Southeast Asia — Taking Route

This Global Walk Outside | Day 21: Paraguay

This is the outdoor space right before you enter the apartment building. Unfortunately, there is no green space at this place but the different trees inside and outside the complex help brighten things up. During different times in the year the Lapacho tree blooms different colors of flowers like yellow, pink, and purple.

Most houses in Paraguay have chairs right outside their living area (for my host family there’s are in the back out on their patio). Paraguayans love community and being together drinking terere outside under shade trees because it gets really warm during the day in the sun.

This Global Walk Outside | Day 12: Thailand

When we were choosing a home to rent in Chiang Mai, we wanted space for our energetic kids. (What parents don’t think that?) However, yards with space are few and far between. Another desire of ours was a space to get outside when it rains and not always have to get wet. Sometimes is great to have fun in the rain, but with three kids I wanted a dry option.

This Global Walk Outside | Day 11: Indonesia (Small Town)

In April 2021, we moved into a new home in our small town! There were many reasons for the move, and while I was sad to say farewell to our previous house, this new one had SO many benefits. Like a beautiful front yard & front porch! Growing up in Florida, I am used to huge backyards with playsets and swimming pools. But this little green space in our front yard is simply perfect. We love the neighborhood, the neighbors and the location.

This Global Walk OutsideTaking Route EditorsOctober 11, 2021This Global Walk Outside, Series, 31 days series, Southeast AsiaComment

This Global Kitchen | Day 17: Indonesia (Small Kitchen)

People do not entertain with an evening meal in this culture. I’ve tried over the years to invite people over for dinner but it has always been awkward. It involves them pushing the unusual western food around on their plate. Learning to adapt to the culture in this way has been hard. I’ve had to die to my own desires and culture of what “hosting” looks like and take cues from my host culture. Now I just host guests with traditional tea and cookies. At Ramadan we host a large “buka puasa” with local cuisine.

This Global Kitchen | Day 16: Malaysia

Hi! Sudah makan? (which means ‘Have you eaten?’ and, interestingly, is a common greeting in our host country.) My name is Kari. My husband, two sons (3 years old and 9 months old), and I have lived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for four years. If you come over on any given day, there’s a good chance you’ll find me a lot like this: in the kitchen, my hair in a mom bun, and a child hanging off of me.

The apartment we’re in now is the third one we’ve lived in since moving to Malaysia and this kitchen is by far my favorite! This picture is looking into the kitchen from the living room.

This Global KitchenTaking Route EditorsOctober 16, 2019This Global Kitchen, 31 days series, Southeast Asia, MalaysiaComment

This Global Kitchen | Day 15: Cambodia

We knew about the state of the home before we moved, and we were confident in our ability to take this project on. We had renovated our kitchen in the states, how hard could it be in Cambodia?! As it turns out, it is very, VERY hard. The lack of online shopping alone is enough to drive you bonkers in planning for a kitchen. My sister-in-law is funding this project (thankfully) and requested a modern kitchen. I didn’t want to let her down, I wanted to create a Pinterest worthy kitchen.

This Global KitchenTaking Route EditorsOctober 15, 2019cambodia, This Global Kitchen, 31 days series, Southeast AsiaComment

This Global Kitchen | Day 14: Laos

Our kitchen is actually rather spacious, and the two doors you see house our laundry room (I use that term quite loosely) and a squatty potty. I know you’re jealous. In the rural parts of Laos, indoor kitchens are rare. If you happen to get lucky enough to find one, basically it just means you’ve got a countertop and a sink. We have no cabinets or shelving, so we have to get creative with storage.

This Global KitchenTaking Route EditorsOctober 14, 2019Laos, Southeast Asia, This Global Kitchen, 31 days seriesComment

This Global Kitchen | Day 13: Thailand

We moved into this rental house about eight months ago. It’s brand new, with a yard for our two little boys to run around in, and a great location near the lake— wow, so much to be thankful for! But of course, every home will have pros and cons. In this case, we had to put the kitchen in the “con” column. First off, I will say that I am SUPER grateful for the newness and cleanliness factor (nice to work with a clean slate this time around). I love the windows that let me enjoy the neighborhood’s comings and goings, and the windows bring in an excellent breeze while I’m washing dishes.