Since our last post a new era has begun – we are back in Thailand after almost six years in Vietnam, only this time it’s a family tour with kids who are continually being mistaken for twins.  Today we write from our temporary location very close to the Erawan Shrine (just down the block from where the violence involving the red shirts took place not too long ago. They are still rebuilding one big store on the corner that was burned in the last days).  In a few weeks we will move to our long-term apartment, just next to Benjasiri Park and Phrom Pong skytrain station (unfortunately construction of a new building is starting about the same time right next door – noise pollution seems inescapable in this part of the world).   If you don’t mind a little noise we will have a extra room for visitors. Nga has already found a very good Burmese nanny and this weekend we are enjoying fusions holidays at home with a miniature Christmas tree, sticky rice and grilled chicken, lighted palm trees, and mulled coconut juice (uh, not really).

We moved here very recently – Nga and the kids arrived on December 3rd, and I started working here  on October 23rd (and commuting every other weekend back to Hanoi).  Basically, we had been hoping to make Thailand our next posting for a while now, and started doing our best to find work here – especially since last winter when we were here for 10 weeks to have Sebastian. In keeping with our tradition of switching full-time breadwinner positions, I am now working the long hours and Nga is consulting and loving the flexi-life.  I am communications manager on a new regional climate change mitigation program funded by USAID (website will be up soon if you want to know more).  I feel very fortunate since I really wanted to focus on climate change and I enjoy regional work. So far it’s good though extremely busy starting up a very large, complex project with many partners and subcontractors and potentially activities involving 11 countries – from Nepal to Paula New Guinea.

Kids have handled the transition surprisingly well. Anise is still singing in Vietnamese, but quickly throwing in Thai words. She is mesmerized by the Thai woman dancers at the Erawan Shrine, and loves the Christmas displays nearby, including the giant tea cups you can climb up into.  Last week she demanded to watch a woman put on her lipstick who was getting ready to stand cutely in a skimpy Santa outfit next to a pink VW bus selling ice cream and cotton candy.  Since being traumatized by all the face paint at Halloween, she is surprised that it is still applied on many other days of the year. Sebastian is probably days from walking..stands up on his own and tries to take a step or two before retreating to the Asian squat position. He is starting to make sounds a bit like real words, and can eat like a pride of lions.

We are fortunate to have friends still here from our time in 2004-2005, and other friends who have moved here since.  And we look forward to visitors.  Markus and Hanh and Kien arrive this afternoon, and we hope you stop by soon too!

Pre-Christmas Fun

Some people on our flight thought it was a spa plane.

Departure from Hanoi: Kids with co Loc and chi Giang

I (Nga) have been traveling like a maniac, and to very cool countries, if I say so myself. I was in Bhutan for a week in July, which was magical and then another week in neighboring Nepal in August. I will fly to the US next month to present on our program – all of this to spread the lessons from washing hands! Who knew, eh? But hey, if the HW vehicle leads me to Bhutan, then en shallah, I must go . Stan has been super with the kids at home but my absence has resulted in Anise asking if “mommy’s online” even when she is sitting on Mommy’s lap. Her gravest concern these days is who is “online.” But as payback for weeks of slaving in the field doing work, Stan decided to leave me with the kids and just go on a short R&R SANS FAMILIA to the hills of Dalat, Vietnam. He had a great time biking and walking around and seems thoroughly well rested after coming back, something that immediately went away after one night of being back with the kids .

We are still in limbo about our future and where we will be after December. Arrows are pointing to Bangkok but those could be easily turned to another country in this region if some of our job applications are successful. I am looking forward to consulting from Thailand and having more time with the kids. I think it will be a good year of spreading my professional wings beyond hygiene and using my behavior change background to look at other issues such as nutrition, child health, etc. Sounds exciting and all but moving a family of four is no longer a joyride. That’s about it for now. Hopefully we’ll have exciting work news to report before another 3 months goes by. Until then….I will be “online.”

Anise acting: crazy face

Insane

Stiff lower lip

Aren't I funny!?

Airport in Paro, Bhutan

Entrace to my hotel in Thimpu, Bhutan

Bhutanese participants at workshop I facilitated

Crowds at Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu

Walking up to the Boudhanath Stupa

Inside the Boudhanath Stupa

View of Kathmandu from my hotel

Bas at 9 months

Looker

The French influence is still strong in Hanoi

The "Crazy Nga Guesthouse" in Dalat

Restaurant in French villa, Dalat

More villas

Countryside around Dalat - where many flower, fruits and vegetables are grown

Anise's nanny bought her a big bunch of helium balloons for 2nd birthday (May 2). No pics of wild party- too many toddlers to pick up the camera.

Nga got creative and made a cupcake cake. Damn good

Bas chillin at 6 months (May 30)

Anise and an Australian friend Emily having faux tea

Superhero swimming suits

Bas can sit up fairly well - so Nga likes to put him in Anise's high chair now

A few months I was thinking how lucky we were that our kids so rarely seemed to get sick..well, that has changed. The past few weeks both have had multiple illnesses. Anise developed rashes over her legs, then had a night of feverish sweating (she saw the doctor and apparently it’s a virus but not dangerous – though honestly I don’t totally trust the doctor), and Bas currently has a bad cold. There are so many possible diseases here in Hanoi I’m always wondering what they might have or get (Hanoi is a heavily populated city with relatively poor sanitation and hygiene, fresh meat for sale in open “wet markets” and locals eating everything that moves, so it’s an incubator for scary diseases like SARS and avian influenza and who knows what else).

Last Monday was the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, which is a special day in Viet Nam (and China), apparently something close to “day to celebrate the killing of pests in the fields”. And for the second year in a row one of my colleagues brought in the special dish to be eaten – partially fermented red rice. Apparently quite healthy and it is edible though not something I would be waking up looking forward to every morning.

Last Sunday we suddenly heard shouting and I went out on the balcony to see a group of students walking in front of our building holding banners, Vietnamese flags and signs with something about China (in English). There were hoards of riot police behind them, but none doing much except following them. Turns out it was a “protest” against China related to disputes of islands jointly claimed by Vietnam, China, Taiwan and the Philippines. Of course, this was not a spontaneous protest organized on FB (as some news wires reported), but a sanctioned protest supported b the Gov’t. The students protested in front of the Chinese embassy, then eventually the police asked them to stop, so they came down our street. Kind of a similar situation to China in that the Gov’t wants to show that the people support their position, but also don’t want to let nationalism get out of hand.

At our house the attention is on far lighter subjects; (Again, if you can’t see the video, cut and paste this link: http://www.youtube.com/user/Smuyen#p/u/3/KzpjcvKUvWE.

We are going to Thailand in a few weeks to attend the wedding of Nga’s cousin Tony and Rose, his Thai fiance. They already had a wedding in Chicago, but are also having one in Bangkok, at the Marriott no less. Nga’s parents are coming and then we’ll spend a few days at the beach. Unfortunately Thai politics is still very unstable, and a contentious national election is set for July 3, only a few days before the wedding. Hopefully no yellow or red shirt antics this time…

It’s April now and I have to go to work full-time on Monday. I have loved working part-time and being able to spend more time with the kids. But all good things must come to an end and although I am not looking forward to getting up early when I’ve had a long night with Bas, going back to work will be okay too. Here are some pics of our growing weeds.

Pondering something..

Matting his hair down for the conservative look

Wearing Jenny's Cheeky & Swank brand

Serious modeling

Just kidding!

With her favorite "auntie", Co Loc

Cake time at her friend Amerlia's 2nd birthday party

Tea time with her friend "Shrimp"

They're pretty tight

Trying to do what Mommy does

Mr. Cheeks at rest

Sebastian is doing great, better than we would have dared hope those first weeks after he was born. His cheeks seem to grow by the hour, and the legs that were once scrawny are now thick, almost Kobe beef-like.

Last few weeks have been drab and rainy – but luckily Anise has started school, a sort of daycare/social hour at a Singaporese-run place nearby. She goes two mornings a week and seems to enjoy it. She is the youngest in the class, but her French teacher (nationality, not language) says she picks up songs quickly, and she even has a uniform for outings. On the curriculum last week was making muffins (?).

Nga is working part-time so her maternity leave can extend into April. It looks likely that we now will be in Vietnam until December. Although I wanted to leave this summer, it’s a bit of a relief because there were no clear job prospects on the horizon yet.

Sebastian at about 2.5 months

Nga with new haircut, Anise in new dress from Bangladesh, and Sebastian..uh..ruining a new diaper

Anise looking like a school BOY in her uniform

Anise enjoyed her first time behind the wheel at "Lenin Park" - though dad was in control with a remote joystick

Anise at Lenin Park - that smile looks quite Vietnamese to me

Posting some photos from last couple of months. This is sugarcane being sold just before Tet, Vietnamese new year. We were in Hanoi for Tet for the first time, and it was a truly dramatic change: city seemed almost empty (since migrants return home and many others go to their ancestral villages) and we could walk the streets and tried out the double stroller in unusually warm, sunny weather.

This is Nit, Anise's nanny while we were in Bangkok. Very soft-spoken but she took good care of Anise, along with Grandma, and it was a sad farewell when we left.

Anise playing with her friend Rita in Bangkok.

Ready to party

Hail to the Chief

"The secret to manipulating Mom and Dad is..."

Obviously Nga selected the outfits today.

Lerve

Looking at you Dad

In fact, I had already started having symptoms in Hanoi but didn’t realize how close to labor I really was. The doctor said to lay low and rest until week 36, which I did, but I woke up on November 30 at 34 weeks, 5 days with baby Bas kicking up a storm. My water broke at 6 am. We packed a bag, called up the doctor and prayed there was no traffic on the street. Anise was also really active that morning so maybe she knew something exciting was going to happen (she hasn’t been to the fortune teller yet though).

We arrived at the hospital at 7 am and Bas was born at 11:44 am that morning. I will spare you the details but since I was much more alert this time, I was also a lot more scared of all the procedures in a C-section. Luckily, Stan was there for most of it but since Bas was a preemie, we couldn’t all be together immediately after the birth. I gave him three small kisses before he was taken away to an incubator. What I have learned through my two births is to be prepared to throw the birth plan out the window because there can be so many expected things that can happen. My births have also taught me that as much planning as I do, things do not go always go the way I expect them to. Instead of being able to enjoy being a second time mom, Bas’s early arrival suddenly made me the first time parent of a preemie. Two days after his birth, I was online researching nonstop about preemie complications and trying to figure out why he came so early. After I was discharged, Stan and I spent the next 7 days commuting to the hospital every three hours so I could breast feed him. In my case, as with half the cases of preterm births in the US, the mother has no known risk factor for early delivery and I will never know why Bas came early except that he did, that he is here and doing well and that he is almost 10 pounds after 6 weeks outside of the womb, up from his birth weight of 5.7 pounds.

I need to visit that fortune teller in 2011!

Here are some pics from when he was born until now (and some of Anise).

Day 1

4 days old

About 3 weeks

Do it, now.

1 month "birthday" with grandma

5 and 1/2 weeks - around the date when he was scheduled to be born

Other than baby stuff, which takes up to 80% of my nonworking time, work is going well and life in Vietnam passes quickly. I am keeping my eyes open for a new job since my contract in Vietnam will end  at the end of June.  We hope to find somewhere with good weather, nice outdoors, cheap childcare and good food. Not sure there is one country that could meet all of those needs but we can keep dreaming. Our next posting on Smuyen will probably be the announcement of the new baby unless one of us gets really motivated or we find that paradise country, in which case, we will post something earlier. Below you shall find some pics from Halloween and Diwali – two equally important holidays that provided Anise with an opportunity to break out her “special attires” line of clothing. Anise was not overly excited about trick or treating and of course never got to eat any candy (I enjoy being cruel and inhumane sometimes) but she got a kick out of my friends’ cat, dog and rock garden while others were trick or treating. You know, I never got the “trick” part of trick or treat but now that I’ve seen my friend Debi do it, it’s one night where you can harass every child that comes to the door! Muuuhaaaa…I’ve gained new enthusiasm for Halloween.

On Diwali night, Anise got to play with two small French bulldogs who were adorable as they reclined in their hosts’ bean bag chair. I hear that they don’t need much exercise, love kids, don’t shed, do not drool and remain small. Now that’s MY kind of dog. Our friends who had them in Malawi said that they could never let them outside for fear that their neighbors would mistaken them for pigs and eat them!! I also thought my cousins had a pet pig when I came to the US and saw a bulldog for the first time. I KNEW I had something in common with Malawians.

(Note: the last photos at the bottom were taken today – the weather is really nice now and Anise loves being outside)