What is International Education?
From traditional Buddhist meditation camps, to the intricacies of Thai/ farang relationships, on which a large industry has been based, to the nuances of a tonal language, or the mere fact that I am living in Bangkok’s oldest and largest slum, there is no denying that I am getting a very in depth international education.
Yesterday I found myself in one of my “calming” centers – a bookstore. Any bookstore or coffee shop will do and as a self-described “life-long learner” I find these places of great value to my education. The caffeine boost, combined with the hiss of the espresso machine and the splash of the milk make a coffee shop the ideal spot for me to write – my mind is stimulated and the backdrop is familiar and tranquil. Bookstores feed my craving to know more and it’s hard for me to leave empty handed. I’m that person that goes home after a long conversation and googles everything.
But yesterday my journey to the bookstore had a purpose, as opposed to most of my visits; I was looking for TOEIC text books. As an “international educator”, a certified TEFL teacher and the experience to prove it, I have to admit, I had never heard of TOEIC before. I had only been introduced to the term the day before by one of my older students. ((To clarify, I tend to talk about my high school students that I work with daily, but I also work daily with Mercy staff members to improve their English.)) These staff members are determined learners, knowing the importance of English in their careers and lives.
This particular staff member started only two months ago; as a quick background: she graduated from a four-year university in Thailand this past spring. She was sponsored through Mercy and had been studying travel management, but her dream, from a young age has been to be a flight attendant. She gets that sparkle in her eye when she talks about the flight crews she used to see at the airport, “beautiful in their smart uniforms.” She idolizes these people and this job that allows them to see the world.
And I digress…
The TOEIC stands for the Test of English International Communication, which is the test you must take (at least in Thailand) and do well on, to be a flight attendant. While my student’s English skills are nearing the advanced level, her confidence is lacking, not to mention the vocabulary level for this test was challenging even for me as an English major and Master’s candidate. She took the test this spring and her score was not quite high enough to be a flight attendant, so she was offered a position as ground crew. It was there she was able to practice her English every day with “people from all over the world, just passing through” she says. She’d recall the ‘stunning’ female flight attendants breezing past with an air of confidence. But after two months of work, she was called back to Mercy, to “pay it forward” as they say. There is a rule here that if you are sponsored to go to school, you must come back upon graduation and give two years. It is considered by some a “win/win” as the graduates are guaranteed a job and have Mercy to put on their resumes, while Mercy has educated staff trained in English and Thai working for them. There is talk that they are going to start allowing the option between that or sending a percentage of your income to Mercy for the first two years. That, however, is for another blog post.
So now, here she is, with a dream in sight, sitting behind a desk at Mercy. My hope is that I can keep her English afloat while I’m here and that another native speaker will come to Mercy soon and pick up where I’ve left off.
The other day I went to her desk to start our lesson, and there was a notebook lying out. The opened page read: “TOEIC” along the top, followed by a breakdown of the elements and sections of the test and what she needed to work on, but it was the last line that got me. “My goal is to be a flight attendant. A dream worth fighting for.”
She has been my most dedicated student by all terms and goes above and beyond what I ask of her – filling entire books with vocabulary terms I’ve given her and terms she has come across in her work. She spends her nights in her room studying and doing extra practice sheets I have left with her. She inspires me because she is so driven and she knows what she wants.
She has a dream that she is fighting for.
And so yesterday I went and bought two TOEIC textbooks, with practice tests and vocabulary worksheets, along with tips on how to ace the exam. It reminded me of the untouched LSAT books gathering dust in my room and how I need to donate those to after school homework centers when I get home. This student has a gift some of us can only dream of: she knows exactly what she wants, and for that, I am going to help her achieve that dream as much as I possibly can.
Just another lesson in international education, whatever that means.
This post is dedicated to this student who is going to be the best flight attendant Thailand has seen. She is something to aspire to.
Education will not (take the place of persistence); the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
((Calvin Coolidge))
ABA
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond. ((rumi))
The rains have stopped, it almost seems unnatural; a Bangkok without spontaneous torrential downpours. We have now crossed into November, the dry season. Since the temperature never seems to fluctuate more than a few degrees, always dancing around 90F, there are two seasons in Thailand: dry and wet. I am happy to report that we are entering dry season, even though most of the country is very much wet.
There seems to be more and more babies in my neighborhood these days. Every time I walk out my front door there is a newborn being cradled by their grandmother or teen mom. I watch as the bellies expand and detract over the months and wonder about the lives these children are being born in to. I think about the kids at Mercy and how against all odds they are excelling in some of the best schools in the city and looking forward to university in their futures.
One of the hardest things for me to go against is my nature to look at every side to every given situation. Given the drastic discrepancy between the life I have been born into and the lives of those around me here, I can't help but wonder why. Yesterday, I picked up a copy of my friend’s book “The Pursuit of Happiness” written by a psychiatrist from the States about his conversations with the Dali Lama. One of the opening anecdotes related to Westerner’s need to explain everything in a scientific and rational way, eg: All our emotions and thoughts are the product of chemical reactions in the brain. The Dali Lama disagreed, stating, that if you always look for answers as to why people are the way they are and why the act the way they do, only considering this life time, then it is like saying you are looking for your keys in only one room of the house – you are setting limitations and boundaries. Buddhists believe in the notion of karma, one I find myself aligning with, regardless of the fact that I tend to side with tangible, explainable concepts.
The book continued with a discussion on depression and how to train yourself to seek happiness. It made me think about Jack Gilbert’s poem “A Brief for the Defense”. This poem is brilliant and Jack Gilbert is one of my all time favorite contemporary poets. I keep a copy of this poem in my journal and it has been with me my entire stay in Thailand. The poem is about the sorrow and misery in the world and yet how people are still happy and we must not deny our happiness and let the sorrows of the world weigh us down. If you haven’t read it, I suggest a quick google search while you’re thinking about it.
A favorite exert:
Sorrow everywhere. Slaughter everywhere. If babies
are not staving someplace, they are starving
somewhere else. With flies in their nostrils.
But we enjoy our lives because that’s what God wants.
Otherwise the mornings before summer dawn would not
be made so fine. The Bengal tiger would not
be fashioned so miraculously well.
This is not to say that we must ignore the realities of the world around us, but that we must insist on happiness. This has been a common theme in a lot of the reading I have done lately and I think it’s something many of us forget to do; letting ourselves slip away into a dark place in which we can no longer recognize the person in the mirror. Then the frustration comes when we feel guilty about being sad when we know rationally how lucky we are.
The mind is a powerful thing and we must remind ourselves that we have control over it. We can allow the weight of the world to drag us down, or we can ask, “What can I do to make it better?” The Dali Lama suggests the same: make a list of the things that make you happy and those that don’t and slowly try to do away with the things that make you unhappy. While it sounds very simple, it’s worth a try. And on days when you wake up and life seems like too much to handle, the list of what makes you happy will serve as a pleasant reminder that this is life and there will always be suffering of some kind and of some degree, but it’s up to us to remember just how fortunate we are.
We must admit there will be music despite everything. ((Jack Gilbert))
Thursday I will return to “nun camp” for the day to make offerings to the monks (how did they know I would be back?!) and next week I am off to Vietnam for a few days. I am blessed and I promise to remind myself of that everyday.
Off to make my list of what makes me happy and what makes me unhappy and start working on my pursuit of happiness.
Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.
((Elizabeth Gilbert))
The start of my "Things that Make Me Happy" list:
ABA
There seems to be more and more babies in my neighborhood these days. Every time I walk out my front door there is a newborn being cradled by their grandmother or teen mom. I watch as the bellies expand and detract over the months and wonder about the lives these children are being born in to. I think about the kids at Mercy and how against all odds they are excelling in some of the best schools in the city and looking forward to university in their futures.
One of the hardest things for me to go against is my nature to look at every side to every given situation. Given the drastic discrepancy between the life I have been born into and the lives of those around me here, I can't help but wonder why. Yesterday, I picked up a copy of my friend’s book “The Pursuit of Happiness” written by a psychiatrist from the States about his conversations with the Dali Lama. One of the opening anecdotes related to Westerner’s need to explain everything in a scientific and rational way, eg: All our emotions and thoughts are the product of chemical reactions in the brain. The Dali Lama disagreed, stating, that if you always look for answers as to why people are the way they are and why the act the way they do, only considering this life time, then it is like saying you are looking for your keys in only one room of the house – you are setting limitations and boundaries. Buddhists believe in the notion of karma, one I find myself aligning with, regardless of the fact that I tend to side with tangible, explainable concepts.
The book continued with a discussion on depression and how to train yourself to seek happiness. It made me think about Jack Gilbert’s poem “A Brief for the Defense”. This poem is brilliant and Jack Gilbert is one of my all time favorite contemporary poets. I keep a copy of this poem in my journal and it has been with me my entire stay in Thailand. The poem is about the sorrow and misery in the world and yet how people are still happy and we must not deny our happiness and let the sorrows of the world weigh us down. If you haven’t read it, I suggest a quick google search while you’re thinking about it.
A favorite exert:
Sorrow everywhere. Slaughter everywhere. If babies
are not staving someplace, they are starving
somewhere else. With flies in their nostrils.
But we enjoy our lives because that’s what God wants.
Otherwise the mornings before summer dawn would not
be made so fine. The Bengal tiger would not
be fashioned so miraculously well.
This is not to say that we must ignore the realities of the world around us, but that we must insist on happiness. This has been a common theme in a lot of the reading I have done lately and I think it’s something many of us forget to do; letting ourselves slip away into a dark place in which we can no longer recognize the person in the mirror. Then the frustration comes when we feel guilty about being sad when we know rationally how lucky we are.
The mind is a powerful thing and we must remind ourselves that we have control over it. We can allow the weight of the world to drag us down, or we can ask, “What can I do to make it better?” The Dali Lama suggests the same: make a list of the things that make you happy and those that don’t and slowly try to do away with the things that make you unhappy. While it sounds very simple, it’s worth a try. And on days when you wake up and life seems like too much to handle, the list of what makes you happy will serve as a pleasant reminder that this is life and there will always be suffering of some kind and of some degree, but it’s up to us to remember just how fortunate we are.
We must admit there will be music despite everything. ((Jack Gilbert))
Thursday I will return to “nun camp” for the day to make offerings to the monks (how did they know I would be back?!) and next week I am off to Vietnam for a few days. I am blessed and I promise to remind myself of that everyday.
Off to make my list of what makes me happy and what makes me unhappy and start working on my pursuit of happiness.
Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.
((Elizabeth Gilbert))
The start of my "Things that Make Me Happy" list:
ABA
Thursday, November 3, 2011
My love is a hundred pitchers of honey. ((Jack Gilbert))
While Mercy is dry, those of you that own a television or have access to the internet know that most of Thailand and parts of Bangkok are still under water. It has been hotter and drier (sans rains) than usual here and while we aren’t swimming at Mercy, we are feeling the impact of the flood. Food prices have gone up, you STILL can’t find bottled water anywhere and the kids are on their 3rd week out of school. I just heard today that my kids won’t be back in school until the 15th – the projected date for now. This means that by the time they go back to school they will have been out for a full month. At least their teachers are pumping them with homework via google documents. However, tonight I went through their homework assignments to find they have been receiving these assignments since week one – now reports on scientists, reading questions and math homework has piled up quite high.
The people in the area are still split over whether or not our neighborhood will see water. The latest hypothesis I heard was that there are 3 meter deep waters coming towards us that have to pass through our neighborhood to finally make it to the river and out to sea, but because we are 3 meters above sea level we will only see a few inches of water. The Mercy flood team has been going out into surrounding areas to meet with the people affected and there are pictures on Facebook of them wading in waters up to their waists. (See the Facebook page “Mercy Emergency Flood Team” or the link on my page for pictures.) Concerns are brewing over the health risks of wading in these waters and some of our staff members are out there every day.
On Halloween, amidst all the flooding chaos, Mercy had a small celebration for Father Joe’s 72nd birthday. It was really incredible to see all of the Mercy homes together in one room and it really felt like one extremely large family – sort of like the Boulier family reunions.
Fr Joe and the part of the crew that I could fit in the frame.
Love these boys.
Some of the Mercy 6 crew.
Tomorrow night marks the first movie night at Mercy 2 without Ben. The kids continue to ask me where he is and when he is coming back. I’ve been telling them Australia, but I get blank stares, so I think I’m going to start making up some really cool stories, like he is flying a spaceship to the moon. With these pictures they may believe me…
Captain Ben.
It’s CRAZY to think that I have just 5 more weeks here at Mercy – where has the time gone?? And to break it up even more, I have to go on a VISA run in a week and a half. Looks like Ho Chi Minh is calling my name and from there, a little beach bar in Cambodia. In true Alex fashion I have made plans to travel with someone I don’t know! Fortunately, he has good references. Cathleen’s boyfriend’s brother is living in South East Asia as well (The Philippines) and has to do a visa run around the same date as me. We have been emailing a bit, seeing if there was a way we could meet up, since he knows Cathleen well and I have met his brother a few times and finally it has worked out. So, another day, another adventure. See you cats for Christmas, it looks like I’ll be coming back!
ABA
The people in the area are still split over whether or not our neighborhood will see water. The latest hypothesis I heard was that there are 3 meter deep waters coming towards us that have to pass through our neighborhood to finally make it to the river and out to sea, but because we are 3 meters above sea level we will only see a few inches of water. The Mercy flood team has been going out into surrounding areas to meet with the people affected and there are pictures on Facebook of them wading in waters up to their waists. (See the Facebook page “Mercy Emergency Flood Team” or the link on my page for pictures.) Concerns are brewing over the health risks of wading in these waters and some of our staff members are out there every day.
On Halloween, amidst all the flooding chaos, Mercy had a small celebration for Father Joe’s 72nd birthday. It was really incredible to see all of the Mercy homes together in one room and it really felt like one extremely large family – sort of like the Boulier family reunions.
Fr Joe and the part of the crew that I could fit in the frame.
Love these boys.
Some of the Mercy 6 crew.
Tomorrow night marks the first movie night at Mercy 2 without Ben. The kids continue to ask me where he is and when he is coming back. I’ve been telling them Australia, but I get blank stares, so I think I’m going to start making up some really cool stories, like he is flying a spaceship to the moon. With these pictures they may believe me…
Captain Ben.
It’s CRAZY to think that I have just 5 more weeks here at Mercy – where has the time gone?? And to break it up even more, I have to go on a VISA run in a week and a half. Looks like Ho Chi Minh is calling my name and from there, a little beach bar in Cambodia. In true Alex fashion I have made plans to travel with someone I don’t know! Fortunately, he has good references. Cathleen’s boyfriend’s brother is living in South East Asia as well (The Philippines) and has to do a visa run around the same date as me. We have been emailing a bit, seeing if there was a way we could meet up, since he knows Cathleen well and I have met his brother a few times and finally it has worked out. So, another day, another adventure. See you cats for Christmas, it looks like I’ll be coming back!
ABA
Monday, October 31, 2011
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. ((Margaret Mead))
Again, woke up, no water; it is becoming a reassuring trend and I hope it stays this way.
This morning Mercy formed the Mercy Emergency Flooding Team (MEFT) to go out into the surrounding communities, assess the damages, collect statistics and find a way to help those in need. (Find them and like them on facebook!!) Tomorrow I will go with the team to these communities and my job will be to help translate all of the write ups into English. I love being a part of the work that is done here and I love sharing the beauty that makes up Mercy with the ones I love. I have received so many emails from people at home asking if there is anything they can do to help. I will talk with M.E.F.T. tomorrow to see what you at home can do!
Tonight, while Skyping with my Dad, he in his PJs and a leather coat (because it's so cold in Boston), and me, bright red and sweating from my night run, talked a little bit about my next move. With only 6 weeks left at Mercy, I find myself asking: Where did the time go? When will I be able to return? How can I help from home? And what am I going to do next?
Most of you know that one of my life goals is to write a book, a proper book, and every new adventure takes me one step closer to my first eclectic collection of short stories. But with every new twist and turn that life throws my way, I find new interests that become passions. While education has always been the most important thing to me, I realized, so is public health. I can't stop thinking about all the diseases borne from the stagnant waters in Thailand right now, and all the HIV/AIDS patients and diabetics in the community who, due to the floods, are not able to access their medications. What can I do and how can I help? These thoughts brought back memories of my class on NGO management with Ken Williams this winter, and meeting with all the different NGOs in New York City. I thought back to inspiring groups like Public Healthworks working in Burundi and GEMS in NYC and all the public health education they are providing. Maybe this is my nitche?
And thus the journey continues - here are some thoughts - fellowships, perhaps even applying for a Fulbright, write a book and maybe pursue a PhD in public health. But perhaps I'll try and stick around Boston, maybe apply to Harvard? All hopes and dreams for the future, but what is life without a few hopes and dreams?
However, the most important aspect of my life right now - to give back. This experience has been a game changer and I know now that no matter what I'm doing, volunteering with kids is always going to be at the top of my list. I can't imagine my life without the kids here and I will do everything I can so I don't have to, so that I may remain a part of their lives after I leave.
Service to others is the payment you make for your space here on earth.
((Mohammed Ali))
And with that it is time for bed. Hoping that when I wake up tomorrow and it is November, the rains will stop, the temperature will cool and the waters will recede. My thoughts and prayers are with the families whose homes and lives were lost in the floods.
This morning Mercy formed the Mercy Emergency Flooding Team (MEFT) to go out into the surrounding communities, assess the damages, collect statistics and find a way to help those in need. (Find them and like them on facebook!!) Tomorrow I will go with the team to these communities and my job will be to help translate all of the write ups into English. I love being a part of the work that is done here and I love sharing the beauty that makes up Mercy with the ones I love. I have received so many emails from people at home asking if there is anything they can do to help. I will talk with M.E.F.T. tomorrow to see what you at home can do!
Tonight, while Skyping with my Dad, he in his PJs and a leather coat (because it's so cold in Boston), and me, bright red and sweating from my night run, talked a little bit about my next move. With only 6 weeks left at Mercy, I find myself asking: Where did the time go? When will I be able to return? How can I help from home? And what am I going to do next?
Most of you know that one of my life goals is to write a book, a proper book, and every new adventure takes me one step closer to my first eclectic collection of short stories. But with every new twist and turn that life throws my way, I find new interests that become passions. While education has always been the most important thing to me, I realized, so is public health. I can't stop thinking about all the diseases borne from the stagnant waters in Thailand right now, and all the HIV/AIDS patients and diabetics in the community who, due to the floods, are not able to access their medications. What can I do and how can I help? These thoughts brought back memories of my class on NGO management with Ken Williams this winter, and meeting with all the different NGOs in New York City. I thought back to inspiring groups like Public Healthworks working in Burundi and GEMS in NYC and all the public health education they are providing. Maybe this is my nitche?
And thus the journey continues - here are some thoughts - fellowships, perhaps even applying for a Fulbright, write a book and maybe pursue a PhD in public health. But perhaps I'll try and stick around Boston, maybe apply to Harvard? All hopes and dreams for the future, but what is life without a few hopes and dreams?
However, the most important aspect of my life right now - to give back. This experience has been a game changer and I know now that no matter what I'm doing, volunteering with kids is always going to be at the top of my list. I can't imagine my life without the kids here and I will do everything I can so I don't have to, so that I may remain a part of their lives after I leave.
Service to others is the payment you make for your space here on earth.
((Mohammed Ali))
And with that it is time for bed. Hoping that when I wake up tomorrow and it is November, the rains will stop, the temperature will cool and the waters will recede. My thoughts and prayers are with the families whose homes and lives were lost in the floods.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Sounds of silence.
Today I woke up to the sound of water. Fortunately it was just a neighbor taking a bath with a bucket of water out his window, but it sent chills down my spine. I ran downstairs - the streets were still dry. This is when I decided to set out and find this water. ((Don't worry, I'm being safe!)) I walked the way Ben and I used to walk to the river and couldn't seem to find the port. I knew I recongnized all the side streets, but every time I went for that last turn I was faced with a 10' wall. This must be the water barriers they have been talking about. So then I decided to see if Sukhumvit Road was flooded. I walked for over six hours today through the center of Bangkok - no signs of flooding. Besides the apparent exodus of all Thai business peole, there were still the tourists out taking pictures of the sandbags that have flooded the center. News reports say that the high tide wasn't quite as high as they expected, but if all the dykes stay secure we may be ok. High tide again in 30 minutes. And the waiting game continues. The PM says that Bangkok's waters should recede by next week, so if we can hang in there just a few more days... Also, word on the street is that these waters are NOT from storms (Thailand always has rain storms) they're due to the mismanagement of the dams in the north. Damages are ranging in the billions and nearly 400 people are dead.
Pictures from my walk...
Making sandbags...
Boats in the canal.
Just discovered these intricate notes on the concrete pillars supporting the highway, down by the canal.
Empty streets and store fronts closed by Ekkamai.
Water deliveries to Jet-sip-rai.
Hoping we stay dry! Happy Halloween weekend.
ABA
Pictures from my walk...
Making sandbags...
Boats in the canal.
Just discovered these intricate notes on the concrete pillars supporting the highway, down by the canal.
Empty streets and store fronts closed by Ekkamai.
Water deliveries to Jet-sip-rai.
Hoping we stay dry! Happy Halloween weekend.
ABA
Friday, October 28, 2011
And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. (great abe)
One of my superstar girls, Nancy, turned 15 last weekend. This is a big year here because when you turn 15 you can go get your National ID card. As birthdays aren’t celebrated individually here, I promised Nancy, Ann and Kwan that we would celebrate together. I have become so incredibly close to these three; they’re amazing kids. They take care of each other, they are wise beyond their years and they’re so smart and talented. I can’t say enough good things about them.
In the cab to dinner I told the girls how Ben had sent his best and wished Nancy a very happy birthday. “Awwwwwww P’Ben, dadddddd, he should be here!” While Ben is missed, I think I’m doing a pretty decent job as a single mom ☺. Off to the Pizza Company, where iced tea milkshakes and copious amounts of pizza, pasta and salad were consumed, the girls left filled to the brim. Kwan joked that Ben would be jealous of how much we ate. As I sat back in my chair, I couldn’t help but take in the smiles and laughter and smile as well. Nothing cures a mood like these three and they are a constant reminder of why I am here and why I love what I do so much.
Nancy, who always surprises me with her serious moments, stopped giggling and looked me right in the eyes. “We were saying before, well, we’ve never met volunteers like you and P’Ben, ever. You really take care of us and do special things with us and remember our birthdays. We’ve never called any other volunteers Mom and Dad before. You two are different.” There go those “over-active” tear ducts again… I was so touched, but how could you not want to do everything for these girls?
We finished dinner early and the girls wanted to “play something”, which more accurately translates into, “we don’t want to go home yet…” so we found, most likely, the only ice skating rink in Bangkok. “Girls, are you sure you want to do this? You’ve never skated before…” Apprehensive, but excited, they all clamored, “Yes!” So, there we were: myself in a short dress, the girls all wobbly, like a new calf, and terrified, holding on to the railings with white knuckles. I spent an hour skating backwards, holding their hands and pulling them along, alternating between the three. Even exhausted from using new muscles, they stayed on till the very end. When we left I got a huge group hug and Nancy declared, “I want to be an ice skater now!”
As children growing up in a community that encourages you to try everything and has the resources to do so, I was reminded of how lucky I am that my parents exposed me to so many different 'things' as a kid. Now I get to pay it forward. The look on their faces, trying this new “sport” out for the first time, was exhilarating, even at 15. Just to be a part of these moments is like experiencing it all again.
Not to mention, I’m glad the kids were able to have some fun before being sentenced to full days of cleaning Mercy while they are out of school. Yesterday they cleaned the sewer under Mercy and were covered in oil and mud – a job given to Thai prisoners before they are let out. Needless to say, they are probably really missing school at this point!
Dinnerrrrrr
Far more sugar than any of us needed!
Ice skating!
Naturally we ask for one of the four of us and the guy cuts out the ice skates!
Our tuk tuk cruise home :)
Keep sending DRY thoughts!!!
ABA
In the cab to dinner I told the girls how Ben had sent his best and wished Nancy a very happy birthday. “Awwwwwww P’Ben, dadddddd, he should be here!” While Ben is missed, I think I’m doing a pretty decent job as a single mom ☺. Off to the Pizza Company, where iced tea milkshakes and copious amounts of pizza, pasta and salad were consumed, the girls left filled to the brim. Kwan joked that Ben would be jealous of how much we ate. As I sat back in my chair, I couldn’t help but take in the smiles and laughter and smile as well. Nothing cures a mood like these three and they are a constant reminder of why I am here and why I love what I do so much.
Nancy, who always surprises me with her serious moments, stopped giggling and looked me right in the eyes. “We were saying before, well, we’ve never met volunteers like you and P’Ben, ever. You really take care of us and do special things with us and remember our birthdays. We’ve never called any other volunteers Mom and Dad before. You two are different.” There go those “over-active” tear ducts again… I was so touched, but how could you not want to do everything for these girls?
We finished dinner early and the girls wanted to “play something”, which more accurately translates into, “we don’t want to go home yet…” so we found, most likely, the only ice skating rink in Bangkok. “Girls, are you sure you want to do this? You’ve never skated before…” Apprehensive, but excited, they all clamored, “Yes!” So, there we were: myself in a short dress, the girls all wobbly, like a new calf, and terrified, holding on to the railings with white knuckles. I spent an hour skating backwards, holding their hands and pulling them along, alternating between the three. Even exhausted from using new muscles, they stayed on till the very end. When we left I got a huge group hug and Nancy declared, “I want to be an ice skater now!”
As children growing up in a community that encourages you to try everything and has the resources to do so, I was reminded of how lucky I am that my parents exposed me to so many different 'things' as a kid. Now I get to pay it forward. The look on their faces, trying this new “sport” out for the first time, was exhilarating, even at 15. Just to be a part of these moments is like experiencing it all again.
Not to mention, I’m glad the kids were able to have some fun before being sentenced to full days of cleaning Mercy while they are out of school. Yesterday they cleaned the sewer under Mercy and were covered in oil and mud – a job given to Thai prisoners before they are let out. Needless to say, they are probably really missing school at this point!
Dinnerrrrrr
Far more sugar than any of us needed!
Ice skating!
Naturally we ask for one of the four of us and the guy cuts out the ice skates!
Our tuk tuk cruise home :)
Keep sending DRY thoughts!!!
ABA
you can stand under my umbrella, ella, ella... ((rihanna))
It seems as if my neighbors are calm, cool and relaxed. I am just clinging on to the hope that one of the many plans the media keeps talking about will work. One idea was to create water ways (read: drudge out 5 meter deep "rivers") on either side of some of the major highways in the outlying zones of Bangkok, to carry the flowing water out to sea without having it destroy central Bangkok. There is talk of pumping systems and boats pushing out the water, but new concerns have been raised over the very hightide coming tomorrow afternoon. The river is at full capacity already and with excessive tides, the embankments could break, this coupled with the water running down from the north could be disasterous. However, everything is still a big guessing game, riddled with "what ifs" and "if this than thats". The Castle and Khao San Road (backpacker haven) regions are starting to see rising waters, which is about 10 minutes by car from where I live. Everyone keeps saying, "No doubt we'll be under water..." but when you hear this everyday for the past two weeks you wonder... maybe someone has come up with a brilliant plan... however it seems unlikely at this point.
This afternoon I seized the opportunity to get a run in before my looming house arrest. The streets seemed more than quiet, given a Friday at "rush hour" in a city perpertually in a state of rush hour. The people have fled. The rest of us are just waiting... here are a few pictures I snapped on my run.
My nextdoor neighbor chills out, plucking/shaving his beard with one of his rear view mirrors.
Metro entrances are being gated up.
The Thailand Stock Exchange is literally building a 6'' wall outside, supported by sand bags.
These clouds are predicting something crazy is about to happen... right?
So what do girls do when they are stuck inside? Mmhmm.
More to come. Pray for dry land!
ABA
This afternoon I seized the opportunity to get a run in before my looming house arrest. The streets seemed more than quiet, given a Friday at "rush hour" in a city perpertually in a state of rush hour. The people have fled. The rest of us are just waiting... here are a few pictures I snapped on my run.
My nextdoor neighbor chills out, plucking/shaving his beard with one of his rear view mirrors.
Metro entrances are being gated up.
The Thailand Stock Exchange is literally building a 6'' wall outside, supported by sand bags.
These clouds are predicting something crazy is about to happen... right?
So what do girls do when they are stuck inside? Mmhmm.
More to come. Pray for dry land!
ABA
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