just took it right out from under our feet! I did not know what to do at this point! It's been one emotional roller coaster!

YES then NO!! We just had to wait for the deed papers to be finished so the bank loan could fall into place. All these concrete details had to be in order for the next step to take place. Everything is out of my Control. This shows me that Patience is the best virture but still not being able to have control over these processes leaves you feeling so Helpless. We have a Dream but this dream can not become my Reality until others decide upon it! How can life be created in such a fashion! If I want to follow my Dreams then I don't want someone else deciding upon them! The process of obtaining this house has been a gigantic, Evolving, undertaking for me!

This post is to try to explain all the procedures we had to encounter in order to finally begin the building aspect of this house!  After the cancelation of the work, we stood on standby for a very long time! Finally January 2014 things began to move again! We were given dates once again!

January 13 - Building would occur!
January 28 - House will be delivered and assembled!
Febuary 21 - Move in date!

Our little garage! December 2013

Building starting on both plots on the same day! January 2014

Things are occuring like a fast forward button! Suddenly Reality is sitting on my doorstep and I'm in a Daze packing our little house wondering how 3 people can have so much Shit! Every weekend has now been concentrated on packing! Luckily we have that garage because slowly we have been moving stuff in! That's why that garage is very valuable as of now! The next quest is to PURGE, Simplify our Life! I have been wanting to begin this process for a long time! Now I have every reason to begin! This endeavour is a completly new post!

But will the building continues on schedule?
The next question is - Will they be able to deliver the house on Tuesday????
We are all awaiting anxiously to see the outcome!

Art of Communication

I love the spontaneity of conversation between 2 strangers!

I made a mistake and somehow showed up the wrong day for a dentist appointment!
I rode my bike only 6km (3.7miles) in the Danish heat, which we are not used to! Yes I'm from Texas and should be accustomed to HEAT but when you only get about 2 months worth of HOT upper 70's then you begin to think that 80 degrees is HOT! So here I stood by my bike looking down Amagerbrogade, a street filled with lots of shops! I had a few hours to waste before I had to play momma-role! What to do with myself, unplanned me time! This could get exciting!

I decided that I earned an ice-cream! I knew of a shop a little further down the street, so I walked the bike and took in the sights! I ordered 2 scoops: 1 with mint chocolate chip and the other chocolate! Yes I'm a CHOC-aholic! I went outside, found a chair and then the magical universe presented a stranger to me!

There was a guy sitting in the chair next to me with a motorcycle helmet on, who made an effort to examine my yellow cap. Literally leaned way over to see what brand it was. He did not recognize it so I told him it was "Life is Good" and this opened up for a conversation that I could never have been prepared for.

He (Jesper) replied "Yes it is" referring to Life is Good.  The conversation covered many areas, where are you from, the wonderful Danish summer, the heat in Texas, age and then suddenly he threw an OH MY my way.  He preceded to tell me "I was diagnosed with MS at 25 and I have brain damage" "I'm think I'm gonna die soon" Ummmm - how do you reply to that? My instinct knew that something was different about him but I love different and was open to this conversation!  He kept telling me about living to 300 but just not physically, I could not follow this thought process of his but just nodded politely! He then proceeded to tell me that he wanted a girlfriend and had not had one since 2001 (He knew I was married) told me bits about his last girlfriend. And that he believes his future wife is in Afghanistan!
I was a little blown away by all this information he was telling me but at the same time throwing out my own wisdom! He was very sweet and keep telling me he was doing everything to be a nice guy! I would hate to meet him when he was not!

Think About: That person reaching out for conversation could change your daily perspective!

The Biggest Project of My Life (BPOML)

I've always wanted to get married. I've always wanted to be a Mother!
And of course I always imagined that Magical home to raise my Creative Child in! And she is a very curious, enchanting child! So I'm just missing the dream house!!

Funny-Faced Child!

She decided that it was necessary to color her face with markers because she wants to be star in the sky not a hollywood star! (as she did today as I left the room) What was I thinking leaving the 3.5 year old alone with markers! We have bug boxes, many of them stationed around the house always full of living creatures! We also have a tin can full of flowers that she collects daily!

Pixie Hollow play area!

We have Pixie Hollow in the backyard where she plays fairies! And then there is the firepit where we sit around and hold special conversations. The last time we had a fire Junebug told me that she wanted to come back as a light fairy in her next life. There are very special memories made in a home. I have awe-inspiring ideas of how I want to create this home! So now our family has grown to capacity in this little rowhouse.

Moving into #28

Tom and I have been house hunting,  patiently dreaming, contemplated of moving back to the USA, we exhausted all our Danish possibilities! We just can't afford anything in our area and we knew that we did not want an old house! So I accepted this fate of living in a rowhouse area! It was not my dream but it was duable. We have managed to do so for 5 years and even moved into a bigger one when June was 6 weeks old! But the thing is we don't utilize the 3 floors very well! When you are upstairs you feel all alone and we are a family and should be establishing family traditions not isolating ourselves from one another! Tom and I agree on an open floor plan where the kitchen is the heart and everyone can be seen from this viewpoint! June will have a creative corner and a reading nook! Right now our litttle den is a multi functional room! Playarea, den and eating area! I feel confined, crowded in my own living space! I have been reading how to declutter your life, how to organize small spaces BUT there is only one solution! MOVE to a real house and dispose, relinquish of all this clutter! When I write that it just sounds so refreshing! I've tried so many solutions and find the process so overwhelming as I'm the only one in the household trying to change old habits! I could not just give up this dream of a house for the family. That was the full dream and it must be accomplished! I followed my heart to Denmark now I need to fullfill the dream house! The whole point of this post is for me to tell you that the DreamHouse is on the way! The story of how we acquired an affordable plot on Amager, Denmark is about to unfold! I just hope someone will follow this journey with me - The Biggest Project of My Life!

The playarea / den! 

2 years absent!

My excuse for not blogging! 

I almost forgot where this blog was! I almost forgot how much was actually written! I almost forgot that I enjoy writing! But I'm still stuck in this blog dilemma, why? Who will read? It takes time to write and you if do not have an audience then what is the point! But I read so many other blogs and think, I want to do that! I have a friend who writes a wonderful blog and her journey has sparked this blog interest again! She said she would even read mine! But I need a bigger audience than just 1 reader! I'm undergoing change and have the desire to document this journey. So I think I'm going to take the plunge again and begin! Who is reading me??

The facts of Blogging!

I love to write, write to love but this online blogging thing is harder than I ever thought! Something about a notebook and a pen! I must be old school! But I want to try but then think about who is actually reading me, who actually cares to read snidbits of someone's life?  I just read a friends new blog and suddenly became inspired ( we will see how long that lasts!) I just find it hard to find themes, ideas, to write about and then post them!  It is getting late and my brain is tired.  This is my blog update!

Discovering your own Backyard!

I moved countries - I could use that for an excuse but that was 4 years ago!

I have a small baby - but she is not going anywhere!

It's just simple motivation to get out the door and discover what is around the corner.

I have discovered (have known) that there is a decent forest adjacent to the nature reserve practically in our backyard. I have found a wonderful route via forest, meandering thru the lush tree scape and eventually leading me to a very unique swimming hole along the oceans edge! I enjoy doing this route early in the AM while baby is taking morning nap and husband is slowly waking up!  The simple pleasure of spinning, swooshing at the overlying plants hanging on the path, wiping my legs, looking far ahead, anticipating the lean of the next turn, the dirt flying about, the feeling of just being ALIVE! I'm finding my way again. Thanks Nature!

Happy Valentines Day!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Sitting up June

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Days

Make a Smilebox slideshow

CONFUSION!

Maybe it's a bit of New Mommy Brain (is there such a thing) of course there is!!
I came out of the frisør (hair salon) and suddenly had a moment of panic - Where is my bicycle!!??
Don't worry about the baby or anything else predominant Dynah - it's your precious bikes that provoke  immediate hysteria!!  

No need to analyze the dreams about losing your baby! (that is a completely different post!)

I scouted the area instantly and had no memory of leaving my bike nearby! I distinctly remember riding my bicycle to the center but here I stood outside, with a lovely new haircut, in the frigid cold with no expeditious memory of where I parked my bike.  I don't recall how long it took until the bells chimed resulting in a clang and a bong inside my head!  Out of habit I had parked it on the other side of the center! 

So continued my way (oh and baby is being looked after by grandma) so no need to fret about misplacing the baby (in reality as of yet!).  Headed over to SuperBest to do" my daily shopping but again ran into this continual problem of forgetting!!  I mentally read the list off: milk, rugbrød and swim diapers! Once you begin shopping there are always other items that hop into the basket!  (can someone explain this phenomenon) I kept saying to myself "remember the swim diapers"! So found the essentials and MORE (oreos) and then stood in the aisle drawing a blank once again -- What am I missing???  Strolled further thru the aisles, gazing at random food items then suddenly looked up and saw the diapers at a distant then it all made sense! Glanced the area looking for any good deals and then found the swim diapers but they only had LARGE, June is not that big yet! No small ones 5-8kg. We were due to go swimming in 1 hour and mommy can't find any diapers (panic mode again) NO! I headed to the checkout aisle and asked them if they had small and the lady told me that they should have them by summer as it was a summer item!!?? You are telling me that the Danes only use the indoor swimming pools in the summer?? Not much I could do but ask at the pool if we could borrow one! Play the confused english speaking resident..... works sometimes! 

So now it's time to find my bike again! No panicking this time except when it was time to find the keys....... Suddenly I remembered that I had given them to Ulla (grandma) so she could get back into our house! My bike key was on the keychain! Now I have a heavy bag and no bike to haul it back on! 

This little adventure to the local center was turning out to be a lot more trouble then I bargained for! So it looks like I get to fling this heavy bag of groceries over my shoulder and walk home (about 1.2km) Amid all this confusion my blood sugar had dropped and I could feel the shaking begin. I started digging thru the bag to find something to eat and found the bag of banana chips.  This would of been the healthy version but as I took my first steps away from the center with bag in hand that is when the sight and smell lured me!  There was a wonderful solution to this dilemma, a Danish hotdog stand! This would make my walk home all worth it with a warm hotdog in hand!

Clutter-less Life

Is it really possible to relinquish ourselves from the clutter that builds up within our lives, in our houses?

When I moved to Denmark, I had about 20 boxes of stuff, a guitar and 2 bikes! I had to clear a small apartment out quickly and I can recall how hard it was to give up all that stuff! And now I don't even remember what that stuff was!!

Again I am in a position where I need to undergo a major clutterness release! With the baby arriving soon, I look about the house and wonder when will we ever use such a device, when will I read that, when will I wear that..... It's time to visit the Redcross bins and start clearing out the old and making room for the new life presenting itself shortly!

We have these wonderful ideas for our Artistic Expressions and collect the material but the output has stopped! Its just sitting on shelves with no order, I can't find anything in that unbalanced, expressive moment.... I want to create those cards simply, those scrapbook pages swiftly.

I have 6 weeks left but I don't want to create huge obligations which I can not fulfill. Notice the annoyances and fix them first and then slowly attain the rest within time.....

Stages of a Day!

So what does one do in order to entertain their brain while they are in the midst of recovering? This is the answer to the question that I am searching for at these moments....

I can get up and walk back and forth from the front door to the back door and move my legs in order to get some fashion of exercise but the lenght is rather short. I can dabble on the computer for only so long feeling productive. There is never anything decent on Danish TV so forget the idea of wasting away before the tube! It is a little irritating to play on the Wii since you have to move about and my body is not ready for that sort of activity which sucks because I love playing video games. But have been able to immerse in video world in small intervals! It is difficult calling those on the other side of the pond due to time differences. The world is slanted at unusual angles at this point in the season and we have lots of daylight, causing me to have abnormal sleeping patterns, so I guess I could ring friends up when it is early AM
over here, translating to only a late night over yonder! So who wants a 10,11,12 PM phone call?? Reading has entertained me plenty but the joys of the book is about to be over and it is a wonderful sea adventure and am not fully ready to let this stimulating feat withdrawl from my imagination! So if anyone can send a book that will capture the imagination then PLEASE go ahead and take action!

I gaze out the window, mesmorized by the constant drift of clouds, shaping and curving as the wind cuts them into spectacular designs, releasing them in their own direction. Often I feel like one of these clouds, not being able to hold any shape of distinction for long and floating about in a blue abyss. After a human being has a traumatic experience it usually leads to meaningful thoughts. I am in the position of having alot of time on my hands and the thinking creeps, sneaks, slips past my conscious and fabricates various delusions to life.

I just want to find some meaning to my purpose on this side of the pond. I rummage thru the possibilites of many new career options. But there comes a point when the individual must face the realities and take action. You can only sit in the dreaming phase for so long. So as I sit here in my recovery mode, I release the Energi to the universe, and hope that portions of my new beginnings will begin to present themself.

So now I have the time to write rambles out to the vast Universe and hoping that someone will enjoy it!!

The long month of June

June has been one long month of suffering for me! I can give you some details but they deal with the anatomy of a woman! First I was having a very abnormal menstual cycle, so I went into the doctor 10th of June or so and she told me that I had an infection in one of my ovaries, gave me some medicine and told me to come back after antibiotics were done (14 days or so)

The problems insisted along with the pain and I really began thinking that something was not right! Thursday I was sent home from work due to intense pain. I tried to get into the doctor but they told me to call Friday AM and talk with her! So I endured another night of pain, and during all this Tom was away in Greenland! I was not sure what to do but found out I should of come up to the doctors anyway. Who knew!

The next day went from bad to worse!

FRIDAY:
9AM - Called doctor
9:15 - Meet with doctor
9:45 - Doctor made decision that something more serious was occuring and immediately called ambulance to get me and take
me to hospital! (So here I am sitting in her office already nervous, thinking OK I am alone now and about to head off to a DANISH hospital, what is going to happen.....) The mind runs, especially in a foreign country!
10:30 - I get dropped off at hospital - Alone! I am able to get ahold of Tom via phone and tell him what is going on, he contacts other family in town
11:30 - Mother-in-law shows up at the hospital, Thank goodness!
12:00 - Meet with doctors and get examined, pokked, prodded.....

So finally comes the diagnoses: Dinah has a tubular pregnancy in the right fallopian tube, NOT GOOD! This is also known as an ectopic pregnancy. The symptoms are painful! It is a dangerous thing if not treated quickly because at any moment a rupture can occur and this is more serious. So the decision is that sugery is needed immediately. By this time I have had the symptoms for about 2 weeks. Everything happened so quickly but doctors reassured me along the way while my mother in law held my hand during numerous moments!

5PM - Dinah goes in for surgery
7PM - Recovery room
8PM - Taking to my room for the night and FINALLY reunited with Tom and how glad we are to see one another!

Results of the surgery went really well! No ruptures occured and all the vital organs for producing kids are still intact! That is the greatest news out of this along with Dinah finally being cured! Have a few stiches in my abdomen, taken out next week and a blood test next week at the hospital to monitor hormone levels making sure everything is going back to normal! WOW what a day along with a month it has been!

And now doing well, slowyly recovering, relieved that the problem was finally correctly diagnosed, and home while Tom takes care of me!
The Dansih system is excellent and on top of all this left the hospital with no BILLS! All of this was FREE!

Morning Commute!

My mornings begin like this:
Wake up! I have been having very lucid dreams lately, lots of water in them! Who knows about dreams? What does that mean? The world is going to flood, yes I know! It is still dark out once I wake around 6:30am and then still dark once I leave the house at 8:00am. Coffee! Stretch! Turn the lights on and wake up the husband!

My point is that I wish to share the morning commute on bike. This is the aspect of the morning that I find actually very relaxing! I am not behind the wheel of a car but rather I am propelling myself on two wheels. I go to basement, put my bike lights on for it is a law along with safe cruising. All this occurs about 8ish, so imagine it still being very dark at this hour of the morning! You begin wondering why you are leaving the house so early when in actuality I am usually running late! I make sure everything is zipped tight, gloves on..... Proceed to open the door towards the blistery cold, well not really but it is cold to the unwoken mind! The journey begins............I go thru the side streets to get to Amagerborgade (yes all the street names in DK land are this long!!) the main street and this is where the wave of cyclists begin. I wait at the bike light making sure it is clear, hop upon our own lane unobstructed by the Filth of Cars! I cruise at a steady pace but you have to be aware of all your actions! There is such a thing as a fast and slow lane on the bike path, if you stay in the fast lane too long you piss off others. You will get Dinged at, the ringing of the bike bell! I have never enjoyed using a bike bell as much as now!! And if only I could truly describe the amount of people on bikes, it entertains my brain each and every morning! I look about noticing the different type of folk on bikes, notice the swarm of bikers from all directions as we are all trying to get to our destination. So as I bike further into the city this is where the real bike Jams begin! The cyclists also have to follow the basic rule of stopping at lights not only lights but the bike lights which are seperate from the car lights! We are a very special breed here! So here while waiting at my bike light is where I look inward and begin to think more about my foreign journey in DK land! I would say a cluster of about 30 cyclist are waiting for the light to turn green! And once the light changes it is a mad dash to get to the front, some people are a bit more aggresive than others. Depending on my mood or how late I am relates my position in this pack because I know that I can blow most of them out of their saddles if I really wanted too!! Or I will just sit back and enjoy the infusion of massive bikes intertwining wondering where the hell are you going?? But the joy of this ride every morning on my way to Danish lessons is that I am able to have a bit of physical exercise,fresh air, entertainment and introspection into the vast difference of cultures! You would never see this in America! That is why I write this to you trying to explain a typical Danish morning commute!!

Firework Bandit Part 2

WoW!!What a remarkable sky line! I have never been in the midst of quite a chaotic firing of fireworks. It all started at a friends small, cozy house. The clock was getting closer to striking a new year. The buzz of fireworks began increasing! We decided to get our coats on, head outside to the parking lot for the unit of houses. As we walked we stumbled upon used firworks littered all over the trail, then suddenly we walked into the firing zone!! At the end of the trail the parking lot opened up and dozens of people, kids, dogs, fireworks beginning to buzz right above us! I ducked, cringed and ran across to a safe zone quickly. People yelling Godtnytår, passing champange around and cookies, hugging! And then the kids took peoples cigarettes and lit thier fireworks. In this small area we stood while fireworks launched from every angle of the parking lot. We had a 360 degree view in which you could view more and more fireworks coming from all over the city. It was a bit overwhelming, especially when you had to keep your eyes open for the launching around you just in case something went wrong! A few times some sparks hit the crowd too early, or an explosion went off to early! Everyone was fine and firing resumed quickly! I enjoyed the atmosphere as all the neighbors came out and greeted one another. It was very cozy (as Danes love using this word - hyggeligt) This display of fireworks lasted 1 hour! Do you realize how much money just exploded in the night sky??

Firework Bizarre!

What does the general public think of Fireworks?

Denmark has a very low tolerance level concerning them. Since the firework factory explosion a few years back, people say that the laws have become stricter. I ask myself what is your definition of stricter? I do not see any restrictions towards these flying torpedos within the sky! People are allowed to set them off within the city limits which I find very unusual for the close proximity within this cramped city. But no worries to your neighbor they still go off constantly! Coming from American cities, where you set them off in a small street of Golden, CO the police will show up at your door within minutes. So being able to shuffle mind frames and accept that you are allowed to set them off has been hard to accept. But I do know that Joshua Montgomery would love being in København to celebrate the new year!! For the month of December the sky lights up continuously, bangs, bangs more Banging. But I find it rather amusing that everyone goes crazy setting them off! You will find them going off at all times of the day also. I was cruising home from work on a friday at 15:45 and BanG already going up in the sky (for it is dark at 16:00!) And as the night continues on more and more light up the sky in every direction. It is just as common as buying milk from the grocery store! So I better go and buy lots for this new years Eve! (and save some for summer Josh) But so far the most amazing, spectacular firework show has been at Tivoli Gardens. For 4 consecutive nights they are putting on a international firework show. For 10 minutes you get to see the real thing, the real pyrotechnicans displaying true firework phenomenon! They dazzle, they linger, they explode all for our pleasure. What unusual creatures we are! Have you ever thought of that?

Copenhagen Riot!

On my way to school today I biked into a police road block and quickly discovered that it was RIOT POLICE handling a 'demonstration' or 'rally' of young people in Copenhagen. There is a house here that has been inhabitated by squatters for the last couple months, following intense protests in December... and this morning the police raided the youth house, and the fight was taken to the streets.I didn't see much, mostly just alot of screaming and sirens. However, the police vans filled with riot cops would drive through the mass of people fairly quickly. I wouldn't really call it a riot, but I wouldn't be surprised if it escalates in the next couple days. Back in December this issue escalated and there were many accounts of these kids flipping over and burning cars, and using jackhammers to loosen stone to throw at the cops... so they're pretty serious.These kids are protesting because at one point this house was owned by the government and used as a youth house. This concept is completely Danish! It is rather wise, give the kids a place to have as there own. And they do use them wisely, all sorts of activities took place: concerts, rooms for band practice, debates, political groups, various other clubs, culture stuff and many others.... Well the government sold the house because it was going to cost too much to fix up and now have asked the youth to leave! They dont want to leave! They were promised that it would never be sold and well can we always trust what the govenment will say?? The government has lobbied extensively with them to reach an agreement of some sort. But they're obviously very passionate about them selling this house that they would not compromise! So now they are protesting by squatting and have recently announced that they are getting other youth from other countries to join them! Helicopters flew in over the house, dropping officers ontop of the building so they could get in safely and firetrucks came in and blasted the place with water in order to get them out!

Last night thursday after I rode pass the area in the morning, demonstrations excalated with about 1000 youth causing great destruction..... (More updates in another note!)I think they have a right to protest! Their promise was broken!

Blizzard 07

The Blizzard of '07

Blizzard? I have been hearing about the intense winter weather the US has been having and have been wondering if ever I was going to see some here in Northern Europe. Last week we finally got to experience what happens when a city is completely unprepared for a snow storm. We had a "blizzard" hit Copenhagen yesterday. I'd say it dropped a solid 3 inches; however that combined with some pretty gnarly gusts of wind created some pretty good snow drifts. Anyways, chaos ensued.-I allowed for an extra half an hour to make my usual 20 minute commute, and I was 20 minutes late for class.-Denmark's S-trains, which is their main commuter rail, was apparently designed by Italians... you know those people that live in a generally snow free Mediterranean climate... So these S-trains barely function in ice and snow. Next thing you know the system that is meticulously efficient and planned out to a tee just falls apart.-I spent 30 minutes standing at a bus station that I usually never have to wait more than 3 minutes for, all the while watching busses and cars skid all over the road.-None of the restaurants or shops in the city are clearing the snow from their sidewalks, so you can barely traverse the slush/snow/ice stuff without boots on. Now I've seen towns and cities get bogged down by snow before... but this was 24 hours after a storm which couldn't have dropped even 5 inches of good snow.

Real Thai Life: Bangkok

BANGKOK
May 18 - 20 2006
Chaotic town of Bangkok brought us back to reality very quickly after the serene island life!! We spent 2 very busy days trying to absorb as much as Bangkok as possible and we did just that!! We took a superb bike tour that lead us to some unbelievable sights of Thai living. We rode thru tight alleys where locals lived in very unpleasant conditions, saw local markets, passed a kindergarten, took a fairy across the river, rode on elevated concrete paths, tried local Thai snacks, went to a glove factory, went to a temple where they have a dead monk on display in a glass case, visited the local bike shop, and attempted to ride thru the busy streets of Bangkok on a bicycle. I dont recommend biking in the midst of Bangkok trafffic! I can say that I have been there and tried that! This bike ride was absolutely the highlight of my Bangkok trip. It turned out to be a bike ride that wont easily be forgotten, it was a mind-opening experience. I just can not fathom living in such filthy, muddy, grimy conditions. Some of the living quartesrs were not much more than 3 walls of shabby used materials with some sort of creation as a roof and then many people crammed into a tiny area. The bike ride was excellent, that is all I can further state about it. If you are interested in seeing more photos from the ride, the company has placed some up on their website @ www.realasia.net On the lefthand side, find Daily Biking Pictures, then go to May 18 on the calendar, then go to the afternoon ride, scroll down once the pictures appear. You will be able to see a few more photos of the amazing ride!!

Our final day in Bangkok. Our plane leavea at 1AM, so we have the entire day to tour around. I wanted to see a few temples/wats. Something a bit spiritual, touch my soul wont you, as this trip has already been an eye opener. I had 2 items on the agenda and in between was up to Buddha. I wanted to see the Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho and the Emerald Buddha at the Grand Palace in Wat Phra Kaeo. Wat Pho was lively and shambolic, a great complex with arrangements of lavish structures, even a turtle pond! This is the oldest temple in Bangkok founded in the seventeeth century. The Reclining Buddha is a 45 metre-long gilded statur of plaster covered brick which depicts the Buddha entering Nirvana. The chapel is only slightly bigger than the statue, for you cant get far enough away to take in anything but a surreal close -up view of the beaming 5 metre smile! The feet on the statue very impressive, vast black soles are beautiffully inlaid with delicate mother-of-pearl showing 108 lakshanas, auspicious signs, which distinguish the true Buddha. Along one side of the statue are 108 bowls which will bring you good luck and a long life if you put a coin in each. Of course I had to attempt my fate with good luck for I just got married, I need all the LUCK I can get! Grand Palace hangs together in a precarious harmony of strangely beautiful colours and shapes. It is the holiest Buddhist site in the country, housing the most important image, Emerald Buddha. Wat Phra Kaeo was built orginally as a private royal temple and occupies the northeast corner of the huge Grand Palace. Entering the temple is like stepping onto a lavishly detailed stage set, from the immaculate flagstones right up to the gaudy roofs. The whole temple compound is surrounded by arcaded walls, decorated with extraordinary murals of scenes from the Ramayana. Each time you proceed thru gates you are confronted by six-metre tall Yaksha, gaudy demons from the Ramayana who watch over the Emerald Buddha who ward off evil spirits. Each item you come across has some important significant role, so many to tell you about. But the important one the Emerald Buddha: the walls of the bot sparkle and inside a nine-metre high pedestal supports the tiny Buddha of 60 centimetre! The spiritual power of this jadeite image derives from it legendary past. Reputed to have been created in Sri Lanka, it was discovered when lightning cracked open an ancient chedi in Chiang Rai in the early fifteenth century. The image was moved around the north, dispensing miracles wherever it went. Then it was taken to Laos for 200 years. It was believed to bring great fortune to its possessor, so the future King Rama 1 snatched it up , and then installed it at the heart of his new capital as a talisman for king. What a way to get what you want! So much lively history spread around this massive, chaotic town, but there is truly something special about Bangkok. So much history, check it out for yourself!!