Jenyfer Matthews

It’s amazing how much trash you find tucked away in the nooks and crannies, put away because it might be useful one day. Well, guess what? I’M NOT MOVING IT. Throwing. It. Out. There’s plenty more where that stuff came from…

I am happy to report that the only thing injured in the process of reducing the port bottle down to pretty green glass dust were several plastic bags and my rolling pin. Even several layers of thick plastic bags are not enough to protect a wooden rolling pin from shards of glass. (The top edge of my hammer was much more effective) On one hand, I don’t use the rolling pin that much. On the other hand, I guess I’ll have to get a new one since it’s newly gauged surface won’t work as well on dough (darn it!) – unless scar-faced gingerbread men are acceptable!

I just hope that in the end, my pottery projects come out as I envision.

On another topic, housing is provided with my husband’s job and a while back we requested to be moved to a larger apartment. I’ve loved the one we are currently in for the nearly four years we lived here, however we’ve outgrown the space and the children really need their own rooms. The housing department called us on Thursday to say they had a place for us and could we move on Tuesday? My initial reaction was um…no! I’ve gotten pretty good at moving, but I’m not THAT good! The movers I called yesterday for a quote on moving our large furniture items gave me such a good quote on moving everything that I decided in the interest of my stress levels and the remaining disks in my back to let them! They also suggested they could move us on Tuesday and since they are also responsible for the packing, Tuesday it is! Fortunately, our new place is only a few blocks away so things don’t have to be packed quite as carefully as they would if we were moving countries, but it’s still a big job.

Bigger still will be the job of cleaning / sorting / unpacking on the other end!

I also wanted to report that I did try a new recipe over the weekend (February – check!) I made shrimp chowder, using a fish chowder recipe from my Jane Brody cookbook. The only things I changed were I substituted shrimp for fish, I omitted the white wine, and I added a can of corn. It was amusing how much the frozen “cooking shrimp” I bought shrunk in the process though – in the end they were so small they could have been sea monkeys! The chowder was a hit – very tasty – and I’ll definitely be making it again.

I suspect the rest of this week we’ll be eating sandwiches and pizza however!

So another interest of mine is in making pottery. I first took pottery lessons about 12 years ago and fell in love with the process. Unfortunately, it’s not such an easy hobby to take-along and so I haven’t been able work with clay since we moved abroad – until last spring when I discovered that one of the other tennis moms not only had her own equipment but also offered lessons.

So here I am, months later, getting ready to glaze my first crop of pots, and I had the great idea to add a bit of texture and shine by using bits of broken glass – specifically, the green glass of a Cockburn’s port bottle. It is a good idea and I do believe that the end result will look fabulous. The problem? Actually breaking the glass.

Because it’s not enough to just break the bottle – most of it has to be reduced to powder. I did a google search to figure out how best to accomplish this and found one site that suggested that heating glass to red hot and then plunging it in cold water would do the trick – the glass would shatter cleanly and then it was just a matter of pounding it to dust with a mortar and pestle. Easy peasy.

Forgive me, but I have my reservations. I am fully aware of how easily some glass will break when it is exposed to rapid changes in temperature, having once had a glass pitcher explode all over my kitchen while I was in the process of making iced tea. I am, however, somewhat reluctant to repeat such an experiment without safety glasses and perhaps a lead apron. Also, I think I would prefer to use non-cooking pots and instruments for the grinding process to minimize any food contamination and subsequent deaths in the pursuit of my artistic vision.

I haven’t totally formulated my plan but I’m thinking pretty low tech, perhaps involving multiple layers of plastic bags and a hammer. We’ll see what we get (besides multiple lacerations).

Back in November I replied to a post on A Home Grown Journal: Mama Pea (fulfilling a commitment she’d made to another blogger) offered to send a handmade item to the first three people to comment on the post. The catch? They in turn had to “pay it forward” by making the same offer on their own blogs.

Here are the rules: I will send a handmade gift to the first three people who leave a comment on this post requesting to participate. I can’t tell you what your gift will be, but since I’m primarily a quilter maybe you can take a wild guess as to which form the gift will take! The normal rules state that the gift has to be received within 365 days, however, I am pretty sure that whoever decides to play with me will get their gift in the summertime since that is when I will have access to reliable mail service!

So who wants to play? The only thing you have to do in return is promise to make the same offer on your own blog after you receive your gift from me. Don’t be shy – the gift does not have to be elaborate, just homemade. Do you paint? Are you a photographer? Do you crochet or make paper? You could send someone a selection of greeting cards using your own photographs, for example (insert innocent whistling here) You could crochet a pot holder or one of those magical dish rags I’ve heard about. Paint a tiny picture – or a big one. Wood working, jewelry, pottery, collage, glass blowing, sand art – only your imagination, generosity, and particular skill is the limit.

Just to be clear: none of your gifts will come to me – I give a gift to you, then you give gift to three other people. Ready? Go!

My seven year old son hates to do his homework. None of his assignments are difficult and most could be finished in under fifteen minutes if only he would settle down and just do it. Instead he complains, procrastinates, and has tantrums all of which make it a much more painful drawn out process than it has to be.

I’ve tried various ways to encourage him to get the work done and out of the way – most of which includes LOUD voices and threats. Today I decided to switch tactics: bribery. Do your homework and you can have a lollipop. I’ll let you know how it works out.

But as I was thinking of how to best motivate him to do his homework, this Chris Farley skit from Saturday Night Live popped into my brain. It still makes me laugh after all these years:

One of the decisions I had to make prior to my trip to Thailand was which book to bring. I know, not the top of everyone’s priority list, but as someone who reads every day it was one of the first things I thought about.

Normally I’d bring my e-book reader so I would have a selection, however I knew that the battery would require recharging shortly after my arrival and since I didn’t want to have to bring a voltage converter with me (US voltage) I decided that a paperback would be more practical. But that led to another consideration: did I bring multiple books with me or one really long one? I didn’t expect to be doing much reading once the tour really got going (and I didn’t) but I did have a nearly 12 hour flight each way and the long train ride to consider, and I don’t like to assume I’ll be able to find a book store when I need one.

Ironically, I ended up spending my holiday in Thailand reading about ancient Egypt. In the end, I chose a really long book – nearly 1000 pages – The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George.

I started this book only knowing bits and pieces of world history during that time period – I knew that Cleopatra had been involved with both Caesar and Mark Antony for instance, but wasn’t sure how all that came about. Reading this fictionalized account written from Cleopatra’s perspective was a wonderful way to learn more about those tumultuous times – with more than a dash of romance thrown in. I read a third of the book on my way to Thailand and dove back into the story every time I had a chance.

Cleopatra was a brilliant politician and even though I knew the story would not have the ending I really wanted – total destruction of Octavian – I eagerly read to the end. I admired the strength of will it took for Cleopatra to leave her children and end her own life rather than be a pawn for Octavian in Rome.

I had thought that if I finished the book during my travels, I could always abandon it and find something slightly less bulky to read. Halfway through there was no question this book had earned a spot on my keeper shelf. It will be a while before I tackle it again (!) but it’s also one of those rare books I think my husband will appreciate as much as I did. He likes to take long books on vacation too!

One unexpected effects of reading this book is that having read about the elaborate jewelry and clothes that Cleopatra wore, I find myself wanting to larger, bolder jewelry. Think I’ll start a trend?

I ended up having an extra day in Bangkok at the end of my tour because of the airline schedule – there was no way I could have gotten from the train station to the airport in time, even if I had wanted to step off a thirteen hour train ride and onto an eleven hour flight! My plan for the day, when I expected to be on my own, was to take advantage of the hotel amenities and have a massage and hang out by the swimming pool and just relax.

What really happened is that, happily, my roommate decided she’d like to stay in Bangkok for a day herself so I added her to my hotel room. She had a massage while I had a body scrub and pedicure and then we went to Chinatown – so glad she had a guide book because it never would have occurred to me otherwise!

(Click any image to enlarge)

We had to ask a couple different tuk-tuk drivers before one agreed to take us to Chinatown for a reasonable price. Once I saw the traffic in this part of town, I understood why!

Won’t you take me to… C-H-I-N-A-T-O-W-N!

It was an amazing place – sort of like walking through a street carnival.

You could get just about anything there, from evening bags to spare parts. It also seemed to be the wholesale market for the souvenirs for the rest of the city – there were times when one of us wanted something but the item was only sold in bulk!

Chilis anyone?

We walked around the warren of streets for about an hour – and probably only saw a tiny percentage of the entire district. More amazing still was how few foreigners were there. It seemed that everyone else was just there doing business.

After Chinatown, we got out the trusty guide book again to decide where to have dinner – and ended up wandering to a restaurant down near the river.

The restaurant was open air and the food was so nicely presented. Why don’t my dinners at home ever look so attractive?

We sat there for ages, just chatting and laughing, before we took one last stroll through the madness of the night market. All too soon it was time to go back to the hotel and get my bags organized for my early morning departure.

I suppose it must go without saying that I had a fantastic time on this trip. Would I book such a tour again? Without a doubt, but with one reservation: with as much fun as I had in Thailand and the wonderful people I met on the tour (including our guide) this trip will be a tough act to follow!

We had a free day in Chiang Mai, before having to catch the night train back to Bangkok. My roommate decided she wanted to go and feed the giant pandas at the zoo, as suggested in her guide book, and I wanted to visit a ceramics factory just outside of town. We did both.

(Click any image to enlarge)

I’m always slightly dubious about going to a zoo in a foreign country – they aren’t always nice places. I avoided the zoo in Dubai and have yet to visit the zoo in Cairo, both depressing places from what I’ve heard. I am happy to say that the Chiang Mai zoo was a pleasant surprise.

The animals were much perkier than at some zoos I’ve visited. It was a lovely day which helped. It probably also helped that in some cases you were able to buy an animal appropriate “snack pack” and feed them.

The way to a hippo’s heart…

Really???

Who knew the zoo would be such an excellent monk stalking spotting place?

I’m no expert and don’t quote me on this, but I’ve been asked why it is some of the monks are so young. So far as I understand it, many Buddhist families will send one of their sons to be a monk for a period of time – a way for him to be educated and also be of service to their faith. Sort of a cross between Catholic boarding school and the army. Our tour guide told us that he was a monk for a while when he was younger, and left the monastery when he was 18. Obviously, based on the age range of monks I’ve seen, some also decide to stay.

As it turned out, we were not allowed to feed the pandas, but it was still nice to see one in person since not every zoo has one. I could however have had my picture photoshopped into a scene with a panda had I wished!

All the walking made us hungry, and who could resist this? (the description on the label reads: “This sandwich is delicious. We want you to try this sandwich”)

The sandwich was tuna salad and in fact was merely adequate, but I guess the label worked because we bought and ate it!

We made a quick visit to the showroom of the ceramics factory where we bought some lovely items and then had to rush back to the hotel to catch our train back to Bangkok.

Isn’t it great to be an unsupervised child?

Even monks need reading material for the train!

Tomorrow: my last day in Bangkok and Chinatown.

After our second overnight in the village, we took a little time after breakfast to pack our belongings in plastic bags, in preparation for the bamboo raft portion of our trip. I admit it: the muscles in my legs were screaming in pain having hiked up and down steep trails for five hours the day before so I was looking forward to a nice relaxing boat ride.

Little did I know!

(As usual, click any image to enlarge)

Preparing to set sail!

Yes – you see correctly: everyone is standing up! I was really nervous when I saw that because my backpack was more or less waterproofed with plastic bags, but my camera was still hanging around my neck! Our guide assured us it was safe, but having been swimming there the afternoon before, I knew just how deep and swift the current was near that bridge. What were the odds that five tourists standing on a bamboo raft for the first time in their lives *weren’t* going to capsize?

Judging by the group of villagers up on the bridge to see us off, they must have thought so too!

I suppose we could have seated ourselves if we had wished, but the air temperature wasn’t so warm and the raft not entirely buoyant – we were often ankle deep as we floated along. So I simply planted my feet for balance and kept a grip on the luggage rack for support. I was too intent on remaining upright to notice any discomfort in my leg muscles!

The scenery was beautiful and I soon began to relax. I wasn’t so much worried about getting wet myself, but I didn’t want my new camera to get dunked – but hey, that’s what travel insurance is for (right??)

I love the contrast between the location of this traditional home – Nowhere, Thailand – and the enormous satellite dish!

Who needs all the slats anyway??

Land ho! This was our rest stop, a place to stretch our (aching) legs and have a snack before we set off on the second half of our journey.

I had a quick granola bar and then amused myself taking pictures – of course!

This old guy was just relaxing in the shade, enjoying the spectacle of the tourist trade.

Before we set off again our guide instructed us to put our cameras away in a dry, secure place. The river had been fairly shallow and calm so far (only knee deep most of the way) but the next half had some rapids and there was more potential for getting wet, etc. Though I was mildly disappointed not to be able to capture that scenery with my camera, I happily complied. Better to keep my camera safe and I could use both hands to hold on!

In the end, we had to get off the raft once because we were hung up on a large rock under the water. The water wasn’t deep, but it was murky and there were many jagged, slimy rocks on the bottom that made walking treacherous. I was just as happy at that moment not to have my camera hanging around my neck since I was concentrating on not falling and fracturing my skull!

Another hour of rafting brought us to our destination – and lunch. Funny how standing on a raft for a little more than two hours can work up your appetite! After lunch, we loaded our bags and ourselves into a truck and took off back to our hotel in Chiang Mai – where we all promptly used up the hotel’s hot water by taking long, thorough showers!

Here I am, where the tshirt I bought for my husband because it was one of the few things I had that was still clean! Now that I’m home, it’s still mine because it’s too small for him. (Subconscious? )

We had one last group meal in Chiang Mai that night, all of us in high spirits for having “survived” the experience in the jungle. The entire scenario was totally contrived – a manufactured adventure – and yet I think we all experienced quite a sense of achievement all the same.

Tomorrow: a bit more of Chiang Mai and back to Bangkok.

(I’m almost done, I swear!)

If I was ever in doubt about what I packed in my backpack for the trek, I didn’t regret it after the first night camping in the village. It was cold! I slept in my clothes, a fleece pullover, fleece socks, and covered up with a fleece blanket and still I was chilly. It was nice to get up and sit by the fire in the morning!

We set off after breakfast. We had about a five hour hike ahead of us to get to an elephant camp where we would have lunch and then ride the elephants to the second village.

I was last in the line of hikers again, but it was probably because I kept stopping to take pictures. How could I resist?

About a half hour into our walk, I suddenly remembered that I’d left my bathing suit at the guesthouse in the first village. How lucky was I that we ran into these heroes who were willing to interrupt their plans (hunting??) to go and retrieve it for me?

What a spectacular view! The poinsettia was a colorful and seasonal touch

Five hours (and about 8km) later, we made it to the elephant camp where we had lunch. By then we were all more than happy to let the elephants do the walking!

They are softer than they look!

Elephants seem a lot bigger when it comes to sitting on one!

Since our elephant was in the front, this may be the only picture of my roommate and I with the elephant’s face – all others being taken by other riders but from the rear!

You wouldn’t think an elephant could walk down such a narrow trail, but they can!

I wasn’t ready to get off when we finally did arrive at the second village. Riding an elephant is fun!

Again, our guesthouse was simple and we all shared a room. I took this before the sun went down because it was pitch black at night!

A river near our guesthouse – otherwise known as our bathtub. It was COLD!

Certainly refreshing though!

Not surprisingly, my camera batteries died as we were touring around the village – but I still managed to get a few shots before the camera quit and the sun went down.

I’m so glad I got this shot before the camera gave up. Such a lovely expression.

Never fear though – I had more batteries in my bag!

Tomorrow: bamboo rafting and back to Chiang Mai.