Tijn in Bangok & Random family moments

Tibbe with his favorite doll.

Quinn with her favorite doll.

Tibbe with uncle Tijn .... what big eyes you have Tibbe ... all the better to see you with ...

Impressive fish tanks at Siam Ocean World.

The first picture ever taken here.

Walking through the tunnel ... Tibbe still liking it.

Even more fish .... I have to say that this place is very impressive.

Quinn running over Tijn and her brother

Tibbe still can't get enough and loves being around people ... if we thought Quinn slept less than average then Tibbe beats Quinn hands down.

He's starting to crawl.

Umit's 19th birthday

High tea at the Oriental Hotel ... Quin teaching us how it's done.

Quinn explaining how to eat her sorbet.

Tibbe getting attention but staying cool.

Meanwhile in Amsterdam: our Electric Canal Boat taking shape

Nerds rule! .... an irrational yet cool project

Less = more.  A birds-eye view of the 5kW Lynch motor (Agni) powering the 80 year old 'bakdekker'.  Notice the rivets; this boat was made before they knew what welding was.

Vic spent day's designing the electric propulsion.  A glass plate will cover the engine room so that people can see the beauty of simplicity.

Bangkok's life on the water; view of the Chao Phraya

View over teh Chao Phraya river - from an apartment we borrowed for a weekend

View to the other side

Luxury little barge that brings you to the Oriental Hotel - at night the river is like Disney World for grownups ... all the activity on the water and the colored lights all around

A typical long-tail boat cruising the Chao Phraya river

The gods will keep this boat afloat.

A prime example of Asian practicality - just use a cheap engine and stick a propeller on it to power your boat.

Around our appartment; foodstalls & more

With so much cheap and good food around you almost wonder why they both to put a kitchen it your apartment.  With 11 million people in Bangkok needing eating most of their 3 meals on the street it's not only popular but also cheap.  It's also perfectly clean and safe - the is the free market at work: you don't serve quality you go out of business & no need for overpaid and corruptible hygiene inspectors.

The stalls generally have 1 specialty and 1 type of meat. If you want something else you go to the stall next door.  For example they will sell dry chicken noodles and chicken noodle soup, and next door they may sell red lacquered pork and rice and pork noodle soup.  The Thais being picky eaters keep know who's good and in the office there's a constant chatter about where to eat.

Street view around Thong Lor

At an average price of about 40THB (a little over EUR1) these street vendors actually make good money and its surprising to see them pack up their stuff in their new pickups.  Of course they pay no taxes and the benefits of that are share between their customers (getting a decent meal for a god price) and themselves ... another lesson of the benefits of free markets.

Sticky rice, BBQ fish and misc. Salad ... this woman stands outside our apartment and works like no other. Often her customers help her out cooking while they're waiting.

 

BBQ chicken and Som Tam Thai (spicy papaya salad) ... my favorite & a Northern Thai dish around

The crushed ice and syrup man ... never tasted this.

Our old man (in Blue) selling BBQ Chicken and papaya salad - he's the best on Thong Lor.

Quinn and dad on their way to work & school.  I'm afraid we'll never get Quinn in a normal car again let alone on the back of a bicycle in `Amsterdam.

A walk around our apartment.

A beautiful gate ... a reminder that we're in the rich part of town.  Never a shortage of tropical hardwood in Thailand ,,, there is an environmental price though.

 

Another impressive gate.

Miscelaneous moments In Bangkok

Tibbe asleep in Noi's arms ... amazing how well children respond to Thai people (and vice versa)

Asbestos removal Thai style ... I guess we did the same 30 years ago (and may still do depending on who's watching)

Tibbe sleeping .... My favorite moment.

Tibbe and dad at the Royal Varuna sailing club

Notice the working hours at the hospital .... I've raved about the medical care here in a separate blog but the service level is just beyond belief

Quinn's favorite outing ... swimming at the Bangkok Dolphins

Tibbe with Noi's daughter 'gift' ... handling children starts at a young age & Tibbe likes it.

Guests in Bangkok - Alba & Brian

The guest keeping Tibbe busy (how I love being relieve of my duties)

The Thai meal - the result of a 1/2 day going to the market and cooking with Noi (our helper).  This is our version of teh Thai cooking school.

Tibbe hits it off with Brian

Tibbe flirting with Alba

Swimming with Quinn at the Bangkok Dolfins

Putting on the essential tools ... Quinn loves her goggles.

Quinn's favorite outing ... swimming on Saturday morning (9AM & not necessarily dad's favorite).

Showing off Quinn's swimming skills ... The Bangkok Dolphins and her favorite instructor 'Teacher Tom' have almost got her her keeping head up and swimming (not bad at 2years &  months).  Unfortunately we're heading back to Amsterdam soon and we'll lose some of her progress.