On the train today...

I observed something today that I would like to share.

I'm on the skytrain, heading back from the cat cafe to my home, reading my book and listening to my music on shuffle from the iPod.

I look over and scan the train and the people, and see a typical sight... mostly Thai people, a few white folk scattered about, and a fairly full car.  No seats, many standing, but not as packed as I've seen before.

Seated together, there is a group of three people.  One is a man, probably about 35, with a tattoo on his hand, speaking with a woman, younger perhaps, with short hair and a round, expressive face.  Sandwiched between them, another woman, with a sharp, angular face looks out the window, pensive and unengaged with the conversation.

I noticed them only because they were speaking in sign language.  I developed a passing interest in sign about a year ago, signing up for a 10 hour course through my school.  It helped that one of my closest friends at the time was nearly fluent and we could talk about the art together.  I tried to pay attention to the flow and see if I could pick up the jist of the conversation, but I was barely able to recognize a single word.

What I could recognize was a piece of the language that I was never fully able to attempt: the pure expressions on the face of the speaker as a means to communicate more fully.  The young woman stuck out her tongue, grimaced, smiled, raised her eyebrows, and communicated with her face as much as with her hands.  It was fascinating.

The other woman, with her eyes watching out the window and not the conversation, eventually joined in when the others tapped her thigh to get her attention.  They were engrossed in what she was writing down after searching one another for a pen and something to write on.  When we got closer to the end of the line, I noticed that there were a few comments about which stop they were on, from looking at the video screen and out the window to the signs.

There is no other part to this story, just faces that stood out from the crowd and lived their normal lives.

It Wasn't Dengue!

It's a beautiful day.

Let me set the soundtrack for this day, the first song that came on my shuffle this morning when I walked out of the house in search of coffee and noodles.

Allow me also to set the tone for this post... It is Saturday today, and I am finally feeling myself.  On Tuesday, however, I thought I had dengue fever.  A coworker had told me that I was looking quite tired on Tuesday, and sure enough, I was.  After work, I went into my strange borrowed apartment and settled in to watch Mr Holland's Opus, an old favorite that happened to be on cable.

About half way through the movie (when he starts teaching driving school and the big parade reveals that his son is deaf), I started getting the chills that felt like a big fever was coming round.  It was not pleasant.  It reminded me of when I realized I had dengue back in Cambodia.  Shivering, teary-eyed, I went and had the doorman call me a taxi so I could get a blood test at the hospital.  I'm not prone to believing I have illnesses, but it is rainy season, and I had seen a tiger mosquito in my house the week prior, so I was mighty nervous.

The taxi man didn't quite know how to handle my unkempt appearance, or the fact that I didn't have the comfort clothes that I may usually have had.  In fact, I was wearing my school dress still, a brown frock, with my bright sarong pants beneath it, and a blanket on top to handle my feverishness.  However, we made it to the hospital, and the staff anxiously tried to understand my limited Thai amidst my chattering lips.

The blood test told me that I didn't have dengue (thank the Lord), and they prescribed me some medicine to take that would ease the pain and kill any other flu symptoms that I may have had.  I managed to make it through the week, thanks in great part to my coworkers who kept me in Reese's cups and distracting chatter, and even made it to a staff BBQ at a friend's house on Friday.

I had never really believed in the 24 hour flu, until this week, when I had it.

Fast forward to this morning.

Sheaf of mail, all bills and important things.

I had a ton of errands to run this morning, because when I got back to my apartment, I found a stack of mail from bill time.  There's things to do to get ready for summer, for my month back in the US.  I've got to get to packing up, and doing laundry, and setting up my home for my absence.

One piece of mail that I got, I couldn't read.  At all.  However, a little detective work, and I realized that there was a package at the post office for my house.  My detective work consisted of me looking at the little logo, and realizing that the map on the back was for this far off errand.

Detective work required. I do see that I owe 120 baht.

In order for me to go to the post office, where all the packages arrive, I typically take the songtaew down Ramkanghaeng, this big long road in the city, then take a moto to my destination.  It's usually an adventure, because it feels like it is in the middle of nowhere.  You drive down all these mixed up roads, and all of a sudden, this post office appears as if by magic.  Since the place is actually two buildings, you can't even go in the main entrance.  You have to go back around the corner, and enter this secreted away building with a sliding door to retrieve your package.

Post office logo. Importante.

I was enjoying my new musical playlists though, as I took this journey today.  I ate my noodles with my favorite noodle ladies, and a local even mentioned as I was paying that she sees me here every week.  "You must really like these noodles," she said.  I do.  They are the most garlicky noodles in the city.

I walked up to the bank on the way towards the bus stop where I catch the songtaew, determined to take in the collection of .25 baht and .50 baht coins that I had collected, things that I get as change from 7/11 when I pay my bills but cannot actually spend anywhere.  No one will take them, and I had a years' worth collected from various forays into the city.  The clerk, who recognized me, of course, asked me how much I had, picked out the Hong Kong cent and the Singapore cent from the mix, and gave me a 20 baht bill for my trouble, after she counted the whole mess.

I caught the songtaew, and even attempted to grab a taxi, wanting a brief respite from the heat.  He told me to grab a moto because the mess of roads wasn't something he wanted to deal with.  It wasn't a big deal, because he only took 20 baht instead of the 40 that the meter said I owed.

I walked across the bridge to the moto stand by the pagoda, and was lucky enough to land a female moto driver.  The moto stands here are amazingly well-organized, and they take turns for fares.  Whenever I am lucky enough to have a female driver, I always tip.  I try to support them in this male-dominated business whenever possible.  Khun Ann, the school staff's favorite taxi driver, is the same woman who brought me home from the eye surgery, and I trust her with my safety.

So, this very petite woman and I go flying through the city, all the way to the post office.  I step in, put my paper on the counter, and wait for my turn.  The woman behind the counter calls my house number, and I step up.  However, she keeps asking for another person.  I begin to fear that I have come to collect something that isn't mine.  Luckily, the man next to me can speak both languages far better than myself, and I let him know that I'm a renter, and that this is the owner of the home.  There's some conversation that I don't really understand, and he thinks about a translation for me.  I say, "She has to come get it herself." And he says, "Yes!"  No problem.  I grab the paper, get back on my moto, and get back to my village.  As I leave, another customer gives me a paper I dropped, very nice of them, and exit with several "Ka pun kas" on the way.

On the way home in the songtaew, I was standing on the back (where I quite like to be, since I can see everything), and yet another nice person tries to stand up and give me his seat.  It is a beautiful day in Bangkok today.  I politely decline, trying to explain with my remedial Thai and a bright smile that I like this place on the transit, and he sat back down with another smile.

Just then, this song came on, and I was unable to help myself from bobbing back and forth to the rhythm while riding through the city.  Fair warning: the video is a bit more risque than the song itself.

I was really feeling that burst of post-illness energy, and was able to make it to the other post office, where I mailed some letters, and the market, for some Rizza foods for summer, before I came on back home.  I even tried to pick up a dress at the tailor's, but she told me she had to go get some extra fabric to fix the momentous tear in the back.  So, another week before that is ready!

The rainy season has begun, bringing a more pleasant temperature to Thailand.  I don't have dengue and I finally feel myself again, and this day was too beautiful to not share.  I think I may need to see my favorite massage ladies today to celebrate the loveliness of the day, and the fact that I'll be setting food in my homeland in less than two weeks.

The Week Without Walls

View from my tent by the lake.

What an interesting week this has been.

This week, from Monday to Friday, I’ve been chaperoning a Week Without Walls fieldtrip, full of the Grade 8 class on a nature adventure.  This nature adventure began with camping, included some trekking, and ended with a farm and a cave.  There was plenty of bonding that came about as well.

It’s been a very thought provoking fieldtrip.  I’m watching affluent children try to rough it (with a fully stocked bathroom) and deal with tents and nature.  I’m also reading a very sharp book about Thailand that is highlighting several of the things I’m seeing with historical commentary about the guy in charge.

We cooked fish in this forest.

I’ll also say that I’m in the boomerang of life overseas.  When I started with Peace Corps, everything was absolutely glorious for a few months, but when the holidays (read: Thanksgiving) began showing up, I began to get a bit homesick.  Thanksgiving is about that time, when the shine begins to wear off and you start to understand the culture more.  I’m in that down slope, where I see more of the negatives than the positives.  I’m in that place where I can see the problems but can’t affect the solutions at school.  It’s the frustrating thing about living overseas, and it happens to just about everyone.

Our hotel was right next to this river.

It’s not like me to find so much negativity in life, but I’m working in a place that I’ve yet to understand.  I am finding it challenging to work within such affluence and wealth, within the confines of overprotective behavior.  I see it, I understand the premise, but I know what made me what I am today… and overprotectiveness is not it.  I’ve been reflecting more on what my middle and high school experience was like, so that I can find what worked for me to make me a successful human.  It was not overprotective, not ever.  I spent summers with grandma, off to camps here and there.  I spent time on my own, fending for myself after school.  I worked from a young age, in the fudge and coffee shop.  I made mistakes, felt the impact of consequences, and changed my behavior.

This cave was full of Buddhist idols.

I want these kids to have the same.  I want them to be functional humans, not using money to solve every problem.  I saw a beautiful thing yesterday along those lines as well.  We went to a school to let the kids interact with students from a different world than them.  At first, I must say, I was skeptical of the idea.  I think that these kinds of visits can go awry so quickly.  But, I was so pleasantly surprised.  Our kids played with those kids, talked, laughed, interacted.  It was lovely.  A few of them ended up in tears, and one of them mentioned that it was one of the first times that she actually felt as lucky as everyone said she was. 

I want those emotions for all of the students.  I want activities that bring that out for them.

I greatly enjoyed the cave.

But we are fighting such greater forces.  To get to that, we have to battle overprotective school policy and overprotective parentals.  We are fighting a karma based culture, that has entitlement written into merit from previous lives.  It makes me want to hit my head on the wall with frustration sometimes.  But, slowly, progress.

Slowly.  Very slowly.  And, until then, a frustration that is difficult to fight.  Until then, a boomerang that is on the negative side.  Until then, a hope for the different, a plan for change.

The cave was next to a monkey... something.  They liked bananas.

Long Time Coming + Loy Krathong

I recently received a letter from my grandpa that mentioned that he hadn't heard from me on the blog in awhile, from which he assumed I was insanely busy and unable to write.  That is incredibly true.  I have been wildly busy at work, often coming home late and resorting to stupid television because my brain was so worn out.  However, since I love getting mail (I think I get more mail abroad than at home) and love my grandpa, I wanted to put out a blog or two about what has been happening.

Let's see.... where to begin.

Well, I have taken over a grade 8 humanities classroom, teaching population geography, human rights, and migration, something that is right up my alley.  It has taken me a bit of time to get it all together, with the IB framework and the like.  However, I love it.  I love teaching the content and really enjoy seeing firsthand what a teacher is required to do in this type of classroom.  I'm getting to know the kids in grade 8 (more on that later) and getting a feel for what these kids can do.  It is incredibly valuable experience, and the opportunity arose when a coworker decided to leave school to take care of some personal business.  Right now I'm teaching population, and will love going into the next unit, about migration.  I knew that one day my sociology degree would come in handy.

That's the busy part; there was one week where I was looking for things every night until late.  I'm still searching for interesting takes on migration, on aid, on human rights, through TED talks and the like, but I enjoy the topic so much that none of it is a challenge.  I'm thrilled to be working on this.

Amidst this teaching, I'm still trying to stay on top of the librarian thing.  It is so much more my passion, and what I'm always trying to incorporate into the school.  To that end, just a week or two ago (I've lost all track of the time), I ran a research based meeting for all the teachers.  I was anxious the whole time, because it has always been difficult for me to speak in front of my peers, but the meeting went off without a hitch.  Honestly, I was proud of the work that I did and the learning that took place under my guidance.  I'm working on an application to be a workshop leader for the IB as well, and this was a trial run.  I'm quite excited.  What a way to learn about my craft with other librarians from other schools.   More details to follow as available.

How about culture, life, etc etc etc?

My Krathong, which I bought from the lovely woman who
sells ice cream from a shop near my house.

There was a festival not long ago called Loy Krathong.  From what I could tell, it is incredibly similar to Cambodia's Water Festival, one of my favorite holidays.  There were lanterns lit and small boats of banana leaves with candles and incense and a coin for luck set out into the lake or the river.

I really enjoyed myself.  I started out with some Japanese food at one of my favorite restaurants, Kyoto.  I actually ran into one of my coworkers there, Rich, and his wife Sapai, and their son Isaac.  Isaac is hilarious; he only smiles at strangers once in awhile, and he's finally warming up to me.

At the lake in my village, getting ready to set it afloat.

I went down to the lake to enjoy the atmosphere a bit, had an ice cream from the truck, and then lit my incense and set my boat afloat.  It's such a spiritual ceremony.  I saw a lot of families praying and setting their little Krathong afloat.  It's lovely, really, seeing all the boats and their candles and the glow of the incense on the lake.  Plus, unlike Cambodia, most of the Krathong are made with banana leaves as a base, meaning that the majority of the materials would be safe to leave in the water.  Our village cleaned up the lake afterward, but if that wasn't possible, it was generally no problem.

Kim releasing a lantern to help a guy struggling in the street.

I ran into Kim and his family, so we went to have a beer together at a local restaurant and sat and enjoyed the lake side view.  We saw lots of lanterns, lots of people enjoying the evening with their families, and generally just had a good time.  Kim even helped a struggling guy release his lantern.

Apparently, the lanterns were banned this year though.  Obviously that is completely enforced.  I wanted to try my hand with a lantern, so I bought one from a local vendor and tried to set it afire near to the lake (in much the same place as the picture).

Look at that beautiful lantern!

However, being the tall white woman that I am, I was stopped mid fire from my lantern releasing activities by a Thai policeman.  It is shockingly difficult to handle these lanterns.  They are made from a really delicate paper and have the fire source attached at the bottom with thin wire.  It was really hard to handle on my own, so the guy that sold it came across the street to help me.  When the cop stopped my fun time, the guy said something to the effect of, "Aw, come on, she's a foreigner."  I still don't speak Thai, but that's the jist that I got from him.  The cop smiled at me, patted out my fire, and I left uneventfully.  I did notice the plethora of English speakers, telling me that it was against the law and the cop was just doing his job.  I'm still unsure what to make of that, but that's the story.

I bought some sparklers and decided to give them to the
Buddha that I keep in my garden, watching over all the plants.

So, I went home (with my big paper lantern hanging off my bicycle), and lit my lantern with Rizza.  She didn't participate much, or hold the lantern while I lit it like I asked, but she was there, and I celebrated all my worries and cares floating into the air.

Then, I lit some sparklers and gave them to Buddha.

It was a pretty eventful Thursday.

Creativity for the Week

I found this on the side of the road as garbage at a house near to my own.  I rescued it because, despite being unfinished, I like the vibe and the colors and even the white space.  Now it lives in my garden.

The coffee man here has these coffee cup holders in plastic.  This is everywhere in Asia.  However, the creativity that I noticed has to do with the coffee man's stand.  There is a blue PVC style pipe with all of these on it, so all he has to do is put the cup on top of the pipe and slide it on.  I find that remarkably practical.

At the noodle stand in the market, there isn't a ton of space.  The ladies I go to have their corner for all their food, a couple of tables, and this, the caddy for all the used cups and garbage.  It's very organized.  There's a strainer over the garbage pail... so they can throw in the excess liquid from the bowls.  It catches all of the extra food pieces, possibly for compost, and lets free the liquid so it can be dumped out elsewhere.  I find that quite clever.

My microwave has Thai foods and writing on it.  That may be interesting to someone.

I got tired of my water bottle flying all over the place, and my coffee in the morning.  So, I created a coffee holder on my bicycle that can hold my liquids.  It's made from some wire and an extra planter thing I found.

Bills Bills Bills

This is my new mailbox.

I got a new mailbox.

On Sunday, I put up my new mailbox, with the hopes that I would get some of the mail that has, in theory, been sitting in the post for the better part of the last month.  My old mailbox was rusty and let in all this water when it rained, so I figured that the mail may not want to come and stay.  Hence, new mailbox.

In the spirit of Thai culture, I also put some flowers on my new mailbox to encourage the spirits of the mail to bring me some.  They have these beautiful garlands of flowers, with jasmine and marigolds and roses all together.

I did get mail.

In fact, the first day, I got the water bill.  It was 76 baht, about.... $2.50.

On the second day, I got the electricity bill.  That one was more pricey... 467 baht, or $14.50.

These are more flowers.

On the third day, I got a letter!  From my grandmother.  Oh, and also a bill for the internet.  The next 6 months will be about 3400 baht, or $115 dollars.  That works out to be about $20 a month.

I also pay a village fee, for garbage and street lights and cleaning and things, of about $25 a month.

That means that the grand total of utilities that I pay, for reasonable use of all the things in my home.... is $60.

$60 for my utilities.  $415 for my rent.

Life.... is good.

The Thrills of Public Transportation

I had a pretty packed weekend.  I can tell that I'm getting more settled here, because I'm thinking more clearly about my goals and the smaller details that I was so overwhelmed with before.  I'm more relaxed, I'm happier.  Things are obviously better, though of course not perfect.

I thought I would try to use the bus system.  The big benefit, of course, is cash.  Taking the bus cost me only 22 baht, about 60 cents.  A taxi of the same ride would be more like 150-180, $5-$6.  I did my recon, going to watch the buses to see which ones passed by most frequently, then tracking down the maps on the web.  The site is actually incredibly clear.

But, I didn't know what to expect.

I didn't take this picture, but you needed an image of
 Thai bus lady and her special stick.

Saturday morning rolled around, and I had my noodles at my place in the market, acquired a spare set of clothes since I was having dinner with a work friend, and gathered my book to go.

When you get on a Thai bus, there is no waiting.  They barely stop at the bus stop for you to get on, and it feels like there is little time to spare.  You go find your seat, and a woman (usually severe looking, in a uniform) comes over to take your money.  It's amazing, their short term memory for the people.  She asks where you're going, then takes your money for her special stick.  She uses the hard edges of the stick to tear the tickets and carry the coins.  They are always extremely colorful, these sticks.

Onward.  I sat and read my book, looking up and watching the scenery so I could find out where I was and where I could go on this bus.  It's the 514.  I went past the nearby mall, which has a cinema, so that's a great thing.  I went past the HomePro (Home Depot) and the Big C (Supermarket) and a whole lot of more boring city things.

Two hours later....

.... I finally made it to my destination, which was the city center.  The time went quickly, but I took note.  I saw an alternative that I will try this weekend.  The Siam Paragon complex used to be this grand place that I loved going to visit.  It is a giant mall in a complex of other giant malls.  Top floor, cinema with IMAX.  I saw Inception there... wowza.  Next to that, a book store.  Ground floor is nothing but food, every food.  You can see the appeal I'm sure.  We used to go and just stay all day.  Food to cinema to bookstore to snack.

Now, I'm not so convinced.  It didn't help that my tummy was slightly upset and I was h-angry.  I went to the Mexican food place, which has good tacos.  I went upstairs and found myself unable to operate the ticket machine without assistance.  Seriously, I have a Master's degree and I can't figure out a kiosk in a move theatre.  Sigh.

I saw Lucy.  After the 15 minutes of previews, an odd mix of Thai and English and adverts, and the King's anthem... for which we stand to pay homage... it was on.  I enjoyed it, but, meh.  I tried to enjoy the giant book store as well, but that was futile as well.  I just can't enjoy the mega malls.  I don't like anything about them.  I got so overwhelmed I just left and found my way down the BTS (skytrain) line to a bookstore that was meant to be good, full of used books.  After I went the wrong direction, tried to ask a moto driver (unsuccessfully) to take me there, I finally made it.

$30 in books later, I ended up at Ms Milichu's house, for dinner.

Paella, bread, Spanish ham...

She's an incredible person that I will devote an entire post to....  let's just say I stayed there from 7-2 in the morning.  It wasn't because I was bored.  She's 76, and her house is full of treasures.

Sunday brought me a picture printing place and a house full of images.
I also bought a mailbox with the hopes that my long lost mail would be happier to appear in a fancy box.
I weeded and cleaned up my plants for a solid half hour.
HomePro (Home Depot) brought me no less than 10 incidents of charades, a very confused "English-speaker," and several employees staring at me in horror, hoping I didn't approach them.

Life, man.

Hump Day Ha!

I got this pizza delivered to my house.  It was $5. 

Today I went grocery shopping with Kim.

It was a long day and is becoming a very long week; I've worked pretty head on for about a solid week now, and it's beginning to catch up with me.  On the upside, I got a bit of cash in my pocket today, which is mighty fine.

So we went to the grocery store, the Big C, as it's called.  I shopped around for a bunch of things: a fan, a mug, some groceries.  I bought peanut butter and honey, some grapes, a few other things.  The grocery store is so haphazardly organized.  It took me ages to find anything, so I just wandered about until I completed my list.  There's a section called Processed Food, where you can find honey and cereal and chips.  Just... odd.

Anyway.  I was checking out (and couldn't for the life of me remember my own phone number, which meant I couldn't get my points), and I see Kim doing the same a few aisles up.  He finished before me, and went off to the other side of the store, then returned looking pleased as punch.  I was just finishing up, and he started telling me about this bowl that he got.  This bowl... was white ceramic with a tiny picture of cuddling kissing bears on it.  He told me it came from "the man."  My curiosity was piqued, and I asked for more information.  He tells me that there is a place where you give your receipt to the man, and sometimes he gives you a prize.
What?

Yes, there is a man who looks at your ticket and sometimes he goes, "no" but sometimes he goes "yes" and gives you a prize.

I thought to myself... well, might as well try that.  Show me the way, Kim!

It was free.  A prize for buying water.

I handed my receipt to that man.  He looked very unhappy.  He perused, looking thoroughly over the receipt.  He took a stamp and slammed it down on the paper.  He stood up and went to the back of his little cubicle.

"Red or green," he says.

Red?  I chose red.

Then all of a sudden, I have this little prize.  A bag, with Minere, one of the water brands, attached to the side.

A prize!  At the grocery!!

What a thrilling life I lead.

In other news:
My cat is loving seaweed.  It's her little treat now.
I got mail today, and it made me have a silly smile (Kim's words, not mine).
Work couldn't be going better in any possible way.
I'm drinking my favorite tea from home... strawberry green, and it tastes magnificent.

10 things I messed up this week.

Adaptation takes a few days.

And I've just been thinking on my long taxi ride home that I've made more than a few mistakes these past few days.  I wanted to share these things because, well, they are both entertaining and identify a few parts of Thai culture. 

1.  At the grocery store, I failed to weigh my fruit and get a price for the second time.  While in the produce department, you weigh in and get a price not unlike going to the butcher.  Me forgetting (again) to do this means that I wait in the checkout line for a little extra time while the very nice cashier goes and does it for me.... I also get judged a bit by the other customers and the manager.

2.  I neglected to have the proper money in my wallet while taking a taxi.  For some reason, the taxi dudes don't keep much change with them.  I tried to pay for my 120b ride (4ish bucks) with a 1000b note (about 30 bucks) and change wasn't possible.  Luckily, I've been saving coin, and had enough to pay him in basically quarters.

3.  I left this afternoon to go have coffee with my friend from Cambodia and ended up leaving my laundry out in the rain.  This just means that I wait one extra day for my clothing.... and maybe it smells a bit soggy... but otherwise, I just have to remember that this is rainy season.  And in the spring, in the heat, I have to bring them in before they get baked too long.

4.  I apparently broke the ATM with my simple requests.  It stole my card too, which is annoying and gives me an extra chore.  Annoying, but not a huge issue.

5.  I've been unable to locate during working hours both the post office and a photo printing shop.  Also postcards.  I really want to send some postcards to people, but I'm not in touristy places.

6.  I bought too many hangers at the store because I misunderstood the promotion.  Because I don't read Thai and wasn't paying very close attention to the sale.

7.  I'm still awake at 11 the night before my first day of school because I went to the movies in the city.  On the plus side, I got another giant Paragon cup to keep with my and fill with ice water.

8.  I can barely find my own house in the dark.  The poor taxi guy... he got warnings too late about the turns and had to back up at least twice.

9.  I started a new TV show instead of doing some of the work that I had to do.  On the plus side, Orange is the New Black is a pretty sweet show.  

10.  I really wanted to have all my clothes laid out for the first day of school, but I made an executive decision to do that in the morning.

Now for some positives.

1.  Rizza is sleeping next to my computer like she used to, which means she is starting to feel comfy in the new house.

2.  I had a great time catching up with my friend and going to the cinema with her.  Additionally, I made it to and from town on my own, which was quite easy and involved some walking and a cheap taxi.

3.  I did two loads of laundry before leaving it out in the rain... and did the dishes tonight.  I cooked a meal for myself earlier today, which was one of my goals for the week (as Aaron can attest).  I'm all domestic and shit.

4.  There's a tokay near my house somewhere that I hear in the dark.  It reminds me of the home I made in Cambodia and gives me all kinds of comfort.

5.  There aren't any dogs near my house.  This corner is run by felines... and I may just be able to let Rizza out a little to explore.

Enjoy your week, my friends.

The International Life

Kwatta is a not so sweet chocolate spread that tastes
delightful on bread.  Belgian fare with coffee in the back.

Sunday was a wonderful day.

On Saturday night, these two lovely Italian women showed up to Kim's place.  They are working on shooting a documentary as a pilot for Italian television, all about travelling and moving around different areas of the world.  They are starting with Cambodia, and know Kim and Dani from Italy and travel.  We sat together for hours talking, and did the same thing the next morning.  We sat, and drank coffee (US coffee nonetheless, because they prefer it to Italian espresso!) and talked.

Fare collector on the water taxi.

I am starting to remember why I enjoyed the international life.  It isn't because I'm immersed in a foreign culture and learning how to survive in this new place, but because I meet so many interesting people along the way.  Kim is Belgian, and we ended Sunday by listening to Belgian and Italian music and talking about the meanings.  I learned a few new Italian phrases that are gloriously inappropriate, as well as the gestures to accompany them.  Gestures are crucial in the Italian language.

Indian sweets.  The brown one by the spoon.... delic.

The four of us went on a bit of a tour through Bangkok, seeing all sorts of cultures.  We started with lunch in Sammakorn, where Kim and I live.  It was a cool little Thai restaurant right on the river, so we sat outside and enjoyed the air and the view of the water while we ate rice and cashew chicken.  We all got the same thing, because the menu was all in Thai and we didn't really know the other options.  Kim mentioned that this was quite the issue here.  I reckon I'm going to have to study up and learn a few words and phrases.

We finished our afternoon meal and decided to take the water taxi into the city.  It's very peaceful, and I saw a whole new part of Bangkok.  There were at least five mosques on the way, and a large amount of Muslim women riding up and down the river.  I saw a whole culture on that river, full of people who live a different life than I do.

This Chinese temple we just stumbled into.

Once we got off, we started looking about at the city.  We saw a bit of Chinatown, though most of the shops were closed; it's a four day weekend because of the Queen's birthday on Tuesday and the Monday before was declared a holiday as well.  We also stopped in Little India, which is right next door.

In this little sweet shop in Little India, we ended up tasting all these sugary delights and washed them down with some hot Chai tea with milk.  It was really interesting to just sit and try a bunch of brand new foods.  I have taken my time getting acclimated to Indian foods, and this was a nice foray into the cuisine.  There was one that I really enjoyed; it tasted like a donut hole with some spice on it.  More talking, more sharing, more drinks.  People in the States don't relax like this, I think.

Seeing the sights.

We were walking about and even stumbled into this beautiful little Chinese temple.  In the middle of the city, it was massive, and must have had hundreds of thousands of baht between the Buddhas and the furniture and the antiques.  It looked like this odd mix between cultures too.  It had Buddha, but also Chinese imagery, and some things I didn't recognize.  Gorgeous.

And then, the coup de grace.  We found our way to the river and climbed the stairs of a small bar until we found.... this.  An overlook to one of the most beautiful spots in the city.  We sat and watched the sun go down, just talking and sharing again.

I live such a blessed life.

Francesca and I posing for the camera. 

Isn't this gorgeous?

A Market Kind of Day

This little guy should always be treated with respect.  

After I signed my lease with Khun Gai, he was kind enough to drop me off at the Weekend Market, which was touted to be quite the happening spot for the local villages.  I wanted to get an idea of what local produce and items would be available right down the street instead of trying to rely on the big grocery stores and shopping malls that have become so ubiquitous in BKK.  I'd enjoy browsing through the local market on the weekend and planning my meals based on what I've found.  It has the farmer's market sort of feel to it, which is something I've always admired.  I want to cook, and be able to be creative in the kitchen with more than just flour.

So, to the market I went.  Much of it was clothing, some odd housewares, several prepared food stalls, the usual fare for a small local market.  It was chaotic, and people were moving in every which way.  It immediately reminded me of the markets in Cambodia.  Either way, I was browsing slowly, looking at different stalls, finding my bearings.  I noticed a small shop that seemed to have an odd mash of used dishware.  I saw a Starbucks cup shop.  But what caught my eye was a small shop of Buddhist imagery and icons.

I'm not sure why I felt so compelled to stop; Buddhism was not a huge part of my journey through Cambodia.  I participated in the holidays but felt most in tune with the solitude of the temple as opposed to the statues within in it.  However, I stopped and looked at the fares this man had and was incredibly glad I paused to say hello.

I said the traditional greeting, "Sawadee Ka," with the broad smile I imagine it needs said with.  I was also surprised with the response; the seller spoke quite wonderful English.  I didn't expect that in a small stall that would likely be patronized by Thai people.  I told him I was looking for a token for my friend, which was exactly what had popped into my mind when I saw the stall.

My friend, Lee, is a good friend from Pittsburgh and actually lives with Aaron.  Lee is, in fact, the person I thank when I think about meeting Aaron.  He introduced us and suffered through a few months of both of us asking (him) for dating advice.  I adore Lee; he is a great human.  He also has some of the worst luck I have ever seen in another person.  I attribute some small percentage of this luck to male decision making, but it is also this luck thing.  So, I told him before I left that I would try to find him a charm that could bring some sort of fortune to his life and his car.

So, I acquired for him a small statue of a monk that went on a journey and had some bad luck that he turned around.  The seller was able to give me a brief background, write for me a prayer, and say it a few times so I could write the English phonetics that accompanied it.  And all of that was for such a low priced statue.  I ended up buying a second icon for my own home after he gave me a few suggestions about where to keep the stone and how to treat it.  He was patient with me, answering questions and teaching me about his culture and these things that were important to him.

It will be Halloween every day.

I believe I made the right choice by deciding to live in this village.

Another thing I found as I walked near the market was a pet store that sold cheap pet clothing.  Which Rizza will absolutely hate very, very quickly.  I'll be sure to update you on this.

I went into the main town center after I left Sammakorn, the name of this village.  I walked around some of the main city centers and found myself even more happy that I chose to live where I did.  The hussle was a hassle and I'm glad I'm far away from it... near a calm lake and a quiet street and a pleasant market.

Kop. Yes, Kop.

I officially have an address.

Granted, I have an address before I have a house, but at least progress is being made.

I signed the lease with the man who showed me the house; his name is Gai and he is a phenomenally nice human.  He's an older gentleman who works with the man who owns and rents many of the houses in the village in which I will live.  For signing, I turned up at a small grocery store and we had some coffee while we discussed the details of the paper that he set in front of me.  I scribbled my name on a few papers and watched him fill out the details, and then we went off towards a copy place.  We also stopped briefly at the owner's home and I was struck at his sincerity and genuine kindness.

This leads me to the main observation I had of Mr. Gai.  In fact, I'll call him Khun Gai, since that is a typical title of respect for both genders.  He called me this whenever he wanted to talk to me, and called any other person this when speaking of them as well.

Mr. Gai is one of the most polite people I've ever had the fortune to meet.  It is in every fiber of his demeanor and his speech, and something that I respect more than many other character traits.  It shows in his use of the word "kop," which is the male version of yes and something that can easily end every sentence more effectively than punctuation.  I suppose it is also something of a space filler in speech as well, but it is such a polite and respectful part of speech.  For women, it is "ka."  For example, when I say thank you, I say 'ka pun ka.'  Good morning is 'sawadee ka.'

For Gai, the kop infiltrates every other word of his sentences, and I find it extremely charming.  He says to me, "Yes, kop, this is the right way, kop."  "Well, kop, I think that you, kop, can do that of course, kop."  These are example sentences, but hopefully I am conveying the kop consistency in Khun Gai's speech.  I think there is a difference in his generation and the younger one, though I will need to observe many more things before I see this with clarity.  My small sample size only includes Khun Gai and another man called Somchai that showed me through a few other houses in the city.  The younger counterpart didn't use the kop with consistency, though he was very sweet and quite nice and knowledgeable about the areas.

It is one of those language quirks that I will continue to watch and learn from.  For now, though, I'll end by saying how pleasant it was to interact with Khun Gai and watch the time fall away as we dealt with the business of becoming a renter in Bangkok.

It's still hard for me to believe that I live in Bangkok, but that's more for another post.

Keeping My Eyes Open

I saw some things today that I found very interesting.

First thing in the morning, and by this I mean around 11, I went out to 7/11 in order to top up my cell phone.  One thing I really enjoy about other countries... prepaid cell phones.  That's besides the point.  On the way home, I bought myself a nice fresh coconut for 20 baht, a whopping 62 cents.  It was delicious and I enjoyed the healthy and sweet snack.  This, too, is not the point.

As I was walking back, a motodop driver asked me if I needed a ride.  This would normally not be any sort of abnormal event.  In fact, being hailed by a moto and communicating the need for a ride and/or the possibility that you could get one from that person was an extremely common part of my life in Cambodia.  The men of the motodop business that lived near my old house were so valuable to me and took me all sorts of places.  In Thailand, they wear green vests to identify the fact that they are certified moto drivers and not just people driving motos.  This is very appreciated.  This person asked me if I needed a ride, and I said no, thank you, with a smile, and I watched her turn the moto around.  Her long hair was in a braid, and I was incredibly surprised, almost to the point of hiring her to take me the 200 meters to my destination.  Never in my life in Asia have I seen a driver who was also a female.  I fully acknowledge that this person could also have been a man with long hair, though that is something I see extremely infrequently, and the clothing beneath the vest led me to believe that the long hair belonged to a woman.

I'm sure I seem very surprised to you, and it is because I absolutely am.  It is incredibly uncommon to see a female in this industry, and I read it to be a boon to Thailand's infrastructure and success.  This city is very successful.  The way I see people buying and moving around shows me that Bangkok is going places.... quickly.

Along with this female motodop, I saw something a bit later.  I was riding around on the Skytrain scoping out some places to live and just getting a feel for it, and I ended up coming back to the end of the line around rush hour.  It was very busy, lots of people moving around, and I enjoyed watching the people move about.  I was walking back to where the car would pick me up and walked past a moto stand.  Again, not uncommon.  The men that used to drive me in Cambodia all stayed on the same corner waiting for fares.  Here, though, I saw considerably more organization.  One man was running the stand, and the various passengers were waiting in a queue to be picked up by the drivers that returned from their last fare.  I think I'll need to delve more deeply into this, because this infrastructure seems incredibly valuable to the success of the city and the health and wealth of the citizens.

Other notable mentions from the day...
I was on an English online chat to solve the problems of my cell phone and my apparent inability to make internet appear.  While it took about 40 minutes, the person on the other end was able to suggest two ways for me to maximize my money and internet use, which I have because I want to talk to Aaron on WhatsApp, as well as give me the codes necessary for me to enable internet on my phone.  I was incredibly impressed with it.  And she (or he) was so patient with the dumb falang.

I found my way to the Tesco Lotus Superstore on the On Nut station.  It is Thai Wal-Mart, and it was packed with shoppers and everyone, buying all sorts of things.  I looked at housewares, for my microwave, possibly a stove, oven, iron, etc, etc, etc, and was quite pleased with all the selections.  I saw a great number of falangs there as well, buying all manner of things.  It was a massive building.  Huge.  HUGE.  Big screen TVs, fish in buckets, aisles of shampoo and laundry detergent.

The one thing I noticed?  A great manner of consideration goes into purchases.  Every person I saw in the shampoo aisle was reading the back of the bottle, looking and sampling and smelling each thing. There seemed to be lots of thought being made before money was exchanged.  I appreciated this, especially since I was just taking pictures of things in order to compare their price to that of Ikea, which I plan to see on Saturday.  Ikea.  At a place called MEGA Bangna.

It's interesting, this city.

A Day Out On The Town

Today was a very positive day.

Iced coffee and a mangosteen from a grocery store.

I remembered that I'm a damn fine traveller.

I found a good deal on a cell phone and got it set up.  

I saw the gorgeous school that I'm going to be working for.

I drank iced coffee.

I'm grateful for lots of competent people.

It's been quite a long time since I've been unable to communicate with the majority of people.  This happened today for sure.  From the start, I tried talking with the lady at the front desk of the hotel, with only moderate success.  Both my taxis were arranged for me considering my grasp of the Thai language is beyond useless.  I pointed to the foods that I wished to consume since I wasn't communicating clearly enough.  The grocery store.... I'm the hopeless falang doing all of the things wrong.  I even had the front desk help me order a pizza because I was far too drained to try myself.  

However, even with all of these examples, I still remembered to smile, to sompea (hands in front of the chest), and say the one phrase I do know in Thai: thank you.  It's one of the things that I think makes my travels less stressful.  I was thinking as I rode in the taxi today that I should be more stressed.  I have so many things to do and very little idea how to get them all accomplished.  But, even without the knowledge of the Thai language, I'm still able to get the information I'm looking for by being polite and adding an extra smile to the end of my sentences.  

It could be easy to forget to laugh in this wild world.  Bangkok is a crazy city.  There is traffic all the time, lots of stray creatures roaming about, lots of noises to fill up the ears... and yet, it is sometimes just insanely entertaining. I saw a sign in the taxi today with pictograms identifying what was not allowed.

No... farting (?)

Water Buffalo (?)

Weapons

Sex

Dogs

Drinking

Durian (to be fair, it's really stinky)

Smoking

I find it difficult to think that there would be sex in the back of a taxi.  And I wonder about the buffalo image, but perhaps I'm more reserved than others.  It's a fun city, and it is going to be so fun to discover some hidden gems and see the new side of Asia again.  

Towards the end of my time in Cambodia, I really felt like the things I saw on a daily basis were completely normal, because to me they were.  Here I think I will see the unusual things once again and be that much happier for it.