Blessings

Hi all....Deeds here,
It is 11am on Saturday morning and I have just caught up on the Blogs...starting from our trip to the old capital of Thailand ....through Christmas and New Years....to the conclusion of the Mens Junior World's Hockey.

So my first message is a public love-in for my husband.  Honestly, I could not have known how much I would appreciate hearing your narration of our life .....here in Bangkok and at home.  I am soooo relieved and grateful that you are happy, because it would have really sucked to read about how much you hated it here and/or our time together!! You may be a clever little writer, but you are no faker.  It would come through loud and clear.  I am blessed.

And I echo every sentiment written to & about our family and friends at home, and the time we spent with you over the holidays.  We are blessed.

My return to Bangkok and the office this week was good.  I did some work over the holidays to help prepare me for this week...and it paid off, big time.  The close of the week ended with, perhaps my most special authentic 'Bangkok moment' to-date.

In getting the Integration Management office set up and staffed, I started to put out feelers within the two Banks for 'up and coming stars' or established stars...talented people that would like to work on the Integration and help form the new integrated Bank...and who would benefit from the experience and exposure that it would provide.  Well I met a wonderful woman, Areeya and she starts this coming Monday.

So upon my return to work on Tuesday this week, she invited me to a sort of New Year party on Friday night. She explained that it was really a Celebration for Children (which she said we all are), with some of her colleagues and staff in her current job.  And as I am solo this week, and was so honoured to be invited...I say yes.  I arrive around 6:30ish and enter a private room of the restaurant, to find 14-16 ladies seated around a large dinner table (the kind with the inner lazy-susan for moving about and sharing food), who proceed to all stand and applaud as I walk into the room.  I was a little surprised to say the least, to learn that I was the guest of honour at their little party!  We then proceed to meet each other, which is fun in of itself because many do not speak any English (other than a few words that I will describe later)...so we pretty much smile, shake hands, bow...and giggle.  They proceed to order tons and tons of food...perhaps 15 different sorts of dishes end up on the table...many in multiples.  So good, so good to have others help you explore food!  Then they present me with a gift (large wicker elephant), in thanks for attending their dinner (really !?)..and then throughout the dinner proceed to draw names from a box for each person to receive a gift (sort of a silent santa.....only each time someone received a gift...the giver confessed to being the buyer and asked/hoped that the receiver liked it!).  And each time this was done, it was met with laughter and congratulations.  About mid-way thru the dinner, they fired up a TV and karaoke machine....and the girls around the table yelled out songs to be put on, and the mic was passed around.  Most songs brought the whole group up for dancing and clapping...and much more laughter.  Now in order for you to get the full force of this moment-in-time...in this small room with beautiful Thai women and girls (aged 20 to 60ish)...great food, wrapping paper strewn about, music and dancing...there is only pepsi and orange crush in the glasses on the table.  Perhaps that I mention it, it says more about me, than them.  So the thai music is playing and being sang...thoroughly enjoying myself...and too, feeling safe enough that I won't be called up on to sing, as I simply don't know the tunes.  But then comes The Carpenter's Close to You, followed by Country Roads...and I'm starting to squirm a bit.  And finally after much encouragement I take my turn at the mic and off we go with a fantastic frolicking rendition of .....Yellow River, Yellow River, is in my mind and in my eyes.....with me at the musical helm.  Now how long has it been since you have heard that little ditty.  Well (and I'm not kidding), they liked it so much (or wanted to laugh some more), that they put the same song back on and had me sing it again!  Lucky for me, they know all the words to these few English songs...so I never had to sing alone.

As the evening came to a close, the final names were drawn for gifts and somehow my name ended up in the box, so I also received a lovely wallet from Areeya's current boss.  And she said when she handed it to me that 'I get the gift of a wallet...and the gift of Khun Areeya'.  I thanked them for including me in this special evening...and then through tears, told them how much it meant to me to move to country where I did not know a single person, and to have the good fortune to now have them as friends.  They then went around the table and all tried to say some parting words to me, using only the English vocabulary they possessed.  Two simply said....I love you. 

Wow....this really was something else.  I am blessed.

And now in closing....and to save you the steps of looking it up yourself (cause I know you want to)...I include a link to the lyrics of Yellow River:  http://www.scarletpixel.com/songs/yellow/yellowriver.html

So long, boy, you can take my place
I got my papers, I got my pay
So pack my bags and I'll be on my way . . . to Yellow River

With lots and lots of love from,  Diane, Deeds, Dee-Dee...and finally Deedles xoxoxox