How could I forget about Thailand!?!?

After purusing my own blog (is that conceited or what?) I realized I had completely forgotten to post some pictures from Thailand. Thailand is an amazing place. I was able to get a whole week off thanks to Diwali, so we planned to spend the most amount of time on a beach then explore Bangkok a little at the end. Salim did most of the planning. I just sat back and enjoyed the ride.

We flew directly from Hyderabad to Bangkok, then flew down to Koh Samui. If the airport is any indication of the locale, I knew we were in for an amazing trip. The airport looks like an open-air bar. There are these little Disneyland-like trolleys that take you from the plane to the airport. We picked up our bags on the outdoor converyor belt and found our ride to the resort. The guy was late, but he made up for it by bringing his wife and adorable son along for the trip. We played with the little boy the whole way. It was late when we got to the resort, so we had to pick our bungalow in the dark. Fortunately for us there is no such thing as a 'bad' bungalow in this place. We decided to upgrade for a mere $20 a night to the deluxe suite. I have no idea what the real difference was between the deluxe and non-deluxe, but we were so happy in our little home for a week. We were steps from the ocean, had our own lanai, and easy access to the pool.

We quickly fell into a routine of waking up and going to the free breakfast buffet, putting on our suits and swimming in the calm blue-green water for a few hours, eating Thai food for lunch, then Salim would usually go to town on the mopeds we rented to shop while I sat on the lanai to read a book. It was luxurious. One night we went in to the main part of town to watch some Muy Thai fights. It was sort of like a bar that happened to have a boxing ring in the middle of it. It was hot, and like everywhere else, the fighters were on island time, so Salim and I had quite a few beers before we realized it. This led to me almost adopting a small, wild kitty that followed us out of the arena until a group of prostitutes snatched her up and we lost her forever. In my heart of hearts, I knew we could never work out.

The water, the food, the people - they were all amazing. I certainly didn't want to leave. We spent five days there, then headed back to Bangkok. We went to one of the open-air markets to shop the one day I was there, and Salim was clearly smitten. He was in heaven. So much so, in fact, that he changed his flight so that he could stay on for a few days. He keeps asking when my company will open an office THERE. I only wish.

Happy...and Sad

I'm back in India after a whirlwind 3 week trip to the States. I swear my head is still spinning. Salim and I flew from Hyderabad, to Singapore, to LA, to SF to Chicago to Indy then drove to Evansville in the first three days, if that tells anything about the pace of the trip.

I spent two glorious weeks with my family and played with my new nephew Simon. I will try not to gush, but man, is that boy handsome and smart. I will post a few of the hundreds of photos I took of him on his own blog if you want to see him. Seriously, he is the happiest full-head-of-hair, two-teeth-having kid I have ever seen. And he has eyelashes that would compete with a dragqueen's. I'm so jealous. Check them out here.I had to say goodbye way too soon to him and the rest of my family so that I could head back to SF to attend a conference.

I flew in on a Sunday, and my friend Elizabeth flew in the next morning for a visit. Salim's parents where there already so it was a full house! I had to split my time between all the company and the conference, so I'm not sure I did any one group the justice it deserved. I must say though, that I have never felt so loved in my life. Thank you to all of you that squealed when you saw me and remembered my name. I have been MIA for so long that I was certain I wouldn't be remembered.

It was amazing to be back in SF, our apartment, and our neighborhood. We found out while were in India that the landlord was trying to evict us. There was a hearing and we are very lucky because while we have to pay a little more rent, we still have a home. The prospect of being homeless definitely helps you appreciate what you have.

I was so great to see everyone and eat thai food. It makes it very hard to be back here in India, especially since Salim is still in SF. The team that I work with definitely help, though. They truly are amazing people, and this is an amazing experience. A few thousand people asked me when I will be back to stay, and I just don't know. It's hard to be so torn between two totally different places. I love my job and the opportunities I have here, but I feel like my life is on hold. I am so lucky to have all that I have. Let's end on that before I get too sappy. I miss you all already...