# Dear All



## dawnclaremaddox (Jan 7, 2011)

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year too!
Best Wishes from
Dawn in Taranaki
x


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## topcat83 (Apr 16, 2009)

Many thanks, Dawn, and here's to a fabulous Christmas!

And a piccy from New Zealand Post...


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## Song_Si (Jun 11, 2010)

Hi Dawn

Await your Xmas report, remnants of my family will be gathering in New Plymouth (I find 12hrs flight a convenient distance!); our old family home was between Fitzroy and East End beaches, over the years the main meal changed from the 'traditional' roast etc to something more summer-suitable, a giant ham, crayfish, and salads, eat too much, head to the beach for a swim, eat more . . . 

That area has changed a lot - all the old houses gone, and back then the strip along the beach was a motor camp ground and it would be full to overflowing with families in caravans, tents. Our two cats would disappear at this time every year, 'poor starving cats' getting over-fed on handouts from campers. 

We will be celebrating our third Xmas in our small town; the first was by accident, we were driving through and the road was closed for a Christmas parade, something I hadn't seen before in Thailand, we stopped and watched the parade, then went to the church grounds after where there was food and entertainment. A priest singing karaoke. A few months later we moved here, meant to be!

Here's a couple of pics from that 2010 parade, a real mix with Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and more participants in traditional dress.

















this year we'll go to the local church/parade then head in to the city where the only Cathedral in Thailand is, been told they put on quite a show each year.

All the best for your Xmas/NY in NZ


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## topcat83 (Apr 16, 2009)

I love those photos, Song-Si - it reminds me of the wonderful colours in the temples of Bali when we were there. 

And you must share how to get your photos to be that big! Mine are positively miniscule in comparison.


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## Song_Si (Jun 11, 2010)

^ unsure how big they are for you - I downsized to 640 x 480px and saved them to gallery?
There's a huge culture crossover here, not uncommon to see both Buddhist and Christian imagery/icons in people's homes and shops, the main gov't school is an 'international' public school offering students five language options (plus Thai), and really celebrates the ASEAN concept.

and from the 2011 Xmas parade:









*******


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## dawnclaremaddox (Jan 7, 2011)

topcat83 said:


> I love those photos, Song-Si - it reminds me of the wonderful colours in the temples of Bali when we were there.
> 
> And you must share how to get your photos to be that big! Mine are positively miniscule in comparison.


I wish I could find out how you split the quotes when you put your messages on Topcat let alone how to put pictures on, I will get there in the end!

What lovely photos Song Si, I have never been to any oriental country myself (apart from Hong Kong and Bangkok Airports!), one day I will make the journey for sure.


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## topcat83 (Apr 16, 2009)

dawnclaremaddox said:


> I wish I could find out how you split the quotes when you put your messages on Topcat let alone how to put pictures on, I will get there in the end!
> 
> What lovely photos Song Si, I have never been to any oriental country myself (apart from Hong Kong and Bangkok Airports!), one day I will make the journey for sure.


Ah that's easy Dawn.

When you select 'Reply with Quote' you'll see that the start of the section being quoted starts with '[ QUOTE]' and ends with '[ /QUOTE]'. All I do is add a few more in along the way. Leave any part of the poster's original comment surrounded by '[ QUOTE]' and '[ /QUOTE]' and it will show in a box.

(PS I had to put an extra space in at the start of the 'QUOTE' statements or it wouldn't show the text!)


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