Another Day in Bangkok

This morning began as usual, with my daily trip to the gym. Today, to my delight, the bed of police truck parked the sidewalk was home to a tiny little pug puppy. He was probably about 8 weeks old and his wrinkly little face, wrinkled up even more when I put a hand on each side of his little head, scratching his ears to say hello. He rolled over and tried to chew up my hand as any puppy would and I noticed as I played, that no one was around to claim the puppy or shoo me away, so I enjoyed a few more minutes with my new little friend.

After a 45 minute workout, I headed back home, received my morning salute from the guards at the gate (they know that a house full of farangs is in the neighborhood and give us a smile, a salute and a “khap” every time we walk by. I do enjoy my friendly salutes).

At work, I couldn’t do too much because the computer is in the shop and I needed to type up a letter and look up brochure designs, so I re-wrote all of the Thai I have learned up to this point, putting it in an order that makes sense (giving directions to taxi drivers, questions words, verbs, adjectives, etc.). Then I wrote out a bunch of sentences in English and translated them into Thai to give to Phanutat to correct for me. It’s exciting to be able to form complete sentences.

Then I got out my map and looked up the Tourism Authority of Thailand where I was going in the afternoon to get brochures for design ideas and looked up and circled a few other places I want to go in Bangkok – a wat that holds mediation session in English, the forensic museum that has the preserved body of Thailand’s first serial killer on display, the highest open air restaurant in the world (which the tourism guide notes is the one place in the world where you can go for both a romantic dinner and a suicide attempt). I then worked on the brochure and another project for Vikram for the rest of the morning, feeling quite useful and productive.

Lunch was delicious as usual. June, Air or Noo always pack us a lunch at the house, but the ladies at HAT make meals that are so much better, served family style, so I just always eat what they have and put whatever I bring in the middle for everyone to share. It often goes untouched, so I asked the other day if I should stop bringing my lunch, but I was assured that someone will always eat it. As Vikram said, “Some people do not like to eat just three meals; some eat four, five, six…. “

After lunch, I checked my mail quickly to see if any of the organizations I had emailed about brochure samples had written me back and turned to see everyone waiting for me go to upstairs and teach the English lesson. I was glad to see that they were looking forward to the lesson. I even gained two new students, Champ and the Director (who just sat in to observe)!

Pong had said that she wanted to learn how to answer the phone and have a conversation in English, so I had written up a lesson the night before. Having had numerous Spanish lessons is really helping me teach English, remembering that it isn’t enough just to have the vocabulary, but that you need to be able to read it, speak it and understand it when spoken. For my lesson, I typed up three different dialogues: 1) Telephone for Moo, 2) Computer Salesman, and 3) Call for the Director. I looked up the Thai words for listen (fung), read (Ahn) and write (Kei-En) and wrote them on the board: 1) Fung, 2) Fung & Ahn and 3) Fung & Kei-En. The first time I asked them just to listen as I read the dialogue. Then I handed out the written dialogue and asked them to read along as I read. Then I asked them to turn over the paper (“Mai Ahn” – “No Read”) and handed out the dialogue again, but this time with words missing that they would have to listen for and write in the blank in as I read. After all of this we went around and each person read the dialogue out loud. I knew that this lesson wouldn’t be as fun as the shopping lesson, but I thought it would be a good technique to have them practice their listening comprehension as well as learning the topic they wanted to learn. Since I knew it wouldn’t be that fun, I fashioned telephone receivers out of pipe cleaners and connected them with strings of pipe cleaners twisted to look like a telephone cord. My idea worked and they got a kick out of my role playing the dialogue going back and forth between “phones” and seemed to enjoy using them across the table as they role played with each other. It felt great to see everyone enjoying themselves and able to understand the lesson.

After the lesson, I headed out to catch bus 123 to the Bangkok Tourism Authority. The buses are a great way to get around because they are cheap and they allow you to really take in your surroundings. I was delighted to learn that once we crossed the Phra Pin Klao Bridge to my stop, I was right in the middle of familiar territory between Koh San Road and the Grand Palace. Familiar orientation is a wonderful thing.

After picking out my brochures, I walked back out to the street and was just taking out my map to see where the library (my next destination) was, when I heard a “Hey lady. Hey you. Where you going?” Looking up, I saw a very feminine, very plump, Thai tuk-tuk driver heading my way. As, he began his spiel about taking me around the city, I stopped him saying that I lived in Bangkok, was just walking few blocks and that he did not need to render his services. He seemed surprised by the fact that I said I lived there, but continued to tell me that he would take me to see the lucky Buddha and the Grand Palace. I, good naturedly (because he was really pleasant and friendly looking) told him that I had been to the Grand Palace and did not want to see the lucky Buddha because I was on my way to the library. He gave me a look that said I was missing out by turning him down and said that today was a very special day and that he would take me all around the city for just 10 bhat (about 30 cents). I responded “Sweetheart, if you are only charging people 10 bhat for tour around the city, YOU are getting ripped off.” I don’t know if it was my candor or the fact that I called him sweetheart, but I got a big laugh and a smile and he said, “Ok, ok, friend. Thank you. Good luck to you,” and let me on my way.

I made my way down the block to Thammasat University where you can enjoy the air-conditioned luxury of the student library for just 20 bhat a day. I had read about it in a magazine and had wanted to go, but had no idea how close it was. I spent a few hours wandering around sampling anything that caught my fancy: an account of how social status directly relates to life expectancy (really?...); a novel about an American who returns to Thailand after a brief stay as an exchange student, in which the author used the word ‘undulating’ twice on the first page; a great TIME article about how we can end all world poverty (Kev, can you save that one for me?), and an Australian Christian Magazine with articles on topics on how to raise children in the cyber age and how to maintain a strong marriage. The latter article had some really good advice, but my favorite part was the heading quote; “Marriage is where two people come together so they can mutually solve problems that they wouldn’t have had if they didn’t get together in the first place.”

After leaving the library, I walked down the street to where I hoped I would find Wat Mahadhatu, where they offer daily meditation practice in English. It isn’t a main street, although the traffic would suggest otherwise, it is simply a two lane street that connects two piers on the Chao Praya. The sidewalk on the right hand side of the street is jam packed with food vendors selling an amazing variety of foods, all either deep fried, on sticks, or a combination of the two: deep fried bananas, fish, crab, fish balls; skewers of grilled chicken, grilled squid, corn and pineapple; gelatinous patties filled with morning glory (spinach-esque), mini-tacos, and countless other treats I couldn’t identify. I was so tempted to sample a bit of everything, but knew that in an hour they would be serving dinner at the house, so I resisted, vowing to come back soon and treat myself to a smorgasbord. Further on, I came up on, what I think is the amulet market, with people selling various amulets and Buddha images out of cases and on blankets on the sidewalk. As I walked, a blind woman passed me with a speaker in a box around her neck, singing Thai songs into a microphone for money.

I found Wat Mahadhtu and talked with the monk, helping myself to some literature about meditation practice, and Buddha’s teachings or darma (damma in Thailand – they call Nirvana – Nibbana, as well, as they don’t pronounces ‘v’s”. I wonder which side of the world has it wrong). Promising to come back next week for the evening session: meditation from 6 to 8 and a damma talk at 9.

I walked to the pier and paid my 2 bhat for a ferry across the river. Feeling quite like local, I boarded the ferry and took a seat next to a professionally dressed Thai man. I said hello to him in Thai and he responded by asking where I was going (in Thai and I actually understood!) and I responded that I was going home (“Bpai baan, ka). I feeling quite proud of our little exchange when he launched into another round of questioning and I had to stop him with a with a “mai khao jai, ka (I don’t understand)” with an accompanying apologetic facial expression. He nodded, smiled and launched into conversation in halting English asking me where I was from; how long I’d been in Thailand; how it was that I spoke Thai (and remarking how well I spoke it!). I asked him where he worked and he said he worked in a court. I asked if he was an attorney, to which he responded that he was the judge. He said he used to be a policeman, but had to travel all over the country investigating cases and liked that his new job was a bit more stable. We talked a little more about the difference between being a policeman and being a judge and then parted ways at the opposite pier.

Back in Thonburi, I hopped in a local saengthaw and made my way home for a dinner of Thai green chili and fried won-tons.

Since there are now only three of us, and Lucy and Eleanor left for the internet café, I had the house to myself. Knowing that soon, the house would be full of 10 new volunteers, I relished my time alone, popped in a few of my cds and set to work on the house computer, typing up some letters for work and working on the volunteer travel log which I’ve volunteered to “organize.” I love that I can spend a day wandering around the city, taking in all of the new sights, sounds and smells, but still return “home” where I can unwind with friends in familiar surroundings. It is a nice balance.