Christmas Recap

Well, it was quite a weekend. We had the in-laws, Mae Ni and Khun Pung, for their first ever Christmas celebration. They came by train (and bus, truck taxi, and motorcycle) from Trat Province, through Bangkok and on up to Chiang Mai. They made an overnight stop with Amnat's sister Taan in Bangkok, who sadly couldn't make the trip this time. We made it worth their while. But of course, they'd cross continents (if visas weren't so #$&! hard for Thai people to get) just to be with Jimmy.


Christmas morning started with a hot bowl of "joak." It's a Thai breakfast standard, and with a (slight) chill in the air in Chiang Mai this week, it was warming and lovely. Think pounded rice soup in a pork stock with pork balls, fresh ginger, and green onion.


Mae Ni and Khun Pung are always happier outside, since they are farmers, so they had their joak on the front porch. And, yes, Mae Ni IS wearing a bath towel. We are all sadly underequipped for a chilly spell, and bath towels make great outerwear!


Since we were all VERY good this year, Santa treated us nice. Khun Pung and Mae Ni opened their first ever stockings and caught on right away. Mae Ni dumped hers out and started upwrapping, and when Khun Pung dumped his nearby, she swept her goodies in close with the quick reflexes of a seven-year-old.


It was after breakfast that things got a little out of hand. After the showering and dressing, Mae Ni and Khun Pung went off for massages at our friend Jo's shop. Amnat and I headed out with the stroller for a coffee and iced chocolate and a little last minute bakery run. And, I vaguely remember as we sauntered out the gate, my sister-in-law quietly asking something like, "shouldn't we be chopping vegetables or something?" It was in Thai, so I didn't catch most of it.


After making our leisurely rounds with Jimmy in his Santa suit getting smiles and waves from every motorbike in town, we roll back in the gate at about 2:00, and I'm thinkin' "let's open presents!" My sister-in-law is now looking quite serious, and says again, "you want me to chop something?" Ok, this time, it sinks in. As you know already (if you are a faithful reader, TWELVE people for dinner at 4:00!). So, Nok and Nong and I hurl ourselves at a huge pile of vegetables, fruit and flowers, while Amnat settles Jimmy for a little nap.


Again, faithful reader, you will recall the muttering husband ("why didn't we do this yesterday?"), to which Nok (quietly) replies, "Bon yert, tamgan nit noi." Sorry, that was Thai. "Complains a lot, works a little." (She can be quite funny, even when hacking at something with a machete.)


My dear friend Nong wanted to experience a true American style Christmas, so she slept over and rolled up her sleeves with the rest of us. I thought she'd be great at doing some special flower arranging for the party, but I had to pull her off flowers and get her to help mash potatoes with a drinking glass at the last minute. She looked a little dazed by the experience, but isn't that part of Christmas too?


We posed for pictures, looking cool and collected and having completely forgotten about opening our presents!


The party guests lined up for a photo op with the little elf.


Khun Poo (Grampa) and Khun Yaa (Grammy) were grinning from ear to ear all day. And, during dinner, I got more than one thumbs-up across the grass mat from my mother-in-law. She found a dried fig on her plate and was a little puzzled. When assured that it was fruit, another thumbs-up. As the whole thing was eventually winding down, she asked me, "Mee quam sook mai?" Are you happy? Like it was about me being happy. Very sweet, indeed.


Of course, gifts were exchanged, but with a twist. Everyone brought something nice, but the Khunchamnan's seeded the gift pile with a couple of gag gifts. Then, we took numbers, took gifts, opened them. Red faces in a couple of places. Gawp got sexy little black undies (which she could probably wear on one leg), and Khun Pung got a year's supply of toilet paper. Then, the fun really began. We drew numbers again and went round from low to high taking the gift we REALLY wanted. An electric sandwich maker jumped from person to person until Jomsi managed to hold onto it. And, sweetly, when it was Khun Pung's turn to have anything he wanted, he opted to keep his toilet paper. Mae Ni told me later, they could really use it (not in the bathroom, of course, but that's a story for another day.)


Little was a trooper throughout. No fussing. Just rosey cheeked and beaming in his little red suit.


And, just before rolling off to bed, the Khunchamnan's FINALLY opened their gifts. Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!