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Published: November 20th 2008
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Monday’s “event” was paying to use the pool at a local hotel, but that one went off mostly without a hitch. I took my swimming things to school and walked straight to the hotel after school. The charge is 35 baht/day, which is just a little over $1.00. There were some kids in the pool that kept trying to talk to me and at least I could get a few of the basics in Thai: “What’s your name?,” “How old are you?,” “Where are you from?” That is about the extent of my knowledge, though, and then I have to rely on my most-repeated phrase: “Mai kao jai” (I don’t understand). I am still working on learning the alphabet, though, and try to study a little bit each night.
Tuesday’s event was a big one, though, and much-anticipated. After the video store event on Sunday, I bought an electric pan and contemplated getting a small rice cooker. At that point I was still debating on whether or not to buy a mini-fridge. I still haven’t eaten a legitimate meal on the street in this city, but in my defense it all looks so meaty, and, besides meaty, not very appetizing. I waiver between guilt and acceptance over this. I was walking down the street contemplating the very issue (and also wondering how long they keep those unidentifiable meats and seafood out before they decide to chuck them) when I spotted something small and brown scampering across the meat at one of the little stands. I did a double-take just to make sure it really was what I thought it was—a RAT!! Sure enough- there it was in all its glory and this was worse than the last rat incident because this one was practically at eye level! Well that just about settled it for me. I was going to get a mini-fridge to cook and store my own vegetarian, rat-free food. I scheduled it for Tuesday’s “event.”
I took a motorbike taxi to Tesco Lotus, which is the big Walmart-esque chain store in Thailand. In fact, I am fearful that is actually IS a Walmart subsidiary, but I’m not sure about that. Anyway, while I avoid Walmart like the plague at home and I do try to shop at the local small stores as much as possible here, sometimes it is a good place to go for things you can’t get elsewhere (peanut butter!) or that you haven’t seen in other stores closer to home yet (mini-fridges).
I thought that I would be able to survive for four months without any kitchen facilities—that I could keep things very simple. And I could have done, but I would also probably have come out a little malnourished. I think that this will be much better and allow me to do what I find makes home feel like home—cooking. Admittedly another part of the equation was that didn’t want to spend the money on these bigger items for such a short amount of time, but I am hoping that it may be possible to sell some of them to other people before I go (already having visions of my yard sale). And anyway, the fridge only ended up being about $150, but I think it will make me even more than $150 happy (as though it can be measured in dollars!)
Some of the other teachers said that I could just grab a taxi home from Tesco after my big purchase, which seemed to make sense. Obviously I couldn’t take it back on the back of a motorbike! I bought some starter groceries to stock my “pantry,” while I was at Tesco. so I had 6 bags or so of things like soy sauce, miso, pasta, rice, etc. plus the big box that the fridge came in. Well, when I got out there it was not only raining, but everyone said it was too late and there were no taxis. I thought that surely there must be a way to call one, but that question turned up nothing. The security man kept summoning more people over to the situation, though they all had about the same level of English. One thing I have noticed is that it's common for Thai people in these situations to repeat the same questions over and over again, as though it's a police interrogation and I'm going to slip up and change my story at some point. I know they are just trying to understand in order to be helpful, but it can be really frustrating at times.
I really threw them for a loop because while I can easily guide a motorbike taxi or a regular cab home, I still don't actually know my street address. (The next day I tried to get it from teacher-neighbor and she didn't know it either!! What?!) They were very disconcerted that I couldn't give them an exact address or name of an apartment building, but I did have a map to show the location--the map with the itty bitty writing.
Before I went back in for the fridge, they kept suggesting that I take a mototaxi or a songthaew. I figured that something was definitely getting lost in translation because the suggestion was so ludicrous. Now I have seem some big items held precariously on the back or sides of motorbikes, but this was too much. So I went back in to retrieve the fridge and when I came back out, they had come to a solution. Another Tesco security guard would drive me home! He was a little man in his 40s and his uniform jacket actually said "Good Police," in case there was any doubt. Of course I offered the "Good Police"-man some money, but he refused.
Now I ask myself, would we ever, EVER do such a thing for a clueless foreigner at home? Would we bend over backwards to help them when they have gotten themselves into a blunder? I wish the answer were yes. Their kindness and accommodation does not cease to amaze me and I am grateful for it.
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Neal Rhoads
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laurie, Enjoying your blog very much. Keep it up so we can really envision what you are experiencing. Dad