Chairwoman's letter:
Dear Members,
Welcome to our June issue of BAMBI News!
Are you getting ready for your summer vacation? I have to say, ‘summer’ is a word I have been a little confused about over the last two years. The Thais divide the year into three seasons: cool season, hot season, and rainy season. For most westerners, this translates into ‘hot’, ‘really hot’, and ‘really hot and wet’. Thailand’s climate is tropical, so it’s hot and humid all year round, with temperatures in the 28-35°C range (82-95°F). However, the careful observer will note three distinct seasons: cool, from about November to the end of February; hot, from March to June; and rainy, from July to October. So, as soon as the international schools close at the end of June, I am usually preparing myself to escape the rainy season. Indeed, most of us talk about going back ‘home’ to see our families at this time. Yet, somehow, our families all seem to want to see our children, but not us. I certainly know that all our conversations on Skype are about when our families will see Lilly again. But for us, the Petrakalangs, it looks that maybe this year we’ll have to stay in Bangkok for the rainy season. I guess that means I will have to research how to have rainy fun without leaving Bangkok. Any tips?
This month, I would like to welcome our new Website Assistant, Lihi Gal, to the Committee, and say a huge ‘Thank You’ to Deborah Hay, our departing Website Assistant. And at this point, a sad ‘Goodbye’ must go to Sarah Allen, our WOMBLES Coordinator, who steps down this month. Thank you Sarah, for organizing lovely chatty dinners around town every month for the working, over-stressed mothers of Bangkok.
Be well,
Eleni Petraki
Editors's Corner:
Dear Readers,
After organizing two birthday parties for my children last month, I believe I’m becoming quite an expert! But what about you? If you need some assistance, turn to this month’s feature ‘A King/Queen for one day 2011’, a project which is fast becoming a BAMBI News annual tradition, and which includes lots of tips and ideas for organizing an entertaining birthday party for your child, covering all kinds of different aspects. This month we dedicate seven pages to this special topic! I hope you will find it useful and inspiring.
So what more awaits you in this issue? We have many interesting and informative articles: ‘Financial Education for Children’ guides you on the path to providing your young children with the necessary first tools for financial management; ‘Nutrition in the early years’ shares some strategies you can try with your children to help them be receptive to a variety of nutritious foods; and ‘Hiring a nanny/maid – legal issues’ is the second part of a discussion we started in February, in which we try to deal with some of the legal aspects related to hiring domestic helpers. Then there is ‘B in Shape’, with special exercises for children; ‘Magic Snorkel’, a bedtime story for the summer; an overview of the Summer Programs on offer, and much more.
Speaking of summer, it seems like my son only just started attending school (at the beginning of this term), and at the end of this month he’ll be going on summer holiday. Isn’t that a pity? It was not an easy beginning for him, and he didn’t quite understand why mummy didn’t stay with him like she used to at playgroups, but after several days of crying and refusing to say goodbye, he finally settled down and now he is enjoying every minute of school. He even has a classmate whom he is fond of and whose name he keeps mentioning. I think he will miss school (and his new girlfriend!) over the long summer holiday.
As in previous years, the summer heralds the announcement of our big Photo Contest. Every year we manage to procure a longer and more amazing list of prizes! Stay tuned so you won’t miss this opportunity to pose with BAMBI News and win one of the wonderful prizes. More details to come in the next issue!
Enjoy your reading,
Ravit El-Bachar Daniel