A girl I used to babysit (gasp!) is coming into town next week to do some research on tsunami efforts and natural disasters. I am going to meet up with her next friday to talk about old times and old friends and to get the inside scoop on my younger brother and his girlfriend of a year or more! (double gasp!) I can't wait for her to come, it should be really nice.

Her mum emailed me and asked me if I wanted anything from home. I simply thought, 'no, thank you,' but after sending the email, I got to thinking.

I would like:

-tooth whitening kits. There is no fluoride in the water here, and no matter how many times I brush my teeth with whatever toothpaste I use, they're not as white as they were before.

-a fresh baguette from that little place on Sherbrooke in Montreal

-Ben and Jerry's brownie ice cream

-shoes that fit me

-stickers for my students

-underwear

-frozen pizzas

-good, cheap, wine

-big big umbrellas

-reality television

-lots and lots of magazines

-maple candy

-montreal bagles

-Vermont cheddar cheese

And that's about it. I am going to get some food.

To recap...

The past couple of weeks have been insane. Between trying to keep on top of washing my two yellow shirts which we had to wear every day to taking on a couple more students and firing some more, I have been very busy. And so, let's recap.

-We had Monday and Tuesday off last week, though Rin was sick and being a B-A-B-Y!!!!! It was impossible to enjoy my days off with a boy who simply had the 'sniffles' whining that he was going to die (which he didn't....) begging me to make him some noodles and go get him more medicine.

-We had been planning on a long time to have a party last Friday, but to add to it all, Rin invited his mother, who then invited her brother, who then invited his wife, making for chaos and hell inside my house, not to mention I caught Rin's cold (only worse, I swear...) leaving me with no energy, working from 7am until 8pm, and then having to entertain the house guests while preparing for a party and dealing with a demanding roommate who needed me to go and buy everything, seeing as I have a car. (Taxi, anyone?)

-In the midst of all this chaos, Sophie decided she wasn't getting enough attention, and so she ate Rin's cell phone. Perfect. So I gave him my (not so old) one, and went out and treated myself to a Motorola Razr V3i, which is my new best friend. In the hell of it all, I could escape to the air conditioning in my room and claim I was 'working out my phone.' I am now a master.

-The party went well, about 35 or 40 people at our place making enough noise to make the neighbours peer out their windows. Our roommate made an insane amount of food (none of which Rin an i ate, as we were running around doing things for the roommate or getting guests more drinks) and we finally passed out around two, but not before cleaning up, as I had students coming in bright and early on Saturday morning. Let's just say, Saturday was a long day, which ended in tearless goodbyes from the troops from the south.

-I went to pick up my uniforms last night (we have suits made, one for each day of the week...) and my ridiculous tailor made me so upset. She has been making these suits for, no joke, two months. Average production time is 10 days, which she originally quoted me, and I believe I have been more than patient with her. Originally she quoted me one price, but then yesterday I went in to find the price had doubled, as the material is silk, and she had to put a special lining inside so the fabric won't rip. Twice the price. Okay, no problem. I went home an saw she had added frills to one of my suits. Yes, frills. And when I tried them on, they fit more like corsets than suits, as my chest was popping out of one of them, and the other one was so small I got my arms stuck. Hot, sweaty, trying on silk suits, I was a mess. Rin took my back to the tailor last night she she said she would 'de-frill' my blue suit, and fix them both so I could wear them. I counted, and this woman has made me 12 suits in the past year. I lost a bit around the tummy, and she had the new measurements fine. But last night she was blaming the fabric, saying it was tricky, and could I pick them up next week. I said I would be back tomorrow. Nightmare. Expensive, ridiculous, nightmare.

There have been quite a few nice things happen this past week. Rin's mum brought me an entire box of mangosteens, which has been able to brighten every day since, as it seems I have an endless supply of delicious fruit. My mum sent me some magazines from the Canada. It was great to read all the trashy gossip about Miss Spears and Kev the loser. I feel like I am all caught up now (though mum..Please send more!). School is going insanely fast, and I am able to start counting down the months until I go home in October. Three more months. I can't wait to see my family and friends.

Thailand Welcomes His Majesty the King

Today was the beginning of the five day celebration of the 60 year anniversary to the King's Accession to the Throne (I know, it should be ascension, but this is the word Thais chose to use.)

Yesterday was "Wai Krou" day at school, where the students brought flowers and traditional items like incense and candles to give the teachers while they crawl by on their hands and knees and wai us, thanking us for being their teachers. By the end of the day, accepting flowers, trying to handle the organization of 100 plus three to five year olds and fighting off this nasty cold that is going around, I was ready to sleep for the next five days.

Last night one of Rin's teachers called us and asked if we wanted to go to see the King in one of his first very public appearances in a long time. I thought, 'no.' I had every intention to sleep in my bed, cozy under the blankets, air on full, sipping coffee and thinking about how happy I was that I wasn't out with all the crowds. However, at some point last night I went officially insane, and I decided it would be a good idea to wake up at 4 in the morning, put on a yellow shirt, and take a taxi down to the grounds that would welcome the King in a ceremony to begin at 11.00 or so. That, my friends, was a crucial mistake. Leaving my bed behind, bitching and swearing and sneezing about having to wake up so early, fighting to get a taxi and dealing with a bit of traffic at, yes...Four thirty in the morning.

When we arrived, I thought everything was quite beautiful. There were lights that had been strung on all the trees lining the streets in a particularly beautiful old part of the city. It was still a little dark, and the lights with the rising sun managed to help me snap out of it for a bit and enjoy the excitement.

But that didn't last for too long. After about three hours, being pushed through the crowds and trying to stay with the group of students Rin went with, I was ready to call it quits. Perfectly easy to find your friends you see....Take hundreds of thousands of people with dark skin and black hair, put them in the same yellow shirt and black bottoms, give them a Thai flag to wave for your attention, and you are bound to find them in no time.

About the hundredth time I got lots I told Rin to go on without me, and I would take a taxi home and go back to Plan A, in my bed, air pumping, sipping coffee under the covers (still wearing my yellow shirt, mind you.)

And watching it on television was quite beautiful. Thais have a way with ceremonies that just about make you want to cry, complete with candle lighting and waiing of Buddha, people generally showing love for one another. It was nice to see after the madness I had seen only a couple of hours earlier, pushing for a shady part of the street. When the King arrived, it was amazing to see the crowds in the sea of yellow, wiping their eyes and holding their breath- the love they have for their King is amazing.

Being as this is Thailand, it is raining, meaning photos aren't uploading properly. I will upload them as soon as possible. Sorry for the delay...

I will be sure to add more photos and comments as the days progress. It is a peaceful time in Thailand, a calm time. A family time. A regal time. I will soak it in before the real world gets in the way starting next Wednesday.

celebration!

Our new roommate, Rin and I have decided to have a big bash next weekend inviting basically everyone we know, to have a big BBQ. It has been difficult to get things sorted out, as we had to get a BBQ made (out of a big old oil can...it's actually pretty nice!), set the date, organize things, and of course, not without our disagreements.

It started out as a murder mystery, which I recall having at my 10th birthday, so I said 'no, PLEASE no...' and he agreed (the roommate.) He then wanted to kick people out early as I have to work in the morning. I am really uncomfortable with kicking people out, so I said no, and he simply added an 'ending time' to the invitation.

He then decided he wanted to make a huge menu of exotic foods and then charge our guests, which is extremely uncomfortable for me. Growing up, my parents had their fair share of parties, and I do not remember even one time having them charge their guests. After long winded discussions, I lost, and the foreign guests will pay 200 baht per person (about 5 bucks) and as I refuse to force Rin's friends to pay for food that they won't even eat, as we're making Thai food as well, and 200 baht a chunck on change for some. So, we met halfway, but I still feel bad making teachers with new babies (three people) pay, when we are the ones who wanted to have the party in the first place. But I will never understand these things...perhaps English people don't mind asking like this? I am...well...embarassed, even though only one person has complained.

To add to the hell, I am working every day this week until 8pm to make up for missed classes for the King's celebrations next week.

The final touch came a few minutes ago...
While having lunch at our regular joint outside the gate, Rin called me and said 'good news! My mum can come!' Wait, wait, wait...where is the good news? She is coming up from the south on Thursday and staying for three or four days (which means two weeks in Thai time) and we no longer have a spare room. To add to the hell, she is a woman who doesn't particularly like to talk, making normally uncomfortable silences drag into hour long staring contests and talking about things like the colour of grass and the smell of different brands of deoderant. One final touch, she, like most country women in Thailand chew on betelnut, which is supposed to give some sort of high, mixed with tobacco, and this red paste mashed into a leaf and chewed on for hours, making red saliva that is to be spat all around the perimeter of the house. She will more than likely be sleeping in our bedroom on the floor, (with the dog, might I add...) or in the livingroom where my students and their stuffy parents can trip over her in the morning as they come to learn English at my house.

I see a disaster in the making. Let's hope for rain.

Long Live The King

Though I am not sure of the coverage outside of Thailand, I am assuming most people are now aware this this year marks the King of Thailand's 60 year Anniversary of his Assention to the Throne. The current King of Thailand, King Bhumibol Adulyadej is the longest reigning monarch living today, so this marks quite a big event.

The royal family in Thailand is different from anything I have ever seen. It is not something that can be joked about, or even spoken about. It is hard to get a Thai person to talk about the royal family, good or bad, for they are worried about offending. The King is an icon. He is the most important person, hands down, in this country. And this event is marking a huge celebration that is taking over the country.

On Monday, June 12th, we have the day off, and the King will be making a (rare) public appearance on his public barge going down the Chao Phraya to celebrate the event. Since living in Thailand, The King has only been a ghost to me, as I have encountered him a couple of times, once in Phuket, once in Hua Hin, and part of his family in Chiang Mai. When The King, or any Royal Family member is going anywhere, the roads are shut so they can fly by in their cars at 180 km per hour. Police guard all sides of the road, but they are forced to face away from the road, as it is considered impolite to stare right into the car. I have been caught up in this many times, and it really affects everyone in the area, as there is already so much traffic anyway, and to close off major roads to allow them to pass through is a huge recipe for gridlock.

I have always been fascinated by The King, and perhaps even more by the country's respect and love for him. It is amazing to see. Currently we are asked to wear yellow shirts with The King's symbol on the chest every Monday for the rest of the term, (The King was born on Monday) to show respect. On Monday I went out to buy the shirts for our staff in an area called Banglamphu, right over the bridge. I went over and was amazed to see the sea of people wearing yellow shirts, buying shirts, selling shirts, etc. There are also wristbands that say "Long Live the King" on them for sale, and when you buy one you also get to send a letter to the King. I think I might be the only one in Thailand who doesn't have one of these wristbands. It is amazing to see the support.

In a couple of weeks I plan to see The King, somehow. I learned last night that people who own property on the river are charging 1,000 baht per person (about 25 dollars US) to see the King....at every location. This means that people who make about 4,000 or 5,000 baht per month are going to be forced to spend a big chunk of their salary to see The King. I found this to be quite disappointing...but I guess it's another way for them to make a buck, huh?

I would be interested to hear about coverage outside of Thailand. Apparently every living reigning monarch will be attending, which is a pretty cool thing, really. A gathering of Kings!


*thanks for correcting the misinformation about the King's reigning record...the rumors you hear and decide to listen! *