Today was one exciting day. I woke up this morning around 7- another failed attempt at trying to sleep in. Something I ate was not agreeing with my body and I did not have that great of an experience. After getting most of it out of my system, Misty and I attempted to use the washer and dryer here. We had a little help from the house mother, but later found out that we should have been paying a bit more attention. Even though we pay a woman at Mercy to do our laundry for us, she takes a few days to return it, so we wash our own towels and sheets. Having returned in an hour expecting to see our wash done I realized that I had it on a cycle so that the water that was running into the wash tub was just running right through and coming out the back. I soon figured out how to fix that problem, left and came back to find that once the tub was full it just kept filling up, you actually have to manually shut the water off. When we finally mastered the art of doing laundry we left a load in and then took SiJie to get her wisdom teeth pulled out. She only got two teeth pulled this week and it took about 20 minutes. While we were waiting we walked up the street and I attempted to put some pictures on here at an internet café, thinking that the high speed internet was really high speed. No such luck, I’ll slowly add more pictures overtime.
After making sure that SiJie got home okay and in her room we decided to walk back to where we were and jump on a sky train to Siam Center (shopping center) and Ocean World. We do not really have any intentions to buy anything but just didn’t want to sit in our room and do nothing. We were about half way there when our phone rang. It was the call we were expecting about attending Easter Mass. Instead of being tomorrow it was this evening at 6 pm. In order to get everything ready in time we would have to continue on our route, only spend an hour at the mall and then come all the way back. So it was a bit of a waste of money but oh well.
We got dressed up for mass and then took a cab over to Mercy. We were half an hour early so we decided to go visit the children on Mercy 6 (AIDS ward) they were so happy to see us and came over with a lot of hugs and kisses.
When 6 pm finally rolled around we went over to Father Joe’s house and found one of the security guards and the driver shining up his Mercedes. This Mercedes was given to Father by a dear friend from the states before he moved back from Thailand. The thought of the gift was nice, but it is really hard on gas and as Father Joe described it “It breaks down all the time; it is like an 80 year old woman.” If he were to sell it, he would only get around 200 000 baht for it, which in the overall scheme of things would not really make much of a difference. So instead Father decided to keep the car and drive it every once in a while.
We learned Thai from the security for about an hour until Father Joe and another Father came out of the house. (We tried the door earlier and it was locked but did not try again this time).
The drive to the location where the mass was held was great. We left Bangkok and got to see some of the surrounding areas past the old airport. The mass was held in the student union building at the Asian Institute of Technology University. We met many of the attendants at Father Joe’s party our first night in Thailand.
The procession began outside about 1mile from the building where the service was taken place. A bonfire was started in the field that Father prayed over, blessed it with holy water and then sprinkled incense on it. Next a huge candle was held by 3 males and one female to be lit from the fire. Each of us had a little candle and we lit our candles from the big candle. More prayers were said and then, with the big candle leading the way we walked back to the service area singing. People took turns carrying the candle, always one male and one female. We seemed to be working against Mother Nature as the wind kept blowing the candles out. And no dad, the wind was not like the wind in Nova Scotia. Every time a candle was burned out, it had to be lit from another, and when the big candle went out it had to be lit from one of the smaller candles, so that the flame was always passed on. When we arrived at the student centre more praying was done outside and then we all went in. There was no alter set, just chairs around the room facing a table. A few minutes into the mass the people starting singing, playing drums, guitars and shakers as everyone worked together to prepare the alter and decorate the room. It was a huge transformation done within minutes. It was amazing to see this done, I wish this was a custom in Canada as well. It kind of shows that mass can take place anywhere, not just in a church. We prayed and blessed the air (the Holy Spirit), the earth, the water and the fire. The whole service was very lively, and the Philippines in the choir were very happy to see us as they invited us the first night.
After the mass there was a huge meal served, followed by a play by the children and fireworks. However, Father Joe was very tired as it was now around 10:30 pm so we did not stay. As we got to the car his driver handed us a bag from 7 eleven, with water, iced tea, banana bread, etc. Father Joe takes good care of us. On the drive home he asked his driver to stop at A&W so he could get us something to eat but it was closed. He then asked us if we wanted to have some KFC to take home, but we declined. His driver drove us home and we went with SiJie to grab something to eat at one of the street vendors, and then to bed.
On Sunday morning we met father Joe around 11:30. He drove us to Rossano’s, a typical Italian cuisine. The restaurant is owned by an old friend of Father Joe’s. It was very classy and also quite expensive. Two other American’s who work at Mercy, Tom and John joined us. Father Joe ordered a white wine for himself and a red wine at our request. The wine was perfect; however we had to be cautious as to how much we left in the glass. When it reached a certain point they would be filling it up before you even have a chance to say anything. I think I had a little more than I should have, but it was way too good to pass up. Since this place was Italian, I decided to go with pasta. I had some kind of ricotta with spinach, cheese and a meat sauce. It was delicious. Following our main course the waitress brought around an Easter egg for us. This was a huge reminder of home and the perfect touch. Since our wine was not finished, Father Joe insisted that we have dessert. I ordered a chocolate mousse with wild berries and strawberries. This was to die for. I will include a picture later. Father Joe asked if we liked our meal, and after responding with a yes, he asked us if we would like to order more for another meal for supper. So now in our fridge we have three more meals. I guess this is the ultimate compliment to the chef, and the ultimate treat for us. We had a great time conversing with Father Joe, as he shared his wisdom and stories. Father Joe has also mentioned that he would like to take us to Limpini Park around 4:30 am to show us how life in the park is in the morning, as compared to the rest of the day. I think we might do this after he comes back from being away on Thursday.
This afternoon we mostly relaxed and played with one of the daughters from the house parent here at Soi 40. She normally lives at Mercy 6 as her mother has AIDS and they are still waiting to find out if she got it too. She comes here on the weekends to stay with her mom and to play with us.
In the early evening we decided we would go with SiJie to Thanon Khoa San (more commonly known as Khoa San Road), which is the backpackers haven in Bangkok. It is a street that is all markets and bars and cheap goods. It would take roughly an hour to get there and three buses. As we were getting on the second bus SiJie lost her earring, but decided she wouldn’t worry about it, however at the very last second she spotted it and turned around to go back and get it. However, it was too late, Misty and I were already on the bus and it was leaving. We watched SiJie run after the bus out of the back window as we pulled away. In shock, and only knowing some of the directions we did not know what to do. We decided our best bet would be to stay on this bus until it was time to transfer to the next and wait on the side of the street where she could see us. We waited and waited and still no SiJie.
Also, once again our cell failed us as it was dead and we do not have a charger (we borrow one from SiJie). Misty and I attempted to find SiJie’s number by calling John’s number from the business card we have from Mercy, that we use for directions. However, for some reason either his number was not working, or the pay phone was not working. We thought we were quite creative too because we did not have a pen to write down her number, we thought we could record the phone conversation on my camera. That way we could play it back to hear her phone number. I think we need to get it tattooed to our arm. After getting frustrated, we decided to continue on with our initial plan and head in the same direction. We crossed the street and waited for the bus to come, as it came down the street we both just stood there. It was not until the bus drove by that we remember that the buses don’t just stop like they do in Canada, but that you actually need to signal that you want to get in on. Way to go Jodie and Misty. Sometimes I wonder again why we were the ones chosen to come here. We find ourselves waiting another 20 minutes for the next bus.
When we transferred on to our final bus we seemed to be going out into the middle of no where. The longer the bus ride, the farther we seemed to be going away from everything that was familiar to us. We knew that we were supposed to take the bus to the end of its run, so we did. However, it dropped us off on a street that looked nothing like what we were looking for. We knew our best bet now would be to grab a taxi, so 75 baht and over 10 km later we get dropped off again. This time the street looks like it would be busy in the day but it looked completely deserted at night. After walking a few blocks and going off onto one of the side streets we finally found it, Khoa San Road. This place lived up to everything we had read about it. There were shops and venders everywhere. We were told that everything here would be quite cheap, but we did not find that to be the case as compared to some of the other markets we have been to. The street was very westernized, with some popular venues such as Burger King, McDonalds, and Starbucks. One of the travel books we have said that many people just hang out around Khoa San Road when they come and do not really venture out into other parts of Bangkok. If this is the case, people are not really getting a real glimpse of Thailand. Instead they are only seeing an area that is designed to please they eyes of a tourist, surrounded by similar people that they would be surrounded by in their own country. Even though this street was worth seeing once, it would be a real shame to only see this part of Thailand, when Thailand is so much more. As the evening came upon us, we walked by more and more tourists with glazy eyes and a beer in hand.
As we were leaving to come back to Soi 40, the taxi drivers kept quoting us over 300 baht, and we knew our drive back should not even come close to this. It is funny that people assume that because we have a different skin color, we do not know how much our fare should be, or where to go. The taxis kept asking us where we were going, and after hearing us respond with the area, they always went on to ask what hotel. Finally we communicated that we lived here and the story changed.
We were getting kind of frustrated being quoted ridiculously high prices so we decided to ask one of the local vendors whom Misty bought earrings from, what we should expect to pay and she said 150 baht max. She took us to flag down a taxi and talked to him for a few minutes on what route to take us so that we would not be taken all over the city and charged for it. Off we went. We do not know the exact way to come home, but we are able to tell when we are not going the right way. This taxi driver took us the way I expected and we made it home within 10 minutes and for only 82 baht. It’s great to find out now that we are home that it would have been cheaper and faster for us to take a taxi there in the first place instead of take buses that drove us all over town and cost us more than the taxi would have in the first place.
I also have some sad news to report. Father Joe told us today over lunch that one of the teenagers from Mercy 6 ran away last night. Misty and I saw her around 6, watching the boys playing basket ball from upstairs. They noticed that she was missing around 11 in the evening. No one has any idea where she went, however Father Joe has the highest police chief looking for her, and he was out looking for her himself this morning. She is not well mentally, so would not have been smart enough to think of an escape plan, such as climb down the drain pipes. Instead she likely would have just walked out the front door. Even Master Note, one of the boys in Mercy 6, did not know how she could have left. Master Note was very upset because he always knows everything that is going on in the house. Several questions need to be answered: Where were the security guards at this time? How come no one have seen her? Where did she go?
Father Joe said that street kids often go back to where they were found as that is the only place they know. They need to go to a place where there is food and money, and that is likely around the railway station.
Father Joe also brought something to our attention today. You can tell when a child lives on the street by their toes on their feet. When people grow up wearing shoes, their toes stay close together. A person who has lived without shoes on the street all their lives have toes that are farther apart like scavengers, mostly for walking purposes. So who really are the misfits?
I would also like to share a little story about Boua with you, the girl who passed away on Thursday. Boua died of lung congestion caused by AIDS. A few days before, Father Joe went with some of the AIDS patients to the temple to pray. On the way there, Boua expressed her need to use the washroom, along with some of the other patients. Father let the boys use the washroom first, and blames himself because she was required to follow behind the others, and ended up peeing her pants. Father Joe felt terrible because he should have let her use the bathroom first instead of waiting for everyone else. Father Joe hugged her and cried, apologizing for his cruelty.
When Boua got to the temple, she walked to the front with great confidence, holding her head high, with her wet pants and all. After they prayed, everyone came up to Boua and told her how great she was and how much they loved her. The next day some of the staff took her to Tesco to get two new pairs of pants and a new blouse. She loved the experience as she has never been in Tesco before. This place was like a whole new word to her. Two days later, she died.
You may wonder how these two stories are connected. Peeing her pants was maybe God’s way of telling the world to show her how much she means to everyone before she passed away. Even though it was an awful experience, it gave everyone the opportunity to say how much she means to them. Boua died knowing that she was loved by all those around her; something that may not have ever been expressed to her if this situation did not occur. God has a funny way of reaching us sometimes and sending his messages.
Boua was a very special girl. She had 4 siblings, all whom had different fathers. When she was born she was given the name Boua on her birth certificate. Boua is the sort of like a Jane Dow name, given to people who do not have a name. It means flower. Father Joe told us that when a person comes to you with the name Boua, people are immediately alarmed, wondering what their story is, or what sort of trouble they bring because of the life they were brought up in. Boua came to Mercy on her own, asking for help. Immediately she was accepted and fit in with the other AIDS patients.
When Boua died, they did not have enough papers to bury and cremate her. When she was born she did not have the proper identification given to her so it made it impossible for anything to be done with her body now that she passed away. The doctor at Mercy was very worried because she had TB in her body and they do not know if it can survive in a dead body, and therefore affect the other patients. Father Joe and the staff pushed to have one of their lawyers and another doctor sign all of the necessary papers to make it possible for her to be cremated. So Boua was cremated. May she finally rest in Heaven.
I hope everyone at home has a wonderful Easter together with their loved ones. Easter is not a holiday here as there is only a small percentage of Christians in Thailand. To most people, it is just a regular weekend. Also, if you want to read a nice Easter story, one of Father Joe’s stories was in the Bangkok Post today. You can read it at www.bangkokpost.com. Hopefully appears on the webpage too.
Sending love from Thailand
Jodie
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