Inside the cave~ the temple

Batu Caves

After the Cameron Highlands we drove south back toward KL (Kuala Lumur). Devin had read about the Batu caves. WOW! This is a majestic Hindu temple built along side and inside of a huge rock cave. This is the temple at the bottom~

Here are the 267 (I think) steps leading up to the temple in the cave~

This huge statue stands at the bottom of the steps~

And these are all fresh flower gifts to lay at the altar in the temple~

Nature by Devin

Nature Girl

Devin is a great photographer.These are just little samples of the beauty sprinkled through the jungle. Thanks honey for taking some great pictures!

Chrysalis

Nature girl, Nevi found a chrysalis while hiking the jungle! And then she saw a butterfly near by~

Cameron Highlands Hike

Devin, Nevi and Jan went for a nice waterfall hike one day while in the Cameron Highlands. The Cameron Highlands are North of Kuala Lumpur by about 4 hours. This was as North was we got on our Malaysian road trip!

Yeah Grandma is here!

Hilltop Private School

Hello- sorry for the lack of posting- we were away on a Malaysia road trip....lots of posts to follow!
The other day Nevi's grandmother was invited to come and visit Nevi's school. While we were there, Nevi's class delighted us with a practice of the annual concert coming up in November. Her class is doing songs and dances all about environmental issues.

Nevi is the only American and only white skinned child at the school. She has certainly learned a great deal about being an "only" as well as about the beauty of diversity!

Punjabi for Deepavali

Saturday is the Hindu celebration called Deepavali. In the spirit of the celebration, we bought Nevi a punjabi, some bangles and even a bindi for her forehead. I am so amazed at this child of ours....soooo beautiful and yes I am bias. Once she had her punjabi on...she began to dance with her hands. Deep within this child just knows...

Welcome Grandma

Because it is the season of Deepavali- the Hindu Lantern Celebration....Nevi and I made paper lanterns to decorate grandma's room! Thank you, Ann for sending us a picture lesson to remind us how to make these lovely lanterns!!!!!

Nevi is growing up. I know you all know that, but some pictures just show me a young girl who is blossoming, growing, changing and even more beautiful inside and out than the day before- sigh.

Halloween

Nevi is gearing up for Halloween! She has decided to be a Leopard this year. We chose her costume online, had it shipped to grandma in Oregon and then she brought it with her. Nevi has been in it ever since! NO they do not celebrate Halloween here- but we are going to do a small trick or treat here at our resort with a few other children and then on the 31st- our family will go join some of our friends in Singapore! It is said that a neighborhood near the American International School does a big trick or treat! So we will go there- cause what in the world would life be without Halloween? RRRAAAARRRRRRHHHHHH!

Grandma is HERE!

Nevi jumped out of the car coming home from school to find Grandma HERE! Jan is here for three weeks, and we are thrilled!

HillTribe visit

While in Thailand- we sure did the tourist thing...more than ever before cause what we realized is traveling with a child makes all kinds of things different. This trip to the Hill Tribe folks felt very strange to me and Devin.....like we were in a human zoo. Not comfortable...and yet we shared some money which hopefully goes to the people themselves...at least they money we handed right to them for some amazing artifacts. But for Nevi- it was a chance to expand her little self even farther than the days before...she saw poverty, she saw how people adapt their homes to the environment and climate, she saw people weaving and creating and she even saw how people define themselves through different traditions. So I guess in all our discomfort- we expanded our views of life. Worth it.

This is a beautiful Longneck woman. When a girl turns 5~ the process of adding rings to her neck begins. More rings are put on about every 5 years until she is about 30. The spine and neck are stretched. We have heard lots of reasons for this tradition...and as much as I try to get out of my Western ideology and respect all people's traditions...I am left with a pit in my stomach. These rings are SOOOOO heavy....often they can never be taken off cause as the neck stretches it loses the strength to hold up the head without the support of the rings. Oh my. OK enough said for now- just being glad that I have not had my necks stretched or feet bound or my body mutilated for beauty or domination...

Beautiful Nevi surrounded by beautiful mountain women...

White Temple

This place was amazing. It is in Chiang Rai. And indeed the whole Temple is white. But inside there was the most amazing mural on the walls....very political~no words just images. So here you are surrounded by all white and mirrors...and then the message on the walls was about corruption, greed, domination, war, and such. Very Intense.

Sadly, Nevi was pretty car sick when we arrived and the poor little one did not feel good at all. Not to mention it was very warm outside...but with some cold water and this beautiful temple- things got better quick.

behind

Well- I have been behind on my blogging...sorry! Devin's mom, Jan arrived on Thursday. It is so wonderful to have her company. Nevi is beyond thrilled! But it also means I am not alone in the mornings and therefore no time to write. But yunno what...there will be plenty of time when she has to go back home- so I am loving each minute of her company while we get it!
Yesterday we had a new experience, we were invited to a one year old birthday party at McDonald's. An acquaintance, Samantha who works here where we live invited us. Nevi has never had McDonald's....ever so when she caught wind she thought birthday party....yeah! It was a wonderful cultural experience as the four of us and our friends Kate and Hannah- well we were the token expats at the party. It was cute....Nevi had her first Mc-nugget....and was not impressed....but she was impressed with her first Sprite- I of course vetoed the Coke long before she even knew it was there.
Then this morning yet another first.....Nevi had a slight fever a few days ago and then normal for a few days. That happens here in the heat. But then she was saying her throat was sore. So I looked at it with a flashlight this morning. Yup- canker sores. She has gotten a few since being here. We thought it all the fresh fruit. But today there were at least 4 I could see- so grandma, papa, me and Nev went to the local Klinic and yes it is spelled that way.....in our little Taman U area. We waited 1.5 hours in the heat...cranky child...long wait. Turns out it is called a throat infection and is usually caused by the heat and the change in weather. So Nev gets antibiotics for 3 days...some topical stuff to put on the sores, no cold water, no fruit, no swimming, no school for 2 days, lots of room temp water, broth and porridge....and she should be just fine.
So another weekend in Malaysia!
Stay tuned for more pictures soon- I found the USB cable again! XOXOX

Chiang Rai and more

Thai silk is so beautiful. Here is a table being set up for the night market filled with silk ties of all colors and patterns. They were really lovley. We got Devin three!

Ok this is the butcher at the wet market. What animal part would you like today? It looked fresh, but the environment- not so clean...but what the hell you cook it!

The sun was shining on this building and both Devin and I stopped to witness the magic of light. A typical store front on the bottom and living spaces above.

Rice, Rice and more Rice. Rice fields were everywhere and so completely gorgeous. Here is the product in the market. So many types and flavors. The smell of rice even when it is not cooked is amazing.

Flower stall at the market. Orchids, Lilies and more. Chiang Rai was a really wonderful place to walk the streets and explore. We really enjoyed it here.

Horn Beetle

This is Nevi with her pet Horn beetle given to her by Jimmy and therefore, she named her beetle Jimmy.

A friend for three days and then with some tears- Jimmy was set free back into the jungle. It is never easy to say goodbye to a pet/friend.

In Thailand, these beetles are collected from the jungle and used for recreational Beetle fighting! They agitate two and put them on a bamboo stick and let them fight. The loser is free to fly away back to the natural world and the winner goes on for more fighting. Of course there is betting involved. Our tour guide, Jimmy did this as a boy and was keen to show Nevi especially how it worked. She was riveted and then he gave her a beetle of her own.

A day exploring Chiang Rai

Wonderful tricycle drivers

Monks in a bus.

Nevi learning again how Buddhists pray. Jimmy our tour guide shows Nevi how to put her hands to her heart and then to her third eye and then to the ground three times. Praying and honoring the Emerald Buddha.

Nevi and her new best friend, Jimmy at the restaurant for lunch.

Our lunch which Jimmy just ordered right away for all four of us...sorry I chose the blurry picture, but you might be glad cause this is called beef noodle....not so much noodle and all the organ's, intestine and more from a cow. Needless to say...Jimmy and Devin ate all of theirs, I ate the broth and veggies cause I know organ broth is good for you....but no can do on the organs! No can do.

This weekend

We had a really fun weekend. We went to Kota Tinggi a town NW of where we live. The drive is about an hour or so. We went with some of Devin's Xerox co-workers (friends). We left Saturday morning and drove out to the Kota Tinggi waterfall. It was a mountain waterfall that poured down and then the stream brought if further down to another waterfall. Part of it make little pools for swimming and then after the last waterfall a water slide was created. So there were lots of locals swimming with tubes, sliding a bit and basically frolicking on a very hot day. Nevi was in the river in moments in all her clothes- who can blame the kid it was HOT. I was standing there with sweat running down all parts of me- no kidding....not moving just sweating. We played and played. Then we checked in at the Kota Rainforest Resort. Not a fancy place, but wonderfully exotic and rustic...well not really quaint rustic- more like simple rustic. We had four rooms in a row...super fun. Nevi loved that the double bed had mosquito netting on it and she said it made her feel ROYAL. When we left the waterfall and checked in- the rains came.....oh and did they come- pouring! So our evening plan of the river boat ride to see fire flies was cancelled- but we had a nice evening hanging around- chatting...and certainly a bit of vodka was consumed! On Sunday, a few chose to do a jungle hike and some of us watched the kids in the pool. I knew I did not need a jungle hike...I am seriously afraid of snakes. So while living here I am trying to limit my exposure to the possibility of being face to face with one. We are not talking garden snakes here people. I was happy to frolic with Nevi and her friends Parish and Sabrina at the pool. Good thing too- all the hikers did experience leaches attaching to their legs. I would have been not happy with this but OK. And on the way home saw a King Cobra in the street. Devin of course got out of the car to check it out. It had been hit by a car (I say no loss) It was still alive but its head was mushed. Devin said it was coiled up but about 6 feet long. See what I mean- not talking garden snakes. Anyway- they had a great adventure and we had fun in the cool water. Then on the way home we had a delightful late afternoon meal at a great Chinese restaurant along the way...a lovely weekend. Sorry I have no pictures- we had the camera and never used it??? A co-worker of Devin's took some pics and if we can get some from him I will post later. Now it is Monday and we are back in the week world. This week is extra exciting as Devin's Mom , Jan will be arriving on Thursday! Oh we can't wait!

Chiang Rai

We stayed at a lovely hotel in between the towns of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai for the first three days in Northern Thailand. It was out in the middle of nowhere, but really nice.

Fun

This is Nevi sound asleep on our last night of out Thailand Whirlwind...she had played all day with her new friends Eve and Luke Hurd...exhausted.

Genevieve and Genevieve

Devin's walkabout

When we came back to Bangkok after our time in Northern Thailand...Nevi was beyond exhausted and Devin needed to go for a walkabout. Nevi and I went to see my childhood friend, Jack and his family for an afternoon swim while Devin went off exploring with himself and the camera! Here are some of the amazing sights and pictures he collected & witnessed. We all got what we needed that day!