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.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Thursday Night Birthday Party @ Soi 40
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The Silent Killer
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.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Life at Soi 40
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.
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
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.
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.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Sawatdee Ka (Hello in Thai, said by a female)
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
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
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Cartoon Featuring Misty
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!
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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