1. Ashley and I have our Thai drivers licenses. Ashley has her motorcycle and car where I just have my car which is ironic because of the two of us I spend more time on the bike. The whole process was pretty epic and worth a blog entry.

2. Childhood friend Michael Napoli and his girlfriend Nicole Dunn stopped by Bangkok and caught up.

3. Bangkok wedding reception! It was pretty epic. (and yes we are aware that we are doing the whole wedding thing backwards and we’re loving it.)

4. Post wedding reception travel to Krabi, Railay and my first scuba dive.

As you can see I have plenty of good reasons why I have not found time to blog, but that’s pretty much all you are going to get from me for now.

Until next post!

Phil

The Green Chili is tucked in the southwestern most tip of Chatuchak mall. Take a right out of Kamphaeng MRT station exit number two and work your way down the small alley. Eventually you will hit a T in the road. On your right should be an old man vigorous pulping fresh orange juice and a line of people drinking the fruits of his labor. That stall is Luksom and to his side along the fence is the Green Chili.

The Green Chili is only open for lunch on the weekends so you’ll need to time your meal according. The menu is of the “point and order from a glass case” variety but the food is delicious and the staff is always smiling (this is Thailand after all.).

Ashley and I have made a couple of pilgrimages to the Green Chili and we have not been disappointed once. Ashley’s favorite dish is the Kanom Jeem Nam Prik, a flavorful but not overwhelmingly spice curry noodle dish. Personally I go for the spicy crab or the prawns. The crab can get a little spicy (according to Ashley), so buyer beware. Our first visit there we were lucky enough to meet “chef Ann” and she recommended her pork curry and a garlic broccoli dish.

The Green Chili is a great place to catch a break during your day of shopping. The stall is hidden from the masses which will give you a moments peace and the food is delicious making it worth a stop even if you are not that hungry. You’ll quickly realize that they take pride in their cooking, and the little details fill the corner shop with soul; from the coconut shells that double as glassware, to the organic Gaba rice that you can buy from the shop, to the homemade pickles made earlier in the week that accompany the kanom jeem.

Oh, and while you’re there, buy a 15 baht OJ from Luksom. (I owe him a plug after all the pictures I took of his stall.)

You can find more of our pictures of Chatuchak and the Green Chili by going to my Flickr page and viewing the Chatuchak Market, Bangkok set.

Now for a brief update from this side of the pond.

On December 3, 2012 Ashley, myself and eight of our friends ran in the 2012 Angkor Wat International Half Marathon. The Angkor Wat run was my first half marathon and Ashley’s third (one in Phuket and one around Nichada Thani just to make sure she could do it). I’m sure any future runs we do will be rewarding, but there is something about doing a charity run for children and people with disabilities that makes completing the run that much more meaningful.

The half marathon route starts at 6:30, just as sunrise lights up Angkor Wat, and takes you around the park and along side some of Cambodia’s best known attractions. At the first bend the runners are joined by the local wheel chair participants who race alongside the pack (that said they might have started with us I just had not had a chance to see them until the bend). Dotted along the sides of the route are small villages whose children stand along side the road cheering runners on and sticking their hands out in the hopes for a high-five.

On the race course, the first temple you pass by is Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm is a unique temple even when compared to others in the Angkor Wat park. After the rediscovery and restoration of Angkor Wat most of the jungle that had swallowed the various temples was cleared. However, in Ta Prohm several trees had grown into the temples making it impossible to remove them. The trees actually support the structures in some parts which gives it a very unique feel.

Running past Ta Prohm we passed several smaller temples before making our way to the Bayon. The Bayon is my favorite temple in the whole park and you can read more about the history and significances at the Bayon Wikipedia page. The site is definitely worth spending some extra time exploring, which we did the day before, but after running ten miles I was happy to keep on running.

Shortly after I passed the Bayon the park was opened to the public. The tourists and the buses were annoying but not that big of a distraction. Elephants, however, get your attention. The elephant seemed anxious about all the runners but fortunately it stayed on its side of the road allowing the race to continue.

What else is there to say? Left foot, right foot, left foot and then you’ve finished. All that’s left is a victory beverage.

Ashley and I enjoyed the weekend and the run immensely and we are already talking about going back to for a second run. (and hopefully our friends at DC Hotpot will join us second time around). But in the mean time we’re limiting our runs to five miles or less.

You can trace the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon route on their website.

I have also posted all my photos from the run on my Flickr page.

It is a rare gift to be celebrating our homeland’s independence in our actual homeland. Living abroad we usually try extra hard to be patriotic, in fact, Phil figured out that this was his first time being in the USA for the Fourth of July since 2006. We spent this holiday weekend in North Carolina, exploring vinegar-based barbeque, taking ferries to and from the Outer banks, body surfing in riptides, eating our way through small town celebrations and being engaged!

Phil popped the question under a full moon on a deserted beach in Ocracoke Island in the company of hundreds of sand crabs. Here are some pictures from our fourth.

Lighthouse in Cape Hatteras, NC

Pelican Watching on the Ocracoke Ferry, NC

Sunrise on Ocracoke Island, NC

Malawithafork (and ring!) at Fourth of July in Southport, NC

Maple Salt Water Taffy, State Line, NH

Lobster Roll, Ogunquit, ME

Park Bench Picnic, Brattleboro Food Co-op, VT

Ice Cream off the road somewhere in near Newton, CT

A picnic fit for two birthdays, CT