Parenting continues to be an interesting experience.  As you may recall, Luke went to Thailand in April, and came home saying he was in love with a Thai woman.  Since he’s come home they’ve spent 10 hours a day talking on Skype, he has proposed, and the wedding’s in  Thailand in October!

Naturally I’m attending my baby’s wedding, so have been getting my head around the ide of it all.  First, I have to fly from Vancouver to Bangkok, which appears to take 18 hours.  I immediately began researching airlines and told Luke I’m not going unless we fly Cathay Pacific, as they have the best reviews.

Then once we arrive in the steaming hell hole of Bangkok, we take an 8-hour bus ride north to the province of Ubon-Ratchathani. My new daughter-in-law, Jan’s village is located very close to Laos.  Luke said I’ll be sleeping on the floor and there’s no bathroom, so of course I said I’ll just adore it so much.

To do: Phone Dr. Lacroix and get a prescription for sleeping pills.  Strong ones.

But really, the research I’ve done on Thailand and Thai weddings is making me very excited about it all.  From what I read, the Buddhist ceremony starts in the morning and goes on all day, and into the night.  The entire village shows up and Jan said they’ll be married in the rice paddy.

Right now the area monk’s choosing the date, as is the tradition.  He picks a date that ensures the marriage will be long and happy.  Once I know that, I can start to look at flights.  I plan to spend two weeks because after the dear village, we’re apparently going to a resort on an island in the Gulf of Thailand.

I’ve been talking to Jan by texting back and forth on Facebook, but she wants me to get Skype so we can speak before the wedding.  I was talking to Luke about it and asked if it was too hard for me, and he said look mom, if Jan’s able to do it, you can do it.  So I’m going to try.

You know, now that I’m fully inerested in Facebook, and also have to research Thailand and Buddhism, plus send e mails and messages to Jan and Luke, I can’t think about another damned thing!  All day I sing this ditty from Lady and the Tramp, “We are Siamese if you please.  We are Siamese if you don’t please.”

But I fear it may be more like the old song One Night in Bangkok.  “One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble, not a lot between despair and ecstasy.”  Now Luke says he’s scared to have me see the insanity of Bangkok but I said too late.

I was called by the nice editor of Country Woman Magazine again.  You may recall a few years ago she was interviewing me, but then nothing came of it.  She said this December they want to feature fruitcakes, so I’m hoping I’ll be lucky.

I have to build the business so I can hand it over to Jan someday.  Luke said who wants an Asian fruitcake? and I said what’s Asian about Jan Doyle?  It’s all in the marketing, as we well know.