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.

My Week In Review

What a week! Full of work, and play.

The working aspect of my time spent here is getting increasingly better. I'm beginning to develop relationships with the kids and am starting to understand their behavioural problems a little bit more. I now understand Neung, a blind autistic boy will only wear pants that have a certain elastic, I understand Uhn-Uhn, a child with down syndrome, will hit me right after she makes a certain face, I know how to make some kids laugh, cry, and obey! Obeying is the most important right now, for the first week I was just a ting-tong falang or a "crazy foreigner!" But I have cracked down and some will actually sit in time out when I put them there, or turn the shower hose off when they hold it up to me threateningly, or LISTEN!

I am having a lot of fun with the kids. It is neat to see them every day. The kids who come from the wards are typically the worst behaved ones, but who can blame them? I think I would hit other children too if that's all I knew. If my "ward moms" hit me with brooms, or kicked me in the thigh, I would definetely bite another child once in a while. That's not to say the staff and volunteers just allow it, but there's a sympathy in the punishment of these kids.


Goofing off with Joi, a very sick little boy with a severe liver problem. His stomach is swollen from malnutrition due to his failing liver. The past week we spent some time in the sensory room (a dark room full of flashing lights and music) and became instant friends.


I have grown quite close to these two! Ton is the little boy, he has no mental disabilities but is crippled from the waist down. Samon, the girl, is 14 and suffers from a variety of mental disabilities as well as physical. She is a blast to hang out with! Always up for a song, and dance.


Me and Ton again

The weekends here are always a blast! I am trying to save as much money as possible, so my excursions aren't weekend getaways on the Thai beaches, but I do manage to have fun on a budget!

Things I did, all on ONE weekend!





Me, Catherine, and Linda went out on an ice cream date to a very western style Swensens. Pakkred is not like Bangkok at all, it is rare to see white people, and rare for westerners to have the option of being immersed in their own culture. SO, our trip to Swensens was a nice treat, not a common occurance, but a welcomed one!


Me and Linda took a boat to Bangkok this weekend!

We went to the Oriental Hotel to eat lunch and Linda insisted on a photo with the Thai bellboy

We also went to Jim Thompson's house. He was an American architect who came to Thailand and encouraged the sale of the very beautiful Thai silk back in his home country. He is pretty much known for his success, and built a traditional Thai home with his wealth. We were fortunate enough to receive a tour of this beautiful house!

I was very excited to head into Bangkok this weekend. But as I rode on the boat that we took, more and more tourists piled onto the cramped ship. I should've felt at home! These were westerners that I had more in common with than the local Thai. However, as they took their pictures, spoke to the Thai people in English and ignored Thai customs, I became increasingly more embarassed and was relieved to come back to Pakkred. I hate feeling like a tourist here, even though really, I am one, but I don't want to be. I want to be able to relate to the people here, however as I rode that boat and entered the very westernized Bangkok, I realized how different my culture actually is from the Thai population. It was a little discouraging to come to the realization that I can read all the Thai books I want, struggle with the language, try the customs and still, I'm Canadian, and very much a foreigner.

Another bizarre encounter I had with Western culture this weekend was when a volunteer from a different organization invited those staying at Sirin House to an English meal she was preparing. She was on vacation, house sitting for a family she knew. The house, was located in a place called Nichada. The Nichada community was unbelievable. Totally fenced off, hundreds and hundreds of western style houses filled the property as well as starbucks and pools and tennis courts and international schools and even western trees. The house had a maid and a driver and air conditioning. It was weird. I crossed a gate and was back in North America.

Sethi was disgusted with the idea, that people come here and totally block themselves off from Thailand, but I guess I sort of understand it. The people living in this community are here based on work opportunities. They didn't come here to experience Thailand, so I get that they want the comforts of their home. It is strange though, so strange.

a picture of Nichada in all it's expensive nature



There are things I could talk about for hours, or pages rather
I really love all the comments I get on my blog, it's so encouraging to see that people actually read and are interested in what I'm doing over here.
I miss the people at home often. Sometimes when I go to work and just want to break down in tears, I know it's the prayers of the people I love keeping me strong, and helping me to stay motivated. Thank you all for your tremendous support thus far!

Food

Thai food has been an experience all in it's own.

To eat out here is really cheap, I can have a FULL plate of food with drink for 20-30 baht (perspective: 31 baht in 1 dollar). THAT is terrific.

However, since I don't know the language, I often have to point at things I want, or gesture towards someone else's meal, which ends up in a meal that I am totally clueless about.

And I always have to finish it in order to avoid offending anyone.

Some foods I know now, to look out for.


So I still don't know the Thai name, but those chunks of brown, yeah, liver. A soup I finished completely ignorant of it's contents until told by Sethi. Not my favourite. . .


ANYTHING with green curry. I had this at the Thai church I attend and ended up with a pile of kleenex it was so spicy.


Som Tam, a papaya salad, my worst nightmare, especially when ordered with the tag "pet mak" (very spicy). This was ordered for me courtesy of Sethi. . .uggg. I drank 3 jugs of water that night.

MY FAVOURITE THAI DISH!



Fried rice, yummmm. Any way, every day. Probably not the healthiest choice, but hey, when in Rome right? or Thailand. . .

Anyways, I have actually been trying to buy some food so I can eat at home and avoid the cost of eating out every day.

The other day I was in Carefour, a supermarket and stumbled upon a whole, fresh tilapia fish. Love at first sight, and the price just topped it off. Only 30 baht! If you know me at all, you will know of my desperate love of fish. So I documented my attempt ( and I might add SUCCESS) of cooking my favourite food.


The fish in all it's "less than a dollar" glory



see ya later sucker



all cut up and ready for the frying pan


DELICIOUS!



Me and Sethi enjoying our fish

First Week Completed

It's the weekend! My first week of work is over.

It was such an incredible week, made up of so many crazy and mixed emotions. I love working where I am, but at the same time, I wish I never had to see the place.

I am working at a place called Rainbow House. It the one resedential building in CCD. It houses many kids, but I only get to see the ones that aren't in school. The kids come from "wards" or government orphanages, or are abandoned by their parents. One child was abondoned this week. Two days ago in fact. I was shocked. The sense of rejectment this child must feel is unfathomable. . .for he has already lived with his parents for 13 years.

Anyways, some of the kids at Rainbow House have made enough progress to attend government schools, so this frees up space during the day. So CCD brings in a group of kids from the orphanages during the day and offers them a day care program. That is where I come in!

The first day for me was completely overwhelming. I rode to work on a bicycle for 4 miles on a busy road. Thai traffic is a sight to see in itself, no rules apply. Those first 4 miles was the most terrifying distance I have ever travelled! When I got there I was in for shock too. The language was still entirely foreign and the culture was difficult to understand. Khun-nok is a care giver at Rainbow house and has been my mentor the past week. She is fantastic with the kids, and speaks a tiny bit of English. I speak a tiny bit of Thai, so we can communicate a tiny bit (Pointing and gesturing enters into conversation quite a bit). We will teach each other the words for things and this has been incredibley helpful! My Thai is fastly improving!

This week I have mainly just been assisting the Thai staff. My heart breaks every day. One of my main areas of expertise now is the showers. The Thai volcabulary that goes along with showering is very familiar after this week. Many of the children are not potty trained, so you hose them down first.(They love this) Wash and rinse them (They love this as well) and then towel them dry (They love this the most). They tend to REALLY enjoy these activities because I am new, and they are not intimidated enough to not run away. I spend close to an hour chasing after naked children with towels and soap in hand. I should be able to catch them easily, but you would be surprised at their ability to move even though they may be paralized from the waist down.

Showering has been a lot of fun, but is has also been one of the times where I have gotten to see the abuse the kids deal with at the government orphanages. Sores on the wrists and ankles from being tied to their beds for hours, rashes galore from having to sit in their own urine all day, and bruises galore for being hit for misbehaving.

These are the mixed feelings I have.

I have a love/hate relationship with Thailand right now and my experiences here. The culture shock is unbelievable. There are so many more things to talk about so I will make sure to post again soon.



Me and Pet, a boy with down syndrome. He sometimes loves me, and sometimes hates me. I'm got the proof with a signature Pet bite mark on my arm, blood drawn and all! He kissed it better though. I always love him!




Pet again!

I arrived!

It's Friday here, 9:58 am. I am in Thailand!

Finally, after a 20+ hour flight, I have arrived at my new home for the next 9 months.

My flight was awesome. I had no problems finding my way around, and was totally at ease getting from one terminal to another. In Hong Kong, while I was charging up my laptop, an Australian plunked down beside me and said hello. As soon as I said hi back he laughed, "So you're from Canada." I was a little surprised. Turns out my accent is thick. I found that humourous, coming from an aussie.

He was very friendly and proceeded to tell me about all his travels and his diverse family. His wife was an adopted Thai who grew up in London and he was a modern day Aragon ranger. (Pardon my nerdy comparison)

When I arrived in Thailand I was met by the assistant volunteer coordinator, Bridget. She is from London and has been volunteering at CCD for 2 years. She told me she had a contract for 3 years, but she was hoping she could turn it into 13. She loves it here, which of course was very encouraging as I stepped out into the 33 degree weather and immediately felt raindrops.

The house I am staying in is called Sirin House. It is four stories and is very spacious! Right now there are only two volunteers here. Myself and a Belgium school teacher who's teaching English at one of CCD's projects, Rainbow House. He is very friendly and helpful, and has such a servent attitude! There is one computer in the house with internet access, so that is a nice surprise! I can keep in touch with everyone I love and miss so much.

I am excited to start working. There is no work on the weekends and today I was granted to get some rest and unpack. Monday will be my first day, and I can't wait!



My room, looking out my little deck



My bed, with my friend/family shrine above, haha



The living room



the dining room/ kitchen.

Farewell to Nova Scotia. . .

It’s midnight, and my alarm is set for 4:30 am. My plane leaves tomorrow at 7:30, connecting in Toronto, and Hong Kong, and then finally arriving in Bangkok, Thailand at 10:25 pm Thursday. Thai time.

Where did the time go? This whole year as I was asked the popular question regarding my plans for the fall and I eagerly replied “THAILAND” seems like it should still be happening. Is the summer really over? Am I really about to leave? Am I not still in the process of organizing plane tickets and applications for passports?

This past week has been one of good-byes. I said my good-byes to many of my Catons friends, my boyfriend, my father, my school friends, and my almost sister Vashti. Tomorrow it’s good-bye to my mom and sister and HELLO TO THAILAND.


my room getting all packed away









the new luggage my dad bought me!










the books my mom bought me that I am going to attempt to read!







Later Sackville. Next post will be written half way across the world.