Phuket, March 22-26, 2011

We took the 70 minute flight from Bangkok to Phuket. The hotel transfer van met us with bottles of water and cold wash cloths that smelled a bit menthol, but refreshing. The Laguna Beach Resort was quite pretty, but the best part of the hotel was definitely the pool. It had a great slide and a cool sports area with basketball goals and water polo goals. The kids headed to the pool even before we could get checked in. We spent the afternoon relaxing along the beach, playing in the waves, going down the slide, and playing in the pool. We met a nice family from Pakistan. Jacob and Ali (age 14) hit it off, and we would end up hanging out a bit with them. (I kept wondering what it was like to live in Pakistan.) We had great phad thai at a local beach spot, and then had more Thai food that night at a beach restaurant called Tom Yam Goong.

On Wednesday, we went on a speed boat tour to Phi Phi Islands, famous for their soaring limestone cliffs and surrounding crystal clear waters. We got to visit all the sights including Viking Cave and Maya Bay, where "The Beach" was filmed. We snorkeled at Pi Kei Cove, played at Monkey Beach, had a picnic at Bamboo Island, and then snorkeled again at Mosquito Island. The Thai lunch was fantastic. Our guide was great, and we had a very nice group of 11 along with us. It is funny how we tend to meet nice couples from the UK on our adventures. This was no exception. We saw beautiful mountains and caves. Our favorite part was definitely the snorkeling. The fish were very colorful and would come right up to our faces. Matthew and Jessica enjoyed naps on the boat on the way home. ☺ This is the sign of a good day. Once we arrived back at the hotel around 5pm, the kids went straight to the pool. Do you sense a theme here?

On Thursday morning, we met the baby elephant Nina who lives at the hotel. She was so cute. We were amazed by how she could do “high 5” with her trunk, but we were more amazed to watch her cut and peel bananas with her trunk. Wow. We then went on elephant rides on an adult elephant, Cindy. The other elephant, Natalie, was sick, so we took turns with Cindy. This was very cool. We were pretty high up there for the bumpy ride. Our bare feet sat on her back to feel her rough skin. Afterward, we got to pet her and feed her bananas. We are really enjoying our animal adventures.

During our dinner on Wednesday night, the children had voted to stay at the hotel to play in the pool and the ocean on Thursday afternoon and Friday. This was very relaxing. We all enjoyed the slide. Phillip and Jacob played a lot of water basketball. We also had a family water polo match with the Ali’s family. It was a friendly game, thankfully! On Thursday night, we walked along the beach to the Sheraton Grand Hotel for a buffet dinner. The walk home was just lovely… the soft sand… the sound of the ocean waves. When I first arrived on Tuesday, the sound of the ocean was a bit scary to me as I thought about the tsunami in Japan. I was thankful that by Thursday, the ocean took on the peaceful sound in my mind again.

On Friday, we spent the entire day in the pool and in the ocean. We decided to spend our last evening at a restaurant called Lotus. We actually picked out our live lobster and sea bass that were cooked for us to eat. This really disturbed my big-hearted Matthew. He just didn’t wanted to think that we just saw these fish alive and now we were eating them. He was also disturbed when we left the restaurant to see that there were only 2 fish left in the fish tanks. Yikes. Interestingly, when we sat down to dinner, a 2 year old Russian girl (Sophia) came over to Jessica, hugging her and climbing up to sit by her. It was so adorable. The dad finally had to just take her away!

We had a 4:40am wake up call to make our flights on Saturday. I found myself excited to get back home. Our thoughts and prayers have been with Japan during the time we were gone, and we followed every detail on CNN, BBC, or NHK. It was time to go home.

We loved Thailand, and are very thankful for the opportunity to spend time together as a family and have another Maloney adventure!

Peace and Love.

Tina

Bangkok, March 19-22, 2011

We left early on Saturday, March 19, to take the bus to the Osaka airport. I must say that I was happy to be going away for a few days with my family. Yet, our thoughts and prayers would be with Japan the entire time.

We got to the airport a little early so Matthew was able to enjoy his udon noodles. This is a Japanese favorite! I could tell even at check in that we were going to enjoy Thai Air. This airline company is actually happy to have you flying with them, even in economy class! Every seat had its own “on demand” movie system. They quickly served drinks and meals to all of us. The service was fantastic.

We arrived in Bangkok 45 minutes ahead of schedule. The Bangkok airport was huge. We made it through customs, got our bags, and then found our van driver to head to the hotel. We stayed at the Four Points Sheraton on Sukhumvit 15. This location is very close to lots of shopping, restaurants, and BTS train service. We checked in and headed down the sidewalk, weaving our way through the “markets”. We got advice from local folks to eat dinner at a local “open air” restaurant called Suda’s. The Thai food was really good, and we ate 7 plates of food plus drinks for about $33.

On Sunday, we grabbed a taxi to go to the Grand Palace. Ahh. The fun began. The taxi driver kept telling us he needed us to help him by stopping at a government Gem Gallery. We reluctantly agreed. We had to walk around for 10 minutes. Then, the driver could take us on to the palace. He warned us not to listen to anyone outside of palace as people try to scam you. We took his advice. We were amazed to find see this huge, beautiful structure that was actually constructed in the 1700s and served as the official residence of the King of Thailand since the 18th century. Now, it is used for many royal ceremonies. We took off our shoes to go inside Wat Phra Kaew, the temple containing the Emerald Buddha. Many were on their knees in prayer. Wat Phra Kaew is the most revered Buddhist shrine in Thailand, and the Grand Palace is the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom.

We then took another cab to the weekend “Chatuchuk” market. Yes, you guessed it. We had to stop at another government shop for 10 minutes. We discovered that on Sundays the Government will give taxi drivers a coupon for free gas if they bring their passengers to their shops – lots of jewelry, tailor made clothing, and souvenirs. We finally made it to the market. Imagine over 35 acres and 5000 stalls offering everything from clothing and souvenirs to food to live animals! It was overwhelming. When we left the market, we found our way to the BTS train. This was much easier as it took us very close to our hotel without having to stop at another government shop!

After a quick shower, we went to the marina for boarding the Loy Nava dinner cruise. We enjoyed cruising along the Chao Phraya river. We saw how many families live along the river, using the water for bathing and washing clothes. We also some beautiful sights, including the Grand Palace majestically lit up. The food, service, and entertainment were just terrific.

On Monday, Phillip had to do some work, so we played at the hotel pool (on the top floor of the hotel), did some shopping, rode in a tuk tuk, and enjoyed Big Mama’s Pizza – the closest we have had to American pizza in a while.

We enjoyed this big city of 10 million people and did not find it as scary as I had feared. I think the key is to be aware and smart - put money and wallets in front pockets, take children by the hand. While I did always feel like people were trying to scam me, I never felt in danger for myself or for my family at any time. We would definitely recommend the trip!

Tuesday morning … Goodbye Bangkok. Hello Phuket!

Peace and Love,

Tina

March 12, 2011

We got up Saturday morning just after 6am to find our computers bursting with messages, positive thoughts, and prayers. We were overwhelmed by the love and support. We are so very blessed to have wonderful family and friends. I was also very touched by hearing from friends from high school and college...friends I haven't talked to in many years. We definitely feel the love across the world here in Japan. Thank you.

At this point, we learned that the Shinkansen was working on time, and that Hiroshima and Miyajima were untouched by earthquake or tsunami. We decided to go on the trip, though Phillip and I felt guilty. How could we go on a vacation trip while all these people are suffering? How could things go on as normal with all the devastation so close by? We knew that we could not physically go help right now. If we stayed home, we would likely watch CNN all day. We knew that we needed to continue to pray and ask others to pray. So, we left at 7:30am. The trip turned out to be a good distraction for a while.

The bullet train "Nozomi" was fun for the family. You don't have to go through a line at security. The seats are big. We turned a row around so that our family all faced each other. The train goes FAST - 300 kilometers per hour!

I found Hiroshima to be a very pretty city. We ate okonomiyaki (specially made the Hiroshima way). Then, we spent quite some time in the Peace Museum, where the history was detailed. There were many very sad displays, including pictures and items that belonged to those who died when the bomb was dropped. I found 2 sections to be incredibly emotional. First, there were 2 models that showed Hiroshima before and after the bomb. The entire city was destroyed except for an elementary school and part of a dome. To see this in model form was just awful. Another section had stories and personal belongings of innocent children who died: school clothes, lunch box with food inside that was completely charred, a sandal that still had a little girl's foot imprint. The stories were just awful... children burned to the point of no recognition, dying in agony, ... helpless parents. We walked around peace memorial park and stopped by the children's memorial to see the statue of Sadako. We talked as a family about peace in the world. This is the message of Hiroshima today.

                                                                    Hiroshimiyaki

                                             Cenotaph for the A-bomb victims

                                                            Peace Memorial Park

                                                        Atomic Bomb Dome

                                                 Sadako- Children's Peace Memorial

We took a train and a ferry to see Miyajima, a small island less than an hour from Hiroshima. Miyajima is most famous for its giant torii gate which at high tide seems to float on top of the water. The sight is ranked as one of Japan's three best views. While officially named Itsukushima, the island is more commonly referred to as Miyajima, Japanese for "shrine-island". This is because the island is so closely related to its shrine, Itsukushima Shrine, in the public's mind. Like the torii gate, the shrine's main buildings are built over water. The area was just beautiful. There are deer that walk around freely. You can pet them and take pictures with them. There are many shops and restaurants. Miyajima is famous for oyster season, so we, of course, had to eat them - grilled and fried. We took the train home. An exhausting day after an exhausting night. While we are glad to be able to see 2 very famous sights in Japan, we had a sick feeling in our stomachs all day. The best part of the day was just being together as a family and really appreciating time together.

That sick feeling continues. We have only been in Japan since July. Yet, this country is our home right now. We have developed such a great respect and fondness for the Japanese people. I hope that the world learns from the Japanese culture of honor, pride, and discipline even in the face of this horrible crisis. We feel so badly for the people of northern Japan. It is truly unimaginable that this can be happening just a few hundred miles away. We have actually heard several Japanese people compare the current disaster to that of Hiroshima - complete devastation. Yet, we can go on with life as usual? School... work...doing laundry.... going to the grocery store. It is frustrating to feel like we cannot help. We can help though. We must keep praying for those who have died, those who lost loved ones, those still trapped and trying to survive, and those who are working so hard with search and rescue and managing the nuclear plant emergency. Our financial donations will also be very important.

I cannot fully express my family's gratitude for your prayers, messages, and support. Thank you. Please continue to pray for Japan.

Peace and Love,

Tina

Emotional Day - March 11, 2011

Wow. Where do I begin? It has been an emotional weekend. I will separate my weekend thoughts into 2 blogs.

Friday, March 11, started out as a usual morning. I was making lunches for the children while they ate breakfast. We talked about plans for the day and weekend. But, March 11 has special meaning for our family as it marked the 5th anniversary of Joe Maloney's death. Phillip called his mom. We all miss Grandpa very much.

I spent much of the morning and early afternoon preparing an emergency kit for our family. There was a class earlier in the week that talked about how to prepare for an emergency, so a friend and I decided to get these done right away. We shopped in the morning, and then put everything into bags after lunch. I was just headed out to exercise when I stopped to check my email on the computer in the breakfast room. I heard creaking noises, like someone walking really hard on loose hardwood above me, and beside me, .... I felt like I was swaying. I looked at the chandelier. It was swaying. I saw the door moving back and forth, back and forth, and then I heard doors slam. The movement continued for what seemed like a very long time. In reality, it was probably 4-5 minutes. I called a friend, and asked, "Is this an earthquake?" Phillip called from P&G to check in. My text started beeping as a set of 9 friends were talking over text about what we were learning, how scared we were, and what we should do. I felt sick. 

Fortunately, my friend Megan (with whom I made the emergency kit) was volunteering at the school. She was sending us texts of what was going on there. The kids were in "duck and cover". They were given the all clear, and then they went back into "duck and cover" during an after shock. After the next all clear, the kids were dismissed at 3:25pm normal time. I called Jacob to tell him to get his brother and sister and come home together. Matthew called me in tears and asked, "Mom, are you ok? I heard the Entente (our apartment building) was moving. Are you ok?" I reassured him and asked him to stay with Jacob and Jessica. Our dear friend Megan had about 25 kids walking home with her as she was the only parent there at the time that was heading our way. The kids arrived to find that the elevator was stopped for safety. They walked up 27 flights of stairs to our apartment. These hugs were the best ever. We were so very happy for this reunion.

I had turned on CNN via Slingbox. I could not believe my eyes. 8.9 magnitude earthquake? 8.9? Now, the tsunami. The after shocks continued. This poor city of Sendai, the closest city to the epicenter. A city of a million people. Devastated. The airport under water. Sendai Airport. Sendai Airport. My son, Jacob, along with his entire 7th grade class, was in that airport 3 weeks ago in route to the annual ski trip. Sendai airport. I felt sick again.

We were pretty much consumed by CNN the rest of the evening. We realized that the US would be waking up to this news, so we sent emails to family and friends. I updated my Facebook status.

In January, our family planned a trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima for this Saturday, March 12. This is the only weekend without middle school sports except for the spring break. So, we bought our tickets for the shinkansken (bullet train) and trolley/entrance fees for those 2 areas. In preparation for the trip, I had been reading a book called Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes. We needed to finish the book on Friday. So, I read just before dinner. Sadako was 2 years old when the atomic bomb hit Hiroshima. She was a very active little girl, and a very fast runner. But, at age 11, she developed leukemia. Sadako wanted to make 1000 paper cranes so that the gods would heal her. She died at age 12. Our book said that she did not get to the 1000, but her friends finished these and buried the cranes with her. (Other accounts said that she did actually finish the 1000 cranes.) This was a very sad story to tell on what had been an emotional day already.

All 3 kids came to lay in bed with me. Our night came as the US morning began. We started getting calls, email messages, FB messages. I worked to communicate on the computer for a while, as Phillip fielded calls and sent out messages as well. No one slept very much that night. Phillip and I continued to follow the news throughout the night. We felt additional after shocks. The children were restless. It feels so surreal. There is so much tragedy right now just a few hundred miles away from us. We have felt the earthquake and the after shocks, and we have been scared. But, we are ok. No damage. No injuries.

We have found the people here in Japan to be very kind and caring. We continue to pray for all those affected by the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear power plants. They need our prayers and our support.

March 11, 2011. Another day we will always remember.

Peace and Love,

Tina

Cool Japanese experiences - March 9, 2011

Over the past couple of weeks, I had the opportunity to enjoy some very cool experiences in Japan.

There is an organization here called "CHIC" which stands for Community House & Information Centre. This group offers a number of opportunities to help folks settle in and enjoy Japan - coffees, trips, furniture sales, cooking classes, Japanese language classes, and even a grocery store tour! I enjoyed our recent trip to Kitano Tenmangu. To what, you might ask? Geisha and maiko (the apprentices) host "Nodate" (an outdoor tea ceremony) beneath the plum blossoms during the Baika-sai, which takes place at Kitano-tenmangu Shrine each year on February 25. Basically, we get to go to a temple, see beautiful plum blossoms, and wait in a very long line to have Geisha and maiko serve us tea during this once per year event! We took the train to Kyoto and a taxi to the temple. I could smell the plum blossoms from the street before we got to the temple. We entered the gate and got in line with about 700 of our closest friends. I enjoyed taking pictures of the pink and white plum blossoms and looking at the various people who were there. Alas, it was our turn. We sat on our knees to enjoy the traditional tea ceremony. I was intrigued just looking at the Geisha and wondering about their decision to follow this career. Then, we walked around the temple sale searching for treasures.

On Saturday, February 26, our family headed out on the train for Arashiyama (western part of Kyoto) to visit Monkey Park. Located in the Arashiyama mountains, the entrance to the monkey park is just south of the Togetuskyo Bridge. We hiked uphill for about ten minutes, and then we found an open area with over a hundred monkeys roaming freely. The views of the city were spectacular, but the monkeys kept our attention. There were very specific rules for visitors that we read on the internet and that we got with our tickets: 1) Do not stare the monkeys in the eyes, 2) Do not touch the monkeys. 3) Do not feed the monkeys outside. Ok. Got it. However, outside, there was a board posted with a 4th rule: 4) Do not make load outside. Excuse me? Not sure about that one! We walked around and took pictures. Then, we went inside a building where we could feed the monkeys through a cage. Most were gentle, but a few of them were pretty anxious to grab that apple! I was fascinated looking at their hands, which looked so much like human hands. We went up to a different area where the monkeys looked younger and were running around and playing. This was very fun to watch. They wrestled like normal human siblings. :) As were getting ready to leave, a strange thing happened. The kids headed down to a playground. Phillip and I leisurely walked behind them. All of a sudden, a monkey stared at me and started following me. I made Phillip walk between us, but little monkey dude kept following and staring. I must have reminded him of an old girlfriend! Phillip and I stepped up onto the slide platform. Then, he stepped right up there with us. So, I went down the slide to escape! Thank goodness my bottom fit. The slides in Japan are very skinny! The monkey then walked down the hill to get closer to me. Where is a monkey ranger?!?! Phillip stayed right by my side. Finally, after a very long 7-8 minutes, the monkey walked away. Yikes!

This past weekend (Thursday, Friday, Saturday), we had the opportunity to watch Jacob's middle school soccer team play in the end of season tournament. Jacob has played goal keeper on the A team all season and did so during the tourney. The team was undefeated for the season, but had a couple close games against Osaka. On Friday, the two teams tied. On Saturday morning, our overly confident team lost to Nagoya. This turned out to be the best loss ever. It fired the boys up to win the next game 9-0 and then win the final game (against Osaka again) 5-0. It was awesome to see those guys come together as a team. Go Falcons!

Until next time... Peace and Love,

Tina