May 6, 2001 Farmington, Utah

I took Lamchuan to Salt Lake on Monday and we saw the new church video, "The Testament" at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and then we went to Temple Square. After the video I asked her if she understood any of it and she said "Not any" - I felt sad that she had sat through it for almost an hour without understanding any of it. When we went to Temple Square I asked for a missionary guide from Thailand. I couldn't believe that they found one for us - I have asked before but could never find one. This Thai missionary was just WONDERFUL and she is from Bangkhapi where many of the English teachers served and her father is Bishop of the Ward there. It was so much fun to listen to them talk to each other in Thai and of course Lamchuan was excited - the Thai language is really very beautiful. I know that Lamchuan took at least 100 pictures of the gardens in Temple Square - they don't have tulips or pansies in Thailand and she just couldn't take it all in. They have gorgeous flowers of every other kind there but not tulips or pansies.

Wednesday we went shopping at several grocery stores and then to the Saigon market. I just let her choose whatever she wants to cook because that is her favorite thing to do and we invited "her friends" to come to dinner on Tuesday and then "my friends" to come on Wednesday night.. She fixed cashew chicken, fried rice, carrot salad and a shrimp soup and then I made cookies and fixed fresh fruit for dessert on Tuesday night. Janet and Virginia came - I called three other teachers but they couldn't come. We had such a good time talking about our time in Bangkok. Wednesday night we had 14 people for dinner and it was just WONDERFUL - she fixed chicken curry and white rice, fried rice with crab (fake crab), Ma Ma which is fried noodles with vegetables, carrot salad again, cucumber relish, and Tom Kha Gai which is lemon grass soup with chicken and cabbage and then the most interesting dessert. She got large cans of whole water chestnuts and cut them into fourths - then she dyed them red, then she put them into a "cassava" flour which is a tapioca flour - then she boiled them until they came to the surface. She then mixed them with "Jack Fruit" and a "Sappa" fruit and "Fresh frozen coconut strips" - we served it in those golden fruit bowls of Aunt Marvels with crushed ice on top and my guests just raved about it. This mixture is also mixed with coconut cream and one of my guests who is a retired anesthesiologist didn't want any so I asked him if he had high cholesterol and couldn't eat the coconut milk but he turned to me with his eyes still watering and said, "I thought her decoration on the rice was a carrot and I ate it but it was a hot chili pepper and I just can't eat anything right now"- Ha!!!

I took some of the dessert to the Bob Mellors and Bob called and wanted to know what the red things were but he said they liked it. Jeannie and Rick came over later and I gave them some but Rick wouldn't even try it - NOW I KNOW WHERE BARJI GETS HER FINICKY APPETITE FROM - HA!!! It is fun to watch Lamchuan cook because she won't use anything I suggest unless she absolutely wants it. In Bangkok, the carrot salad is served with crushed peanuts but she doesn't like it that way so she wouldn't put them in. I kept suggesting she use more chicken in the curry but she wouldn't - I have tasted better curry. I wish you could have seen my kitchen when everyone left - I wanted to set fire to it. We started cooking that morning at 9:30 and finished cleaning up the kitchen at midnight. I enjoy Thai food but no food is worth that much work. She has SO much energy and was SO happy that it was all worth it. My friends were SO sweet to her and brought her gifts.

Thursday I told her that she could do anything she wanted to do. I suggested Park City and drew a picture of mountains covered with snow so she would understand and then I drew a picture of buildings representing D.I. and that is what she wanted to do. We shopped in D.I. stores in Centerville, Layton, Ogden, Brigham City and Logan and she was happier than any child I have ever seen on Christmas morning. She bought twelve purses, 6 pairs of shoes, a tie, and lots of earrings and pins that had been packaged into small cellophane packages stapled together. She had only brought one small suitcase so I gave her the red one that John had given me to take to Thailand - it was torn in places but she didn't care and it held all her "stuff".

Friday I took her to the Greyhound bus depot in Salt Lake and they told us to be there by 7:45 so we got there at 7:30 but she didn't want to wait there - she wanted to go back to Temple Square and see the tulips so we did. We just barely made it back in time for her luggage to be checked and for her to find a seat on the bus - I was very worried but things like that don't bother the Thai people - they just say "Mai Ben Rai" - "Never Mind". She is just a delight and I loved having her here - she told me that when she retires in a few years she will come and spend many months with me - that might be a challenge!!! She brought many gifts for me from my Thai friends and it makes me homesick for them. Her husband sent me a lovely scarf - he came with her two years ago but he couldn't this year because he is going to Canada to study about computers when he learns more English and he was studying. He teaches at one of the best Universities in Bangkok. Lamchuan is 55 years old and she can retire at 57. I wish Somjit would come with her when she comes again.

Today has been a fun day too. Our ward was involved in our Regional Area Conference which was held in the Conference Center in Salt Lake and I decided to not go - I am getting so I don't want to get in that big of a crowd and there were many Stakes invited to this - Bob and Claires' stake was also going. Bette and Jack Browning who used to own the condo where I live are in Utah for one of their grandson's wedding so Margaret organized a get together at the Oakridge Country Club for brunch. Some of their friends met there at 11:30 and I just came home - it was such a fun time and the food was DELICIOUS!!! The Country Club is a fun place to entertain and no one has to wash the dishes - Ha!!! We are going to get together later tonight to have birthday cake because it is Bette and some of the other friends birthdays - bad sentence.

I went to Brett's soccer game yesterday after I came home from the temple and that was fun. I love sports and watching my grandchildren play and Brett is a very good soccer player. Bob and Alice were also there and it was fun to visit with them - they had just come home from Santa Fe, New Mexico where they have a condo timeshare and they said it was beautiful there. I hope Claire won't mind my telling you about an experience they have had with their neighborhood children - I wouldn't mention it but it sounds so creative and I want it in my journal. Brett and some of his friends went to D.I. and bought an old sofa and attached it to some skateboards and then rode it down their street. I would have loved to see that "in action"!!!

Annie - I need an assignment for Russell's farewell dinner. I can make anything you want. I'm betting your Utah Staters will be home this weekend - I talked to the clerk at the Logan D.I. and she told me the students were in finals and Jeannie said that Ricky came home enroute to St. George with his friends. This is such a fun, fun time for High School and College students as they prepare for Summer jobs - I think about Jessie going to Boston and I even get excited. Susanna - I keep reading about the nurse shortage in Utah and you will really be in demand!!!