Rice Grains

Today I needed to meet Anita at Central Bang Na at 2 pm to catch up on her life (and her on mine). True to form, I ran on a late schedule.

About 11:00 this morning I walked to the little hair salon 2 minutes from my apartment to "hide those grays" again.:) (I know, I know, get over it Sharon!:) When I got to the salon, I waited maybe 20 minutes til the hairdresser finished up with another customer. I knew already that I would be late to the mall, so I sent a text message to Anita.

Sure enough, about 2 pm, the hairdresser finished up with my hair after coloring it, letting it set in for a good half hour, rinsing, conditioning, massaging my head (ahhh, wonderful!), and then blow drying my hair straight. Now my hair color is "chestnut burgundy". Or something like that.. It's really not that far out. I'm amazed at how brave I've gotten at trying new colors here.:)

After paying my friend for the good job she did, I caught a songtaew to the intersection, took a bus as far as I could, took a motorcycle taxi to the walkway across from Central, and walked the rest of the way to meet Anita. This is typical transportation here. It's kinda fun to learn what connects where and what all the options are. Anyway, I met Anita about a half hour late at 2:30.

Anita and I had a great time catching up and then praying together at Au Bon Pain in the mall. We parted ways about 5:00. Lo and behold, when I walked out of the mall, the sky was gray and overcast, and it was sprinkling.

I don't like to take taxis because they are the most expensive form of transportation here, but I considered it and opted against it. BAD CHOICE! I boarded a bus instead, and got off about 2 bus stops down, where I needed to walk across a "saphan loi" (walking bridge) to cross the road and to the next bus I needed.

It was still not raining too heavily in the 10 minutes I walked to the bus. However, once on the bus, the heavens opened and water GUSHED down upon us. Traffic slowed immensely, and the rain kept pouring down. The rain was still coming down in sheets when I needed to get off the bus.

Ugh, I had been hoping to catch a motorcycle taxi to take me home. But I was instantly drenched after leaving the bus, so conveniently a car taxi was sitting nearby--going the wrong direction--and I jumped inside, thinking I'd be home in 10 minutes or less.

Wrong again! The nearest U-turn was eons away, or so it seemed in the stop and go traffic, and people kept butting in front of us in the U-turn lane. But....I finally made it home, my new (temporary) hairstyle completely ruined. That's OK, I like straight hair just for a couple days and then it's nice to have my wavy/curly hair back again.:)

I got home soon after 6:00; it took me about an hour to get home instead of the usual 30 minutes. At 6:30 I had some new students coming to my apartment, so I rushed about my apartment getting ready for them to come.

All in all it was a good day in spite of the rain and traffic. Tomorrow I will do another string of transportation to go teach at The Shelter in Don Muang 2 hours away. I will probably take a songtaew to a bus to the sky train to a van to a motorcycle taxi to The Shelter. Can't get too bored that way.:)

Posted by Sharon Rice at 12:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Are you tired of hearing about Gop yet?:) Last week when I was not feeling so well, he and his mom came up with breakfast one morning. As they sat keeping me company, Gop was his usual busy self, darting about in my room grabbing his favorite "toys". I remarked to Ruung (his mom) that he is a "busy boy". She understood and simply laughed in agreement.

One of Gop's "toys" is actually a gift from a good friend in PA. I don't know what you call it; it is an accessory to wear around your neck. Is "stole" the right word???? Maybe you can help me out when you look at the picture below.

The soft, furry brown thing on the chair is it.:) I think of my friend every time I see it. Now I also think of Gop.:)

Here is Gop's idea of how to wear it;

And here is my Monday night class, which seems to be quite fluid. I never know who will or won't show up. Hmmm, I wonder which one is Gop?!:)

Posted by Sharon Rice at 10:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Today I said my first goodbye...to my fish! I just took my first photo this week of my water lilies beginning to bloom...

...and now I need to give them up.:) My friend Tawan brought her sister to my apartment to get some help with her university level English. Tawan told me she had just decided she wanted to buy a mini water lily/fish pool for her balcony, so it seemed quite the appropriate thing to offer her mine. It actually feels like a God thing--one less thing to figure out what to do with.

Tawan scoops out most of the water for the ride home in the trunk of her car.

Me, Poompuang, Tawan before the trek down 5 flights of stairs carrying a HEAVY bowl.

After my friends left, I went down to do my laundry and in the process received an invitation to eat supper with Kitti and Ruung and the family, so I am now awaiting a call from them.:) I am getting an awful lot of free meals recently; how do I repay these people???

Posted by Sharon Rice at 07:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Last night Gop brought me my supper and ate with me. He said his mom asked him to take my supper to me, but he wanted to eat with me so she made extra for him.:)

After eating supper, he played on the computer, and then, before I knew it, decided to send a Skype message to Pablo in Spain! Cute conversation. Poor Pablo couldn't figure out what my problem was--our conversations generally make more sense!

[9:11:36 AM] Sharon J. Rice says: hi gop
[9:11:59 AM] Sharon J. Rice says: what are you doing
[9:12:01 AM] Paul Kauffman says: what's a gop?
[9:12:27 AM] Sharon J. Rice says: my name gop

[9:12:44 AM] Paul Kauffman says: no understand
[9:13:32 AM] Sharon J. Rice says: i 12 years old
[9:14:00 AM] Sharon J. Rice says: friend sharon
[9:14:18 AM] Sharon J. Rice says: :D
[9:14:19 AM] Paul Kauffman says: what's 12 yrs. old?
[9:14:29 AM] Sharon J. Rice says: gop

I eventually got to chat directly with Pablo, so Gop decided it was time to dig out my camera and do a video. He told me afterward that he wants me to send it to my parents. This should work. If I'd known I would be posting this video, I would've said "Hi Mom! Hi Dad!".:) It's actually kinda cute, though there are parts that are "a little bit the way they are". Here goes:

OK, that's all! Oh, BTW, I am feeling a bit better--taught at The Shelter yesterday, was tired when I got home, stomach still not quite back to normal but not too bad.;) Now I am off to my friend Lee's apartment to work on an English teaching project.

Posted by Sharon Rice at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Last night I had to make a beeline for the restroom while I was teaching English in my room. After emptying the contents of my stomach quite thoroughly, I returned to my students in time to hear Lak laughingly tell them that I got sick because he taught me how to play that card game a few nights ago. I had heard Thais believe if you get sick it is because you did something wrong.

Anyway, between emptying out both ends, I didn't sleep much last night. But my Thai family here at my building has been taking good care of me. They have called me different times to see what they can do to help, and they bought medicine for me (wouldn't accept payment).

This evening Ruung, Kitti's wife, brought me kao tom (rice porridge with pork) for supper. She sat wtih me while I ate in order, I think, to make sure I ate it all. She kept telling me I need to eat it all. :) She is also insisting on making breakfast and supper for me tomorrow. She says there is no need to chance buying meals that might not be "clean". So tomorrow's meals are pretty much covered.

What amazing people! I thank God for their care.

Posted by Sharon Rice at 07:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Today my friend Ratanna called me and wanted to come visit. As this would be the first time for her to see my room, I told her to come on over. I didn't realize that I was going to be the lone recipient for a sales pitch on Amway products, especially vitamins.:)

We sat on the floor as she described various vitamins and minerals and how they really help the body. She thinks I should become an Amway sales person when I go back to the US. I didn't promise.:) I did buy something from her, as I can tend to fall for natural products to some degree, so I think she was at least partly satisfied with her visit.

Ummm, I think I did something that is--technically, at least--against the law tonight. Gop came up to bring me supper and to eat with me. Then I helped him with his English homework. Not too long after that, Lak came knocking on my door, and we ended up playing games together.

First, while Gop played on the computer, Lak and I played 4 stars (Connect 4). Then I taught them both how to play Spoon. Then Lak decided to teach me a game. It was some sort of card game with very fast rounds. I still don't completely get it, as he was explaining in Thai, and I didn't follow everything. But I think I got the hang of it in general.

They didn't tell me till after a few rounds that I shouldn't play this game anywhere else because I might get arrested.:) I guess it's some sort of gambling game. So I asked what the big deal is if we aren't playing for money, and they promptly replied that the police would never believe us. Hmmmmm. Now the boys want to come up to my room early on Sunday to play this game before I help Gop study English..... Is this a good idea???

Tomorrow will be a full day. I teach Noy, the neighbor guy, in the morning. In the afternoon I hope to go to The Well and spend some time with the girls there (plus stock up on my dwindling card supply). Then, in the evening, I teach an English class in my room. Maybe my life isn't slowing down quite as much as I thought!

Posted by Sharon Rice at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This afternoon I went to The Well to attend the wedding of another young gal I know there. It is so exciting to see these young people start anew with a desire to follow Jesus. This wedding was small and simple yet profound because of the earnestness of this young couple in their focus on God.

The attendees all fit inside the house.:)

Pastor Jim gave a very practical message in Thai. I like listening to farangs speak Thai because it is easier for me to understand.:) When he told the couple they could kiss, they grinned self consciously and refrained. Public display of affection is not generally part of Thai culture, though that seems to be changing some in urban areas.

Sao and Ping (I am not positive about Ping's name--will correct it if I find I am wrong:)

Jim and Judy with the bride and groom

Yours truly with the couple:)

After a simple meal and, of course, feeding each other cake, the couple headed off to go to work.:)

And one more thing, boys will be boys. A couple little guys were trying--rather unsuccessfully while I videoed them, to pop the heart balloon decorations with darts at the end of the wedding celebration.

Posted by Sharon Rice at 10:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)