Smile

Two months old and Carla's first Christmas. It's a pity the Thai people don't recognize the holiday, however, that won't stop us from celebrating.

I managed to catch Carla smiling on film last night. I think it was worth the wait.

Merry Christmas

We'd just like to wish all our family and friends a Merry Christmas. Take care and stay safe.

Latest news

• I picked up Carla's first passport the other day. It only took nine days from lodging the application to delivery. Not bad considering the passport is produced in Canberra.
• I'll be flying into Sydney on Thai airways flight TG995 on Monday 29th December, and no the girls won't be joining me.
• Carla is now 3.940 Kg's and 54 cm in length.
  

Here we go again

I told you this political farce was far from over.

The Red army has fought back after the 3rd Prime Minister to be elected in 4 months took up his post. I'm no longer interested in names, however, this bloke is only 44 years old and was educated at Oxford.
He hasn't any policies and is only just deciding who should join him in cabinet, but hey, what the hell, good luck buddy!

6.2 weeks

As you can see from the photo Carla is getting bigger. Her last official weight was 3.710 kilo's taken a week or two ago. The Doctor says she could be bigger but there's nothing to worry about.

Apart from bouts of constipation, excessive flatulence and the nightly 'hissy fits' she seems to be a normal little bub. We've been treated to a few smiles (even though Carla has no idea what a smile is yet) which I can only describe as amazing and make me feel great.
We have started taking her out more often, mostly to a small park near the market in the late afternoon when it isn't too hot. She also gets lots of visits from family and friends which means she is not looking at me all day and I can go out and have some much needed downtime.
Hopefully it won't be too long before she meets her Aussie family as I'm sure she finds all the Thai conversations a little loud and confusing at times... I know I do.

Other news

• Carla was granted Australian Citizenship by Descent on the 25th November 2008.
• Bruce finally made it out of Bangkok on Friday night after a weeks delay. Thank Buddha it was the Kings Birthday, otherwise who knows how long the protesters might have stayed.
• The Peoples Alliance for Democracy or PAD (the current opposition party) look like forming a government which should appease the protesters, however, will probably incite the supporters of the current government in crisis, so it will probably be back to step one...

Congratulations Kate and Moff

Andrew Russell Moffatt.

Born: Wednesday 3rd December 2008 at 13:05 in Sydney.
Weight: 3.1 kg
Height: 50 cm

All the best mum and dad. Let the fun and games begin!

We had a technical

Finally back online after a faulty 'hard drive' left me without internet access and almost cost me my documents and photos. Thanks to Bruce's hard work (he is currently in Bangkok on holidays and now stranded) I'm back.
I'll try to make up for lost time by posting updates and photos with more regularity from now on.

Flatulence and the fire hose

After learning to be a dad for the last 26 days it's about time I talked about my experiences thus far. I'll begin with flatulence as Carla is definitely going to be a future champion. What surprises me most is there frequency. When we pick her up, rock her cradle or Wannida breast feeds, Carla farts and she just loves to create bubbles in the bath. Not even I have that much gas so the mind boggles.
Then there is breast feeding which I have no recollection of from childhood although Mum did tell me I was on the bags for between two and three months before graduating to the bottle. I watched with amazement as Wannida's bags increased in size immediately after she gave birth. So much so that supply has by far exceeded demand and poor little Carla looks like she is sucking on the end of a fire hose there is that much pressure built up. One of my jobs is mopping up after Wannida has hosed the apartment down. No joke!

Fun and games

A rare moment of peace and quiet between feeding captured by Wannida. I reckon I'm adapting quite well...

Carla continues to be a bit of a night owl so I sleep when I can (mostly during the day). Wannida hasn't been so lucky as Pik Thai is relentless. I'm helping as much as I can, however, the on the job training is really taking it out of me and sometimes I feel just like a passenger. Hopefully I get a handle of this soon before we both burn out. Thank God we don't have twins.

First checkup

It was back to Paolo Memorial Hospital yesterday for Carla's first checkup. Basically they took her blood to check for jaundice. She returned a reading of 9.5 which is apparently very low so nothing to worry about in that regard. For the record Carla is now 3.190 kg.

On the home front we haven't been getting a lot of sleep at night due to feeding every two hours or so. During the day is a different story, Carla nods off for between 5 and 7 hours at a time.
I'm off to Cambodia again tomorrow, so hopefully I'll get a good sleep on the bus.

Stay tuned for more photos of Carla

I will be posting more photos over the next few days.

In the meantime scroll to the bottom to see the latest photos.

Carla Ann

Her nickname is Pik Thai.

Born: Friday 24th October 2008 at 16:09 in Bangkok.
Weight: 2.978 kg
Height: 51 cm

38 weeks

I'm up early this morning, full of anticipation of what might happen today. Before I begin, I better explain the title of this post. 38 weeks refers to our Doctor's estimation of the number of weeks that have passed since conception. On the internet you can estimate the arrival date of your baby by using a 'pregnancy calculator' which calculates the number of weeks since the first day of the mothers last menstrual cycle, so in Wannida's case she is already past 40 weeks.
Right, here we go... After a week of waiting around and not much else we finally had an awful nights sleep. No sooner had Wannida layed down, the kicking would start which usually results in a trip to the toilet. I stopped counting after seven flushes only because I fell asleep. After what felt like 30 minutes I awoke to realise Wannida was sitting up and not very happy. "Time to go?" I inquired... (nope, ok back to sleep).
As I write this Wannida is finally asleep and our wait continues. In about three hours we hopefully make our last trip to Paolo for a checkup. As usual I'll be posting an update shortly.

In the doldrums

You've got to be joking! We're over the wait and not even a tuk tuk ride made any difference. The little one is as stubborn as a leach in your leg... It's looking like we'll have to cut him or her out soon.
Wannida has been excellent. She's still eating and waiting for a few pains that might signal an end to the final leg in this journey. I can't say the same, I have no intention of waiting for Christmas!
Hopefully I'll have some good news soon, say a prayer please!

37 weeks

The calm before the storm...

Well... what can I tell you this week. Wannida gained 0.6 kilograms, the bub has an estimated weight of 3 and the bub's head is correctly positioned to perform an entry. At this stage the only thing stopping the birth is Oil's cervix which has decided not to be a team player.
Oil was asked if she wanted to go under the knife, but she said no (I wasn't consulted).
So... we expect this journey will end before next Friday and a new one will begin. If not Wannida goes under and I'll probably pass out before I can get a photo!
On another note, I was asked by Mike Armstrong " Are you nervous?"
I have just two answers;
1. No, why should I be?
2. Maybe I'll know soon, however, right now I'm a rock... I'm a Henderson!

A dog's life

This photo was taken outside the apartment where we live. This sign went up a month ago and the spelling made me laugh as the business card I was given by the manager is spelt Kunnathee Apartment Company. Not really that surprising when you realise that many English letters are pronounced differently in Thai eg. 'P' sounds like 'B' and as shown a 'K' sounds like 'G'.

On a sad note, it is a little depressing to bear witness to a dog's life in Bangkok. I have become quite attached to one dog the residents call Tiger. He lies around out front all day everyday. Apparently he was dumped on the doorstep of the temple next door which occurs a lot when dog owners can't afford to take care of their animals. They know the monks will feed them.
In Tiger's case a monk's life was not his 'cup of tea', so he came down the road one day and has never left.
He earns his keep patrolling the motorbikes at night and often tries to bite the leg off anyone he doesn't know that might happen to wander by after dark.
The other night however, three dogs from the temple decided to pay a visit. Tiger stood his ground for twenty minutes before a few Thai men decided enough was enough and managed to break it up. The next morning Tiger was a sorry site and in need of a vet. When I set eyes on him I was concerned. Only one problem, nobody owns Tiger and nobody is prepared to pay a vet to help him. How much could it cost I thought before Oil piped up and told me the local vet closed down a year ago.
It's tough being a 'ma' (dog).

36 weeks

Not long now. Wannida only gained 0.4 kilograms over the past fortnight despite my best efforts to fatten her up. The Doctor and Oil now seem to have become quite friendly, talking at length about god only knows what. After 10 minutes of feeling like a mushroom (wish I could speak Thai fluently) we went for another ultrasound.

If you look closer you can see the babies face in the red picture.
We have just been told that the latest ultrasound has revealed that the placenta is no longer functioning properly which means we have to go back in a week for further tests and possibly an inducement. Until then it's business as usual and a few trips to the local Wat (temple).

My local chicken shop

Chicken anyone? Although not usually seen by tourists, this is how chooks are sold in the market. I thought it warranted a photo.

I still prefer to shop at the supermarket where I'm able to buy just the cuts that are worth eating and come wrapped with a used by date. Call me old fashioned...

Baby names

Thanks for the input readers, I expected some feedback, 'mai pen rai' (nevermind). Dave managed a moment of clarity and suggested 'Michael'. Not bad, but a little biblical for a baby born in this day and age... no offence mean't Mikey. On the other hand, Bev (my mother) was straight to the point. She said "just wait and see" before deciding. Maybe mum has a point!
Stay tuned...

40

Another milestone has passed (it's not everyday you turn 40), so I better tell it like it was.


After a disturbed sleep due to Wannida's bladder (heard the toilet flush at least seven times), I awoke to thunder, lightening and rain. We didn't venture out until late afternoon and then only to get a bite to eat.
I managed to find and eat a pepper steak which didn't touch the sides on the way down, however, I'm not complaining... at least it was imported NZ beef.
After dinner Oil and I went shopping for a few essentials, cotton nappies and bedding. So, basically just another day that pales into insignificance compared to what is coming!
More photos coming soon, so take care and thank you to everyone that wished me well, you made my day!

Black flagged

I've just arrived back in Bangkok after my latest visa run to Cambodia. Originally the trip was planned for the 30th Sept, however, it was black flagged due to more Thai 'red tape'. Apparently I'm unable to do more than three visa runs in a six month period (which I already know). My last recorded visa run was on the 2nd April 2008, so Thai immigration deemed I could not leave the country until the 2nd Oct (I don't agree as visa's in Thailand are issued for 30 days, so I've been here longer than 180 days). Great, two days overstay and more money in their coffers. Gee whiz they make it hard for farangs (otherwise known as foreigners or aliens) to spend money in Thailand.
No use arguing I suppose, I'm back now and don't have to go again until the 31st Oct. Thats one day I don't want anything untoward to occur in Wannida's stomach (if she hasn't already given birth). Wannida is confident I have nothing to worry about, however, I'll say a little prayer anyway.
35 weeks and counting tomorrow...

On the road again

Preparing for a bus ride to Cambodia to renew your visa is relatively simple, pack your passport, a role of toilet paper and don't forget a passport sized photo and the fare. Done... I depart at 5 AM in the morning, back in Bangkok for lunch... hopefully!

Only one problem this month, it's got me thinking about the next. My first born is possibly due around this time in October. To say I'm concerned is an understatement, as there is no way I can miss an event like that. So, I've been doing the math and explored the odds of missing a milestone that has alluded me thus far.
My options are;
1. Don't go, wait and pay the 'overstay' fee (500 Baht per day and become an illegal alien).
2. Believe in and trust the internet on which I've based my calculations.
3. Pray to Buddha and hope for the best.
I'll let everyone know what I've decided in a few weeks, as time is currently still on my side. I hope these words don't become infamous... but knowing 'Murphy's Law'...

34 weeks

No surprises this time round, Wannida gained 1.3 kilos over the last two weeks, however, after dropping 0.9 kilos two weeks ago that equates to a net increase of 0.4 kilos over the last month.
Based on measurements taken during the latest ultrasound the babies weight has been estimated at 2.49 kilos, the cranium's size equates to a foetus at 35.2 weeks and the legs are that long they should already be hanging out!
Luckily the little tike's head is 'locked and loaded' in torpedo tube one, so Wannida's innards (ribcage, heart and lungs) are copping a battering, mostly when she is trying to sleep.


After the Mor (Doctor) finished showing us the next generation Henderson I was able to ask a pertinent question that every pregnant expecting mother wants to know...
The answer was a given, four weeks... further instructions needed to be written down!
Mor: "Ring me if Wannda has chest pains, can't breath or 'nam' in vagina".
Pete: "Sorry, can you repeat that last one...".
Mor: "Water, same waterfall".
Pete: " Ok..."

Say cheese

Wannida striking a pose...


It's taken months to get a staged photo op, and finally she agreed. This photo was taken on the 21st September 2008, just prior to another trek out to Sam Yan (a suburb in Bangkok) to visit a temple.

Around the traps

After all that is happening in Wannida's and my life, I need to mention some other milestones yet to come and some that have gone, namely my stepmother Claudia's 70th birthday earlier this month. Would have loved to join her down a wine or two...
Next we have Chadwick William Cable Barton (more than a mouthful and no chance our little one is going to be burdened with a name like that) who turns 40 soon.
Last but not least Bruce's (Anthony Bruce Doig) parents will be celebrating 50 years of marriage in mid October, congratulations all round.
Meanwhile I'm looking forward to a pepper steak on the 3rd Oct to mark my 40th, followed shortly after by the birth of my first child... Happy days!

Six stitches

Sometimes you pay a price walking in thongs on the streets off Bangkok. The footpaths are over crowded with street stalls and the quality of paving leaves a lot to be desired. My advice is watch where your walking and wear shoes, otherwise a 'stubbed toe' or a 'stumble' might ensue.
I payed the piper and received six stitches the other week when I failed to observe my surroundings falling over on a set of steps.
Today I removed my stitches, no problem, took about 5 minutes and didn't hurt... Could have gone to the local clinic or back to the hospital, but hey that would have just been time and money.

32 weeks

Another visit to Paolo (the hospital) and another surprise, Wannida lost a kilo. The Doctor wasn't pleased and I think we copped a spray...
I'm trying to get eggs, milk and the greens to go down, however, Wannida is struggling. Everything seems to be too bland for Oil and she prefers sleep to eating nowadays.
I've come up with Plan B... time for a bribe! She would like to go to Laos, so if she can put 2.5 kilos on in the next two weeks I'll buy her a ticket... Next year (she'll probably forget about it by then anyway).
Aside from food I caught up with a friend whom I worked with at the ASX yesterday, heard all about the Sydney weather etc which was nice to hear as I do miss a good conversation in English from time to time. Sadly he went home this morning, but hey, I've got other things to worry about so that was probably a good thing.
Just to let everyone know, you are able to post comments on this blog by clicking on 'Comments', so if you have any questions or want to know something specific let me know.

No end in sight

I must state that I never expected the Thai protesters to hold out as long as they have. It's been eleven days and the Thai PM hasn't managed to set foot back in his office yet. He has tried turning off the water supply to the premises, issued a 'State of Emergency' and offered to put forward a referendum to entice them to go home.
Not even a week of thunderstorms, rain and hail have weakened their resolve. You have to wonder how they are supporting their families and whether they will still have a job when they return back home.
There has been a lot of fighting, throwing bottles and even a few deaths by firearms (some university students were gunned down on route to parliament). So whats the PM doing about it you may ask? Considering lifting the 'State of Emergency' as nobody is taking any notice is about all.
Thank heavens the military haven't staged another coup... yet!

Forget Thaksin, let's box

Civil unrest is alive and flourishing in the 'Land of smiles'.
The protest has turned into a running brawl, knockouts on both sides, however, the police and their batons seem to be winning the most gold. Someone should remind Thailand that the Olympics are over for another 4 years.
Latest developments hint at employee's of major corporations going on strike in support of the battlers that are ending up either in hospital or the monkey house. Hope nobody is flying Thai airways in the next few days.
I hoped to have some photos to post here, but I couldn't get ringside seats...

30 weeks

Not long to wait now! Today we received another good report, Wannida put on 1.7 kg's over the last 4 weeks, although I can't tell. We payed a deposit for the delivery and were told we have to go back to the hospital every two weeks leading up to the birth.
The best surprise was Wannida received a Paolo Platinum Card which gives her 15 to 40% off all future visits...
Wannida also gave me a shock when she requested the babies bellybutton look like mine (unbeknown'st to me as she was speaking Thai) and promptly raised my shirt to show the Doctor. "Good one honey, a heads up next time would be nice".


Not the latest ultrasound, but you get the idea.

A, B, C... give me a break

Choosing a babies name shouldn't be difficult, there are so many to choose from. Coming to an agreement with the other half, well that's another story. So far it looks like Oil and I might have to pick one out of a hat as we have only agreed on a few possibles (which means Ill consider her suggestions, but really hate them and Oil has tired of the conversation so relented in many cases).
Although we already know the babies sex we're not saying, so any suggestions for either sex would be helpful and appreciated.

Thai's and Thaksin, a love and hate relationship

Another day, another protest. The latest involved 20,000 Thai's storming the National Broadcasting Tribunal (NBT) and surrounding parliament demanding that the Prime Minister resign as he is nothing but a puppet of ex PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who is banned from politics and now on the run in the UK after corruption charges were brought against him and his wife.
His wife was found guilty and sentenced to 3 years, however, she was released on bail pending an appeal just prior to the Olympics and subsequently boarded a flight to London with her children. Their not coming back to Thailand and have applied for political asylum. So what you might ask?
Well, neither the Thai government or judicial system seem interested in asking for their extradition. In fact they have already ruled extradition a hopeless cause, preferring instead to seize Thaksin's assets worth 2.2 billion AUD which have been frozen since the Military staged a coup in September 2006. Soap opera's don't get any better than this, stay tuned for the next episode 'Thai's love Thaksin strike back' or 'Next stop the monkey house'.

Living in the moment

The 'moment'. What does that really mean?
For some people, if not the majority of people born in the western world, it's a question they have never been asked before, let alone thought of. It didn't cross my mind until I stopped analyzing why I did things and how I'd do them differently in the future...
A 'moment' by definition is a brief, indefinite interval of time that is resigned to history before you are even able to say "what just happened" so why dwell on it. My advice is just try and live in the next. I'm enjoying that challenge now.
Don't worry be happy and get on with it, whatever 'it' will turn out to be!


A 'moment'... thanks to digital camera's, I'll never forget!

Getting around in Bangkok

Getting from 'A' to 'B' in Bangkok is easy if you know how. In 2006 the MRT (subway) became operational, and along with the BTS (skytrain) you can access just about anywhere you want to go.

The subway is by far the best way to go, it's both clean and cheap (costing less than 1 AUD to travel 5 kilometres) and you never have to wait more than 5 minutes for the next train. A Japanese company built it, need I say anymore.
Meter taxis and motorbikes are everywhere, however, expect to get stuck in traffic or risk your life (if you travel by motorbike) when your too lazy to walk to a station.
Buses go everywhere and are very cheap, however, as they don't have aircon I'd advise you to give them a miss.

Thai nicknames

At birth Thai babies are named, much the same as in Australia, however, there is a difference. Thai's usually don't have a middle name (I've never met one yet that does). Therefore the birth certificate is issued with the child's given name and the father's surname. The parents then choose a nickname by which the child will be known by. The nickname is not recorded in any official document, however, will stay with the child throughout their life, unless the child decides to change it at some later date. Virtually nobody outside of the child's direct family will ever know or refer to them by their given name.
In Wannida's case, her nickname is Oil. A bizarre choice I know, however, easy to remember and at least it's English spelt. Popular nicknames for Thai's include Pu, pronounced 'Poo', Daeng 'Dang', Taen 'Ten', Si 'Sea' and so on, thus Oil ain't that bad. That said, if I refer to Wannida as Oil in future posts you will know who I'm talking about.

A holiday in Cambodia, Phnom Phen to be exact

After residing in Thailand for six months I needed to leave and apply for a new 60 day tourist visa at an overseas Thai Embassy. I decided to fly to Phnom Phen this time round as I really didn't think much of Penang in Malaysia last year.
Before landing I wondered whether I was really circling above the capital city of Cambodia. It looked so small from the air, similar to a large town rather than a city of over 2 million people.

The taxi ride from the airport to my hotel was amusing, not because they drive on the right side of the road or the preferred currency is US dollars, but because the tallest building which is still under construction will not even be 25 floor's high. It's destined to become a tourist attraction akin to the Centrepoint Tower in Sydney as no other building even comes close.

After settling in for a day and a night, I realised this place has virtually zero road rules and crossing the street required a skillset that needed to be learn't in rather a hurry. Photos don't do justice to the mayhem, so I took digital movies instead. I'll try and post some footage on this blog shortly.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend Phnom Phen as a holiday destination for families. The hotels, transportation and sight seeing opportunities need development. For a single person with a sense of adventure, and is prepared to rough it a little, go for it! PP is the 'wild west' of Asia.
Just don't forget to take out travel insurance... top cover!

Visa runs

A visa run is a 4 hour bus trip to the Cambodian border where upon you leave Thailand, have lunch at a casino, collect your passport which now adorns a 30 day Cambodian visa, then promptly re-enter the Kingdom of Thailand. Another 4 hours later and you are back where you started at 7am that morning. A pain in the neck, however, necessary if you wish to stay in Thailand legally.

My first impression's when walking across the border was this place is filthy and the people are very poor. Nothing like Thailand which lies just 50 yards behind me. The only high-rise buildings you find here are casinos that cater almost exclusively to Thai nationals that cross the border in order to have a gamble. All forms of gambling are illegal in Thailand.

The best part of a visa run is seeing the Thai passport office and leaving Cambodia, however, I'll be back next month as usual.

Picture gallery

Scroll down to see my Thailand photos.

The story so far

I arrived back in Bangkok on 4th January 2008 after having spent seven weeks in Oz visiting family and friends.
Thailand has become a home away from home, offering a climate that suits me to a 'T' and people that are arguably the friendliest I've ever met. It's difficult to fault a country where the people live their lives day by day and seldom ever worry about the past, let alone their future.
I checked into my usual hotel for a week before renting an apartment in Huay Kwang, ten minutes via subway from Sukhumvit Road, the equivalent of George Street in Sydney.
I'm living with Wannida, a Thai lady I met in 2007 who managed to steal my heart which I never ever expected would happen. Good things come to those that wait was ingrained by my mother, and she was right! Thanks Mum.
So it's now August, the rainy season and about time I update everyone on my latest news (for those that don't already know). We're expecting!

Welcome to Pik Thai

This blog has been constructed so family and friends can keep up to date with Pete's travels abroad.