King's Birthday

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I wish I could gush about the amazing things I saw today and the food and the people, but I honestly have to say I was scared for the first time today. It’s the fifth of December, the King’s birthday and the whole nation is celebrating with huge gatherings.

This evening Marrin was asked to joint he parade with the other little girls from the orphanage and was dressed up like them for the party. She loved it and it was a lot of sanuk (fun) for her to feel included. Miles has made friends with all the boys here and played the afternoon away with them around the orphanage.

Once we were ready the whole staff and kids loaded up the van and headed into Takua Pa, a village about a kilometer away from the orphanage heading North. This was my first time in that direction and it turns out it’s a pretty big village.

We unloaded and the kids all lined up to join the parade from one field to another about a kilometer further up the road. Marrin was one of the sign bearers and Miles insisted on going along with his “big buddy” Pik. This teenager has all but adopted Miles and my boy has him wrapped around all his fingers. I’ll get a pic of the two of them soon.

So off they went and Rotjhana asked me to go with her to watch. What I didn’t know was that meant leaving the kids in the care of the staff for the walk. But then I didn’t realize how long it was anyway….

So an hour later I am still freaking out and just KNOW Miles has about had it. They were fine of course but they weren’t WITH me. One of the other volunteers called Rotjhana on her cell and checked in. All good but Miles was being carried as he was too tired. Guess who was the mule…poor Pik. That kid is amazingly strong for being my size. He carried Miles almost the whole parade. Sheesh.

A bit later we all connected again on the sports field and I won’t be letting go of them again anytime soon. In reality they were as safe as the other kids including some younger than mine in the parade, but still…

They are tucked into bed out cold now and I am going insane for the internet t connect with you all in real time. It is really, really hard to get to a phone or internet out here. The orphanage is out of the way.

However, hypothetically, if one acquired a scooter and was able to drive the scooter…it would be a different thing.

So…I bussed it into Kao Lak (the resort-ish area about a half hour drive from here) and scooped a motorcycle. I had it driven back here…so now to learn to drive it; then to drive it with kids in tow.

I can make it go…it’s just the turning, signaling, stopping, not laying it over part that concerns me. Practice right?

I really miss you all today and with the little adrenaline rush of the evening it makes me a tad homesick….I have really never been homesick before.

So a little about the goings on here: there are two other volunteers here; both girls from Sweden who were here in August when I came the first time. Penyella and Maraina. They are students doing the last practicum of their social work degrees and were supposed to be leaving December 1. However they managed to get stuck by the same crash of airline seats as I and cannot leave for another week and a half. This was the reason I ended up in my little village dwelling. Anyway, we chatted a bit today as the kids climbed over us hugs given en mass, games played, and the dishes were done, fruit peeled, bottles given and diapers changed.

They told me a bit more about the beginnings of the foundation and the progress and assistance it has managed since the beginning. Some of these kids are a real mess. One has severe behavioral disorders and is going to be taken to a residence hospital in Phuket next week. I learned more details of the sexual abuse a 12 year old girl suffered and finally the psychiatrist came in to talk to Gai again. As much as the real problems exist, these kids really crave attention and physical comfort; a hug and pat, some time on your lap. Even the older boys who are almost chaperones to the little ones still need a reassuring pat on the back or touch of a hand. It is beyond what I have ever seen before.

I am also getting a real sense of the spoiled attitude we have in Canada, or the West in total for that matter. There is a lack of self identity that our kids have…an assumed and sheltered world that does not allow them to learn for themselves in a lot of ways. I am letting Marrin and Miles spend as much time with the kids here as possible in all ways and for all chores. Marrin was amazed this morning at 8am when we went to help the little ones shower and get dressed and she came to me and said the children were ironing their own clothes before dressing. Most of them between 6 and 10 yrs. I told her to go learn how to do her own. She did.

It was a simple as that really. The awareness that she can do things is all the invitation our kids need sometimes. Why shouldn’t they iron their clothes or wash their own dishes or make the bed. They are capable but we often seem to protect them from the learning process for want of potential danger. But I will bet you money that when Marrin burns herself a bit ironing, she will not be as careless the next time. (before you panic…I AM supervising her…. )

The middle of our day today was kind of neat. After I rented the motorcycle (its an automatic scooter actually-like the ones you see in Nanaimo) we wandered a bit in the “shopping district” and found some lunch at a café. We had an amazing Kao Pad Moo (pork fried rice) and cokes. As we were sitting there a young guy (maybe 25?) came up to us and starting talking….figures..white girl, I MUST speak Angrit (english). Anyway he apparently is a dive shop operator who also has a tattoo place and has lived here five years blah blah blah….I hate show-offs and in the end I didn’t believe him as he couldn’t figure out how much to pay for his meal in Thai and I had to translate for him. Hmmm five years my ass. His name is Robin and I don’t suspect any of the locals have an idea who he is...this is a small small community if you are a farung.

The kids were getting hot and whiny and tired so I stopped in at a little shop to get a haircut and give them a comfy seat to sit in for a bit of a break. ( I think it topped 33 today-we are only about 600km from the equator down in the south….) Our little stop turned into a great break for the kids who are fawned over anywhere we go. These kids have probably had 50 pictures taken of them since we landed in Asia. Marrin’s eyes and Miles’ curls are just irresistible here. Anyway, the ladies of the shop offered to give them hand massages. Well, Ms Marrin wasn’t satisfied with that…she stuck her foot out and said, “foot massage?”

Rounds of laughter from the shop girls and yes, they didn’t mind at all. Both these kids are going to have such swelled egos by the time we get back. If Stephen’s adoration of Marrin started it, this trip will make it enormous!

So Marrin went and laid down for the proper effect and Miles stayed near me in the other salon chair and had his massage. He stopped moving for a whole 30 minutes…well his body did, his mouth kept going.

They both loved the massage and I’m so happy it was a good experience for them.

After our break we found Miles a new pair of Croc’s sandals as he left one in the cab on our way here and the leather ones are just too much to slip on and off. 200 baht…9 bucks! W if you are reading gimme your shoe size again and your preferred color!

Afterwards we wandered a bit and found a “stuff store” to collect a few necessities; hangars, dish soap, incense (bug repellant indoors), bread and jam plus coffee makings. I love these stores. 50 bucks worth of goods for 12 dollars.

We bartered a sang teaw back to Ban Phru Teow (orphan village) and had a blast riding home in the open truck. Miles is in vehicle heaven here with the motorcycles and buses.

Tomorrow I am going to find a phone and an internet if it is all I do all day. I need to connect with you and will go nuts if I can’t. So hopefully this post will make it up soon and I will hear from you. Oh…and I need to learn how to ride that damn motorcycle.



smiling at you all….

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Comments

[wendy]

did i hear you say 'crocs'? :)
8 - brown yay thx!

[Mom]

Wow, beautiful pictures, I truly didn't recognize Marrin. Keep the pictures and words coming. It must be strange being away from all that is known and some of the comforts of home. We know we don't need all the comforts we have here, we are spoiled in the western world. But internet and connection are soooo important. If you can call sometime I would love to hear your voice, but the e-mails are great. We are all here, anxiously awaiting your news. I check msn several times a day, but realize your time difference too, and now we know your problems with connection. Your observations at the orphanage give an insight and make it so much more personal. Its hard to imagine what those children have sufferred and have to suffer. Who pays for their care and the physcologist etc. Is it the government? Other world organizations? Do these children have any toys of their own, like teddy bears to cuddle. Reason I ask is we have a lot of leftover teddies and little stuffys from our days of retail in Alberta. Is it possible to ship stuff over there and how long would it take. Let me know if anything like that would help. Always thinking about you. Love you lots. Mom