Warm Wishes for a Luminous New Year !

2009 is gone, and we're entering a new decade (although purists will say that the decade does not actually start until 2011.) Hard to believe that ten years have passed since the 2000 New Year's Eve world celebrations. At the time, I sat watching television, pregnant with my first daughter, and feeling the beginning of the terrible nausea that was going to keep me in bed for two months. I could only eat smoked salmon, pickles and Japanese dumplings, which was better than the nuts, apples and sparkling water that would soon constitute my diet. End of digression.

We just returned from a marvelous trip to Thaïland. I had spent quite a bit of time there, in 1993, and loved it. I loved it even more, this time.

The country is beautiful, and so are its people.

The food is out-of-this-world delicious, and you can eat pretty much anywhere without worrying about getting sick.

We went snorkeling, sharing the warm, crystal clear water with colorful fish.

We saw many, many Buddhas (and those who know me, know that I can never see too many Buddhas.)

I had dozens of fish nibble at my feet in the cold and gorgeous Erawan waterfalls, in the province of Kanchanaburi, and was told it's excellent for the skin. It took me a few minutes to get used to the feeling, but once I did, I could have spent the whole afternoon, there.

We visited the fabulous Grand Palace, had foot massages in Bangkok, and shopped at the famous Week-End market.

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We spent Christmas Eve on the beach, in Koh Samui, and were treated to a traditional Thai dance show.

Later, we launched paper lanterns in the sky, per a tradition we were told is observed by Thais to celebrate the new year. It was a lovely sight, all these silk paper lanterns flying in the sky, their reflection floating above the water below.

All in all, it was over too soon, as holidays are wont to be, but we now have the memories and the pictures.

Happy New Year to all, all over the world !