frungerque

Hellooo! As you may have guessed from the new blog photo, heading, and title (jdenbangkok - no the URL hasn't changed), I've arrived safely in Bangkok! I'll tell you all about the flights and my first day in a future post (ie tomorrow night - bangkok time - that is, 11 hours in the future relative to you EST'ers).

For now though, I'd like first to direct your attention to le chien et margaux jouent au foot. Yes, I finally uploaded the vid from un jour avec les frungers. You can also access the vid by clicking the vid link over there ~~>

In other news, Wednesday night (8/27, or 27/8 depending on which side of the pond you reside), Sophie and Aaron were kind enough to include me in the Frunger/Amieava (sorry Sophie, I prob won't ever spell your last name correctly, doesn't mean i don't love you) - que! Wow. What an affiar! First of all, as you'll see in the photos below, their house is awesome - it's like a little French cottage with this rockin garage in the back (Sophie's father, coincidentally named Jose Luis, same as my boss at The Union, is a chauffeur for the Cameroonian embassy in France) where the dais was assembled. On the ride to the Parisian suberb, Aaron explained to me that they had food for like 200, with only about 30 guests.

**Clarification: Sophie Amieava (?) is married to Aaron Unger. Aaron is the first cousin of Seth Unger. Seth is married to Alli. Alli is my first cousin. I affectionately refer to Aaron and Sophie, as well as their bilingual 21-month old daughter Margaux as the Frungers, or French Ungers. The Frungerque referred to in the title is really an Amieava(?)que, as it was hosted by Sophie's parents, the Amieava(?)s.**

So after an exciting ride to say the least (M. Amieava(?) is an aggressive driver... though I think that's an understatement. I shouldn't judge. It was super kind of him to both pick me up and drop me off, not to mention invite me to his house in the first place! I had a great time, thanks Luis(?)!!), we showed up at the charming cottage, and went around back to enjoy the first bit of appetizers of wine, champagne, pate (don't know how to describe it... nor what's in it.), pain (bread), olives, and shrimp. While the guests degusted (I think this means 'sampled' in frenglish), Luis(?) assembled the two half steel drum grills. This was quite a site, and I've got the video to prove it (though I don't know how long it'll be to get THAT uploaded, I'm having enough trouble with the photos which, unfortunately, won't make it to print).

Anyway, next came the churrizos, spanish sausage. This is what Aaron was referring to when he said they had enough for 200. Not an exaggeration. They were absolutely amazing too, so I don't think the excess was a burden on anybody's stomach. For les plats principales (main dishes), we had some ribs, lamb chops, steak, pork chops, salad, rice, haricots-verts (green beans), and prob some more stuff i'm forgetting. All unbelievably good. I don't know how Luis(?) was able to grill it all for simultaneous service, but he came through in a big way.

The green beans were funny. Well, the way I ate them was funny. Margaux was sitting in my lap during dinner, and she figured out that her reach above her head aligned perfectly with my mouth. Then, she figured out that if she put a green bean above her head and thus in my face, I ate it. So it went until all the green beans were gone. And then the pork chop I cut up for her to eat. She didn't eat much (was full from pate), but I sure did! Mmmm.

For dessert, a fam friend of the Amieava(?)s baked some damn good pies. A fig one, pear, and something else they forced Aaron to eat (I capped it at a slice each of the other two - finished both after downing a pound each of pig, lamb, and beef, plus haricots verts, champagne, wine, pate, bread, etc.) .

When it was time to leave, Margaux was falling asleep, but came through and gave me a big hug goodbye :) Thanks Frungers for 2 great days in Paris!! Hope to see you back here (or in US and A) soon!

On account of it being 3:42 AM in bangkok right now, I'm going to go to sleep. Will try my very best to get these pics and vid up soon, as well as tell you all about BANGKOK (i LOVE it so far.)

A bientot,