Tioman Celebrations

We had gone to Tioman a Spring Break ago. It was March then and there were just four of us. This time around it was 11 of us. The four in our nuclear family, Tia and Avi and TTmouz, as well as Emilia, Ine and, of course, Adri and Luca. Getting to Tioman required us to take over three taxis and practically half the airplane but it was seamless none-the-less. This time, unlike the last, we went a bit further south to a small hotel by the beach. It was a quiet place owned by an Irish brother-sister and was largely run by foreign staff (from the US, UK and India). 

Largely this was a chance to see things. Irini wore her mask and, with Avi and TTmouz and Daddy, swam around the high tide rocks looking for little fish. TTmouz would also join either Laurence or Luca to venture further to the reef, over there (about 100m away) to see the larger fish too. Or they would stay on the beach, which shrank and widened with the movement of the tide, and play games and swing on the lone swing attached to the big tree that stood in front of our rooms. 

At night the sky was cloudless. The stars shone and as the kids slept in their rooms, the adults would walk the six meters to the beach, sit down and watch the stars as they chatted back and forth: The conversations of family. Every once in a while the conversation would be stopped as there was a group "wooooowww" or "ouaaauu" as we saw shooting stars cross the painting of a sky in front of us. One particular star was slow moving and extremely bright. It made it easy for us to watch, follow and enjoy it in all its splendor. '' Ouuuaaaauuuu" said the brownies. "Wooooowww" said Luca. "Ggooouuuuaaaooouuu" said Laurence. :-)

The nighttime experience was made even better on the last night. A few tables were set up on the beach, candles lit and champagne was serves in honor of Luca and Adri's first anniversary. Love, smiles, cheers and congratulations replaced the traditional Malaysian fireworks for such events. The lack of noise allowed the kids to slowly fade into a slumber lasting till morning. The adults lost themselves in conversation and in enjoying moments with family on a tropical island paradise. Colombia. Greece. Italy. Malaysia. The world coming together in celebration. 

Brownie Mix

It began in Early August. The first of the Moreno family (the Brownies as we affectionately call them) Emilia and Ine (Natalia's mom and sister) got on a Jet Blue Airways airplane and ascended over the Colombian sky, looking back on the Savanna of Bogota as they flew northward. They made their way above the clouds to Orlando, where they stayed for a few days visiting Consuelo, a friend of Natalia. From there it was on to another plane, moving westward and away from the familiar (for Ine) Florida to Houston, on to Tokyo, then Singapore and finally Kuala Lumpur. Asia awaited. So did we!

Laurence drove to the airport to pick them up and what ensued was a frenzied tour of SE Asia for both of our visitors, sometimes with us and sometimes without. All told they saw Singapore, Malaysia (of course), Thailand (Bangkok anyway) and the awe inspiring temples at Angkor Wat (Cambodia).  To make things just that much more interesting their visit coincided with Ine's birthday. So why not just have Adriana and Luca fly in from Italy for 10 days as a surprise visit for her too?  The birthday celebration was filled with visiting candles (the two Italian cleverly disguised) dancing around the living room. When Ine actually recognized, of all things, the hair on Luca's arm, she was thrilled and happy as can be. The thrill lasted throughout the visit, even after Adri and Luca flew off to Hong Kong for a few days before returning to Milan. 

On this end the final days were filled with the requisite visits to favorite restaurants, shopping opportunities and their visiting with Connie, a now dear friend of Emilia who is happy to show everyone around town as soon as they arrive. This time was no exception and, in fact, they were all happy to visit Bangkok together on a weekend shopping spree second to none. :-)

Finally, when they boarded the plane for their return back to the US (and then Colombia) they were tired but happy as can be. The tears were shed by those newest to the experience (including Emilia Patricia, Avi and TTmouz). Best wishes shared. Promises of reunification in June. The realization of how much has been missed (through time and space) but also the appreciation for all that's been experienced. The door closed and the relative quiet returned to the apartment. Things are "back to normal". Yeah, let's call it that.   

Summertime Memories

Has it already been over a month since we've been in Greece?  Has it really been close to a month since our last post? It is probably proof positive that once we touched down in KL it was one of those moving vehicle deals. We had to just start running to match the speed of the vehicle we were trying to get off of, heart pumping, legs flailing. In the meantime we've started work, with Laurence starting his new, more administrative role, at the school. Even as we write this he is deeply missing his shorts and t-shirt professional attire days and the positive comaraderie of the PE Office he left behind. His new name plate on the door is far more professional looking, but with that come meetings and trying to figure out what, exactly, it is that he needs to do in a school that also moves at breakneck pace and where his position is one of many skills and near total independence. 

But back there, back in July somewhere, in some compartment of short-turning-to-long-term memory, there are glimpses of time spent with family and having fun in Athens. The summer was a great one and we enjoyed it all with friends and family. In many ways it is the food of the soul - that time with family - that will enable us to  keep going on this end. Family. Friends. Things that make sense. Time well spent. Thank you all for a wonderful summer 2012!

Skopelos!

It was supposed to be a three day getaway. After we arrived in Athens - and with jet lag still taking its toll - the idea was to escape the city for a few days and enjoy time by the water.  Good think Pappou and Moca persuaded us to stay a few extra days, five in total. We took the car to Agios Kostandinos and, from there, the ferry to Skopelos (with a stop in Skiathos). By early afternoon we arrived and drove straight to the beach, our beach. Limnonari is a small bay with just two tavernas and one hotel (more like rented rooms, really). It was perfectly small and accessible. Our rooms were behind the taverna, just 25 meters of so from the sea. 

Moca realized early that the free loungers and umbrellas were a hot commodity and so morning often started with her making her way to the beach and setting up for the rest of the morning. The rest of us would wake up later on and enjoy a breakfast of yogurt and honey and bread and fruit out under the trees. Then it was off to the beach where Irini gradually got more and more adventurous, starting from merely swimming between adults with outstretched arms, and finishing with snorkel and mask (courtesy of Moca) swimming happily above the rocks.  Amalia too was happy there. The slope of the beach allowed her to decide how deep to go and with the added confidence afforded her by her inflatable arm bands she too happily played in the water. 

It was five days of sloooooooow. Taverna, beach, nap, taverna, beach, dinner... and so it went. The time allowed us to roam a bit too. Skopelos is a green island and there are parts to it that might remind one of a national park. Then there are beaches with crystal clear water. The people too are friendly as can be. The added bonus is that, unlike some other islands, Skopelites (as they refer to themselves) are extremely proud of the products they produce there: Honey, yogurt, fruits (especially plums), bread. 

In all that we found wonderful moments. Family filled. Laughter. Giggling. Sunshine. And the nights were perhaps even better. With the coming of night we would venture across the dirt road and over to the beach. We would take over five lounge chairs waiting for the next morning and lie down, the children on our stomachs, and look for shooting stars. The sounds of calm waves lapping away echoed and the night sky was moon-less, making for perfect star gazing. One one particular night, as we also had the accompaniment of a trio of musicians playing Greek music in the background, we saw lots of them. The record, set by Natalia, stood at eight shooting stars in about a half hour. 

What a wonderful statement of Greece. In the distance the worries continued, for the Greeks and their economy. But here they were making the best of it. Somewhere between their hospitality of visitors and their caring for each other and this island environment, Skopelos was home. 

Rural Colombia with the Cousins

While on vacation in Colombia we would normally head out to Villa de Leyva. This year we decided it was "a bit too much" given that we were graciously invited to the finca (out-of-town home) of Ivan's family. You might remember that Ivan is married to Caro who, in addition to being the sister of Andres and Adri, is also the cousin of Natalia.  As it turned out Ivan and Caro led the expedition, with Natalia and the girls in tow, while Laurence jumped into the car with Andrés, his wife Marianelly and their two lovely daughters Camila and Mariana. The idea was to spend 'down time' in Los Llanos, southeast of Bogotá just over the Andes mountains. Three and a bit hours away, just beyond Villavicencio we found the finca waiting for us, along with Tommy and Simba, the dogs. 

We spent three wonderful days there, far away from everything and practically living in the pool. Irini and Mariana had the following routine:  Wake up, go to the pool, have breakfast, go to the pool, have lunch, take a nap, wake up, go to the pool, have dinner, play, sleep. For three days they were happily engaged in each other and the rest of the gang. Ivan and Caro served up some wonderful grilled meet and potatos and pretty much everything one could think of as we all gobbled it up as fast as we could. There was some bantering about Caro being a bad aunt because she wanted to feed our daughters chips and cookies too much. There was a trip down the highway to visit the local ice cream shop. There was a good deal of chatting and laughter. All in all it was a fantastic weekend. Largely quiet with lots of 'down time' it was a great change from the city bustle. More importantly, it was a great way for Irini and Amalia to be exposed to Spanish, to their extended family and to farm life. Daily visits to the horses, the chickens and rooster, watching the birds (of which there was quite a colorful variety), checking out the toads and chatting with the parakeets (one of which said "quiere cacao?" all the time). 

What a great way to end our Colombia visit!  To make things even better, our return to Bogotá coincided with an offer to Javi for a new job in Barranquilla in a prestigious school there. He and Carolina are hoping this is only the first step to a new international career for them as well. We are crossing fingers for them and wishing them the best. :-)