looking for geckos: 2011

Friday, 30 December 2011

Happy New Year.

As the Saigon sun sets,
my best wishes for a happy, healthy and joyous New Year

December in 3 photos.

Step 1 - Sheer shock at the Christmas season.

Step 2 - Rejoice.

Step 3 - Repeat.

November....

brought a trip to Ha Long Bay....

a new obsession with airplanes...

celebrating Marines and good friends...

Monday, 31 October 2011

Saturday, 29 October 2011

Halloween Costume or Bed Head.......

Monday, 24 October 2011

Rain Rain Go Away

The monsoon season of 2011 is lasting FOREVER. Trying to embrace the good, Alli and I decided to puddle jump, which turned into pool jumping, last week. Trying to make lemonade people.

Alli's beloved teacher, Helen, invited Erik and I along with her Kiwi friends to watch the Rugby World Cup yesterday to a new (to Saigon) Australian chain restaurant called Hog's Breath. It was quite reminiscent of watching the NFL, so it was really fun, except that I know nothing about rugby, so I couldn't call out anything or swear - I was quite civilized actually, which is fitting, because rugby, it turns out, is also quite civilized.

Helen has taught her class the NZ All Blacks cheers, so I knew who to cheer for, and it was thrilling for the NZ fans, as the All Blacks went on to beat France and take home the cup for the first time in 24 years. Thank God because this was poor Helen in the final minutes of the game - we thought she was going to pass out!!!

I learned a lot about the game of rugby and more about the traditions of New Zealand. Like the traditional Maori dance called the Haka.

And most importantly, OHMYGAWD rugby players may be some of the finest looking athletes I have ever seen. I may have drooled once or twice. Maybe. Amen.

Saturday, 22 October 2011

Fall & Punkins

There is no change of seasons in Saigon; which overall doesn't bother me - I like sunshine. But Fall is the one time of year when I long to be in the US, of only for a weekend. The color of the leaves, the football games, the sweaters, the pumpkins, the hayrides, the bowls of chili. While I am not anxious to leave Saigon, I am thrilled that we will be in stateside for part of next fall.

Saturday, 15 October 2011

USA!

Each year, Alli's school holds a Celebration of Cultures, where each country puts on a 3 minute presentation, usually involving dancing and music, in celebration of their host country. It is an effort totally run by the PTO, and it a wonderful day. Last year, yours truly ran the USA team, and took no photos, but this year, I took a smaller volunteer role, and Alli decided she wanted to be on stage. This year, the US decided to teach their friends about American football. Alli performed in front of about 1200 people - I was so proud. And also amazed, because she REFUSED to participate in any rehearsal, and then stepped right onto stage and knew all the cheers and moves. Say what?? She did not inherit that from me!

Prepare yourself for the costume cuteness, complete with matching red/blue nails and tattoos...

And I had our family tailor make all the costumes for the USA performance, so she and her husband threw one in for free, we just HAD to use it.....

Sunday, 9 October 2011

18 months

I would like to freeze time on Amelia right now - she is at such a fabulous age - her vocabulary is growing each day - she is walking and climbing and laughing - she is going to pre-pre-school three times a week - her obsession with her big sister continues - where did the little baby go?