Rice Fields and Water Buffalos

Each month my department that I work in has an activity for our home schooling families. The month of October was Thai Agricultural day. We woke up quite really on a saturday, those of you who know me...this is a hard task, and headed north of town. The morning was damp from the non stop rain we had that night. Fingers crossed we showed up seeing if we were still going to have our fun. The workers weren't able to make it down the mountain with the hard rains so we were on a slight delay. They showed us a video of the project there and how the place got started and the purpose of it being there. Then we walked around to different station of handy craft art. The kids were allowed to participate by working on looms, weaving, and the pottery loom.
After lunch we all headed over to the paddy fields. This was, of course, was what we had all be anticipating! We all took turns riding the water baffalo, yes somewhat kidish but heck, I can say I have riden one! We also had the opportunity to plow in the paddy fields and help plant some rice.
Tired and dirty but completely satisfied with the events of the day. I am pretty sure all the kids had fun as well.

Pictures throughout the day:
A portrait of the King out of grains, rice, and seeds...pretty cool






Me attempting to be of some help...I think I destoryed whatever it was he was making...





I tried the loom, much harder than it looks. I completely shot the thread shuttle across and flying off the loom! Needless to say I wasn't very good at it!



Getting in line to plow, it was mucky and thick, and somewhat slippery. I was glad that I didn't fall in, who knows what kind of nastiness was in that water.



They are found in the paddies...just glad it didn't grab ahold of me.









It is somewhat hard to plant rice with a little one on your back!

Infections, Sickness, and Hospital Visits

A couple of weeks ago my roommate came home not feeling well. She had a high fever and a soar on her heal was really bothering her. The next day while Brookie and I were at work, Kelly, was admitted to the hospital with staph infection. Brookie and I rushed to the hospital after work to be with our needle aphobia roomie. She had been in the ER for two hours getting her foot drained....gross. I snuck this picture of her before they wheeled her off to her room.

After being showed to her room, Kelly was telling us about the damage. Brookie has a weak stomach and didn't handle details on the "surgery" very well.

In Thailand the family is suppose to came and take care of the patient. Any extra care beyond medical things are done by the family. Brooke and I are Kelly's family here......so of course we were there for her. Brookie and I shared the extra "bed" in the room, which was smaller than a twin bed. Quite cosy that is for sure!

Here we are looking out over Kelly's balcony view of Chiang Mai.


Kelly was wiped out with a long day in the ER and I don't need an excuse for naps....


The first night in the hospital I didn't sleep much. For one Brooke was only inches away from me and two every time I heard Kelly move I woke up thinking she needed someone. By 6am I was exhausted! Kelly had gone to the bathroom and the nurse walked in to the room. I had my face covered trying to sleep and the nurse said something to Brooke, who was half asleep. Brooke said okay and then seconds later was like "no no...then a whole bunch of thai words, then she started laughing. Apparently the nurse thought I was the patient and was about to stick me with an iv.

The next day I left school in the early afternoon and went to the hospital. Kelly felt more comfortable on the cot so she slept there and I slept in her hospital bed. We pretty much slept all afternoon. That night Brooke brough us food to eat and we were all hanging out and talking. I wasn't feeling so well so made my way to the bathroom...with much detail left out I ended up losing what I had eaten! I was not feeling well so ended up driving home and going to bed. I didn't go to work the next morning and stayed home sleeping. That afternoon Brooke came home saying she also had gotten sick at school.

Thais are superstious about anyone other than the patient sleeping in the hospital bed. They say if you do this you will get sick yourself. I am not one to be superstious but maybe they are on to something...

We are glad that Kelly is back on her feet and doing better.

Sept 1st, third border run who knows how many more to go....

My roommate, Kelly, and I had to do a border run so we decided to make it worth while. I asked around school to see if any of my co-workers were up for a trip. We rented a van and letf Chiang Mai around 7:15am. It is approximately a 3 to 4 hour drive.



Everytime I do a border run, I am amazed at the scenry around me. It is so beautiful here! I don't think rice paddies will ever lose their charm and beauty.


Our first stop was the white temple. The architecture is amazing, well planned, and has amazing grounds But the reality of it was very sad, see below to what I mean.



To get up to the temple at the front entrance you have to cross over a bridge. On either side of the bridge, there is a pit (hell) , in which tormented hands are reaching up for help. It is creepy, really. I was told by a Thai lady, people will enter the temple and pray for those in hell and then the "boss" will lower a rope and let those people out of hell.







From the white temple, our next stop was to feed the monkeys. I really like this part, Kelly on the other hand was not thrilled at all.






After running out of peanuts to feed the monkeys, we went walking around.



We found these stairs.


None of us wanted to pay to rent for each one of us to have a flash light, so between 5 people we had one flashlight.
So we ventured up and into the cave.....

me and the stalagmite...or is it tite?


It was really dark in there! Even with one light, we couldn't see much. There were puddles all throughout the cave and I didn't come prepared....my shoes had no traction at all, I was slipping and slidding all over the place. Kelly actually got a shot of me almost biting it! If Joe hadn't been there I would probably would have gone down.



I am sorry to say that we don't have a picture of Kelly after she totally bit the ground at the mouth of the cave. She completely wipped out and had mud caked on all over her butt. It was funny!

After lunch, our next stop was for Kelly and I go across into Burma. It was fun to have someone to go with me this time.




After buying Kelly some fishermen pants and flip flops to change into, we then decided to climb the steps.....all 207 of them. (yes I counted)


Apparently, we aren't in as good of shape as what we thought....




Burma in the background....


Back down...who knows how many calories we burned....





We decided to go on the long boats over to Laos. While putting on our life jackets, Kelly asked "why is mine wet?". We soon found out that you actually get wet on this ride....



And there, we found ourselves in Laos....



My hightlight of Laos, were the little kids there. Kelly and I spent some time with them, mostly letting them take pictures with Kelly's camera and then seeing the picture that they took. They loved it. I wanted to take them home with me....



All in all a good day. We were really tired and I think most of us slept on the way home. We got in at 10pm...a long, eventful, memory making day!

Retreat

At the end of this week, my department, which consists of three, went on a retreat. We left school shortly after lunch and headed up the mountain. I got car sick on the way there though I think it was due to magrain that I had. I slept for 4 hours that afternoon and it was great. Afterwards we met together to talk about our personalities, how best to work with each other, and other things that would help us unite as one team. The next morning after breakfast, we had a time of prayer and devotion which was really good. At 11am we went down to the terrace where we took a Thai cooking class. It was so much fun! My food was all good, of course I was the cook.


Here is our soon to be food....please notice the eyes...


Here is the chef trying to show me how to cut up the shrimp properly.


My home made Phad Thai Noodles!