Extraordinarily Juicy

As usual, I started my day with a trip to the market.  Got some produce, got some fruit, saw waffle lady and decided to get the Kiddo a Choco-Choco Bay-BE!  Wandered over and saw the juice lady was in house, so I got an Orange, Pineapple, Lime juice that I had her add some carrots to pop it up a bit.  Best juice ever.  

Walking home, I noticed that I wasn’t amazed at the market any longer.  Like, yes, it’s cool and it’s where I shop and get things, but it doesn’t have the same, WOW!  WOW!  This is SOOOOO Cool!.  I’m in an open air market in Bangkok.  It’s more like, Oh cool.  The Saturday morning Farmer’s Market in the summer is back.  So, it’s cool and I like it, but the extraordinary is starting to become our ordinary.  And that’s dope!  That is awesome and amazing, but it’s certainly a transition.    

Even last night….

We had sushi for dinner.  That’s not usually something that sticks with me long term, but J and Kiddo wanted and it sits with them longer, so whatever, I can snack.  We’ve got pineapple and watermelon (sap pa rot and ten moo) in the house.  So, at 8:40pm, I grabbed my flip flops and mask, grabbed my wallet and went down to the cafe/restaurant across the street and got some BBQ Skewers.  Like street food at 8:30 at night is a normal thing… But it is here and we love it.  

That’s my point.  All of this is normal and ordinary to us now.  We were talking the other night that it’s going to be so weird moving to a place where we CAN’T do that.  We talk about the gentrification of the neighborhood and how it’s going to be big and brand name stuff.  Amazon Cafe is in already, Starbucks or KFC or McDs are moving in.  We LIKE the uniqueness of the area.  We like the little places.  The local merchants.  I don’t want easy and familiar.  We didn’t move to Bangkok to eat American food.

We can enjoy an evening popsicle on the balcony, however.  :)

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As the extraordinary becomes ordinary for us and as J finds her groove into teaching internationally and in a private and not public setting we constantly talk about the next step.  Sure, we are two years out, but better to plan and prep then scramble last minute.  Besides, if you look at the stats of it, international teachers last one contract or 13+ years on average.  So, we are already talking about a second contract and where or stay here and take the resigning bonus or stay in BKK at a different school or what and where and how and why of other places.  Looking at markets and trends and growth potential…. But I’d say that unless J and I divorce, this is going to be life for us.  We’ve even had conversation about the Kiddo and what if she wants to go to school in Japan or Korea or Argentina or wherever; can we shift into those markets for the Kiddo?  Those type of things won’t happen for another 10 years.  A decade.  So, yeah… I think it’s safe to say that unless something drastic happens to us or the world, we’re gone.

Even that thinking, to us, is normal.  

We don’t want 2.2 kids with a dog and a fence and a 30 year fixed rate mortgage.

And we’re not telling you that you shouldn’t.  If that’s what you want, get that.  We want to see and experience the world and it’s cultures, it’s foods and smells, it’s good and it’s bad.  Because, as long as it’s safe(ish), then why not.  

I say safe(ish) because we will always be foreigners and stand out.  We will always be behind in understanding language or culture or customs.  That can cause problems, admittedly, but we try to learn the local language and customs and be respectful and polite.  We won’t, however, just blindly go into Ukraine or Brazil or Turkey or anywhere else like that.  We will, at least, look at the world climate and political climate in making our choices.  So, we will be safe and get to explore.  

And how cool for the Kiddo.  She’s already using 50/50 English and Thai with Nanny Beer.  She’ll have two years of school.  And then what?  Vietnamese?  Korean?  Japanese?  Mandarin or Hindi or Arabic?  And then after that?  French?  Portuguese?  Sudanese?  And why not?  

For all my older readers who worry about her future… She’ll apply to colleges with a resume including 2 languages, at least.  In all likelihood it will be 4-7 languages.  Some of the best and most sought after international schools.  Who knows how many friends and contacts that are in the top 0.1% of the world population and may sit on the boards of some of those schools.  At 18, she’ll go and learn at uni, but who knows where.  Maybe before that she’ll write a book and not need college.  Maybe she will become an influencer and can pick her own path.  

It’s so fun to think about what and where and what we will see and experience.

I miss the ease of America sometimes.  Because I have 44 years of experience with it. But this… This is living.  This is an adventure.  And yes, the dentist takes effort.  Yes, I can’t just ask for what I want at a store, that involves Google translate and some pantomime.  Certain meds aren’t available, certain brands can’t be gotten.  But I can try new things.  I get to think my way around obstacles everyday.

*****

Lastly, we are going out tonight.  With a few other couples in our building.  Some microbrew place or something like that.  Kid friendly, so Kiddo gets to stay up late and be out late and all that.  She’s hyped.  It’ll be nice to get out and have some fun.  Besides, the people we are going out with… One couple has a 6ish month old, so other parents.  Cool.  Then there is the engaged couple.  They want to be parents, so they will be down with kids and interacting and all that.  Seems like it will be a super cool fun time.  I’ll try to get pics and I’m sure I’ll post on that.  Stay tuned.

Until later, take care and you know where to find us.  :)