Christmas Cards @ Multiply

This year, Christmas 2008 and New Year 2009 holidays are quite special to us. We thank to our Multiply friends who have sent us Christmas & New Year cards via Multiply. Some are and some are not our contacts. Most are Multiply users who have visited our sites:

http://americanthaidotnet.multiply.com/

http://bffclub4ever.multiply.com/

http://drjoy2000.multiply.com/

Vinnie, Nong Mook, and I value your warm greetings as well as friendship. We wish you all a happiness in return. I have included these special cards on this special blog, as they are wonderful gifts we have received from Multiply friends around the world.

Giant Clam Conservation/Adoption Project -- โครงการพ่อแม่อุปถัมภ์หอยมือเสือ

As part of AmericanThai.net's activities, we help promote and/or support any valuable interesting projects, both in Thailand and in the United States. The "Giant Clam Conservation/Adoption Project" is a wonderful project that we have been involved with.

อเมริกันไทยดอทเน็ท ขอสนับสนุนและส่งเสริมโครงการดีๆ ทั้งที่อยู่ในประเทศไทยและสหรัฐอเมริกา และ "โครงการพ่อแม่อุปถัมภ์หอยมือเสือ" ก็เป็นโครงการดีๆ โครงการหนึ่ง ที่อเมริกันไทยดอทเน็ท ขอแนะนำและให้การสนับสนุน

A certificate given to AmericanThai.net of an adopted clam signed by the Director General of Department of Fisheries, showing a photo of the labeled juvenille clam.

ประกาศนียบัตรที่มอบให้แก่ AmericanThai.net ในฐานะพ่อแม่อุปถัมภ์หอยมือเสือ พร้อมลายเซ็นต์ของท่านอธิบดีกรมประมง และภาพถ่ายของลูกหอยมือเสือ

VDO -- Interview about Giant Clams planted at Phuket

Led by Jintana Nugranad, Director & Senior Fisheries Biologist, the Giant Clam Conservation/Adoption Project is a new ocean conservation project of the Department of Fisheries. The project accepts donations to support the ocean nursery and reintroduction of the juvenile giant clams.

โครงการพ่อแม่อุปถัมภ์หอยมือเสือ เป็นหนึ่งในโครงการอนุรักษ์สัตว์ทะเลของกรมประมง โดยการริเริ่มของ คุณจินตนา นักระนาด (ผู้อำนวยการ และนักวิชาการประมงอาวุโส) ได้เปิดโอกาสให้ผู้สนใจเข้าร่วมสนับสนุนการอนุรักษ์สัตว์ทะเลซึ่งได้จากการเพาะขยายพันธุ์ เพื่อนำกลับคืนสู่ธรรมชาติในท้องทะเล โดยการร่วมบริจาคเงิน

The Prachuap Khirikhan Coastal Fisheries Research & Development Centre succeeded in breeding giant clams, Tridacna squamosa since 1993 and is responsible for this special Giant Clam Conservation/ Adoption Project, for both Andaman and the Gulf of Thailand varieties. The first transfer of giant clams for this adoption project was done on November 15-16, 2007.

ศูนย์วิจัยและพัฒนาประมงชายฝั่งประจวบคีรีขันธ์ ซึ่งเป็นหน่วยงานที่ประสพผลสำเร็จในการเพาะเลี้ยงหอยมือเสือได้เป็นครั้งแรกในประเทศไทย นับตั้งแต่ปีพุทธศักราช 2536 รับผิดชอบดำเนินการโครงการพ่อแม่อุปถัมภ์หอยมือเสือ โดยได้จัดเตรียมลูกหอยมือเสือชนิด Tridacna squamosa ที่ได้จากการเพาะเลี้ยงทั้งสายพันธุ์อันดามันและสายพันธุ์อ่าวไทย อนุบาลไว้ให้ได้ขนาดพร้อมปล่อยลงสู่แนวปะการังธรรมชาติ ซึ่งการปฏิบัติงานนำลูกหอยมือเสืออุปถัมภ์ชุดแรกลงสู่บ้านใหม่ใต้ทะเล ได้เริ่มขึ้นเมื่อวันที่ 15-16 พฤศจิกายน 2550

Read more about the Giant Clam Conservation/Adoption Project....
http://americanthai.net/winter0708.aspx

Christmas Day

Christmas Day, December 25, is an annual holiday that marks the birth of Jesus. Christmas combines the celebration of Jesus' birth with various other non-related traditions and customs, many of which were influenced by ancient winter festivals.

Christmas traditions include the display of Nativity scenes and Christmas trees, the exchange of gifts and cards, and the arrival of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve night. Popular Christmas themes include the promotion of goodwill, giving, compassion, and quality family time.

For children, Santa Claus will come to the children's houses and brings gifts or goodies to good kids, but the bad kids will only get coal. And if you believe in Santa, you will hear his bells. Many times, children may find the bells in the snow or on the ground.

The Christmas holiday has become the biggest day for giving gifts in the United States.

The 12 Days of Christmas: A Pop-Up Celebration by Robert Sabuda (1996) is among his popular pop-up books. His wonderful creation is most favorable to share with you on this Christmas holiday season.

On the first day
Of Christmas
My true love gave to me
A partridge
In a pear tree.

On the second day
Of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Two turtledoves
And a partridge
In a pear tree

On the third day
Of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Three French hens,
Two turtledoves,
And a partridge
In a pear tree.

On the fourth day
Of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtledoves,
And a partridge
In a pear tree.

On the fifth day
Of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Five gold rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtledoves,
And a partridge
In a pear tree.

On the sixth day
Of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtledoves,
And a partridge
In a pear tree.

On the seventh day
Of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtledoves,
And a partridge
In a pear tree.

On the eighth day
Of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtledoves,
And a partridge
In a pear tree.

On the ninth day
Of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtledoves,
And a partridge
In a pear tree.

On the tenth day
Of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Ten pipers piping,
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtledoves,
And a partridge
In a pear tree.

On the eleventh day
Of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Eleven ladies dancing,

Ten pipers piping,

Nine drummers drumming,

Eight maids a-milking,

Seven swans a-swimming,

Six geese a-laying,

Five gold rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtledoves,

And a partridge

In a pear tree.

On the twelfth day
Of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Twelve lords a-leaping,
Eleven ladies dancing,
Ten pipers piping,
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtledoves,
And a partridge
In a pear tree.

May all your days of Christmas

Be full with holiday joy.

THANKSGIVING เทศกาลวันขอบคุณพระเจ้า

Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is an annual one-day holiday to give thanks, traditionally to God, for the things one has at the end of the harvest season. In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November -- (this year November 27, 2008). Certain kinds of food are traditionally served at Thanksgiving meals. First and foremost, turkey is usually the featured item on any Thanksgiving feast table (so much so that Thanksgiving is sometimes referred to as "Turkey Day"). Stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn, other fall vegetables, and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner. All of these primary dishes are actually native to the Americans or were introduced as a new food source to the Europeans when they arrived.

Thanksgiving is the holiday when Americans do the most traveling to get home to be with their families.

เทศกาลวันขอบคุณพระเจ้า (Thanksgiving Day) เป็นวันหยุดหนึ่งวันสำหรับการระลึกถึงและขอบคุณพระเจ้าในช่วงสิ้นฤดูเก็บ เกี่ยว ในสหรัฐอเมริกา วันขอบคุณพระเจ้าจะตรงกับวันพฤหัสบดีที่สี่ของเดือนพฤศจิกายนของทุกปี ซึ่งในปีนี้ ตรงกับ วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 27 พฤศจิกายน 2551 ใน วันขอบคุณพระเจ้านี้ชาวอเมริกันจะใช้เวลาอยู่ร่วมกับครอบครัวและรับประทาน อาหารมื้อใหญ่ด้วยกัน โดยอาหารที่นิยมรับประทานจนเป็นประเพณี คือ ไก่งวง (บางครั้งจึงเรียกวันนี้ว่า "วันเทศกาลไก่งวง") นอกจากนี้ก็มี มันสำปะหลังบด มันเทศหวาน ซอสแครนเบอรี่ ข้าวโพด ผักชนิดอื่นๆ และพายฟักทอง ซึ่งอาหารเหล่านี้ เป็นอาหารพื้นเมืองของชาวอินเดียนแดงที่ได้ให้การต้อนรับเมื่อครั้งที่ชาวยุโรปชุดแรกได้มาเยือนทวีปอเมริกา

วันหยุดเทศกาลวัน ขอบคุณพระเจ้านี้ นับเป็นเทศกาลที่ชาวอเมริกันได้มีการเดินทางมากที่สุดในรอบปี เพื่อได้กลับมาบ้านและพบปะร่วมรับประทานอาหารกับครอบครัว

I am thankful for my nation - THAILAND.

I am thankful for my second home - USA.

The Nutcracker

It was our third time to see The Nutcracker, by the Festival Ballet Providence (FBP) at the PPAC (Providence Performing Art Center). We saw it the first time when Nong Mook was 4; the second time, with our friends (Chanat, Tracy, Nahrin, and Natalie) when Nong Mook was 5, and this time Nong Mook is 9.

Natalie (born in the same year as Nong Mook) has joined the FBP since 2006 as she won an audition to perform as an angel in The Nutcracker. However, we were scheduled to see "A Christmas Carol" in 2006 and were unable to see The Nutcracker. We did not make it the following year in 2007 either.

A Christmas Carol -- a famous ghost story fo Christmas.

This year we made it! Good job Natalie!!! We love your performance. And guest what? Nong Mook was inspired and has already requested to audition for The Nutcracker next year. We'll see!

Taking photos before the show with The Nutcracker ...

Getting an autograph from "Kara Gentile" who performed "Carla" in The Nutcracker.

The Nutcracker Ballet is based on the story "The Nutcracker and the King of Mice" written by E.T.A. Hoffman. It's a story of a young girl who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King with seven heads.

The Party Scene

It is Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum house -- A large and grand house with the most beautiful tree imaginable. The Stahlbaums are hosting their annual Christmas party, welcoming the arrival of their family and friends. The children, Clara and Fritz, are dancing and playing as they welcome their friends too.

The party grows festive with music and dance as godfather Drosselmeyer arrives. He is a skilled clock and toy maker and always full of surprises. Drosselmeyer draws everyone's attention as he presents two life-size dolls. They are the delight of the party, each taking a turn to dance.

The children begin to open gifts when Drosselmeyer presents his to Clara and Fritz. Although his gift to Fritz is quite nice, he gives Clara a beautiful Nutcracker that becomes the hit of the party. Fritz becomes jealous and, having a bit more spunk than a boy should have, grabs the nutcracker from Clara and promptly breaks it. Clara is heartbroken looking on as Drosselmeyer quickly repairs the Nutcracker with a handkerchief he magically draws from the air.

As the evening grows late, the guests depart and the Stahlbaum family retires for the evening. Clara, worried about her beloved Nutcracker, sneaks back to the tree to check on him, falling asleep with him in her arms.

The Fight Scene

As the clock strikes midnight strange things begin to happen. Clara begins shrinking as her beautiful Christmas tree grows high above her. The toys around the tree come to life while the room fills with an army of mice, lead by the fierce Mouse King. As the Nutcracker awakens, he leads his army of toy soldiers into battle with the mice. The Mouse King corners the Nutcracker and battles him one-on-one. The Nutcracker seems to be no match for the Mouse King.

The Nutcracker and his army can go on no longer and are captured by the mice and their King. Clara makes a final daring charge throwing her slipper at the Mouse King, hitting him square on the head. The Mouse King drops to the floor and the mice run away, carrying off their leader's lifeless body.

The Land of Snow

The Nutcracker turns into a Prince and takes Clara on a journey to the Land of Snow, an enchanted forest wonderland where they are welcomed by dancing snowflakes.

The Land of Sweets

The Prince escorts Clara to the Land of Sweets where they are greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy. The Prince tells her about their daring battle with the army of mice and she rewards them with a celebration of dances.

The Dream Ends

Clara awakens from her dream and finds herself by her Christmas tree with her beloved Nutcracker.

Breakfast with Santa

It was another fun time to celebrate the holiday season. On Saturday 12-13-08 we enjoyed our Breakfast with Santa at the Brown University Club. Aunt Julie, who is a Brown University Alumni, kindly sponsored this special event.

Our group (family and friends) grows bigger each year. Although some older kids like Alex and Ben are getting older and do not want to attend this event anymore, the younger ones are getting bigger and having lots of fun, anyway.

Already, we look forward to another Breakfast with Santa next year ;-)