Good Ol' Dad

Can't really start my posts about Thailand without beginning with my dad, who went with us on our trip.  What a wonderful opportunity for the girls and I to spend one whole month with "Grandpa."  I haven't lived at home for 15 years and it was very sweet to "have a dad again."  We were totally dependent on my dad during this trip, not only to introduce us to family members that we had never met before but to translate the language, explain cultural customs and basically just lend a helping hand with the girls while Dave wasn't there.  It was so cute to have my dad who was very protective and concerned for our comfort.  He checked on us every night before we went to bed, even after Dave came.  He took me to the doctor when some stomach bacteria got the best of me, he would put food on our plates to make sure we were eating okay, he bargained on our behalf with street vendors and he always carried extra water for us.

The best part is that this trip really helped me to understand and appreciate my dad more.  Being in Thailand and seeing him laughing and enjoying his family and to see his brothers and sisters so happy to see him was very touching.  Also, we were in Thailand long enough to see and learn more about the cultural customs.  Things that my dad has always done that I just considered his own personality quirks are actually very common practices in Thailand.   I also became much more aware of the huge leap that leaving Thailand and everything familiar to immigrate to the US must have been for my dad; it took courage.

Here are a few of my favorite dad stories:

-Eatin' it up.  He might wince that I am sharing this but no kidding, my dad gained 12 pounds during our 27 day trip.  I'm serious, 12 pounds!!  Thai people love to eat.  They eat all the time, 5 meals a day is average.  There are street vendors selling food everywhere for real cheap so finding a quick meal is never a problem.  I consider myself a pretty hearty eater, but I couldn't even keep up.  It's just not physically possible to stuff that much food that often into your body.  In fact, I actually lost a few pounds during our trip, on what I like to call the Thai diet---lots of rice, fruit, and veggies; daily sweats in 95+ heat; and a 7 day stomach bacteria.  Maybe that is how all the Thais stay so thin despite eating so often.  As for my dad,  he certainly savored all the Thai food.  Once when we were at the Grand Palace, our tour guide took a picture of us and then wanted to take a second after telling my dad to suck his stomach in!

-Snakes.  My dad has a real fear of snakes.  It's a phobia, anyone that knows him is aware of this.  So when we went to a snake farm, honestly my dad might have been the most entertaining part.  First of all, he questioned the strength of the glass cages to hold the snakes.  When this King Cobra raised it's hood and struck at us, my dad almost lost it and retreated 50 feet away in a flash. 

When the actual snake show started my dad sat at the top of the bleachers as far away as possible from the snakes.  Funny part is that Paige, who had been telling everyone she was going to sit on the front row for the show, actually ended up with Grandpa.

 

But the real kicker is that my girls were able to talk Grandpa into coming down and putting a python around his neck.  I can't believe he did it.

-Young Un.  My dad is 65 but really doesn't look it.  In fact, all his brothers and sisters teased him about looking so young and not having too much white hair.  His mom, Grandma Mani, is 94 and she is still independent, mobile and healthy, this must be where he gets it from.  I hope they passed some of those genes onto me.  I have to give it to him, he trekked around the jungle with us, rode elephants, endured searing temperatures, climbed in and out of boats, stood on his feet for hours day after day and did it all without wavering.  He performed as well as someone half his age, I should know because I'm around half his age and didn't have anything on him.  In fact, the only way we knew he was "a grandpa" was that he was the only one that had to go to the bathroom ALL THE TIME! 

When it was time to actually separate and send Grandpa back to Utah, Ashley said, "I can't believe I have to say goodbye to Grandpa, I feel like he actually lives with us now.  I mean it in a good way."