After we arrived at our destination in Old Bangkok, I wasn’t sure what to expect. We climbed out of the long tail boat and we were literally standing in someone’s personal residence. The family welcomed us like we were old friends and encouraged us to sit down and spend time at their home.
We spent the morning sitting at the table (seen below) and listened to Artie share stories about his life and the culture of Thailand.
Below is the view of what it looked like to the left of the table we were sitting at. Yes, the ‘front door’ leads right to the water!
Behind the house were the cooking at bathing facilities.
Artie walked us around the home and told us about ‘life on the river’. Life definitely moves at a difference speed in Old Bangkok. Families are away from the craziness of the city and take time to enjoy a slower pace of life. Several of the residents in Old Bangkok are hard-working farmers. This family tended to land which stretched well beyond the back of their house.
Artie told us that students in Thailand have a deep respect for their teachers. Every year, the schools celebrate “Wai Kru” or Teacher Appreciation Day. This is a day where students will thank their teachers for their hard work and dedication, as well as express their readiness to learn. The teachers are presented with floral arrangements as part of an elaborate celebration.
Below, Artie is holding an “Ixora Flower” (also known as the khem or kem flower – meaning needle in Thai). Arti told us they believe the needle is symbolic of the sharp mind the students will gain as a result of learning.
The owner of the residence peeled a freshly picked pomelo and shared it with us. It was delicious!!
The pomelo is a citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia. It is the largest member of the citrus fruits and tastes like a sweet, mild grapefruit. The pomelo has a very thick skin and can be close to 12 inches across and weigh up to 22 pounds! In Thailand, the fruist is called som-oh (ส้มโอ).
I think I ended up eating the majority of the plate on my own! 
We really enjoyed the stories that Artie shared with us. As you can see, he is an expressive storyteller!
We are very thankful for the time we spent with Artie. This was a completely unplanned part of our trip and definitely the most memorable! Believe it or not, all of this happened on our first day in Bangkok! Stay tuned…I still have more photos to share!
by beth
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