Queen of Cute

       Today, I crowned the new champion of "Awwwww!" when I met a baby elephant, not yet seven hours old. At 3:00 in the morning, the mother elephant ended her - moms out there, brace yourselves - 22 month pregnancy by bringing a stumbling, tottering mass of gray wrinkles into the world. This baby stays close to her mom, awkwardly raising her legs, trying to figure out what on earth she's supposed to do with them. Her tiny trunk explores her surroundings and searches for milk. We threw bananas to mom, our way of congratulating her on creating this masterpiece of cuteness. If we wished to walk away in one piece, we dared not approach while her mahout was away. Tomorrow, with him present, we hope to touch her, hug her, and take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime photo-op.
       A little overshadowed by the arrival of this baby, but still worth noting, was the trek to the beach in Bang Saray. I walked through the village, passing stalls of fruit and cooking meat, trying to avoid being run over by a speeding motorbike. The heat was oppressive, but the promise of a shaded spot in the sand kept me going. The harbor sat on the left, Pattaya's skyline loomed on the right, and rain obscured the islands ahead. A mat was brought, and a Coke paid for in halting Thainglish, my new word for basic usage of Thai numbers and greetings mixed with English phrases. The walk back was thankfully cloudy, and the billowing gray clouds reminded me of this one baby elephant that I know.

"Hey mom!" 

Hiding

Life is Good.