Tiffany hatched a baby crocodile.
Me holding her new baby.
Taking the monkeys for a walk.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Thursday at the Zoo
Sorry all, still haven't written up the post. Here is a picture of me playing with the baby tiger. 
Tiffany hatched a baby crocodile.
Me holding her new baby.
Taking the monkeys for a walk.
Tiffany hatched a baby crocodile. Me holding her new baby. Taking the monkeys for a walk.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Oh Phuket
Saturday
Today was mostly about the journey rather than the destination. Misty and I spent our last night in the loft at the main Mercy building. We went back to Soi 40 to do a couple of loads of laundry before we had to catch our plane.
At noon we hopped on a flight with her family to Phuket, the dream beach destination in the south of Thailand. We grabbed a taxi to Kata Beach, which is an hour from the airport. We spent some time swimming in the pool and then walked on the beach at sunset.
I have not really been here long enough to tell you what I think about it or compare it to other places. So far I have noticed that because of all of the foreigners coming here for vacations and honeymoons, the prices are really high. It is the low season now so prices are half the price they normally are but they do not compare to prices in other places in Thailand. This was not a surprise to us.
As much as I am excited to breathe some fresh air and get away from the city, coming to Phuket has been challenging. I cannot stop thinking about how privileged I am to even come here in the first place, where as many people only dream of seeing their own country, I dream of seeing the world. I felt guilty telling coworkers where I am going as we both know the costs associated with such a trip. Sitting on the plane today I felt awkward looking around and seeing all of the tourists, wondering if they even know the real Thailand. To them Thailand may only be beaches and sun tanning, not the Thailand I have been fortunate enough to see and experience in the past few months.
I cannot believe how limited our time is here now, I feel like there is still so much I need to see and explore. I look at daily things with sad eyes now, wondering will I ever see or smell the same smells, or hear the children getting ready for school in the morning. I know there is always a chance for me to come back and visit, but I also know that it will never be the same. Thailand is now a home away from home, when I leave and come back, I will be like all of those tourists on the plane. I will be excited to see Mercy again but I know that I also know that the connection and the feelings will not be the same. Oh Thailand.
In the evening we relaxed in our room and then watched fireworks from our balcony at dusk as they were set off the beach.
Kata BBQ
June 22, 2008
This morning we had breakfast at the hotel and then walked about a 3 minute walk to the beach. We spent the day on the beach, relaxing in the sun, watching the surfers and being amazed by the waves. The waves here are incredible, but the undertow was very powerful. Unfortunately today was not the safest day for swimming, but thankfully we also an always fall back on our resort’s pool.
I was shocked by the prices of things that the vendors were selling on the beach. I think our money saving skills are getting hit here. After anticipating the upcoming rain we headed back to our pool.
We got dressed up in the evening and then went out for supper at a restaurant down the street. There are not $1 street vendors here. I miss Bangkok.
June 23, 2008
This morning I was one of the first people on the beach. I could not sleep an y longer so I figured Id just sit alone and think. A few surfers were out early in the morning catching the waves. The water was very rough this morning.
I had a nice chat with my parents, and by the end of the conversation I had stray dogs sitting around me. I wish I could have got a picture of that as it was pretty funny.
When the girls woke up we took a truck to Phuket Town which was about an hour from our beach. The town was tailored to tourists and I did not care for it much. We did find a Swensen’s though so I was pretty happy about that. It rained off and on throughout the entire day.
One thing about Phuket town is that on every street corner you will be hassled by tuk tuk drivers and taxi drivers, all trying to give you a ride to the market. We forgot our map and all of the places we checked were out of maps so we decided to improvise and take a picture of one of the maps on our digital camera. If you are ever in a bind this is an excellent idea, you can even zoom in on streets.
After our shopping adventure we rode on the truck back, went swimming in the pool, did some water aerobics and then had a nice hot refreshing shower. We had supper at one of the restaurants down the street, once again I went for Thai food. I am not able to pick out some of the sauces and spices they use to cook the food, so mom and dad be prepared for A LOT of Thai food when I come home.
I thought it would be a wonderful idea to walk back along the beach, instead of by the tailors who love to hassle us. This would have been a smart idea if there was more light out, however it was pitch black. Halfway on the walk home Tiffany freaks out, saying that she stepped in something sticky like dog poo. We all had a good laugh. Her and Misty ran to the water to clean it off, only to find out that Misty too stepped in it, and it wasn’t doggy do at all, but some kind of tar. Misty’s mother and I had a really good laugh until we came upstairs and realized we also had it all over our feet! Down to the outside shower we went with a few bars of soap. After that didn’t work we sat on the side of the pool with the soap. Once it started raining we moved our party indoors into the bathtub where we all sat and scrubbed for a very long time, without any luck. I think this is going to have to wear off with time.
June 24, 2008
I cannot believe I just wrote June up there for the date. Hearing that it has been around 27 degrees at home is so confusing as I still feel like it should be winter there, just like when we left. I cannot believe 4 months has gone by so fast. We finished teaching on Friday. I was excited to be done teaching but also sad to think that soon we will be saying goodbye. We added a few extra weeks on to the end of our teaching so we can see some of the country and possibly some of the neighboring countries. As I write this I am sitting in a resort in the south of Thailand.
Unfortunately our vacation time also happens to be during rainy season so we have been experiencing a lot of rain. We arrived here on Saturday and it has been raining the last two days. Although it does suck, I am just thankful that we are not one of the many vacationers who are only visiting for the week. We expected rain, many of them did not. Even though I would much rather be swimming or sitting on the beach, getting away from the city and watching tv and having a warm shower is also sort of a vacation for us.
Today was mostly about the journey rather than the destination. Misty and I spent our last night in the loft at the main Mercy building. We went back to Soi 40 to do a couple of loads of laundry before we had to catch our plane.
At noon we hopped on a flight with her family to Phuket, the dream beach destination in the south of Thailand. We grabbed a taxi to Kata Beach, which is an hour from the airport. We spent some time swimming in the pool and then walked on the beach at sunset.
I have not really been here long enough to tell you what I think about it or compare it to other places. So far I have noticed that because of all of the foreigners coming here for vacations and honeymoons, the prices are really high. It is the low season now so prices are half the price they normally are but they do not compare to prices in other places in Thailand. This was not a surprise to us.
As much as I am excited to breathe some fresh air and get away from the city, coming to Phuket has been challenging. I cannot stop thinking about how privileged I am to even come here in the first place, where as many people only dream of seeing their own country, I dream of seeing the world. I felt guilty telling coworkers where I am going as we both know the costs associated with such a trip. Sitting on the plane today I felt awkward looking around and seeing all of the tourists, wondering if they even know the real Thailand. To them Thailand may only be beaches and sun tanning, not the Thailand I have been fortunate enough to see and experience in the past few months.
I cannot believe how limited our time is here now, I feel like there is still so much I need to see and explore. I look at daily things with sad eyes now, wondering will I ever see or smell the same smells, or hear the children getting ready for school in the morning. I know there is always a chance for me to come back and visit, but I also know that it will never be the same. Thailand is now a home away from home, when I leave and come back, I will be like all of those tourists on the plane. I will be excited to see Mercy again but I know that I also know that the connection and the feelings will not be the same. Oh Thailand.
In the evening we relaxed in our room and then watched fireworks from our balcony at dusk as they were set off the beach.
Kata BBQ
June 22, 2008
This morning we had breakfast at the hotel and then walked about a 3 minute walk to the beach. We spent the day on the beach, relaxing in the sun, watching the surfers and being amazed by the waves. The waves here are incredible, but the undertow was very powerful. Unfortunately today was not the safest day for swimming, but thankfully we also an always fall back on our resort’s pool.
I was shocked by the prices of things that the vendors were selling on the beach. I think our money saving skills are getting hit here. After anticipating the upcoming rain we headed back to our pool.
We got dressed up in the evening and then went out for supper at a restaurant down the street. There are not $1 street vendors here. I miss Bangkok.
June 23, 2008
This morning I was one of the first people on the beach. I could not sleep an y longer so I figured Id just sit alone and think. A few surfers were out early in the morning catching the waves. The water was very rough this morning.
I had a nice chat with my parents, and by the end of the conversation I had stray dogs sitting around me. I wish I could have got a picture of that as it was pretty funny.
When the girls woke up we took a truck to Phuket Town which was about an hour from our beach. The town was tailored to tourists and I did not care for it much. We did find a Swensen’s though so I was pretty happy about that. It rained off and on throughout the entire day.
One thing about Phuket town is that on every street corner you will be hassled by tuk tuk drivers and taxi drivers, all trying to give you a ride to the market. We forgot our map and all of the places we checked were out of maps so we decided to improvise and take a picture of one of the maps on our digital camera. If you are ever in a bind this is an excellent idea, you can even zoom in on streets.
After our shopping adventure we rode on the truck back, went swimming in the pool, did some water aerobics and then had a nice hot refreshing shower. We had supper at one of the restaurants down the street, once again I went for Thai food. I am not able to pick out some of the sauces and spices they use to cook the food, so mom and dad be prepared for A LOT of Thai food when I come home.
I thought it would be a wonderful idea to walk back along the beach, instead of by the tailors who love to hassle us. This would have been a smart idea if there was more light out, however it was pitch black. Halfway on the walk home Tiffany freaks out, saying that she stepped in something sticky like dog poo. We all had a good laugh. Her and Misty ran to the water to clean it off, only to find out that Misty too stepped in it, and it wasn’t doggy do at all, but some kind of tar. Misty’s mother and I had a really good laugh until we came upstairs and realized we also had it all over our feet! Down to the outside shower we went with a few bars of soap. After that didn’t work we sat on the side of the pool with the soap. Once it started raining we moved our party indoors into the bathtub where we all sat and scrubbed for a very long time, without any luck. I think this is going to have to wear off with time.
June 24, 2008
I cannot believe I just wrote June up there for the date. Hearing that it has been around 27 degrees at home is so confusing as I still feel like it should be winter there, just like when we left. I cannot believe 4 months has gone by so fast. We finished teaching on Friday. I was excited to be done teaching but also sad to think that soon we will be saying goodbye. We added a few extra weeks on to the end of our teaching so we can see some of the country and possibly some of the neighboring countries. As I write this I am sitting in a resort in the south of Thailand.
Unfortunately our vacation time also happens to be during rainy season so we have been experiencing a lot of rain. We arrived here on Saturday and it has been raining the last two days. Although it does suck, I am just thankful that we are not one of the many vacationers who are only visiting for the week. We expected rain, many of them did not. Even though I would much rather be swimming or sitting on the beach, getting away from the city and watching tv and having a warm shower is also sort of a vacation for us.
Hello from Phuket
I just see that I did not do a write up for Thursday. I will post it next time I am on. Sorry.
Friday
I cannot believe we have officially reached our 4 month mark. Today brought a mixed range of emotions. I said goodbye to my morning adult class, and some of the staff. We plan on coming back before we actually fly back to Canada to say our real goodbyes. I am excited to have a break and just be able to relax and travel, but I am really going to miss it here. I feel like there is still so much I want to do before I go home.
I am looking forward to tomorrow when we leave for Phuket to vacation for the week. I am going to enjoy lying on the beach and not having to think about what I am going to teach or how we are going to get back to Mercy.
Today we took a bus from MoChit to Ayuthaya, which is about 90 minutes north of Bangkok. Ayuthaya is located in Central Thailand and was the former royal capital from 1350-1767. Prior to the emergence of the Ayuthaya kingdom the town was a Khmer outpost. In 1767 after numerous conflicts with the Burmese, the city was sacked by the invading army, where numerous things were stolen or destroyed. In 1991 Ayuthaya was named a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Ayuthaya is surrounded by 3 rivers: Mae Nam Chao Phraya, Mae Nam Pa Sak, and the smaller Mae Name Lopburi
Over 400 temples were constructed in the Ancient city of Ayuthaya. Very little remains of most of the temples besides rows of roofless columns and sagging steps, however the site is still worth seeing and imagining.
One of my students hooked us up with a guide from the university. Her friend is a teacher there, and instead of us getting ripped off she asked some of her students to take us around. When we went to call them on the bus on the way there we had phone troubles, so I thought we were done for. Thankfully someone was at the bus station to meet us, saying that my students have been worried sick because they could not get a hold of me. They rented a van which took us around for the day. We saw several old temples as well as a few museums and some temples still intact. The views were breathtaking, and very photogenic. Our two tour guides were very helpful, and fun to spend the day with as they were our age.
We ended the tour at the romantic temple, or so they called it. I must admit, it was pretty romantic.
We were brought back to the bus and then took the bus back to Bangkok. We had supper at Soi 38 and then finished our day off with ice cream.
I will write more with the pictures when I get back to the city.
I am looking forward to tomorrow when we leave for Phuket to vacation for the week. I am going to enjoy lying on the beach and not having to think about what I am going to teach or how we are going to get back to Mercy.
Today we took a bus from MoChit to Ayuthaya, which is about 90 minutes north of Bangkok. Ayuthaya is located in Central Thailand and was the former royal capital from 1350-1767. Prior to the emergence of the Ayuthaya kingdom the town was a Khmer outpost. In 1767 after numerous conflicts with the Burmese, the city was sacked by the invading army, where numerous things were stolen or destroyed. In 1991 Ayuthaya was named a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Ayuthaya is surrounded by 3 rivers: Mae Nam Chao Phraya, Mae Nam Pa Sak, and the smaller Mae Name Lopburi
Over 400 temples were constructed in the Ancient city of Ayuthaya. Very little remains of most of the temples besides rows of roofless columns and sagging steps, however the site is still worth seeing and imagining.
One of my students hooked us up with a guide from the university. Her friend is a teacher there, and instead of us getting ripped off she asked some of her students to take us around. When we went to call them on the bus on the way there we had phone troubles, so I thought we were done for. Thankfully someone was at the bus station to meet us, saying that my students have been worried sick because they could not get a hold of me. They rented a van which took us around for the day. We saw several old temples as well as a few museums and some temples still intact. The views were breathtaking, and very photogenic. Our two tour guides were very helpful, and fun to spend the day with as they were our age.
We ended the tour at the romantic temple, or so they called it. I must admit, it was pretty romantic.
We were brought back to the bus and then took the bus back to Bangkok. We had supper at Soi 38 and then finished our day off with ice cream.
I will write more with the pictures when I get back to the city.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
'No Mom thats a temple, not a shopping mall...' - Tiffany
I really enjoyed my morning class. We did an activity where someone would say something and the response would have to be an offer of help. For example:
My suitcase is heavy. I’ll carry it for you.
I don’t have any money. I will lend you some.
I had a good laugh at each of their responses. At one point one of my shorter students had to respond to the “I’m not tall enough to reach the glasses on the top shelf.” And she responds “me too.” I also had a good laugh when one of the students responded to “I have to walk all the way home,” with “I will walk with you.” I said that someone would normally say that you could offer to drive them home, and the student responded saying that she couldn’t because she didn’t have a car.
For lunch we ate at one of the restaurants across from Bangkok University. The food was okay.
As we were riding in the taxi on our way to Siam, Misty’s mother points at a gold building and said “Is that another shopping mall?” Misty responded “No mom that is not another shopping mall that is a temple.” Haha
We did some shopping at the teen mall, MBK. This mall is basically like a big indoor market. I had some fun bartering with some of the stores.
We were looking for something for Misty’s brother. We finally found one of the things we wanted but they were asking way too much. I attempted to barter it down but he would not go 50 baht lower to meet me. We decided it was time to walk away, and if we wanted we could go back again. We found some more of the same things for a cheaper price. We still liked the first one we saw better, so we went back. However, there was another man working there so we decided we would tell a little lie. (please forgive us for this one). We told him that the other guy told us that we could pay 450 Baht for it and he said “okay.” We paid and waited for change. In the meantime the original guy came back and Tiffany says to him “We got it for 450!” He said no. We had a good laugh because we already had it, the plan blew up in our face, and Tiffany did not even know that we really got it for cheaper than he would offer. What a good laugh that was.
Misty and I shopped around some more at Siam while her mother and sister went to Ocean World. We took the BTS to Soi 38 for supper. I got the usual but this time decided to ask what was actually in the sauce so I could remake it at home. My suitcase is getting fuller with all of these sauces. I know I might be able to get some in the city but I don’t want to chance it.
We went back to Soi 40 to get some more of our things as we are not staying in our room there. It was nice to see the boys. I especially loved with Gelong came into our room again and took pictures. He had Misty’s mom proposing and everything.
Tonight I spent some time with Mercy 6, putting the children to bed. I spent some time with the toddlers, rubbing their backs trying to get them to sleep. I loved seeing them pray and listening to them sing along to their night time songs, instead of sleeping. When I went to see Ja she took my hand and kissed it, then motioned for me to lay beside her as she kissed my face. I love these kids…I cannot even begin to imagine saying good bye to them. It is hard to sleep at the main building. Even though we have many luxuries, I miss the boys a lot. In the morning I do not hear them getting ready for school, praying, eating or fighting. I miss those sounds, even if they woke me up at 5:30.
That’s all for now. Sending love from Thailand.
My suitcase is heavy. I’ll carry it for you.
I don’t have any money. I will lend you some.
I had a good laugh at each of their responses. At one point one of my shorter students had to respond to the “I’m not tall enough to reach the glasses on the top shelf.” And she responds “me too.” I also had a good laugh when one of the students responded to “I have to walk all the way home,” with “I will walk with you.” I said that someone would normally say that you could offer to drive them home, and the student responded saying that she couldn’t because she didn’t have a car.
For lunch we ate at one of the restaurants across from Bangkok University. The food was okay.
As we were riding in the taxi on our way to Siam, Misty’s mother points at a gold building and said “Is that another shopping mall?” Misty responded “No mom that is not another shopping mall that is a temple.” Haha
We did some shopping at the teen mall, MBK. This mall is basically like a big indoor market. I had some fun bartering with some of the stores.
We were looking for something for Misty’s brother. We finally found one of the things we wanted but they were asking way too much. I attempted to barter it down but he would not go 50 baht lower to meet me. We decided it was time to walk away, and if we wanted we could go back again. We found some more of the same things for a cheaper price. We still liked the first one we saw better, so we went back. However, there was another man working there so we decided we would tell a little lie. (please forgive us for this one). We told him that the other guy told us that we could pay 450 Baht for it and he said “okay.” We paid and waited for change. In the meantime the original guy came back and Tiffany says to him “We got it for 450!” He said no. We had a good laugh because we already had it, the plan blew up in our face, and Tiffany did not even know that we really got it for cheaper than he would offer. What a good laugh that was.
Misty and I shopped around some more at Siam while her mother and sister went to Ocean World. We took the BTS to Soi 38 for supper. I got the usual but this time decided to ask what was actually in the sauce so I could remake it at home. My suitcase is getting fuller with all of these sauces. I know I might be able to get some in the city but I don’t want to chance it.
We went back to Soi 40 to get some more of our things as we are not staying in our room there. It was nice to see the boys. I especially loved with Gelong came into our room again and took pictures. He had Misty’s mom proposing and everything.
Tonight I spent some time with Mercy 6, putting the children to bed. I spent some time with the toddlers, rubbing their backs trying to get them to sleep. I loved seeing them pray and listening to them sing along to their night time songs, instead of sleeping. When I went to see Ja she took my hand and kissed it, then motioned for me to lay beside her as she kissed my face. I love these kids…I cannot even begin to imagine saying good bye to them. It is hard to sleep at the main building. Even though we have many luxuries, I miss the boys a lot. In the morning I do not hear them getting ready for school, praying, eating or fighting. I miss those sounds, even if they woke me up at 5:30.
That’s all for now. Sending love from Thailand.
Goodbye Preschool..
I began my morning by teaching my adult class. I stayed at the main Mercy building for the night which meant I could wake up an hour later, get a warm shower and then walk across the street to class.
After class I spent some time with the adults in the AIDS hospice. They never fail to make me laugh. One of our new friends was well enough to go home. I would also like to pass along that our English speaking lady friend (im sorry I don’t know names) went to the doctor today and he said she is getting stronger. Misty had a conversation with her and she has had braces for 2 years now but the doctors won’t take them off because she has TB. Unbelievable.
We taught our last preschool class today. The children were very excited to see us, swarming around us when we came up. They seemed to love the pencils and photo holders we gave them. The children gave us a picture they colored with the word LOVE in the middle of it.
I had lunch with the AIDS hospice, and then went with the scholarship students to the new Mercy building down the street to watch a movie. The building is nearly finished and looks really nice, however there was a mistake in making it so the second and third floor are all slanted. It is kind of trippy. SiChon has been staying at the house since he had his eye surgery on Monday. He is able to see a little better but things are not perfect. Please pray for a safe and speedy recovery. He wears a patch on his eye now.
I spent most of the afternoon in the AIDS hospice and playing with the children in Mercy 6. I decided since Misty and her family went out for the afternoon I would run a couple of errands. I took a motorbike taxi to Soi 40 to pick up my dress and then took a taxi to Witthayu.
Unfortunately traffic was killer and I ended up paying 100 baht for what normally would have been a 5 minute taxi ride. The taxi driver was comical, trying to get me to pronounce every Thai word he could possibly think of. Sometimes it is frustrating because I just want time to think, not be forced to learn more Thai. It also started its usual 3 pm rainstorm so I got a little wet getting out of the taxi. At the tailor I got my dress pinned, but left with it in hand when I was told that the cost of them altering it was more than I paid for the dress. Back out in the rain I went to catch the BTS, then the songtheaw to Mercy. What a waste of time. I should also add that the BTS was the most crowded I have ever seen it. It was so full that people could hardly get on or off. Every time the BTS went to stop there was a sort of domino effect. It was more entertaining when I was not involved in it.
I had supper with Mercy 6. After supper Takatan pretended to do my make up, using make believe supplies. I got a couple of coats of foundation, mascara, eye shadow and lipstick. She then proceeded to do my hair. It was okay until I realized what a tangled mess it was, but it’s okay, Misty’s mom is a hairdresser.
Later in the evening I had a heart to heart conversation with Nancy. We talked about AIDS and how most of the patients got it. Nancy said that most people got it from sex because “people like sex very very much, and have sex with many people.” Drugs was also a major contributor. Medication for AIDS costs 1200 Baht a month. Thankfully the patients at Mercy have full coverage, as they would not be able to afford it otherwise.
In the evening we went for supper at San Luan Night Market, our favorite.
Ill post pictures as soon as I can. This connection is not strong enough, but dont worry...I have tons!
After class I spent some time with the adults in the AIDS hospice. They never fail to make me laugh. One of our new friends was well enough to go home. I would also like to pass along that our English speaking lady friend (im sorry I don’t know names) went to the doctor today and he said she is getting stronger. Misty had a conversation with her and she has had braces for 2 years now but the doctors won’t take them off because she has TB. Unbelievable.
We taught our last preschool class today. The children were very excited to see us, swarming around us when we came up. They seemed to love the pencils and photo holders we gave them. The children gave us a picture they colored with the word LOVE in the middle of it.
I had lunch with the AIDS hospice, and then went with the scholarship students to the new Mercy building down the street to watch a movie. The building is nearly finished and looks really nice, however there was a mistake in making it so the second and third floor are all slanted. It is kind of trippy. SiChon has been staying at the house since he had his eye surgery on Monday. He is able to see a little better but things are not perfect. Please pray for a safe and speedy recovery. He wears a patch on his eye now.
I spent most of the afternoon in the AIDS hospice and playing with the children in Mercy 6. I decided since Misty and her family went out for the afternoon I would run a couple of errands. I took a motorbike taxi to Soi 40 to pick up my dress and then took a taxi to Witthayu.
Unfortunately traffic was killer and I ended up paying 100 baht for what normally would have been a 5 minute taxi ride. The taxi driver was comical, trying to get me to pronounce every Thai word he could possibly think of. Sometimes it is frustrating because I just want time to think, not be forced to learn more Thai. It also started its usual 3 pm rainstorm so I got a little wet getting out of the taxi. At the tailor I got my dress pinned, but left with it in hand when I was told that the cost of them altering it was more than I paid for the dress. Back out in the rain I went to catch the BTS, then the songtheaw to Mercy. What a waste of time. I should also add that the BTS was the most crowded I have ever seen it. It was so full that people could hardly get on or off. Every time the BTS went to stop there was a sort of domino effect. It was more entertaining when I was not involved in it.
I had supper with Mercy 6. After supper Takatan pretended to do my make up, using make believe supplies. I got a couple of coats of foundation, mascara, eye shadow and lipstick. She then proceeded to do my hair. It was okay until I realized what a tangled mess it was, but it’s okay, Misty’s mom is a hairdresser.
Later in the evening I had a heart to heart conversation with Nancy. We talked about AIDS and how most of the patients got it. Nancy said that most people got it from sex because “people like sex very very much, and have sex with many people.” Drugs was also a major contributor. Medication for AIDS costs 1200 Baht a month. Thankfully the patients at Mercy have full coverage, as they would not be able to afford it otherwise.
In the evening we went for supper at San Luan Night Market, our favorite.
Ill post pictures as soon as I can. This connection is not strong enough, but dont worry...I have tons!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Today I peeled 100 eggs and baked over 16 dozen cookies...
Today was one of my favorite days at Mercy. We spent the whole day with the children doing regular things. We met Misty’s sister and mother in the morning and then went with Rose, Lek and Day to the market in Khlong Toey. This market is a local market that most of the people in this area get their food and goods at. The prices are a lot cheaper than anywhere else. We took a large songtheaw to get there.
When we arrived the conditions were a little shocking, especially in the seafood and meat section. Thankfully growing up on a farm made seeing this easier for me but it would be a little shocking to most. You could find everything from dead frogs, to pig skin, fish, animal tongues and feet, snouts and other crazy things. Many of the fish were still alive but sliced open on the side so that they were slithering around in a pot. Some of the fish even made it out of their pan and were flopping across the street.
The ground was very wet so it did not help the conditions any as our feet were very dirty. However, to me this was all part of the experience.
In the produce section things were a little better, even though the food was not in the most sanitary conditions. We bought all of our ingredients for our cooking class and then rented a taxi truck to come home. All of us crammed into the back of it.
Before we started cooking I helped the cooks in the kitchen peel over 100 boiled eggs…mom I was practicing for your deviled eggs.
Back at Mercy Cherri began our lesson by teaching us how to make Tom Yum Krung. Don’t worry I wrote down every step and will take a few of the ingredients back home so I can make it for some of you. Mom you would love it. We also made our favorite pork omelets, pork in soy sauce, some kind of stir-fry, and my favorite salty fish. It took us a long time to prepare everything as Thai cooking involves a lot more preparation and a lot more work. Together with the girls we sat down for a lovely lunch. After lunch we met back up to bake some cookies.
The girls never made chocolate chip cookies before so they were very excited. The ingredients to make one batch of cookies cost a lot more than all of the other food combined. At first we had a small betty crooker like oven as there is no oven in the main kitchen, but we found something a little more useful downstairs. The girls thought that it would be nice to make enough cookies for everyone at Mercy so I went back to the store to get some more ingredients. Three hours later we had baked 16 dozen cookies.
I loved spending the day cooking with the girls and playing with the younger children. Although they definitely tired me out, I had a great time. It is hard to imagine that soon I may never see them again.
In the evening we brought the rest of the cookies to our boys. They were already in bed but not sleeping yet, but as soon as they saw me come in with the cookies they were wide awake. I was swarmed. I bet the scene looked a lot like a person feeding birds at the park…all of the boys were crowded around.
Misty and I picked up some of our things, grabbed a pizza and headed back to Mercy for the night. We slept in the apartment at Mercy with her family. All in all today was a perfect day.
When we were at Soi 40 Gelong snuck into our room again and tried to take pictures of all of us. He positioned himself in what he believed to be the best position and then went from there. We all had a good laugh watching him, especially because he was so serious about taking the most perfect picture. Don’t worry, I too, took pictures.
When we arrived the conditions were a little shocking, especially in the seafood and meat section. Thankfully growing up on a farm made seeing this easier for me but it would be a little shocking to most. You could find everything from dead frogs, to pig skin, fish, animal tongues and feet, snouts and other crazy things. Many of the fish were still alive but sliced open on the side so that they were slithering around in a pot. Some of the fish even made it out of their pan and were flopping across the street.
The ground was very wet so it did not help the conditions any as our feet were very dirty. However, to me this was all part of the experience.
In the produce section things were a little better, even though the food was not in the most sanitary conditions. We bought all of our ingredients for our cooking class and then rented a taxi truck to come home. All of us crammed into the back of it.
Before we started cooking I helped the cooks in the kitchen peel over 100 boiled eggs…mom I was practicing for your deviled eggs.
Back at Mercy Cherri began our lesson by teaching us how to make Tom Yum Krung. Don’t worry I wrote down every step and will take a few of the ingredients back home so I can make it for some of you. Mom you would love it. We also made our favorite pork omelets, pork in soy sauce, some kind of stir-fry, and my favorite salty fish. It took us a long time to prepare everything as Thai cooking involves a lot more preparation and a lot more work. Together with the girls we sat down for a lovely lunch. After lunch we met back up to bake some cookies.
The girls never made chocolate chip cookies before so they were very excited. The ingredients to make one batch of cookies cost a lot more than all of the other food combined. At first we had a small betty crooker like oven as there is no oven in the main kitchen, but we found something a little more useful downstairs. The girls thought that it would be nice to make enough cookies for everyone at Mercy so I went back to the store to get some more ingredients. Three hours later we had baked 16 dozen cookies.
I loved spending the day cooking with the girls and playing with the younger children. Although they definitely tired me out, I had a great time. It is hard to imagine that soon I may never see them again.
In the evening we brought the rest of the cookies to our boys. They were already in bed but not sleeping yet, but as soon as they saw me come in with the cookies they were wide awake. I was swarmed. I bet the scene looked a lot like a person feeding birds at the park…all of the boys were crowded around.
Misty and I picked up some of our things, grabbed a pizza and headed back to Mercy for the night. We slept in the apartment at Mercy with her family. All in all today was a perfect day.
When we were at Soi 40 Gelong snuck into our room again and tried to take pictures of all of us. He positioned himself in what he believed to be the best position and then went from there. We all had a good laugh watching him, especially because he was so serious about taking the most perfect picture. Don’t worry, I too, took pictures.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Saturday
This is one of the largest Buddhas in Thailand.
People stick gold pieces to the Buddha that sits in the entry way of the temples.
Putting money in the monk bowls. Each monk from that temple has a bowl for every day of the week.
Ringing the bell to let the Buddha know that you are here.
Two lions protect the entrance to the temple.
Sleeping Buddha. This Buddha is unique because it lays on its back opposed to laying on its side.
The is the door to the temple. It is carved out of wood and then filled with pearl.
Feeding the fish outside of the temple. There are so many fish here, but it is forbidden to fish them. It is believed that if you fish outside of a temple you will go to hell.
Fish!
Fish at the Market.
Eatting lunch in a barn at the market. Misty, me and one of the staff from Mercy. I'm sorry I'm terrible with remembering Thai names.
This was my lunch. I had rice, egg, vegetables and some kind of meat wrapped in a lotus leaf.
This bear is completely made out of noodles.
This is kind of a sweet like a cookie. The batter is put in the oil and it takes the shape of the metal.
When it is warm it is placed on the top of a tea cup and then cools in a curved shape.
People stick gold pieces to the Buddha that sits in the entry way of the temples.
Putting money in the monk bowls. Each monk from that temple has a bowl for every day of the week.
Ringing the bell to let the Buddha know that you are here.
Two lions protect the entrance to the temple.
Sleeping Buddha. This Buddha is unique because it lays on its back opposed to laying on its side.
The is the door to the temple. It is carved out of wood and then filled with pearl.
Feeding the fish outside of the temple. There are so many fish here, but it is forbidden to fish them. It is believed that if you fish outside of a temple you will go to hell.
Fish!
Fish at the Market.
Eatting lunch in a barn at the market. Misty, me and one of the staff from Mercy. I'm sorry I'm terrible with remembering Thai names.
This was my lunch. I had rice, egg, vegetables and some kind of meat wrapped in a lotus leaf.
This bear is completely made out of noodles.
This is kind of a sweet like a cookie. The batter is put in the oil and it takes the shape of the metal.
When it is warm it is placed on the top of a tea cup and then cools in a curved shape.
Saturday Pictures
Selling sausage at the market
A school group playing on the weekend. They are playing typical Thai instruments.
Market (Misty, my student, me)
A tpyical country farm house.
Misty, Sepatra and I, with my accounting students.
This is right before she fell into that bush.
Sugar is made in these holes.
Riding a Water Buffalo!
Hello!
We watched a Buffalo Show and then found ourselves in the show playing Thai games with the children.
This Buffalo is full grown and the only one of its kind in Thailand.
The Buffalo churns the machine to make sugar.
Even the Buffalos Wai.
I wish our cows at home would get in and out of a trailer as good as these cows would take the stairs.
A school group playing on the weekend. They are playing typical Thai instruments.
Market (Misty, my student, me)
A tpyical country farm house.
Misty, Sepatra and I, with my accounting students.
This is right before she fell into that bush.
Sugar is made in these holes.
Riding a Water Buffalo!
Hello!
We watched a Buffalo Show and then found ourselves in the show playing Thai games with the children.
This Buffalo is full grown and the only one of its kind in Thailand.
The Buffalo churns the machine to make sugar.
Even the Buffalos Wai.
I wish our cows at home would get in and out of a trailer as good as these cows would take the stairs.
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