Long time no blog

Hi folks, I realized it's been way to long that I haven't update my blog! I thought it was only a week, silly me. Not much anything new has been going on here except we are have finally started teaching English at our church building. I teach basic English where as Bruce teaches more advance students from high school. The first few days we would get 4 to 8 students or sometimes just 2 to 4. This is something new we are experiencing as it's our first time teaching and just happy to be forming relationships with students.

Bruce and his students

One of the fun things we did yesterday was go see Transformers with our friend Betsy on a 50 foot screen at IMAX! I think I liked the first one more though. My eyes are still streched from trying to adjust to the screen.
We are heading out to a retreat center this afternoon so we'll be there until Tuesday. It is about 3 hours drive to the province of Korat. It has on of the best national parks here in Thailand. I will sure take pictures and show to you when we get back! Please pray for our safe trip there, thanks. Hope you all have a great weekend.

First week and the last week of the month...

are packed with people going out, paying bills, shopping so that causes traffic jam in central Bangkok, tells most of the taxi drivers. It's so true as we were out today that I forgot about it. Usually it's busy on normal days but as we got on the sky train (elevated train) we were packed like sardines today! Oh, 30 minutes to our destination and breathing other peoples breath, OK never mind. Really, besides hand gel that kills germs on our hands is there like a mask that kills germs before we breath air into our bodies? Just a thought.

I had to get some new shirts as I will be teaching English starting on Monday. It's hard trying to buy clothes here as they only have shirts for stick thin people here. I'm sure there are places but most shops are the same, can't try them on before you buy them. Also the shop owner gets a bit irritated when it's only a bit tight on you and you don't buy it:( No thanks. Anyways, I did get some casual shirts and one formal shirt that are not over my budget. Yah!

We did back before 4pm and it's the time that we try to get back when we are in town. Enough time for me to cook! What I made tonight is a dish from my country and it's popular here in Thailand too. It's called laap (rhymes with mop) pork. Or in English, minced pork salad. A salad where you mixed everything together such as chopped spring onions, cilantro/coriander, lime juice, chili flakes, fish sauce, roasted ground rice, bean spouts and mint. Mix and alter the taste to your liking as more salty, spicy or sour. Also, it's eaten as a main dish with normal rice, sticky white rice or purple sticky rice as we have here. We had with cucumber slices, cabbage and long beans. I also made tom yum shrimp but not as spicy as the laap was spicy enough. Loved this dish!

It is here

Monsoon season is here since last month. Also the rain leads me to more sneezing. Whenever it's going to rain the air changes so there's something in the air, like a lot more dust, maybe, that makes me sneeze more? This is what we get when it pours really hard for 15 minutes. In this part of the town it doesn't get cooler, ok, maybe for when it keeps raining but after that don't hope for cool air.

Our side is bit higher but it will get flooded. It has only once since we've been living here. Still it's no fun walking in there.

Apart from the rain and sneezing, we have been keeping on eating healthy and sticking to smaller portion sizes. I'm so glad we are as we don't feel as sluggish and have more energy. Also I have been doing my 4 mile walkaerobics DVD at home every morning. For Bruce he continues to walk out in the park every late afternoon when it doesn't rain. Here's what I've been making a few new fish dishes so here's a couple of our favorites: tilipia with garlic and rosemary side with Chinese greens that is sauteed with a bit of soy sauce and oyster sauce. It was perfect for me but for Bruce he had popcorn after that. I guess it was OK as it's not microwave popcorn, please tell me you stop eating that stuff:)

Pan seared mackerel with Indian masala spices side with cauliflower gobi, cucumber slices and a slice of rye bread. Next time I will make chapati as at that time I was to hungry:P As you see the photo came out a bit blurry, sorry.

As for baking, I'm back to baking after a long break of the path of eating healthy. It's been great to whip up brownies, chocolate cake and banana cakes with chocolate chips for a day care that my friend works in and for church. It helps to share with others so that I don't eat the whole cake! Have a good weekend!

A special note to Mrs. Jane Doe at A Well-Kept Home Blog

Even though I've only comment on her blog once or twice I just wanted to take this time to say thank you to Mrs. Jane Doe. She's like your favorite author whom you have never met but only she's a blogger:) I was newly married and continued our life serving in India. I didn't have or meet many friends that shares your passion on homemaking. Then I went into the WWW. You know, when you read blogs it takes you a new blog and another blog. Well, I came to her blog since, I don't remember, 2003 or 04? I was impress with how godly she was on being a Proverbs 31 woman and the daily wisdom she shares from reading her Bible and walking with the Lord. Mrs. Jane Doe inspired me to make homemade bread (I love her cute apron that she puts on), cooking and eating healthy (not that I always do) but I would go back to her blog and see how she takes you through cooking a home cook meal for your family, being feminine, loving your husband, how to keep your house clean (yes, she takes you through in pictures!)and the part I like most about her is being real. Yes, she has her ups and downs just like us women do. I went to her blog about last week to look for her muffin recipe and she no longer updates now. What a sad loss second time through!

Mrs. Jane Doe thank you once again and I appreciate all the teachings, pondering questions and you showing Christian love through your blog. Most of all helping many of us here to seek and depend on Jesus Christ our Savior who is the only One who gives us strength for all that we need to do according to His purpose. Will miss you!

Next is to write to my favorite author Elizabeth George.

Still here