Science Museum

Hi! I guess I forgot to mention in my post yesterday that we also went to the Science Museum for about five hours. It was cool!

We got tickets for a IMAX theater show called Secrets of the Pharaohs. But that was at 3:00pm, and this was 12-1:00 pm. The first exhibit we went to was the Web of Life. It wasn't really all that interesting. But the next one was my favorite, called the Mind's Eye. It was all these things about optical illusions. Pretty fun!

We also went to a little show thing before lunch. It was a balloon show. My favorite part was where there were two balloons-one inside of the other. One of the people running the show had a long pointy stick- one of the ones on shish kebabs, ya know? Well, she dipped the stick in some oil and inserted it through the knot on the outside balloon, and she popped the balloon that was on the inside without popping the one on the outside!

After that we went to get something to eat. We got to the resturant, and found out that it was 24 Singapore dollars (14.20 US dollars) each to eat! Luckily there was a cafe nearby where we got spring rolls and chicken nuggets for lunch, with a mango smoothie. After that it was time for the IMAX show.

I got popcorn, since mom didn't want any, and we stood in the line. Finally the doors were opened and we entered the theater. I was happy, it was my favorite kind of theater- one of the ones where the screen is the domed ceiling. The show was cool, it was about the ancient pharoahs of Egypt.

We went to a couple more exhibits after that, chemistry and DNA. There was also a little room where I looked at some Egyptian coffin thingys. After that we were tired, so we hit the road. I like learning about science!

Singapore

Hiya! Sorry it took so long to post, Mom and I just got back last night. Singapore was awesome! In case you have no idea what Singapore is, here's a brief history:

Originally Singapore was a tiny sea town in between two powerful nations. Singapore first became well-known when Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles arrived in 1819 to make the island town a bastion for the British Empire. From then on it prospered as a trade outlet for Southeast Asia and attracted large numbers of Chinese immigrants.
The good days of the Empire stopped suddenly when the Japanese invaded Singapore in 1942. For the rest of WWII, Japan ruled. Although the British were welcomed after the war, they did not last long. The socialist People's Action Party (PAP) was founded in 1954, and had a victory in elections in 1959. Singapore is now a city-country.

I quickly found out the main things Singaporeans do in life: eating and shopping. Shopping is probably the unofficial national sport.

Karen and her family were so nice. Her and her husband Chonz (like John's with a ch at the beginning) and their two-year-old son EJ, were great. EJ's nanny, Ling-ling, also stayed with them. The first day we didn't do much besides go to the Thai embassy to get our visas which we would pick up in three days, and go to a concert at the Asian Civilizations Museum. Since Karen and Chonz worked from 6am to 7pm, but didn't get home 'till 9:30pm because they had dinner with EJ's retired grandparents who had the babysitting job, we had the day to ourselves.

EJ was so sweet! They told him to call me Che-che (elder sister) Rachael and Mom Auntie Margie! I called him Seow tii-tii, little brother. Seow is pronounced like meow but with a s at the beginning. EJ is smart for his age and has very good talking skills. At one point we had a nightly ritual: I would lie on the bed with Mom or Karen at the other side making sure EJ didn't fall off and EJ would bounce and somersault. It was great.

During the weekend all of us hung out, Karen and I having fun on her computer game Mafia. We went shopping (of course), and did some stuff. We got around town using the MRT, Mass Rapid Transit. It's sorta like a subway train. Soon MRT's will be all over the country.

Singapore was a great place to be, but it was time to leave. I really like Karen and her family. They were so nice and are the best.

The Elephant ride (3)

Hi! Yesterday Mom, Kate, and I did a very exciting thing. You know the elephant riding thing that I went on twice, once with Dad and once with Kali and her parents? Well, I did it again, except it was a slightly different trip. We went to an elephant camp and saw a show, went riding on the elephants, then bamboo rafting, ox-cart riding, and last but not least an orchid and butterfly farm. I liked this one a lot better than the other ones I went on.

The elephant show was fun. The elephants did a lot of tricks. They danced to music, kicked a soccer ball (or football, if you don't use the term soccer), and even gave some people a massage with their trunks and feet! Riding the elephant was fun, too. We crossed a river, and went through the rain forest, and then turned around and came back.

The bamboo rafting was great! What I really liked about it was that there were little benches on the raft, and so we didn't get wet at all. It was very relaxing.

The orchid and butterfly farm was even better. The flowers were beautiful, all bright colors and smells. There was a stream there, too, with a little old-fashioned bridge made of wood. The butterfly's were in a separate netted-in room. There weren't many breeds of bright colors, but it was still cool.

I had a good time, and hope to go back there again.

Mom and Kate

Hey! Mom and Kate are here!!

Mom came in to Chiang Mai at around 4:45pm after her plane was delayed one hour, and she pulled up in front of our house at around 5pm. Kate, however, came much later after being stuck in a traffic jam and coming to her gate too late, then having to wait five hours before getting on another flight. She arrived at our house around 9:00pm. They literally collapsed into bed not long after.

The next morning I got up at around 8:30am. But Kate slept in 'till 11:00! We went out to what we thought was an umbrella festival, but it turned out that the umbrella festival was next weekend! So we went to an umbrella factory instead. Mom and I each bought an umbrella! And they were doing these really cool paintings on T-shirts, hats, and anything you have on you. After the factory we went home, and at around 6:00 we went to the Sunday market. I bought a T-shirt. It was very crowded, and after we got dinner we went right back and to bed.

I am so excited that our guests are here; I am sure that we will have a wonderful time together!

Coming soon: On Friday we are going on two separate trips since our visas are almost expired. Kate and Dad are going to Laos, and Mom and I are traveling to Singapore to visit our friend Karen.

Psychology

Last night, my dad and I had an interesting talk. We were talking about our planet. Dad told me that we are a zero-class planet. Class 1, the lowest of the three best, is where we use all the Earth's resources- oil, gas, wind power, sun power, wave power, lightning power... all that. Class 2 is where you use the Earth's resources and our solar systems, stuff like mines on Mars. Class 3, the highest, is where you do the class one and two stuff, but you use the universe- speed of light travel, visiting other solar systems....

Then the talk changed to aliens, and why we have never met them, nor they seek out us. I mean, what if there is a species and a planet similar to ours, but a million years ahead of us? Why haven't they come here? Well, I was thinking that maybe it's because they consider us inferior to them. If you could go anywhere, would you go here? No. Dad says there are three theories to that question. (1) Maybe they are living among us, we just don't know about it. (2), Maybe they have visited us, but the government is keeping it from us. And (3), maybe there are none out there. Number 3 is what my dad believes in. Maybe no planet ever gets past the point that we are at. Maybe they destroy themselves with the wars and such. Who knows?

I don't believe in any of those. In truth, I have never really thought of that before. I don't believe in God. I believe in evolution, but also in that the animals around us are just as smart as we are, we just let our own ignorance blind us. I don't really think highly of my own species right now. I mean, we're destroying the only things we have- our lives and the Earth we live on. Pretty soon we might absolutely kill our planet, and in doing so sentence ourselves to death.

But there still is some hope, hope that if we can finally grow up and stop being separate countries and having wars, and just share what we have, then we are moving on to the next step. The next step of life.

Doi Suthep

Hey! Dad and I just got back from Doi Suthep, the most famous wat, or church, in Northern Thailand. It is situated on top of a mountain, on a road that goes by beautiful scenery. On a clear day, you can see the glimmer of the gold buildings from my window.

When you get up the mountain, there are 300 steps up to the actual wat. There is a very big space up there, and in the building in the middle is where the main Buddha is situated. There you have to take your shoes off. You are supposed to wear conservative clothing, and not to display public shows of affection, the limit being holding hands.

Most of the buildings and other things in the wat have gold paint on them, although some things are actual gold. In the back, there is a beautiful view from a plateau overlooking Chiang Mai. You can also see the tree-covered mountains.

Dad and I just sat and read most of the time, after doing the homework our language teacher, Tuk (took), gave us. There was even a kitty that I got to hold on my lap for a while!

Thailand is, to me, a very spiritual place, most of that centered around the wats. Thailand really is a wonderful place.

Funny stories

I have been wanting to have a a post about funny stories that happened overseas, and this is as a good time as any! I might have told some of these stories before and forgot about it, so bear with me, ok? Here goes!

The Dog Incident. (Bum, bum bum...)

One time, we were driving home on the motorcycle when Dad suddenly yells out "Oh, my god! There's a dog driving that car!" I looked in front of us, and there is a minivan, with a dog's head sticking out the window! It really did look like the dog was driving the car, but since people here drive on the left side the driver's seat is on the left side, so the passenger seat is on the right, the side that in America drivers sit on. Get it?

First I'm a Church, Then a Squid!

Today when we were sitting in language class, Dad was trying to say "I have a cold." Cold is the word wat, which is the same as a church, but it is in a different tone, therefore meaning something different. Our teacher was trying to get him to pronounce it right, but he kept saying "I have a church." He realized this and changed it to "I am a church." Then he said that if he said that in public, people wound get offerings, kneel down, and start bowing to him! By now we were all laughing.
Then Dad told a story about how he had lived in Greece for a while, and two words in the language were very similar. One was "Good morning", and the other "Squid". he says that he was sure that, every morning when he would go out on the balcony and say "Good morning" to his neighbors, he would say "Squid! Squid!"

Kid's Minds Work The Same Way

One day in Israel I was at Shir's house. I was busy doing something, when he suddenly said from under a blanket
"Rachael, come find me!"
Of course I didn't know exactly what he said, since it was in Hebrew. I looked at him and answered in English
"I see you, Shir."
He said "It doesn't matter that you see me."
And I countered "Yes, it does!" Unconsciously, we answered each other like we spoke the same language, even though half the time we didn't know what the other was saying. Kid's minds really work the same, don't they?

Home

Hey! Today was a busy day. Up at 8:00, language class, the second breakfast, shopping, home, school, and finally free time. We got maps and stuff to hang on our wall, and a bunch of other things. That, along with the stuff we bought from the people that were moving out, makes our apartment feel at home. I am really happy here.

As I sit here typing this, I look out the window and see the rooftops being hit by the setting sun. I like this view, but the one of the mountains from my bedroom window is better. It's the end of the day, people are going home from work to their dinners, and everything (at least on my street) is quiet. I am at home.

Workouts

Wow, Dad's and my work schedule has really changed. Instead of getting up at 10:00, doing school/work, and hanging out for the rest of the day or going out, we have upgraded to getting up at 8:00, going to language classes at 9:00, doing a run around the National Park, and then going home and doing work/school.

Today was the first day of our running sessions. I am tired! Our goal is to build up our stamina while we're here by running on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So now my schooling has writing (my blog, stories, and journal), math, history (book about Thailand), music (my flute), P.E. (jogging), and language (classes). I am surprised!

Well, I have to go work on the other stuff I have to do. See ya!

Mom

Wow! I can't believe it's less than a week until my mom comes! I am so excited!

Mom is coming for a lot more time than last time, which was two weeks. This time she's coming for two months! She is taking me to Singapore to see our friend Karen Yoong. She is taking me to other places, we just have to see where we want to go. You know, at the exact same day (or so we think) my mom is coming, our other friend, Kate, arrives.

Then , on the first of February, my brother Eli is coming with his friend Dylan. Eli is studying International Relations in college, so he wanted to come out to really view it. Actually, he's studying relations in Russia, and he even speaks a little Russian, so I think we might be going to Russia.

I am so happy everyone is taking an interest in this trip, especially you readers out there. Thank you!

Language

Hello! Dad has finally signed us up for language classes!

We go to a school/organization where you can learn either Thai or English. Our class is a private class, just us and the teacher. Our teacher, Took, is very patient with us. We have learned a lot in the scant three days we have been with her.

Thai language is all tonal. If you say something in the high tone, it means something entirely different than something in the low tone. There are five tones. You know the song do, re, me, fa, so, la ti, do? Well, the lowest tone is do, middle re, and high me. The other two ones are slanting up from do to me, and slanting down from me to do. Everything is centered around re. If you lose re, you lose everything else because how the Thais judge do and me is like this- is this higher than re, or lower?

English is a strange language. We put the adjectives before the nouns, but in most languages the noun comes before the adjective. Thai is one of those. Suppose you want to say. "The red house." In Thai, you say "The house red."

Last night my father said something to me. He said "When you travel, you don't find out about where you are going. You find out where you are from." I think that that is entirely true. Seeing the world makes me realize that the English language and the English ways are amazingly strange. I hope I continue to learn all throughout this trip.

Trip Down South Days 4&5

The fourth and fifth day we just mostly went to National Parks. The fourth day we stopped by at the hospital for Bob to get a tetanus shot. Because he is deathly afraid of shots, he didn't get covered before we went on the trip, and because of the monkey incident we didn't want him to get a disease. He did very well with the shot, though.

We tried to go to a national park after that, but it didn't work out. There was this really high-pitched squeaky sound that hurt our ears. We didn't get very far when we had to turn back because it was really bothering us. After that we went home, and Kali and I went swimming.

Our last day, we did go to a National Park, but it turned out to be a rip-off. It said that there was a waterfall, but we walked all over and didn't find one. Apparently you might have to boat to a waterfall, or something. It stunk.

We tried to go to another one of those National Parks, one by those huge towers of rock and trees coming out of the land. There were even some out in the ocean. But we drove for a very long way, and we couldn't find it. We ended up going home.

Our flight to Bangkok was at 5:30pm. We flew to Bangkok, and there my Dad met us. There we also parted. I miss them so much, but hopefully we'll be getting together this summer. The flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai got delayed, so instead of flying out at 9:00pm, we flew out at 11:00pm. It was very annoying. Then, when we got to Chiang Mai, we could not catch a taxi until we had walked halfway to the house. We got to bed around 1:00am. Whew!

The trip was very fun, and it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for my friends and me. :)

The trip 'Down South' Days 1-3

Hey, guys! I guess It's been a little more than 5 days since I last saw you, eh?

Our trip was awesome! The first day was a day of traveling. We got on our first plane at around 8:00am, and came into Bangkok at around 9:00am* (The picture on the right is actually of Bangkok.). Then we had a long layover until 3:15, when we went on another hour-long flight to Krabi (crabby). then we had to figure out how to drive to the hotel in the rental car. The car was cool! In the backseat there were reading lights, air-conditioning vents, and even a panel that, when you opened it, opened into the trunk!

At the 5-star hotel (we couldn't get anything cheaper, because everything was full, and so we had to stay at a really expensive place) there was a minor problem about the extra bed that we wanted set up, but it was soon fixed.

The second day was fun! We walked and swam in the ocean for a while, and then Kali and I went and swam in the pool while the parental units went for a walk along the shoreline. I love water! Lunch was very good, we went to this non-touristy place that had wonderful food, and it was all hand-made from scratch- our fruit shakes even had flowers on the rim of the glass!

But it was the third day where we really did something. Bob and Sherri had rented a private boat to go on a tour to four islands instead of going on this jam-packed tour boat. The third island was cool. There were three islands in an L-shape, but it was turned so that the long part was going horizontal and the short part was going straight down from the right side. The cool thing was, when it was low tide you could walk all the way between the three on a stretch of sand without even touching the water! There was some snorkeling there, but the coral was all dead and the fish blended into the brown dead reef, so you couldn't really see them. My mask kept fogging up anyway!

The next island we didn't even go to, as it was very deep water and no shore, and since Sherri didn't want to go snorkeling without getting to rest on shore, we went on. Even though I half agreed with her, I wish we had stopped, even for just ten minutes, because that was supposed to be the really good spot for snorkeling.

The second island was fun, there was a beach, and we saw some of the rainbow parrotfish and other cool stuff. But it was on the third and last island that disaster struck. That was the island that we lunched on. First Kali and I found out that, despite putting on sunscreen numerous times, we still got sunburned. Poor Kali had it all over her back and shoulders, while I just got it on my shoulders. I wish I had gotten the worse sunburn, since Kali went through a very hard time. But that was not the only thing that happened! There were monkeys on the beach, and Bob the camera guy (:D) went to get a shot of them. They came closer to him, threatening. Then, a monkey suddenly bounded forward, and pushed him off the jagged rocks. He cut his hand and his foot pretty bad. Luckily Sherri, being a pharmacist, had brought neosporin and stuff to help him. And, since trouble always comes in threes, it started pouring down rain right then, so we went home. The first part of our trip was over.

*P.S.- I just wanted to let you know that the pictures are just background, and that all the real pictures from the time down south are on Bob's camera, and they left to go back to the United States when we got to Bangkok on our flight back.

Stuff

Hey! Sorry I haven't written in a while. We just went on a loop trip up in the north from Chiang Mai- Pai- Mae Hong Son- Chiang Mai. It was really great, although when we were in Pai it was New Years and we had to drive around for hours until we could find a place with two rooms for us- and even then it was $200. Oh, that reminds me- HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Mae Hong Son was fun, too, and we had no problem getting a place to stay.

There was a lot of driving in the trip, too, we didn't just teleport there or something like that. The last stretch of the trip we spent 10 hours in the car! Aah!

Oh, a reminder: I am going down south with Kali, Bob, and Sherri (Dad is staying home, lazy) for five days. Be sure to not forget about me, and expect good writing when I get back!