240 dollars worth of puddin'

We had our first dinner party a few weeks ago. You can stop laughing. B and I are not entertainers, so yes, this was the first attempt.

Maybe it was longer that a few weeks ago, but since the school year started, I can't really say exactly. One big blur of 6th graders now. Anyway, we sent out e-vites and had 8 people over to eat vaguely Southeast-Asian themed food. Basically, our favorite foods that we ate and cooked while we lived in Asia. Our friends created many of the dishes and brought them over for a night of food and Rock Band.

B decided to contribute black rice pudding for dessert and we prepared it a night in advance. Black rice, palm sugar, coconut milk and fresh bananas on top. We doubled the recipe so we could give everyone a taste. Yummy, right?

Well, this pudding took on a frickin' life of its own. We used our big red pot and a wooden spoon and the rice sucked up all of the water and the rice was still hard so we started adding more. And more and more. We were drinking and chatting while I stirred with a wooden spoon, which was actually starting to get difficult as the pudding level rose.

We must have made a wrong turn somewhere, because before I knew it, I was having to use both hands to stir this full hot cauldron's worth of pudding. We filled up two shelves in our refrigerator and still had to throw about 10 cups away. Brad said that we made 240 dollars worth of puddin'.

flash of self-awareness

You know how once and a while you just stop and realize that some mundane part of your day that you take for granted is actually pretty ridiculous?

I grumble about it and then go through the motions every Sunday night creating my weekly parent/student newsletter. I call it: The Herrera Herald (aka"The Herrerald").

Anyway, I typed the heading and it dawned on me what kind of job lets people write weekly newsletters, much less those called The Herrerald.

you say it's your birthday?

...it's my birthday too!

Last year on my birthday I had food poisoning. In Laos. I ended up loosing 14 pounds the hard way and taking an emergency flight to Bangkok.

It can't get worse that that, you say?

Oh, the gods can top that. Yes, indeedy.

This year I will be taking 58 6th graders camping for 5 days. Nov. 5th-9th. They are so excited they could spit and I am trying to enjoy my last few hours before hearing the inevitable "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" in the car, in my sleep, in my head.

a year ago today

Groups

Our color-coded groups are self-named, can you guess the color of each group's name tag?

- Hot Chili Peppers
- Tasty Tangerines
- Rockin' Whales
- Tropical Birds
-Giant Hamsters
- Sour Apples
- IPODs

mah biscuits are burnin'!

There's more than one way to burn the biscuits, as any good housekeeper can tell you. I can think of two ways right off of the top of my head:

1. Ignoring the recommended oven temperature in your cookbook will usually do the trick.

but if not

2. You can always burn the proverbial biscuits by doing your ironing in your underwear. One slip of the hand...

...which is what happened today. Yowch.

trikes aren't just for kids

Within the past few weeks we've managed to clean out the garage and find bikes to fill it with.

A's bike is a nearly immaculate 1973 Schwinn Collegiate complete with sparkly green grips. All she needs are new brake pads and to true the front wheel.

Mine is a Schwinn Town and Country trike, but I'm not sure of the age. It needs considerably more work and is odd to get used to. Still, it should be a great bike for trips to the farmers' market on Sundays and the independent grocery store nearby.

A's bike






























B's trike

banana fanna fo fett

http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=14177135552740615172

commercialism and piracy

There are strong ties between commercialism and piracy, apparently. It's a bittersweet connection as I see it. I could do without much of the Pirates of the Caribbean (POTC) movie marketing and the changes to the Disneyland ride of the same name. I think I'll listen to the ORIGINAL soundtrack on my iPod next time I sail through those waters.

Still, I can't help but enjoy some of the products of the POTC marketing juggernaut, such as specially stamped M&Ms. Regarding the other two pictures, I've been fascinated for most of my life by pirates, as established in an earlier blog post. In the past few years I've picked up a few of the pirate-themed toys I either (1) wished I had or (2) wish I'd kept. The availability of such toys is partially attributable to the POTC phenomenon, and I suppose I'm thankful for that.

The first POTC movie was enjoyable. The second failed to entertain me as I attempted to drown out the late-night noise of the disco down the street in Phnom Penh, and I dread the third installment. I never expected to tire so of Mr. Depp.

For all you land-lubbers who this post failed to enthrall, walk the plank! And for those of you who take your piracy too seriously, yes, I know that the plank device was scarcely if ever used. Yo ho!

home economics

Just tallying receipts for the week and realized that we spent over 1/3 of this week's food budget on booze. Whoops! I guess we will survive. Beer is a food, right? I think I read that somewhere- Betty Crocker?

study session

So, when you are a public school teacher, you have to take classes (about teaching) to renew your credential. 15 units every 5 years. You pay for this yourself and do it on your own time, but the bonus is that every 15 units you get to move over a step on the salary schedule, which more than makes up for the cost of the 15 units.

I recently discovered independent courses offered through University of San Diego. I am (foolishly?) trying to take 13 units this month. Don't laugh, I have all but finished 6 of them and still have energy a-plenty left over for all sorts of other stuff.

The independent part is the toughie for me. No master of self-discipline, I have taken many a study break to find myself doing things that seem crucial in the moment but really who am I kidding?

Yesterday's study break: Self-haircut.

I needed some fringe right then, apparently. Bangs or death!



















I thought I did a pretty good job- here's a close up of the family nose more than the bangs. Taking pictures of your own face isn't always accurate.




















So, more than anything else, this is a cry for help. I will be attempting to chain myself to the computer for the next couple weeks. If you feel like contributing to truancy- give me a call!

5 a day

We just got schooled by a 4 (and a half!) year-old. According to Miss L, the "5 good food groups" are:

1. bacon
2. donuts
3. milk (+ chocolate milk)
4. pizza
5. gum

I personally really enjoy the gum group, but can't say that I ever eat from the bacon group. Tell me the truth, is my diet unbalanced?

a shift

Just got offered the position that I was holding out for. I will be teaching in Davis next year. It looks like I am no longer "unemployed", I am now "on summer vacation". Whee!

boundaries

The job search continues... One thing I can say about it as a learning process is that it is giving me plenty of opportunities to "define my boundaries." *Insert new age flourish here*

I think I am going to turn down the first offer. Which seems like a risky thing to do. I was feeling so desperate before this week that I never thought I'd write that, but when it's not right, it's not right. My time and life and are worth more.
At least to me!

so I married a pirate

B has always been a pirate.
We are talking several Halloweens in succession.




















This business started up again at Disneyland last month.
B wore pirate headgear at the park.




















I wasn't sure I could get in the spirit.
It turns out I could.




















I decided to take my pirate on a date this morning.
To the Northern California Pirate Festival, where else?















We pillaged a falafel tent and enjoyed sitting on the grass.
















Watched the seadogs saunter by in their finery and then headed home.



















If we start going to Startrek conventions, please do an intervention.

domestic goddess

She thought she was answering the call of the wild, but really it was only the plumber.

fruits of our labor...or somebody's

This is just to say CONGRATULATIONS to our lovely friends in Japan who just had their baby. In Japan!

We suspect this lucky guy was conceived after drinks and dinner during one of our last visits to their house, so we feel partially responsible. Well, maybe not responsible, but quite proud all the same!

Little EJS doesn't know how good he's got it yet, but he has truly lucked out with his tiny existential roll of the dice. Two of the nicest people ever, people that both B and I feel should be parents. We wish there were more Miss Yakis and Cs out there and now there are!

honey I'm home

The last week was productive. B now has a job that starts at the end of the month and we rented a tiny old house in a part of Sacramento that I have always wanted to live in. Cute older homes with tons of character, mature trees, and good parks/restaurants/shops within walking distance.



After 9 months of living out of bags, I am really excited! We move in to the place in less than two weeks! I have never lived in a house before- I can't quite wrap my head around the idea yet. Here's the visual:

trees of mystery

I know when people think of California, they usually think of Hollywood and the beach. Those of us from Northern California know that we have it made, too. It is gorgeous up here and I have the pictures to prove it!

For me, a lot of it has to do with the trees. As you travel north along the coast, there are giant redwoods waiting to greet you.


















































And for those of you who can't imagine, they are REALLY big.




































There are beaches up here, too, by the way.































The rivers that cut through the rock and forest are almost unnaturally blue.

















And there's Mount Shasta ready to greet when you finally cut inland through the forest .
















Anyway, the last two weeks have reminded both us us how special this part of the world is. It may be a bit out of your way, but definitely worth a visit!

thans but no thans

We bunked down at the Travelodge in Eureka for one night this week.
















A real vintage charmer! 50 bucks a night will get you the following nifty features...

"rustic" radiator




















Acne-scarred toilet seat
















The best plastic flowers Eureka has to offer
















Classic paisley comforter
















Let's see that pattern up close!
















Are we interested in a long-term stay? Thans but no thans.

another roadside attraction

The vagabond lifestyle continues. In the past two weeks, B and A have traveled over 2,000 miles in their car.







































Being car-gypsies can take its toll, so in an effort to make more of an anthropological study of their time on the road, B and A decided to stop and ponder the bits of Americana that they passed along California's highways and byways.

Does anyone really stop at these things except us?
















Clearly, Cliff was here before us.




















Mighty redwoods demand some car-tree-human interplay.































An even mightier Paul Bunyan confers with his bull, Babe, about how to best transform all these stinking trees into millions of toothpicks and disposable chopsticks.

finding a home

We're in the process of finding someplace to settle down and have set out in our recently-purchased used car to preview or review the locales under consideration.

Northern California is green, green, green at the moment and we'd like to share the scenery with you including random shots of my favorite backyard and a photo with my parents while off on a wine-tasting tangent.

razr burn

After a 2-and-a-half-year hiatus from cell phones, we are back where we started. Our recent family-plan cell phone subscription has left us feeling a little bit like the dorky kid who, finally finding the right toy, has suddenly become cool ... and is too surprised to respond in a socically competent way.

Our twin cell phones even have a silly name: "Razr." We can't decide if we love them or hate them, we just know they are getting attention. "Oooh! You got Razr." No, not kidding. They look like standard cell phones to us, having recently returned from technologically advanced Japan. (Everyone we knew but us owned a fancy cell phone there.)

We thought we were buying cheapies, but in our reverse culture shock stupor the razr-salezman may have shaved us.

quote of the day

"I've got on my space diapers and I'm stalkin' you, babe!"

-my mom, eyeing someone with excess sugar cookies in his possession.













It's good to be back home!

looking back

Now that we’ve returned it is time to summarize our trip. What better way to do it than by calculating the number of...

Miles / kilometers flown: 22,300 / 37,000
Hours flown: 47
Items confiscated at airports: 2
Countries visited: 7
Pictures taken: 1,300
Extra suitcases brought home: 3
Plates of fried rice consumed: 125
Bouts of food poisoning: 2
Bouts of travelers’ diarrhea: 16
Trips to the doctor: 3
Crooked taxi drivers encountered: 74
Scary bus rides: 7
Friends met along the way: 6
Transvestites our friend danced with ... misjudging: 1
Cases of Malaria among our friends: 1
Elephants seen: 10
Mosquitos swatted: 1,120
Monarchs and former US Presidents spotted: 2
Blog entries: 60

ayutthaya

We cheesed it up today, trying a guided tour of Ayutthaya, near Bangkok. We were getting down to the wire and two previous attempts to get there had to be scrapped - once because of illness and once because of train delays. So we did it the easy way!

A minibus picked us up at our door and dropped us off again at the end of the day. We enjoyed a morning of sightseeing and a leisurely afternoon cruise down the Chao Phraya river. This was our last "new" excursion before returning to the States. Tomorrow we'll have one last chance to revisit some of our favorite Bangkok spots.

Thanks for joining us for the ride these past 4 months!


Ayutthaya style tuk-tuk



















Lotus buds























Riverside house



















Touring palace grounds

buddha overload

It was Buddha overload in Ayutthaya today. These are just a few of the depictions we saw:

accessibility

Near the place we called home in Chiang Mai was a center devoted to helping those with physical handicaps. Out front was this ingenious motorcycle, adapted for wheelchairs. The handlebars and controls are relocated over the sidecar to allow the wheelchair user to drive the cycle. A passenger can still sit side-saddle (as many do in Thailand).

the monkey within

This week, I took the opportunity to experience a meditation mini-retreat through Wat Suan Dok in Chiang Mai. Most retreats I've seen require a 7 or 10 day committment from participants which I found rather daunting. As soon as I read about the less frightening opportunity Wat Suon Dok offers, I hurried over to sign up. It is an overnight introduction to Buddhism and meditation perfect for beginners like me.

The retreats take place at the International Meditation Center (IMC) outside of the city. Incidentally, it was within a half mile or so from our cooking class. 23 of us from about 10 different countries trucked out to the IMC. The campus is brand new and beautiful. It consists of 4 main buildings - residence hall for participants, residence hall for monks, large meditation hall and dining hall / office. The grounds are spacious and very quiet during the daytime. Surprisingly, the rooms were the nicest I've tried in Thailand except for the lack of hot water. Each had 2 twin beds, so we all had a roommate. The rooms were sex-segregated.

After taking late afternoon showers and donning our white robes, we went down for dinner where our temporary vows of silence began. Following dinner, we meditated. I think we did about 2 1/2 hours that evening and 2 hours the next morning.

The meditation we practiced can be broken down into 2 categories: insight and concentration.

One of the ways I've seen Buddhist insight meditation commonly described is the observation of one's "monkey mind." The idea is that one's mind constantly leaps from place to place and makes mischief, rarely resting and always resisting attempts to tame it. By observation, at the very least one may learn about the workings of one's mind - the games it likes to play, the patterns it follows, and so on.

Concentration meditation is focusing on something (like prayer beads or an object) or focusing on an activity (like walking, moving one's hands in patterns.)

None of the sessions were particularly taxing. We alternated between sitting and walking meditation mostly (switching every 30 minutes or so) with some laying meditation to finish the evening.

In addition to meditating, we tried chanting in Pali (to show respect for the Buddha, his teachings, and his disciples.) One of the participants led us in some yoga bright and early in the morning, but I found the breathing difficult to understand. The staff taught us about offering alms to the monks. We had an opportunity to break silence and talk with the monks in the morning for about an hour, but otherwise maintained silence until leaving the IMC.

My experience was much less rigorous than a typical retreat as I:
Didn't have to follow many of the usual rules (just silence.)
Was able to eat 3 meals a day (participants and monks don't usually eat after noon.)
Was able to get up late at 5 AM (I think 3 AM is the norm!)
Didn't have to meditate constantly (the typical expectation is even the most mundane of tasks are done mindfully, a form of concentration meditation.)

Still, it was the perfect icebreaker and I am very interested in learning more about meditation practice.

Here's the website, although the details are few:
http://www.monkchat.net/index.php

retreat pictures

Here are pictures taken by the staff during the mini-retreat. The resolution isn't great, but it is nice to have them!

Sitting meditation



































Chanting


















Standing


















Talking with the monk


















Giving alms


































Group photo

tackling the mean green mystery

We finally solved the mean green mystery of what exactly goes into green curry paste. We'll bid adieu to canned pastes and make our own from scratch! We've read about how to make these pastes before, but never created them under the watchful eyes of Thai tutors ... until now.

We pulverized fat green chilies, tiny red ones, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, shallots, Thai long ginger, and kaffir lime peel, finding ourselves with a reasonable approximation of green paste that went on to make a fine curry. Here are the ingredients, minus the small red chilies:


















Other dishes we made today included tom yum soup (ingredients below), Thai basil chicken, chicken with cashew nuts, spring rolls, and bananas in coconut milk.


















Thai basil is quite different from the basil back home, smelling and tasting similar to licorice. Kaffir lime is also different from the lime I grew up with. It has a bubbly / wrinkly exterior and a stronger, more lemony taste. Unlike limes in the US, the leaves also have a strong scent and are used in cooking.

One last picture of me in the kitchen - I almost look like I belong there.

life in a northern town

The following shots will help illustrate the culinary life of northern Thailand. All these pictures are from this morning's market tour preceeding our cooking class.


Fruits

















Meats





















Rice varieties



















Sweets

















Treats wrapped in banana leaves

animal antics

One of the main reasons we visited Singapore was to experience its fabled Zoo and Night Safari. The monsoon rains graciously remained in the heavens and we enjoyed a pleasant day and evening at these 2 neighboring parks.

One of the best features of both parks is that many of the animals are kept in enclosures that appear to have no bars and few fences. Some of the animals you're allowed to touch, and vice-versa.

We got in the faces of fruit bats and lemurs, stared warily at hungry leopards and komodo dragons, hopped with kangaroos and laughed with satisfaction to watch flying squirrels do what they do best.

sparkling singapore

The stereotype of Singapore is an extremely clean city with many prohibitions. Our weekend visit upholds this 100 percent. From the streets of Little India to the alleyways of Chinatown it felt like we were walking through different "lands" like you would find in a Disney park - Indialand and Chinatownland ... and the uber-synthetic Beachland. See for yourself...

it's good to be the king

This evening, as we left our alleyway and turned on to Rama 1 Road, the street was deserted and police were asking pedestrians not to climb the stairs to the Skytrain station. Given the recent bombings in Bangkok, we were concerned at first. Then a motorcycle taxi driver explained that the King would soon be driving by!


















The King of Thailand: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhumibol_Adulyadej

I wanted to take out the camera and photograph the motorcade, but with the current situation in Bangkok I deemed that unwise. The king and his security detail passed by only a few feet from us.

Who will we see next???

myanmar morning

On December 28 in the afternoon we went to the Myanmar (Burma) border at Three Pagodas Pass, about 10 miles from Sangkhlaburi and the orphanage. As promised, there were three rather puny pagodas and a lackluster market.

Still, that age-old curiosity about the other side of the fence spurred 4 of us to return on the morning of the 29th when we'd have enough time to explore Phayathonzu.

What we found was worth the effort. The market on the other side was full of the longyis (skirt-like wraps) that Burmese men and women wear, the pigmented sticks they use for sunscreen and makeup, the mildly intoxicating betel they chew, and so much more.

Near the market, we heard children singing and followed the sound to a Spoken American English school where the teacher invited us in to chat. He bought us all cokes and had the students (of various ages) serenade us with Baa Baa Black Sheep and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. What an unforgettable morning!

more myanmar

Three more pictures that wouldn't load for the last post.

baan unrak

Well, we have returned from the week at the orphanage Baan Unrak. It is in the mountains that run along the Thai / Myanmar (Burma) border and houses 112 children, the majority of whom are either Burmese refugees or from hill tribes (or both). These kids, surprisingly, are thriving well on very little. It was an inspiring visit.

A few entries follow to give you a taste of it. 19 volunteers organized Christmas activities on Christmas Eve and Day, an Environmental Day extravaganza at the local elementary school, 2 days of teaching at the elementary school, and lots of general play.

So come along with us for the Baan Unrak teaser. This way to the orphanage ... watch your step!





































FYI, the new orphanage site is http://www.baanunrak.org/.

faces of baan unrak

Warning: These kids' mugs are so cute they'll make your eyes bleed.

environment day

Our group organized a community Environment Day based at the elementary school but hosting children from all over the area. Kids made creative art from recycled materials, did a trash pick-up and played lots of environment-centric games. Brad was in charge of bottle bowling, of course.

teaching 1

The two of us worked primarily with the kindergarten and nursery children at the home and at the school. We taught at the school for 2 mornings and worked on craft activities at the home throughout the week.

teaching 2

more

There is so much more to show and tell, but we want to do it in person. We'd like to do a bit of fundraising to sponsor a child ... or more.

The Baan Unrak home is an amazing model and we're hoping to host a few information nights when we return so you can see the facilities and hear about all the details. We'll feed you some yummy Thai treats as an incentive. Please come!

whew!

Hello! B and I just rolled up to our guesthouse in Bangkok after a 7-hour bus ride through Thai countryside. We want to quickly let you know that we are back "home" safe and sound after that adventure.

Working with the kids at the orphanage had a profound effect on us and it will take a little time for it all to come into focus. We will tell you all about it. With many pictures. But we must prioritize. Right now we could use a hot shower! And maybe a beer.....or two....

happy holidays!

Happy Holidays!












Here's the festive Wendy House lobby where we do most of our blogging.















One of the nearby malls.

We just want you all to know that we are thinking about you this holiday season, even though we may not be in touch for a bit. Please keep us in your thoughts as we spend the next week surrounded by hundreds of kids at the orphanage in Thailand (what are we getting ourselves into??).

Love, B and A

fruitcake

Ok, so no fruitcakes this holiday season, unless you count us! But we have been enjoying various local fruits and I thought I'd give you a wee tutorial today on two southeast asian classics: Durian and Jackfruit.

Durian and Jackfruit are huge on the tree. One Durian/Jackfruit feeds many. The fruits inside break off in segments, each with a seed inside.

Durian is the most famous, mostly for the trademark raunchy smell. A little bit like sweaty gymsocks and a bit like vomit- but don't be put off. If you can actually get the stuff in your mouth, the taste is very mild, creamy and sweet. Because of the smell, it is banned on international flights, in many hotels (see sign), and other public places. But, the Durian remains a favorite in this part of the world. You can enjoy Durian in many forms: ice cream, candies, dried chips, you name it.

Durian: each fruit weighs in at (up to) 11 pounds.

No Durian allowed in Wendy Guesthouse!

If you buy it in a store, this is how the stinkfruit is packaged.

But we still buy it because it tastes so good.

Then there's Jackfruit. It looks similar on the tree, but the size is different. Inside, you find segments, but they are small, dry and rubbery. They look like litttle duck bills! They taste a bit tart, like an apple, with a hint of veggies: say, bok choy. Actually, I think the Durian tastes better, though Jackfruit has a great texture.

Jackfruit is huge: it weighs in at (up to) 80 pounds!














Jackfruit, from the market.
















Quackfruit, more like!














For more pictures and information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackfruit