Bromley Reunion

Celia, me, and Paige

For the first weekend in Utah I attended Axel's family reunion. My sister-in-law did a fabulous job planning a lot of fun mingled with family history. I was amazed at how interested I was in all the stories. My husband's eccentricities made a lot more sense. I loved it, and I wished he was here to partake of the fun.

I also finally got to visit with the Blogging Goddesses. They just so happen to be my husband's cousins. It was so great to see them in flesh and blood. Yep, and a little creepy that we knew so much about each other. Is it stalking if you are related?

Wonderland

Have you already seen Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter? I have grown out of loving scary movies like Psycho and Friday the 13th. (I just end up feeling sorry for the parents of those slaughtered children. Plus, the bloody mess really bothers me. Someone is going to have to clean it up). I now get my kicks by watching Tim Burton movies. It is about the perfect amount of creepy for me. It appears that this one will be no exception. I can't wait! If anyone knows more details, do tell...

BTW blogging in America is infinitely easier than in Nepal. Uploading pictures takes me at least 20 minutes longer than here. Geesh, the sacrifices I make for a little record of family history. I am hopeful I will be twice as blessed. Or at least an extra sucker waiting for me in heaven.

Since Dubai

We have arrived!

I have left Dubai and made the painful trip to Toronto. If something could go wrong, it did. All my children didn't sleep until hour 11. Also, somehow Asa was recorded as a lap child on a very full flight resulting in me holding him on my lap for the full 14 hours. It was some serious baby/mommy bonding time.

I spent a day and a half in Canada visiting with my parents and then off to Utah to visit with the in-laws. I am in Utah now with children who are still adjusting. It is a great way to show off my kids when they are overtried and overstimulated. We did manage to surprise Grandma Moore who had no idea we were on the same continent. The trip was almost worth seeing the confusion on her face.

We miss daddy and hope he is safe. A new adventure is looming. Can't tell yet, but something is in the works...

In Dubai...

We are all in Dubai right now. We must evacuate Kathmandu for special security reasons.

Here is the run down:

* 5 hours in the Kathmanu airport 8pm - 1am to find out the flight is cancelled and we went back home to sleep.

* 10 pancakes eaten at home the next morning in celebration for the fact that we didn't have to take a night flight.

* 1 VERY FULL flight to Abu Dhabi.


* 1 liter of puke down the front of my shirt by Asa on the plane.



* 2 Game Boys for Heavah and Xavier that saved our lives.


* 1 insanely tired toddler.


* 3 hours waiting in line at the Abu Dhabi airport with 4 VERY TIRED children.




* 1 great friend in Dubai to help while Axel goes to the DIFC for work the next morning.

* 1000 stores to explore and 1 Aquarium that blew Heavah and Xavier's mind.



* 1 nap taken by mom today, 1 six-hour nap taken by Asa, 0 nap taken by the toddler that needs it the most.


* 120 degrees of heat.

Terrific Trio

Michelle, Stephany and Me sporting a lame Charlie's Angles pose. We are HOT.

Before I moved here I knew I would have very few friends, and it is true. However, in my older years I am realizing more and more that when it comes to friendships it isn't quantity, it is quality.

God was looking upon me when he sent me here because I found two friends that became a great part of my Nepal experience. We tried to meet weekly, which often worked out. And more recently (because we are transfixed on tailors and creating not only our own outfits but each others) we have met a few times a week.

We often met at a new restaurant and discussed the best and worst parts of Nepal. I found my mouth running from the second I sat down. I was so relieved to talk to people who viewed life here so similarly. It was great therapy.

Showing off our tailored goods. Michelle's wrap, Stephany's shirt, and my jeans (yep, tailored jeans, I love Nepal).

Michelle is a mother of 7! This was her first overseas assignment and she has handled it like a pro. She provided us and our cooks with classes on how to make the most delicious western food in a not-so-Western-country. Coconut shrimp, anyone?

She completely understood my situation of having 4 small children and sympathized with such compassion and wisdom. She says I was here to teach her teenage daughters, but she was here to be my rock and soundboard when I was needing it the most. She is leaving in a couple of weeks. First the US, then China. We are going to miss them greatly.

Stephany is also a great woman of strength and I am so thankful to know her. We had so many heart-to-heart conversations and she would always call me just to see if I was doing okay. Calling me is always a challenge because of the Nepali phones, but she was persistent, and I am so thankful for her thoughtfulness. She is also my body double. With only 1/2 inch difference between us in all dimensions, she could always potentially stand in for me if I couldn't make it to the tailors. You have no idea how helpful that is. She is an awesome mom of 4 and a great friend. I am blessed to know her. She is US bound in a month and then her hubby is off to Afghanistan--again. She is amazing.

We have had the funnest time creating together. We often copied each other's clothing and ideas for outfits. We were anxious to see how certain items turned out and we often had a fashion show to display our creations. It has been so much fun to share ideas, tricks and survival tools to make it through our experience in Nepal.

I am the only one staying. I love Nepal and I really don't want to leave for a while, but it is always difficult to see your friends move on. I will be here solo again, but I am sure my friendships with Michelle and Stephany will see me through.

Miss you guys already!

Cindy Lauper

If you haven't guessed, I have made a few changes with my hair.  This was not by choice it was mere necessity.  Hairdressers in Nepal are not overly familiar with blonde, which has gotten me in a lot of trouble over the past year.  

The last time I went to a salon I left with 30% of my hair gone, burnt, down the drain.  The stylist was trying to correct the green hue in my hair from this fun day.  It also didn't help that I did this when I first arrived to Nepal.  

Instead of pouring more chemicals on my poorly dyed hair, I decided to use Aveda Color Conditioner.  Great stuff.  One wash and my hair was brown.  I don't love brown, but it is a hell of a lot better than partially brunt blonde hair.  

I was looking for a change and decided to go back to blonde today.  What a great idea.  Not really.  I should have known it was going to be a bad day when both my babies were sick, my driver lost his phone, and the tailor was not done with my dress (oh the frustrations of Nepal).  

The result was not pretty.  This is what my hair looks like now:

What you see is a reaction between the Aveda conditioner and the bleach.  Note to self: DO NOT USE AVEDA COLOR WITH BLEACH.  

That is pink you see.  A sweet raspberry hue.  It is reminiscent of the '80s.  I loved the '80.  It is almost as cool as stir-up pants.  Maybe I could have my tailor make a pair of those too.   Then I would be totally rock'n out.  Or at least worthy of trying out for American Idol. 

So, I am back to square one.  I see brown Aveda Color Conditioner in my future.  It isn't all bad news though, I have become quite popular with my daughters, what with the close resemblance to Strawberry Shortcake and all.  

Eddie Saves the Planet

This weekend we had the honor of watching a play performed by Heavah and her other primary classmates. It was so educational.

The storyline went like this:

The penguins noticed the ice is melting. WHY, they ask?

Peggy the Polar Bear (my famous daughter) comes to visit them and seemed just as distraught. Why is the ice melting? They are all going to die.

Of course! It's the human beings (mainly the white folk).

The animals will then travel the great earth over--on the last surviving whale--to find out how they can stop the planet from being destroyed.

They went to England to tell people they need to not drive fancy cars anymore. (How was the US missed in this play? How many SUVs are there in England? I don't know. Someone needs to tell me. I have a feeling Eddie might know)

Then they went to the rainforest and found out that the trees were being cut down. Timber!

Their final stop was Nepal. Nepal? What could an Arctic creature possibly think of Nepal? They visited Bhat Bhatenis cause that store is a superstore (the only superstore in Nepal) and all superstores are bad. But with a little education to the Mayor of Nepal, all is well. They will recycle and pollution will stop. (I am not sure how recycling was termed as a problem in Nepal. Nothing in Nepal goes to waste. I can't throw away anything without someone thoroughly looking it over to find another use for it. Not to mention we are down to 18 hours of no electricity A DAY. In fact, my carbon footprint in Nepal could not be smaller.)

In the end, world hunger is solved, pollution in Nepal has ended, and everyone walks to work.

Yippie!!!

He may be small, but he'll sting ya

Asa has started to chase people around the house trying to tickle/fight them. He is a tough kid and the other children in the house are genuinely scared when he starts chasing. For a 16 month old baby he is tough. Just today Heavah and Sedona had a run in with Asa and he won. Don't let the angelic smile fool you.

Pottery Barnesque

Our dining room chairs were the most embarrassing part of our home. "Here, have a seat, please ignore the nasty stains, the broken arms, the broken back, and the sinking seat." You always felt like you got the booby prize when you sat down and the middle of the chair started to bend and threaten to collapse. We had two of those. A surprise every time.

We inherited this dining room set when we bought our dream home in Delaware. I love the set but the chairs were so weathered I couldn't take it any longer. Our extensive moving has not been kind:

The one-armed chair

Other casualties

I finally found a small woodshop that agreed to make me new chairs. I had an old 2006 PotteryBarn catalogue and pointed at a set of chairs and said 'same-same'. Here are the Harvest Chairs I chose:

The only change I requested is that they use fabric on the seat (not loving the color, though) and the front legs need to be simple, like the back. Here is the result:

The best part? 50 USD a chair! Least to say, my Potterybarn catalogue is working overtime right now. They can make everything for a fraction of the price. I may not have potterybarn, but I do have a bunch of willing Nepali men who want my business. Win/win.

Malaysia

The fun didn't stop from the second we entered the plane. Heavah was such a delight to be around. Who knew that kids grow up and they become real people? I found myself having time to nap and read while on the plane. What? No bottles, puke or pooh? Lucky me.

Our trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was a spontaneous one. I knew I wanted to take Heavah on a mother/daughter trip but I wasn't sure where or when. Axel's work is chaotic right now but not as bad as it will be in the coming weeks. This was our opportunity to go. I decided to leave on Sunday and we were flying by Tuesday.

Here are the necessities for a perfect mommy/daughter getaway:

1. Stay in a sweet, chic hotel that is perfectly located.

We stayed in the Trader's Hotel which was across from the Twin Towers. It also had a serious playground and pool that astonished Heavah when we arrived. Don't skimp on the hotel. It is never worth it.

Outside the doors of our hotel

2. Eat more than your body can handle.

I think I ate my weight in food. There are so many good restaurants in KL and there was not enough time or hunger to partake of them all. It wasn't rice or dahl and we were happy. Yeah for excess calories!

Aunt Annies

Sticky rice and mango in Thailand (we spent a day there)

Chilis

Traditional Malaysian food (Nasi dan Ikan)

Fish and Chips

California Pizza Kitchen

Sushi in a modern, chic establishment

3. Visit the coolest bird park.

The enclosed aviary in KL is the largest in Asia, I believe. It does make the chances of getting pooped on much higher but it was worth it. Luckily for us there were no white surprises from above and we got to see some sweet birds. Very cool.

Feeding the Lories some ice cream. Are they intolerant? We didn't stay to find out.

One of Heavah's favorite attractions--the hachlings. Hun? A child in love with her rural life in Nepal. It makes her father proud.

4. Visit museum exhibits and watch the indoctrination begin.

Malaysia is a wealthy country unlike Indonesia. You can tell the minute you arrive that it is a stable, rich country. Why? They have the black gold and are proud of it. The museum we went to was oozing with propaganda. Rah, rah petrol. It gives life, love, AND happiness. I wondered what little liberal Heavah was thinking as she is an environmentalist at heart. Nepal does that to you. Or at least a VERY liberal school.

God bless the dinosaur for it giveth serious cash

5. Do death defying acts.

I didn't think children could do the Flying Fox (a zipline 30 meters up the length of a football field) but Heavah was determined to do it. She didn't falter at all, "Hey mom, I'll try that!" She did it 4 times. Who is this crazy child?

6. Visit with a friend.

Axel's mission companion (from over 20 years ago) happened to be on a business trip in KL while we were there. Our schedules overlapped for an evening. It was great to see him and catch up on the gang back in Utah. I was so sad Celina and Axel weren't there. They missed out on some great food and a revolving restaurant 500 meters high. Revolving while eating seems like a dangerous combination--especially with jet lag. But the view was amazing and so worth the risk.

7. See the main attractions.

Walking through the rainforest

The Batu Caves

Only 275 steps. Almost as fun as Monkey Temple.

But the real fun came in catching a pigeon freehand. Who needs to see another Hindu shrine when there are pigeons to chase? All that chicken chasing paid off.

Checking out the view on the skywalk in the Petronas Towers. Yet again, another reason why oil is fabulous.

8. Go to a dry and wet park and run from one attraction to the next until your feet fall off.

9. Shop, shop, shop.

Buying goods for the children left at home

(which inspired Heavah to make up this song:

Asa gets something,

Dona gets something,

Xa-vier gets something.

I get nothing,

You get nothing,

too bad for us.

But it's okay,

But it's okay,

'cause we're having fun)

Sampling all the good stuff

10. Have so much fun together that it is difficult to leave.