My dad immigrated to the U.S.A when he was 8 years old. He came with his mom, my grandmother, and after some time they lived in Manhattan. My dad and mom went to Thailand before they got married for a celebration for my dad’s grandmother’s birthday. My mom and dad probably felt very tired after a very very long plane ride (it was a 14 hour trip to Tokyo, and then an 8 hour trip to Bangkok). The first place my parents stayed was Bangkok. They stayed in my dad’s cousin’s apartment on the edge of the city. After they stayed in Bangkok they went to my dad’s hometown which is Nakhon Phanom. They were in Thailand for a long time because after they stayed in Nakhon Phanom, they went to Chiang Mai. My parents bought the frog in Bangkok. The frog is a small hand carved wooden frog with a stick in its mouth. It’s hollow on the inside and when you rub the stick on the bumps on its back, it makes a sound that sounds like a ribbit. My parents bought the frog at a market from a man with a cart full of wooden toys that were handmade in Thailand. It’s a very simple toy but when used just the right way, it makes a satisfying ribbit sound and it is really fun to play with.The frog is important to my parents because it reminds my dad of his home and it reminds my mom of the great time she had in Thailand. I like the frog because it’s fun to play with and it’s also cool to know that the toy frog was around with my parents, before I was born.

– Orion Bupphavesa

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant