Arcades and Chocolate

This week, it was me and Vicki at Rainbow House/ Music therapy at the government orphanages. She was doing two days at the wards, I was doing one, and then this upcoming week I will do two and she will do one. The Oasis team is doing in depth Thai lessons for two weeks in Bangkok (jealous!) because they have a budget set aside for it. So me and Vicki are taking the brunt of the work and swapping jobs. Friday however, we were both at Rainbow House, and were asked to do a cooking session with the kids.

Well, as most of you probably know, cooking/baking isn't a talent, or skill I have to really. . .teach. So Vicki and I chose something easy. . .or so we thought.

Banana pops! Yummy and simple. You take a banana, shove it on a skewer, coat it in chocolate and then add sprinkles, peanuts etc.

We bought the ingrediants and set out to prepare the chocolate. Thailand is not the best place to buy chocolate, it's quite expensive for anything familiar, so we decided to purchase cheaper Thai chocolate so that we could buy more with our 300 baht budget. We brought our load of bars to the kitchen and dumped them into a pot. We were given a time limit; the kids were going to start piling in at 10:00.

I was given the responsibility of stirring the chocolate, and started to noticed something was off after about 10 minutes. It was melting. .. kind of, but in a weird chunky, nasty, not really melty, creamy sort of way. It sort of looked like this.

Clumpy dirt.

Turns out, Thai chocolate has an anti-melting agent in it. APPARENTLY, everybody knows that except poor Vicki and Emily. The kids were already lining up to stick their bananas on their skewers, and as soon as the chocolate was out of the pot it hardened immediately. There was no way peanuts or sprinkles were going to stick to that mess, and all I could picture was all the kids eating their snack of a banana on a stick. Cool!

So I booted it and with great speed, flew to Tesco's and purchased some peanut butter mixed with nutella. Proud to say, that saved the day, and the kids loved their creations. But that moment when we realized the chocolate was not happening was a pretty stressful moment.

Cooking and I don't mix. I should just accept it now really, and make sure I marry a man who can cook.

This week Vicki and I also took a group of three boys from Rainbow House out for arcade games and ice cream! It was a lot of fun, but hectic too! As soon as we got in the taxi to leave, one of the boys, Tee, reached over and repeatedly honked the horn of the car. That pretty much sums up the night. Boys with lots of energy to spare on exhasuting Vicki and I. However, it was a good time. We had a lot of laughs, and burned many calories as we chased them from arcade to arcade.

Sombut and Mayom racing

Sombut stuffing his face

I really miss you all at home. Just being able to have contact with people I love is an awesome blessing. Simple words and comments mean more to me than you can imagine! Thanks for keeping in touch! I love you all.

I Love My Family!

Today I recieved an incredible, and encouraging piece of mail!

A PACKAGE!

It was a good size, the biggest any volunteer in the house has gotten (oh yeah, from MY family) filled with goodies from home! Here were the contents.

My HIGHLAND DANCE SHOES! Along with my music! I was so excited to recieve this. Rachel and James had mentioned me teaching some of the kids highland. Can you think of a cuter thing? Thai children in kilts with their hair in buns?

A blacklight puppet! Not this one mind you, but similar. It glows under blacklight which is an excellent stimulus for some of these children. I didn't bother to bring it originally because I didn't think I would have access to the appropriate equipment. But alas! Rainbow House has a blacklight in their sensory room. I cannot wait to use this!

YAY! You may wonder why my parents would send this. Well, I asked them. Everything here is "whitening" because Thai women want to have pale, fair skin. Believe it or not, even the deodorant is whitening. Since I was not fond of the white armpit look, I asked if my parents could send me some regular stuff asap! And they sent me four sticks! woohoo!

They also sent a fun, puppet cd! This CD has already gotten use. I popped it in as soon as it arrived at Rainbow House and pulled out Flo (the blacklight puppet) and danced with Samon, Pookow, and Krit. The other children got to go to the computer room, and since these three were sitting doing nothing, I managed to create a bit of a party. We were having a blast!

and last. . .but NOT LEAST

Chocolate! A big bag of halloween sized reese peanute butter cups, oh henry's, and reese's pieces! Did you know that people in England do not eat these? Niether do Thais! So I spent the afternoon spreading the chocolate and enjoying everyone's love of the peanut+chocolate combo. My bag is already half gone! I gave some chocolate to the cook at Rainbow House and in return she gave me a big bag full of. . . .

Sugar Bananas! They are smaller banana's, very sweet, and very good! She gave me two bushels as a thank you for the chocolate. What a treat!

So all in all, today was a super day. At the bottom of the package was a letter from my dad, and a few days earlier I had recieved one from my mom and my sister. All three made me cry. I love my family with all my heart, and miss them immensely.

THANK YOU MOM AND DAD AND KAYLIN. I love you forever!

Short and Sweet

This week has been a busy one, truly an emotional rollar coaster!

Monday and Tuesday I was at Rainbow house
Wednesday I was at the government wards
Thursday I went on an hour bus drive to a CCD project called CBR 2. It's a drop in center for mothers who have children with disabilities. They can bring their children, and have them recieve physio treatment, and interaction with other disabled children.
Friday was a Holiday! No work, so me and Vicki (a new volunteer from England) captured the opportunity to hang out and get to know each other better.

The Oasis team went away on a vacation to a beach this long weeked to relax! I could've gone, but I thought I would save a trip like that for when I really need that relaxing time. So, me and Vicki are sticking it out at home this weekend, which is proving to be a blast!

Julia, a girl from the Oasis team, has come down with quite the combination of illnesses. She has bronchitis, and a huge, painful  boil on her knee that needed to get drained at the hospital. She's been camping out at the hospital the past two nights, and may be there for the rest of the week. It's an awful thing to have happen here, it really can make a person homesick and just want the people closest to them to be there. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers!

Playing in the sensory room at Rainbow House! I'm giving Anna her favourite thing. . .airplane ride!

Beautiful Down Syndrome baby at Rainbow House taking a nap

Some of the kids at Rainbow House laying down for a nap

The physio, P'Por, at CBR 2. Helping this little girl walk.

A really sweet boy at CBR 2, so determined to walk!

Little chub man and I playing away

Last night me and Vicki took a trip into Bangkok and met some backpackers! We bused ourselves in and explored the city, while eating some delicious Pad Thai! yum!

And of course the highlight of our night was going to the Bangkok Hospital to visit our beautiful and very missed Julia!!

New Volunteers and Unpleasant Disease

Monday, late afternoon, a whole team of volunteer girls showed up on Sirin's doorstep.

It was so exciting! I could not wait to show them around, talk to them, share with them all my exciting stories and hear their own, etc. When they arrived it was kind of a shy, awkward meeting. There were five girls, all from England except one, who was from Ireland.

First thing was first, me and Linda hearded them off to a farewell supper for the three Australian girls. We piled into two taxis and I took the role of directing them. We went to a bbq, where you take your own vegetables, and meat, and make your own soup/noodles.

It was fun, but not very tasty! I realized how much I rely on the Thai's good cooking skills for a good meal. When it's left up to me, to cook Thai style, I end up with burnt fish and soggy vegetables. But it was an experience to be had for sure!

When we came back to Sirin house, me and Nicola decided to barge in on their unpacking process and this is what I discovered.

CHOCOLATE.



So much chocolate. Top priority was loading it into the freezer and I couldn't help but take a photo. Mind you, the photo was taken two days after the chocolate was thrown in there, so the heap was even LARGER before.

The next evening after work we went to Chicken Sate night with the rest of the volunteers (really though, it's pork, I KNOW it) and then booked it to Nichada for a bible study. The bible study is run by a really nice Canadian couple who I enjoy reminiscing Canada with. At this point, the Oasis team, Nicola and I were starting to hit it off and by the end of the night we were laughing and goofing around like old friends.

(Notice: I am wearing JEANS. In 30+ degrees. Impressed?)

I am so excited to have this group here!

This week at work has been a fun and crazy one! Fun, because of the new volunteers learning the ropes of Rainbow house. It's kind of nice not being the newbie anymore, now I can act as a minimal translator and guide.
I really feel like I'm developing relationships with some of the kids. There is a girl, Samon, who I am quite close with. We spend the majority of our time singing, snapping fingers, and clapping. She loves to dance and be crazy, and since I am quite a fan of doing that also, we are quite good friends. Everytime she sees me she starts to try to snap her fingers, and that's my cue to pull out some silly camp song, or do the hokey pokey.

Samon!


I am also getting quite close to one of the Thai staff that works at Rainbow House. She is always honest with me, and always helpful. Our relationship was a little rocky weeks previous, as she was convinced I was not enjoying myself, and it made her upset, but now, we just laugh and have good fun together!

Phii Nok!


As my Thai picks up it really helps to deepen relationships with people here. I'm trying so hard to learn the language so that I can do that. The most frustrating thing for me when I went to Haiti was not knowing creole, and it's the same here.

I am learning fast though! I had a Thai lesson with one of the volunteers here and she was surprised at the amount I already knew. Which felt good, and I'm glad language isn't as much of a difficulty for me as I imagined it would be.

The last couple days of work have been crazy however. There is an epidemic of Dtaa Daaeng going around, or PINK EYE. The doctor came in on Wednesday and instructed that the kids leave the area and the whole staff spend Thursday and Friday THOROUGHLY disinfecting and cleaning everything. Rainbow House camp is coming up, a three day camp in Pattaya, and the director of Rainbow really doesn't want all the kids to get pink eye right before we leave.

So we cleaned. I was paired with Phii Nok and we scrubbed and scrubbed the bathroom for hours. By the beginning of the afternoon, her eye started getting bloodshot. . .and by the end of the day, it was pink, and infected.

That's the thing about getting rid of pink eye germs, you know? You're likely to pick it up yourself.

So now I'm here, sent home from work today because I have pink eye.


It hurts a bit, but I'm feeling okay! I just wish I could go to work! I biked the long 4 mile trek to Rainbow only to be told to bike back home.

But all is not lost. For lunch, I made a special treat. . .


I bought a box of eggs, buy 10, get one FREE, for 42 baht. . .or aproximately $1.32.
So it has been sort of my suppers for the last little while. Boiled eggs. Yummmmy!!

Tonight is Friday night, and normally you could find me in Bangkok, doing something exciting. But since I look ogre-ish, you will probably find me sitting in front of fans, watching friends.

Oh to have pink eye on a weekend!

Oh well, it gave me a chance to update my blog! And next week is so exciting with RAINBOW CAMP ON WEDNESDAY! I can't wait!

Boiling Up with Excitement, Frustration, and Emotion.

I feel as though my blog suffers terrible neglect. Every day that I sit down to write a post, the things I have to say overwhelm me and I tend to get distracted with skype. . or facebook. . .

This is no longer going to be the case. It is so wonderful to know that I can share with everyone at home my travels, and I have greatly missed that these past two weeks. So, here's a glimpse.

Work is so much better now than it was my first week. It is amazing how I finally feel as though I am part of the routine, and slightly aware of what's going on around me. After my first day, I thought there was no way I could ever know what I was doing. Wrong! I am still no expert on how to handle children with multiple disabilities, but I'm learning.

Last week me, Sethi, and Catherine (the other two volunteers staying at Sirin house at the time) decided that we should take some of the kids on a trip. I had no idea this was even possible, but Sethi assured me that all we had to do was sign a form and we could take a child, or two, or three, out to wherever we desired (within reason of course).

I thought this was a GREAT idea and was so excited to choose the kids, and venture out into the city with them. Since all three of us were not able to communicate very well in Thai, we decided to pick "easier" to handle children on our first outing, so we chose Ton (in many of my photos), Samon (in photos as well), and Chi-Cha, a girl with extreme hyperactivity and bad eyesight.

In Pakkred, where we live, there is a huge mall called Central Plaza, dedicated to the rich inhabitants of the westernized Nichada. The prices are almost equally as expensive as anything for sale at home, which in Thailand, is unheard of. We packed the children up, flagged a taxi, and took them to Central Plaza. They were more excited than any child I have ever seen. Originally, we planned to take the kids to something called fish therapy, where you stick your feet in a pool of water and the fish eat your dead skin.

Fun right?

But sadly, we couldn't locate it on the 8 floors of Central, so the children hopped onto rides we found at a large arcade and spent hours going on moving plastic trains, horses, cars, and trees? They had a blast and started to panic when we dragged them away from the rides, until they saw the ice cream parlor we took them to.

It was such a fun night. I have to admit, there was no sacrifice from me here. Watching the children smile and laugh hysterically was more fun for me than I have had since coming here. It makes all the effort of carting their wheelchairs, and changing their diapers worth it 100%.


Sethi and Catherine with Ton at Central


Me and Samon and Central

On Friday of this week, we had a surprise visit from Harrow International School. International schools are schools that are typically occupied by the richest of the rich, and fluent English speakers. There was one female teacher, from England, and some of her students, maybe about 10 of them. They filed into Rainbow house in the morning, right after music. Ma-oui, a cute little girl from the government orphanages, immediately ran to them looking for a hug. The reaction of the girls was painful as I watched them jump back in terror and listen as one of them said loudly, "I'm scared." They continued to whisper, and giggle about the kids and their differences. I attempted to ignore their cruel jokes and busied myself with singing to Samon. I couldn't help but become a little defensive however when I heard the teacher talk to the girls about how "this" was where these kids had to live, and these things were all that they had.

I realize now that maybe the teacher was just trying to get the girls to look beyond what they know and see what others live with, but the attitude about Rainbow House being this awful place for these poor children really bothered me. So much goes into the operation of Rainbow house and the kids who live here, DON'T live in the government orphanages. Here they recieve love, and therapy. There they recieve abuse and punishment.

It was an expereince to see the poorest of the poor interact with the richest of the rich. Amazing how much money really does affect lives.

The weekends here are always a treat. I really look forward to them as they are normally jam packed with lots of social outings and exciting trips. Last weekend me, Catherine, Sethi, and Phii Beer went to a restaurant/theatre in Bangkok. It was absolutely AMAZING. The performances were great! Acrobats, dancing, singing, instrumentals, etc. The food was also excellent, and cheap, and the environment was gorgeous. . .right on the river on a beauitful night. The whole expereince ended up costing a mere 7 dollars, anda full tummy.

After the restaurant we went to Ko Sahn road and walked the city night life. There were venders and tourists everywhere! It was cool to see, but a little overwhelming and I was glad to get in the taxi home.


the restaurant




the food!


me and Catherine!


Another fun thing I did over the weekend was go to Ko Kret island. Me and Catherine went to scout out the fun things to see, eat, and do on this little island. It is known for its cheap market, beautiful temples, and streetless villages. I absolutely LOVED it. The people on Ko Kret sell things that they have made and some of the things are really impressive! Many vendors in our city sell mostly clothes and shoes and jewelry, so it was cool to see all the pottery, wood, and paintings on Ko Kret.


standing against the beautiful nature of Ko Kret


cool laterns made out of pop bottles


All this and I still haven't talked about how the puppets are going. . .well, post for another day I guess, a day coming SOON.

Before I wrap this up, TREAT OF THE WEEK!!


Banana Pancakes

These are so good, and so cheap, and so entertaining to watch as they are being made.

The Basic Gist
-egg & banana mixed together
-mix put into a frying pancake
-mix folded into pancake
-pancake drizzled with condensed milk, and cut into perfect little squares

Sometimes, when I'm in a really healthy mood, I'll skip supper and use the money for a pancake. But look at it, seriously, can you blame me?

There are only 3 at Sirin house right now, but tomorrow, a team of 4 eighteen year old girls, and 1 twenty-one year old girl, is arriving at Sirin for 6 MONTHS! I cannot wait :)

All is good in Thailand.
At nights I actually get cold now. You know you are getting used to the heat when you can sleep at night with a thick felt blanket and the temperature is still at 30 degrees.

So much more to say, but it's 1am, and time for bed.