Last Thursday was Candaces birthday! Happy Birthday teacher Candy! Thailand doesn't really celebrate birthdays and its common for the birthday girl or boy to buy gifts for other people instead of receiving them. I bought her a beer anyways. We went on a road trip with our new motorbike down to the beach which is about an hour away. It felt like a real adventure. We camped in a tent and listened to a full Thai reggae band play till the wee hours of the night. They had a bass, guitar, tambourine, drums, and percussion all set up behind the bar right on the beach! Entertainment for all eight of us farangs and a small group of their friends. It rained the next day so we decided to head back to Surat Thani. I dropped off Candace at the bus station so that it would only be a miserable ride for one of us. I set out following the Brit brothers on their bikes with the rain stinging and the wind freezing. I arrived back at my home right when Candace was being dropped off by a Tuk Tuk. Perfect timing. My hands were wrinkled and numb and I was exhausted! It was a fun inexpensive trip that I'm sure we will do again soon. I really like going to Kohnam because it is close and we are literally the only people on the beach. The beach is deserted and full of beautiful shells. We even saw a herd of cows walking along the shore to drink rain water from a small boat right outside of our tent. Not to mention the people are extremely friendly and there is live music :)
This week my kids are much more comfortable with me. They hug me every five seconds. I get kisses on my hands and still the occasional pinches on the tush. I feed two or three of my kids during lunch because for some reason they can't feed themselves. I kiss their boo boo's and make them say sorry when they get in fights. They like to throw in the wai with the apology which I love and wish the West would adopt. They place their hands in prayer position and bow their head. I do this to the parents of my kids and my principle. And everybody I come in contact with in Thailand really. Its a sign of acknowledgment and respect and is contagious. I'm reading a book called Mornings in Jenin right now and it's about a Palestinian girl who studies in America after growing up in a refugee camp and becoming an orphan due to war. She thought the simple "Thank you" didn't express the right gratitude or appreciation for things.
My favorite dishes are green curry, and tom yum noodles (this reminds me of pad thai from back home with the peanuts but in a soup. It has tofu, fish balls, and some other questionable food items as well) Arroy Mak Mak! It's very delicious!
The rainy season has come but I appreciate the temperature drop that came with it. We are in the process of getting a water pump and internet which will make our lives much more comfortable. And we Americans are use to nothing but comfortable. I'm thankful for many things now that I have back home like a washer machine, shower, oven, kitchen sink, hot water etc.... Most of all I miss the warmth and comfort of my home and my parents faces.
Till next time.
Yours truly,
Sarah Jane
xoxo
No comments:
Post a Comment