horrific moment # 481

I have become used to things in Thailand. No toilet paper? I have a hose. Ants in your rice? Take them out. Fork falls on the ground, wipe it off. Brush your teeth with the water, just don' swallow it. Dogs everywhere, no problem. No rules of the road...who needs them anyway!?

But last night the most terrible thing happened to me. Anyone who knows me know I have had a constant psychological battle with geckos since the day I moved here. In Canada I didn't like mice, bats, spiders or anything that isn't a pet, really. So coming here, and the thought of animals that I don't know touching me makes me cringe.

I remember at my first apartment in Phuket when I would come home late at night the geckos would be festing on the flis on my door. I wouldn't go inside. I would simply wait until they went away...most often quite a long wait.

But last night was the worst ever. As I got home around 7pm, I was holding my glasses in one hand and a plastic bag with dog food in it in the other one. Somehow, somewhere, from the heavens, a gecko fell from the sky and ran INTO my shirt, up my sleeve, ran around for a bit until I realized what was happening. I screamed like in a horror film, threw the glasses and the dog food, and then the gecko made its way into my skirt, ran down my leg, and stopped. It turned around, looked me in the eye, and I do believe it smiled before running away into the night.

I showered three times and hardly slept a wink last night.

Visions of Chiang Mai dance in my head.

Two weeks, one more teaching day, marking exams, and more damn papers to fill out than I would like, but I am almost done.

Happy belated Valentine's Day. Rin ordered flowers which were sent to school, it would have been nice, if he didn't use my phone to order them while we were having lunch.

He made me dinner, made an omlette in the shape of a heart.

At any rate, things are going smoothly, and as I am losing sleep to prepare for the end of the year show (they will be singing "Lollipop," 50's style), I cannot wait for some rest.

Good luck to my family who is presently moving into their new house, the third house they have built in 23 years (every one being "the last house I ever build..." and as far as can tally, our ninth big move ever.

Wish I was there to help! (not really.)

And, he's back. Sante finally returned home on Wednesday, after a hefty vet bill and lots of medicine...and time in a cage. Let me tell you, a dog caged up for two weeks is the worst thing you want to have in a house full of books and nice floors. My house has been ruined, my books chewed to bits, but, he's back.

And he also has a friend. On Tuesday when I came home from work my neighbour stuck her head through the window and said "she's here." Who was she? I don't know. But within two minutes I realized "she" was another puppy Rin had told her he wanted to give to his mother. But with his mother living ten or so hours away, it occured to me that this was going to be my new puppy for the next three months, until our next scheduled trip down there. Help me, help me! My house has turned into a disaster full of puppy things, puppy smells, and puppy fur. I clean every moment I am awake, and nothing can keep it organized.

Once a girl who feared every dog on this planet, wanted nothing to do with dogs, I now find myself about to open my own dog pound. Something has got to change.

In other news, I have my tickets and hotel reserved for Chiang Mai. I am looking forward to this trip like nothing else. Such a nice break after the hectic few months that have thrown themselves upon me.

GiGi, the unsuspected poodle.