Moore about us!

Hi Everyone
Sorry its been awhile since our last update. We seemed to be settling in and we had our first weekend at home. It was really nice. The Mister was home and we took the boys swimming both days and just hung out. Friday we took the boys to dinner with 2 other couples and their kids.It was a lot of fun. One couple was from Cyprus and they have been us citizens for over 20 years. The husband Nicos is in the army and he is with AFRIMS. He had a PHD in something to do with viruses studies....and then we started to drink margaritas and all I heard was blah blah blah with a very think accent. The other couple is from here. The wife is Thai and the husband is from Maine. They have lived here for 10 years. Wife studied in the US before that. Then we had more margaritas and all I heard was more blah blah blah. Both women did not drink. We are having dinner again this Friday with out kids. I guess I did not scare them away with my drinking. They were alot of fun or at least it seemed like it after 2 pitchers of margaritas.
The Cyprus family that we met moved into our building about a week ago and they have a son Tanner's age and a daughter in 10th grade. Joy and I have gone out a couple of times to shop and we have plans all next week to see more of the shopping areas. We are going to China town hopefully on Monday. We went to the fruit market and flower market on Wednesday. The fruit was amazing and it was very inexpensive. I also bought a plant for my patio....no seriously I did. I know right!! It only needs to be watered once a week. So I am thinking it stands a chance of surviving. I will take a picture of it for proof. When the boys came home they thought someone made a mistake and delivered it to the wrong house. They are taking bets on when I will kill it.
I have news on our shipment....and its not good. I called our GSO housing and finally got someone that speaks English and they told me our stuff would be here September 15Th. What!! It's not even here. They will call me Tuesday to let me know if it arrived. Maybe 2 weeks after that! I got a hold of someone from the moving company. I called them. I could tell when I told her who I was she did not want to talk to me. Not a good sign. I explained to her about unanswered e-mails and how we left June 16Th and blah blah...put me on hold and came back two minutes later and said it was suppose to be here September 15Th. WHAT??? Did not tell her I already new. She was talking and I told her to stop talking that I had a stack of e-mails and nothing she said matched up. They told me it would arrive on August 24Th and the truth was it did not leave until the 24Th of August. She did a lot of back pedaling and apologizing. Told her it did not matter that they were horrible people for knowing and not answering e-mails and lying. I also let her know that she made 4 boys very unhappy and really laid it on thick. I think I told her 3 times total to stop talking!! Told her didn't matter what she had to say. Bottom line is they lied and its not going to change the fact that it will be another 3 weeks until we have our things. When I got off the phone Tanner looked at me and said "I bet you made her cry!! Good for you mom, how would she like it if she didn't have her xbox for 3 months!" That's my boy!!
The Mister will be taking the boys on a tour of the USS Lincoln on Saturday. Its at the port were our stuff is suppose to be. The Embassy put it together and they handle transportation. The boys are very excited. Its about an hour and half away. Total boy thing to do on a Saturday. I am going with my friend Joy to an Expat fair at Bumrungrad hospital. Happens to be right across the street form us. They will have over 70 vendors and a Thai craft show there. They have it every fall its suppose to help people living abroad get information on clubs to join and places to visit, health care and lots more. Total girl thing to do on a Saturday. Did I mention the boys will be gone all day!!
Well I am off to bed. Boys are off school tomorrow again. Another Thai holiday.
Melissa

Moore Bangkok Info

Hi everyone
Sorry its been awhile. Our Internet has been really weird the last couple of days. Not sure if its due to all of the activity in Bangkok. They are still protesting even though there has been a State of Emergency declared. So far we are not affected by any of it. The union workers here are supporters of the PAD. Peoples Alliance for Democracy. They have threatened to strike. It will affect public transportation, water, electricity etc.. Possibly the boys school will close. Of course if that happens it will push me over the edge!!! I can take no electricity no water but not with 4 boys home!!
Now they have the people who support the government protesting and fighting with the PAD protesters and people are starting to die in the confrontations. So they are closing parts of the city. I have seen nothing in the streets. Just stuff on the news.
Anyway we have been very busy. The Mister has been traveling alot and is not home very often. He will be around this weekend and that makes the boys happy. They are going to do boy stuff and leave me to my girl stuff.
Last Friday Tanner had a sleep over at a friends house and we got invited to have dinner over there. Keegan and Conner and I met Tanner over at his friends. On the way over in the taxi Keegan spotted and elephant on the street and yelled out t-nee elephant and scared the taxi driver half to death. T-nee elephant means stop here elephant! So we got out to walk closer to it and Conner was terrified and fascinated at the same time. We were 2 inches away from it. He was huge. We watched it for awhile and then started to follow behind it. Conner started freak in out and did not want to be behind it in case it farted. He was so serious about it. He said he did not want to be covered in elephant farts. We had run to get ahead of it. We had a really nice time at dinner and she also had a boy Keegans age and a girl Conner's age. Nice to meet more people that live in the city.
Saturday the boys and I took of to the mall to meet up with Jordan to give him money to see a movie with his friend that he spent the night at. Then we decided we did not want to hang at the mall and took off for Lumpini park downtown Bangkok. It was amazing. They have a little lake were you can rent a paddle boat that looked like a swan. So off we went....sometimes it is good to not know whats around you and sometimes it would help to be informed. Tanner and I pedaled and Keegan and Conner steered. Keep in mind its about a 100 degrees. Conner and Keegan could not agree on which direction to go and Tanner and I were pedaling away the whole time. We came up on a huge frog which we started to chase around the pond. Great boy fun!! Until we noticed something was bumping us on the bottom of the boat. Conner thought maybe it was the frogs dad and he was "pissed" his words. Nice right. I am so proud!
Anyway he said he was "pissed" because we were chasing his son. (frog) So we decided to head to the other side of the pond. I noticed a log sticking out of the pond and the boys started to freak out about an alligator. "no its a stick you ding dongs" Don't forget the 4 of us our trying to sit in this little paddle boat all together no life jackets and I am trying to calm them down. They do not have OSHA here. So we go closer to show them and they really start freak in out and finally Tanner points out that there is a giant lizard in the water!! Oh #@$%!! No wonder Conner has a mouth like a trucker. Then we saw several large lizards on the grass and in the water. Conner starts screaming convinced we are going to die! Tanner and I start pedaling faster to get back to the dock. Conner jumps out trying to ask the Thai man what the lizards are. He is way to busy laughing at us to explain to Conner that they wont eat us. So he told us to walk around and we would see more of them. Great thanks for the info!! We got pretty close to them and they didn't seem to mind. I am guessing they would have said something...haha.
Sunday was pretty quite. Swam most of the day and hung out at home. Still waiting for our shipment. It was suppose to arrive August 24Th. It can take up to 3 weeks before they contact us. That will make it over 3 months since they packed it up. Someboys gonna hear about this!! If the union strikes it might take alot longer.

Update on our poll... IT was Conner that lost it first. A man at the park kept trying to reach out and touch his head and pat him on the back and he asked him to stop and leave him alone. Then he turns to me and says "I don't want strangers to touch me anymore" Thats my boy!! If I ever had any doubt he was switched at birth that cleared it all up.
Hope you all are doing well and we would love to hear from you.

Moore mid week info

Hello everyone
Just thought I wuld send a midweek update. So far its been a busy week. Monday morning went to the school for a PTA welcome meeting. Always and adventure when you take a taxi. Mondays taxi was very eventful. Very happy Thai mand picked me up and only new one english word. "ok" 35 minutes of "ok". Got me there in one piece and that is really the goal in my travels. After a 2 hour long PTA meeting I was ready to go home. First I had to walk about a mile and a half to get Keegan's glasses fixed. HE stepped on them over the weekend. Not as easy as going to Costco anymore.
Headed back to Bangkok in an uneventful taxi.
Boys get home around 3:30PM. Lots of homework and snacking when they get home. Our maid, Khun Nguyen that we hired starting cooking for us this week. She is amazing. It is like going to a resturant every night. The boys really like her. She is trying really hard to get to know them. They must be getting more comfortable with her because they are starting to walk around in their under wear. They look for her now when they get home. They ask her right away whats for dinner. Tonight she made Yakisobi with chicken. Yummy.
Tuesday I went to the Embassy for the SOS tour. I took my first one a couple of weeks ago. Its designed for spouses and they show them how to use the sky train and the shopping in and around the Embassy. We have 4 compounds that we can go to and each one offers something different. We also have a medical facility in a building next to the Embassy. I signed up to start leading the tours. You usually go with another person so it will take me a little while to get it all down. In case I want to get a job someday its good to be at the Embassy meeting people. (I just put that part in incase the mister reads it.)HEEHEE
When we were having lunch there was people moving about and everyone seemed to be talking about leaving. I guess while we were on a tour the group PAD started to take over parts of the city. They told us we should probably go home and check in with our kids schools. I get text messages from ours if there is a problem. We were not really affected by the protest. The boys school cancelled after school activities and made sure everyone that lived down town got home on time. Not sure where the protest are from where we live but I have not seen anything. Last I read on line about an hour ago they were still at it.
So Tuesday was a short day and we just stayed in all night.
Today I took off for a meeting at the boys school. Again antoher taxi ride. Really wierd guy. I need to learn how to say "dude don't touch me" in Thai. I sit in the back and he kept wanting to touch my hand. Not sure what he was saying but pretty sure by the kissy faces he made he wanted a big kiss.I think he understood by the end of the ride he was gonna get a big kick in the ass if he didnt stop!!! Since I arrived here people just want to touch us. They say lucky alot when they talk about the boys. Please send hand sanitizer if you send us a box. Using it alot!!! Really don't like to be touched in a normal situation but when its hot and humid and people are touching you. Ewww!!!
So an update on the street food we ate.....nobody tossed their cookies!! Thanks to everyone who voted. Boys thought it was kinda cool. Even though not everyone voted. They would also like to see more messages. Yeah I am talking to you!! Wendy Sheila Sharon Mindy Helen Mom Dad Gayle and the list goes on and on. AJ you have been great!! You win Our blog award. You win time in Thailand now buy your ticket and get over here. You to could win time in Thailand. Free lodging is also part of it. I will even throw in some street food!
Blog you later.
Melissa

Moore weekend outings

Hi Everyone
We had a really good weekend. Things are definitely getting better. Friday we took the boys to the BBQ at the Embassy. They hooked up with alot of their friends and played basketball and ate ribs all night. Then we took them for a walk to the night bazaar. The boys loved it. There was alot to look at and we stayed for a couple of hours. Got home pretty late. Boys were exhausted and dirty. It was about 93 degrees all night with 100% humidity. We are slowly getting used to it. Water is my new best friend.
Saturday we took them to another BBQ at the misters partners house. They swam for hours and ate alot of really good Thai and Vietnamese food. Again I met more people with really good info about Bangkok.
Today we let Jordan hang out with his friends. We all took a taxi over to J's friends house to meet his parents. They also live in Bangkok. It was very interesting to see an actual house here. Everyone we know lives in a apartment building. So the plan was he would hang out there then James mother would take them to mall to an Internet cafe and do a Little shopping with 3 friends. Seems normal right? Well it feels weird to let him do it all by himself in Bangkok. The mister and I had Jordan and Tanner take the orientation class at the Embassy on safety when we first got here and he did great. Even took a taxi home by himself. He is really doing well here. Very into school and all that it has to offer. He is even talking about college and what he wants to do when he gets there. So nice to have him back!!
After we left there the mister and I took the other three to a shopping area in North Bangkok. Called Wood street. Alot of hand made wooden things. Another place I need to get back to without the boys. You will notice in the pictures they don't look so happy. It was very hot and humid. The mister had us eat at an outdoor food vendor. The food was really good. So we will see. Make sure you weigh in on our poll question.
Heading to the school tomorrow for a PTA meeting and talk to Conner's teacher. He has an oppurtunity to take a class to help him with reading and writting. He is very excited about the teacher he is from Australia. Hopefully the teacher will be able to get him excited about reading. He is doing better but would rather have his brothers read to him.
Blog you Later
Melissa

Moore whining

Hi Everyone

I have had a lousy week!!! Now you get to read my whining!!! So I no longer have that "I am on vacation feeling". We are trying to settle in to our new routine and I am really struggling. I think if it wasn't for the fact my boys are loving their school and seem to be thriving here. I would throw in the towel and head home!! How ever a very beautiful country and fascinating culture as this may be I am so far out of my comfort zone its painful!!
A couple weeks ago is was "so far out of my comfort zone its comical" Oh how things have changed!!
Okay lets start with Monday. So this is going to sound pretentious and you might think suck it up cupcake after I am done telling you this but keep in mind this is a very different culture and things done here are not always a status thing but culture and a way of life for everyone here.
Having said that.....The Mister (Paul) and that is how I am going to refer to him until he stops being an A$$! Its also what he is called here. Mister not A$$.
We hired a part time maid a week and half ago. She was going to help with the cleaning and shopping and make meals. It was very inexpensive to have this done. So she is here Monday-Thursday the first week and after the first couple of days tells me she does not want to cook and shop. I say okay and suck it up and think no big deal I can figure it out. Well guess what I can't. Boys are hungry and they are tired of me "trying to figure it out" Not so easy when you can't read the label to what you are buying and you are trying to go off the picture!!!
So the mister and I start talking about letting her go and hire someone else. Well that part worked out okay and we found this really nice women. Khun Nguyen. But I had to let the other one go. Awkward!! Again I know boo hoo. Well its the most uncomfortable feeling to have someone work for you in that capacity. It just doesn't seem right. She is amazing and does a great job. I just need to get over it.
So that brings me to Tuesday. I made an appointment to get my hair done in a salon in our building at 7:30AM. Do to my lack of ability to speak Thai I am now a brunette!! Same Same does not mean fix blond highlights. Apparently means brown brown. Although the mister likes it! Well as long as he is happy!
So Wednesday I got locked out of our condo for 2 hours by our maid!! Could not get anyone to understand crazy white lady needs a key. No matter how many hand gestures you make and how loud you speak they did not get it. Went by the pool and waited. Now dealing with a sunburn. BOO HOO
So Thursday....again my Thai is not so good tried to take taxi to US Embassy, he took me to the British Embassy and then when said no wrong one he then took me to the Japanese Embassy. Must have been my dark hair!! Took me an hour but I made it there!!
So since it has taken me a couple of days to write this it doesn't seem that bad. Things could be worse. Walking through the streets and seeing how everyone is the same same (found out it does not mean brown brown) just trying to make a living and raise a family for some reason has made me less frustrated and I have focused on moving forward. No longer want to move back home. For now. We will see how next week goes.
Okay so now for some funny stories. So I finally made it outside to run. I run along the Klong (canal) by our condo. I was running along and brushed up against a bush. Didn't think anything of it trying to watch my step, the boats and the people listening to my ipod and then I noticed something on my shirt. A Freak in gecko!! At the time it looked like a Como do Dragon!! So with peeps watching I lost it and started doing the freak out dance. That's apparently what I do in these situations. When I was telling the boys what happened they asked if I did the freak out dance. Anyway I won't be doing any running there anymore. Mostly because I am sure the people that work there will recognize me.
I know your thinking couldn't get any funnier than that right. Well it gets better. After that I decided to go swimming. Well I started doing laps and some where along the way my hair scrunchy came off and when I came up on it I thought it was some giant bug in the water and couldn't get away fast enough. Well of course someone was out cleaning around the pool and I tried again to explain with hand gestures and loud voice "big bug" . Yep they were laughing when they pulled it out of the pool.
We did have fun Friday night at the Marine House at the Embassy. We took the boys to a BBQ there. They love hanging out with the Marines. Lots of kids to play with and you meet lots of nice people in the same situation you are in. Saturday we took the boys to a pool party at the misters partners house. They boys had fun and that seems to be the focus for us right now. We just want them to be comfortable and start feeling like this is home.
I also wanted to let everyone know we love the messages you have been sending. Thank you some much AJ for getting me some stalkers. I will be better about updating now that I know peeps are reading it.
The mister will be traveling most of the week and thtrough the weekend so the boys and I are planning some site seeing. Hopefully we will get more pictures posted soon.
Miss everyone
Melissa
Oh and mister has stopped being an A$$, but I am keeping the nick name!!

Moore Thailand Site Seeing

We have had such a busy week!! Tanner turned 13! WOW. Thanks to everyone that called and left him messages. He loved that. He went on a trip with his school overnight to the Rose Garden. He had a great time and met alot of new friends. Yes, most of them are girls.
We took him out to dinner on Saturday with some of his friends and their parents. He loved it. Mostly because he brought the girls. He told us between the trip and dinner it was a really fun birthday. AHHH!!
On Sunday I took the boys to the Grand Palace. It was amazing and overwhelming. It was very hot and we had to cover our legs when we went in. So we had to put on some of the clothes you can rent there. We hired a guide to take us through it and he definitely earned his money with the boys. They asked alot of questions and impressed him with the Thai they have learned. I am sure they will want to go back soon.
Another busy week ahead for all of us. I am taking the boys to get their hair cut tomorrow at the JUSMAG. It a part of the Embassy where the Marines are. They are pretty excited. I am excited because the hair cuts are about $1.50. Oh and there should be a lot of men in uniform there...:-)Friday we are having dinner at the Marine house with the boys. They are having a BBQ with a live band. Lots of kids to play with and plenty of drinks for the parents. Then Saturday we are going to try and do the Dusit Zoo in Bangkok.
Oh and wish me luck I am getting my hair done. There is a place in our building I am going to try. Luckily there was a women getting her hair done that spoke English when I was trying to make my appointment. She was able to tell them what I needed. Lets hope they remember when I get there tomorrow.
Moore updates later....
Melissa