our 48 hour journey

We are back, we left Monday at 4 pm ish and returned Wednesday the same time. The more we visit the capital the less we like it. Sure, the McDees ice cream cone is great, but all the traffic, the hotel (which doesn't turn AC on even if it is 80 degrees out and about 90 in the room, no exaggeration), and just the pure stress of traveling, makes us long for home. Here are some tidbits:

• David spent Tues morning at the Thai consulate while Sophia and I went to feed fish in an area near our hotel. She absolutely loved it! We all traveled because we thought all three of us had to be there, but we tried it with just David (we were on call in case we needed to get to the consulate), and no problems!
• The weather was perfect, low 70s, sunny, slight breeze.
  
• we went to buy some western food supplies like butter, cheese, etc. and look for 'authorized' movies, meaning not fake ones. The vendors tell us which these are, they are more expensive and have far less the selection, but we still opt for the real deal.
  
• Tues night we went over to eat with some friends and then back to their house for some dessert. They have a very sweet dog that Sophia warmed up to nicely... we had a great time with them, Sophia staying up way past bed time
• Weds: this anecdote is worth retelling: at breakfast David decided to enjoy a croissant, but it was a little hard so he squashed it a little and put it through the toaster, which is a rolling toaster that spits the toast out on the opposite side. He waited a bit, then looked inside as it was rolling through and saw it was aflame, yes, on fire! he quickly grabbed the tongs, and as it was spit out it jumped the tray and rolled onto the table cloth, still ablaze. David put it on the tray and put the 'fire' out. He left the blackened croissant for spectators to see, grabbed another, and walked away laughing...then, after almost burning down this nice hotel in the middle of downtown he went to get Sophia some cheerios and the dispenser stuck and tons went on the floor...Sophia already made a spectacle the day before by screaming/ throwing a fit for not getting what she wanted. I think these people were ready for us to leave.
• After breakfast David took Sophia to pick up the visas while I journeyed across town to pay a bill for a shipment of imported foods that we ordered with a friend a few weeks ago. This store is great, the lady tells us 'just pay when you come through.' and we did, over $100 worth of food, how convenient! her name is 'auntie,' well that is what we call her.
  
• I met David at McDonalds where he was meeting with another friend and Sophia played happily on Ronald Mcdonald's big red shoe (a children's play slide), she did great while I was gone and then continued playing with new friends there for another hour! we ate lunch, checked out of the hotel and caught our flight!
  
• on the bus taking us to the airplane, I gave Sophia her 'moo moo' blanket in hopes she may nap a little, of course she definitley sucks her thumb with moo moo in hand. the lady sitting next to me pulled Sophia's thumb out of her mouth and kept telling us how dirty it was (most chinese do not let their kids suck their thumbs), David and I got quite frustrated with her, and in my mind I had some really great come backs...from which I refrained because they were not edifying... we did tell her that we were not like them in this regard and that we let her do this. People do comment on her thumb sucking, I have just never had someone pull her thumb out of her mouth before...cross cultural living, always think I am used to it, then I get surprised.
• On the airplane David held Sophia and sometimes he lets her stand on his lap and look over our heads behind us at all the people. He told her to wave to the people...we didn't really think she would do this, but she did first with her left hand, for a little bit, then she would switch hands and wave some more, just like little miss america or something, the people loved it, Sophia our little ham.