Hello All,

Sorry my internet connection is not strong enough to let me see the blog so I am not sure what has already been posted. I think you might want to ignore the first couple of days. Sorry this is so late but after reading you will understand why.

Jodie


Saturday June 21, 2008

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.

Sunday 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.

Monday June 23, 2008

This morning I was one of the first people on the beach. I could not sleep any 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 doo. 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.

Tuesday 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.

We spent most of the day in the room or swimming in the pool. In the evening Misty and Tiffany tried their hand at surfing. They really got showed up by a little guy who looked about 8 years old and made it out farther than either of them.

In the evening we went to a coffee shop which had internet access. There we met a young couple from New Zealand who we spent some time chatting with. They, along with their 15 month old daughter did not seem to be enjoying the rain and have been thinking about changing their flight to go home sooner. We told them to wait out one more day.

Wednesday June 25, 2008

This morning we woke up to sunshine…we were very excited. With swimsuits on we hit the beach where we played in the sand and sun for the morning and earlier part of the afternoon. Around 2 pm it started to rain again so we ran for cover in our resort and swam in the pool until the later part of the afternoon. We had a delicious Thai dinner at our resort and then just relaxed for the rest of the night.

Thursday June 26, 2008

We signed up for one of the tours at the resort for our excursion today. It included Maya Bay which is in Krabi Province and is one of the top 8 islands of the world. Four years ago it was one of the top 3 islands of the world, but because of the Tsunami and tourism it’s ratings dropped. We also visited a Viking cave, a few bays where we had the opportunity to snorkel, Monkey Island which was inhabited with hundreds of wild monkeys, Phi Phi island and another island for swimming. Unfortunately my body did not love the speed boat we traveled on and I spent most of the time in the bathroom or sleeping on the sand, which meant that I never really saw anything. Thankfully the girls took lots of pictures so I can relive it through them. However, I can say that I had one of the most amazing sleeps ever on one of the top 8 islands in the world. J

Friday June 27, 2008

This morning Misty and I awoke mighty early to watch the sunrise. We ran out to the beach with camera in tow, hoping to catch the perfect shot. However it was not until we reached the beach that we reminded that we watched the sunset from the same spot one of the first nights, which meant that it would rise on the other side of the island which was blocked from our view by a large mountain. Back to bed we went.

We spent most of the day laying on the beach, surfing, swimming through the waves or reading a book. The sun was very hot today, but the water was refreshing. The waves were huge. I cannot imagine how big the tsunami would have been when it hit.

In the evening we had supper with a couple from New Zealand that we met at the coffee shop the other night. It was great to have a nice conversation with young world travelers. I wish them the best with the rest of their travels and their miracle daughter Bethany.

In the evening we watched the sunset as we spent our last night on the beach. The most amazing thing was…there were stars! For the first time in over 4 months I got to see stars! Oh Thailand.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

Saturday June 28, 2008

After waking up and packing we spent some time enjoying our last few minutes of television and then set off to take some last minute pictures and say our goodbyes. We really enjoyed seeing the staff at Kata Poolside Resort as they were incredibly friendly and went out of their way to make sure we were always happy. We had a good week exchanging Thai conversation. When our taxi arrived to take us back to the airport one of the bell boys jumped in the taxi van with us, saying he was coming back to Canada. We took his name tag off and ran to give it back at their desk and his friend laughed so hard. They were so easy to joke around with. We will also miss the security guard who always saluted us with sawadee when we walked by. We will especially miss the staff in the restaurant that we usually ate at 2 times a day; in particular we will miss the son of the cook who we secretly named Hottie.

Phuket airport is a lot smaller than Bangkok, and possibly even comparable in size to Halifax. The line up for Air Asia was a lot longer than the other lines, but it is no wonder considering the prices they offer their flights for. Air Asia is more of a shuttle service. We had to adjust some of the luggage around as two people out of our group brought back more than they brought, causing their suitcases to be overweight.

The prices of the food in the airport were jacked up. I know that this is the case in all airports, but I did not realize that they could jack up prices of fast food outlets as well such as Burger King. However, Tiffany and I were so hungry that we did not have a choice so we decided to split a meal. Our food arrived at the same time our flight started boarding so we had to swallow our food half chewed. When you flight with Air Asia you do not get an assigned seat so in order to sit where you want or with someone you need get in the line up to get on the plane as soon as possible. Thankfully we made it.

Our flight back was okay, however we did experience a bit of turbulence. I do not think my stomach could have handled flying all the way back to Canada today so I was pretty glad it was only a short flight.

We were met with rain when we were riding in the taxi on the way home, so instead of going to the Moon Bar we decided to introduce Misty’s family to Dubliner’s. Lee Shamrock came back from vacation yesterday and was doing a one man Christmas show. Everything in the bar carried a Christmas theme as Dubliner’s was celebrating their half way to Christmas show. A fun night was had by all.

Emporium Shopping Center was open till midnight so we showed her family some of the paintings the children drew that are on sale there and then did some shopping. We came home later in the evening to help repack everything and send some things home. Finally it was time for all 4 of us to squeeze into bed and try and get some sleep.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH!

Sunday June 29, 2008

Today was pretty laid back day. We slept for most of the morning have said goodbye to Misty’s family at 4 am and sending them on their way in a taxi. In the afternoon we went to Emporium shopping center to check out some more of the sales and enjoy one of our last Swensens ice creams. Then back home and off to bed.

Monday June 30, 2008

I spent last night and all of today running back and forth between our bed and the bathroom. I am not sure what I ate but something did not agree with me at all and I am sick as a dog. This is definitely by far the sickest I have been since I have been in Thailand. Days like today I wish I was home in my own bed. Lying in bed all day I can’t help but think about those at Mercy in the AIDS hospice who are completely bedridden. My body is sore from being her all day, but I cannot imagine doing this days on end.

Tuesday July 1, 2008– Meaning lost in translation

Today was a pretty relaxing day for the most part as I am still recovering from the flu. I slept in and then did my laundry. I am excited that today will likely be the last time doing laundry involves so much work.

Misty and I headed to Tesco with the house parents for groceries. I stocked up on some sauces and spices to take home as I have many Thai meals planned for the future. The house parents sure got a laugh when they saw that I was taking their typical every day sauces to Canada. They kept reminding me that I could only take so much in my suitcase because of weight, but I just reminded them that the more I took home the more I would have to leave behind for them.

While at the mall I decided to check out the local Watson’s to see if they have any gravol for the trip home. I have not been feeling well lately and don’t want to chance it without having something for back up. I went in and pointed to my stomach and said sick when flying. I tried to explain that I needed a pill for when I was sick on airplanes, boats and cars. She got another woman to help her and the other woman quickly brought in what she believed was the right direction. Walking away from the pharmacy counter and towards the condoms I knew she had misunderstood me. She proved this when she handed me a pregnancy test. Boy did I have a good laugh. Finally someone else from the store came to help when they saw that the pregnancy test was clearly not what I was looking for. What a funny experience.

In the afternoon I spent some more time resting and recuperating. In the evening I accompanied Misty to Emporium as she decided to buy the sneakers she has been eyeing and today was the last day of the sale. I know… it was a tough decision for me to go with her to the mall and a dangerous one at that. We had Subway for supper as I did not think my stomach could handle too much Thai food right now and all I was craving was a good sandwich. Subway was our only option.

Today while doing laundry I watched the boys playing outside. Today was one of the first times I really thought about them being orphans. Although I have clearly known from the time I arrived that this is their home, I never really looked at the boys and pictured them without parents. I looked at Pon and Bird, watching them play and thinking about what their parents are missing, wherever they are. I imagine them reaching all of the milestones of life, from taking their first steps to their first day of school, their graduation, becoming a monk and then some day their marriage, and thinking that their parents are not there to see it all. I know they have a big foundation of people that love and support them but it would never be the same as individual love and attention. Please pray for these children, that they receive and feel love and warmth in their daily lives.

Happy Canada Day Everyone.

Wednesday July 2, 2008

Today I had a date with me and my pillow. I woke up still feeling quite sick and spent the day in bed. Some of you may wonder what I do while sitting in my room all day without internet or a television. Let’s just say I have gotten very good at spider solitaire.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSICA!

Thursday July 3, 2008

Sick again we decided it was time to ask our boss for the number to the doctor. We took a taxi to Mercy and one of the staff accompanied me to the hospital. The hospital is quite different than at home and looked more like a nursing home then a hospital with a lot of decorations, giving it more of a homely feeling. I first had to register. Mercy some kind of connection with this hospital so I was able to go there without having a medical card from that hospital. Nitaya already filled out the paperwork before we left Mercy. Next I had to wait for the triage nurse, and after she called my name I had to get weighed, have my blood pressure checked and my temperature taken, all while everyone else in the waiting room looked on. From here I moved to another part of the waiting area where there was a series of doors, which were the emergency rooms. The nurse called my name in a few minutes and I went into room 1 where the doctor was already waiting. The nurse stayed the whole time. The doctor spoke quite a bit of English, so besides a few translations from P.Nut I was on my way. From what he could tell I have a bad case of food poisoning. I got quite the lecture for waiting so long to go in and was told that with all of the medications, if I did not feel any better in 2 days he would expect to see me back.

My favorite moment was when the doctor asked me if I had an unusual foods lately….isn’t all of the food I’ve eaten unusual? He then told me to avoid spicy foods for a few days…how is that possible in Thailand?

After the visit with the doctor we went to yet another part of the waiting room where I had to wait for my medication from the pharmacy and to pay my medical fees. The fees were charged to Mercy but from what I could read on the paper the total for the visit cost 508 Baht, which is around $15. The medication from the pharmacy alone cost 128 Baht.

After signing all of the paperwork I had to go back to waiting for my medication. Finally they called my name and I was given 3 bags with a series of pills. One is to be taken twice a day, before breakfast and dinner, another one three times a day, after breakfast, lunch and dinner and the other bag contained some kind of powder that is mixed with water. I am supposed to drink this mixture slowly whenever I am feeling tired or weak. The other pills are to combat an upset or paining stomach and antibiotics.

Within 40 minutes we were on our way out of there. I spent the rest of the afternoon resting in bed.

Gelong came into our room tonight for this evening conversation. It was well past his bedtime so I am guessing he snuck in again. He sure is a sight with his pjs on and his face covered in powder. He did not seem as happy telling his stories as he usually is. I wonder if something is bothering him.

Today while at Mercy we found out that the Thai Dance teacher from Mercy who has been in a coma for about 6 weeks passed away yesterday. His funeral will take place tomorrow. The atmosphere at work was very somber.

Friday July 4, 2008

I woke up this morning making every attempt to get out of this bed, even if it only meant sleeping in the park all day. I made it from bed to the bathroom where I washed and then ended up back in bed. Failed attempt, another day in bed. I can’t wait to go home.

Saturday July 5, 2008

I woke up this morning feeling 80% better which I’d like to credit to the children at Mercy for praying for me in mass. Misty was able to attend but I wasn’t able to make it. In the afternoon I got up and washed and was feeling good. We decided we would still take it somewhat easy today, returning some books at the used bookstore, buying another one for the plane home and then walking to the park. We took a taxi to the used bookstore but traffic was jammed and we got out way too early thinking the store was on that block. Big mistake. A combination of the heat and the walking got to me and by the time we got to the bookstore I was basically a done deal. I selected an old classic and traded in 3 books (this should really lighten my suitcase).

From here we sat for a few minutes and then ventured on past the park where I walked into some tailor shops to price out how much it would cost to alter my dress. The first shop told me that they would do it however they suggested that I walk on the street and find someone with a sewing machine sitting on the side of the road as their job is alterations and they would be much cheaper, charging only 50 baht instead of a couple of hundred. So for those of you looking for a deal, keep that in mind. For me though the material on the dress was quite slippery and would require the same needle as silk, and most of the time I’ve seen these workers they are usually tailoring jeans; not a good combination. I moved on to the next tailor and he explained to me that since the dress is already made they don’t normally do that, instead they only work on things from scratch. In order to have it done I would deal directly with the actual tailor, cutting out the middle man and therefore cutting out his earnings. However he agreed to make the arrangements for me and within a few minutes the tailor walked into the store. They pinned it so it fit, quoted me a price and said they would have it ready by 7:30 tonight. (This was about 2 in the afternoon). We went on our way.

Misty had cravings for Swensens so we went to Emporium. I tried a smoothie but couldn’t finish. Instead of continuing on with our afternoon plans we called it a day as I was feeling sick again and took a taxi home.

I slept for the rest of the afternoon, until the boys snuck in with Misty’s camera and I woke up to a flash of light and then all of them standing around me giggling. They had a good time taking pictures of me as I kept making faces whenever they went to take the picture so it was always a surprise when it showed up on the display. It was nice to see them, even if I couldn’t really enjoy them as much as I would have liked to.
Misty was telling me that this morning in mass they talked about how the twin boys that we sent off to Phuket to go to a soccer boarding school are now playing in Sweden in a tournament. What an opportunity for them!

In sad news, Frank, one of the children from Mercy 6 is in the hospital again. He fell during the teacher’s appreciation day and hurt his leg. He was taken to the hospital and has only been getting worse. Things are not looking good. Once again we battle with ugly AIDS. Please pray for him.


Sunday July 6, 2008

Still sick, went back to hospital today. Not food poisoning but viral infection. Will write more later.