There’s a soup lady on my street in Bangkok whose soup is so nourishing it makes me cry. Anytime I am sick or in a funk, I head straight to her wheeled cart and take my place in line behind construction workers before ordering a steamy bowl of chicken and rice noodles in a rich…
Tag: Thailand
The River and the Imaginary Variable
I was raised on the banks of the Saline River in Benton, Arkansas. My “home” was a miniature distributary where the water was just calm and shallow enough to settle in cozily. My “food” was giant sycamore leaves I called fish. It was where I learned to tread water. It was where I caught the…
Driving in Bangkok
I’ve been living in Bangkok for a year and a half, and I am finally feeling brave enough to drive in this country. Actually, my husband gets credit for pushing me to do it before leaving for a month-long trip. Up until now, I have dragged myself and three kids around in taxis, trains,…
Rainy Season and a Cloud of Witnesses
Rainy season. It’s that time of year in Thailand when I crank up the AC and curl up by the window with a book, cup of tea and a blanket and pretend that it’s winter. It’s an art of mental foolery. I see the clouds and listen to the rain. I invoke images of a…
We Live at the Circus
A friend and I lamented over coffee the other day about how we are cheating our kids a healthy, “normal” childhood by living in Bangkok. The lack of green space, fresh air, digging dirt, and the great outdoors–are we damaging them? After some thought and consideration, I’ve decided that we are actually living at the…
Babymoon in Thailand
Travis and I finally made it to Thailand! We’ve been wanting to go forever and already had one failed attempt last February. We took a risk going during monsoon season but wanted to get in a good babymoon before I’m too puffed up to travel. This was a risk that paid off nicely- cheaper…
NATALIE TOON PATTON 