JAMming in Cambodia and Thailand

J is Jen. She is my sister. She lives in Japan.

A is Anna. She is me. She lives in Cambodia.

M is Molly/Mom. She is my mom. She lives in Canada.

Together we are JAM. I just made it up; go with it. If you’re wondering if you’re reading the wrong plog, no you’re not and yes I really do have a sister. A half-sister (same mom) I learned about and met about 8 years ago. If you’re wondering what it’s like to find out you have a whole other sibling who joins your life and your head and your heart, it’s about as awesome as you’re imagining, but more real. And more awesome. I highly recommend it. You should check with your parents if you could have one too.

Anyway, at the end of February, the three of us were all together for only the second time in history, the only other time being when we met Jen for the first time. My mom came on a three-week Asian Getaway Extravaganza, with one week in Cambodia with me (and one day joined by Jen), one week in Thailand with both me and Jen, and one week in Japan with Jen. A once-in-a-lifetime trip in many ways (Mom’s first time in Asia, JAM’s first trip all together, my first time at a resort/tropical beach destination), it was pretty darn great.

Highlights:

• Meeting my mom at the airport, hugging my mom, seeing my mom, talking to my mom, etc etc, i miss my mommy

• Seaside sunsets and seafood in Kep with Mom

• Phuket – the view from our hotel, floating in the Andaman Sea, and Jen sharing what her life was like when she lived here.

• Jasmine Valley Eco-Resort in Kep – Hello! Gorgeous!

• Snorkelling with Jen and Mom in Phuket, with Jen as our knowledgeable expert guide (did you know there’s, like, a second planet earth, right under the water?)*

*Ok, so I didn’t actually have an underwater camera – these were taken at an aquarium. But this is what the other world looks like down there, only with way more wildlife.

• Boat ride through the canals in Bangkok – turns out liquid laneways are just as fascinating as paved laneways

• Doing dawn aerobics at Olympic Stadium with Jen and Mom

• A boat tour of Phang Nga Bay’s cave temple, fishing village, and karst islands, including “James Bond Island”

• Getting a “foot massage” from fish with Mom in Siem Reap

• Learning about Angkor Wat from our guide. (The other time I went to the Angkor Temples was with my students, and I was bringing up the rear, herding the stragglers and the smokers, meaning I missed the guide’s descriptions of things)

• Talking family and politics over a beach-side dinner during long-overdue sister time with Jen in Phuket

Lowlights:

• Everyone got diarrhea (sorry, no pictures)