Dolphin Bay, Feb 07

Some video from our week of vacation this past February. We stayed at a place called Dolphin Bay which was a family resort on the Gulf of Thailand just south of Hua Hin. Lots of kids there. Lots of swimming. And lot of fun.

My wife made me wear the dork helmet while we rented motorcycles. And yes, I am not that proficient on one, although I quickly figured out what I was doing.

Seeing the pink dolphins really was pretty cool, and very unexpected. They were much more impressive than the monkeys.

I got to play golf one morning, and we had massages one afternoon, but other than that it was all swimming and beach time. And we ate a lot of seafood.

Ocean Park HK video

Ellie had to have a little bit of minor surgery done while we were in Hong Kong, so her reward for being so brave was a day at Ocean Park. We debated about going to Hong Kong Disney, but after reading about some of the problems they have had there, as well as the long lines, we decided against it. I think we made the right choice, because we definitely couldn't have had a better day. We had a blast! We rode the Log Jam ride, a roller coaster, ferris wheel, and a bunch of other kid rides. We saw otters, seals, fish, and more. Beautiful day as well...

Winter & Spring Pics 2007

Here are some pics from January in Qinghai and February while we were on vacation in Hong Kong and Thailand.

Ellie eating roasted mutton on a skewer in the tents that the local people set up every night

Our dinner sometime next year...

Sara bundled up for the Qinghai winter.

One of the few times you will ever see Ellie not smiling in a photo. Must have been a long day.

Playing on one of the ice sculptures in front of the Culture Park near our home.

Taking the ferry from Shenzhen to Hong Kong - Sara stretched out sleeping.

The entrance to Ocean Park in Hong Kong. We had a wonderful day there at the end of Jan.

Ellie's first roller coaster. She was a centimeter too short, but they let her ride anyway...

Laurel in the tram at Ocean Park looking out across the bay.

Some people at our hotel in Bangkok were doing a photo shoot - with our kids right beside.

On vacation at the beginning of Feb. with friends in Thailand.

Kicking back out on the boat. We saw pink dolphins on this ride...

We also went out to "Monkey Island". The dolphins were a better show...

One of the better photos I've ever taken (in my opinion).

The most common thing to see in Thailand... stray dogs. They seemed to like me.

Ellie at dinner after a long day of swimming.

The beach at the hotel. It was a wonderful place with great swimming pools, decent food, very family friendly, and fairly cheap!

Normal life clothes

This past week, I was in charge of our annual foreigners clothes-swap. The clothes-swap is a great thing - because on the first day, we turn in all the clothes that our kids have out-grown or that we adults have gotten tired of. Then, on the second day, everyone comes back to choose clothes for their kids or themselves. It is very difficult to get American/European style clothing here, so this helps everyone outfit their kids in styles they prefer. Unfortunately, this year, there was very little in the older childrens sizes. Ellie was a little sad that I couldn't find much for her, but I did get her one skirt and for her, that was better than a roomfull of pants.

This year, the women's room was the most popular. I think everyone gets tired of the clothes they bring over here - so we swap! It is funny to walk around town and see another foreigners dressed in the clothes that you previously were wearing.

At 11am, all the foreigners are welcome to invite their househelpers to come and choose clothes. For many househelpers, this is a highlight of the year. Several days before the swap, my househelper told me all the things she was going to look for at the swap. Her son, sister and husband had all put in orders for things that they wanted her to look for. Her son is especially fond of the American tennis shoes that she has found for him in the past. My househelper later told me that when she got home from the swap, she was surprised to find her son was waiting eagarly by the door to see what she brought him. (I guess he is usually out playing basketball on Saturday mornings- not at home waiting on his mom.) At the end of the morning, the left-over clothes are gathered up and given to poor people in the countryside.

All in all, the clothes-swap may sound a little funny for those of you who can run out to Old Navy to buy clothes, but over here, where there is no Old Navy - it certainly is a fun way to get bigger sized clothes for our kids and different clothes for ourselves.

--Laurel