For those wanting to know about the earthquake and tsunami in Samoa, we're all fine, but the situation in Samoa is pretty serious. A magnitude 8.3 earthquake occurred at about 7am this morning, approx 200km from Samoa, triggering a tsunami that affected mainly the southern side of the islands. We were just waking up at the time and it was quite vigorous and lasted a long time (about 1-1.5 minutes). Apparently there is massive amounts of damage to the south of Upolu (the main island) but there doesn't seem to be as much where we are in the capital Apia (in the north). There was approximately 15 minutes between the earthquake and when the tsunami hit. From the reports from eyewitnesses, it seems like the wave was pretty large (~2-3m). There was also another tsunami warning issued later in the day, but it looks as though that was a false alarm.
We've been at home most of the day and just listening to reports on the radio, but unfortunately the local radio stations are all in Samoan language only! Heather has been heavily involved in the response, especially with Australian citizens here. It's already been a long day for her and it looks like it could be a long night as well, with supplies and personnel being flown in from Australia arriving this evening.
We'd appreciate your prayers in regards to the people who have lost loved ones, for the recovery effort (both immediate and long-term) and also more specifically for Heather in her role.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Thailand & Laos Honeymoon: 9th August – 30th August 2009
After our wedding day (see previous blog entry), Heather and I spent three weeks in Thailand and Laos for our honeymoon, hoping for a healthy mix of relaxation and adventure. To start with, we flew to Phuket and stayed for 5 days at a private beach resort away from
the main tourist mayhem. We had our own private outdoor jacuzzi, delicious room service meals, shared gym, pool, lovely views over the water, and were treated to amazing complementary buffet breakfasts every day. We’d originally planned to spend the full 5 days chillaxing about in the resort, but once we discovered the scooter hire place across the road, the lure of adventure became too strong.
We soon ended up at chaotic Patong Beach, replete with its sea of banana lounges and myriad of sellers of every description. Heather had her hair braided very swiftly and cheaply there, but we were soon exploring elsewhere. While it’s an experience we’re glad to have tried once, we were happy not to repeat it… The following evening we stumbled upon another intriguing once-only experience: ‘Fantasea’. This cheesy extravaganza boasted light shows, music, dancing, si
nging, animal shows, fireworks, etc, etc, etc. The show itself was preceded by a buffet meal in its 4000-seat food hall… Every associated attraction was over-the-top and tacky, but mostly quite amusing and entertaining. It was sad to see two amazingly powerful (and rare) white tigers being kept in a lifeless and tiny enclosure. The performing elephants were impressive; hopefully they were treated a little better than some of the other animals we saw there.
We also booked a boat and sea kayaking tour to
the limestone islands east of Phuket. Even though this was meant to be the quiet season, it still felt as though we were in a factory-line procession of tour groups. We were ushered here and there, waiting in line, observing boat after boat being led through the same caves and past the same cliffs. The scenery was pretty amazing, though the experience was tempered by the ‘lemming effect’.
After Phuket, we made our way north towards Chiang Mai via Bangkok by bus and sleeper train. We spent a few hours exploring Bangkok on foot. Then… assured of an amazing tuk-tuk deal, we agreed to jump in and explore the major attractions for 10 baht (AUD$0.40) each. While it
started well, we soon began to realise that we were being directed towards suit makers and jewellery stores rather than tourist attractions. Our tuk-tuk driver ‘Nong’ became irritated at our lack of interest in these shopper’s delights. It turns out that they’d be given petrol vouchers if we spent enough time inside one of these accredited stores. However, we weren’t playing along! So, by the time we reached the next Buddhist temple, he dropped us off, picked up some other passengers and we never saw him again… We felt like we’d been ripped off! When we thought about it for a moment though, it actually worked out well for us – we explored more of Bangkok than we could ever have managed on foot… for free.
After our second sleeper train, we arrived in Chiang Mai to a pristine guesthouse and ultra-friendly owner and his wife… The highlights here were scootering, night marketing and elephant riding. We scootered up the nearby mountains to an elaborate Buddhist temple and the Royal residence and gardens, but got a flat tyre on the way up! One of the guys want
ed to charge us an extravagant amount to call for help, but we didn’t have enough cash on us. Just when we thought we were really stuck, a much more helpful man called the guesthouse owner for us and they arranged a replacement bike. We were on our way again in an hour.
That night, we explored row after row of market stalls selling a massive range of crafts, clothes and food. It was quite a draining process by the end of it, but we managed to return with our arms full and only AUD$35 lighter in the pocket.
The following day, we joined some local mahouts (elephant trainers) for some bareback elephant riding. We were trained in the six main commands, fed the elephants to develop rapport with them, and then began our practical training. Heather and I were then assigned to our elephant for our trail riding: a slow plodder! We took turns at being the driver (sitting on the neck behind the ears) or the passenger (sitting on the back). These incredibly powerful animals were quite tricky to get moving, and while it wasn’t so much an exhilarating experience, they certainly commanded respect. The highlight for us was washing the elephants, who relished the chance to cool down at the end of their walk.
Our next adventure was the Gibbon Experience, located in the Bokeo Nature Reserve in the rainforests of north-eastern Laos. From the Laotian border, it was a 1.5hour drive, followed by a short boat trip, 1-hour walk, half-hour off-road adventure and another 40-minute walk to reach the zip-line network. We were given our harnesses, a few instructions and some directions before launching ourselves onto these canopy lifelines. It was immensely freeing to be flying along these steel wires way above pristine forest and deep ravines. W
e were given a lot of latitude to test out these different routes for ourselves – unlike the highly safety-conscious Western tourist operators. We stayed two nights in different treehouses, only accessible by zip-line. They were surprisingly luxurious, with mattresses, mosquito nets, showers, sinks and squat toilets (holes)! Food was provided by the local guides, who also took us on early morning walks to search for gibbons. The mornings began in beautiful cool mist. The stillness was disturbed on our first morning walk by the highly energetic and varied 
gibbon calls. We followed the sound through the dense forest, and fortunately Heather managed to get a brief glimpse of a quickly retreating gibbon. Surprisingly enough, there were very few other wildlife sightings on the trip, besides a bright green snake, a bounding lorus, a wide variety of butterflies and various oversized insects. The experience itself was wonderful, and for the nine of us in our group, it’ll be memorable for its beauty, excitement and speedy trekking.
Rather than opting for either the excruciatingly long slow boat trip down the Mekong River or
the prohibitively dangerous fast boat, we flew by plane to the more densely populated parts of Laos. The five days we spent in the French-influenced town of Luang Prabang were some of the most relaxed and pleasant of our trip. We stayed in beautifully designed wooden bungalows beside the river and treated ourselves to French wine, cheese, baguettes and rambutans. How luxurious… We also embarked on some adventures, including m
ountain-biking to the milky waters of the Tad Sae Waterfalls, kayaking down the Mekong River to Pak Ou Buddhist caves, and climbing up to the top of Phousi hill in the centre of town. We had some amazing meals and also enjoyed the night markets, which were much smaller than Chiang Mai but probably better quality on average. This was definitely a place worth spending some time in.
On the way down towards Thailand, we decided to stop at the small tourist town of Vang Vieng, on the southern end of the
mountainous northern region. Set in a beautiful riverside location and fronting onto striking limestone cliffs, this a popular stopping-off point for tourists between Luang Prabang and the capital, Vientiane. A favourite past-time for tourists is floating down the river on inflatable tubes, stopping off at various riverside bars for drinks, revelry and water swings. We opted instead for a kayaking trip that also included tubing through a partially water-filled cave. It turned out to be such a great option, given that we were also able to experience the riverside bars and water swings without being swamped by the teaming tourist hordes.
Our honeymoon finished with a long trip down to Phuket Airport, broken only by a short rendezvous in Bangkok again for a Thai cooking course. Overall, it was a wonderful experience and we were impressed with how well tourists are catered for: efficient transport, delicious meals, varied accommodation, and great value for money. We particularly enjoyed the mountainous northern regions of Thailand and Laos.
Given the excitement of the wedding, honeymoon and Heather’s sister’s wedding in Canberra soon after, it’s been tough to readjust to life back in Samoa. However, now that we’ve set up the house and are settled back at work, we’re starting to get back into more usual routines. Hopefully we’ll set-up some healthy patterns as Heather, Isabel and I begin life as a little family.
the main tourist mayhem. We had our own private outdoor jacuzzi, delicious room service meals, shared gym, pool, lovely views over the water, and were treated to amazing complementary buffet breakfasts every day. We’d originally planned to spend the full 5 days chillaxing about in the resort, but once we discovered the scooter hire place across the road, the lure of adventure became too strong.We soon ended up at chaotic Patong Beach, replete with its sea of banana lounges and myriad of sellers of every description. Heather had her hair braided very swiftly and cheaply there, but we were soon exploring elsewhere. While it’s an experience we’re glad to have tried once, we were happy not to repeat it… The following evening we stumbled upon another intriguing once-only experience: ‘Fantasea’. This cheesy extravaganza boasted light shows, music, dancing, si
nging, animal shows, fireworks, etc, etc, etc. The show itself was preceded by a buffet meal in its 4000-seat food hall… Every associated attraction was over-the-top and tacky, but mostly quite amusing and entertaining. It was sad to see two amazingly powerful (and rare) white tigers being kept in a lifeless and tiny enclosure. The performing elephants were impressive; hopefully they were treated a little better than some of the other animals we saw there.We also booked a boat and sea kayaking tour to
the limestone islands east of Phuket. Even though this was meant to be the quiet season, it still felt as though we were in a factory-line procession of tour groups. We were ushered here and there, waiting in line, observing boat after boat being led through the same caves and past the same cliffs. The scenery was pretty amazing, though the experience was tempered by the ‘lemming effect’.After Phuket, we made our way north towards Chiang Mai via Bangkok by bus and sleeper train. We spent a few hours exploring Bangkok on foot. Then… assured of an amazing tuk-tuk deal, we agreed to jump in and explore the major attractions for 10 baht (AUD$0.40) each. While it
started well, we soon began to realise that we were being directed towards suit makers and jewellery stores rather than tourist attractions. Our tuk-tuk driver ‘Nong’ became irritated at our lack of interest in these shopper’s delights. It turns out that they’d be given petrol vouchers if we spent enough time inside one of these accredited stores. However, we weren’t playing along! So, by the time we reached the next Buddhist temple, he dropped us off, picked up some other passengers and we never saw him again… We felt like we’d been ripped off! When we thought about it for a moment though, it actually worked out well for us – we explored more of Bangkok than we could ever have managed on foot… for free.After our second sleeper train, we arrived in Chiang Mai to a pristine guesthouse and ultra-friendly owner and his wife… The highlights here were scootering, night marketing and elephant riding. We scootered up the nearby mountains to an elaborate Buddhist temple and the Royal residence and gardens, but got a flat tyre on the way up! One of the guys want
ed to charge us an extravagant amount to call for help, but we didn’t have enough cash on us. Just when we thought we were really stuck, a much more helpful man called the guesthouse owner for us and they arranged a replacement bike. We were on our way again in an hour.That night, we explored row after row of market stalls selling a massive range of crafts, clothes and food. It was quite a draining process by the end of it, but we managed to return with our arms full and only AUD$35 lighter in the pocket.
The following day, we joined some local mahouts (elephant trainers) for some bareback elephant riding. We were trained in the six main commands, fed the elephants to develop rapport with them, and then began our practical training. Heather and I were then assigned to our elephant for our trail riding: a slow plodder! We took turns at being the driver (sitting on the neck behind the ears) or the passenger (sitting on the back). These incredibly powerful animals were quite tricky to get moving, and while it wasn’t so much an exhilarating experience, they certainly commanded respect. The highlight for us was washing the elephants, who relished the chance to cool down at the end of their walk.
Our next adventure was the Gibbon Experience, located in the Bokeo Nature Reserve in the rainforests of north-eastern Laos. From the Laotian border, it was a 1.5hour drive, followed by a short boat trip, 1-hour walk, half-hour off-road adventure and another 40-minute walk to reach the zip-line network. We were given our harnesses, a few instructions and some directions before launching ourselves onto these canopy lifelines. It was immensely freeing to be flying along these steel wires way above pristine forest and deep ravines. W
e were given a lot of latitude to test out these different routes for ourselves – unlike the highly safety-conscious Western tourist operators. We stayed two nights in different treehouses, only accessible by zip-line. They were surprisingly luxurious, with mattresses, mosquito nets, showers, sinks and squat toilets (holes)! Food was provided by the local guides, who also took us on early morning walks to search for gibbons. The mornings began in beautiful cool mist. The stillness was disturbed on our first morning walk by the highly energetic and varied 
gibbon calls. We followed the sound through the dense forest, and fortunately Heather managed to get a brief glimpse of a quickly retreating gibbon. Surprisingly enough, there were very few other wildlife sightings on the trip, besides a bright green snake, a bounding lorus, a wide variety of butterflies and various oversized insects. The experience itself was wonderful, and for the nine of us in our group, it’ll be memorable for its beauty, excitement and speedy trekking.Rather than opting for either the excruciatingly long slow boat trip down the Mekong River or
the prohibitively dangerous fast boat, we flew by plane to the more densely populated parts of Laos. The five days we spent in the French-influenced town of Luang Prabang were some of the most relaxed and pleasant of our trip. We stayed in beautifully designed wooden bungalows beside the river and treated ourselves to French wine, cheese, baguettes and rambutans. How luxurious… We also embarked on some adventures, including m
ountain-biking to the milky waters of the Tad Sae Waterfalls, kayaking down the Mekong River to Pak Ou Buddhist caves, and climbing up to the top of Phousi hill in the centre of town. We had some amazing meals and also enjoyed the night markets, which were much smaller than Chiang Mai but probably better quality on average. This was definitely a place worth spending some time in.On the way down towards Thailand, we decided to stop at the small tourist town of Vang Vieng, on the southern end of the
mountainous northern region. Set in a beautiful riverside location and fronting onto striking limestone cliffs, this a popular stopping-off point for tourists between Luang Prabang and the capital, Vientiane. A favourite past-time for tourists is floating down the river on inflatable tubes, stopping off at various riverside bars for drinks, revelry and water swings. We opted instead for a kayaking trip that also included tubing through a partially water-filled cave. It turned out to be such a great option, given that we were also able to experience the riverside bars and water swings without being swamped by the teaming tourist hordes.
Our honeymoon finished with a long trip down to Phuket Airport, broken only by a short rendezvous in Bangkok again for a Thai cooking course. Overall, it was a wonderful experience and we were impressed with how well tourists are catered for: efficient transport, delicious meals, varied accommodation, and great value for money. We particularly enjoyed the mountainous northern regions of Thailand and Laos.
Given the excitement of the wedding, honeymoon and Heather’s sister’s wedding in Canberra soon after, it’s been tough to readjust to life back in Samoa. However, now that we’ve set up the house and are settled back at work, we’re starting to get back into more usual routines. Hopefully we’ll set-up some healthy patterns as Heather, Isabel and I begin life as a little family.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Wedding Day
Wedding Ceremony ofHeather Dixon & Michael Wrathall
1:30pm, Saturday 8 August 2009
St Paul’s Anglican Church, Seaforth
What a day of celebration! Woo yeah… :)
While the preparation had not always been smooth, the final product was very special. Here is a brief summary of the day’s events.
The ceremony itself was held in the church that our family has grown up in – a fitting place since it has shaped me so much. Although having been overseas for much of the last 3.5 years, it was touching for me to observe so many familiar faces in the congregation: from friends I’d grown up with to the elderlies who’d held me as a baby…
Heather looked absolutely stunning (as you can see) and though I was struggling to hold myself together soon before she arrived, a few words & prayers from the best man later, and I was able to enjoy her exceedingly graceful entrance. The opening hymn, a fast-paced version of ‘To God be the Glory’ really set the tone. Heather was dancing in the front pew and I half-stifled a ‘woooh!’ at the end. I can see why they have rousing music to start off big sporting contests: I almost felt ready to launch myself into a rugby match…
Our church minister Colin reflected on the Bible readings (Psalm 127 and Romans 12:9-18), comparing the qualities in the Romans passage with their opposites. It’s summarised in the following link... It’s a tough list of qualities to act upon wholeheartedly, but a great challenge worth committing a lifetime to…
My friend Snowy and Heather’s friend Sarah prayed for us. If we’re to embark on a
wholehearted relationship ‘til death do us part’, I think it’s so important to have our Maker involved and to follow his design instructions for us. It’s also reassuring to know that we’re not alone in this journey, with both God’s presence amongst us and the support of family and friends.
My friend Snowy and Heather’s friend Sarah prayed for us. If we’re to embark on a
wholehearted relationship ‘til death do us part’, I think it’s so important to have our Maker involved and to follow his design instructions for us. It’s also reassuring to know that we’re not alone in this journey, with both God’s presence amongst us and the support of family and friends. 
I also needed to say a quick prayer myself to still my nerves for the next part of the service: my special song for Heather. Of all the things I was most nervous about in the lead-up to the wedding, this topped the list. However, I also knew that this could be the opportunity to do something memorable and personal. Having rehearsed this the night before with my groomsmen, I was feeling a little more confident than earlier in the week. Once the song began, my nerves settled and it ended up exceeding my expectations. Though Heather didn’t raise a tear, I could tell she was moved. It was also great that the humour was appreciated and that many 
in the congregation were able to make out the (slightly convoluted) words. You can watch the song on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCaixo4gtgA, or read the words typed out in full below:Precious Gem: Heather’s Song
It’s not that you’re especially kind
Though servant hearts like yours are hard to find
And though your motherly credentials are assured
For now this evidence can be ignored
It’s not that you’re especially kind
Though servant hearts like yours are hard to find
And though your motherly credentials are assured
For now this evidence can be ignored
And though you've an enviable pedigree
And this fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree
You may be doing iron mans til you’re 63
Or scrambling up cliffs that intimidate me
And this fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree
You may be doing iron mans til you’re 63
Or scrambling up cliffs that intimidate me
And though your outward beauty is slow to fade
You topped the class in sixth grade
You may exceed a photo’s expectation
Or smash a harried Bible examination
What matters is that I love you
and you love me (x2)
You topped the class in sixth grade
You may exceed a photo’s expectation
Or smash a harried Bible examination
What matters is that I love you
and you love me (x2)
You’re my precious gem
A gift sent from heaven (x2)
You may be nimble like a mountain goat
Or a novelist when it comes to special post-it notes
And though you’re a typing tyro on email
If that’s all you were our marriage would be doomed to fail
A gift sent from heaven (x2)
You may be nimble like a mountain goat
Or a novelist when it comes to special post-it notes
And though you’re a typing tyro on email
If that’s all you were our marriage would be doomed to fail
You may bake a mean banana bread, though you wouldn’t boast
We’d all be content with some peanut butter on toast
Lucky for me you’re a proficient trunt completer
But even if you weren’t I’d still have got down on one knee for you
We’d all be content with some peanut butter on toast
Lucky for me you’re a proficient trunt completer
But even if you weren’t I’d still have got down on one knee for you
What matters is that I love you
and you love me (x2)
What matters is that He loves you
and He loves me
and you love me (x2)
What matters is that He loves you
and He loves me
You’re my precious gem
A gift sent from heaven (x4)
[Adlib] + [whistles] + [final chorus x2]
A gift sent from heaven (x4)
[Adlib] + [whistles] + [final chorus x2]
Up until this point, we still weren’t technically married. We’d planned to build the expectation towards the main event and finish with a climax. We were also hoping to strike a balance between being serious and being fun – I think we found something that worked well for us. The vows were an amalgamation of the two Anglican Church order of marriage services. We take seriously the promises we made in public that day. It’s important to us that they’re public because we’re accountable now! Hopefully we’ll keep striving to live up to those promises…We exited the church to ‘O Happy Day’ and were treated to a light afternoon tea in the hall. Unfortunately a cold change had arrived the previous evening (after two weeks of mil
d, still and clear weather) so it was too windblown to be held in the garden outside. We’d decorated the hall in our dark blue/silver theme and arranged a saxophone quartet to provide music. Unbeknown to most, they’d done an arrangement of ‘All My Life’ by K-Ci & JoJo, which was the song I sang on karaoke when I first met Heather. The words to the song were quite prophetic: “All my life I prayed for someone like you, and I thank God that I finally found you…”
d, still and clear weather) so it was too windblown to be held in the garden outside. We’d decorated the hall in our dark blue/silver theme and arranged a saxophone quartet to provide music. Unbeknown to most, they’d done an arrangement of ‘All My Life’ by K-Ci & JoJo, which was the song I sang on karaoke when I first met Heather. The words to the song were quite prophetic: “All my life I prayed for someone like you, and I thank God that I finally found you…”We hardly had any time to enjoy the afternoon tea, squeezed between signing the registry and photo sessions. After all, we had to ready ourselves to clamber up a tree in full wedding regalia for 
an obligatory ‘mountain goat’ photo… Following photos and a short break at home to warm up (!), we joined the reception at Clonny’s restaurant (literally down the hill from home) after sunset. With 90 of us squeezed into a relatively small space, heating was hardly required, and neither was music (which we’d forgotten: I don’t think anyone really even noticed)! My uni mate Mick did a great job as MC and once speeches began, we were mostly on-schedule. Almost 1.5 hours of speeches later… and we’d run out of time. No bridal waltz, no dancing, no music…! I wouldn’t have changed it though: the speeches were wonderful.
an obligatory ‘mountain goat’ photo… Following photos and a short break at home to warm up (!), we joined the reception at Clonny’s restaurant (literally down the hill from home) after sunset. With 90 of us squeezed into a relatively small space, heating was hardly required, and neither was music (which we’d forgotten: I don’t think anyone really even noticed)! My uni mate Mick did a great job as MC and once speeches began, we were mostly on-schedule. Almost 1.5 hours of speeches later… and we’d run out of time. No bridal waltz, no dancing, no music…! I wouldn’t have changed it though: the speeches were wonderful.Terry (Heather’s dad) offered a potted history of Heather’s life, while Jill (my mum) spontaneously shared her joy at the answered prayers of Heather’s friend Christine. Kristie (Heather’s friend and bridesmaid) spoke poignantly of their shared experiences, while Will (my brother and best man) humorously and eloquently recounted brotherly memories as the underdog. My cheeks were sore and eyes moist from extreme laughter and tears. I’m 
sure there were many in that room with similar physical infirmities. Heather and I had just to express our excitement and gratitude to those involved in shaping us and sharing this special day.
sure there were many in that room with similar physical infirmities. Heather and I had just to express our excitement and gratitude to those involved in shaping us and sharing this special day.It certainly felt like the day rushed past, as many had warned us. So many people; so little quality time. In the lead-up, we had questioned whether all the energy required for the preparation of a large wedding would really be worth it. In retrospect, we were agreed that it was worthwhile. Preparation perspective was still important though: the small details that didn’t quite go to plan were insignificant compared to the overwhelming sense of celebration. 
It’s been a great start to married life. I suspect that the majority of our lives together will not be quite as exciting. Hopefully this short-term happiness will be accompanied by another, deeper joy that can only come in the context of a lifelong, committed relationship. It might not be such a blog-able event, but is perhaps more important. I’m looking forward to this next challenge of developing a strong marriage and family. Woo yeah…
It’s been a great start to married life. I suspect that the majority of our lives together will not be quite as exciting. Hopefully this short-term happiness will be accompanied by another, deeper joy that can only come in the context of a lifelong, committed relationship. It might not be such a blog-able event, but is perhaps more important. I’m looking forward to this next challenge of developing a strong marriage and family. Woo yeah…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)