Happy New Year! Ou-Yang's in Thailand (Part 2)

Nothing beats spending the holidays with family. Last year, my parents came to visit and I showed them around Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son. This year, my brother joined the trip and we toured around central Thailand to BKK, Kanchanaburi, and Ayutthaya.

Grand Palace, Bangkok

Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho

View from the top of Wat Arun

River Kwai Bridge, Kanchanaburi

Sunset over the Bridge over the River Kwai

Song thaew to Erawan National Park, Kanchanaburi

Beginning of the hike to 7-tiered waterfall

Waterfall #5 

Made it to the top!

Family meets host family in Ayutthaya

Wat Chaimongkol, Ayutthaya

 Experiencing life in rural Thailand

Mom's turn

 Countdown on a dinner cruise on the Chao Praya River, Bangkok

Watching New Year fireworks from the boat

Happy Holidays!

Chiang Mai Marathon: Race Day

It took me forever and an hour (= 5 hours and 33 minutes) but I finished the full marathon! (With a bit of walking for some stretches after the halfway point.) I got both thirsty and hungry but there were drink stands along the way. I managed to control my bladder and bowel movements. But I hurt. A lot. I'm never doing that again. I'm looking forward to a two-hour Thai massage.

Made it!

Chiang Mai Marathon: Pre-Run

Well, the world didn't end and I lied about my last blog post being my last blog post of the year.

My world might end tomorrow if I die running the Chiang Mai marathon. My first and, I decided during my training, my last marathon. 42km starting at 4am. I'm excited and nervous at the same time.

Things I'm worried about:

5. I'll get thirsty.
4. I'll get hungry.
3. I'll need to pee.
2. I'll need to poop.
1. I might not finish. That would just suck.

In case the world ends tomorrow...

This is my last blog post of the year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Nepal

 Durbar Square, Kathmandu

!!

Annapurna Circuit Trek

Thorung-La Pass 

 Bodnath

Prayer wheels - walk clockwise as you spin the wheels

Candles?

Halloween in Thailand

Celebrating with students...

And teachers

Happy Birthday, King

The King

Candles

Singing the King's song

Traditionally, lanterns are lit and float off into the sky. Someone told me the significance: you send off bad things with the lantern. Last year, we made wishes and wrote good things on the paper lantern... and sent them off. Oops.

Miscellaneous

Thailand's "Pepsi"

Some raw shrimp we ate in Chiang Mai - they were literally jumping out of the bowl!

It was spicy and a little crunchy and quite delicious.

 Kangnam style in Bangkok

...

Please don't tell me they do this in the U.S. too.

Karenni Deeku Festival

The Karenni community hosted Deeku Festival this past week. They read chicken bones to decide the dates of the festival. This year, the bones said the week of September 17-21. There are several rituals and traditions carried out during this time, but I mostly participated in the food/ eating part. Naturally. Families make deeku, leaf-wrapped sticky rice, and Karenni rice wine. I went with friends in my community to visit different houses - six in all - where we were fed deeku, wine, and usually grilled pork or curry too, and it is impolite if you don't eat at each house. I was very full by the end of it.

Dee Ku - boiled sticky rice in a leaf

Making Dee Ku (that's not me - I just ate it)

Traditional Karenni dress

During the festival, as at all festivals here, people play music

and dance

Click here to read the story behind the Karenni Deeku Festival.