TRAVELING WITH MOM: Happy New Year!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Happy New Year!

Some 12-15 hours ahead of everyone I know in the USA, we celebrated the arrival of the New Year. Tinu (the only other volunteer here with me, at the moment) and I watched the celebration in Bangkok on local television.

Think Times Square Thai-style. Thousands of people crowded the streets--all dancing and singing along with the performers. The surprise? It was very Western-style. Thai lyrics but rock music and even rapping. Interrupted by far too many commercials that were also Western-style. It was actually kind of sad to see that commercialism has taken over here, just as it has in the good ole USA. (And I was so hoping to see Thai dancing or at least something Thai-ish!)

Here in Trang, folks gathered at the clock tower but we didn't go because our home base is somewhat out of town. Getting a tuk-tuk home could have been a problem. But there were fireworks all around us, lots of loud music and roosters crowing in protest.

Plus, we enjoyed the gorgeous full moon silvering the landscape.

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"Give your horse what he needs and he will give you his heart in return."

He doth nothing but talk of his horses. ~ William Shakespeare

In riding a horse, we borrow freedom. ~ Helen Thompson

There is something about riding down the street on a prancing horse that makes you feel like something, even when you ain't a thing. ~ Will Rogers

"I've spent most of my life riding horses. The rest I've just wasted." Anonymous horse quote

I have just bought my third hoof pick, a small, inexpensive (thank goodness!) but indispensable tool. The first two did a less than stellar job digging balled-up Maui red mud out of Kanani's hooves. Did you know that a hoof pick must be well-balanced and fit your hand--giving you digging leverage? AND must be sharp enough and strong enough to actually dig something without bending or breaking? Why should it be so hard to find the perfect one? Here's hoping I found it!

Did I mention that taking on a new horse is a lot like taking on a new kid? They steal your heart. They deplete your money. They induce worry. Sometimes, they're naughty...but they bring a smile to your face every darn time you see 'em or even think of 'em!

New non-slip saddle pad: $$$ Anything to keep my horse happy when I'm trying to mount up!

Dare I hope that one of my granddaughters might want to learn to ride--and hang out with her Grandma and play with a horse?

Okay, how much stuff does a new horse need? Saddle and bridle--yep. Grooming tools, okay. Saddle pad, leg protection boots, fly mask, fly spray, halter, lunge line, lunge whip, mane and tail de-tangler, a book or two to refresh my memory on certain training techniques, maybe a video or two...yikes! Good thing I like rice and beans because that's what I'll be eating from now on!

DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN THAILAND AND NEW HORSE POSTS.

The weather has been extremely steamy and really takes its toll. Everyone says its hotter than usual--but Thailand is heading toward its hottest month of the year: April. Glad I'll be home in Maui by then!

Arrived safely in Phuket, which is waaaay bigger than I thought. Fortunately, I am in Cape Panwa and not Patong, the crazy, wild place where folks go to have a crazy, wild time. Had a half-day tour of Phuket today--more about that tomorrow.

Did you know that elephants are hairy? They have long coarse hairs on their bodies and their skin feels tough and leathery and prickly with hair. (Should make riding one bareback on Sunday rather interesting.)

No two tigers have the exact same coat patterns--or personalities, either. They are as individual and unique as we are.

Okay, we did go to the same gem factory and this time I watched the movie on Thailand's most precious (and plentiful) gems--rubies and sapphires. Tours take people here, Bangkok's largest and most respected gem dealer, to keep them from being ripped off by scam artists taking you to suspect establishments. It actually was quite interesting once I let go of my preconceived notions. If I were in the market for a giant ruby, I'd buy it here.

Another half day of touring Bangkok's most prominent wats and then I'm off to Chiang Mai in the north. (Hope we aren't taken to the same gem factory afterwards; I'm not a gem buyer, thank you very much, especially when they quoted me a price of 50,000 baht for one tiny elephant charm that didn't even have any gems on it.)

The third richest man in Thailand owns over 4,000 Seven Eleven stores scattered throughout the country. The fourth richest owns the company that makes Singha beer. (Our guide today was a fountain of knowledge.)

Why is saying "Goodbye" so very much harder than saying hello?

Tinu just brought me some taro bread from Tesco/Lotus (our biggest store). She knows I am a fan of it. It's not purple in color like what I have had and loved from Molokai--but it's sure darn good slathered with peanut butter at about 6:30 am. (Yes, Jiff Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter. Tesco carries that, too. I never eat it at home but here it's a welcome taste of the familiar--and beats rice for breakfast. If I were really going to "go Thai" here in Trang, I'd have roast pork.)

Wish I could photograph all the interesting things we see everyday just driving in the van to and from school. Motorbikes are used in every conceivable fashion. Just today, I saw a family of four, plus groceries, riding on a single motorbike, a man with his dog perched on the handlebars zipping past us, and another guy with what looked like the entire contents of a furniture store lashed onto his motorbike. Have seen folks hauling a half dozen sacks of grain on a bike, several cages of birds in covered cages and...well...you name it. Amazing what you can figure out how to haul on one. (And never get pulled over by a cop for doing so!)

Bull fight is next week on Wednesday afternoon. My student, Jem, will accompany me and several other volunteers who are eager to see it after school lets out. Tomorrow in class, I am teaching English "bull fighting vocabulary" to my Naughty Boys. (So I have someone to tell me what's happening during the fight!) Jem is very worried about the fight because the bull his family's bull will be fighting in the morning is bigger and has longer horns. That fight is in the a.m. so we'll miss it. But his grandfather's bull is fighting in the afternoon so I hope we get to witness that one.

The teachers brought me yummy banana muffins for lunch today. (It was tough to say no so I ate 'em.) And the day's highlight? One of my Naughty Boys invited me to see a bull fight next week. His family's prize bull is fighting.

Dogs in Thailand: Never have I seen so many sad-looking, mangy, skinny, abandoned dogs. Temples always have dogs because the monks/nuns will not harm them and usually feed them. Many Thais have pampered, well-loved dogs--but the ones on the street are truly sad. Guess spaying/neutering isn't common here.

There's nothing like working to harvest something to make it taste fabulous. (I did already know that--but just never put rice in this category before.)

Lunch today was--surprise!--a triple-decker tunafish sandwich. Made at 7 this morning, eaten at 12:15 pm. Never refrigerated during that time in this 90+ heat. Think I'm developing all kinds of immunities (at least, I sure hope so!) Tasted darn good, too.

When riding in a long-tail boat (or a tuk-tuk) keep hands and elbows inside, especially when maneuvering in traffic. Gerry got her fingers squashed between two boats as we beached. Not fun. Bled all over her shirt. She's okay but we learned a good lesson. (Had already been warned about tuk-tuks. Easy to get your elbow or fingers banged against someone's side-view mirror.)

News Flash: One of the new volunteers (a sweet young thing) actually tried a fried worm from the marketplace! She said it tasted like a "Dorito." Except for the aftertaste which could only be described as...well...wormy.

Gerry (new friend) went to Tesco tonight and bought a cushy beach mat for her bed of concrete (believe I've mentioned that a time or two.) She's trying it out and if it adequately cushions her bones, I'm sure it will cushion mine--and I will buy one, too. (Wish us luck!)

"Teacher Says" Game: Have invented a new game based on "Simon Says" and the students are eating it up--and learning in the process. Of course, I started with self-serving commands like, "Stand up," "Sit down," "Open your book," Close your book," "Write in your notebook,", etc. Even my Naughty Boys are having a blast following commands they didn't understand--or were avoiding--before this game. Winner gets a "sticker from America." (P.S. I have great plans for making it ever more difficult. Nice way to start a class befoe progressing to the real work.)

Junk Food: Whereas Thai children would normally be eating whole grain rice, noodles, lots of veggies/fruit and small portions of protein, they now want junk food and name-brand stuff like KFC chicken, Dunkin Donuts and “bugguhs.” (Translation: “burgers.”) Wan Li laments that her own two daughters are victims of the junk food craze. Big companies whose names you all know—Nestle, Heinz, Lay’s, Coca-cola, etc.—shamelessly fill the shelves of Tesco (our box store) with all manner of non-nutritional “foods.” (What—it isn’t enough that they’ve succeeded in ruining American diets, they have to ruin Thai diets, too?)

REMINDER: Moving Monday. May not have internet for a week. Or phone. Will check in as soon as I can.

Love to get comments! Keeps me connected to home and all of you so far away! (Also keeps me from feeling as if I'm justing sending all this off into a void somewhere floating around in cyberspace. Is the effort really worth it? Maybe I'll read it someday in my old age--wait! I am old.)

How do you get two elephants into a truck? Do they jump in like dogs?

How do you fairly price a hand woven piece of cloth? It probably took the weaver half a lifetime of practice to master what could be done by machine in 20 seconds...Yet there's a difference when you handle it. The hand-woven piece has a "presence." An indefinable essence. The spirit and love of the weaver? Whatever it is, I'm a sucker for it.

Yum! Fried bananas for dessert tonight. Wait! I know how to make fried bananas. How's come I don't ever make them back home?

Would love to take some photos at the night market--a true Thai experience. But a tall farang with a camera kinda stands out. And I do NOT want to offend these lovely people.

Maa means dog--and also horse, plus three other things. The meaning depends on the tone used when you say the word. Now do you see my problem with learning Thai?

"Fang Khruu" means "listen to the teacher." I've got this one--probably because it has a "fang" in it. (Except you say it "fawnnng.")

Snake Brand Prickly Heat Powder is a necessity here in this steamy climate. Comes in menthol and lavender. Apply liberally.

A guava in Thailand is not the same thing as a guava in Hawaii--not even the same color! Or maybe it's not even a guava? What the heck am I eating, anyway? (I know, I know--some of you don't even know what a guava is. Hint: It's in the fruit family.)

First thing you should learn in a foreign country is numbers, like one to ten. Or better yet, 20. And the words that mean 100 and 1,000. Otherwise, shopping will be interesting in ways you never imagined.

Remember to duck when climbing into a tuk-tuk. And to hold your skirt down while riding in one!

A rock-hard bunk bed ensures you will arise early, even on your day to sleep in.

A red-rimmed mouth means you have been eating exceptionally spicy food and lovin' it. (Not me, I'm afraid.)

Using an Asian-style squat toilet will strengthen thigh muscles. (Don't ask me how I know this.)

Thank God for children who remind us who we really are--and speak the same language everywhere, foreign or not.

It's actually fun doing a lot of things that common sense (backed up by body complaints) says you are "getting too old to do!"

If you don't hear from me, it's not because I'm not thinking of you--it's because the dang internet service is out AGAIN. And my phone doesn't like the service anyway.

Trying to speak a foreign language and saying "bad luck to you" when you mean to say "this is beautiful," will keep you humble.

Said good-bye to two volunteers today who were here only two weeks...Sa Waa Dee Kha, Cindy and Amanda! Safe journey back to California and New Jersey!

Why did they tell me to bring all these long, modest skirts and closed-toe shoes when nobody else I see is wearing them? At least, the skirts have deeeep pockets for carrying things like toilet paper and hand sanitizer. (And they are cooler than pants!)

Thailand has three kinds of weather: hot, hotter and hottest. We are in the hot season but at mid-day, it feels like the hottest! There should be a rule that naps are mandatory.

Trang is famous throughout Thailand for its sweet cakes--so of course, our New Year's celebration included one we bought from a street vendor. Not bad--not bad at all!

TRAVELING WITH MOM

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Happy New Year!

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