Steph's 21st

We celebrated my cousins 21st birthday today. Stephanie has managed to celebrate her 21st birthday three times over the last two weeks. Initially in Almaty, Kazakhstan where her parents are currently living. Last weekend in Sydney and today in Brisbane.

I remember holding Stephanie when she was just a week old. I was 16 years old and just about to depart for Thailand as an exchange student. I can't quite believe that 21 years have passed and Steph is now a gorgeous young adult, following her dreams and making her way in the world. Her parents should be very proud of her. I know I am, and I'm just her cousin.

Cousins Down Under

Friday night we had a glorious dinner of spaghetti with seafood at the Barea's. As kids we used to call Derek and Ray Barea the Mafia brothers. In fact the nickname still lingers.

Derek's wife Margaret is a fabulous cook, and an even better person and it was wonderful to see them again after two years away.

Gi's cousin, Marco, is staying with them as he nears the end of his working holiday in Australia.

I couldn't help but capture the two cousins on film...well digital. Two good looking Italian boys. What more could their mothers ask for?

Welcome to the Club

'Welcome to the club' was the congratulatory statement from the Consulate assistant today after I swore to be true and faithful to the Republic of Italy and observe its laws.

I am officially an Italian citizen.

Even though it was very low key, just Gi, myself, the consul and two witnesses in the consul's office I was so happy that once we floated down the 14 floors in the elevator and burst into the sunshine I started to cry.

I never thought it would happen. I was totally convinced that the Italian bureacracy would just eventually get the better of us and we'd give up on the process.

As of tomorrow I can go back to the consulate and apply for an Italian EU passport. Imagine...dual nationality.

What a shame that I won't be needing it anytime soon.

But still I was quite nervous swearing an oath to a country as antique, complex and intriguing as Italy. I will spend the rest of my life trying to resolve the puzzle of Italy and the Italian psyche. Of that I am quite sure.

My mother asked if they dipped my head in water, or laid a sword on my shoulders during the ceremony. Perhaps either of those would have been more in keeping with the pomp and ceremony that usually accompanies such events in Italy, for the simplicity of today's ceremony was rather underwheming.

Which may explain the tears that flowed soon after.

At least I didn't have to pass a test like the one introduced recently for new immigrants to Australia, including a question written by our former prime minister about a late, great cricketing hero.

Welcome Home BBQ

Alex, Jenny & Janet
Jenny & Kristina

1. Bill 2. Ray and Geoff, Jenny's Dad.

Alex and his girl Janet.

Charmaine & Mike.

Sarah and her beau Moss.

Glenn & Jenni

1. Madii 2. Her mother Kristina.

Ray and Geoff

Elephants and city scenes

See if you can spot the photo of the real elephant?

View from sky train station

Inside the huge, noisy, buzzing IT city shopping centre.

The front of the revamped World Trade Centre, now Central World.

Our HatYai Family

Seven years ago, Doeng's uncle P'Lop and aunt P'Mas kindly hosted us for several months while we were living in HatYai and teaching English. Their three children Jom, Jah and Jan also had the 'pleasure' of our company. They were delightful and very generous. We have been promising to visit but have never managed to find the right time but to our delight they were in Bangkok during our recent visit. Seeing them again reduced me to tears. These photos were taken at a Thai restaurant where the food was good, but the service was anything but.

Cabbages & Condoms Restaurant

We had dinner at the Cabbages and Condoms Restaurant, an AIDs safe initiative in Bangkok. The decorations are all condoms or packets of the prescription pill for women. This one to the right is a light shade. Others included a Christmas tree, a Santa made of red and white condoms and various other costumes and characters. Instead of giving out mints at the end of the meal they give you condoms.

Probably most interesting was that at dinner there were three old ex-exchange students (including myself and a gay friend), Gi (international man that he is) and a 17 year old Rotary exchange student from USA.

Market colours in Bkk

These shots were taken at Chatuchak weekend markets...Gi's favourite place to shop in Bangkok. It's hot, crowded, hectic, cheap, colourful and sensory overload. See if you can guess what you're looking at. Send me comments and I'll label the photos in a few days!

Four nights in Bangkok

To the ever faithful who know that Gigi and I are now home in BrisVegas (Brisbane for those outside of the loop) but continue to check the blog here's an update about our time in Bangkok.

The idea was to break the journey from Europe to Australia. Bangkok, always a favourite, is ideally placed at almost exactly half way. Jenny's good friend Doeng (friends since high school in southern Thailand in 1987...you do the maths) lives in Bangkok near the impressive new airport with his lovely Japanese wife Shiho and two daughters so it was a good excuse to visit them. Furthermore, any trip to Thailand is an opportunity to eat, speak the language and check out how the city of 10 million has changed since our last visit.

Ah, the food. The language is a joy to reconnect with, and the city never stays the same for very long. It's extraordinary.

We packed quite a bit into the short visit, even though we were waking up at 3am in the morning and adjusting to the heat and humidity after leaving winter in Italy. We hit our favourite shopping centres, went to dinner at the Cabbages and Condom restaurant (a special initiative highlighting AIDS prevention), met a 17 year old exchange student Brittany and saw a fabulous cultural spectacle. We spent a day at the weekend markets and then had a surprise dinner with Doeng’s uncle and aunt, two of our favourite Thais, P’Lop and P’Mas. It is seven years since we last saw them and the sight of them at the Starbucks café brought me to tears.

However, the true delight of the visit was connecting with Doeng’s daughters. Hana Chan is 4 ½ years old and already at school. The youngest is Kyoka and she is now 2 years and 7 months. Both girls speak Thai, Japanese and English. Both girls are gorgeous, well behaved and after overcoming their initial shyness were keen to have us read stories, sing nursery rhymes and entertain them during the lengthy car trips in to the city centre.

Enjoy the photos. We enjoyed having the opportunity to take them.

The old style dancing, the modern traffic jams.

Truly Thailand.

Chinese New Year decorations

Kyoka at play, and Hana Chan at breakfast.

Kyoka and older sister Hana Chan.

1. City street scenes. 2. Winter in Bangkok?