Monday, April 23, 2007
21st April. Family Photos Part 2. Monks.
21st April. Party for Jane's 60th birthday (actually on St George's Day - 23rd April).
Here are some snap shots of Jane and her family.
Jane is Bill's sister. Bill has 6 sisters and 3 brothers. Bill is the eldest. Jane is No.3.
Jane cuts her birthday cake, made by her daughter Liz - with a candle for each decade.
There was no picture of Jane's husband, Geoff, taken at the party. This one was taken at our house, New Year's Day 2006.
I have known Geoff even longer than Jane has. He was in my first year class at Ifield Grammar School in 1955.
Liz is Jane and Geoff''s eldest child, born 1974.
Liz is married to Ben.
Jane and Geoff's younger child is Barrie, born 1978.
Here are some snap shots of Jane and her family.
Jane is Bill's sister. Bill has 6 sisters and 3 brothers. Bill is the eldest. Jane is No.3.
Jane cuts her birthday cake, made by her daughter Liz - with a candle for each decade.
There was no picture of Jane's husband, Geoff, taken at the party. This one was taken at our house, New Year's Day 2006.
I have known Geoff even longer than Jane has. He was in my first year class at Ifield Grammar School in 1955.
Liz is Jane and Geoff''s eldest child, born 1974.
Liz is married to Ben.
Jane and Geoff's younger child is Barrie, born 1978.
Barrie's partner is Lyndsey.
Henry (born September 2006) is Jane and Geoff's first grandchild. He is the son of Liz and Ben.
Julie is Jane's older sister (but younger than Bill). Here she is with her 2 grand daughters Emily, the older, and Gemma.
This is Roger, Julie's husband.
Two more of Bill's sisters. Lesley, on the left is the youngest sister and Pam is Number 5 in the family.
There was no picture of Lesley's husband, Peter this time.
Pam's husband, Terry, sadly died some years ago.
This is Pam's son, Antony.
21st April: Family photos Part 1. Frosts.
Saturday 21st April.
We had lunch at Jenny's.
Here are a couple of snapshots that Bill took whilst we were having drinks in the garden.
Simon, our nephew, sits with Ruth, my half sister - the mother of Felix who slept through our entire visit.
Bill failed to get a picture of Simon's girlfriend Nicki. So, here she is on another occasion in Roger and Sue's garden.
Megan, our niece, called in with her partner Tom on their way to Brighton.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
7th March. Some last day Thailand pictures.
I took very few photographs on my last day in Thailand.
Already my mind was preparing for farewells, the journey home and picking up the pieces of my life at home.
Much of the day was spent in packing and shopping.
Here are just a few last pictures of the children.
Jessica, hair washed and in her uniform having a quick breakfast before school.
My lovely little crazy Jessica!
Cornflakes and morning cartoons on TV.
John has to be ready for the journey to school too - wearing Jessica's hat!
John shows that he can be crazy too.
John in the woolly hat - now why would anybody need such a hat in Thailand?
We did some shopping in Central - the big, glossy air-conditioned Mall. The big department store had some nice clothes for children. The toy department provides a play area and John (and Bear) liked the Lego table.
Later we did some shopping in Tescos and the Tesco Mall, stopping awhile in Swensens for ice cream.
A last happy picture of John, tucking into chocolate ice cream.
My heart was beginning to feel heavy as I thought of leaving them all. I have just a few pictures of the new Bangkok Airport to share with you.
Meanwhile Jamie keeps his 4j's blog fairly up to date - not enough new pictures for me of course!
Already my mind was preparing for farewells, the journey home and picking up the pieces of my life at home.
Much of the day was spent in packing and shopping.
Here are just a few last pictures of the children.
Jessica, hair washed and in her uniform having a quick breakfast before school.
My lovely little crazy Jessica!
Cornflakes and morning cartoons on TV.
John has to be ready for the journey to school too - wearing Jessica's hat!
John shows that he can be crazy too.
John in the woolly hat - now why would anybody need such a hat in Thailand?
We did some shopping in Central - the big, glossy air-conditioned Mall. The big department store had some nice clothes for children. The toy department provides a play area and John (and Bear) liked the Lego table.
Later we did some shopping in Tescos and the Tesco Mall, stopping awhile in Swensens for ice cream.
A last happy picture of John, tucking into chocolate ice cream.
My heart was beginning to feel heavy as I thought of leaving them all. I have just a few pictures of the new Bangkok Airport to share with you.
Meanwhile Jamie keeps his 4j's blog fairly up to date - not enough new pictures for me of course!
Friday, April 20, 2007
6th March. John at the hospital
John was due for another in the series of inoculation that children worldwide have - well, sadly of course those from the 3rd world countries get little protection against major diseases.
Thailand is an affluent country and the health service is well provided for. A certain amount is covered by the National Insurance.
Nevertheless, Jamie and Mam have opted to pay more and their treatments are at the big private hospital in Phuket City.
This is a beautiful, spacious and highly efficient hospital with all the modern facilities.
On this day John was to have protection from hepatitis B.
Thailand is an affluent country and the health service is well provided for. A certain amount is covered by the National Insurance.
Nevertheless, Jamie and Mam have opted to pay more and their treatments are at the big private hospital in Phuket City.
This is a beautiful, spacious and highly efficient hospital with all the modern facilities.
On this day John was to have protection from hepatitis B.
This is the outpatient's department for children.
John enjoyed running around whilst waiting. Mam looked at a newspaper.
This was empty room, with the door open and John thought it was most inviting.
Whoops! Now he doesn't feel so happy! His bottom has been bared and the doctor is sticking a needle in it.
The nurses were all wearing yellow shirts with Disney characters.
Oh Mum - this isn't fair!
Oh well, maybe it wasn't too bad after all. John was given a Vitamin C sweet and a banana.
And soon we were on our way to get some lunch.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
14th April. Spring in Buchan Park woods.
On Saturday 14th April we went for a walk in the woods at Buchan Park, enjoying all the signs of Spring.
The trees have just begun to be covered in that lovely light bright shade of green that lasts for a short while.
New life and new leaves.
Pussy willow.
Blossom.
Catkins.
Oak Apple - well, not exactly.
Of course it is not an apple but a beautiful delicate little nest that an insect has created.
Primroses.
Bluebells.
A clearing in the woods.
Under the pine tree.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
6th March. Chalekeree Village. The funeral.
My walk in Chalekeree Village took me by the funeral.
I am sure that each family arranges things differently in Thailand, just as we do here in England; but there are are some constants that are part of every funeral.
In Thailand a funeral lasts for several days and anybody who ever knew the deceased is there at some point.
The local monks supply a long awning and tables and chairs and large cooking pots so that every guest who comes receives food and drink.
On the day I walked by, this funeral had been going on for over a week.
Of course, being English, I was a little sensitive and felt I should not intrude. But I did manage to get a picture of the monks praying and chanting.
You can see many of the offerings that had been left by family and friends who had been there during the week.
You can see also how far down the street the awning stretches, shading the chairs and tables which are outside the gates of many neighbours' houses.
On my way back one of the family saw me with the camera and invited me to come much closer. By this time the monks had finished the morning's prayers and were seated at tables.
Family members serve dinner to the monks. The monks are forbidden to talk whilst they are eating.
Soon I was joined by a young woman who could speak English and she was very eager to tell me about her father who had died.
I found myself sitting amongst the monks with a glass of iced tea and some water melon. I had declined to eat a meal for I explained that Mam would have food ready for me at home, but it would have been unforgiveable to refuse food and drink completely.
I sat with the woman and we talked of life and death and our different approaches, finally coming to the conclusion that whatever the faith, people want the same things from life and have similar hopes for after death.
She then took me to see her father.
Again, I felt I should not be poking my camera into other peoples' grief and at first stopped by the swathes of black and white ribbon and flowers which were in front of the coffin.
But no, I was beckoned on. She wanted me to see him and share in their occasion.
The coffin was inside a downstairs room - it could be seen from the road through the open doors and curtains. It was adorned with many flowers and lights and candles.
And there was a big colour photograph of the woman's father. I imagine the family had chosen a favourite photo, rather than a recent one. He was in his 80s when he died and had been gravely ill for many months.
This was the last day of the funeral "wake" at home. The next day was to be the burning of the coffin at the temple. That would be the 10th day of the funeral.
Mam explained to me that at funerals she had been to the coffin had been burned on a large funeral pyre. This leads to the rather gruesome sight of the body being revealed as the wood of the coffin burned and the mourners could actually see the burning of the body.
This is how it is done in Thailand and I have a degree of envy for their ways, which contrast with our own in England these days. Death is such a difficult subject in our modern world and grieving and mourning is supposed to be a very private affair.
People don't like to be seen to make a fuss.
Funerals in the UK tend to be brief and are often quite impersonal - though I can see that families are beginning to insist these days on more personal touches with special music, poetry and readings and personal memories.
I am sure that each family arranges things differently in Thailand, just as we do here in England; but there are are some constants that are part of every funeral.
In Thailand a funeral lasts for several days and anybody who ever knew the deceased is there at some point.
The local monks supply a long awning and tables and chairs and large cooking pots so that every guest who comes receives food and drink.
On the day I walked by, this funeral had been going on for over a week.
Of course, being English, I was a little sensitive and felt I should not intrude. But I did manage to get a picture of the monks praying and chanting.
You can see many of the offerings that had been left by family and friends who had been there during the week.
You can see also how far down the street the awning stretches, shading the chairs and tables which are outside the gates of many neighbours' houses.
On my way back one of the family saw me with the camera and invited me to come much closer. By this time the monks had finished the morning's prayers and were seated at tables.
Family members serve dinner to the monks. The monks are forbidden to talk whilst they are eating.
Soon I was joined by a young woman who could speak English and she was very eager to tell me about her father who had died.
I found myself sitting amongst the monks with a glass of iced tea and some water melon. I had declined to eat a meal for I explained that Mam would have food ready for me at home, but it would have been unforgiveable to refuse food and drink completely.
I sat with the woman and we talked of life and death and our different approaches, finally coming to the conclusion that whatever the faith, people want the same things from life and have similar hopes for after death.
She then took me to see her father.
Again, I felt I should not be poking my camera into other peoples' grief and at first stopped by the swathes of black and white ribbon and flowers which were in front of the coffin.
But no, I was beckoned on. She wanted me to see him and share in their occasion.
The coffin was inside a downstairs room - it could be seen from the road through the open doors and curtains. It was adorned with many flowers and lights and candles.
And there was a big colour photograph of the woman's father. I imagine the family had chosen a favourite photo, rather than a recent one. He was in his 80s when he died and had been gravely ill for many months.
This was the last day of the funeral "wake" at home. The next day was to be the burning of the coffin at the temple. That would be the 10th day of the funeral.
Mam explained to me that at funerals she had been to the coffin had been burned on a large funeral pyre. This leads to the rather gruesome sight of the body being revealed as the wood of the coffin burned and the mourners could actually see the burning of the body.
This is how it is done in Thailand and I have a degree of envy for their ways, which contrast with our own in England these days. Death is such a difficult subject in our modern world and grieving and mourning is supposed to be a very private affair.
People don't like to be seen to make a fuss.
Funerals in the UK tend to be brief and are often quite impersonal - though I can see that families are beginning to insist these days on more personal touches with special music, poetry and readings and personal memories.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
17th April. George and Harry.
This is just a quick blog today. I have had a busy day and so will leave more detailed episodes for another day.
Today I will introduce our two much loved cats to you.
They are twins and are almost 11 years old. They were born in Wiltshire.
They are George and Harry - named after our 2 fathers.
I tend to call them Georgie Boy and Harrykins.
George is bigger and sturdier - and in this picture is on the right.
I am almost certain that it is Harry in the foreground!
Today I will introduce our two much loved cats to you.
They are twins and are almost 11 years old. They were born in Wiltshire.
They are George and Harry - named after our 2 fathers.
I tend to call them Georgie Boy and Harrykins.
George is bigger and sturdier - and in this picture is on the right.
I am almost certain that it is Harry in the foreground!
Monday, April 16, 2007
6th March. Chalekeree Village. Part 2
First let me say that if you have clicked on to this blog for the first time expecting to find Uncle Bill, then please scroll down. I put some pictures of him on yesterday.
I put new things on every day.
These are some of the sights that I enjoyed as I strolled through Chalekeree village where Jamie, Mam, Jessica and John live.
I put new things on every day.
These are some of the sights that I enjoyed as I strolled through Chalekeree village where Jamie, Mam, Jessica and John live.
This old lady spent much of the day sleeping. She is under a tree which looks like a fountain (I had a picture of it on the blog a couple of days ago).
