The Thai Family Coming to Town

[Gregjam]

You started the story and a lot of us have been following it. I expect I am not alone in wanting to see how your adventure, or this episode of it, ends. Don't leave us in limbo as to what happens.

[PeteC]

^

[Big Boy]

+1 - it was just starting to build up a head of steam, and then stopped.

[Frank La Rue]

+1 - it was just starting to build up a head of steam, and then stopped.

BB, now the upload works but all outgoing messages get stuck in the "Outbox" and do not register in "Sent" so I post it here instead of PM. Pls confirm in PM if you see this

[Frank La Rue]

Already in the early days of conception of the idea of a visit to Norway by wifey's sister and children had the request come up to go to Sweden.
As a matter of fact other countries like Denmark, Germany and Switzerland had been on the table as my wife, our son and I have visited these countries together on car holiday and a couple of times by plane to Switzerland as my oldest son studied in Geneva.
On one occasion I had gotten a particularly good deal on the flight tickets which my wife knew of and Denmark, Germany we had been to by car, taking the ferry from the seaside town of Gothenburg to Denmark.
With 7 people however it would be both a an entirely different logistics and also a different total cost to the Farang. So i gently nudged the expectations towards a day - trip to Sweden, from our home at the outskirts of Oslo.
I was explained that for the Thais there would be a lot of "face" involved in having been to not only Norway but other countries as well, whilst visiting. I was a bit amused as the the west coast of Sweden looks pretty much the same as the Norwegian south eastern province of Østfold, adjoint to Sweden, north of the border.
However, as my family comes from one of the towns in this province it would give me an opportunity to show them my origins and the surrounding area, which in the spring and summer is very pleasant and beautiful.
My thai family had explained to me that it did not matter if the scenery is similar and that the two countries are neghbouring, it would so to speak "look good on their CV" having been to Sweden as Thais in general did not have a clue about neither Norway nor Sweden.

During the preceding days we had all gotten used to 7 people in the car, my son and the youngest daughter seated on the lap of Auntie and her oldest son. Before their arrival I had thought of hiring a big van with space for 9 people, but now everybody reassures me that they are comfortable in the Jeep as is.
I had myself gotten bolder with regards to the traffic regulations and police, so we agree to set out in our car. There is a tunnel under the fjord of Oslo which takes us to the other side and when emerging from it there is a toll station. However, the windows in the car are soothed so you cannot see people inside. The tool booth is manned by civiians so I do not foresee any problems with the fact that I have kids in the car and no childrens seats for safety purpose, as is the requirement by law in this country.

We pass through the tunnel, I stop and pay the toll, no questions asked. Good! - we are on our way!.

The two sisters have prepared premade lunch for everyone, chicken rice is abundantly available in plastic boxes. Unknown to our visitors however, there is a MacDonnalds at a big retail park just accross the border, where wast amounts of Norwegian Kroner are spent annually in cross border shopping by Norwegians from all of East Norway.
The prices in Sweden as approx 30% lower than in Norway for food and other consumables so it is a fancied destinaton for a weekend outing to go to this retail park in Sweden for the day and stock up on and household item one can think of. Many people come there and shop everything they need for the next 6 months. In the 9 years my wife has been living here we have been only once, presumably as none of us are avid shoppers.

I now tell them that we will head for lunch at this MacDonnalds, I have no doubt that my Thai family will be able to consume both the burgers and all the chicken -rice during our trip, and I turn out not to be wrong.
On the way we pass the town of Sarpsborg, I turn off the Motorway and find my way the house where my father grew up and another where his mother lived in the later years. The former is still there but the latter has been replaced by a block of flats. Anyway, another brick in the story about this farang and the life of the Thai woman who is my wife and their aunt/sister is put in place.

We cross the border without being stopped, It is quite a spectacluar crossing, there is a long bridge over the fjord Svinesund with great views. I have no pictures of this as I am the one driving.

We get to the retail park and I know by now what to order for whom. Fortunately for my vallet these thais are not avid shoppers so no request comes forth to enter the shopping complex itself. Our plan is to visit the se side town of Strømstad 18 km further south. It is a Sunday and the traffic upon entering the town is light so we can easily drive towards the harbour and park.

The weather is excellent so the idea is simply to walk allong the harbour which is famous for it boating and several beer gardens with space for hundreds of people, to do what is a favourite scandinavian past time: "Ta en Utepils" . consume an "Outdoor - Beer". It says a lot about our culture and climate that Norwegians and Swedes have coined a special term for a beer, any beer, which is consumed outdoor.
The climate and contrast of weather between winter time and summer time is such that the occassions in the long, light summer evenings when you can sit outroor in your T shirt with your friends and drink beers, are particularly cherished:

Harbour view of Strømstad and ideal locasion for "Utepils" (Outdoor - Beer

After a couple of hours we head back towards the border. What is this? - the border crossing is now manned, the motorway has been blocked off in one lane and there are markers up to slow down. All cars ar routed in onto a side area where police is pulling cars aside. I think, crap, now we are in for it, 7 people in the car, kids without seatbelts and children seating. I open the car window on my side.

The very moment the police officer can see my face through the open window he saays with a firm voice: "Drive on". I am not one to argue, I am truly relieved. We discuss in the car what this was all about, I think they were looking for something or someone in particluar, not a customs inspection of contraband or drugs, which sometimes is being reported on in the newspapers from this border crossing. Howeer, whoever they looked for, they could not have the registration number as tehy stopped everybody coming at this time.
I had told the Thai family to bring their passports as the visas are in there, in case of something like this happening . but fortune had been on our side.

We head on to the town of Fredrikstad, a town both by the sea and the river mouth of the local river Glomma. This town is if possible my favourit town in Norway, lots of new appartments built by the riverside with direct access to boats if you own one, 30 - 40 restaurants along the river, all perferct for Utepils (Outdoor - Beer), albeith not for me this time - the driver.
On the way we are up against the cultural timidations of Thai children having to pee. My 6 year old does it by the wayside - the girls have to hold until we find a gazoline station. I have seen more toilets in gazoline stations over the last 2 weeks than in my entire previous 60 years and to my pleasant surpise they have all been reasonably clean, which impresses our Thai visitors. The cleanliness associated with releaving oneself of waste products I have learned is very high up on the list of awareness in the Thai mind.

The visit to the town of Fredrikstad is very pleasant as the weather holds, but the family is now tiring somewhat so we spend no more than an hour there , walking about and lazing in the sun.

The return is eventless, as in a way is the whole trip but not for our Thais. Their stay with us serves as an impuls for many refelctions I otherwise would not have had. They arrive in Norway with a Thai mindset and I dare say without a world view. The visit to Norway itself is just a relocasion from one point on the globe to another point. However. This alone does not neessarily give them a world view.

But, by triangulating their experience with a visit to Sweden the children now aquire one.

They have been to 3rd country, different from Norway, but still same-same, looks the same, feels the same people behave the same way, and look no different. This is self evident to me as a native but is a major discovery to them.

Things are the same but the mind changes. I realize that this is an insight, one to hold on to. It can be put to use in other contexts. It can be used to manage change.

[oakdale160]

I am sure they must have been surprised by the long evenings it not getting dark until 10 or 11 in the summer.

[Frank La Rue]

I am sure they must have been surprised by the long evenings it not getting dark until 10 or 11 in the summer.

I think one reason they initially have been tired after just some time out and about, they goto bed late, way after me. the northern day-time light encourages behaviour in terms of staying up. The next installment is from the opera, "Thai family at the Opera", but not necessarily the way you may think...........

[Frank La Rue]

I have one correction to make (well several corrections, when I review the spelling) -the 2nd picture actually is from the Norwegian town of Fredrikstad in Østfold by the river mouth of Glomma. As I said, my favourite town in Norway. If my work had been located on the east/south east side of Oslo I would have bought a house there and commuted the forty or so minutes. A great place.

I remember a conversation I once had with a real estate agent in this town.

I had visited the town in conjunction with visiting my brother's summer cabine in the area and was full of praise. The real estate agent was totally puzzled by this Norwegian calling from London to relocate to the local town of Fredrikstad.
She could not with the best of will understand how Fredrikstad could be attractive compared to London. Instead of her selling the town of Fredrikstad to me as a place to live, I had to sell it to her, whilst she was the one marketing appartments for sale by the river mouth.

A hillarious conversation for us both and mind boggling to both. It is all in the mind and what points of reference one has.
She had visited London on holiday and though the world of its night life and west - end theatres and musicals, I had lived 12 years in Surrey ad never visited a show at the West End.
But Surrey is just as great as this town, Arrundel would probably top it and Weybridge where we lived, is a match, but without boating life.

[Dan1]

Great stuff again Frank. They sure like their McDonalds. Keep it coming.

[Frank La Rue]

Friday is coming up and our little son is off to school again. That gives us some time to go somewhere he would not take any interest in, whilst it limits us with regards to how far we can go. We have to pick him up in the afternoon after school and we are dropping him off at 08:15, so that gives as roughly 4 hours.
"Lets go to the opera! " I say.

"Oh, that's boring - I really don't want to go there!" it immediately comes from our little son. "I rather go to school and play with my friends!"

So the matter is settled. Our son does not mind at all that we go off having "fun" whilst he is in school, and our Thai family can come along on another venture, seeing a place they have never been. I have not checked the internet whether there is an opera in Bangkok, but I don't think so. Opera, I think, is not part of their culture.

I have heard once that approximatly 10% of the Thai population is of Chinese origin and we know there is a performance art called Chinese Opera. I have seen it performed on religious days in Singapore, like a street theatre, but never seen any of it or heard any mention of it in Thailand.

In any case, I don't think it would be accomodated by an Opera house, or a dedicated building, Sidney style. As for my Thai family - opera is an alien concept and totally outside of their family's cultural experience and legacy.

So, off we go. The eldest daughter, who usually does not talk much is asking the mother what is on there, is it a show, will we see songs performed? She asks in Thai so the mother conveys the question to me, whilst laughting.
The mother has part taken in a conversation with my wife and me whilst seated around the kitchen table the previous night, where we discussed this visit.
Sure we are going to the opera of kind, but the ultimate nature of this visit is actually to walk ON the opera rather then attending a performance.
I can appreciate that this is not quite clear to my niece, so I explain to her that the opera building in Oslo, Norway is only a few years old since it's construction. It was built with government finance after a major architecture tender and competition had been put to the martket.

The scope and remit of building an Opera had been both to provide a home for opera and other musical events as performance art whilst also adding to the skyline of Oslo city with a building which in itself was to be a work of Art.

Major Architecture firms rendered their design proposals and out of it all came a quite spectacular strucure, which after being built has become a venue to visit by locals and tourists alike.

The building is such that people can walk onto it, it has angles, nooks an crannies, surfaces horisontal and tilted such that the experience of ascending the building on the outside and walk on top of it is almost dizzying and defies normal, human structural references.

The visual perception and the physical experience one has whilst walking onto and on top of the building is counterintuitive.

If my memory serves me right the Company who's design proposal won is named Snøhettan and since our visit I have recently read that they now won a similar competition for an opera buidling in Seoul South Korea, whith a very similar design.

I am not sure about intelectual property rights in matters of design of building structures, but what a
I read was that there apparently is a discussion about plagiatism.
I would think, if someone where to build an identical building to the Opera house in Sydney - there would be some legal issues as that building certainly has a brand value and epithomizes "Sydney" in the minds of people all over the world.

From what I know the idea has been the same with the government in Norway - finance a building which becomes the hallmark of Oslo, Norway in addition to the Holmenkollen Skijump. This one you can't jump on but you can walk Well, you can jump from it - but that is not it's functional purpose nor recommended.

On a side note - the Opera house in Sydney I have seen on TV with Billy Connoly .- the Scottish comedian and travel entertainer - that there are guided tours to walk allong the ridge on top of the buidling, an even more spectacular experience that the walk we had.

The best is to show you, the readers, a few pcitures:

[Frank La Rue]

I realize to fully appreciate the story and experience you need to view a few pictures of the building at a distance:

[joelle]

great reports and great pictures frank
I probably missed it somewhere but how long is the family staying with you ?
they sure seem to have a good time

[Frank La Rue]

great reports and great pictures frank
I probably missed it somewhere but how long is the family staying with you ?
they sure seem to have a good time

Thanks for your encouragement. The family stayed for 3 weeks. Their stay was timed with their time off school, if not they would have stayed a bit longer.
Their departure is now 6 weeks in the past, but may be a continuous story. My wife and son are in Bangkok talking to me on "Line" (like skype but for smart phone, the thais seem to love it) literally as i write this, they left on Saturday when school was out.

I am following in 3 weeks time. But there has been developments in the interim, to tell about.

[Frank La Rue]

All, I have my mobile phone for repair so the planned update for this weekend has to be post poned- the pictures to go are on the phone. Fortunaltey they are intact. I expect to be able to post early next week

[Frank La Rue]

Update: I had to leave for work and holiday in this region without getting my original phone back from repair - so I am getting the sequence all wrong.
The plan was to post two more stories from Thai family visit and then one on their departure. THe picures are all on my original phone, the replacement phone has none of them

I was then going to follow up on our reunion here in Bangkok and with our subsequent visit to Hua Hin.
I swung by in Bangkok last weekend and picked up wife and son who had left for THailand in June when school was out, we all went down to Singapore for me to do some work and them to chill/ sight -see/shop a bit and we all enjoyed the evenings together. We are now back in Bangkok. The remaining stories from the Family visit will have to come in late August I am a fraid, out of sequence with the goings - on during our stay in Thailand. See separate thread