Adventures in Thailand

I'm Coming Home

2008-07-07T23:32:00.001-07:00

Today is one bittersweet day. Today is our last day here in Thailand so we have been saying our goodbyes. We have a pizza party planned for the boys tonight at Soi 40, which I'm sure they would be very excited about if it wasn't a secret.

I also finished the paper work and I am officially Folk's Sponsor. I am very happy about this, and thinking about becoming a sponsor has been one of the highlights of my trip.

A care package mom sent from home months ago finally arrived after we all though the officers at the border were enjoying it.

Next time you hear from me I will likely be on Canadian soil. Tomorrow morning we fly out at 6:50 and head to Tokyo, Japan and from there Toronto and then Halifax. Our total airtime should be about 27 hours, a little shorter than our flight here.

Can't wait to see you guys!!!

2008-07-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

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.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!

2008-07-01T00:46:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!!

Happy Canada Day to everyone at home! We do not have too many plans to celebrate besides chocolate milk and pizza. I've been quite sick for the past few days so I am taking it easy. I will post as soon as I can. I appologize for my laziness.

Jodie

Thursday at the Zoo

2008-06-25T05:18:00.000-07:00

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.

Oh Phuket

2008-06-24T04:45:00.000-07:00

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.

Hello from Phuket

2008-06-24T04:32:00.001-07:00

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.

2008-06-23T00:40:00.001-07:00

Hello All,

I just wanted to say hi from Phuket. Misty and I are vacationing in the south of Thailand with her mother and sister. I will update the blog as soon as I can.

Jodie

'No Mom thats a temple, not a shopping mall...' - Tiffany

2008-06-18T07:52:00.001-07:00

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.

Goodbye Preschool..

2008-06-18T07:47:00.000-07:00

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!

Today I peeled 100 eggs and baked over 16 dozen cookies...

2008-06-17T05:42:00.001-07:00

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.

Saturday

2008-06-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

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.

Saturday Pictures

2008-06-16T07:14:00.000-07:00

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.

I Rode a Water Buffalo...

2008-06-16T00:15:00.000-07:00

This morning we met my accounting class at Mercy at 7 am. It was pouring rain so I was a little nervous about going to the market, but then I was told it is two hours away. We hopped in a rental van and off we went. After driving for about two hours we stopped at a temple. While the others paid their respect, one of my students talked to me about certain things going on.

When you enter a temple you are never to step on the …………… as it is disrespectful. Of course you must also take your shoes off before you enter. Some people shook a cup filled with sticks with numbers on them. They shook it until one number fell out, and then looked at the number and went to the wall to pick their horoscope sort of fortune. It was usually either really good or really bad.

Before you enter a temple there is a place of worship. People can buy a sort of gold film to put on the Buddha statue. This is mostly just to make the statue look nicer. Also, there are bowls for the monks which people put one baht in. There is a bowl for each monk from that temple for every day of the week.

Once someone has finished paying their respects, they hit the bell to tell the Buddha, “I am here.”

One will also notice that there are always two lions outside of the entrances to the temple. These are to scare off evil and to protect the temple and the Buddha.

After our first stop we ventured down another road to another temple. This one is a very special one in Thailand as the Buddha is sleeping on his back. The only other temples with a Buddha sleeping is lying on its side. The temple was very peaceful and relaxing. My students made fun of Misty, saying the Buddha was like her…sleeping all of the time.

Along side of the temple there was a river with thousands and thousands of large fish. People feed the fish, but cannot fish them. They believe that if you fish around a temple you will go to hell as it is very evil.

Throughout the day we told each other funny stories. I would like to share one with you. As we were walking back to the van one of the women noticed an advertisement to a resort that she once stayed at. Apparently she was there with her friend. At about 10:30 pm, they were outside by the pool and noticed that no one else was around. Her friend told her that the water was deeper than it really was, so she stripped down to nothing and jumped in. She soon found out the water was very shallow when she cracked her head open. So much for trying to sneak a swim…

We went to the market place in …… This market has been around for over a 100 years. One can see in the structures of the shops and houses that most of the village is still left in the same way. The market takes place every day. Some of the houses have been turned into museums so you can go inside and have a look.

We had lunch in what looked like an old barn. My students know how much I love rice, so they ordered me a rice dish. The rice came wrapped up in a lotus leaf. Inside was sausage, rice, egg and vegetables. It was absolutely delicious. All 8 of us ate for 280 Baht.

The girls really enjoyed the market, and were pretty stocked up with foods by the time we reached the van. I enjoyed trying everything and just looking around. The market was what I picture when I think of a traditional market. This one was not staged and not geared towards foreigners, so I enjoyed it very much.

On the way to our next stop we had a pit stop at one of the local gas stations to use the washroom. There I faced a squat toilet yet again. I don’t think I could ever get used to these.

After making several wrong turns, and back tracking a little bit we arrived at the Buffalo Farm. I think my students selected this one especially for me as I told them I missed the country life. We got to explore farm houses. Many of them were quite old, but apparently people still live that way today. We also got to look at a rice field and see some water buffalo. My students requested that I sit on top of one for some pictures….so yes, today I rode a water buffalo. Next time I should plan to dress a little more accordingly.

We also had a good laugh when one of the women went to sniff a flower in a tree and fell in the bush. Also, as we were leaving the buffalo farm a big lizard came out of a bush, sending misty running and one of the other students standing on a large rock behind everyone else. We all had a good laugh at that.

We also watched a Buffalo Show. However, Misty and I found ourselves as participants in the show when some of the Thai children selected us to go in the ring with them. We played some traditional Thai games. I will keep them in mind when planning future recreation activities at home.

On the way home we made one more stop at a specialty Thai food store. Some of the things offered in this store are not available in Bangkok, so our girls stocked up. Once again we got to sample everything. Our class paid for a lot of things throughout the day and when we offered to pay them back for things they would not accept our money but instead said that we need to come back on our honeymoon and we can pay them back then. Everything some how linked up to us getting married and bringing our husbands back. Misty and I both think they will be waiting a while.

When we arrived back at Mercy Misty and I got a tour of the apartment that her mother and sister will be staying in when they arrive tonight. It is quite nice. I wish we were staying in that the whole time we were here.

We took a songtheaw to dinner and then walked home. On the way through the slums a large crowd of people were gathered, blocking traffic from both directions. It was not until we were closer that we saw a man beating someone in the back corner of a garage. Everyone was crowded around watching from a distance. Two people were trying to protect the victim, but it did not look good. I don’t think I will ever forget this. I have seen fights at home, but I have never seen so much real anger shown on someone’s face before. I spent the rest of the ride wondering: what was he mad about? Why were the bystanders not doing anything? Where were the police? What is going to happen to the victim (at the time we saw them they were on the ground…I could not make out if it was a male or female, adult or child.) I pray that this ended quickly and that things were resolved in a more humane manner.

This is life in the slums. Although I know things like this happen all of the time, I never thought I would see it first hand. I cannot even imagine what was going through anyone’s head. I know this scene will never erase from my memory.

Misty and I thought it was interesting that the price of the Buffalo farm was 50 baht for Thai people, and 150 Baht for foreigners. Inside the farm there were a few signs that were translated into English, but the main show was all in Thai. You would think that if they overcharge foreigners, there would be a reason for it.

Oh I forgot to mention that there was a dwarf buffalo there that is the only one of it’s kind in Thailand. We also saw a buffalo with three front legs. I wonder if these things are a result of being inbreed.

Belting Out Tunes at Karaoke

2008-06-16T00:13:00.000-07:00

This morning Misty and I took a songtheaw to work. There was a Thai woman on there who was clearly talking to her friends about us. It was strange as we could pick up on some of the words. After we got off the songtheaw she waved to us…we couldn’t believe it.

I taught my adult class this morning and spent over 20 minutes trying to explain what a con man was and what a scam was. I gave examples of situations that happened to us in Thailand, yet they still do not understand what I was trying to explain. The word was not in the dictionary, and even after 20 minutes they still had a blank look on their face. I started to make a list of all of the words that I spend more than 20 minutes trying to explain.

One of my students in my accounting class gave me a ring she made. It is quite nice. All of the girls were fascinated with how it looked on my “white skin.”

We went to the AIDS hospice after we were done teaching. Bua was telling everyone that my mom and Misty’s mom were coming tomorrow. I explained that it was only her mom and sister and not my family. They were all sad. Uma told me that if I ate one of his bananas I would be happy again. So I ate it and pretended that it worked. He held out his hand for the peel back and then was so excited that I nearly touched him to give him back the peel.

We went to Soi 38 for supper. Everyone laughed when I arrived as I looked through the menu as if I was never there before, but then went on to order the exact same thing I order every time.

On the walk home from Soi 38 there was a man with a motorbike and a wagon in front. He was collecting garbage to sell. We walked past him but later he caught up and asked us if we wanted to ride in the front of his cart to our house. We were about 2 feet from home, but it would have been a good time. I laugh just thinking about us sitting in the front of his cart with all of his garbage. I bet that would be the talk of the neighborhood.

In the evening Misty and I accompanied one of our coworkers and his friend to the Telephone Karaoke Bar on Silom. In total we belted out over 30 tunes including:

I Want It That Way
Dancing Queen
YMCA
How Do I Live Without You
It’s Raining Men
Seasons in the Sun
You’re Beautiful
Because You Loved Me
Don’t Cha (which we had a sing off for)

All of us were completely sober, but I don’t think you would know it. I should also mention that this was a gay bar on a gay street. It was a riot.

We left the bar around 11:30pm and watched a free Lady-boy show on the street. I took tons of pictures but do not have them on my computer right now to show you.

The Grand Palace

2008-06-12T05:25:00.000-07:00

Faces of the Preschool

2008-06-12T05:19:00.000-07:00

More Pictures

2008-06-12T05:09:00.001-07:00

These are some of the children from the preschool at Mercy, playing around the fountain. The statue in this fountain is one of the most important landmarks at Mercy. It is the Mother Mary as a curvy slum woman.
Swensen's fondue anyone?!
I think so!
Karaoke in the office with Yord and Pie

Cutest Children EVER

2008-06-12T04:59:00.000-07:00

Hello All,
I just wanted to send some pictures of life around Mercy.
These are some of the boys from Mercy 6 playing games in their pj's before bed. Winner...he is such a cute kid. I am not sure about the reason behind the painted eyebrows.
Impromptu dance party in our room. They happen whenever the house parents are not around.
Takatan. She is always full of hugs and kisses. She is a Mercy 6 celebrity. I wonder if these children know how famous they really are.
Gelong...during his hour nail clipping session in our room.

Lunch in Cambodia 2

2008-06-12T04:52:00.000-07:00

I took this picture today at the casino in Cambodia. Since we have been here we have noticed a lot of differences between Farangs and Thai people. Farangs have to pay to use some public washrooms, while Thai people can just walk in. At temples there are usually separate shoe racks. This sign today was the first time I saw something like this.
Wednesday

Today was a pretty quiet day. After spending the afternoon and evening sick on Tuesday, I had to redo Wednesday with everything I was supposed to have done on Tuesday. Basically this meant that I would spend the whole day doing laundry. I went to class in the morning and then came home to heaps of laundry. We started around 9:30 and finished at 3:30, just in time for our evening classes. It started to thunder so we expected it to be followed by rain so instead of letting all of our hard work go to waste we hung all of our laundry around our room. There we clothes hanging from everything imaginable.

I also thought this would be a prime time to clean the fridge out, including defrosting the freezer. Leaving the fridge unplugged, and putting a bucket underneath to attempt to collect all of the melting water, we were off.

Our evening classes were pretty quiet as we are still in the process of testing our students. I forwarded the results on to our boss and a decision will be made in the next week or so whether or not we will be sending some students on scholarship. I am also happy to report that Dew will be leaving for Canada in July!! They figured it would be better for her to go to summer school in Canada so she will have time to make some friends before school starts.

In the evening Misty and I went to the Night Bazaar so that I could purchase some of last minute things to bring home. Instead of purchasing things throughout our time here, I have kept things in mind and got an idea of the price so I would be really sure of what I try to stuff in my suitcase to take home. We have both found that when you first come to a new place you are amazed by everything that is different. However, after being there for a while a lot of that stuff becomes tacky dust collectors that you would get tired of at home. I have become sick of seeing stuff that I once thought was unique because it is everywhere. Therefore we figured that if we left our purchasing to the end we would like what we end up taking home. I know we are so smart.

We came back in the evening to our messy room, and spent a while cleaning it. We were informed when we were at Mercy in the evening that someone was finally going to come to look at our broken toilet in the morning, so we had some major cleaning to do (it has been broken for nearly a month).

Off to bed.

Thursday

This morning we woke early in order to get to the On Nut Tesco for 7:30 am. We were off for our second and final visa run. We went with Claudio’s company again, as we had a great experience with them last time.

We left earlier than usual and had a full van. On the way to Cambodia, Misty and I enjoyed the company of an American named Richard who has been living and teaching in Thailand for the past 6 years. He told us about his experiences of getting his visa extended on Koh San Road. There was a place that advertises for you to get a visa extension, and since it was a few feet away from the police station, Richard thought it would be legal. Although he had a funny feeling about it, he felt a little reassured when he saw the pile of passports that they already had to process. He left his passport and off he went. A month later it was ready and he picked it up; around the same time he was due for his next Visa Run. He went to the border in Cambodia with his passport in hand. However, when he arrived the officials noticed that the stamp was a little different than the one they use (it was so hard to tell, but along the border of the stamp they were 3 less numbers or something). He soon found himself sitting in a Thai detention center for 3 days, where he was joined by over 25 others in a cell that was no bigger than the width of 2 vans. Everyone sat in the same spot for three days, barely able to move. On his lap sat an 8 year old Cambodian boy who was arrested for smoking some kind of drug. After three days, if they did not have their papers they would be moved to a Thai prison. Three days had passed and Richard’s lawyers were still trying to work things out, but he was still forced to move to a Thai prison. Thankfully here, besides the embarrassing strip search he was treated with respect. The prison workers kept the farangs in a separate place where they were treated better and ate slightly better food because the officers knew “they were not criminals.”

Thankfully all of the paper work was sorted out and Richard was released after a day in prison. After two years of fighting with the court system, and thousands of Baht later, things have finally been resolved. As for his fellow farang who spent 6 months in prison, he was sent home. After being in prison for 6 months they know you do not have the money or family to bail you out so they give you the option to stay or go home.

Over 8000 people were scammed by this company on Koh San Road in a two week period. This company is still in operation.

We arrived at the border around 11:30 where we lined up to officially leave Thailand. The officer questioned me a few times as to my purpose for being in Thailand and where I was living. Finally he stamped my passport and off I went. Our passports were then given to our driver to sort out while we went and had lunch on the Cambodian side of the border. About 30 minutes later we were handed back our passports and had to wait in another line to officially enter the country of Thailand again. This time the officer was much nicer but he did get me to pronounce Khlong Toey over and over again. I think he was just making fun of my Thai accent, right Misty?

Today there were not as many children begging as there was the last time we went. Most of the children go to school around 1pm. Also, because it was a weekday, not as many children were out. As soon as you enter the Cambodian side of the border they follow you until you pass through the gates towards the casino “Madame, money.” Richard also translated their “Papa, Money for Real Thing, really food.” They followed us back out to the van where they looked in the windows until we pulled away. When given something all of the children ran towards it, and the one who actually got something ran away with it quickly. Claudio used to bring them milk but they just got very difficult to manage as they basically attacked you. It is hard to watch and imagine what their lives must be like. Sadly most of them are likely forced to be there by their parents.

I do not know what really happened on the ride home as I curled up and slept most of the way. I know it rained for most of the trip. They also played two movies. We arrived back in Bangkok around 5:30pm.

All in all today was a nice relaxing day.

P.S. We have a clean room and a functioning toilet, I’m a happy girl.

My Body Hates Me

2008-06-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

My body finally got back at me last night for trying to do too much. I need to keep reminding myself that there are certain elements here that we do not have to deal with at home, such as heat and pollution, and that I need to be aware that I can not do the same things as I can at home. We usually spend some of our days napping as the heat can be unbearable and your body just shuts off when you enter a room with air conditioning.

I went to work this morning, not feeling 100%. Everyone in my class was in full attendance and in a very talkative mood. Even though there was a lot of English going on, it was not an actual lesson. When I looked at my watch to see how much time we had before class was over, class was already over. Oh well. Even though I feel bad that we did not actually do what was planned, we talk a lot about cultural differences, and everyone is required to speak in English, so even then they are learning.

I was telling them about taking Heather to see the Temple of Dawn, and how difficult it was to find a ferry to take us across the river without over charging. I spent about 5 minutes telling the story and then one of my students asked me why I just didn’t go to Wat Arun (Temple). I had to laugh as we were all talking about the same temple but did not realize it, until I translated it for them.

My class also talked about how they have difficulty pronouncing certain words. When they learn English in school they are not taught the proper way to pronounce even the letters of the alphabet so they had a shock when they had their first Native English speaker come in to teach them. They say tree, three, and tea all the same way. I spent quite a deal of the class teaching them how to pronounce each word, and also give them examples of more difficult words. Thank Goodness for that language development course I took at the Mount.

We taught at Rom Klao preschool again today. We invited EJ to come along with us as he will start teaching at some of the local preschools soon, and he wanted to know what it was like. The children were very wound up today and at one point they were all piled up on top of each other on the floor. Misty and I did the dancing cd with them so it was entertaining to try and break the pile up while still dancing so that the others knew what actions to do. The boys were also very excited about EJ. This preschool is tucked in the Rom Klao section of the slum, and does not get a lot of foreign visitors. I would not be surprised if EJ was their first contact with a male foreigner.

After class I went to visit Nancy and the rest of the patients in the AIDS hospice. Nancy was sitting outside alone, looking quite upset. I guess some of the other patients have been getting on her case about things. I am not sure what exactly but she felt as if everyone was against her. I can just imagine for everyone in the hospice that it is quite difficult to give up the life you are used to and come to Mercy where you are required to do things a certain way, and be in an environment where you may or may not get along with others. Hopefully they can sort through their differences.

Uma’s mother and sisters were over to visit. He proudly introduced us to his family. His sisters knew some English so they translated for his mother. She kept thanking Misty and I for providing comfort for Uma. We told her that we love teasing him (we always do).

We traveled back to Mercy via motorbike taxi as I was not feeling well enough to walk. I spent the rest of the afternoon in bed, giving Misty work to give to my students to do as she taught her classes.

Busy Weekend

2008-06-09T19:41:00.000-07:00

Thursday

So much has happened in the past few days that I do not even know where to begin to reflect on it all. As you have read in the previous posts, many goodbyes have already begun. I said goodbye to Momma, a woman I have come to admire and love. I have never met someone who seems to be overflowing with so much emotion that it shows in everything she does. There was something about that woman’s smile that grabbed my heart and continues to push me every day. It is strange really; we did not speak the same language yet were able to communicate so much without words. Momma has inspired me in more ways than her and I both know. I worry that over time I will forget the glow of her eyes and she greeted me. But I also know over time I will not cease to think of her and try to picture her in her daily life.

Chris also left this week, and soon SiJie will be leaving too. It feels almost as if Misty and I will be alone again. Last night we noticed this silence and we sat in bed, half expecting SiJie to come in at any moment and spill about her day and the happenings of Mercy.

Goodbyes are a part of life. I have come to understand that, but it does not make them any easier. I am just beginning to learn how to think more positively, not about the goodbye but about the moments I have been able to share with these people.

SiChon has been attending school for the blind for about 2 weeks now. He boards there during the week and comes home on the weekends. SiJie asked him how he thought of the school. We were all struck by his response. “I finally feel like I belong. I have friends, whom I can help and show things to. At Mercy I am nothing. At school I am someone.” Pretty powerful thoughts from a young teenager.

Our friend from the AIDS hospice has finally come back after a month in the hospital. Today when I saw her she came running with open arms. She was in such a cheerful mood and so happy to be back. She looked well. Her English is quite good, so we had a nice conversation. Already the patients have been talking about our departure. We promised them that even after our last day when we are finished at Mercy that we will be back to visit them. I have been thinking about seeing if we could have a Karaoke party with them, as they love to sing and dance with us.

Our pregnant momma in the AIDS hospice is doing well. She found out she is going to have a little boy around the 18th of July. She promised she is going to try her best to have it before we come, but does not think it is going to be possible. The other patients assured us that they would take pictures right away and send them to us. Her little boy is going to be very loved.

I had a nice talk with Nancy today. Like me, she is having a hard time saying all of the goodbyes. She became very teary eyed when talking about how she is going to feel when we too are gone. She described us all as one big family now. Only momma has now left, and soon 3 of his sister’s will leave. But we also need to look at the positive: God allowed us to have another little new addition. ☺ It was nice to think of us as one big family, as that is how we treat each other. I especially love sitting around at lunch time sharing a meal together.

SiJie’s mom is here now. It is kind of strange to see everything through her eyes again, and remember how new everything for us was when we first arrived. A lot of things feel so familiar and comforting now. Even yesterday when 2 police officers pulled up to me on their motorbike as I walked back home on Soi 38, to tell me that “Danger” while pointing to my purse; it seemed strange to me as this is my neighborhood and I have walked here before. Yes, we do try and stay in at night or take a taxi but I have never felt unsafe here.

Yesterday morning I had a discussion in my adult class about homelessness. We were working on a story where a man pretended to have no money, however he approached the same man twice asking for money so the man decided to get him back. He invited him into a restaurant and told him to order what he wanted as he said he hasn’t eaten in 24 hours. The man made his order and then the other man asked the waiter to double it all, considering his friend was starving. In the end it turned out that the man was a con, and was actually just in the restaurant. It had a good ending, as he was tricked into paying for his own food and everyone found out he was a scam.

This story lead to conversations about beggars. I was reading in the Thai newspaper the other day that there was a man on Sukumvuit who pretended that he had no arms. He sits on the stairs of the BTS everyday, holding his cup in his mouth. However, the way he sits allows for him to hide his arms behind his back. When I hear stories like this I don’t know whether to give them money because I feel sorry for them to even consider such a thing, or whether I should give money because they are so good at what they do that they fool everyone and I should therefore pay to see the show.

My class talked about how they only give money to people who look really poor. I wonder what a poor person would look like. How could you possibly tell if someone looked really poor, who has the right to judge that? They also told me how some times you see a whole family sitting on the streets, first a mother, than down a bit a father, and then even farther a few children. I remember one time seeing a woman holding her child. From a distance I could see the child laughing and playing with her mother. As we approached she lay across her mother’s lap with her hand on her forehead, while her mother held the cup. Interesting.

Our conversations lead to a conversation on mutilation. Sometimes you see children whose arms or legs have been severed. I have seen it a few times that it seemed strange to me that so many children could have been born like this, looking almost the same. But in this world, children are not always born like this. Instead a “team” or so my class described it, watch people with their children; in the grocery stores, in the markets, on the streets…As soon as the caregiver is not looking, the team kidnaps the child. From there the child is taken back to the rest of the team where the unimaginable happens, and then the child is shipped off to another team member in another place where they will be employed on the streets as a worker for the team. I am sorry if this is upsetting to read, but I want people to be aware. Our world is far from perfect.

Speaking of our wonderful world, my class informed me that millions of people live in Thai slums. In Thailand there are over 1000 slums, 100 being in Bangkok alone. Most of the population of the slums in the city are family members of farmers who moved from the country looking for work after facing hardships from trying to work the land. Khlong Toei is the largest area of slums in Bangkok, made up of 30 slums which house the poorest of the poor. It is in this area that we live and work.

Friday –

It is now Sunday evening, and I have not even kept track of the past few days so that I could write about them. I am going to try to remember, but I think I will be lacking in the details. Heather arrived Thursday night, but we were unable to see her. Friday morning Misty and I both went to Mercy to teach our morning classes. We hung around Mercy until noon and then met Heather for the afternoon. We took her on a songtheaw to Mercy where she joined us for our afternoon classes. She did not really get to observe us much because all of our students were writing a test.

Classes lasted a little longer than usual because I was working with one of my students on an assessment test for Singapore. After class we spent some time chatting with our students. They are going to teach me some Thai cooking sometime next week. This cooking lesson also includes a morning trip to the market to buy all of the ingredients. I am very excited as I have been thinking of taking a cooking class before I go home, but there are certain things Id really like to know how to make, so my class will be tailored to me.

We went to see the children in Mercy 6. When we arrived upstairs they were all lining up for their medication. They receive medication every evening at 6 pm. My buddy is feeling a lot better now; I was able to tell when he ran up to me with the biggest smile on his face, waiting to be picked up. We joined the young children for their dance aerobics class before supper. This involves a music cd, and a lot of funny dancing. It was nice to see NomPare dancing as well, even though she needed to be held up by a teacher. At 8 years old she cannot stand on her own. Sometimes I have to remind myself that she is 8, as she has the body of a 3 year old and the ability of a newborn. Now that she is attending school for the blind she has been a little more independent with her daily tasks, such as feeding herself. Hopefully she will continue to improve in her own self care with time.

After our dance party we had a karaoke party with the staff in the AIDS office. Yord, Pie, Misty, and I belted out some love ballads. Next week we have a karaoke date. I should mention that in Thailand karaoke is very big, and you can rent out rooms at the mall to sing. It is as popular as bowling or seeing a movie.

In the evening we joined SiJie, her mother and Cedric for some food and beer at the Dubliner. We went here to celebrate SiJie’s last Dubliner’s night with Lee Shamrock, but we were disappointed to find out that he went on a one month vacation to California. The night was still very enjoyable and it was nice to sit and catch up on all the latest happenings.

Saturday

Saturday was a very eventful, jammed packed day. In the morning Misty and I walked with the boys to Soi 40 for mass. During the mass Father always asks if anyone is in the hospital or died in the past week. He also went around asking the children who has lost a parent that we have not had a memorial for. In a few days time we will have a large service, where we will all wear black and pray for those who have passed away. I too have a few dear friends to pray for.

After mass we met up with Heather and ventured out to the Grand Palace. However, we soon found out that we were actually dropped off by the taxi at the Reclining Buddha, which is right next door to the Grand Palace. We adjusted our plans and decided to check it out. Misty and I have been here before so it was not overly exciting for us. Heather got a massage at the Thai massage school. She highly recommended it; coming out saying that it was the best massage she has ever had in her life. So for those of you who are interested, that is the place to go.

After seeing all we could see here we walked to the Grand Palace. As we walked around the outside gate we passed several entrances. Finally at one this man approached and told us that Heather would need to cover up her shoulders and Misty needed to wear a skirt. From what I know, usually this stuff is provided in the entrance. He then went on to tell us that the main part of the Palace was closed for the afternoon because there was a special Thai ceremony going on, and all of the Thais were there praying, so it was not open to the public. BUT…if we wanted to get on a 10 Baht tuk tuk we could go see 3 different tourist sights for free! Pretty amazing considering they usually cost a couple of hundred Baht each. Nice try buddy…red flag went up. There is no such thing as a 10 baht ride anywhere, ESPECIALLY not on a tuk tuk. We kept walking and sure enough we found the main gate, and everything was business as usual. The Grand Palace was amazing. Most of the Grand Palace’s interiors are inaccessible to public view, but the exteriors are still awesome to witness.

After our royal adventure, we took a bus to Sukumvuit where we went to Siam Paragon (best hi-so shopping mall in all of Bangkok). We had supper here, which consisted of a chicken wrap. I can honestly say it was the best wrap I have ever tasted. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

We followed our lovely supper with a girl’s movie night. The three of us went to watch Sex in the City. Having never seen the show before, I was quite impressed. I highly recommend this movie to all you ladies out there. Just a warning though, make sure you see the movie after the malls have closed as you will find you are in a major shopping mood.

Sunday

That shopping mood I spoke of on Saturday was satisfied on Sunday when we went to the Chatuchak Weekend Market. This is reputed to be the largest market in the world, with over 40 000 vendors and attracting 400 000 visitors each weekend. We shopped as last as we possibly could, spending from 8 am to 3 pm on our feet with a short stop for lunch. When shopping here it is advisable to get an early start to beat the soaring heat and ensuing claustrophobia. This market has everything from crafts, home décor, and clothing to flowers and even pets. It was incredibly hot today so the heat was bad, but the shopping was good. I’m proud to say I am the new owner of a dress and a leather belt.

We had to leave the market a little earlier than we would have liked, but we had some very important business to attend to. Misty and I brought SiJie to the airport along with P. Ning, and one of the preschool teachers. It still has not hit me that she is gone yet.

After we brought SiJie to the airport we took Heather to Soi 38 for dinner.

Monday

Monday morning started off with us going to Mercy for a meeting. Even though it was our day off, we had to attend a meeting with our bosses about one of the students we teach. Thankfully it did not last long.

We spent some time with Nancy, chatting about the differences between Thailand and Canada. We sang her the national anthem. I never really realized but our anthem is very slow and sad sounding, compared to others such as the happy, upbeat, Thai anthem. The adults asked us if we would come back to Thailand again soon. This lead to a conversation on how much an actual ticket to Thailand costs. Sadly, a return trip from Canada to Thailand is equivalent to a year’s pay for most people here. I cannot even imagine.

We met Heather at noon and hopped on the BTS. We were delighted to have another juicy wrap for lunch. Yes, I know it was the second time this weekend but it was just sooo good. I crave western food every once in a while. After our much needed stop we went to find a bus to take us the rest of the way. Unfortunately it started raining so we had to wait before beginning the rest of our afternoon. We tried to kill some time at the MBK teen shopping mall. This place looks like one of the markets, but in the set-up of a mall. Heather described some of the stores best when she said “this shoe store looks like a closet threw up.” Most of the little stores are jammed full of everything that it is an eye-sore. Since we know what the cost of most things should be, we also find a lot of things to be slightly overpriced.

After the rain stopped we continued on with our adventure, jumping on bus 47 and going to the Temple of Dawn. I remember roughly what the ferry terminal should look like, so I knew we were not in the right place when we got off the bus. I did not enjoy having people come up to me to try and sell incredibly overpriced boat rides. One woman persisted to tell me that her 200 baht ferry was the only ferry across the water to the temple. Thankfully I found someone who was not in the business of selling anything to give me directions to the correct pier, which was about a 5 minute walk down the road. When we arrived it felt more familiar, and the 3.50 Baht ferry ride was much more acceptable.

In about 2 seconds we were across the river and off the ferry again. We explored the temple but were disappointed as the top section of it was closed so we could only climb half way up. The views were not as impressive as they were last time when we were able to go all the way.

We took a river boat shuttle down the river to Siam Paragon in the afternoon where we had a lovely supper (I was the only one who liked my food…I guess this is why you should go Thai in Thailand…P.S. Mom, you’d love what I had, it was all curry!). After supper we decided we should end off our weekend the same way it began, SWENSENS! We ordered a chocolate fondue. I had to laugh when we each picked out 3 flavors of ice cream, and then the ice cream came and it all contained chocolate except for one.

After stuffing ourselves with ice cream we decided to try and make ourselves feel better by shopping. Thankfully none of us bought anything, as I think our visas would hate us considering the prices of things in that mall. (Think: Burberry, D&G, Prada, MANGO, Jimmy Choo…)

We arrived back at Soi 40 to find out that we have another volunteer now living in SiJie’s room. His name is EJ and he comes from the Philippines. He is doing his high school in Thailand and is here for a month to volunteer as part of the community service hours he needs to graduate. Tomorrow morning we will show him how to get to Mercy.

As you can see from our weekend we had a great time, but I am exhausted. We managed to take almost every form of transportation available, besides a taxi motorbike and a tuk tuk. I am glad we got to show Heather the real Thailand.

More Goodbyes

2008-06-05T01:57:00.000-07:00

Wednesday

When I arrived at work this morning, I saw Gelong come down the road on his pretend motorbike, skipping along as if he did not have a fear in the world. A songtheaw approached and he nearly ran out in front of it. Instead of worrying, he pretended that it hit his motorbike. He always makes me laugh but I worry about him.

In my adult class in the morning we spent some time talking about the difference between the Thai year and the Canadian year. In Canada we say this year is 2008. In Thailand, the year is 2551. If you were to ask a Thai person when their birthday is, they would give you a date that is still in the future for us. The reason why their year is different is because they go by the day the Buddha was born. My birthday in Thailand is August 4, 2529.

I really enjoy my morning class. Even though most mornings I dread waking up for it, they always turn my day around. Each class begins with a small conversation of what happened over the weekend, or in the evening. We then continue on with my planned lesson, and usually end with a conversation on a cultural difference. Most of our conversations come out of the readings or something I have noticed in the past few days. They are just as interested in learning about my country and its people, as much as I am interested in learning about theirs.

After class we had a meeting with Emma. Emma and SiJie later joined us for lunch at McDonalds in Tesco. On an aside note, the prices at McDonalds went down. Now for a chicken nugget meal it is 90 Baht, which is a 9 Baht difference from before. We figured that the adjustment to the price was due to the decreasing portion size. Now when you order a meal your fries are smaller, as well as your coke. We had to laugh as we said that this would never happen in Canada. Either the prices would increase as the portions increased, or the prices would increase as the portion size stays the same. I am not sure if I mentioned this in previous posts, but the portion sizes for most fast food items are significantly smaller than at home. If you go to Dairy Queen and order a large blizzard, it would be equivalent to a small at home. I wish we had these portion sizes.

I had a long chat with one of my students in the evening about her studies and her future. I think I mentioned in a previous post that there are a lot of changes in store for her life. Unfortunately a lot of these changes depend on the decision making of others as to whether she is ready for these changes. I have to give my input on them as well, and mine will carry a heavy weight as I teach her everyday. I have chosen to base my decisions on assessments so that I can back up my opinion with some of her actual work. She is well aware of her progress and where some of her weaknesses lye. Together we are going to try and sort through some of the things she has difficulty with. I emailed the school she may be attending for help as to what they are expecting her to be able to do and know. Hopefully the information provided will allow me to make a better assessment. I have also asked Heather to sit in on an interview with us this weekend. Heather is studying secondary education at Acadia too and is doing her teaching placement in China. She is coming back for the weekend for a visit. It will be nice to have an opinion from someone who is not involved with Mercy and some of its politics.

After classes, along with the students, we took SiJie to the seafood buffet. They wanted it to be a surprise for SiJie as she is flying back home to Malaysia on Sunday. The girls hailed the cab and gave directions while we tried to keep SiJie away. All six of us crammed into a taxi and off we went. Because of traffic we took a different route than normal, so although SiJie thought she knew where we were taking her, the route kept throwing her off.

There was a clown walking around at the restaurant so we joked that we hired it for SiJie. It came over and made her a flower out of balloons. Honestly though, it was the creepiest clown I have ever seen. Not based on the way it looked but the way it acted.

We met Chris later in the evening to go to the airport. SiJie’s mom was also flying in at the same time Chris was supposed to arrive so it worked out. We met Chris and traveled with his taxi. He had a pretty nice driver who not only used the meter (which is rare when traveling to the airport as they like to over charge you and make you pay twice as much as you should because they claim they will be driving back from the airport with an empty taxi…ya right! His driver even stopped off at McDonalds so Chris could grab something to eat. The driver came inside and shut the car off so it did not continue to charge him. Once inside the driver left us with the keys and told us he had to go to the bathroom; very trusting. Poor SiJie got to hear his whole life story on the way to the airport. I guess there are disadvantages to knowing Thai as well.

Well we dropped Chris off at the airport tonight to go home to Melbourne, Australia. It was difficult to say goodbye, as it is another one of those goodbyes that just may be forever. I had such a great time with him. Since my family is unable to come to Thailand, it give me the chance to share my life here in Thailand with someone else. I was able to show Mercy to Chris, as well as some of our favorite hang out spots. He also came along for one of our milk runs. I am going to miss him, not only because of his companionship but also because I was able to step outside of my role at Mercy. For once all of my conversations did not revolve around the work I do here, or the children. Instead I was able to talk about and reflect on some memories and things back at home. Thank you Chris for the much needed break. Hopefully some day our paths will cross again.

Sometime we also enjoyed doing was laughing at the differences our accents put on words. We found out that we say Adidas completely different. In Australia it sounds more like ADD-id-as. Did I get that right Chris?

Being at the airport brought a flood of different emotions. It reminded me of the excitement when I first arrived in Thailand, anticipating meeting all of the children, and wondering what the next couple of months would be like. I also remember thinking that the next couple of months are going to fly by, which most of them did. It also reminded me of flying to Chiang Mai for Songkran. I was really excited to see another side of Thailand. But being at the airport also brought along sad emotions; that our time left here is very short. Next weekend Misty’s mother and sister will arrive, and stay for two weeks. After they return we only have 10 days left and we will be following suit. In many ways I am not ready to go. I feel like there is so much of this side of the world left to discover, thankfully I am still young. I am also not looking forward to all of the goodbyes that need to be said. I feel like I have my own little life here. Even though it is not filled with as many luxuries as we all have at home, I am comfortable. Every day I step outside of my room is an adventure, and I feel there is so much exploring left to do. I have mixed feelings about my role at Mercy. I have had a wonderful volunteering experience, and I am glad to have been fully immersed in the culture not only of Mercy but the slums as well. I have got to see and experience things that most people cannot even imagine. However, I feel that there is only so much room in this organization to make changes. I do not feel that there would be an ability to make any drastic changes, no matter how long I spend here. I came here with the attitude that I may not make huge changes, or that I could save the world with this experience, but that little changes could be made for individual children. That I feel has happened.

As much as I have given, I feel I have learned. The children and adults at Mercy have taught me and shown me more about life than I would have ever learned in a classroom or at home. For this I am grateful.

Our life in Pictures

2008-06-04T02:41:00.000-07:00

These are some pictures from the Villa as well as when we went with the girls to the seafood buffet. Enjoy!
That's all for now. In total there should be about 4 new posts from today. Happy Reading.

What goes up, must come down...

2008-06-04T02:28:00.000-07:00

Tuesday –

Sorry about the delay in blogging. I have been quite busy, spending some last minute time with some very good friends before they do their separate ways. It seems like many of the good byes have already started, first with momma and now SiJie and Chris. It is going to be weird without SiJie as she has been our go-to girl since we have arrived. We have become very good friends, and I will miss our daily chats and laughter. Chris has been a great companion and relief from Mercy. It wasn’t until meeting him that I realized that our whole lives are Mercy. It is good to an extent, but spending time with him and not talking about Mercy all of the time was very welcoming. Even with Misty, when we go away for the weekend, every conversation always ends up back at Mercy.

Misty and I arrived at work bright and early on Tuesday for a 7:30 am meeting with our boss. There has been a lot of discussion about one of our students and the scholarship she has received. Unfortunately it has not all been good news and Misty and I are expected to give our advice on some life changing decisions. I have confidence that we will have enough evidence to back up our decision on her education when we meet again on Monday. It is going to be a busy weekend, partaking in formal written and oral assessments. This is also very challenging for me as I have not studied assessment due to the strike, and I also study elementary education. The student I will be required to assess is in grade 9 at the moment. I guess this will be a huge learning opportunity. I have emailed the school where she may be attending for anything they could possibly give me to base my assessment on. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that it comes in time for me to use it.

My morning class on Tuesday was well attended, with 4 of the 5 students attending. The boss was the one who did not attend. She has a high level of English, so when she is not present it is nice to see the other students trying harder, rather than just relying on her.

We taught preschool again today. When we arrived 40 little children were waiting for us upstairs, all sitting in their rows on the floor. We reviewed the alphabet, some vocabulary and opposites. We got the children to act out the opposites such as fast and slow, big and small, short and tall. They really liked to show us happy and sad. We ran out of things to do and still had time left so we got them engaged in a game of duck, duck, goose. I do not think we played it with them before but they enjoyed it just as much as all of our other students do. It was too bad the room was not big enough for the children to really run around each other.

The walk home from preschool seemed like forever, and by the time we arrived back we were drenched in sweat…just when I think got used to the heat. I always love the looks we get when we come back in the office after a long walk.

We took our afternoon nap. These naps have been godsends. When we are unable to get them I crash in the later part of the afternoon. The heat here makes us so sleepy.

Visiting the AIDS hospice this afternoon, I learned that Nancy picked up a new greeting. “What’s up girl?” I had to laugh when she greeted me this way. We had a good talk, and it was nice to be called thin and beautiful for once instead of the ‘fat’ I usually get from her. According to Nancy I must gain and lose about 20-50 pounds overnight some days.

The woman who stays in the bed across from Nancy was admitted to the hospital. She now joins a few others from Mercy, including the girl who occupied the bed before her. Please pray for them.

It was hard today to see Momma’s bed empty. All of her blankets were folded at the end, as if she just cleaned up and would be coming back from a bath in a few minutes. Only she never did come. I miss her so much already. I will call her soon.

I spent some time playing with the children in Mercy 6. NongFai was so energetic and was singing as she danced in my arms. NongFai is blind and mostly relies on a wheelchair for mobility. AIDS attacked her body when she was only a baby, but she is doing ok. Takatan met me with wet kisses. She is always so full of life and giggles.

Our little boy is still sick. Today he felt very hot to touch. He is now joined by 3 other sick children on Mercy 6. The house mother has her hands full. One of the children had a relapse with AIDS and was curled up in bed, very cold and very weak. He is not responding to his last dose of medication, so he is currently in his last stage. If this does not work, all we can do is hope and pray that he will enjoy the short time he has left. Please pray for all of them.

I also have some more bad news. The secretary has been out the past couple of days because her aunt died. Please pray that she will rest in peace.

Also, P.Ning went back to her home and the hospital today after her headache came back strong. I hope they are able to find out what is really wrong with her soon. She is not well.

In other news, there is a new 7/11 that opened up down the street. This is very exciting for us as it is a lot closer to Mercy than the next one.

I waited for my evening student to show up, but she did not come until 30 minutes into the class. When she arrived she asked if we saw her book, and then left again. I was not too impressed as I went back to Mercy just to teach her.

After work Misty and I caught a songtheaw to Soi 38. It took a good hour to make it there. I am sure we could have walked faster than traffic was moving. The pollution is very bad here and by the time we actually arrived I had a bit of a headache. I cannot wait to have fresh air back in Canada, when I do not need to cover my nose to breathe when walking down the streets.

I met up with Chris at the BTS station just off of Soi 38 and we joined Misty and SiJie for dinner. It was nice to be able to show him real Thai food, rather than the overpriced stuff you would eat at a more westernized restaurant. It would be hard to eat at the street vendors if you did not know what you were doing or where to go, so I like to pass this knowledge on to someone else.

After dinner I said goodbye to the girls and Chris and I ventured back towards Emporium where we walked down nearly every side street trying to find a street vendor that sold Roti. Chris tried it the night before and was craving it, but unfortunately we were unable to relocate the vendor. He did show me Soi Cowboy, which is a street of bars off of the main street. The street is very popular with farang men, looking to pick up a Thai woman. The street is also known for some other nasty things. I will spare you the details.

We stopped at Dubliners for a beer, and then headed back to where he was staying to watch some tv and veg.

That sums up my Tuesday. I know there has not been a lot of good news from home lately. Donna Bell, a woman from my church passed away on Saturday. She has not been feeling well and went to the hospital to find something in her stomach had ruptured, poisoning her whole body. Donna was a very special woman. I remember when she first started coming to church, and when she finally learned how to say my name. Donna was one of the best bowlers in the province with the Special Olympics. May she rest in peace.

I also ask you to pray for the Reid family. Their one year old daughter just found out she had cancer after complaining of a sore foot. She is now in a wheelchair. They are having a benefit for her and her family this weekend. I hope it is well attended. Please pray for her and all of her siblings and parents. I know times are tough.

I’ve been thinking a lot about Mercy and its goals. Often when an organization like this starts, it has a lot different objectives and motives than after a few years of operating. Over the past few years Mercy has expanded. However, not all of this change has been positive. Like any organization of it’s size there are many problems. The longer we are here, the more we become aware of them and are exposed to them. I struggle with the idea of reaching out to more children. I understand that each child needs to be helped, but the bigger an organization becomes, the bigger the problems can become if they are not sorted out in the beginning stages. Instead of taking on a few children and making sure that they are firmly rooted on soil ground, ready to take on the world, Mercy has expanded to take on many little seedlings, and some days I wonder if we have just thrown the seeds over a field and hope that a few will root themselves. I worry that we do not give enough support to the children we do have here. Some examples would be to provide the house parents with training to work with children with special needs. This would require more than one information session; rather more hands on training with someone who works in this field. I think that house parents who receive such training should be rewarded with a special bonus. Unfortunately, when there is a large sum of money donated to Mercy to usually goes to projects that seem like a more immediate need, such as a new roof for a preschool or to build another preschool. The children in our care who would benefit from such training continue to be treated the same as all of the other children, which often causes them to get into a lot of trouble, punished by the house parents and teased by the rest of the children. Life for these children would not be as good as it could be. Just some thoughts….

I apologize that most of this blog is sad. But sometimes, such is life.

Relaxing..

2008-06-04T02:19:00.000-07:00

Monday

This morning Misty and I went to Mercy to give a tour to the Australian Women’s Group that we do the milk run with. Most of them are already huge sponsors of Mercy, so they wanted to put a picture to their contribution. The tour took about 45 minutes. Unfortunately there were no children as they were all in school.

One of the little boys from Mercy 6 was sick today. We knew he was sick right away as he did not offer us a welcoming smile. Usually he is one of the boys who runs around Mercy. Please pray for him.

SiChon (Spicy) went for surgery on his eyes today. We have not heard how it went or how he is doing. I will keep you posted. Please pray for him too.

After our tour Misty and I went to our favorite park to relax. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans for us and we got rained on. However, it did give me a chance to get the battery changed on my watch. I also met up with Chris in the afternoon for a chat. The work down in Phuket is not able to go as planned so he will be flying back to Australia on Wednesday night. ☹

Misty and I went to one of the local favorite shopping malls for teens. We came out empty handed, but we were just killing time. In the evening I did some more laundry. One of the boys came out crying so he sat with me for a while until all of the other boys came out and then things started to get rough.

We had a pretty quiet night.

Sorry for the lack of comments under the pictures. I cannot see them. They are all of the boys at the house parent's birthday party, expect for the last one which was taken at Emporium. One of the children drew and painted that picture and it is for sale for 10 000 Baht. ($300 CDN)

Good Bye Aunt Betty

2008-06-04T02:09:00.000-07:00

Aunt Betty and Moi.

Cedric, Chris, Misty and Me @ Dubliners

On Sunday we went to Father Joe’s for a farewell party for his sister and Aunt Betty. All of our girls were there preparing supper. Together with Ratina we showed them how to make spaghetti again. The girls were not too thrilled as they do not care for it, but they were good sports about it. I had to laugh when Aunt Betty commented “the spaghetti was good, but I never had peas in it before.” Misty and I had the same comment the first time we tried it as well.

Sister Joan also attended the party. It was nice to talk to her about the lifestyle of the slums, as she lives in the middle of it all. She told us some interesting stories. First off there is a difference in the genetic make up of Thai men, and western men. This difference accounts for Thai men being more feminine. There is also a similarity between the make up of men and women in Thailand. It is not uncommon to see Thai men with more voluptuous hips and thighs than even a western woman.

Another thing we have noticed is that boys at Mercy do not seem to be as keen about continuing on with school after a certain age. We have noticed that it is mostly girls who get the scholarships to study internationally. Sister Joan said that boys tend to change their focus around grade 6, off from schooling to motorbikes and money. This causes me to ask, what happens in those schooling years that turns boys away, and how can we change the curriculum so that more males are interested in learning and successful with learning.

Sister Joan also pointed out that many Thai women have children very young. This is often the result of pressure from their mothers. Once a young girl has a child she is expected to go off to work, therefore leaving the child in the care of the grandmother. However, this is enjoyed by the grandmothers because they are often at the age where they can start to enjoy their children as they did not get to enjoy their own as they were off working as well. It is almost like everything is a generation behind.

We also met one of the girls who returned from studying in the States. She is the same age as Misty and I. She was 12 years old when Father Joe took her away from her mother and brothers, to live with Father Joe’s sister in the US. Having a European father, she had very fair skin and blonde hair. Leaving her in Thailand where her mom lived in the slums was too risky, especially after she would hit puberty as the risk of being kidnapped was too high. Her mother, not completely understanding everything, made the biggest sacrifice of all when she gave her daughter up. Her brothers were both very mad and did not understand. When she moved to the states she did not say a word for the first year. Now 7 years later, she is educated and ready to take on the world. She comes home whenever she can to visit her family and to try and give back to Mercy.

We spent most of the afternoon at the gathering and then headed back to Soi 40. The boys snuck into our room for an impromptu dance party.

In the evening SiJie, Misty and I met up with Chris for some Swensens and conversation. All in all, another great day.

Please Watch This

2008-05-31T05:25:00.001-07:00

Hello All,

This video was done by a fellow Canadian. She spent some time at the Mercy Centre. Most of the footage is taken around the slums.

ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba_eOECe9kE

2008-05-31T05:07:00.001-07:00

Mercy in the news

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/27/bangkok.children/index.html?iref=newssearch

Movies with the Boys

2008-05-31T04:18:00.001-07:00

Friday

This morning we met Chris at Bangkok University, and then headed off to the milk run. Sister Joan had a lot of help today and there was nothing else to give out besides milk so we did not really have any work to do. The milk run was also moved because of all of the rain. It was not as busy as last week either. This could possibly be because the milk run is usually every 2 weeks and some families may not think they need any more milk as they just got some last week, and do not think far enough ahead to realize it will be longer before they get more.

After the milk run we went to Au Bon Pain for brunch, which is a more westernized sandwich place. We then walked to Mercy. Misty and I gave Chris a grand tour. The children in the kindergarten were so excited to see us and at one point we each had 2 of them in our arms. I should also mention that Takatan was in the same classroom I brought her to the other day, thank goodness.

Next we headed to Lumpini park. We watched the monetary lizards swimming in the water. We saw both the biggest one we have ever seen today, and the smallest one. We also watched the park security kick 2 people out of the park. I don’t know what they did wrong, but I did notice both of them got in trouble when they were sleeping on the bench.

We spent most of the day chatting at the park. Misty and I departed and went back to Mercy to teach. Later in the evening Aunt Betty asked us to accompany her and her sponsor child to Tesco Lotus where she was going to take her sponsor child on a little shopping spree. In less than an hour she walked out of there with 3 pairs of pants, a shirt and 2 pairs of shoes. I think we did well.

Back at Mercy we played with the children in the AIDS hospice. The girls took turns putting on SiJie’s new heels and dancing. It was very cute.

After taking a shower tonight, I came out of the bathroom at the same time Misty said “Jodie…Gelong is in here.” I see that. I guess seeing me in a towel made up for all of those times I saw him. He stayed in our room long enough to cut his nails (which I should mention took a good hour) and then blew us a kiss and left.

I spent the evening watching Pirates of the Caribbean with the boys. One of the younger ones fell asleep on me, and half were sound asleep by the end of the movie. I carried some of them to bed, but I guess I got some of the beds mixed up when the others went to get into their bed to find a boy already there. Oops. They were too sleepy to even notice me moving them around.

That’s all the news for now. Sorry it took so long to post!

Bus Strikes, Late Night Visitors, and Lots of time with the children

2008-05-31T04:17:00.000-07:00

Thursday

Today was an emotional rollercoaster. We forced ourselves out of bed at 6 am to prepare for our morning class. We took a songtheaw to work. I only had three people in my first class because of the bus strike. Some of my students were unable to make it to work. Private bus operators started their protest today because of the inability to increase their bus fares. The companies cannot raise their fares despite losses due to the increase in oil, gas and rice. In the past few weeks we have witnessed increasing prices both at the pumps as well as on everyday things such as on our ride to work. The price of the songtheaw went up from 5 baht to 7 baht. This does not seem like a huge jump, but think of all of those people who commute every day to work and only make THB 8000 a month.

Immediately after class Misty and I were back home in bed, ready to sleep for the rest of the morning. We took a motorbike home and were in bed within 10 minutes of my class being over.

We all woke up around noon (SiJie included) and took a taxi to Carrefour. I should mention that although private buses are no longer running, government buses are still continuing on with their regular routes. However, most of the main routes are operated by private companies. We had lunch at Carrefour and picked up a few groceries and walked to Mercy.

I visited Momma this afternoon, and she told me that she is leaving tomorrow. However, she is leaving around 9 am, which is when we will be on the milk run. That meant that we would have to say goodbye to her tonight, not something I was prepared for. I hung around the AIDS hospice until my class. I chatted with the patients and visited the ones in bed. Frank was all smiles today. I fed one of the women her supper. She especially loved it when I made airplane sounds as I brought the spoon towards her face.

Off to class I went. One of my students, the niece from P.Ning showed up unexpected. I did not think she was coming today so I was unprepared. I ended up teaching her and Lek at the same time, which made for a challenging class as she is about 4 or 5 years old and Lek is 16.

During class I asked if Pleaw was enjoying her school. “School fun?” She pointed to her teeth and gave me a thumbs down. Apparently fun is the Thai word for teeth, and she pointed down because her teeth are broken.

After class Boong came with us to the AIDS hospice to say goodbye to Momma. It was a very emotional goodbye, and sadly it is the first of many in the next month. I am really going to miss her.

We went outside to wait for the songtheaw again, and almost got wet in the downpour. Standing under an umbrella from one of the street vendors we looked up to see some of the Mercy 6 children waving to us. Behind them all was Boong, inviting us to come and have dinner with them. Since it did not look like the rain was going to stop anytime soon we decided to join them. Supper was made up of some kind of soup, chicken and rice. It was so cute to see all of the children in their pj’s sitting around little tables eating. Some of the younger children were very excited to have us there and would not sit down and eat their food. It was a fun experience, and we plan on eating with them more often.

When we arrived back at Soi 40, the house parents were having a birthday party for 2 of the house parents themselves. Lots of food and beer went around. The children came down to have a piece of cake. Misty and I really had a good laugh seeing all of the children on their best behavior as there was a visitor there. Folk had a chocolate cake, and he showed it to me and said “Choc-o-late.” I replied back “Yes, chocolate.” Folk then told everyone in Thai; “Jodie knows how to pronounce chocolate!”

After the cake we did our tooth brushing routine and then put the boys to bed. Misty and I relaxed in our room until we were ready for bed. When I came back into the room after leaving for a few minutes, she was hiding someone under the blankets in our bed. I looked but it was too small to be SiJie and was not Ja. All of a sudden Folk poked his head out. It was around 10:30pm, and he was supposed to have been in bed. He was still wearing his clothes, and obviously no one was checking on them as all of the house parents were downstairs celebrating. We had a nice chat and then listened to some music and danced and jumped on the bed. Finally we sent him back to his room. I went to bring him back but as we tiptoed out he motioned for me to go back in the room. I think he probably could have said he was using the washroom beside our room, but if I was with him he would be caught not in bed. I turned around to watch him scurry back, shut off the light and go back to the boys’ room.

Since it was raining and the street was nearly a river, I figured I should probably take our laundry in too. To get to the laundry area outside you must go through where the boys sleep. I walked in and Gelong was sitting up in his bed, while everyone else was sleeping. He saw me and then quickly lay down as if he was sleeping too. Outside I was grabbing some of the towels and I turned around and there was Folk! In his hands he had some more of my clothes. That little bugger scared me. I sent him back off to bed.

Drinks and Dancing = good night

2008-05-31T04:15:00.000-07:00

Wednesday May 28, 2008

Last night we decided to change up our boring night time routine and head out to Dubliner’s for ladies night. Cedric decided to join us. He is a volunteer from France, working at one of the local Mercy preschools. We agreed to meet around 8pm. We arrived and could not find Cedric so we sat at a table close to the window and waited. He called and said he was on his way but that he already ate, so we should go ahead and order. I ordered half a chicken, mashed potatoes and an assortment of vegetables. Don’t worry I did not eat all of it alone.

We called Cedric from another phone, and found out he was close, but he was waiting at the BTS station for the pouring rain to stop. We already waited a long time, and it was raining for a while and did not look like it was going to slow down any time soon. SiJie asked for an umbrella from the staff and I braved the rain to be a knight in shining armor and go get him. I wasn’t much of a knight considering I could not figure out how to keep the umbrella up without holding the top of it. Finally when I thought I had it all figured out I walked until a rain gutter and the pressure of the water made it buckle around me. I got soaked.

We arrived back at the bar. We chatted for a few minutes and then Chris, an old friend we met there, came in. I don’t know if you remember but he was the Aussie who works here in Phuket. We stayed at the Dubliner until it closed and then we went to RCA to finish off the evening with some more drinks and dancing. We got home around 2:30 am.

Corn flakes & Family...only constants in my life

2008-05-27T17:29:00.000-07:00

Above: Me and Gelong in the graphic art room for the afternoon. I don't know why but he insisted on that pose.
Below: Momma and I.

Mercy was full of excitement today. I arrived ready to teach my first class but went upstairs to find a locked door and a rearranged room. Thankfully my students were so excited about class that they got someone to open the door (this is what I’d like to believe anyways). We had a problem with the air conditioner, and instead of making the room cooler, it was actually making it warmer. By the end of the class we were all fanning ourselves off with paper, and had the windows wide open.

While waiting for our next class, I checked my email. Uma brought Frank to the door of the computer lab, and I went out to stay hello. They usually stop and say hi to me every morning. Frank does not talk. Frank grew up as a Mercy boy, calling Mercy 1 his home. He was at the top of his class both academically and sports wise. He was one of the best football (soccer) players that Mercy ever had and was incredibly outgoing. The house parents described him as being good at everything. About 8 months ago, Frank left Mercy 1 and moved to his new home - the adults AIDS hospice. He sure sticks out among all of the other patients, and not because of AIDS but because he is only 17 years old. Some may say that Frank is lucky because he does not have AIDS. However, Frank is paralyzed. He lost his ability to talk, and move anything, aside from his eyes. His body is nothing but skin and bones, without any muscle mass or fat.

Frank had his own little secret. He sniffed glue. He did it secretly at first whenever he left Mercy. However, one day 8 months ago, Frank sniffed too much, damaging his brain and losing all control over his body. Today, 8 months later, Frank is getting a little better day by day. He relies on others to push him around in a wheelchair, and is still not able to really move. His head is held straight between two cushions on the chair. His arms are still and fixed in an upward position. He is bedridden most of the day. He responds to touch with a small spasm or a big smile. He is now able to move his arm about an inch forward to give me a high five. Hopefully in the next month or so he will be able to meet me halfway. And hopefully, with more medication he some day will be able to play soccer again. But right now, we can only take each day as it comes, one small step at a time. Please pray for him.

Uma says Frank is in love with me. He clamps onto my hand and doesn’t let go. Apparently he only does this when he really likes someone. I try to imagine what he was like when he was well but I cannot even imagine. I have never seen someone so thin in all of my life. You can see every joint. I cannot even begin to describe him. Frank experimented like most teenagers do; just one day things went terribly wrong. I have to ask myself; how did he come to this? What was so appealing about the high he got from glue that was worth risking his life over? Did he know how life changing it would turn out to be? Or did he think it wouldn’t happen to him? How did he start sniffing? Did other sniff with him? What is he capable of now…is he still mentally competent? Will he ever fully recover? Will he ever play soccer again?

Momma and Nancy have been fighting for the past 3 days. Nancy likes to try and be independent and does not like to be told what to do. Momma on the other hand, likes to take care of people. Unfortunately both of their personalities collide with each other. With Momma leaving on Friday, I hope they will sort things out.

On our walk to preschool Misty and I had a good laugh as a young boy was standing on a bar in the phone booth, barefooted, wearing only shorts. He was standing on the bar to make him tall enough to reach the phone. I enjoyed watching him lean against the booth to hold himself up, while looking like he was having a very important adult conversation.

We arrived at the preschool, right on Thai time (about 10 minutes late). Thai time allows for lateness as well as provides you with as much extra time as you want to make stops on the way to your final destination, whether it is to talk to someone or to shop. If anyone ever questions your tardiness, you say you were stuck in traffic.

At preschool we were teaching upstairs again. This time we had a class of 39 very excited and energetic children. Some days we have lots of children and other days very few, so we did not have enough sheets copied. Once again we had to improvise. It was a sweaty experience.

On our way home from preschool we stopped at the little coffee and smoothie shop we discovered a couple of weeks ago. We thought it would be a nice way to cool off with a nice refreshing smoothie. However, instead of enjoying a nice refreshing drink, we found ourselves in a race against ‘the melt.’ It won.

We had lunch with the adults in the AIDS hospice. Uma and Tui asked if we could teach them English too because they wanted to learn some important things like “I love you. I miss you.” We knew they were up to no good, so we told them that we would teach them BUT we were only available at 4 am. We soon found out they were not too serious about learning.

Momma asked if she could paint my nails again. I guess it is my own fault for taking the old nail polish off too soon. I told her she could paint but “no cut.” Tui picked out the color. He felt the yellow color would look ‘swai’ (beautiful) with my skin color. Agreeing with what he decided, momma set to work. I soon found out I was getting the ‘jaundice’ look. My hands look like a sick infant. Momma topped it off with her sparkles. So mom, you were right, one more week of Momma, meant one more manicure.

I walked Takatan to school after lunch. She came to give a hug and kiss during lunch hour, but needed to get back. She wrapped her arms around me in a warm embrace, and away we went. All of the other children in the Mercy preschool were already having their afternoon naps. It is so cute when they do this as they are all curled up on the floor together. I will get a picture of it one of these days.

Anyways, I brought Takatan to the last classroom on the bottom floor, only to later find out that her class is apparently upstairs. Hopefully she found her way. I can see why parents get so emotional when they drop their babies off at school for the first time. When I looked back in the classroom, there she was standing, waving, with the saddest look in her eyes, while all the other children slept around her.

This afternoon we took Father Joe’s Aunt Betty to a Japanese cake house that SiJie discovered when she first arrived. Misty and I have both been there before. It is a small little place off one of the side streets. If you did not know it was there you could easily walk by it. However, the place is always packed. They were all sold out of the chocolate cakes so I settled for a pumpkin cheesecake…or so I thought it was a pumpkin cheese cake. It turned out to be custard. Having never had custard before I was not accustomed to the eggy taste so did not enjoy it every much. We had a nice chat. Betty liked to play cards and mentioned the card game called Phase 10, thinking I would have never heard of it. However, thanks to the youth at the IWK this summer, not only have I heard of it, I’d like to think I’m a pro. We made plans to play some evening this week.

The pond outside Father Joe’s house is now the home of two large fish. It has always had fish, but these things are gigantic. They were hand raised. It was nice to see the children crowd around it after school was dismissed to watch the fish. Even though the fish are ugly (Father Joe agrees), the children’s faces were well worth it.

Today I spent most of the day dreaming of what I want to do when I arrive back in Canada; what I want to eat, what I miss. Everything I miss is activities with family and friends, that are so simple such as BBQn’ and sitting outside eating cold pasta, or having hot chocolate and a cucumber sandwich at Pat and Cliff’s cottage.

Ning was admitted back to the hospital last night. This time back to where she has social assistance. This morning my class told me about how their health care system works. People buy insurance in a particular hospital. If they get sick, they can get free services at that hospital. However, if they require a private room, it is TBH 1500 a day. Insurance is the highest level of coverage you can have. Second is social assistance. This is usually paid into when you are working somewhere. Everything is also free. Finally there is the gold card which is given to those who cannot afford the other two options. Basically, those living in poverty. Although this card shows that they have financial help, someone with this card is not guaranteed care, and if they receive care, it will not amount to the care if they had one of the other cards. If two people show up at the hospital at the same time, the person with insurance will be helped first, even if their condition is less severe.

Also, since insurance or assistance are only bought in one hospital, it means that if you are not close to where your hospital is and you get sick, you are required to pay, whether you have insurance from another place or not. This is why Ning had to pay for the care she already received, because she was not at the hospital she has assistance with.

Another tad bit of information: a visit to the doctor around the slums is TBH 300 (so about $10).

The dance teacher from Mercy is still in the hospital, and still in a coma. It is not looking good. If he wakes he will have suffered major brain damage. Please pray for both of them.

Pictures from the last few days

2008-05-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

Our favorite park... When you see clouds like this moving in, you know you need to move...and quickly! The sky can open up at any moment.
A view of Soi 38 from the sky train.
My favorite restaurant on soi 38. This is actually the kitchen. If you notice the man in the background, he is cooking. Two girls help prepare all of the ingredients. When you go here you know your food is made right when you order it as you have to wait for everyone who ordered before you to get their food first. It is best not to wait until everyone's food arrives at the table before you start eatting.
Turtles relaxing in the sun at the park. They are very friendly and will come to where you are sitting to watch you, in hopes of getting something to eat.

Poverty Shows Itself

2008-05-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

Sunday

After sleeping in a little bit this morning we decided we would have a relaxing day as Misty still was not feeling so well. We walked to the used book store for a browse, and then to Emporium (Shopping mall). Misty was craving Swensen’s so ice cream for breakfast it was. We spent the afternoon relaxing in the sun at the park, reading books and listening to music. We were approached twice by Thai students who were doing projects for school that required them to interview Farangs. We filled out a questionnaire on the Songkran festival, and also answered questions about our favorite movie. Both times our pictures were taken, so if you see any terrible pictures of me floating around on the internet, you now have an explanation.

We both got a little bit of sunburn, but nothing too serious. I only look like I got sun on my back as I spent the whole afternoon reading or sleeping.

We went to visit P. Ning in the evening. She is out of the hospital now and was staying at the local kindergarten with her best friend who is a teacher there. It was getting too expensive for her to stay at the hospital. Aside from the treatment she was paying TBH 1500 for a room, which is quite a bit for someone who does not have that kind of money. On top of that she was also paying for her treatment and medication. The doctor was not happy that she wanted to go home as he thought it was too early and that she was not well enough yet. (We agree). In order to prove she could do it, he said she had to run from one side of the room to the other. Considering she could hardly lift her arm, it took all her strength and energy to run across the room with her IV poles.

When we went to see her she was laying on the floor of the kindergarten. She could move a little more now but could not use much force to grip something in her hand. We had to help her to sit up. The doctor told her friends to keep talking to her as we need to keep her brain active. She still complains of a headache. Her friend told us that they found blood on her brain and that is how this all started. Oddly, this also happened to another Mercy staff a few days ago and he did not catch it in time and now he is in a coma. The doctor said that if P. Ning did not go to see him when she did she could have been paralyzed. This sounds a lot more serious than a headache to me.

I felt so bad for her because she could not afford to stay longer in the hospital, even though she knew it was what was best for her. She is the sole supporter of her family, so whenever she is not working she is losing wages. Her best friend also took 2 days off of work to stay with her round the clock, and she felt bad that her friend also lost some of her salary. In the slums, even taking 1 day can be the difference between feeding yourself or not. Once again the poverty shows itself. Here is P.Ning, clearly sick with something way more serious than a headache, and instead of being in the hospital hooked up to medication and resting like she should be, she is lying on the floor of the school passing the time. She insisted that she was going to go to work on Monday as she was scared the boss would get mad at her for taking so much time off. I could not believe it. Please pray for her!

Tonight we went to Father Joe’s house. His sister, brother-in-law and 85-year old Aunt are visiting from America. His sister and aunt cooked spaghetti for us and some of the mercy staff. It was delicious and a perfect ending to my day after craving pasta for lunch. I had sauce with red meat which I am a little curious to see how my body handles it as I have not had it since I’ve arrived. We were the last guests to leave as we stayed quite late talking to his sister, brother-in-law and aunt. They were such great people to talk to.

Tomorrow SiJie, Misty and I are taking Aunt Betty out on the town to see Indiana Jones and go for some cake and tea! I’m so looking forward to it. I think she is going to be like one of the girls.

Mercy 6

2008-05-24T18:14:00.000-07:00

Winner sitting on his bed wondering where all of the house parents are and why he is not dressed yet. This is where the children in the AIDS hospice sleep.
Another view of the room.
Takatan and Winner talking about school.
I guess I should have looked more closely, obviously these clothes do not belong to a boy. This is the play are for Mercy 6 children.

Are You Poor?

2008-05-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry guys, I'm trying to post pictures but the connection is too weak.

It is almost 2 in the afternoon. Misty and I just discovered that we are locked in the building. We have not eaten all day, have nothing to eat besides almonds and a can of creamed corn (no kidding!) and cannot even get out a window because everything is barred. Also, we do not have internet or a tv…so here we are sitting in our room, eating creamed corn out of a Tupperware container that we found and 2 spoons. I hear the ice cream cart go by and we cannot even get it to be sent up to our room. I hate my life. Well not really but I hated this moment.

SiJie finally saved us by getting one of the motorbike drivers from Mercy to bring her over with the key, and then sent the key back with him. We were so hungry so we walked back to where we had supper last night on Soi 38, but it was closed. We took a taxi towards the Emporium shopping mall and then went to Subway for lunch. For those of you who are wondering, Subway tastes the same as home, and they do have specials for each day. Today’s special was a ham and chicken sub. Is that the same as home for Saturdays?

After lunch we went to Emporium to get some air conditioning. I bought a book called Poor People by William T. Vollmann. The author goes into different cities and villages around the globe to ask “Why are you poor?” The first chapter in the book takes place in Khlong Toey, where we live and work. I haven’t read very much yet, but it is really good so far. I especially like that it provides so many details of what life is like that I already do not notice anymore. Even though I walk in the slums every day, I forget that people at home do not know what the slums are like, and my descriptions have not always been very descriptive. For example, slum houses are incredibly close, such that you could reach out the window-like hole of your house and into someone else’s. Also, because everything is so close, everyone can hear the conversations of everyone else. This does not allow for much privacy.

We spent the afternoon relaxing in the park, enjoying the sun and each other’s company. It was nice to just relax and people watch. SiJie drew a picture of the view in front of us which attracted the attention of the security guards. At one point 2 of them were behind her watching her draw and she was totally oblivious with her headphones on.

We went for some groceries and met up with a past visitor at Mercy. Then we took the skytrain home, stopped at Soi 38 for some take out from one of the street vendors and headed home.

Ja joined us in our room upon our arrival and found Misty’s headset. She then walked around the room with her purse, her headset and my heels. She was pretending to talk to one of the other children from Mercy, saying they should go to work now, as they worked at the Tesco, selling pillow. She also lived on Soi 40 where she had 10 husbands and 10 children, 5 of which were boys. Children are so cute sometimes.

We spent the rest of the evening watching some more of the donated movies and having our own karaoke party with SiJie.

“A United Nations report assures us that a quarter of the world’s people remain in severe poverty, but in the past 50 years poverty has fallen more than in the previous 500. Meanwhile, a Pulitzer Prize winner opines that billions of Third World Citizens, constituting about 80% of the world’s population, still live in poverty, new or below the starvation level, and that any number of societies risk outright collapse” (Vollman, W.T., 2007) Who is right? How exactly do we define poverty?

When I walk into the slums I see people barely making it day by day, many who are addicted to alcohol or drugs, many who sell themselves for money. Yet, most of their homes are equipped with fans, television sets, more kitchen appliances, such as blenders and kettles, than I own. Instead their house they may have a motorbike parked, possibly what the male uses to drive people around to make money. Are these people poor? What about one of the many people who call Lumpini park, or the local train station their home? They may have a small amount of belongings; enough to fit into one bag that they take everywhere. Some of them do not ask for money, nor do they look at anyone in the face, for they do not feel they are poor themselves. Some are happy. Are they poor? What if they stopped being happy? What about all of the children at Mercy. All orphaned, many with more life experiences than you and I will ever know. Yet, they go to school every day, have food on the table and a roof over their head. Even if the food is not always the most appetizing, and the schools do not have desks or chairs; are they poor? Can I simply say that anyone poorer than I is poor?

What defines poverty? If these people are all happy treasuring the little things in life they do have, such as family, few belongings and the fact that they can get up every morning and walk with their head held high, are they poor? Many of them would not even call themselves poor. What about people who have a nice house, in a nice neighborhood, where their pudgy little children in their beautiful family can play outside in their groomed yard. But they are unhappy and they cannot afford to send little Johnny to private school, soccer camp, piano lessons and scouts. Are they poor? What about all of the university students who feel their lives are indebted to the government due to their large student loans. Are they poor? And if they are, can we say that this poor is different than the person living in the slum house? At least the person in the slum house owns their own house, so wouldn’t that mean they have more?

What about people who have found themselves in homeless positions, not only in Thailand but in other places like Canada. Do we treat those who find themselves living on the streets because of bad luck different than those who find themselves on living on the streets because their addictions simply took over their lives? Do soup kitchens make a distinction between the deserving poor and the others? What if someone like you and me dropped by the soup kitchen, would we be given a meal? Yes? No? How would people make a distinction on whether or not we qualified for their meal? Based on what we were wearing? How rough we looked? What about those who are living in the slums then…when some leave the slums in the morning to go to work, they are dressed up with make up, heels, and nice clothes. Thanks to the knockoff items you can buy at all the markets in Thailand, they carry along their Prada bag and sport their designer clothes. Are they poor?
How can we quantify one’s need over another’s? Who can say that my needs are anymore or less important than the next persons? According to income level some of us could live more comfortably than others. However, someone who lives on substantially less could also be a better nomadic hunter and lead lives closely modeled to others. Would they be poor?

What about in my own family? My parents both work the land for their income, feeding and providing for countless families through the sale of milk and eggs. If we would compare their salaries to other occupations such as doctors, lawyers, accountants, etcetera, would they be considered poor? What about when you account for all of the debt they owe for starting up and maintaining such an operation? Buying quota? Now that we installed robotic milkers, and owe thousands of more, are we poor? Compared to other farmers? Compared to the elite in our societies?

In short, we can define poverty in as many different ways as we can provide examples. I cannot say that someone is poorer than someone else just because someone makes more money. People can own fewer possessions and be richer than I, or the next person. Therefore, we cannot define poverty based on income level or the amount of possessions one owns. Instead, “poverty is wretchedness” (Vollmann, W.T., 2007), based on one’s feelings of happiness; such feelings that we cannot discard. If the United Nations report said that a quarter of the world’s people remain unhappy, we cannot add our own judgment to that to determine whether or not someone is truly unhappy. If you are unhappy in our own terms, then you must be unhappy in ours. Poverty itself then remains immeasurable.

Seems like all we do is eat

2008-05-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention that yesterday the humidity was unbelievable. Some days the humidity is okay in the morning, and we can walk to work. Yesterday we had to walk a little further in a different direction to meet Sister Joan for the milk run. Just standing outside during the milk run was exhausting as the heat was trying to suffocate us. I wasn’t the only one who noticed either, as everyone commented on it. Even last night the wind was warm.

Last night was a pretty quiet night. After work we went to Soi 38 for dinner. (Soi means street) SiJie went with one of the staff here last week and we also read about it in the local newspaper as being a great place to eat. It is all street vendors and street restaurants but is very popular both with locals and farangs. We ate at one of the street restaurants, and as I was waiting for my food I was shocked at how many farangs were in the area. Usually we do not see any in the slums or close to where we live as it is not a favorable area to live, and Soi 38 is parallel to our street. I ordered rice with stir fry vegetables. I was curious to see what the vegetables would be like as the stir fry is never like the stir fry I know from back home. I was pleasantly surprised to see carrots, asparagus, baby corn, and other greens on a delicious bed of rice with an incredible sauce. The food was absolutely delicious and only cost 60 Baht, drink included ($2 CDN). I think this might be our new favorite dinner place. Because of our teaching schedule we miss supper both at home and at Mercy, so we usually settle for something in our room…I do not think we need to do this anymore.

We came back to our room and watched some English movies. There was a large donation of English movies dropped off here the other day, so we have been keeping ourselves occupied by watching all of the romantic comedies. After our first movie we were all craving ice cream, but unfortunately Swensen’s is a little too far away to walk to in the dark. We remembered that the Pizza Company sold ice cream, so some how we went from wanting to have ice cream to ordering pizza. Since we have a membership there, thanks to hottie at the front, we decided we should get some use out of it. We called their order number (sadly we have a lot of these memorized, yet we never ordered take out before). Because we wanted to use our buy one pizza, get one free card, we could not get the free delivery. So going from wanting ice cream, deciding to order pizza so we did not need to leave the building, we ended up walking down the street to pick it up. Funny what people do for entertainment. Back at Soi 40 we watched another movie, ate some pizza and finished off our beer.

This morning I woke up early again. The funny thing about this place is that no matter what time I go to bed, I always wake up around the same time. It does not help that most days my alarm goes off, whether I set it or not. Even though our bed is some what comfy, I cannot remember the last time I slept through the whole night without waking up, or even if that happened since I have arrived. I cannot wait to be back in my own bed, and snuggle in the blankets.

These Kids Make Me Smile

2008-05-23T06:05:00.000-07:00

We walked to Mercy after having an afternoon nap. On the way I heard some screeching sounds and what sounded like a long horn. It took me a few minutes to realize it was the train, warning those who use the tracks as their main wood working shop to get out of the way. I am sorry I was not fast enough to get a picture, but it was pretty amazing to see that within seconds of the train passing, their work was back on the tracks as if nothing happened.

As we walked further along we saw the back of a man lying in the middle of the sidewalk on a busy street. His feet were in the hole where the trees are planted, and his sandals were positioned in such a way that it looked like he fell. We had to walk around him to get by. On my way by I stopped to look because it looked like he was dead. We could see he was breathing quietly…these experiences are very scary because it would be possible for us to stumble upon a dead body. It scares me every time.

Arriving at Mercy I met with Takatan, who was sad because her house mom was going to the hospital and she really wanted to go too. I had to distract her while her house mom tried to sneak away. We went to visit all of the adults in the AIDS hospice. Momma was very happy to see me, and asked if I will miss her over my 3 day weekend. I already think about her now when I am not at Mercy. I cannot imagine how I am going to feel when she leaves. Yung is still in the hospital, and does not appear to be getting much better. Her bed at Mercy has already been filled. Please pray for her.

Takatan, SiJie and I went upstairs to Mercy 6 (Children’s AIDS hospice, home of Takatan) to find Winner sitting on the bed alone, wearing only a diaper. He said in Thai “Where are all the house mom’s? I am not even dressed yet.” I helped him get dressed into the clothes he was hanging onto; thinking someone likely set them out for him. Later when we found the house mom she had a good laugh as the clothes were much too big for him (which is not that unusual around here) and belonged to one of the girls. Back down to his diaper he goes.

In the meantime, I ran into Dtlek, one of the twins and one of my students, who was running around carefree, bearing it all. He was supposed to be washing, but instead he was having more fun dancing naked. I had to laugh when we finally got him to go wash and he took the house and sprayed water down the hall as he danced on the wet floor. I laughed even more when the house mom came and could not figure out where the water came from. Don’t worry, I did not laugh where he could see me.

I got a nice kiss from Folk on the way upstairs. I usually see him everyday at Mercy when he finishes school and waits to go home. I realized today that I do not speak much to him as my Thai is limited, and I noticed that he stopped talking Thai back but instead uses gestures and acts things out to me. What a guy. I wish I could take him back to Canada.

I ran into SiChon (Spicy) on my way to the other building. He is really enjoying his school and could not stop smiling and fidgeting when we asked him about it.

Takatan started throwing up. Apparently she does this a lot for attention. She did not make it to the garbage right away and after she was finished she cleaned it all up herself, without anyone telling her. That’s pretty amazing for a 4 year old.

This morning I went on another milk run. It is so nice to see young children who appear to be “making it” in the slums. As we all know, the poorest of the poor are the children. All of these babies were born into a life filled with poverty and hunger, many times influenced by drugs and alcohol, or unhealthy ways to make enough money to survive. When you look into their beautiful faces, you often see sadness in their eyes. I try to imagine what life is like for them. I try to imagine living in a home, when mom or dad or grandma are doing whatever they can to keep their bellies full and a roof over their heads, even if it is a piece of scarp metal that leaks when it rains and will eventually fall over with a strong wind.

We have to cut all of the bags of powdered milk inside the boxes, because sometimes people try to resell them to make money. I cannot imagine that you could be so desperate that you need to sell the milk given to you to feed your newborn baby, just to make some money. Sadly, a lot of this money is used to fuel drug additions. Sister Joan does the best she can to make sure this doesn’t happen but there is only so much she can do. We just have to hope and have faith that this is the exception rather than the norm. Please pray for them.

I met a little guy who was likely just shy of 8 months, who had a tumor like bump on his nose. It was visible from a distance. I wonder if it continues to grow as he does. Please pray for him.

Sister Joan does amazing work. Not only does she make the milk run possible, she also bought over 160 school uniforms for the slum children and also hands out money to pay for their school fees on a regular basis. Sister Joan not only understands their lifestyles, she lives it. Her house is located in the center of a slum community, requiring you to twist and turn through numerous small alley ways and paths to find her. Please pray that her work will continue with the help of generous donations. More donations of medication for scabies and head lice would be greatly appreciated for the slum community. The Australian Women’s Group mostly funds the milk run through several fundraisers they conduct throughout the year.

Another Milk Run with Sister Joan

2008-05-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

We met Sister Joan at her house in the slums this morning around 7am. From there we went and moved her truck with all of the milk and supplies to begin the milk run. Over 100 children showed up at our first stop to collect powdered milk and a bag of donated clothing. A few were turned away as they did not have the proper identification or their mother was abusing drugs. Sister Joan will not give milk if she knows one of the parents is abusing drugs. It is clear when they are as you can see the cuts on their arms, legs or stomach where they inject the drugs directly into their blood. They mostly abuse heroin.

We then relocated to another area in the slums where we provide milk to about 30 or so children. Some of the children I remembered from the last milk run we did. It was nice to see some of them grown up and healthy. I love cuddling babies.

I will post more later. (Picking up wireless outside now, so I figured I should post what I have.

Getting the milk ready. Each family has a card that tells the information of the child and also tells the person handing out milk what to give. Each box is opened, and the milk package cut so that it cannot be resold but the families.

This guy is between 6-8 years old. He is an ongoing receiver of the milk.

This little one is 9 days old....so cute.

A quick update: P.Ning has been transfered to another hospital where she will be doing physiotherapy to try and get her strength back up.

Rain Rain Go Away...

2008-05-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

As you can guess since I am writing this, that we did not go to Hua Hin. This morning we went to Mercy to find out that we both did not have a morning class as our students were way too busy with work. We waited around to get word from Father Joe about when we were leaving, spending most of the morning ironing batiks in the graphic art room. After not hearing from him we decided to call him. On the phone he asked where we were and how long we would be there and that he would be down to see us in a bit. After waiting an hour and a half we figured he must have forgot. In the meantime we found out from one of the drivers that he was taking them somewhere at noon. We asked our boss if she knew anything and she did not know, but said he was in a meeting. We called his secretary and she did not know either. We decided that since we only had an hour left we needed to go home and pack just incase. On the motorbike on the way home my phone rang, and his secretary said we would not be going today. I could not hear the rest of the conversation due to the sound of the engine, so I do not know what happened or whether or not he went without us. I am sure he had good reason and I am not too disappointed. This afternoon when I ran into his secretary she sent his apologizes, but I was on my way to meet students so I did not have time to ask.

We went to the villa for the afternoon with SiJie. It was nice to get out of the city and smell some fresh air. The children were all in school there so it was fairly quiet. We just spent most of the afternoon relaxing by the river and chatting with the house parents. The bus ride back to Mercy lasted about 2 hours, most of which I slept off and on. Traffic was terrible.

We both taught Lek, Boome and Dew in the evening and then walked back home. Not a very exciting day.

Tomorrow I cancelled my morning class so I could go with Sister Joan on the milk run. I really enjoyed my first run with her and have been hoping to go back. Since we moved our preschool schedule around, we do not have classes on Friday morning besides our adults so instead I cancelled. They were okay with it as most of them were very busy anyways and might not have been able to make it. I am so looking forward to tomorrow.

Thank you to Gus and Sollie for the postcard. It was a nice surprise.

Folk wants to write something: asr’

I went outside tonight to try and see if I could pick up a wireless signal again…no such luck. The boys crowded around me to see what I was doing and they were fascinated with the laptop. They explained to me using gestures that they wanted me to show them pictures of them that were on my computer.

Tonight Gelong came into our room to show us his picture, the same picture he draws every single day. Funny though because he speaks a language of his own, that no one can understand. I just give my Thai input here and there and smile and laugh at random. I am going to miss that man. Every day when he sees us walking towards our room he puts his hand out to get our room key and then walks ahead to open the door. The same routine every time; unlock the door, step in, turn on both lights, look around the room once they are on, give a shocked look, set the key down on the vanity, turn around, look at us and smile, step back and motion for us to go in. Once we are inside Gelong smiles again, waves, closes the screen door and then closes the main door. I’ve tried to record the process a few times but he always gets distracted by the camera. I hope to take a video of it before I go so I can remember it as my best welcome home ever.

Today I saw another sad slum dog. This time the dog only had one eye. I saw it as it was walking towards my motorbike, not noticing we were that close until it was nearly too late. Stray dogs are everywhere. Although most do not bother you, after dark it can be quite scary. I read somewhere that they will not kill the strays because many Thai people believe in reincarnation, which could mean that the dog could be a long lost relative. Many people will feed the strays. Some people also have dogs for pets but you can definitely spot these well groomed and well fed dogs among those that are missing legs, eyes, and other body parts as well as a lot of fur. Sadly I have seen dogs that look more like oversized rats as they show no sign of fur. I am not sure what happened to them, whether they just try to live life, or whether they were beaten, as many strays are. I was not a huge dog lover before, and many of these sights do not help matters. Also, one of my students told me early on that it is best to look at the ground in front of you when you are walking because of doggy do.

It is raining again here. As much as the rain ruins our plans, it also cools things off (although I am not a fan of the cold wash water in the morning). The rain is also great for sleeping, as it downs out all of the other sounds. For once everything in the world seems so peaceful, even if only for that moment.

"Quick, take a picture, she is so ugly!" Boome says as she points to Dew.

2008-05-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

Last night Misty and I went to the computer lab to book our upcoming Laos trip. However, the price of the tickets almost doubled since the last time we checked so we are rethinking some things. I am so incredibly frustrated.

We went to Mercy this morning to teach our first class. Misty’s class was cancelled so it was only me who was teaching. My class has already begun planning for my last day with them as they want to take me to the market on the other side of the river.

After class we spent some time with the adults in the AIDS hospice. Momma got word from the nurse that she is leaving next Friday. We took some “family” pictures together while we are all still here. The patients were so happy and have been preparing for these pictures. They wanted to go out in the garden in the back to take some nice nature shots, which they all set up. It was funny to watch some of the healthier patients push their friends in the wheelchairs to the trees outside.

I was happy to see that the Pepsi stand outside of Mercy was open again today after being closed for the last 2 weeks. The owner has a disability and has not had enough profits to cover the cost of buying things to sell so he was forced to close.

Misty and I went to Carrefour for lunch, and had a nice sandwich. It tasted so great, especially with the lettuce and tomatoes. We then bused it back home to take a nap and spend the afternoon doing our own thing before we have to go back to Mercy. Unfortunately all of the doors were locked, so after sitting outside on the step we decided it was time to make our way back to Mercy. The man who works across the street, who never wears a shirt, was kind enough to offer his bike, however after the heated walk there we decided we should take a taxi back. The taxi driver was awesome, telling us that Canada must be beautiful because we are beautiful girls, and that he wants to come back to Canada with us. I told him he could but that he would have to pay for his own ticket. He asked how much the ticket was, and when I changed it into Baht he said no way. He then went on to the usual talk of how Farangs are so rich, and he is poor. I argued back but the arguments only went so far. Still giving him directions in Thai I directed him into the slums. He looked at me and looked ahead and said… “You know around…Slums.” He then asked if this is where we really wanted to go. We said yes and he asked if this is where we worked. We explained to him that we were teaching English and responded to his “They Pay?” questions with no. He then went on for the rest of the ride about how he was so happy with what we were doing, “help poor in slums, you know…very good”

Back at Mercy we found out that there actually was a house parent here the whole time, so back to Soi 40 we went on a motorbike for an afternoon nap and some laundry. On the way home my motorbike driver stopped to let a dog cross the street. It was hobbling. Upon closer examination I saw that the back leg was cut completely open so that I could see broken bones. I have never seen anything like it, and hopefully will not again.

In the evening we taught the girls. I have some exciting news…Dew got a full scholarship to Pierson in Canada! She will be studying there in September. We all are very proud of her.

Tonight we went with them back to the seafood buffet. We ate a lot…probably about 6 plates per person, and laughed a lot. We had the same waiter as last time and he remembered us and all of the information about us, including our age. We told the girls that they had to speak English only. They were given one warning, the second warning meant they had to eat pig intestines, and the third warning meant they had to pay for the bill (806 baht). Poor Dew got so scared after speaking English 3 times that we would actually make her pay. I also had to laugh when Lek started off her supper with ice cream, then had another bowl half way through and then ended off with a final bowl. The funny part was, she ate it all with chopsticks. She explained to us that the supper is expensive so she needs to eat a lot.

After our supper we went to visit P.Ning in the hospital. Yesterday she was out sick, and today when she came into work she walked from the motorbike to the main door and complained of being dizzy before she collapsed. She was rushed to the hospital. She was very weak when we went to see her, and it took her mom two tries to get her to see us. They think that it has something to do with her brain, but they do not have insurance to cover the costly healthcare here, so instead they are starting with the cheapest tests. She is going to undergo a sinus exam which costs 10 000 Baht ($300 USD). They will see from there what to do next. Please pray for her, both that she recovers and that somehow this will not be a huge financial burden on her family. Ning is the main caregiver of her family, which is quite a feat for a 27 year old. Her father is an alcoholic and her mom does not work. Ning saves all of the money to help her family survive and to put her niece through school. In Thailand education is not free. Mercy provides preschool for children in the slums at a reduced cost. Pleaw graduated already so now she is in grade one. (Ning’s sister had her when she was very young and did not take any responsibility of her).

Today as we were walking around Mercy, Father Joe stopped us and asked if we would come over for a minute. He then proceeded to tell us that his sister, brother in law and aunty are flying in tonight at midnight. He was planning on taking them to the beach (Hua Hin…most high-so beach in Thailand) for a few days. I was wondering why he was telling us but assumed he wanted us to look after something. However, he went on to ask us if we would be interested in coming. We would have our own cabin, complete with bathroom and toilet, close to the pool on the main beach. All expenses are covered by home. Of course we said yes, so there is a 99% chance we will be leaving tomorrow at noon and returning on Sunday. :)

No more news on Laos. We are looking into going the following week so that we do not need to do another visa run before we leave. I have a few pictures to post but my internet connection is not strong enough right now (I am outside at Soi 40, waiting for laundry to finish). Please stay tuned.

So Many GoodByes

2008-05-20T06:02:00.001-07:00

Last night on my walk home from the internet café, I nearly got bit by a dog. I was walking down our street alone in the dark, and I do not think the dog saw me coming as I was relatively quiet. As I approached he was very quiet so I was happy to think that he was not going to do anything to harm me, however as soon as I was beside him he started growling and barking at my legs. I almost soiled myself right then and there. It was a fast walk the rest of the way home.

Misty reminded me on our walk to Mercy this morning that it has been 3 months since we have been here. The last month seemed to go by faster than the first two. This also means that we only have one month left until we are finished teaching, and a little over a month and a half before we return.

Today was bittersweet. Walking into the AIDS hospice I did not hear the chipper “Hey You” I hear from Egg every day. I looked at his bed and there was another man sleeping there. Apparently over the weekend Egg went home. I am glad that he was well enough to go home, but I also worry that he went home too early. Egg has a tendency to be fine one day and terribly sick the next. I know he was excited to get out of here, but I just hope he did not rush it.

I said goodbye to Spicy today (SiChon). After having several tests done on his eyes, the doctors have come to conclude that there is no real hope of him ever being able to see again. I told you his story about how he lived in the garbage dump with his sister, and how the bacteria from all of it caused his near blindness, and skin blemishes. Well today he left for boarding school where he will learn how to read Braille. He was quite excited to go, but also quite sad.

Today was one of my last days with Momma. I think she is likely leaving tomorrow. We spent a lot of time together, and she gave me a pair of earrings that sparkle as much as hers. She was very proud to give them to me. Momma insisted that she give me a manicure today. That woman cannot stop and relax for one minute. So she had the nail clippers out this time and half the time I felt like she was cutting my finger. I almost passed out from the combination of the heat and the pain. After she finished cutting she filed, right down to the tip of my poor finger. I care about Momma too much to offend her and tell her that it is hurting, so instead I just bit my lip and bared it. I had to keep reminding myself that this is probably going to be the last time I can see how happy she is to be giving me a manicure.

Another one of the patients we visit (I am sorry I cannot remember her name for the life of me) was admitted to the hospital. I think I told you that she has been sick for the past few days. I don’t know when she went, or when she will come home, but they did say she was really sick.

This morning I went on the computer after teaching my first class, and there was a knock at the main door of the computer lab. I looked up and there was one of the AIDS patients that we visit, pushing one of the boys from the hospice in a wheelchair. I am not sure how old this boy is, but he is hooked up to oxygen, and has been fading away since we arrived….until today. Today he was smiling and responding to touch and voice. I was so happy that I was able to see him in this state. Hopefully he will continue to get stronger with time. This afternoon I went to visit him in his bed and his leg is no wider than my thumb and middle finger forming a circle.

Misty and I taught at the kindergarten today. Now we teach only one class and at the beginning of the week. We prepared for the younger children again, bringing activities that focus on the alphabet and numbers, only to find that we were upstairs with the older children. We mostly focused on calling out letters of the alphabet and getting them to write them, as well as teaching them a few English songs.

After joining the adults in the AIDS hospice for lunch we decided to walk home for a nap. On the way home Misty and I sang English songs at the top of our lungs. At one point I think I was getting a little too into it and I walked into a street sign. I think the indent on my head may always be a reminder of that walk. Ouch. So arriving back at Soi 40…we find that the building is locked. Back to Mercy we go, this time by Taxi as the heat was blazing.

Tonight we took a sawngthaew home to our street and then went to our favorite street vendor restaurant. As soon as we walked into the place (which is essentially someone’s house) the cook got up from where she was eating and began preparing our usual selection. As always, it was delicious.

We asked for the time off today to travel to Laos. Instead of having next Monday off we will shift some of our afternoon classes, and teach. Then Tuesday will be a regular day, and Misty and I will fly out right after work. We will return sometime Monday the following week. I will not have the internet with me as we will be doing some backpacking, and I do not trust leaving it at places for the day. I will keep you updated on our plans as we finalize them.

Lunch in Cambodia - Visa Run

2008-05-19T06:35:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

Sorry it has been a few days since my last post but we have been incredibly busy. You should find 3 posts that I just added. Enjoy!

Sunday

To sum up our day, we went to Cambodia for lunch.

This morning we went to the On Nut BTS station to meet our driver for our visa run. After waiting for over half an hour, I asked another farang if he was waiting for the same thing. Thankfully he was, and has also done visa runs with this company before so he told us it is not too unusual.

Before I go on, I’d like to tell you about this Farang. He was probably in his 60s and claims to have traveled all around Asia. Having been born and raised in Australia, his accent was hard to overcome at times and it was difficult to make out what he was saying. Anyways, you may be thinking…hey they finally met an Australian…
Well he was everything we avoid. Having talked about spending numerous vacations at Pattaya, and knowing the area there so well, including what developments are up and coming, as well as talking about several of his “lady friends” I have come to conclude that Mr. Aussie is one of those men who come to Asian countries for the women, rather than the country itself. I’d be lying if I said I did not have anything against that. Even though he was very helpful throughout the day, I could not wait until we parted our own ways. Misty and I split the time we would have to sit by him on the van as he basically sat half on your seat as well (He spoke of how some kids called him ‘Fat Grampa’ – well suited I think). He made for a long day.

Anyways, back to my story. After waiting over an hour for our ride, we decided to call the company and see what happened. I guess they no longer met upstairs where we were told to wait, but now wait downstairs in the parking lot. So the run already left for the day. After a little persuasion, the owner came back and hired another van to take the rest of us who were waiting. We left two hours behind schedule.

The ride there was very long. We made a stop about 2.5 hrs into it, and then reached Cambodia in about 4 hours. I was happy to see some Holsteins grazing in the ditch along side of the road. The first Holsteins I have seen in months. The van dropped us off at the departures area and let us go off on our own. Thankfully the Aussie was an experienced veteran with visa runs and he showed us what to do. We each went up to a counter and showed our passport where we were stamped out of the country. Next we went to another table where we handed over our passports to wait for our visa to be processed. Since we went with a well known company they were handled privately and quickly. While we waited we crossed over to Cambodia, and had lunch at the casino. When I walked into the casino I was expecting something like Halifax but soon discovered it looks like an old hall with tables. Lunch was okay, but quite pricey.

After lunch one of the workers met us at the casino and told us our passports were ready. had to fill out a departures and arrival card and then we had to physically leave Cambodia again and enter Thailand where we had to get both an exit and an entrance stamp. Finally back to the van we go for the long ride back to Bangkok. The whole process at the border took about an hour and a half. We would have been able to pass through much quicker, expect one of the Philippines we had with us had some trouble getting back into Thailand.

We arrived back in Bangkok in the early evening, with passport and new stamp in hand. In total the day took approximately 11 hours. It made for a long day. Hopefully we can plan the rest of our time here okay, so that we do not need to do another visa run. Our new stamp will expire around the middle of June. However, we plan on going to Laos in 2 weekends which will mean that we get another entry stamp on our way back through to Thailand which should take us until the end of June. At this time we will be finished most of our teaching and planned on traveling into Cambodia for a few days, and possibly Vietnam. Getting the stamp to come back into Thailand after will take us till we fly back to Canada, and will also be the last stamp we are granted as we would then have used up all of our entry stamps, meaning we would need to leave the country for 90 days.

Going on a visa run with a company is a bit pricier but I would recommend it, at least for your first time. There were a lot of children begging for money everywhere we went at the border, and they even followed us right to the van and stood by the window. Without a company you may also be hassled into paying for unnecessary guides and services. People will try to rip you off at every opportunity. I don’t know if we will attempt it on our own in the future, even now after knowing what to do.

This is what we saw when we arrived.

Cambodia Cambodians moving goods across the border.

Children were begging everywere, and following us around. This little boy followed Misty right to the van.

SPORTS DAY - "Beautiful People, Big Hearts"

2008-05-19T05:51:00.000-07:00

Sports Day!!!

This morning Misty and I were expected to be at Mercy at 7:30 am. We arrived decked out on our respective colors (mine = blue, Misty = red). Most of the staff were there, scattered throughout the grounds in clusters of colors. Since I was on the blue team I wore my blue, one-size fits all, fisherman pants that one of my students gave me, and the Mickey Mouse polo that my accounting class gave me. I also had blue painted on my face.

I was given a very hippy skirt to add to my look as well as a bracelet and a necklace. Apparently I was going to be one of the cheerleaders. I could not look at myself without laughing. I would never wear any of these clothes at home, especially not in combination.

At 8:00 am all of the colors lined up in the streets behind their banners. My team’s motto was “Beautiful People, Big Hearts.” From here we danced behind a hired drumming band throughout the streets of the slum and on the main road. Instead of having police stop traffic, the security officers from Mercy stopped traffic and directed us. We blocked off one lane of traffic the whole route.

Pretty hot, eh? The things we would never do at home...
Marching through the streets.
This is one of my students. He was obviously supporting the red team.
We arrived at the school where 4 tents were set up to shelter us from the sun. Everyone lined up for the opening ceremonies and then the games begun! I cannot remember all of the games, so I am glad I made an effort to take pictures of them all. I will post a picture and try to describe what the activity was.

This is exactly what it looks like. They had to hit the golf ball from one side of the court to the other.

I also pulled for my team’s tug-of-war team. We won three of our 4 pulls and placed second overall. Unfortunately the pull we lost was the most important one. Tug-of-war is nothing like at home. Instead they try and fit as many people on the rope as possible, on both sides of the rope. My teammates suggested we do not wear shoes as we would have better grip on the concrete, however this also meant that those who did wear shoes stepped all over our feet.
Misty, making up some time for her team.
Musical Chairs.
Some people went all out.

I was one of 4 from my team entered in the Superman Race. This involved each of us putting on a superman cape, a helmet and big underwear, running across the area and switching with our other teammate on the other side. We had to run like superman, with our hands in the air. My team was in second place until our last runner lost the cape and did not realize, so we did not qualify.

In this race people had to dress up and push the tire down to the other side, and switch again.
Finally, my team entered me and 3 others in the eating contest. This was a huge step for me considering I do not like eating in front of people, and now I would be forced to stuff my face in a very unattractive way in front of 250 people. The contest was not like one I have seen on TV, but instead all 4 teammates had to do each station at the same time. Running between the stations we had to hold hands. Our first task was to wash our hands and face. Apparently this was to prevent the powder from sticking. The next station had a plate of powder on the floor that looked like flour and we had to blow the powder away to pick up the coins underneath it with our mouth. There was one coin for each teammate. As soon as you blew the powder it all came back in your face and when it mixed with the water it began to turn yellow. I could feel I had something all over my face, but it wasn’t until I looked at my teammates that I realized how ridiculous we looked. We grabbed hands, and with the money in between our lips we ran to the next station. Here was a whole watermelon, l cut up into 4 pieces. We all ripped it apart and started eating. I can honestly say I did not even notice any of the seeds. I was the first one done (thanks to being a fast eater) but ended up helping my teammates out by eating a quarter of theirs. On to the next station. Here was a bag of something, we ripped open the bag to find chili peppers, very long green beans, cabbage, and some kind of spicy noodle with unknown seafood species in it. I let my teammates dig away at the noodles after realizing how spicy it was, and I went for the rest. On to the next station. A whole chicken! We grabbed in and ripped it apart. I noticed my teammates were polite eaters so a lot of eyes were on me as I wolfed down the chicken, only half chewing the pieces. I seriously devoured half a chicken. It was so hard to eat it fast because I did not want it to come back up. Also, the chicken had a spicy kick to it that I had to be careful of. Finally, pop! We had to pour a liter of pop into cups and drink it. My teammates picked up some time here. Last station was to light a match and light our team’s candles. We weren’t thinking here as I pulled out one match at a time and we tried to light one candle. We should have grabbed a bunch and held all the candles together but when we thought of it, it was too late. It was hard to keep them going as the wind kept blowing them out.
Picking the coin out of the powder..
Wolfing down watermelon.
I am not sure what this was but it was incrediby spicy.

Stuffing my face with chicken. I ate that whole piece...sick.

Now this is a look that would take me places....I had no idea my face looked like this until I saw this picture. This is all from the powder. Pop time, finally to get the spice out my mouth.
Time to light the candles.

This whole get-up...just amazing.
At the end of the afternoon each team had to dance together for 5 minutes. This is our favorite security guard.

My team!The overall winner of the day was the yellow team, followed by the pink team, then my blue team and finally Misty’s red team.
Medals..the tire is classic.
In the afternoon I did my presentation for all of the teachers and the house parents at Mercy. I focused my presentation on working with Children with Autism, first describing what Autism is and then going into more detail on how we can communicate with these children. Thankfully my translator was very good in English and also had a medical background, so he was able to explain a lot of the technical terms. Some of the teachers and house parents could really relate and I was glad to see that some of the house parents in this building were taking notes. Overall it was a good presentation. I was asked to do another one in the future, so I will look into that. Maybe next time I will focus more on ADHD behaviors. One teacher expressed that they have students who are hyper and run away and when they come back they just get punished because they do not know what else to do with them.

In the evening we went back to the school for a dinner. All of the staff at Mercy were invited. We were escorted to a table at the front, where we sat with some other members of the PR staff. We had front row seats to all of the signing and the dancing throughout the evening. Everyone had a number for draws throughout the entire evening. It was nice to see practical things as prizes, such as irons, electric fans, kettles, and a TV.

The theme of the evening was a Chinese table, which means that everyone sits at round tables and are served 10 different main courses and 1 dessert. The food kept coming for 3 hours, and we were running out of room on the table. Some of the highlights were fish that was cooking over a flame on the table, as well as rice, some kind of soup and salads. By the time dessert came around I was too full to try it (especially considering I did eat half a chicken before lunch).

Nitaya and Yord were the MC’s of the evening so it made for some entertainment. At one point I heard my name mentioned, so I asked P.Nut to translate for me. Apparently she made a comment about the politeness of my eating during the eating contest…my guess is there was a hint of sarcasm there. I probably looked like an animal.

Two of our favorite staff from the Aids hospice, Yord and his friend have been telling us for months now that they sing karaoke. Well tonight they showed us what they can do…all I can say is WoW!! Misty and I were both very impressed, and think they should try out for idol. We recorded their whole performance.

We had a wonderful day, and today was one of those days where I wish my time here would never end. Everyone came together and it felt like one large family. The energy that was present all day was unlike anything I have ever seen. I said to Misty that if we had such an event in Canada it would be only a few people participating, and many people would not stay for the whole thing, cheering and yelling from the sidelines.

Another Day At Mercy

2008-05-19T05:49:00.000-07:00

Friday

We walked to Mercy this morning. I do not think it rained last night so it was an incredibly hot walk. The added weight of carrying around my laptop probably did not help. For my adult class in the morning we looked at a menu from the Dubliners in Bangkok. They were shocked at the prices, as it was more expensive than they would ever eat. This explains why you would never see a Thai person there, especially not someone from the slums. They were trying to argue that it would be cheap for Farangs, but I had to explain that even for us it was expensive.

After class Misty and I walked to the preschool, prepared for another lesson but also prepared with a back up plan just incase this preschool had a different group of children as well. However, we soon learned that we would not need to do either as the main gate of the school was locked. Although we did see children, they did not see us. We decided to head back to Mercy. On the walk back we stopped by a little café in the slums and ordered some smoothies. This place is a little secret of the slums and my strawberry yoghurt smoothie was amazing. If Heather and Carole are able to come back to Thailand next weekend, this will be a must stop for sure. In a way I am glad we did not stop here sooner as we would have stopped every week on the way home from preschool.

We visited some of the adults in the AIDS hospice. They asked us if we were staying for lunch today, but since I need to work on my presentation, Misty and I already planned on leaving before lunch. On our walk back to Soi 40 we stopped at a Kodak picture place and developed some of the pictures of us with the AIDS patients and some from Sister Joan on the milk run. We will bring the pictures back to them tonight, and hopefully see Sister Joan at sports day tomorrow. The pictures turned out great. I cannot wait to see more of them printed off as they show so much detail and the quality was excellent.

Momma is leaving on Tuesday. I cannot believe that I do not ha ve much time with her left. Some days she completely turned my day around. I do not know where her home province is, so I am not sure if it would be feasible for her to come and visit us. It is even harder to think that today is our last real day together, and I am instead working on my presentation.

Tomorrow Misty and I are participating in Sports Day, and Sunday we are going to do a Visa run to Cambodia. Our visa expires on the 20th, and we are not leaving for Laos until the end of the month, so we are in desperate need of a new stamp. Unfortunately this also means that we need to pay for a Cambodian visa just for the short time we enter the country, to leave Thailand and then have it stamped off as we exit. Frustrating because Misty and I will be traveling to Cambodia in July, but will then have to get another new visa. However, we do not really have any cheaper options, and if we do not get our visa renewed on time we could end up in jail. After seeing all of the books written about jail being compared to a living hell, I do not think that that is where I would like to end up, plus I am looking forward to going home.

In the evening we just taught our classes and then spent some time at the internet café.

Thursday Night Birthday Party @ Soi 40

2008-05-16T05:36:00.000-07:00

The boys started off their dinner by eatting chips, ice cream cake and juice. Here SiJie is serving some chips, as Misty looks on. The birthday boy himself....SPICY! (SiChon)
Sitting around the table..one big happy family.
SiChon and SiPhon. Spicy and his sister.

Serving their real supper. I usually scoop the rice.
Yumm...party!
These little guys just came over from the other building at Mercy. As soon as we saw them the first time they recognized us and have been more like leeches ever since.
Sorry these are not the most flattering pictures..but keep in mind it is like 100 degrees outside, and I was just running around trying to get everything ready on time.

Lots of good smiles going on here....

Gelong...laughing...at me. This was right after he motioned for me to sit down on the broken stool. I cannot even look at this picture without laughing.

Me and Folk, my little buddy. I feel like he is my son.

I am so glad that after all of the food was finished and their energy level reached its max, we could retreat back to our room. Piggy Back rides. You can just imagine this got tiring after a while. They wanted to have wars.
Brushing our teeth after the party. Tonight Folk came again for help, so I made a sticker rewards chart for him. Every so many stickers he will get a little treat. You can read more about this experience on the post below.
I do not know what we were talking about, but it looked quite serious. My guess "Do this again tomorrow night?" "ok"
Final touches...I felt so bad. His little teeth are starting to rot, like most of the children here. His teeth are also so small that he mostly brushes his gums, so it bleeds quickly.

We cleaned DQ out of Ice Cream Cakes!

2008-05-16T01:54:00.000-07:00

I spent most of my walk this morning, planning the week after my return to Canada. Yes, I know it is a little early to plan that, but it was more or less me imaging what I am going to do upon my return. So far I have planned lots of sleep, a visit to the hair dresser, washing all my clothes with the hottest water imaginable, buying a new pillow (I am leaving mine here…big step I know. Jess you’d be so proud), and showering and bathing about three times a day. This last one is only after I soak for a while in the ocean as per mom’s request. I do not even want to think about how dirty I am sure we really are considering our lack of a real shower. It is not that I am doing this huge cleaning ritual to cleanse myself of this whole experience; I just do not want to think of it EVERY time I look in the mirror, for other reasons other than the memories and the people. Also, my week will consist of me driving back and forth (both so I can enjoy my car again, and because it means I do not have to take a taxi) between mom and dad’s and Pat and Cliff’s, mostly just to enjoy their cooking.

My morning class went better than I had planned. I started off by describing all of the parts of a typical western menu, using Dubliner’s as an example. They asked questions throughout and gave their opinion on such things as why a spoon makes so much more sense to eat with than a fork, and why only the main course is sufficient as opposed to an appetizer, a main course AND a dessert. I also explained how Canada has a food guide and that we try to make our eating habits a reflection of this. To them that was completely unheard of. I also talked about some of the food safety rules, such as how meat should not be left out of the fridge for too long, how raw meat should never touch cooked meat and how you need to use a different plate. They understood some of the reasons behind this, but Thailand does not follow any of these practices, well people in the slums do not at least. But to many people in the slums, food can be the only thing they need to survive another day, whether that food has been sitting in the sun covered in flies, or thrown out in someone’s garbage.

Misty and I taught kindergarten today after not seeing them for two weeks. We were very excited to see them again, but it never occurred to us that we might have a whole new batch of children now that school started up again. We were very confident in our choice of shapes for a topic, and were excited that we finally picked a worksheet that they would be able to do. However, we quickly discovered that this new batch of children were not near the level of English as our other students have been, and we should have started right back at the beginning with the alphabet. The children giggled every time we said a word; as if it was the first English word they have ever heard. I am not sure how old they were but I am guessing around 4 years of age. Many of them were not familiar with the school routine as they were throwing around pencils and stealing crayons from each other. After we finished saying the alphabet and dancing to some of the songs on the CD, we decided to resort to the worksheets. However, when trying to explain them, we realized that it did not look like they were going to be a success by judging the look on the teacher’s faces. Instead we got the children to color the shapes. It is always good to practice their coloring, right?

Today I was talking to one of the house moms and she told me that Folk does not do a good job at brushing his teeth. Most of the younger children’s front teeth are rotten, if they are there at all. So I got John to translate to Folk that tonight we would brush our teeth together. I went down to get him after supper with my tooth brush and toothpaste, and we came back up in my room to brush our teeth together. Just as soon as we put toothpaste on our toothbrushes, there was a knock at the door, and we opened it to find one of the youngest kids, with a big smile on his face and a toothbrush in his hand. It was clear in the first few sections that it was not a matter of them not brushing them long enough, but rather a matter of not knowing what to do. We brushed for a few minutes together, and then I had to help him finish up. I felt so bad for them as their teeth were bleeding. Also, Folk started to freak out when he got tooth paste on his tongue, which was surprising because if you are brushing regularly that should not be unusual. The house moms asked that I teach all of the boys in the morning, so I think that is my next big mission. I didn’t realize that when we signed up to be English teachers here, it meant that we were teaching almost every possible skill to everyone; children how to brush their teeth, teaching adults how to work with children with special needs and teaching people how to order food in a restaurant.

From now on, I will try and brush them with these two whenever I am here. I wish we were around at the same time every evening so we could keep a sticker chart for them. They were very excited to come in our room as it is usually a ‘no-go’ zone, so hopefully that will also be another incentive to get them to brush. (I just picture them looking around the room and brushing as long as they can so they can check everything out.)

Nancy started to cry when we spoke to her this morning. She said that she has really missed us the last few days, as we have been so busy, that we have not been able to have lunch with them. I think there is a lot more going on in her head. She has been at Mercy for about a month now, and I imagine the honeymoon period is now over for her and she is beginning to realize that she has to live by the rules of Mercy, which are not too easy to adapt to after you have been on our own for so long. I think it is also hard for her to see all of her friends getting healthier and going home.

Momma is leaving next week. She is healthy enough to go home. Even though I am very happy for her, I am also quite sad. She asked if we could write letters back and forth, even if they will be in English and Thai, so we can find someone to translate them. Nancy also agreed to translate phone calls. Momma gave me a pair of blue cross earrings today.
Uma is also leaving in the next two weeks. It is kind of bitter sweet for him. He is excited to be going to see his family again, but he would also like to stay at Mercy. Before he came to Mercy he spent 2 years living on the streets after his wife kicked him out. It was while living on the streets that he came in contact with AIDS, through his unhealthy habits of drinking too much and experimenting with different types of drugs. When he was on these substances he did not make the wisest of choices. Thankfully all of the healthier AIDS patients are educated, like they were yesterday, on how to take better care of themselves.

Today I sat with Takatan while she licked away at her ice cream. We are trying to teach her how to be a lady; however I think we have a little more work to do. Yes, she is only 3 years old, but she tries. Today wearing her school uniform, Takatan spilled ice cream all over her skirt. Instead of wiping it off, she brought her skirt to her mouth and sucked it all, bearing herself to the world. We had a good laugh over it. She quickly learned that the key is to stand up and turn around so that when the ice cream drips it drips on the ground. I guess it is partially our fault too for giving her an ice cream in 100 degree weather.

SiJie got bit by a dog last night as soon as our taxi dropped her off. She got out a few meters away from Mercy and was bit as she was walking to the bus. We demanded that she see a doctor today, and she was given several injections. It looks like she is going to make it after all.

We had another party! This time we had the party for SiChon (Spicy) and his sister. This afternoon Misty and I went to Carrefour to buy 4 ice cream cakes. Dairy Queen was happy to see us come, and they were laughing the whole time. I am not sure if the workers understood why we would want 4 cakes, but it was an experience that is for sure, especially since it was only a small little vendor in the mall. Also, we basically cleaned them out of ice cream cake.

We tried to find chips that the children would like, so we went for more fishy kinds, such as seaweed, crab flavored, and spicy something. We also got some juice packs and fruit for all of the children. We left it in the large freezer at Mercy, so when we were finished teaching we could take it straight to the boys. They were so excited as it was a surprise for all of them. However, the ice cream was beginning to melt, so we had to eat it before supper (I do not think they minded) but it sure did spoil their supper. Two of the youngest boys were so full on ice cream and chips that they did not want supper. Oops. Oh well, as long as it doesn’t happen every day.

Tonight during the party Gelong asked me to come sit beside him. Some of the other boys asked as well but I already agreed that I would sit beside Galong and Folk. Turning down another stool I walked to the end of the table and sat down. However, I probably should have checked first as I sat on the broken stool and quickly fell to the ground. Gelong laughed soo hard! His mouth was open as wide as his face. He laughed for about 3 minutes straight and even an hour after the incident he was still telling people about it. I am glad I was able to do something for their amusement.

Misty and I are laughing right now as we were just commenting on how the boys are all likely going to have diarrhea tonight because of the milk products. Yes they eat ice cream but not likely ever this much. However, I am sure that even they would agree that it was worth it.

Tonight SiJie reminded me that my Autism presentation was moved to this Saturday. I think I should probably get off of this and start preparing for it. I am at Mercy right now, so I will post some pictures from the evening as soon as I get to an internet cafe.

The Silent Killer

2008-05-14T19:31:00.000-07:00

First off, I’d like to apologize for not getting this up a little earlier. Unfortunately, this may become a pattern as our wireless modem was needed, so now we are back to nothing. We have access to the internet at Mercy but it is purposely slowed down so that the children do not spend all of their time surfing the internet. I’d say the idea works, because we do not even want to bother with it. Also, more than 50 computers are hooked to the same server, so that also causes a delay in the response time. So it is back to the internet café for us. Even though it is right down the street, we do not always have time to get to it. But I promise I will try my best.

In my morning class we read and analyzed a newspaper article from the Bangkok Post about Burma. Some of the words were quite hard to translate but we made it through. I was surprised by the deep questions my students asked, and the great observations they made. For example “How does the UN know how many people died if they are not allowed to cross the border?” or “Why is the meeting with all of the leaders of the Asian Countries not until the end of next week? Don’t they need immediate help?”

My students also asked that we focus on ordering in restaurants and reading a menu in a future class. Last Friday they went to an Italian Restaurant for lunch and were completely lost when they received the menu. In Thailand usually one meal is sufficient; they do not have appetizers, a main course and then dessert. We conversed a little more and then one of the students asked me if we had Swiss Chard where I live. I thought it was quite a funny question to ask, but I said yes. So he asked if it was in all restaurants or just the more expensive ones. How is one to answer this? Misty and I were just looking at each other, wondering where this question was coming from (Misty joined our class today because hers was cancelled). Well it wasn’t until a few minutes into the conversation that I realized he was actually asking if we had service charges! Now everything made for sense. In Thailand, if you go to a fancier restaurant, 7% VAT is added to our bill, but tipping is still at your discretion and is not required. I am not sure if Thai people tip, because I have never really seen it. Usually I only see farangs tipping, in restaurants that are geared towards their taste buds.

We decided to stay around for lunch. We spent some time with the children who have not gone back to school yet and then went upstairs to the staff cafeteria. On the menu today was rice, fish, some kind of cabbage soup, cucumber and pears for dessert. Most of the fruit comes through donated shipments that we receive from Australia. The fish was prepared the typical way, salted and fried, still with bones and eye balls. I picked away at it, and was pretty proud of myself when it was mostly fish bones left, and the head. However, the computer lab technician was quick to come show me that you can eat the head too. I could not handle seeing him chew the eyeball. Yucky. Picking the fish away from the bones was a challenge when I first came here, and now it is like nothing to me. However, I will not be eating fish heads. I do not think the staff mind though, as it means they can have a second.

We went to the Dubliner for supper as it was ladies night and ladies can order anything on the menu for half price. We especially enjoyed it because we can use our VIP discount on top of that, so a pretty high-so meal ended up being quite reasonable. The power went off at least 7 times because of the rain, so there were moments when we were sitting completely in the dark. I had a very western selection, an Irish version of chicken pot pie. It was okay, but I could not finish it all. Even though we eat a lot of Thai food, it does not fill you up with the same kind of carbs that western food does. We talked a bit with the manager and then we were off. We went to Emporium, the high-so shopping mall down the street, to look for the children’s artwork that is now on display there. But even after asking for help at 3 different information booths we were unable to find it. We ran into one of the sponsors from Mercy and he tagged along with us for a little while. It is funny that we always end up meeting someone that we know there.

We priced out a few birthday cakes for the party tomorrow. I think we are going to end up going with a DQ cake, as it is the cheapest cake here and buying 2 will still be within our budget after we factor in all the rest of the party food.

I should also mention that my presentation on working with Children with Special Needs has been moved to this Saturday because all of the preschool teachers from the 29 preschools will be at the sports day, and after the activities are over they have a meeting. So instead of having everyone come together again, I will be presenting at their meeting. I am a little nervous now as there will be upwards of 100 people in attendance. I am not sure if the house parents will also be in attendance. I have found a translator who is able to translate, especially with all of the technical words. I probably should get started on that. I asked to only present for an hour, which in reality would be about 30 minutes of information, translated. This will also leave some time for questions at the end.

We walked to and from Mercy in a total of 3 times today. Even though the walk is quite long (from Walmart to the old Chinese Restaurant in Amherst) the length of it never really occurs to me. Only sometimes I mind the heat. Walking to Mercy is my time to think and is usually spent in silence, with Misty and I saying very few words to each other, but mostly becoming tangled in our own thoughts. On the way, I pass by street vendors, auto part shops, a metal work shop and a string of carpentry type shops. The closer I get to the heart of the slums, the poorer the shops become. One has a lot to think about on this walk; the different lives these people lead, the amount of physical labor they do, wonder when their work day starts and ends, as many times they seem to be working no matter what time of day you go by. The Thai sort of RedBull probably helps. Without showing any sign of tiredness, I wonder how their bodies are able to keep going.

As I walk into the slums I pass countless vendors, selling their foods that have undoubtedly been sitting in the heat for a few days. I smile as I walk by a child, waiting at a vendor with her mother, wearing nothing but a shirt and a diaper. The diaper, a good sign as it is so rare here. No shoes covered her feet, which is hard to think about considering all of the filth and garbage that is lying on the ground. Walking further into the slums I am approached by an AUDI automobile, and I am not in the least bit surprised to see the driver from Mercy with a white man in the passenger seat; one of the many who come here thinking they are getting the real experience and making a difference; however only donating money and taking more than they are giving in return. Sometimes I feel like they should live more like the children when they come here; walking to and from where they are to where they want to be, or relying on the local transportation. Instead their every wants and needs are catered to, much to the disadvantage of the children and the staff.

It is hard to imagine that everyone and everything in the slums are illegally inhabiting the land. Nobody who lives here has the rights to their land (in the slums) and in a matter of time, many of these shacks could easily be destroyed. For all of these people, this is the only choice they have, and inside those small roomed shacks are the only things they own. Once again I am reminded of how devastating slum fires are.

One thing that always amazes me is that the children can usually retain the smile on their faces. However, one does not have to look too hard to see the loss of innocence and childhood that many of these children have been robbed of. Their eyes tell stories that even I am too afraid to completely understand. I try, but I do not think anyone could ever achieve a complete understand unless they have lived it themselves. Yet, they continue to get up in the morning and carry on, as if the world has never disappointed them.

This morning I watched the adults in the AIDS hospice listen to a presentation on living and dealing with AIDS. I did not understand much of it, but the visuals helped a little. The adults asked a lot of questions and seemed to be really engaged. It was only the healthier ones who took part. It is hard to imagine that the others may never come back to the stage where they will learn how to take care of themselves when they are back on their own. For many of them, they are headed down another path, and there is no turning back. I slowly watch as some of the adults fade away into a vegetative state. Their bodies are nothing but skin and bones, and they lye in their beds all day, waiting for time to pass; knowing their end draws very near. Today I learned that AIDS does not kill people, but it is the infections that come with AIDS, after their bodies can no longer fight the enemy, that kills people. People die. As much as we want to deny this or pretend it does not actually happen, it does. It happens in Thailand, it happens in Mercy, and it happens in Canada. Today momma showed me pictures of when she was healthy. Her hair was longer, she was larger and healthier looking. Sadly, I did not even notice how unhealthy she looks now until I looked at a picture of what she used to look like before she got sick. I often walk around the hospice and wonder what many of them were like before AIDS took over their lives.

I am afraid. I am afraid to look into their eyes and to feel all of the emotion they are feeling. As much as I try to acknowledge them, the ones who are really really sick, I find it so hard. I want to show them that I care, and that I know, but I cannot engage in eye contact long enough. Their eyes are sunken, and their face shows worry, fear, and sometimes even the look of death, or what I would imagine the look of death to be like. I cannot look into their eyes for I fear that I will not be able to handle all of the answers and all of the pain they pass on to me in that exchange. I cannot look into their eyes for I do not have the strength, but I try every single day. Each day I get a step closer, whether I walk into the worst part of the hospice to serve lunch wearing a mask, or whether I say hello as I pass by some of their beds, I try.

Life at Soi 40

2008-05-13T03:53:00.000-07:00

Spicy, checking to see if his laundry is finished spin drying, before he gives it to Bird to hang up. The water that runs to the washing machine needs to be manually turned on. Depending on the water pressure, determines how quickly it will fill up.
This is the laundry area, outside on the second floor. There are poles hanging from the ceiling where we hang laundry and two smaller drying racks. In the picture is Bird, hanging up some clothes.

Here is the washing area for many of the boys, and also the area where laundry is handwashed.
Ready to be spun dry, and hung.
Seems like every boy owns a pair of these. My guess is that it was a donation.
Bird hanging up the laundry.

This is the door that we use to enter the building. It is quite heavy to slide.

Misty...as we are locked out of the building she decides the only way to save the milk is to drink it.
A view down our street.
Bird and Spicy
Our washing machine. Sorry these are out of order, I do not really have any control over it.

Back to School shopping anyone? Seems a lot easier when you do not have much choice.

Our neighbors
This is the shop across the street. I have never seen this man with a shirt on. He always gives a friendly smile.
I usually wake to the sounds of this in the morning, and sometimes wonder if I am home.
Home sweet home. Immediately above Misty is our room.

How do you translate “Diddle, Diddle?” – Misty

2008-05-13T03:51:00.000-07:00

As you notice from the title of this blog, the problem with teaching a second language is that they want every world they do not understand to be explained. So when choosing your work for the day, you have to be careful to make sure that you can explain every word, which is not the case for many nursery rhymes.

Even though I have not always admitted it, I am proud to have grown up on a farm. One thing I have learned is that the experiences of living on a farm help me survive being in another country. You may be wondering why I was reminded of this today. Well, on the walk to Mercy this morning I passed by one of the foulest smells I have ever experienced. I still have no idea what it was, but the flies were sure attracted to it. It is just nice to be able to put a name to the awful smells with things that remind me of home, so they are more bearable. (notice I said bearable here, and not enjoyable). For example, the smell of slaughtering chickens, cow manure, and moth balls.

Today we made a new schedule for the month of June. It is frustrating to keep changing our schedule when we just get used to the old one, but we do not have much of a choice since the children are all back in school. We will still be teaching the adult classes in the morning, but now we will not start class again until 4 in the afternoon and teach until 6. We figured out a way that we can get all of students in those two hours, but that it would require that all 3 of us teach our own classes at the same time every night. I will continue to teach Plaew after she comes back from school. She is the 5 year old niece of one of the PR staff. I will also teach Lek, Boome and Dew. Misty and I are splitting this second class, so really I will mostly be teaching Lek. However, she can be difficult to motivate, and it is very tiring for one person to continue to keep her on top of things, so together we can decide who is going to teach who. Apparently, I am the best one to keep her working, despite the language barrier. I wonder if that should be taken as an insult or a compliment. J It was hard to decide who was teaching who because there are some students who make teaching enjoyable, and others are a little more challenging. However, we based it on their current English level, with SiJie teaching the students who have a lower level of English, so she can incorporate Thai when there is a need to explain something, and Misty and I can work on higher level learning with the others. The ones SiJie will be teaching are still at the level where they are learning more basic things such as the terms brother-in-law, nouns, verbs, etc.

We will also be only teaching one preschool now, by our choice. We moved the preschool class to the beginning of the week so we will have more energy, and be better prepared. We decided to stop teaching the other preschool and leave our morning free so we can go with Sister Joan on the milk run. We have only had the opportunity to go once when we first arrived, but it has been by far one of the most rewarding experiences we have had here so far. The milk run is usually every second Friday, and we go into two communities in the slum and deliver powdered milk to those families who have children less than a year old. Caregivers receive bonuses if they bring their children with them. These can be anything from diapers to fruits and vegetables, whatever has been donated. The milk run is mostly operable based on donations from the Australian Women’s Group. They are always in need of constant donations to help keep it running.

The milk run is one of the best ways to see the harsh realities of living well below the poverty line. You see line ups of families who cannot even provide the most basic necessities to their newborn children, and who are just struggling to survive. The milk is distributed using a numbering system, so everything is recorded; who got what, when. Unfortunately, along with such system comes rules and guidelines. Once children reach their first birthday (which we pray that most will) they will not longer be able to receive the benefits. It is just not possible to continue to supply the service with limited donations, and so many families who need them to survive. Also, the birth certificate of each child needs to be shown. A family is only given one or two chances to bring it in, and if they continue to come back without it, they will be denied milk until it is shown. I am not sure the exact reasoning for this, but it is not the highlight of Sister Joan’s job; turning away a mother and her child, when they are clearly in need.

When we finished working today it was way too hot to attempt to walk home, and since the sawngthaews are near impossible to locate during the day we decided to take a motorbike taxi home. They have a spot right outside Mercy where they sit all day and wait for people to come. You see them throughout Bangkok. We are quite lucky here as they know exactly where to bring us and we know the set rate.

However, today was not my typical ride home because I was wearing a skirt and it is obviously not too appropriate to straddle the seat, so I had to sit side-saddle. It is more common for girls in Thailand to sit this way, but I never attempted it until today. Now I know why. I think sitting this way is designed more for shorter people as I had to constantly be aware of where my foot was because it was only about an inch off the ground. This was especially important during sharp turns or speed bumps. Also, it was important to hang on for dear life (which I definitely did) and to try and balance as best as I could. Turning on to the main street I thought I was going to fall off backwards, which would be incredibly terrible as we did not have helmets on. Also, riding on the back of a motorbike as it passes a car straight on in oncoming traffic is not always my idea of a good time, but it got my heart pumping for sure. Will I take a motorbike again? Definitely. Will I sit with both feet off to the same side? No way!

After having an extra long afternoon nap, our plans for the afternoon were quickly ruined when we were headed outside and it started down pouring sheets of rain. In Thailand, when it rains, it rains (well I know this is the case everywhere, but you know what I mean). It is so heavy that it is the rain that you have the wipers on as fast as you possibly can and still not be able to see the road. Usually it will rain heavy for a few minutes and then completely stop as if nothing happened. It’s the strangest thing. The streets collect enough water that even hours later you can tell it rained. Technically it is not monsoon season yet, so we should be expecting a lot more rain in the coming months.

Most of the boys here are back in school now; everyone except Bird who was home alone again today. He does not start until tomorrow. They are back to their routine of waking up in the wee hours of the morning, around 5, and then going to bed at 8 pm. Their clothing area is in the room outside of our room, so we hear them getting dressed and ready for school in the mornings. This morning I was awaken to them saying their morning prayers. They go on for quite a while; I wish I could understand the words.

As side note: I will be doing a presentation on working with children with special needs May 25th. The presentation will take place in the afternoon, and will be geared mostly to house parents and teachers. If you are in the area and would like directions, call my cell.
I hope to see you all there.

Even though we are fully aware that lice is a very common part of life here at Mercy, and here in the slums, I never really saw much of it, besides the ‘lice pickers’ we walk by. By lice pickers I mean people who are searching the hair of their family and friends with a pair of tweezers, and pulling out what they find. Today when we were talking to one of the girls, Misty noticed lice crawling around in her hair. Thankfully I did not notice it. I am also thankful that we live with the boys, who keep their hair relatively short, and also that if worse comes to worse I came prepared, thanks to mom. Feeling Itchy?

Misty and I’ve found some entertainment. Today while going through one of the magazines at work while I waited for my class, I found a full page shot of Wentworth Miller. We brought him home, and he is currently sitting between us on our bed. Whether he will stay here, or we will find another more appropriate location for him, I do not know, but I am sure it is quite the sight. Misty – “ Whether we create a shrine for him in our room or not….”

Well folks, that’s all for now. I miss you all, and can’t wait to come home for some hot water, a nice shower, lack of lice, fresh farm smelling air, and momma bear’s delicious home cooking.

Sawatdee Ka (Hello in Thai, said by a female)

2008-05-12T06:44:00.000-07:00

Sunday Update:

When Misty and I were at the internet café we received a phone call from SiJie, saying that the boss called and invited us for dinner. We had to leave immediately. Since we had not planned on going anywhere too public immediately after leaving the shop, and since it was pouring rain, we turned up at Father Joe’s looking very much like drowned rats.

One thing we learned very quickly is that you NEVER turn down a dinner invitation from Father Joe. The food is always superb, the drinks do not stop flowing, and the guests are usually well known celebrity like people.

Tonight we had lobster, shrimp and asparagus, curried duck, some sort of stir-fry, fish, and rice of course. The lobster was nothing like lobster at home and looked more like oversized prawns, however it was quite tasty. I especially enjoyed the Swensen’s ice cream, which I can never turn down. I don’t know Scotsburn, I think you have some very tough competition. There was also plenty of fruit to go around.

It’s funny, I have never met so many important people in my life, yet I have never been so unprepared in my life. Just imagine…“Yep we dumped cold water on ourselves today in an attempt to shower, grabbed whatever clothes we had clean, and went out for dinner with a world famous photographer.” I’m sure we are a sight sometimes.

Guests of honor were former Mercy children who have since gone on to International Schools to study, met their husbands and are now living around the world. Mercy Success Stories. Many of them have not seen each other in 14 years. Also, there was a man named Lee who has been staying at Mercy for a few days. He is well known in computer science and he runs a company that looks after putting computers into rural farming areas in developing countries. Most of the technology is used to try and improve the communities, and allowing rural families to continue their operations despite the challenges they face from global warming and other environmental effects. Giving Laos as an example, Lee spoke of how many of the families have lived and worked the land for thousands of years. However, with all of the changes in the environment families are now dealing with bugs and soil that is a lot different than hundreds of years ago. With this technology they can draw pictures of the bugs that are eating their sugar cane for example, and ‘chat’ or share ideas with other local farmers, whether it is in the next community or the next country.

We had a wonderful debate about incorporating technology into rural communities. It does not make sense for families to have access to a computer to communicate with other people when they do not even have their own well. Also, you cannot put a computer in the hands of someone who is so desperate for money that they dig down to the buried wires that are used to link the towns, to steal a foot of copper that they will sell.

I have been reminding myself of a heated debate we had both online and in Technology class this semester. People were saying that it is not fair that some schools are equipped with a couple of computers per classroom, and other people were complaining that they do not even have more than 5 computers in the whole school. The debate then went on to say how some communities are so poor…blah blah blah. I guess those who complained about only a few computers per school should take a trip over here where many of our preschools do not even have enough paper and pencils for each child, the children do not have desks or chairs to sit on, and sometimes a whole school is housed in a small shack like building, which is just bursting at the seams with children.

It is still raining out now, it has been raining for the most of the day. The rain made our bath water very cold today. Even now I am still wearing jeans trying to warm up. I cannot wait for a hot shower, whenever that will be.

As many of you are aware, Burma is a mess right now. I spoke with my friend Nick who works at the Canadian Embassy here in Thailand. We do not have an embassy in Burma so he has been extremely busy. However, they have located many Canadians, and they are able to get them out of the country. Thailand has become a base where people and aid are being stockpiled, in hopes that they will soon allow the border to open. Unfortunately Burma is so corrupt that it is very likely that the aid will not get to those in need. Instead people will continue to die of starvation while those in the government and law enforcement will gain. Please pray for the people of Burma who have been affected by this disaster, and let us hope that those in power will make the best decisions for the people of Burma.

My time here feels very limited now. The last month has flew by very quickly. We said good bye to one of our coworkers on Friday who is leaving to take a course in the states. It was a sad goodbye because she is one of the staff we are the closest to, and who also helps us communicate with others. Before we know it we will also be saying good bye to SiJie who will be leaving on the 8th of June. Thankfully with all of these goodbyes, we will have a nice hello, when Misty’s mother and sister arrive. We have been planning for their arrival, looking into hotels for them to stay as well as find activities and sites to take them to. We have plans to visit the most Southern part of Thailand when they come and spend some time soaking up the sun on the world renowned beaches. Most of these scenes are the ones you see when people think of Thailand, the paradise.

After they depart we only really have a little over a week here and then it will be time for us to head home too. I look forward to seeing my friends and family again, but I know this will be a messy goodbye. I hope to continue my relationship with the Mercy Centre upon my return, trying to find more sponsors so we can send more children to school, as well as to raise awareness about what is happening on the other side of the world. Some day I will return to Mercy, I have to. Whether that is years from now, or in the very near future I don’t know. Whether I will be coming back as a visitor, or whether I will have another role I also do not know, but my heart will not say good bye to Mercy or to the children when I leave, or ever.

Monday

We just took it easy today. We have Monday’s off and they usually end up being our ultimate day of rest and relaxation. We spent most of the morning just hanging out in our room. I watched some tv with one of the boys. It was perfect for both of us, as the movie was in English with Thai subtitles. Then Misty and I went to get some much needed groceries and CDs to start burning our pictures on disk. We searched two of the largest supermarkets for a CD case to hold all of our CDs. I didn’t realize it would be near impossible to just find a plain black case that had nothing to do with Hello Kitty, Winnie the Pooh or some kind of other characters. Finally we were able to settle one that we would peel the cartoons off later.

We took the bus home, and the bus driver was kind enough to slow down to let me off. I never jumped off a moving bus before with both arms full of groceries. It was like a scene right out of speed.

We were surprised to find that we were locked out of the building upon our return. This would not have been a big deal, except that it was hot out and we had a lot of milk products that needed to go in the fridge. We called work, and apparently two of our boys were in the building. We rang the door bell numerous times, and the men who work in the shop across the street were yelling in Thai to the boys. I walked around back and there was Bird and Spicy, chilling in the laundry section. As soon as they saw me they knew what we needed so they ran downstairs and let us in. We do not know where any of the staff were, and it was quite strange for the boys to be home alone. However, we made the best of the situation by sitting outside together, helping each other finish up the laundry and snacking on some chips.

As Misty and I were finishing our last load of laundry, Bird and Spicy decided to take a bath. They filled a pail of water beside where we were using the washing machine and stripped down and started washing themselves. It was pretty funny as they were not ashamed of anything. At one point Spicy decided to pee behind the curtain, however by hiding himself from us, he was showing himself to the rest of the world. I think it was more of an awkward situation for Misty and I, than for them.

I am bothered. I mentioned in a previous post that the house parents do not allow Bird to go to the villa with the other boys, and this obviously upsets him. Then today when I came home in the middle of the afternoon he was alone with Spicy who is basically blind. I do not see how it is okay for them to leave him home alone here in a locked building, or out in the middle of nowhere with staff and other children. I am going to make certain that I touch on some of these issues during my presentation on Autism and how to work with children with special needs. I am going to focus a little bit on Down Syndrome as well, as it may help aid the house parents with the care of Gelong.

We went to our favorite street vendor restaurant for supper. It looked like they were getting ready to close, but waved us in and motioned for us to sit down. Misty and I go there so often, that it is has gotten to the point that they start cooking when we sit down, and do not even need to take our order anymore, as they always know what we want. I guess it wouldn’t be too hard to remember, since I am sure we are the only two farangs who dine there, or even walk along this street.

After dinner we went to the market outside of Carrefour. Another unsuccessful shopping trip. Shopping in Asia is basically hopeless, unless you are a size 0. Everything is one size, seriously, but has elastic around the chest or waist to make it fit. Most places will not even allow you to try on the clothes because if you are Asian, it should fit you. I feel bad for people who are slightly larger than everyone else. However, they always have the option of going to one of the vendors that likes to say “we have big size.” What a nice boost to a girl’s self esteem. If you ever want to feel like the friendly giant, this is the place to be.

That is about all the news I have for now. I burned pictures to CD’s today and so far I have about 17 CDs full. So for those of you who have been asking if I have taken more pictures besides the ones I post, the answer is yes. Thankfully between the two of us we split on 50 CDs, so hopefully that will do us until we leave.

Good Night!

Jodie

Cartoon Featuring Misty

2008-05-11T03:27:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

I told you in a previous post that Misty's camera has been featured in the Coast in Halifax after it was drawn by a cartoonist. Here is a copy of it for those of you who missed it.

Enjoy!

Nothing beats cold pizza for breakfast, not even Corn Flakes

2008-05-11T02:33:00.000-07:00

WORLD MUSIC, WORLD BBQ - Bangkok, Thailand.I wish I could say I taught them everything they know, but I cannot even get the position of the hand down for Thai dancing.

Dew
Rose
Cherri Rose

This is my boss, Nitaya, and one of the PR staff, Nut.
Our girls performing on the stage.

Boome
Preparing for the show. She did all of the hair and make up for all of the girls.

Dew and Boome, two of our scholarships students that Misty and I teach every day.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!! I hope you have a wondeful day mom, wish I was there with you.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

I was greeted this morning with a nice sweaty hug from Gelong. Even though it was not that pleasant to get a sticky hug, it felt very rewarding. It is good to have him back as he has been away for summer holiday.

I began my morning with a refreshing conversation with someone back home who actually ‘gets it.’ Even though I am excited to come home, I am worried that I may have trouble connecting with people as I think a lot differently now. It is hard to explain, but I think that the only people who will really understand are people who have also experienced the same things either in their own lives, or with people close to them. Thank you for the conversation, and venting session. :)

We spent most of the day doing laundry. Laundry is such a long process here. Even though there is a washing machine, it is very rare that you have enough running water to fill it, so we usually end up filling it with buckets of water that we fill at the same time. The washing machine just spins the clothes but does not rinse them when it is finished. We have to manually open the valve to let the water drain and also to fill the washer or set the spin cycle. After the clothes spun around enough we take them in small amounts and put them in the spin dryer. To get the soap out we turn the water on and switch it so it runs through the dryer part and goes through our clothes. After there does not appear to be anymore soap coming out of the hose we let it spin so it is almost dry and then we hang it. It usually takes about 45 minutes for a wash, 45 minutes for us to rinse and spin dry the wash and by the time we are done with the last items the first ones are already air dried. Usually it takes a whole day to go through all of our clothes, which we do about every 2 weeks.

I was pretty mad today. Bird, one of the boys who I suspect has Autism was very upset. The boys from the villa came to Soi 40 after mass to have lunch. We went out to one of the street vendors to eat with one of the house parents. When we came back Bird was crying on his bed. He is always so upset when the boys are here because he wants to go back to the villa with them and they will not let him. I understand that he is a little more challenging, but he usually entertains himself, which is a characteristic of Autism. However, their argument is that they do not have the proper care or attention for him there. My argument is that they do not have it here for him either. Most of the time he is just out casted or left on his own. There would be no difference if he was alone there or alone here. Hopefully with my educational session on Autism, that I will be presenting, all of the staff will understand him better and feel more comfortable working with him, including those at the villa.

It is so strange to think that the boys already understand the concept of money and trading. Today when doing laundry, SiJie witnessed two of the boys come into the room where they sleep. One child gave the other child 50 baht in exchange for a small toy, and just as quick as the exchanged occurred it was over and both boys quietly walked out of the room like nothing just happened. You may be wondering where the boys would get this kind of money from (50 baht is equivalent to around $1.50 CDN, which can provide 2 big meals at a street vendor). The boys are given 20 baht each day from Mercy. What they chose to do with the money is up to them, whether they want to spend it on a 7 baht songtheaw drive to and from school, a snack at school, or save it for future purposes.

The children here are very smart. The other day when SiJie was teaching our preschool class she had the honor to join the ‘gossip group’ at the lunch table. Three girls were talking. One child says “Do you know the price of the rice went up?” Another replies “Ya, I heard it was 80 Baht per kilo.” Another again “No, it is 90 Baht per kilo now. So we have to finish all of this rice.” SiJie, having a few small pieces left of rice on her plate was told “Your plate is not clean; you have to finish all that rice, rice is expensive now!” A pretty interesting lunch conversation for three 5- year- olds, don’t you think?

Here is another funny story to tell you. The other day when we took some of the children for ice cream and a drink at McDonald’s, Folk asked for a special kind of milk shake. Folk was so excited about everything on the menu and wanted it all. To make it fair we would only allow the boys to get a drink and an ice cream. After Folk was finished eating he asked again for a hamburger. Remembering Vanessa gave him about 40 Baht before she left, we told him that if he really wanted a hamburger he could buy it with that money. Folk goes over to the counter, asks how much a hamburger would cost and decided he did not want one anymore. When he turned back to the table we asked him why he decided against it, as he had enough money for it. His response “It is too expensive.” Amazing that a 7 year old understands the concept of money. I bet he would have went for that hamburger if we paid for it. J

This afternoon we went to Central World, which is a high-so shopping mall to watch the girls perform. The festival was the World Music Festival. There were entertainers from all over the world, and vendors selling food from all over as well. I had chicken kabobs from Australia. We looked for a Canadian booth, but there wasn’t any. Canada we are disappointed. I wonder what kind of food would really represent Canada anyways. The girls did great, however I was beginning to wonder if their Thai dance was more of a rain dance, as it started raining towards the end of their routine.

After their performance the MC asked them to talk about Mercy. The host described Father Joe as “God’s little brother.” One of the girls described Mercy as her home and that Father Joe was the most important person in her life. Their answers were very touching, despite the fact that SiJie had to translate them into English for us. We can only assume she translated correctly. I am so glad we went to watch the girls perform. Out of the eight girls, six of them were our students. Dew was very nervous with the camera. We could really joke around with Boome as she is not a girly girl and here she was wearing a traditional Thai costume and lots of make up. Boome is the type of girl who does not care about what other people think. When she first started at the International School a little over a month ago, she decided she did not want to wear the skirts that all of the girls at school wear, so when she was buying her school uniform, she bought pants. She told us that she is the only girl in the school that wears pants, and she does not care. Many comments have been made to her for being a Tom Boy, and that she was a lesbian. But Boome continues to wear her pants to school and to hold her head up high. The other day she came home to tell us that she thinks one of the girls in her class has a crush on her because “she looks at me the way only girls should look at guys.” We all had a good laugh about that, even confident Boome.

After our boss sent the girls back home she joined us for a few beer. We met the Israel Ambassador who is also a sponsor at Mercy. We were entertained my music from the Natives as well as several dancers. There was a vendor there from Hong Kong who was selling Chinese food. Misty and I were a little surprised to see that the pork he was serving still looked very much like a baby pig, ears and all. Don’t worry guys, I definitely took a picture of this one for you. We tried some delicious Thai desserts, but the name left me as soon as I heard it, sorry. Whatever it was, it was good. We also tried some kind of fried fish eggs, which had the fishiest taste I’ve ever experienced. I think it was one of those things that you can say you tried, but that’s about as far as that will go for me.

Sunday May 11, 2008

I couldn’t sleep last night. I don’t know why, but I kept waking up all night. This morning I decided I couldn’t lay in bed any longer so I played around on the computer for a bit, wishing we had a better internet connection.

We spent most of the day in bed, watching movies and listening to the rain outside. We also made some plans for our upcoming month. We have been planning on going to Laos at the end of the month, but our visa will expire 7 days before we go. Since we are flying to Laos we will be fined at the airport for staying in the country too long, which could end up costing us 500 Baht a day. Our best bet is to travel out of the country and renter on a tourist stamp, so tomorrow we are traveling to Cambodia for a visa run. SiJie went today and said it was a terrible experience where people were demanding that she pay money. Also the 100 baht bus ride was only 100 baht for Thai people, and she was required to pay the 200 baht foreigner fare. Thankfully she went today and took pictures of the place so we know what to expect when we go tomorrow. We did not travel together as we did not realize this morning that our visa expires so soon. We also have the option of going to Laos earlier but that would mean we miss a whole week off work and we need to leave next weekend which is not an option. This Thursday we are throwing a birthday party for one of the boys, with financial help from some sponsors. Also, Saturday is the Staff sports day which we have been told about since we arrived here, and it is a day not to be missed.

I started burning our pictures to CD’s today. However, I was unable to finish as we have way more pictures than CD space. Looks like we may be paying a visit to Tesco in the near future. I just fear that we may come in contact with a virus at one of the internet cafes and lose all of our pictures.

Tonight we plan on going out for a nice supper, I’m craving something very healthy.

Ice Cream, Pizza and Beer

2008-05-11T02:31:00.000-07:00

American Ambassador This is the Ambassadors wife, and my student Fai. She is the little celebrity of Mercy 6.

The Ambassador, his wife and 2 of our children. The boy in the picture is an amazing painter.
Also in this picture are Father Joe and Pi Usannee.
Their car sure stuck out in the slums.

Security was tightened that day. This is the head of security giving some of the guards a little prep talk.

Sorry for the delay, we have both been very busy.

Thursday

Hello All,

I do not have much news from Thursday. Misty and I switched our day with the other volunteer so we basically had the day off. We only taught our morning class and than came home and slept. We spent the afternoon getting groceries and working on the internet.

After watching a movie we went to bed early.

Friday

Today was a big day at Mercy. The American Ambassador came to visit. I did not realize how big of a deal it was until I saw extra security all wearing black randomly lining the streets. The Ambassador arrived around 10 am, and traffic was completely stopped until the ambassador’s car arrived at Mercy and he walked from his vehicle to the building. He visited for about an hour. Unfortunately the PR staffs were arranging the office, so we did not have much of a chance to see him. However, Misty was able to sneak out and get a few pictures. Also, Father Joe asked for our contact information so he could pass it on to the Ambassador tonight, so we can meet him for coffee in the near future.

Most of our classes were cancelled or students did not show. Misty and I walked all the way to the preschool only to find that the gate was locked. I guess the preschool had a holiday today. We were a little sad to not see them as we did not see them last week either, however it allowed us to get back to Mercy and spy on the Ambassador.

Misty has been teaching English too long, she has begun talking to me in the slow choppy speech we often find ourselves using to communicate with people here. Today she asked me “I – am – going – to – office – you- want – to – come?” I think she quickly realized her mistake when I gave her a very nice smile and replied “I-speak-English –too.”

We spent a lot of time with the adults in the AIDS hospice today, joining them for a wonderful lunch and then helping them to prepare a Thai dessert, sago. I did not recognize a lot of the ingredients. The dessert is definitely not easy to make, beginning with grinding the spices, kneading the sago until it is soft and sticky, flattening it, adding whatever we cooked together on the propane and then rolling it into little balls and steaming it. We had a good time dancing, taking pictures (I cannot post because of privacy for the AIDS patients, sorry), and singing. It was nice to see everyone work together and also to see Momma shine in the spot light. It is not hard to tell that she has always been a very hard working woman.

Before Momma got AIDS she was a super woman. She did manicures, did make up for opera shows, sold things, prepared meals and raised her 32 year old son on her own. However, at 51 years of age, momma’s boyfriend of 7 years was not as faithful as Momma would have thought and he brought AIDS home after running around on her.

We spent a lot of our free time with the AIDS patients, both the children and adults. The adults have become like a close group of friends or family with us now. We see them every day and they look forward to our visits. Many perk up in bed when we walk down the row. They also get very sad when they find out that we were visiting and they missed us because they were washing themselves or in another area. Egg likes to yell “Hey you” and then run and hide. A few times he got me good as I could not find where he was hiding and then screamed out when he jumped from behind a bed or wall. I got him a few times as well, but it is a quite hard to run crouched down so low to the ground. Egg’s sister came to visit him today, and it was so strange to see how young she was. She did not look a day older than me. I guess Egg is in his mid twenties. It would be so incredibly heartbreaking to think that your older brother is dying and may not live to see his 30th birthday.

Uma is the big tease of the hospice. He is always bugging someone, but in a more playful manner. He likes the attention from the ladies, and tries to show the others that the women like him more. Unfortunately for Uma it just makes us give the others more attention. He requested that we take a picture together, and came to stand by my chair. When Misty got the camera ready he took my hand and tried to put it around him. I was a little too fast for him, and the picture did not quite turn out the way he imagined. However, he was happy to be in a picture and requested a copy of it so he can take it home when he leaves and look at it every day and kiss it before he goes to bed. That’s the kind of guy Uma is. Don’t worry it is all in good humor.

I will tell you more about their personalities in time.

The children in Mercy 6 never fail to provide us with many hugs and kisses. From the time we enter the room they run over, arms open, ready to be picked up or spun around. Many are making huge strides. Nong Pae is now going to a school for the blind. Nong Pae was brought to Mercy when she very very young. Her mother died of AIDS a few months after she was born. Knowing her time was limited, she passed her daughter off to one of her relatives. However, she failed to mention that Nong Pae also had AIDS, and without proper care and treatment, the disease quickly took over her whole body, causing her to go blind, and the inability to ever walk on her own. Nong Pae relies on a wheelchair most of the time, but with help from volunteers who are occupational therapists, she is slowly becoming more mobile. She is now able to help herself up with the aid of her walker and slowly make her way around a room. She is slowly learning to feed herself. Despite her heartbreaking childhood, Nong Pae faces each day with a big grin, even if it takes time for her to show it. Greeting her when you enter the room, you are aware that she does hear you but just needs a little more time than the others to greet you back with her smile.

Nong Pae has a special love for music. One of the sponsors was playing the piano, and Non Pae was set on top of the piano to listen and feel the vibration of the music. Nong Pae responded! She sang along in her own little way, with the biggest smile on her face. Nong Pae, our precious little angel.

There are many more children, and many more stories; some just as heart wrenching, many just as depressing. However, I have chosen not to public post about all of them as many children have already suffered so much, and I do not feel that I have the right to share their suffering with the world. Also, these stories are incredibly moving, but the people behind these stories are young children. I do not want to simply their life down to a story about their childhood, and dwell on the past instead I want to celebrate the life they now lead and look forward to their futures. These stories shape the children, but they are not THE children. Instead, I want to share their progress with you and the strides they have made in their lives, despite any hardships they may have faced. If this requires some background information, I will do so.

We ended our night and our long week the best way we knew how; take out pizza, beer and ice cream. After a long exhausting week at Mercy we needed a much need break, and after being wooed by the Thai pizza man we left with two large pizzas, a pint of ice cream, and a 6 month membership to the pizza company. Smart thinking Pizza Company, put your most attractive workers at the front of the store. What is it with attractive Thai fast food managers anyways?!? If you wonder why we eat fast food, it is not because of the reminder of home or the comfort of western food but because there is always that chance that we can enjoy some eye candy.

Party at the Aids Hospice!

2008-05-07T23:16:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

Here is a picture from the bug bites. Sick, eh?

Wednesday May 7, 2008

Today was a pretty entertaining day. I taught my adult English class first thing and then spent some time with the AIDS patients. After playing with Mercy 6 we went back to join the AIDS patients for lunch. Misty and I were very happy to see that fried chicken was the menu today as it is a favorite from both of us. Oranges were for dessert, so I felt like it was Christmas.

I helped deliver food to all of the adults with AIDS. This required me to wear a mask when entering certain parts of the hospice. I went into a part of the hospice I have only ever seen but never been in. It was hard for me to witness as many of the patients are in their last stage of treatment, or are finished treatment and just clinging on to the last bit of hope they have.

When sitting around the table I noticed that Egg was not eating with us. I asked Nancy where he was and she said that he was eating lunch alone because he was scared of us. After questioning why Egg would be scared of us all of a sudden, all of the AIDS patients tried together to translate to us that Egg’s wounds on his arms from AIDS are open and disgusting. He was scared to make us think different of him, so he was avoiding us. After hearing this I told them I would be right back and went to look for him. There was Egg, sitting outside at the table all alone, eating his lunch. I tried twice to convince him to come and he said no with a sad look on his face. Finally I picked up his lunch dishes and walked to the kitchen and set them down right beside where I was sitting. He followed with the biggest smile on his face. For the rest of the afternoon he was back to his normal self, making jokes and calling out “hey you.” It is just weird for me to think that they are still very conscious of their disease, as many times I forget they even have AIDS. Even though I am cautious around them, especially with open cuts (always making sure to cover them up) I am not afraid to touch them or hug them. We cannot fear these things or we will miss out on some very great friendships.

The adults in the AIDS hospice were fine entertainment once again. Uma has been a completely different man since Heather visited and he seemed to have really come out of his shell. Nancy was dancing like normal, and Momma was the kind spirited woman she always is. We brought along a bag of nail polish today so they all had fun painting each others nails in funky colors. Momma painted mine. She was concentrating so much. We painted Uma’s nails different colors and painted fun designs on the colors. He sat on his bed and looked at it for at least 10 minutes, turning his hands so he could see them in every light. Some of his humor really reminds me of my dad. The faces he makes are almost the same. (Don’t worry dad, I did not think you were too similar when he was wearing nail polish…but just his jokes). The patients really seemed to be having a lot of fun, and even some who normally do not join the group got their nails painted.

We convinced one of the AIDS patients to have her baby a little earlier so we can see it before we have to go back to Canada. She is due in 2 months time but will not find out the exact date until her doctor’s appointment this month.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at Carrefour, and sending some mail. We helped move some furniture in the afternoon and make plans to rearrange the office. After our final class we went with Dew and Boome for supper at one of the street vendors and took a songtheaw home. Tonight when we were eating at the street vendor I was looking at some of the things that were around the cooking area. You can order birds, which look like small chickens. I couldn’t look at them long enough to take a picture. Also, in a jar was something that looked like liver but it was actually dried blood chunks. When an animal is slaughtered they collect the blood, let it dry and then cut it up. Apparently there is not much taste to it and it looks more like jelly. I do not plan on trying it any time soon, but I fear I already have in the lunch room. This just goes to show you; once again Thais do not waste anything!

I’m sorry the blog has not been too exciting lately but I’m completely drained. Besides a couple of activities and events with the children, we do not plan on doing much this weekend. We both need to catch up on some much needed rest and relaxation.

A Feast for the Bugs

2008-05-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

I do not have much news to report. I also figured that many of you are still trying to make your way through my last couple of entries. Sorry about the overload.

I had 21 nice surprises this morning when I opened my email to read emails from my class at Coldbrook & District Elementary. Just as I finished reading them, the mail came to the office and I got a very Nova Scotian card from my younger sister. I spent most of the day teaching and writing emails back to all of the students.

We had dinner with the boys tonight, and they spent most of the time at the table laughing, likely at our expense.

Something had a feast on my legs. I thought it was mosquitoes but some people told me they do not look like mosquito bites. It is not very attractive at all, so I will be wearing pants for the next few days. I got some cream from the doctor in hopes that it will heal quickly and will not scar. It is very itchy, but when you itch it, they all break open and start to bleed which means it will take even longer to heal.

Misty threw out my bug collection today (the garbage). It seems we cannot even leave something for a day now without being invaded with bugs. It is pretty disgusting. Most days I am able to get to my cereal before they do, but some days I am not as lucky.

We had lunch with the adults in the AIDS hospice again today. They were very happy to have us join them as we have been away for the past few days. We lost another patient to AIDS today, may he rest in Peace.

Other than all of the emails today I do not have anything else to say. I am completely drained of energy today as we switched our day today with SiJie, so instead of only having one class, I had a day of classes.

Hope all is well at home. Sending love from Thailand!

River Boat Cruise #2

2008-05-05T06:31:00.000-07:00

May 5, 2008

We were going to spend the day lazing around as it is a holiday in Thailand, and all of the boys were home. This is one of the last weeks before everyone goes back to school. Vanessa is still in Thailand and was going to take the rest of Mercy 6 on a boat cruise. We decided that it was not fair for the boys to not have the chance to go so we called and asked if they could come too. However, when we called we only asked for 10 boys and found out after the phone call that there are actually 15 boys here. There was not enough food for all of the boys to go so we only took 3 of the boys who have never been there before, Folk, Spicy, and Bird. We were pretty excited to take them as they are definitely our favorites. Last time we went on the boat cruise there was not enough food for all of the children, so we took them to one of the street vendors to get something to eat first. The cook put their food into plastic trays so they could take what they couldn’t finish as we were in a hurry to go.

We all crammed into two vans and off we went. We met the boat at the Oriental hotel again. This time Vanessa wanted to do something different besides the snake and alligator farm, and the children wanted to see a temple, so we went to the temple of dawn. Folk was carrying his food tray on the boat with him and someone who worked there asked him why he was taking food. Folk responded with (in Thai of course) “Last time the children were hungry so this time we brought our own rice.” We were pretty embarrassed with the staff translated that to Vanessa but it was also pretty funny. There was a lot more food this time, and each child was given their own little box of lunch. They liked the temple of dawn but it felt really rushed. We all piled back onto the boat and then went a little further along the river before we turned back again to head back to the Oriental.

The children said good bye to Vanessa as she was leaving tonight. The van dropped SiJie, Misty, Bird, Spicy, Folk and I off at Lumpini park where we played on the playground for a few hours and then rented some paddle boats. I have not played on the playground like a child in years. It was fun to take my sandals off and play with the boys; swinging on the swings, going down the slide, etc. The children looked like they were having a great time and they seemed to enjoy it more than the boat ride. After our afternoon at the playground we treated them to an ice cream and a drink at McDonald’s watched them play in the playground there and came home.

We had a scary accident today. After leaving the park we flagged down a taxi and were running to it. I was guiding Spicy who is nearly blind, but also trying to make sure we were all going to get to the taxi on time. There was a big hole that was tied off with rope and sticks, likely where a tree was going to be planted on the sidewalk. The children all ran around it, and Spicy followed. Naturally we would see a hole like this and avoid it, but Spicy is not able to see things like this until he is really close to them. Since he was half running he ran right in it. I yelled to him, but the language barrier prevented him from understanding and he fell, face first onto the sidewalk, tangling his legs into the ropes. I felt so bad. He hurt his leg and sat there for a few minutes before he was able to get up and be guided to the taxi. His new glasses have very deep scratches where his face hit the sidewalk. After this accident I need to be reminded that we have to be his second set of eyes, and we cannot take even the smallest things for granted.

The rest of the day was pretty laid back. We had supper with the boys and then came here (internet café) to catch up on our blogs.
These first two pictures are of the inside of the Oriental hotel.
Vanessa and the children.
All of these plants come from Ayuttua and were going down the river. It makes it difficult for river traffic.
The Temple of Dawn, which we visited today.

Spicy!
Batt - He loved the timbits for lunch.

New and Jame - Jame was confinded to a wheelchair until when he was younger, and through the help of staff at Mercy he is now able to walk, and is getting better by the day. :)

The next set of pictures are from the playground at Lumpini park.

It felt so nice to play like a child again.

McDonalds!

Amazing Race : Koh Chang

2008-05-05T05:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry about this picture being at the top. It is from the bus ride home, it will make more sense when you read this post. I am unable to move the pictures around.

I forgot to tell you about my meals Thursday. We went out to eat at this place that had BBQ chicken on the menu. I decided to try some with rice, so I ordered half a chicken, thinking it was only a small chicken, so there would not be too much meat. My plate arrived it was overflowing with the biggest “half a chicken” I have ever seen in my life. Between Misty and I, we could not finish it. Later for supper I had chicken again, so I think I had my protein for the week.

May 3rd, 2008

Our amazing race adventure was not able to go as planned, when we woke up this morning to the rain. We were planning on all renting motorbikes, and doing various challenges and pit stops that we made up all over the island, including zip-lining and jungle swinging as well as hiking to waterfalls and kayaking. Renting motorbikes was not a safe idea because of all of the water that had accumulated on the roads, and because it was still pouring rain. Instead we paid a little bit more money to rent a car. A standard and an automatic were the same price so we decided to treat ourselves to an automatic, this way we would also all be able to take a turn behind the wheel. Thank God we rented the automatic because the ‘sharp curves’ going up the mountains really were sharp curves!

Our 2006 Toyota was waiting for us in front of the resort within 30 minutes of calling for it. The gas tank was only a quarter full and we were told to bring it back the same way. All we needed to rent the car was a passport. They did not need to see we had a drivers license, need to know who was driving or how many kms we were planning on going.

We drove about 6 km down the road to the nearest gas station. Here is where we made our first big mistake. We asked to have the car filled up, not thinking about how far a car can go on a full tank of gas, and how small the island actually is. It cost the same amount to fill the car up with gas, as it did to rent it in the first place. The gas was already in, so we had no choice but to pay for it and make the most of it. Let me tell you that it is a completely different feeling to drive a car when you do not have to worry about kms and you want to burn as much gas as possible.
We headed to the opposite side of the island. Koh Chang does not have a road that goes completely around the island yet, but they are in the process of building one. Really, Koh Chang has only one main road without traffic lights or stop signs. Heather started off driving first, with me riding shot gun. It was a very strange feeling being on what is normally the driver’s side of the car, but not having a steering wheel in front of me. It was also a little scary at first getting used to the fact that there is no shoulder on the road. The road was basically half a foot of concrete that is wide enough to accommodate two stationary cars at the best of times. Going around the mountains was especially challenging as you could not see around the next bend and there were often cars coming right at you.

Heather's first pit stop...Restroom!

I think this was a fish farm or something along the way.

Raining! It is no wonder why we didn't hike to the waterfalls.

We drove right to the small fishing villages at the end of the island. We attempted to find some waterfalls but they were not right at roadside, and it was raining too hard to get out and walk. Many of the roads on the mountain were covered with fallen branches or slowly being taken over by mud slides, making many of the roads on the opposite side of the mountain one lane.

Because we were on another leg of our amazing race, we were going to go kayaking as our first challenge. It would be our only activity that we could still do in the rain relatively safely. I was chosen out of the 3 of us to go and ask about the kayaks and whether we could still use them in the rain. I was pretty wet when I came back in the car.

Instead of renting kayaks we rented a traditional Thai boat that was rowed by a guide. We sat around a small table under an umbrella. The tour lasted an hour and took us around the mangrove forests, which I must say are incredible. We also came across a man fishing close to his small fishing village. The experience was peaceful and at many times, very surreal. The rain enhanced the overall calmness of the lake.
Picture above: scooping water out of the boat.
Mangrove forest

Thinking hard. I don't know what I was thinking about.
Heather

Our rower.

There was a man fishing on the lake, it added to the beauty of the place.

A small fishing village on the lake.

Spider! This picture is for you Laura.

After our pit stop (we could not have called this a challenge as we did not have to do anything), it was my turn to drive the car. My first mission was to back it up down the narrow pathway onto the main road. Not only was it weird to drive and experience driving from a whole different perspective, it was also very hard to have the gear lever on the other side of you. I realized it only after hitting my hand on the door. I had to use it a lot to put the car into low gear going through the mountains. The drive was much like going around the Cabot trail, just steeper hills and sharper turns.
We headed down to long beach which has been said to be the most beautiful beach on the island. From the views on the mountain it did not fail to disappoint. However, we were not able to go completely to the beach because the concrete road ended and the now muddy road did not look like it was in the best condition.

The whole drive on the east side of the island had breath taking spectacular views. We attempted to stop at all of the views and take a picture.

Our next pit stop was lunch. However we were not able to go to the place we planned and read about in our lonely planet guides as it looked desolate.

I could not have said it better myself.

Many times the road was covered, and made into only one lane.

We drove back to our side of the island and went to an Indian Restaurant. I never tasted real Indian food before, but I decided today that it seemed a lot spicier than Thai food. Lunch was okay but not a place I would go back to.

We all piled back into the car, with Misty at the wheel. She drove about 1 minute, almost hitting a parked car and a pedestrian waiting to cross the street and then pulled over and said “I can’t do this.” Back behind the wheel I go. It is not really fair to pick on her as it has been months since she has been behind the wheel and everything really was different.

I drove for about 90% of the day. It was nice to drive again and although it was very challenging, especially during huge downpours or in the dark, the adrenaline rush was very exciting.

Next stop was the jungle park adventure. Unfortunately I think the weather forced this place to close early, so back on the main road we went. We checked out some of the local resorts and then went to the tip of the island where we stopped at Bang Bao fishing village. I found most of the stuff to be too tacky or things that are sold all over the mainland. Nothing really excited me.

As the sky got darker we all jumped back into the car to go home to our resort, as it would be way too dangerous to try and drive in the pouring rain and darkness. The rain was very heavy on the way home which made for poor visibility.

Arriving back at out resort we felt one of the downsides of having a car; parking. Because parallel parking in the rain and darkness, in a car you are not familiar with, on a busy street when everything is backwards in the car, did not sound too appealing to me, we ended up spending about 10 minutes navigating through the driveway in an attempt to park. Finally, we made it.

Our next stop was a challenge; we all had to get a Thai massage. As you read in my previous posts this was never high on my priority list or list of exciting things, it had to be a challenge and not a pit stop.

We went to the spa at Cookies Resort, down the street where all 3 of us could be side by side. The massage was actually not that bad, and I think it was better than an oil massage. At times I swear she was walking on my back or digging her feet into me, while pulling one of my limbs. At other times it did feel like she was punching me, or that I was being violated with my clothes on, but in the end we felt as relaxed as wet pool noodles; too lazy to move. I do not think Misty enjoyed it like Heather and I. but she can always fall back on her oil massages.

We drove to an Irish Pub for supper. I thought parking the car was challenging, but backing the car out of the same driveway that we struggled to drive forward in was an experience in itself. After many minutes passed by, and having moved a few motorbikes and having the girls direct me in the dark, we were on our way.

Paddy’s Pub was a big disappointment, from the food to the blaring TV, and all the ugly western men with the Thai women. We were happy to get out of there.

The rest of our evening was filled with conversation and laughter. I should also mention that even after driving every single road on the whole island, we did not even come close to using a quarter tank of gas. We are going to speak to the car owner in the morning and see if we can get any money back or at least get a drive to the pier to catch our ferry.

May 4, 2008

We awoke to the sound of rain again this morning, causing Misty and I, to once again change our plans. We were going to drive up to see some of the waterfalls before we had to return the car but we were not too fond of getting completely drenched. We said good bye to Heather and then headed for breakfast. Heather flew out of Trat in the early morning so she could catch her flight in Bangkok.

We kicked around until it was time to return the car and checked out of our room and handed in the car keys at the same time. A woman came to pick up the car as the company works with the resort, but is not a part of it. I explained the gas situation and we argued about it for a good 45 minutes. I understand that we were partially at fault, but we were also giving them a car completely full of gas. If we did not fill the car at all we still would have had some gas left in it, so we were quite frustrated. We ended up getting 500 baht back, which is better than nothing. This would at least pay for our bus ride home. We were going to ask them to drive us back to the pier but I think in the end she was so mad at me, I would not dare get in a car with her.

We waited in the rain for about 15 minutes until a taxi/songtheaw finally came to get us. Many people also flagged down the same songtheaw so by the time we reached the pier we were crammed full not only with people but bags and suitcases as well. Thankfully Misty and I only had to go to the first of the three piers. It did not take long for the ferry to arrive and they loaded people on foot first. Misty and I were one of the first people on so we grabbed a spot that did not look too wet so we would have a relatively dry ride. The water was a little rough and people were moving from one side to the other the whole way to avoid getting wet. The scene was quite chaotic, and I think I would have been a little more freaked out if I was paying more attention to it. I met a group of Thai teachers on board and had a wonderful conversation with them the whole trip. There were about 10 of them, and as one walked by they would grab them and introduce them and say I was also a teacher, from Canada.

As we got off the ferry we were ambushed by taxi drivers asking us if we had a ticket. No matter what answer I gave, they insisted that I had to go with them on the taxi to the bus station. Because they were so pushy I decided to bypass them and see what they were trying to avoid us seeing. In the ferry building there were people selling tickets for the buses out front. One girl came and met us and asked if we needed a ticket. She was going to sell us a ticket to Ekkamai for 300 Baht/Person. I tried to argue it down as we normally only pay 250 Baht. However, we would really end up paying the 300 Baht once we factored in the 40 minute songthaew ride to the bus station. I had a funny feeling about the bus, as I read about situations in our travel guides and lonely planet books about private bus companies. I insisted that we be on the VIP government bus instead of a minibus, as that is what we normally take, and I thought it would guarantee us the same thing. I also asked if the air conditioning worked as that is a necessity for a 5 hour bus ride, and private bus companies are notorious for having broken AC units.

It did not take long for her to call us and tell us the bus was loading. It was a double decker bus, where the passengers sit on the top and the bathroom, luggage and sometimes some seats are located on the bottom. We chose a seat right across from the steps so we could sit together. We would soon learn that this was a complete mistake.

When the bus filled up we just sat there for a good 20 minutes. Some people were getting very frustrated and I was worried this bus ride might get ugly. We also boarded at 11:30, so some people were starting to get hungry. On the government buses you usually get a water and a small box of food right away, on this bus we did not get anything. As soon as the bus started the pipe above me from the wall to the ceiling started leaking, right on my lap. So I sat 5 hours with a leak above me. I could see that it was an issue before as some tape and material was wrapped around it but it did not seem to do the trick. I wrapped the curtains all around it and it held off the water a lot better. All of the air conditioning units worked but they were all dripping water on everyone’s head. Also, the window across from us was broken and the whole bus was not in the best shape. Whenever we stopped at a set of lights, and the bus driver started to go again it sounded like the whole engine kicked out as we were jerked in our seats. The worst part was the smell. The washroom was located right below us, and every time someone went down to use it, the smell lingered in the air for a good 15 minutes. The whole bus smelled like one giant outhouse and sometimes it was so over bearing that we were all forced to plug our nose. The people at the back of the bus experienced it the worst and no one dared go to the bathroom as it would unlock the aroma again. There were 2 movies playing throughout the ride and they skipped and paused several times. It was very annoying. Also, the volume was turned up so loud that you were almost forced to watch it as you could not hear the music in your ipod, or be able to think to read a book.

Sitting in a leaking bus, hungry and having to use the bathroom so bad, many people were getting very cranky, so when we stopped some people were a little relived, thinking it was our turn to get off the bus and stretch our legs. However, the bus doors did not open, and instead we watched the bus driver get off the bus, go into a store, get a fanta and come out drinking it. Once again people were cranky.

Finally 4 hours into the bus ride we stopped. It was not the usual place we stop at on the buses that run from the bus terminal, but there was food there and a bathroom none the less. As soon as the bus door opened there was a stampede of people going to the bathroom, lead by Misty. The food at the little street restaurant and store was very expensive, so I went for some rice and Thai stir-fry, thinking it would be cheaper than the packaged good. The plate of food cost 50 Baht, which was a lot more than the 25 baht we would normally pay for the same time. In total my purchase of food and peanuts was 100 baht. Poor Misty bought a 40 Baht coke, which would not even cost that much at a restaurant. The good news about this place was that we were only about an hour from home.

As we were waiting for the bus to load, I said to Misty “Wouldn’t it suck if there was a 7 eleven in walking distance and we did not know it?” Well, the bus got back on the road, turned around and went to a gas station, complete with a 7 eleven convenience store. I was not impressed. For the rest of the ride the bus blared oldies rock music, which was not very enjoyable to listen to at such high volume.

We were dropped off down the road from the bus station, but I didn’t care, I would not wait to get off of that nightmare. SiJie met us there and we took the BTS to Siam Centre. We were looking to buy Heather a bag that she really liked. Misty got hers there, but when we arrived they were all sold out.

We met up with Carole at her hostel for dinner. Carole is from Acadia as well, and is teaching at the same place as Heather. They were both visiting for the weekend, but Carole wanted to spend time in the city as opposed to the beach. It sounded like she had a good time overall, but there was still so much she wanted to see, so hopefully they will both be back again.

We had a lovely evening with Carole and saw the swanky hostel she was staying at. If anyone is ever coming to Bangkok and wants a cheap place to stay, this is the place to be!

That’s about it for our Sunday. It feels good to be back at Mercy.

Aliana Resort and Spa

2008-05-05T05:09:00.000-07:00

This sign made us all laugh. White Sand Beach. I did not take too many pictures as Misty and I visited this place before.

Thai Massage.

This is where the three of us stayed for the next two nights, two beds for three people, rather than 1 bed for 3. Our bathroom, that provided us with a much appreciated warm shower.
The pool in the backyard.
SWAY (Beautiful)
A view from our window.

Arriving in Koh Chang

2008-05-05T04:46:00.000-07:00

Misty opening the window to a new morning. This monkey comes to visit Little Eden every morning.

We peel bananas the same way.

These first few pictures are from the day we arrived on the island. Koh = Island, Chang = Elephant.
This is the place we stayed for the first night at 200 Baht a night. It was supposedly 10 minutes from the beach.

The bathroom was in the back of the huts, and there was no warm water.

Raining during Rainy Season, who would have thought?

2008-05-02T17:52:00.001-07:00

Koh Chang Part 2

Heather arrived on Wednesday night and we immediately took her to Mercy as many of our students wanted to meet her and they were waiting up. The children were really welcoming to her, greeting her as she entered the room. The adults in the AIDS hospice were also very friendly. Uma talked more than usual, but we soon found out that it was because had a crush on Heather. As she was leaving he pretended to take out his heart and give it to her.

After visiting both Mercy and Soi 40, we took Heather to our favorite restaurant in the night market. As usual the food was very good. We got home around midnight, talking for an hour and then fell asleep.

We woke up to the alarm around 5 am so we could all get ready for our weekend away. Heather had a flight to catch to Trat and Misty and I were travelling by bus. We bought our tickets at the bus station the night before while waiting for Heather so that we would be able to get on the 7: 45 bus.

The 5 ½ hour bus ride seemed incredibly long this time and it did not help that the movie being shown was too gory for my taste. I slept for the first hour, but was quickly disappointed to find that our first stop was only an hour into our route, and not our final stop at the pier like I dreamed.

We arrived at a different pier than the last time we came to Koh Chang, which was strange considering we took the same bus. The ferry was much nicer and the ride seemed so much faster. Misty and I had a little picnic of peanut butter and bread which we brought along with us. I am sure it was quite the sight to see us spreading peanut butter with a spoon.

Upon arrival we caught a songtheaw taxi and made our way to the opposite end of the island to a place called Bang Bao. We got the name and the address from the place Heather was planning on staying before we left so we went to look for her. After riding on the songtheaw for a good 45 minutes, the driver told us that he had no idea where our accommodations were. He drove us to the main fishing village in Bang Bao, where I asked for directions, only to find out that we were on the wrong beach. Back we went. (Heather ended up going through the same trouble we did, so the address on the internet was wrong). Our huts were a short walk from the main road and at this point Misty and I were ready to collapse from the heat.

The huts were very cute, made out of bamboo and had a reed grass like top. I cannot imagine what kind of time and work goes into making one. The bathroom was in the back of the hut and kind of outside. It was complete with a cold shower, a non flush toilet and a sink. The place was booked up for the night so we did not have an option of renting 2 huts, but they allowed all 3 of us to stay in one.

The worker was asleep in the hammock when we arrived. He did not seem to have any clue as to who Heather was and if she checked in, which was surprising to be considering there were only 12 places to sleep.

We decided to venture down to the beach, but the 10 minute walk to the beach was more like an hour. After combing the beach in search of Heather we decided to just go back up and wait. After having a drink and waiting about 30-45 minutes the other worker told us we should go check for her up at hut 12. (He told us earlier that he was sure she went to the beach). He ran up and checked and came down with the biggest grin on his face, telling us that she was up there sitting in the hammock. We were so happy to be reunited again. We had supper at the little restaurant there and we all agreed that it was unbelievably good. We also brainstormed about our big adventure for Saturday, which I will not share the details of just yet.

We sat on mats on the floor and at one point I repositioned myself and put my hand right on a bee! He stung my wrist and the stinger got stuck. Having never been stung before I panicked and Misty ended up pulling the stinger out. It hurt so bad and swelled up very quickly. As I am writing this, 36 hours later, it is still very swollen.

We went to bed around 10:30, all 3 of us side by side in a little hut, sharing a double bed under a mosquito net. Surprisingly all of us slept quite peacefully until the downpour in the middle of the night. We could feel very small amounts of rain coming through the reed roof.

This morning we awoke, had a COLD outdoor shower and a delicious breakfast. The food at Little Eden Bungalows and Restaurant was worth talking about, and we all would give it 5 stars.

Sadly it was raining outside. At this point we already decided that Friday was going to be our beach day and we would treat ourselves to a nicer resort for the night. Frustration soon set in again when every place that we checked out on the internet appeared to be booked. We decided our best option would be to take another songtheaw and check out some of the places in person. We waited about 10 minutes in the pour raining until one finally came.

We had a good laugh when it was the same driver Misty and I had yesterday. He dropped us off on the beach where Misty and I stayed last time we were in Koh Chang. We checked out a few places and finally found a place with a room for one night at the Amari Beach Resort and Spa on White Sand Beach. The pool was big and very deep and our room was spacious and included 2 double beds and a balcony. Unfortunately it also came with ants, but that is expected anywhere in Thailand.

After eating we spent some time pool side and than Misty and Heather got a massage on the beach. Heather was brave and decided to go for a Thai Massage. From her comments when it was finished, it was one of the best massages she has ever had. Misty also enjoyed hers, and I enjoyed my relaxing alone time.

After the massages we came back for a hot shower, which made my stay in Koh Chang worth while. It had the most amazing warm shower of 48 degrees with decent water pressure. Sorry girls if I took so long.

We went for a nice romantic candle lit dinner on the beach where I feasted on mashed potatoes and BBQ chicken. Unfortunately our beach front dining was short lived as it started to rain, so we moved ourselves inside.

After supper we headed to 7/11 for some sweets and came back to watch some TV.

Oh I forgot to mention that we saw a monkey on our way to breakfast on Friday; a real monkey in a real habitat. He comes every morning to feast on the bananas from the restaurant. He was a little shy and took his banana away from where we were, to eat it. He was also a little camera shy, however I did peak while he was eating the banana, and yes dad, I really do peel my bananas the same way as a monkey does.

UPDATE: It is now 7:30 Saturday morning and it is still raining. Our amazing race might have to be changed as it is raining and we were planning on renting motorbikes. Riding in the mountains here would be very dangerous when there is so much water on the road. We may also have to rethink our zip-lining and jungle swinging adventure.

I will post pictures when I get back in Bangkok.