Back in England

Cold?

After our short visit to Thamuang Khamma and I arrived in Bangkok last Thursday to catch our flight back to England. We had a bit of time to kill in Bangkok so we visited the Siam Paragon shopping centre to buy those last minute gifts. The truth is we got a bit weary after about six hours and even though we enjoyed the excellent Christmas atmosphere we ran out of steam and headed back to the airport and the sanctuary of the KLM business lounge. At last I could take advantage of my gold card and snaffle a few free sandwiches and drinks. After all this excess spending it was a welcome relief!

Unfortunately the flight was delayed and consequently we arrived in the UK late. Khamma had a few questions to answer for the immigration officer but otherwise we had well and truly arrived.

Meeting up with Dave and Richard on Friday night for a beer at the Heights in Delph meant that at last I had a taste of some decent ale after months of Tiger beer. The weather was atrocious with 60 mph wind and driving rain and a stark contrast to what we had just left in Thailand.

On Saturday we had a drive round the drab, misty and rather dark Peak District dales in the hope that I could show off some the finest scenery in England. However Khamma was suitably impressed especially with the horses wearing T shirts (everything from a vest to an overcoat is described by Khamma as a T shirt!). She also picked up a taste for fish and chips as we stopped at the village chippy in Tideswell. The same cannot be said for Bakewell Pudding however, which meant I had to finish off the delicacy myself; a task that I eagerly accepted responsibility for. Meeting Stuart and Charlotte in the excellent Tunnel End Inn at Marsden was the end to a good day. (http://www.tunnelendinn.com/index.html).

On Sunday we spent time with Mum and Dad and Clare. It was good to be with them again and Khamma took everything in her stride. I have missed their company and their easy going outlook on life, but it felt like we hadn't been away at all.

Christmas day was spent in Diggle with Mum and Dad arriving just before lunch. We had a traditional Farang Christmas dinner this time with all the trimmings (Cranberry sauce, bread sauce, parsnips, roast potatoes - well you know the score) and Khamma was impressed, in fact she hardly had any Thai food all day save for the chicken and rice for breakfast!

Boxing Day was the Thai food day and after breakfast of rice and fried egg we waited for Clare to arrive before preparing various dishes of shrimps, pork and fish. A splendid compliment to the previous menu.

Khamma's first Christmas outside Thailand must have been somewhat daunting but she has genuinely enjoyed meeting up with friends and colleagues and mixing in with patience in the conversations that are inevitably hard to follow and completely uninteresting as far as she is concerned. It has been a big culture jump for her but one she has relished. It was very similar for me as I was living with her family in the those first weeks last year.

It feels like our cultures have been brought together from both sides and our understanding is very much greater. What is interesting is that as we have completed drawing the circles that have joined our cultures together we have grown very strong as a couple. For me she is still the bundle of smiles and laughs with a heart of gold. For her I am still a man of good heart. We have found what we have been looking for.