Chris, I keep wanting to cash in that favor for an airforce rescue, but I promise to restrain myself. I am such a wimp. I just discovered most food is not stored in a fridge, but a cupboard. Most food smells rancid, and I guess is. For example, dinner the other night was a fish we bought from the side of the street (that had bugs all over it and was baking in the sun) then Lake(the mother) put it whole in a pot with coconut milk, spices and vegetables and served with rice. Afterward she puts it in the cupboard, and this morning I wake up and go to sit for breakfast and she pulls it out of the cupboard and makes more rice. Delicious… Everyday seems like two days since you have to get up SO early and still stay up till late. As for my family, it is a husband and wife (55yrs old) whose children have grown and live elsewhere. The village is so run down – (liz, I know what you mean about seeing scenes directly from national geographic – that seems to be my life right now) My family is supposed to be the richest in the village – which means we actually have a sealed house. However, here house is defined as 1 bedroom 500 sqft bungalow with the lovely buket/spicket toilet combo. The “bathroom” is not entirely closed and residence to beetles and mystery bugs. On the upside, they live on a 12 acre farm that is beautiful. They grow everything. Rice, potatoes, pumpkins, bananas and mangoes. It is nice to go out and sit by the pond, lotuses in bloom, between the rice fields and read. The husband seems to be a very good man. So kind and patient to listen. Anywhere we go everyone loves him and the kids at the school jump all over him. Both parents are teachers at the school. The wife is the only one who speaks a little english – which is still very difficult to understand. She constantly talks to me in Thai as though I understand and repeats herself. Eventually I get it by her gestures, but it can be a little frustrating. They have a dog that isn’t as dirty looking as most (meaning i don’t see any open sores) so I decided to just not worry about it and I am petting and laying with him outside. He is so sweet – name Bodah. They do not have a kitchen, but rather a shack outside that seems to house a pit for cooking. The drive to school is a 20 minute track across mega potholes that killed their truck twice today. They are teaching me the Thai alphabet and basic words that I try to turn around and then recite to the kids. Who knows if I’ll ever get any of it. My Thai handwriting is terrible. The symbols are so tricky. The school is an elementary school ages 6-12 years old. The kids know the english alphabet and maybe 20 english words. There is only one computer in the village and it is in the school director’s office. I can probably use it every other day. Friday through Sunday I do not have access to a computer. Phones are scarce as well.
At my house, in the morning there is cleaning, you have to take a “shower”, then we leave at 7:00-7:30 am to a nearby hut where we bring food and we all eat together. It is their parents, brothers, sisters, and their children. Then we drive to school, after switching cars. School ends at 4:00pm, then we check on the school crops, stop by house to switch cars back, go home, eat, clean (i.e.laundry is two buckets – we have to do constantly – soak, scrub with hands, rinse and hang outside), ’shower’, I can read, and then go to sleep. I think this weekend we are going to hike through the forest to reach one of the monastaries. I’m sure my bug bites will double. Already I have too many to count. It was totally gross, but I got a weird bite from something that opened up a little, consequently there are always little knats/flies in it – I know, I told you it was really gross. No matter how much I shoo them away they come back. We went to the doctor, and maybe get a bandage, but then the doctor wasn’t there. Their village hospital is somewhat enclosed and has shelves of perscriptions just sitting out. It would be so easy to be a criminal here – but then I think I would go straight to hell from stealing from a village with so little. We waited for a little while and then someone came by and said the doctor was at someone’s house. Maybe we’ll go back another time. Well, this has turned out to be a long post, sorry! It just feels so go to talk in full English sentences. Anyways, I’m sure I’ll be able to post more now. Meanwhile, back the this Asian Little House on the Prairie! I love you all and want to hear from you all! Enjoy those showers for me!!!!!!!! P.S. I hope my rambling made sense! Point – things are different, but they could be worse. I’m looking on the bright side of things – No worries