Everybody Loves Alex

We arrived one week ago in Vientiane, Laos. The first order of business upon disembarking at the airport is to apply for a tourist visa. Apparently, Laotian immigration can be somewhat random in the length of stay permitted on the visa. When our turn came-up to have our visa stamp I figured that we were in good shape because the immigration person was sitting at her booth with her young son and she was quite happy to chat with Alex. Later when I checked Thipp's and my passports I was pleased to see that we had been granted two-month visas. I then checked Alex's passport and laughed when I realized that his visa was for three-months. That has set the tone for our time in Laos so far. People are very happy to see Thipp and I, but they just can't get enough of Alex.

The most common comments that Thipp receives about Alex is that he is very big, very white and very handsome. This she happily translates to me. Another somewhat regular comment after saying that he is handsome is that he looks like his father. This is translated to me by Thipp with slightly less enthusiasm. Walking through markets or along the street a common phrase that people will make about the "Falang Noi" is that "he is expensive." This is their way of saying that he is precious. If they really meant it to taken literally they would have been referring to Thipp.

Thipp's mother had ten-children and thirty grand-children, several in North America that she has never met, so you wouldn't think that a new grendchild would be a big deal for her. However, she seems quite taken by Alex and quite happily clucks away at him and is regularly barking orders at Thipp to put a shirt on him. Due to severe osteoperosis (sorry no spell-check), she walks around bent-back and her teeth are red from chewing beetlenuts. She could easily scare small children and certainly some son-in-laws, but Alex really enjoys her attention and provides her with a regular stream of smiles and cheerful squawks.

Having Alex along certainly slows us down in many respects. Our day's activities have to factor-in nap times and we realize that he is sort of a good-natured time bomb. However, the positive attention that he garners has provided us with interactions that we would have never had otherwise.

Cousins and various kids hanging-out at Thipp's family's home

Will walking along the Mekong River. Little girl curious but scared

Looking across the Mekong River from Laos to the sun setting over Thailand

Visiting with Samantha and daughter Victoria, friend's from BC, in Vientiane, Laos

No shortage of playmates - with cousin Annie and with Grandma and various cousins

Bath-time garners great attention

Thipp introduces her Mom to her 30th grandchild

Pattaya side street

Russian beach invasion at Pattaya, Thailand

Alex with Nirvana staff

Alex and Thipp with the staff from the Nirvana Lodge in Pattaya, Thailand

Locals having their photo taken with "Falang noi" in Pattaya, Thailand

Alex following his first swim

Alex's first swim at Bangkok hotel pool

Partying with the Ladies

Thipp's family's home is a bit too crowded and a bit too rough for us (no air conditioning) so we're staying nearby with family friends. It was early afternoon on the day of our arrival and I was given the option of joining Thipp and Alex for a bath, feeding and nap or to sit outside with some women drinking beer. As we drank what seemed to be an endless supply of Lao Beer I was reminded from my previous trip here that the ladies of Laos know how to party.

I know about three words in Laos and the ladies knew no English. This didn't seem to hurt our ability to communicate. We were sitting along a major roadway, which is Vienntiane's equivalent of Kingsway, so the music had to be cranked to compete with the street noise. If a song was too mellow I would voice my displeasure by yelling "no la la la!" If I liked a song I would give them a brief punk surfer dance. I'm slightly embarrassed to say that I liked quite a few of the songs.

A few hours later when Thipp and Alex resurfaced I was a happy mess. Thipp was then able to translate their questions, including if I knew any nice Canadian men looking for a Laotian wife. I respond that if Canadian men knew what was here that I would be able to fill a plane. To that one of them grumpily responded that that's what I said the last time I visited. Oops.

Arrival in Laos

Some of you already know the story of how Thipp left Laos and eventually came to Canada.  In 1978, Thipp's sister Na decided to escape communist Laos.  As Thipp, who was six at the time, lived primarily with Na she decided to take Thipp with her.  They crossed the Mekong River by inner-tube at night for Thailand.  Not even their parents knew that they were leaving.  Three years after living in a Thai refugee they were sponsored to immigrate to Canada.

Thipp didn't return to Laos for the first time until she was 23.  She has kept a strong connection with her family, visited often, and helped-out in many ways.  This trip was special.  No sooner had our truck stopped outside her family home then Thipp quickly made her way to where elderly mother sat waiting for.  Thipp then said something to the effect of "Mom, this is your grandson," and handed Alex to be held by his only living grandparent. Then the three of them sat quietly together.

Pattaya

We're spending a week in Pattaya, Thailand, which is situated on the coast about 2-hours south of Thailand. We decided to come here because Thipp's Thai-Canadian friend Samantha is wintering here with her husband Mike. I had never heard of Pattaya before and now that I'm here I know why.

Pattaya is a huge tourist town that follows the ocean for miles and miles. There are lots of new condos under construction and plenty of places falling apart. Depending on what part of the city you're in there are also many girlie bars and tattoo parlours. Apparently there is plenty of great golfing available I the area. Unfortunately I don't golf. Still, we're happy enough being here as our hotel is really nice and we're finding enough to do, or not to do.

There are lots and lots of old tourists in Pattaya, especially males. And by old I mean that they make me appear young again. A lot of these old guys are giving it their best attempt to defy the ageing process. There are various approaches taken. Some dye their hair and it is often of a colour so inconsistent with the rest of their physique that their hair looks more like a hat. Others walk around displaying relatively new tattoos, presumably adding to their street-cred back at the rest home. Others speed around on rented motor bikes, often with a local woman perched on the backseat. It feels like spring break for Grandpas.

There are also a lot of Russians here. I would bet that there are more Russians tourists here than all other nationalities combined. Hopefully they are having a good time because if they weren't I couldn't imagine them looking any grimmer.

Next Tuesday morning we'll catch a flight from Bangkok to Laos. Thipp phoned her family in Vientiane last night to tell them the news and Thipp said that they were yelling with excitement. Samantha's daughter, Victoria, also booked the same flight as part of her planned travels and this morning Samantha and Mike decided to come too. I think things are going to get interesting.

Alex the Chick Magnet

I didn't intend for this blog to be all about Alex, but so far he has been the star of the trip.   At least that seems to be the case when it comes to the reaction he is getting from Thai women.

I have already lost count of how many times I've seen the local women go wild over Alex.  Their faces light-up as soon as they get their first glimpse of the little guy.  Often one of their next acts is to closely analyze both his parents and then go back to concentrating on Alex with the same knowing look displayed by dog judges when selecting best in show.

It has been a wonderful icebreaker.  We couldn't leave our hotel in Bangkok this morning without the four cleaning ladies on our floor taking a moment away from their work to say good-bye to him.  While Thipp was checking us into our hotel in Pattaya one of the staff stole Alex away and merrily held him in her arms.  As soon as another women finished checking us in she rushed out from behind the front desk to take her turn holding him.

Alex has been quite good about being in the spotlight.  He is pretty calm while being the centre of attention and often gives his audience his best toothless smile.  Perhaps chick magnets really are born and not made, which would certainly help to explain my 20s.

The Trip Begins

One of my concerns going into this adventure was how would my seven-month old son, Alex, cope with the long flights to Thailand, via Hong Kong.  I had visions of 18-hours of screaming and crying  (no, not by me), and at some point the plane being required to make an emergency landing in order to kick the three of us off.  Much to our relief, and to those sitting around us, Alex proved to be a star.

For Alex, this was a most excellent adventure.  There were so many new things and people to look at. In addition, he had continual access to Dad and especially Mom, and all the benefits that it confers.  The main problem was that with so much going on Alex didn't get a lot of sleep.  Near the end of the journey when he finally did crash he was totally out for the count.  The Thai Immigration officer had a good laugh when comparing Alex's passport photo to our comatose little boy.

We arrived at our hotel, near the Bangkok airport, late on Sunday evening, and all of us quickly fell asleep.  Monday was a planned easy day and we went for a short walk to the local shopping area, stopped at a coffee shop, swam at our hotel pool, and did a lot of napping.  By the time we departed for Pattaya on Tuesday we were ready to roll.