One of those Days...

This is our attempt to copy some Chinese cutouts for Chinese New Year.  The fact that we had no red paper, rarely got the pattern right, and didn't hang them in the correct places feels very similar to today's futile errand run...

Friday I was booking tickets for our last travels before we return to Canada in May.  I got all the way through a long web site of progressive forms, only to be told that I couldn't complete the booking because traveler #1 (me) didn't have enough validity left on her passport.  As most other airlines' prices for a similar itinerary were double or even triple the price, and  because there would be the risk of entry refusal upon arrival, we decided to try renew my passport.

Only, our Christmas Day fiasco of having my bag snatched means that I lack the required pieces of ID necessary to apply normally... today was the day I had planned to go to the embassy and plead my case.  It took me a frustrating morning of 

filling in the forms electronically, 

battling a printer that insisted on jamming repeatedly, 

trying to take and prepare the required photos at home (with a really neat website that formats them for you) only to discover at the end the requirement is for professional studio pictures proved by a stamp on the back,

concurrently preparing to take the girls skating with the homeschool group...

(We had a fantastic time at the "rink": Jasmin got a free lesson from a bored attendant, and Grace stayed the entire 90 minutes on the ice skating and falling with the other 3 kids.)

 Then, skating reprieve over, we set off for the photo shop and the embassy. Of course, the walk in the heat, the wait for the photos, the uncertainty of finding the embassy still open made for some unwilling tag-along girls. We barely found it in time, arriving only a few minutes before closing time - only to be told that the services I needed were only open 9-12 in the morning! So, we treated ourselves to a taxi ride home instead of the walk-train-bus-bike route of our trip out.

Tomorrow I try again. First thing in the morning, without tag-alongs, picking up my bike along the way. At least now I know where to go....

This week has been an indoor week. Not for any particular reason - just the girls seemed to always prefer to stay in than go down to play. Perhaps the rough play time we had last week where it seemed like all their friends were being uncooperative in scenario after scenario put the girls off more than usual.
An indoor week isn't a bad thing... except it really highlights the facts of living in a small apartment!  Mommy is declaring war on some sloppy tidy up habits, or we shan't be able to live sanely.  Daddy is amused by the constant admonishments to tidy up, as he is content to ignore mess, but when the main room becomes a literal obstacle course of puppy and deer houses, play schools or museums, refuges from all manner of natural disasters... it gets really hard to ignore!
Still, I think we agree that the next place we look for must have a bedroom big enough for the girls to play in. That way the mess can be contained at least somewhat and Mommy's "mess stress" won't need to be constantly so high :o)

Week in Manila

Being in Manila for a week of meetings brought us some interesting thoughts and feelings as we are back on familiar ground that used to be home but no longer is.  Grace remembered much and enjoyed the familiar. Jasmin remembered some but with a fair about of confusion as to where events took place: "where we in Bangkok or Manila when....?" she asked a number of times. They most enjoyed being with "Ate Bubbles" who was kind enough to set aside the week to be with them while Mommy and Daddy attended meetings.
Mommy kept running lists in her head entitled things like "What we miss about Manila" and "Why we like Bangkok better." Since they never got written down, no one knows which is longer - probably a good thing :o) Definitely topping the list of return impressions is the sheer number of people here and the noise levels. Second would be the smaller conveniences of Bangkok living: tissue in public bathrooms (and no lineups! Which is important when out with kids, who always seem to wait for the last minute), crosswalks that cars (and pedestrians) more or less obey, street food available just about everywhere...
The flip side of those things are the larger ones like shopping in Manila is so much better, easier, and usually cheaper and it is a delight to hear Christian music wafting out of many of the stores in the malls as well as be able to find Christian materials easily.  And, of course, we sure miss working out of a bustling office of friends!
But when all is said and done, home is the best place to be, whether it is in Manila, Bangkok or anywhere else.  We are glad to be going home.
And Daddy?  This week was a fairly tough week for him, so he didn't have much thought to spare for city comparisons - dash, but he did comment on the noise level and number of people.

Other Christmas Activities

First came Christmas caroling on the river with our church.  Here the kids are singing "kid carols" and keeping time with bells.

The only thing Jasmin really cared about for a good long time was her rainbow candy cane, which she immediately totally unwrapped.  But not to eat, just to admire! Unfortunately it got dropped and shattered before she actually ate it.  The replacement one stayed wrapped - and didn't get eaten for weeks, a rare occurance for candy in our family. 

There also was a karaoke challenge at the end of our caroling cruise on the river: how many languages could we sing a carol in?  Michael persuaded Mommy to offer a song in Khmer. She agreed, on condition that she sing along with her iphone :)

It was a little odd to be singing Christmas carols coasting past temples and palaces of various other religions.  It felt rather declarative: "Joy to the world, the LORD has come!"

Grace was in her element: lots of friends young and old to hang out with :O)

We made a coconut cracker village in the place of a gingerbread house.  This candy lasted only a few days :o)  But the fun was all in the making.

 And Daddy took extra time to do science experiments with Jasmin (and Grace couldn't keep away of course!) and teach Grace to ride her bike without training wheels.

Ocean World!

We had saved the "opening" of this Christmas present until some friends could come with us, so when we went this week, the girls were seriously hyped for it.  

 The waiting while membership forms were filled out and cards issued was most difficult. It was not made any easier by the staff dressed as rays, otters, etc. that the girls were afraid of instead of fascinated - that is, until they met the penguin.

Once inside, Grace, Jasmin, and their two friends were off like a shot - but it was not hard to keep track of them since they had loud, excited comments about everything!

 

Jasmin had spent most of the way there "writing" a list of animals that they wanted to see.  I think they actually saw all of them, though we can't exactly check the list :o)

Apart from the animals, some highlights were watching fish feeding:

Feeding the rays

diver feeding the fish

posing with the diver

And the fun at the exit of pretending to be swimming on camera:

 I think the membership will give us lots of fun this year! Thank you NiNi & Yea Yea!