Strong, well-made furnishings are difficult to find in Thailand, unless they are old and extremely expensive. Before the 1980's, around half of the country's forests were logged and not replanted. At that time, the government bolstered efforts to preserve the remaining foliage. The lovely teak tables and doors we have seen in market places were made before that time. Deforestation continues, corrupt surveyors chipping away at National Forests. Most homes today are filled with plastic and metal; many Bangkok dwellers feel that those materials present a more modern finish. The ubiquitous material for home projects seems to be bright blue PVC pipes.
Modern conveniences, such as safety devices for small children and kitchen appliances, are difficult to find and inconceivably pricey. For my birthday, Philip salvaged bits of old wood from "outback" - the covered, cement slab behind our house - to make a baby gate between the living area and the library. Now, a hinged gate with a slide latch protect our school supplies, books, and games from a dribbling, gnawing baby. I remain thankful and relieved. The cupboardless kitchen and stairs to the third floor still presented plenty of hazards. At first, I removed all the fragile and dangerous items from the bottom two shelves. But it didn't take long for her to figure out how to use the bottom shelf to boost herself up to reach the third shelf. I was quickly running out of safe places to put everything.
Philip and PVC pipe to the rescue! Philip designed and built a sliding gate to keep Calla out of the kitchen when necessary. It is a bit more difficult to maneuver than the library gate but making supper has became a bit more manageable. We thought we'd have more time to secure the other danger zone, Calla has already managed to make it up the first step multiple times, always with someone near by to catch her. When my parents arrive in a little over a week, the traffic going up and down the stairs will increase and motivate her to climbing higher and quicker. Yesterday afternoon, Philip began working on a gate for the stairs.
The stairs arise from our dining room area, and at supper time yesterday, Philip was in the middle of his project. PVC pipes were set down in disarray on the stair landing, and everyone gathered at the table. Philip finished his food quite a bit before everyone else, as usual, so he went back to working as he could still be in the vicinity and participate in conversation and sodality. At some point, he realized that the fittings he had joined together might make a passable musical instrument. His efforts produced a sound not unlike a shofar (ram's horn trumpet). After that, the kids quickly finished their meal to join the PVC pipe ensemble. It was fun to watch them experiment and work together. Meriel patiently explained and demonstrated to Hollis, then Simeon, how to purse lips and blow. Our neighbors were serenaded by the lovely and loud tunes (or lack thereof).
So there you have it. PVC is great for piping water, protecting electrical wires, making baby gates, and musical instruments. I bet in the years to come, we'll discover more uses for this versatile material.
Friday, July 28, 2017
Thursday, July 20, 2017
Our Quirky Home
Every house has its quirks, oddities that become normal to the people living in it but can seem very strange to visitors. Our current home was vacant for ten years and before that it was a car repair business. Members of the church put in hours to make it tenable, and the grime coating windows ledges and out of the way surfaces belies the number of times it has been thoroughly scrubbed. Curtain windows, a cushioned wicker couch, a bamboo floor mat, and the daily clutter of living have turned it into a home. Yet, not all is comfy and homey.
I often wonder what strangers would think of some of the things my children say. The other evening as I reached to switch on the bathroom light Simeon nonchalantly said, "Mommy, I hope it doesn't shock you." Yes, the light switch to the bathroom and shower room off the kitchen does occasionally shock the user. No, we haven't figured out why. We think it might happen when the children play wildly in the shower and the wires get wet, but it's not consistent. No one has been injured, it's merely a mildly shocking surprise when it happens. We usually just leave the light on for awhile, and then it can be turned off without incident.
Other electrical irregularities are our lights. Most of the light fixtures in our house were not in good working order. It seems that one by one, they will all eventually fail. It starts out with them taking longer and longer, even up to 90 seconds, to flicker on once the switch as been pushed. Then, one day, the light will not turn on at all. Switching the fluorescent rods produces no results or, worse, immediately burns them out with a flash of smoke. Last Saturday, men from the church replaced five light fixtures. The kids were so excited to have a light in their bedroom again that they wanted to play in there as soon as it got dark! We had never had a working light in our kitchen; now we don't have an excuse if dishes washed in the evening aren't completely clean.
In Thailand, when it rains, it pours - literally. It's quite rare to have a gentle rain. Tin roofs are also common. This combination leads to quite a racket during storms. Add crooked windows that don't shut properly and a missing pane, and you get rainy day puddle in our kitchen. Not that we bother much about keep our kitchen floor dry. Since the kids' shower room is directly off the kitchen, and they like to play in the shower then exit without toweling off, slipping on the wet concrete is a common hazard. But the rain bouncing off the roof into the window is less clean. Before rainy season began, I stored a rolling shelf with my flour, spices, potatoes, and garlic under the sill. After the monsoons started, we tried a variety of ways to keep the rain out of the house and on the roof. Finally, I gave up and rearranged my kitchen. I have switched the location of the propane tank with my food items. Now when it rains, we just have to bring in the laundry and transfer the toothbrushes and my glass oven to the counter. So far, this hasn't happened on a tortilla or pizza night, both requiring every available inch on my small desktop counter.
Our house was originally two separate townhouses. On the first two floors the sides have been joined. The third floors retain unbroken wall between. Philip study is on the third floor of the west side and the laundry balcony is on the top floor of the east side. I don't spend much time in Philip's study, but there have been times when I've had to scamper down the west stairs, cross the house, then hurriedly ascend the east stairs just to travel a few feet to bring in the laundry before it gets wet.
If you visited my house, I'm sure you'd notice a few other strange inconveniences. Wire traversing the walls and blue pvc piping decorating the kitchen and bathrooms are features of most Thai homes. Lack of cupboards and built-in storage is normal, as well. For the most part, we've managed to truly make a home out of pitted and scratched concrete floors and concrete coated brick walls. Visitors always make our home seem more cozy, so come see us in our quirky home!
I often wonder what strangers would think of some of the things my children say. The other evening as I reached to switch on the bathroom light Simeon nonchalantly said, "Mommy, I hope it doesn't shock you." Yes, the light switch to the bathroom and shower room off the kitchen does occasionally shock the user. No, we haven't figured out why. We think it might happen when the children play wildly in the shower and the wires get wet, but it's not consistent. No one has been injured, it's merely a mildly shocking surprise when it happens. We usually just leave the light on for awhile, and then it can be turned off without incident.
Other electrical irregularities are our lights. Most of the light fixtures in our house were not in good working order. It seems that one by one, they will all eventually fail. It starts out with them taking longer and longer, even up to 90 seconds, to flicker on once the switch as been pushed. Then, one day, the light will not turn on at all. Switching the fluorescent rods produces no results or, worse, immediately burns them out with a flash of smoke. Last Saturday, men from the church replaced five light fixtures. The kids were so excited to have a light in their bedroom again that they wanted to play in there as soon as it got dark! We had never had a working light in our kitchen; now we don't have an excuse if dishes washed in the evening aren't completely clean.
In Thailand, when it rains, it pours - literally. It's quite rare to have a gentle rain. Tin roofs are also common. This combination leads to quite a racket during storms. Add crooked windows that don't shut properly and a missing pane, and you get rainy day puddle in our kitchen. Not that we bother much about keep our kitchen floor dry. Since the kids' shower room is directly off the kitchen, and they like to play in the shower then exit without toweling off, slipping on the wet concrete is a common hazard. But the rain bouncing off the roof into the window is less clean. Before rainy season began, I stored a rolling shelf with my flour, spices, potatoes, and garlic under the sill. After the monsoons started, we tried a variety of ways to keep the rain out of the house and on the roof. Finally, I gave up and rearranged my kitchen. I have switched the location of the propane tank with my food items. Now when it rains, we just have to bring in the laundry and transfer the toothbrushes and my glass oven to the counter. So far, this hasn't happened on a tortilla or pizza night, both requiring every available inch on my small desktop counter.
Our house was originally two separate townhouses. On the first two floors the sides have been joined. The third floors retain unbroken wall between. Philip study is on the third floor of the west side and the laundry balcony is on the top floor of the east side. I don't spend much time in Philip's study, but there have been times when I've had to scamper down the west stairs, cross the house, then hurriedly ascend the east stairs just to travel a few feet to bring in the laundry before it gets wet.
If you visited my house, I'm sure you'd notice a few other strange inconveniences. Wire traversing the walls and blue pvc piping decorating the kitchen and bathrooms are features of most Thai homes. Lack of cupboards and built-in storage is normal, as well. For the most part, we've managed to truly make a home out of pitted and scratched concrete floors and concrete coated brick walls. Visitors always make our home seem more cozy, so come see us in our quirky home!
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Bright Green
Today was "Preparation Day." There is so much to be done the day before we celebrate a birthday that we plan for and designate it as such. This morning we wrapped presents, made decorations, and went to the market to vegetable for her Lubio Polo (a flavorful rice dish which is not Thai). As usual on market day, I brought home lunch. We were all happily eating and chatting at the table. My back was to the kitchen, and I was spooning pumpkin into Calla mouth. Suddenly, Philip's eyes grew wide, "Whoa!" For some reason images of giant rats and cockroaches whirled through my mind. Then, "Nobody move." I froze; now I knew. A bright green snake slid across the floor not a meter behind me. He did not suspect a tableful of rigid human awaited his next move.
Philip slowly arose and crept toward the kitchen. The snake was now behind the counter looking for a way of escape. From his position, Philip noted a light colored belly, "I think it's a viper. It's behind the honey bottles, so you can safely go to the other room." I directed the kids to slowly and smoothly stand up and walk to the playroom. Once there, we shut the door, stuffed a blanket in the crack underneath, and prayed for Philip's safety.
This is the second snake we have seen in the fifteen months we have lived here. The last time was a few months ago. I had been missing green: green plants, green trees, green grass. I had been praying for the time when we would be able to move out of an urban environment and into a more rural area. I had been praying for "green." I had scheduled to Skype with my parents in less than ten minutes, and I wanted to get the laundry hung up to start drying first. I dashed up the stairs, unlatched the balcony door, hurriedly shoved it open, and screamed at the top of my lungs! A long bright green snake unwound from the ledge above me and nearly missed dropping on my head.
It was not interested in me and swiftly slithered across the balcony and through the drain hole onto the roof below. I noted a dry brown tail on an otherwise unpatterned body, nearly five feet in length. He was long gone by the time Philip arrived to see me still inside and shaking. I gasped, "A snake; a bright green snake." I hunted around the drain, peered out onto the roof, and checked the rooms with windows in the direction the snake had fled. When I was convinced he was not near, I hung up my laundry and belatedly Skyped my parents. We joked that I needed to be more specific when I asked God to provide me some "green."
Green is the color some of the vipers common in Thailand, and our first snake experience was with a viper (see The First Viper). Alarm bells go off in our minds when we seen a green snake, but not every green snake is a viper. After Philip watched his snake squirm out a crack between the screen and window sill, he felt it was safe to get a closer look. The body boasted horizontal stripes was long and thin. This, coupled with the fact it was roaming in the middle of the day, led us to identify tree snake. I had come to the same conclusion about mine. These snakes can bite but their venom is not dangerous for humans, just the geckos, lizards, and rats they are after. Even so, for several days after the balcony snake incident, the neighbors probably wondered what the crazy white lady was doing flicking her mop at the ledge above the doorway before walking out onto the balcony!
Our afternoon of making ice cream and homemade applesauce for applesauce cake went off without incident. We are ready for Eris's "Celebration Day" tomorrow. We hope for plenty of fun, delicious food, and no snakes!
Philip slowly arose and crept toward the kitchen. The snake was now behind the counter looking for a way of escape. From his position, Philip noted a light colored belly, "I think it's a viper. It's behind the honey bottles, so you can safely go to the other room." I directed the kids to slowly and smoothly stand up and walk to the playroom. Once there, we shut the door, stuffed a blanket in the crack underneath, and prayed for Philip's safety.
This is the second snake we have seen in the fifteen months we have lived here. The last time was a few months ago. I had been missing green: green plants, green trees, green grass. I had been praying for the time when we would be able to move out of an urban environment and into a more rural area. I had been praying for "green." I had scheduled to Skype with my parents in less than ten minutes, and I wanted to get the laundry hung up to start drying first. I dashed up the stairs, unlatched the balcony door, hurriedly shoved it open, and screamed at the top of my lungs! A long bright green snake unwound from the ledge above me and nearly missed dropping on my head.
It was not interested in me and swiftly slithered across the balcony and through the drain hole onto the roof below. I noted a dry brown tail on an otherwise unpatterned body, nearly five feet in length. He was long gone by the time Philip arrived to see me still inside and shaking. I gasped, "A snake; a bright green snake." I hunted around the drain, peered out onto the roof, and checked the rooms with windows in the direction the snake had fled. When I was convinced he was not near, I hung up my laundry and belatedly Skyped my parents. We joked that I needed to be more specific when I asked God to provide me some "green."
Green is the color some of the vipers common in Thailand, and our first snake experience was with a viper (see The First Viper). Alarm bells go off in our minds when we seen a green snake, but not every green snake is a viper. After Philip watched his snake squirm out a crack between the screen and window sill, he felt it was safe to get a closer look. The body boasted horizontal stripes was long and thin. This, coupled with the fact it was roaming in the middle of the day, led us to identify tree snake. I had come to the same conclusion about mine. These snakes can bite but their venom is not dangerous for humans, just the geckos, lizards, and rats they are after. Even so, for several days after the balcony snake incident, the neighbors probably wondered what the crazy white lady was doing flicking her mop at the ledge above the doorway before walking out onto the balcony!
Thursday, May 18, 2017
A Welcome Getaway
This Tuesday and Wednesday, we took a mini-vacation to get away from the constant drone of mopeds and the oppressive heat of the concrete and brick oven in which we live. According to Google Maps the trip to Namtok Samlan (Waterfall of Three Levels) National Park was about forty-five minutes. On Monday, we shopped the market for the necessary food supplies and prepared treats such as donuts and lime-sauce coleslaw to bring. On Tuesday, the children were up early and raring to go. I wanted to get a load of laundry through the washing machine and hung up before we left to lessen that burden upon our return. Finally, we loaded the back of the truck and were on our way at about 10:40.
We made good time, heading north on Highway 1, until we were nearly at the turn-off to the smaller road. An accident and then road construction slowed our progression to a crawl, taking ten minutes to travel a kilometer. Once we were able to make our exit, mere minutes allowed us to escape civilization and arrive in our jungle mountain retreat. We paid 200 baht per adult at the entrance to the National Park, the guard lady rattling in Thai a stream of words that neither Philip nor I could recognize. Then continued down the road to find the headquarter where we hoped to claim our bungalow key.
This national park is small with one paved road straight from the entrance to the Visitors' Center. As we pulled into the parking lot, a man approached our vehicle. Philip showed him our reservation slip, and within minutes, we had the key to Bungalow 4. I had reserved Bungalow 3 but didn't think it mattered enough to say anything. We had seen the four cabins in a tight square so as to be on one concrete slab as we drove in, but we wanted to know about trails, so Philip went into the Visitors' Center. He found an extremely un-detailed map and a talkative person, then stopped to talk a picture of a bit better map. We were getting impatient by the time he made it back to the truck. Finally, on to our little "home."
We tried to park in a dirt area on the side of the square nearest our bungalow, but several trees had signs saying "No parking. Fallen branches." We drove around to the other side without trees. The kids tumbled out of the truck to try to discover which was our cabin. Number 3 was occupied with a lady sitting on the floor weaving miniature baskets of various colored ribbons. She smiled broadly as the children ran around shouting. I greeted her then proceeded to open the small padlock on our assigned cabin. It contained two rooms and a bathroom as I expected. The entrance room contained an extra bed, so that we had three double beds instead of the two I had expected. No one would have to sleep on the floor. This turned out to be very fortuitous. Upon opening the bathroom door, we discovered an infestation of small black beetles covering the floor, walls, and toilet. Tiny red biting ants and mosquitoes rounded out the crowd.
I sprayed a large number of insects out the drain in the wall before our neighbor lady arrived to inspect. She brought a stiff broom and took over the task, so I could help with unloading and preparing lunch. The bungalow next to our had two tables behind it, while our little back porch had none. Philip and I moved one of the heavy wooden tables and a couple of benches. Thankfully, I had thought to bring a picnic mat, so Calla had a safe, relatively bug free place to play on the ground. Soon we were munching on ham and cheese sandwiches, potato chips, and coleslaw with blue sky overhead, bird calls in our ears, and the smell of damp earth and green in our noses. Hooray for nature!
Before we had a chance to set off on our hike, Simeon managed to get bitten or stung by some unknown insect. He was already whining that he wanted to go home. We comforted him and bolstered his courage for the hike. We clambered into the truck for the brief trip to the end of the road and the start of the trail. The first part of the hike was on a wide track, easy to navigate for all except Simeon with his short legs and woefully inadequate sandals. I had thought he had brought the ones I had recently found in the shoe bin for him, but he had worn his old ones with the plastic strap slipping off his heel. Despite his difficulties, we soon all arrived at the park's namesake. The three levels were clear, but no water flow down them. As I expected two weeks of rain hadn't been sufficient to produce a waterfall. Enough water had gathered in the pools at various levels for the kids to enjoy a cool splash before heading on.
From there the trek became much rougher. We crossed many ant trails and ant swarms, as they hurried to abandon their now flooded homes. Unfortunately the majority of the ant were of a biting variety and they were already riled up before the trailblazer stepped on them. By the time, Simeon's little feet arrived, they were aggressive. He shrieked as Philip scooped him up and flicked an ant off his toe. Philip carried him to the next waterfall which was even drier than the first. When we sat to rest, Simeon screamed with terror every time he saw an ant. It took much patient calming and explaining to calm him down. We finally got him to say, "Ant, I'm just visiting your home, please go around me," in place of screaming.
During that same phase of the hike, the entire sole came off my right sandal. I guess I should have invested in a pair of sandals when I was in the United States, but I wanted one that would last 15 years like my previous pair, and I had trouble finding something which seemed suitable. Fortunately, the insole of this sandal (given to me by a visiting friend) was strong enough to protect my foot. The sole became a nice instrument for warding off spider webs which I kept running into full in my face.
As is traditional for our hikes in Thailand, we had trouble finding the last 600 meters of trail. The helpful sign pointed slightly up and across the would-be waterfall, so we searched in that direction first. The apparent trailed quickly petered out. Philip said it looked like people had tried to forge trails in multiple directions and had failed. He searched up and down while the girls did as well. We let them explore as long as they stayed together and within shouting distance of us. Philip returned to let us know he had found a dirt track with no sign. We had decided that this would be better than traveling back through any territory when the girls shouted that they had found a sign. It was only in Thai with no arrows or distances, so Philip went to see. He said he thought it was the name of the waterfall; it was at the base of the fall and had a clear trail lead away. The sign has indicated the opposite direction; we were very thankful for our exploring girls.
A couple of meters later, a sign clearly marked directions with a "U-turn" toward the headquarter where we had begun. This trail was wide with few roots or stones for Simeon little legs to stumble over and no ant swarms. Within minutes, we were in sight of the headquarters building with only large ditch separating us. The bridge was currently non-existent with a new bridge in progress. In a few months the ditch would be a torrent of water, but since it was dry it was easy to slip down into it, cross, and scramble up the other side.
We treated ourselves with cold sodas from the headquarters snack shop and posed for pictures for the rangers. We had enough daylight left for a quick walk to the lake before supper. As we swished through the grass, two orange and black birds began swooping at us and scolding. We assumed we must be heading toward their nest, so we turned sharply to the left before continuing on to the lake. Signs posted "No Swimming," so we only waded at the edge. Three to six-inch fish came and nibbled my toes. Simeon steeled himself and manged to let them tickle his feet, too.
Back at the bungalow, Simeon was still terrified of every ant he saw. He finally calmed down enough to sit on a bench to eat his supper. As we were finishing, cool gusts of wind began sweeping through the area, pushing dark clouds. This was our signal to hurriedly clear the table. Our slow eater Hollis had a plateful of food, so we pushed a bench under the eves for her to finish. Philip went inside to take a shower. I scooped up Calla, so Eris and Meriel could get the mat into the cabin. Soon the kids were running around in the fresh rain claiming it as their shower.
Inside, it did not take long for the kids to rinse their feet, get in pajamas, and brush their teeth. We discovered that the bedroom leaked directly above one of the beds. We were able to pull the bed away from the leak and place a trash can to catch the water. Then the kids were able to get their beds ready with blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals. They were ready for bed by 7:30! They did acrobatics on their beds before calming down to read to themselves. All was silent in the bedroom, and Philip and I switched off our own light at 9:30. I was struck by the darkness. I really like to sleep in the deep dark, which we never get in the city. The bugginess of the bungalow was a bit of a bother. Philip's sleep was especially disturbed by bugs flicking on him. Soon it was cool enough for me to slip the coverlet over my legs which was pleasant and cut down on insect landings on my body.
The children were up at first light, but they were quiet enough to let me sleep a bit longer. Before too long, I was itching to get up and outside. I tried to get the children to get dressed and outside quietly to let Philip sleep a bit longer. We managed to get all the breakfast outside without disturbing him too much. We enjoyed boiled eggs, donuts, yogurt, and apples surrounding by whooping birds and fluttering butterflies. Philip was soon up and ready for his breakfast. He told me later he had been up by 7:30; Calla and I must have been up at 6:30. At home, I'm grumpy if I'm woken up that early.
With input from the children, we decided to just hike to Namtok Samlan and let the kids wade and splash in those pools. Nobody was eager to try another hike, though Eris was willing. I thought that just some relaxed playing in nature would best for all. We let the kids ride in the canopied back of the pick-up. It even has seats on each sides (like a songthaew), clearly meant to be ridden in here. The kids did indeed have fun exploring, splashing, climbing. Even Simeon joined in the fun, though he did complain about his feet getting muddy, "Now I have to wash my feet!" It rained off and on, so Calla and I mostly watched from under the branches. She even snuggled in for a little nap, only to be rudely awakened by Hollis screaming. She had slipped while hopping down the carved stone step. Saltwater sandals are great for water but terrible for traction.
When Hollis and Simeon had tired and the adults were ready to head back, Eris and Meriel got one last splash in. We took the short walk back to the truck and were thankful to be able to put the wet and muddy children in the back. Back at the cabin, the kids showered and changed clothes while Philip and I packed up. Since rain continued to threatened, we decide to eat our lunch at a picnic shelter. We cleared our belongings out of the cabin, said our good-byes to our beetles friends (we tried to leave them all behind), and locked up. Philip went to return the key while the rest of us began putting together the peanut butter and blueberry jam sandwiches. We were happy with our decision as it soon began to rain, then pour. After lunch, the kids put on a little show on the stage. (For some reason nearly all picnic shelter in Thailand have small stages, for the dignitaries in events, I guess.)
During a lull in the rain, we dashed over to the Visitors' Center for a last bathroom break. Apparently the squat toilet was not used very often; it was choked with an insect similar to caddis fly which appeared to be hatching. Simeon eyes grew wide when he saw them. We chose to take turns with the Western toilet and leave the other alone. Before long, we were all buckled back in the truck ready to leave our haven. Not too far outside of the park, we saw a macaque crossing the road. It made me realize that you don't have to get too far out of the city to experience the nature of Thailand.
The trip back went very quickly. We noted the terrible traffic going the other direction, but our side was not affected. Simeon was asleep before we reached Highway 1. We play a word game to help Meriel and Hollis with their nouns. It really seemed like hardly any time had passed when we drove by our street. We had to continue on another few kilometer before we could make the U-turn to get to our side of the street. We were home and unpacking by 2:00. Our mini-vacation had been just a little over twenty-four hours, but it was enough to refresh me and help me survive through more days and weeks in the concrete jungle. And since it's so close, maybe we'll go again, once the insects settle down in their rainy season homes.
We made good time, heading north on Highway 1, until we were nearly at the turn-off to the smaller road. An accident and then road construction slowed our progression to a crawl, taking ten minutes to travel a kilometer. Once we were able to make our exit, mere minutes allowed us to escape civilization and arrive in our jungle mountain retreat. We paid 200 baht per adult at the entrance to the National Park, the guard lady rattling in Thai a stream of words that neither Philip nor I could recognize. Then continued down the road to find the headquarter where we hoped to claim our bungalow key.
This national park is small with one paved road straight from the entrance to the Visitors' Center. As we pulled into the parking lot, a man approached our vehicle. Philip showed him our reservation slip, and within minutes, we had the key to Bungalow 4. I had reserved Bungalow 3 but didn't think it mattered enough to say anything. We had seen the four cabins in a tight square so as to be on one concrete slab as we drove in, but we wanted to know about trails, so Philip went into the Visitors' Center. He found an extremely un-detailed map and a talkative person, then stopped to talk a picture of a bit better map. We were getting impatient by the time he made it back to the truck. Finally, on to our little "home."
We tried to park in a dirt area on the side of the square nearest our bungalow, but several trees had signs saying "No parking. Fallen branches." We drove around to the other side without trees. The kids tumbled out of the truck to try to discover which was our cabin. Number 3 was occupied with a lady sitting on the floor weaving miniature baskets of various colored ribbons. She smiled broadly as the children ran around shouting. I greeted her then proceeded to open the small padlock on our assigned cabin. It contained two rooms and a bathroom as I expected. The entrance room contained an extra bed, so that we had three double beds instead of the two I had expected. No one would have to sleep on the floor. This turned out to be very fortuitous. Upon opening the bathroom door, we discovered an infestation of small black beetles covering the floor, walls, and toilet. Tiny red biting ants and mosquitoes rounded out the crowd.
I sprayed a large number of insects out the drain in the wall before our neighbor lady arrived to inspect. She brought a stiff broom and took over the task, so I could help with unloading and preparing lunch. The bungalow next to our had two tables behind it, while our little back porch had none. Philip and I moved one of the heavy wooden tables and a couple of benches. Thankfully, I had thought to bring a picnic mat, so Calla had a safe, relatively bug free place to play on the ground. Soon we were munching on ham and cheese sandwiches, potato chips, and coleslaw with blue sky overhead, bird calls in our ears, and the smell of damp earth and green in our noses. Hooray for nature!
Before we had a chance to set off on our hike, Simeon managed to get bitten or stung by some unknown insect. He was already whining that he wanted to go home. We comforted him and bolstered his courage for the hike. We clambered into the truck for the brief trip to the end of the road and the start of the trail. The first part of the hike was on a wide track, easy to navigate for all except Simeon with his short legs and woefully inadequate sandals. I had thought he had brought the ones I had recently found in the shoe bin for him, but he had worn his old ones with the plastic strap slipping off his heel. Despite his difficulties, we soon all arrived at the park's namesake. The three levels were clear, but no water flow down them. As I expected two weeks of rain hadn't been sufficient to produce a waterfall. Enough water had gathered in the pools at various levels for the kids to enjoy a cool splash before heading on.
From there the trek became much rougher. We crossed many ant trails and ant swarms, as they hurried to abandon their now flooded homes. Unfortunately the majority of the ant were of a biting variety and they were already riled up before the trailblazer stepped on them. By the time, Simeon's little feet arrived, they were aggressive. He shrieked as Philip scooped him up and flicked an ant off his toe. Philip carried him to the next waterfall which was even drier than the first. When we sat to rest, Simeon screamed with terror every time he saw an ant. It took much patient calming and explaining to calm him down. We finally got him to say, "Ant, I'm just visiting your home, please go around me," in place of screaming.
During that same phase of the hike, the entire sole came off my right sandal. I guess I should have invested in a pair of sandals when I was in the United States, but I wanted one that would last 15 years like my previous pair, and I had trouble finding something which seemed suitable. Fortunately, the insole of this sandal (given to me by a visiting friend) was strong enough to protect my foot. The sole became a nice instrument for warding off spider webs which I kept running into full in my face.
As is traditional for our hikes in Thailand, we had trouble finding the last 600 meters of trail. The helpful sign pointed slightly up and across the would-be waterfall, so we searched in that direction first. The apparent trailed quickly petered out. Philip said it looked like people had tried to forge trails in multiple directions and had failed. He searched up and down while the girls did as well. We let them explore as long as they stayed together and within shouting distance of us. Philip returned to let us know he had found a dirt track with no sign. We had decided that this would be better than traveling back through any territory when the girls shouted that they had found a sign. It was only in Thai with no arrows or distances, so Philip went to see. He said he thought it was the name of the waterfall; it was at the base of the fall and had a clear trail lead away. The sign has indicated the opposite direction; we were very thankful for our exploring girls.
A couple of meters later, a sign clearly marked directions with a "U-turn" toward the headquarter where we had begun. This trail was wide with few roots or stones for Simeon little legs to stumble over and no ant swarms. Within minutes, we were in sight of the headquarters building with only large ditch separating us. The bridge was currently non-existent with a new bridge in progress. In a few months the ditch would be a torrent of water, but since it was dry it was easy to slip down into it, cross, and scramble up the other side.
We treated ourselves with cold sodas from the headquarters snack shop and posed for pictures for the rangers. We had enough daylight left for a quick walk to the lake before supper. As we swished through the grass, two orange and black birds began swooping at us and scolding. We assumed we must be heading toward their nest, so we turned sharply to the left before continuing on to the lake. Signs posted "No Swimming," so we only waded at the edge. Three to six-inch fish came and nibbled my toes. Simeon steeled himself and manged to let them tickle his feet, too.
Back at the bungalow, Simeon was still terrified of every ant he saw. He finally calmed down enough to sit on a bench to eat his supper. As we were finishing, cool gusts of wind began sweeping through the area, pushing dark clouds. This was our signal to hurriedly clear the table. Our slow eater Hollis had a plateful of food, so we pushed a bench under the eves for her to finish. Philip went inside to take a shower. I scooped up Calla, so Eris and Meriel could get the mat into the cabin. Soon the kids were running around in the fresh rain claiming it as their shower.
Inside, it did not take long for the kids to rinse their feet, get in pajamas, and brush their teeth. We discovered that the bedroom leaked directly above one of the beds. We were able to pull the bed away from the leak and place a trash can to catch the water. Then the kids were able to get their beds ready with blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals. They were ready for bed by 7:30! They did acrobatics on their beds before calming down to read to themselves. All was silent in the bedroom, and Philip and I switched off our own light at 9:30. I was struck by the darkness. I really like to sleep in the deep dark, which we never get in the city. The bugginess of the bungalow was a bit of a bother. Philip's sleep was especially disturbed by bugs flicking on him. Soon it was cool enough for me to slip the coverlet over my legs which was pleasant and cut down on insect landings on my body.
The children were up at first light, but they were quiet enough to let me sleep a bit longer. Before too long, I was itching to get up and outside. I tried to get the children to get dressed and outside quietly to let Philip sleep a bit longer. We managed to get all the breakfast outside without disturbing him too much. We enjoyed boiled eggs, donuts, yogurt, and apples surrounding by whooping birds and fluttering butterflies. Philip was soon up and ready for his breakfast. He told me later he had been up by 7:30; Calla and I must have been up at 6:30. At home, I'm grumpy if I'm woken up that early.
With input from the children, we decided to just hike to Namtok Samlan and let the kids wade and splash in those pools. Nobody was eager to try another hike, though Eris was willing. I thought that just some relaxed playing in nature would best for all. We let the kids ride in the canopied back of the pick-up. It even has seats on each sides (like a songthaew), clearly meant to be ridden in here. The kids did indeed have fun exploring, splashing, climbing. Even Simeon joined in the fun, though he did complain about his feet getting muddy, "Now I have to wash my feet!" It rained off and on, so Calla and I mostly watched from under the branches. She even snuggled in for a little nap, only to be rudely awakened by Hollis screaming. She had slipped while hopping down the carved stone step. Saltwater sandals are great for water but terrible for traction.
When Hollis and Simeon had tired and the adults were ready to head back, Eris and Meriel got one last splash in. We took the short walk back to the truck and were thankful to be able to put the wet and muddy children in the back. Back at the cabin, the kids showered and changed clothes while Philip and I packed up. Since rain continued to threatened, we decide to eat our lunch at a picnic shelter. We cleared our belongings out of the cabin, said our good-byes to our beetles friends (we tried to leave them all behind), and locked up. Philip went to return the key while the rest of us began putting together the peanut butter and blueberry jam sandwiches. We were happy with our decision as it soon began to rain, then pour. After lunch, the kids put on a little show on the stage. (For some reason nearly all picnic shelter in Thailand have small stages, for the dignitaries in events, I guess.)
During a lull in the rain, we dashed over to the Visitors' Center for a last bathroom break. Apparently the squat toilet was not used very often; it was choked with an insect similar to caddis fly which appeared to be hatching. Simeon eyes grew wide when he saw them. We chose to take turns with the Western toilet and leave the other alone. Before long, we were all buckled back in the truck ready to leave our haven. Not too far outside of the park, we saw a macaque crossing the road. It made me realize that you don't have to get too far out of the city to experience the nature of Thailand.
The trip back went very quickly. We noted the terrible traffic going the other direction, but our side was not affected. Simeon was asleep before we reached Highway 1. We play a word game to help Meriel and Hollis with their nouns. It really seemed like hardly any time had passed when we drove by our street. We had to continue on another few kilometer before we could make the U-turn to get to our side of the street. We were home and unpacking by 2:00. Our mini-vacation had been just a little over twenty-four hours, but it was enough to refresh me and help me survive through more days and weeks in the concrete jungle. And since it's so close, maybe we'll go again, once the insects settle down in their rainy season homes.
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
An Evening at the Cardins'
Simeon lounges on the couch in his tank top and blue, yellow, and white striped underwear. He keeps hopping upright drop a plastic recorder into a hole of a broken CD player. Eris sits nearby typing an e-mail on the iPad. She tells Simeon that he needs to be more careful with the iPad so near. I tell Eris she can move to the table which has been cleared and wiped from supper. Now that Eris is out of the way, Simeon and Hollis jump from the back of the couch onto the seat. A black haired doll, a stuffed pig, a scattering of board books, a rattle, a large stuffed ball, and an orange and yellow folding stool provide obstacles for them to avoid as they bounce onto the woven bamboo floor mat. A blue plastic laundry basket with clean, dry but unfolded diapers reminds me of work unfinished. On a white plastic sign screwed to the wall, a colorful map of the United States, a man wearing the armor of God, a list of the first four U.S. presidents and their wives demonstrate a few of our recent school studies.
Calla started out on the bamboo mat but has rolled and tummy scooted to the wall under the windows. At 5:52, music commemorating the former King of Thailand blares from speakers 20 feet away from our window. Calla startles at first, then quickly resumes pushing up onto her toes and elbow, practicing rocking to and fro. No one else seems to even notice the music.
Meriel works in the playroom on a surprise projects. She pops out every so often, asking, "Mommy, may I use a button?" or "Where is the glue stick?" Hollis wants to know why she can't go into the playroom. Meriel reasons that Hollis is not allowed to see what she is working on. "Besides, I have all my stuff laid out in here." Meriel's wide smile and bright eyes show the joy she is taking working on a project on her own.
Eris asks about "Balthazar's blazing hot sauce" which she thinks someone from our church ate while visiting the United States. He had asked, "Is this sauce mild?" She enjoys entertaining her e-mail friends by describing tidbit of Thai life that amaze them.
Hollis notes that Calla is "traveling" toward the speakers Simeon has been taking apart. Simeon runs over to me worriedly asking if he can move Calla. I tell him to move the speakers. Hollis and Simeon do that, then go back to their couch acrobatics. Simeon runs the obstacle course of stool, books and stuffed animals to the kitchen shouting, "If anyone gets hurt, drink some water!"
I type on the laptop at the dining room table trying to preserve a typical evening. I read a quote recently about how time proceeds with little children in the home, "The days are long but the years are short." Simeon scampers over to me, "Excuse me, Mommy, can you watch a jump?!" Well, I've got some laundry to fold, some children to attend....
Calla started out on the bamboo mat but has rolled and tummy scooted to the wall under the windows. At 5:52, music commemorating the former King of Thailand blares from speakers 20 feet away from our window. Calla startles at first, then quickly resumes pushing up onto her toes and elbow, practicing rocking to and fro. No one else seems to even notice the music.
Meriel works in the playroom on a surprise projects. She pops out every so often, asking, "Mommy, may I use a button?" or "Where is the glue stick?" Hollis wants to know why she can't go into the playroom. Meriel reasons that Hollis is not allowed to see what she is working on. "Besides, I have all my stuff laid out in here." Meriel's wide smile and bright eyes show the joy she is taking working on a project on her own.
Eris asks about "Balthazar's blazing hot sauce" which she thinks someone from our church ate while visiting the United States. He had asked, "Is this sauce mild?" She enjoys entertaining her e-mail friends by describing tidbit of Thai life that amaze them.
Hollis notes that Calla is "traveling" toward the speakers Simeon has been taking apart. Simeon runs over to me worriedly asking if he can move Calla. I tell him to move the speakers. Hollis and Simeon do that, then go back to their couch acrobatics. Simeon runs the obstacle course of stool, books and stuffed animals to the kitchen shouting, "If anyone gets hurt, drink some water!"
I type on the laptop at the dining room table trying to preserve a typical evening. I read a quote recently about how time proceeds with little children in the home, "The days are long but the years are short." Simeon scampers over to me, "Excuse me, Mommy, can you watch a jump?!" Well, I've got some laundry to fold, some children to attend....
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Reading Day
Days that begin at 5 o'clock in the morning; days with semi-sick or worn out children; days where the temperature is already soaring at 9 am for the 18th day in a row. Some of those days, I can't push myself to teach fractions, or nouns, or melodica, or counting, or much of anything. One of the ways I deal with those days is to announce a "Reading Day." Inspired in part from the much loved "Read-ins" in elementary school, "Reading Days" are just what they sound like - a day full of reading and not much other schooling. Fun and still educational!
Since sweat was dripping down my back from the moment I stood up this morning, I chose the kids' air conditioned bedroom as the reading room. We began, like every morning, with reading the Bible. Then each of the three older girls read us a story, library story-time style, with feeling and excitement and showing the pictures around. Then each child picked a story for Mommy to read. After that, it was quiet reading time while Mommy tried to get Calla to sleep. Eris had some reading to catch up on for schoolwork about Lewis, Clark, and Sacajawea. Meriel read has been working her way through "The Four Story Mistake" by Elizabeth Enright while Hollis has been ambitious with "Charlotte's Web."
After Calla's tiny nap, we did some more reading aloud. Meriel read to Hollis, then Eris read to Meriel, and Mommy read to Simeon and Calla. Calla looked on while Eris read to herself. By the time lunchtime arrived, all of the reading children had learned to read new words and everyone had earned new vocabulary. So while no math problems were solved nor musical notes played, I would say today was a successful learning day. And Mommy got a bit of a break.
Since sweat was dripping down my back from the moment I stood up this morning, I chose the kids' air conditioned bedroom as the reading room. We began, like every morning, with reading the Bible. Then each of the three older girls read us a story, library story-time style, with feeling and excitement and showing the pictures around. Then each child picked a story for Mommy to read. After that, it was quiet reading time while Mommy tried to get Calla to sleep. Eris had some reading to catch up on for schoolwork about Lewis, Clark, and Sacajawea. Meriel read has been working her way through "The Four Story Mistake" by Elizabeth Enright while Hollis has been ambitious with "Charlotte's Web."
After Calla's tiny nap, we did some more reading aloud. Meriel read to Hollis, then Eris read to Meriel, and Mommy read to Simeon and Calla. Calla looked on while Eris read to herself. By the time lunchtime arrived, all of the reading children had learned to read new words and everyone had earned new vocabulary. So while no math problems were solved nor musical notes played, I would say today was a successful learning day. And Mommy got a bit of a break.
Saturday, April 8, 2017
The Tomb is Empty!
Today I had the privilege of sharing the Easter story with a handful of children who had never before heard it. The little they knew about Easter had to do with vague ideas of painted eggs. I wanted to make it memorable and leave an impression. After hunting for boiled eggs, the children gathered for story time. We always start with "zip your mouths, open your ears, put your hands in your laps." I was especially anxious that they hear this important story. I reviewed last week's story about Palm Sunday, how Jesus was King but not necessarily in the way the people expected Him to be. I shared about some of the reasons why the religious leaders were eager to kill Jesus. Then a little video depicted Jesus being crucified between the two criminals. I explained that being hung on a cross was a punishment for people who had done something really wrong - but that Jesus had never done anything wrong, not even one thing. At this point, the children's attention was riveted and their eyes were wide. Then, Jesus was dead.... As all eyes followed me, I sadly carried a wrapped body to the tomb in the back of the room. Khun Dtank began to lead a song.
It seems that some of the little minds were thinking, Is that really it? Jesus is dead? At least I hope they were. These children follow a religion whose leader is dead, so maybe it didn't seem that strange to them for Jesus to die. But it was a particularly horrible death that He didn't deserve. The children quickly got caught up in the singing, seeming to give the story no further thought. Suddenly a loud crash in the back of the room near the tomb grabbed their attention. The tomb was open! I ran toward the children shouting, "Come look! The tomb is empty!" The children ran to look. I heard gasps and saw amazed expressions, as indeed the tomb was empty. "Where is Jesus? What happened to the body?"
I gathered the children to hear what had happened to Jesus, explaining that He had come alive! Ghosts and spirits are a daily part of religion here, so I made sure to explain that He was not a ghost. His disciples had been able to touch Him; He had eaten food. And then, He had never died again; Jesus had gone up to Heaven. One little boy's eyes widened when I said that He was still alive today with God. Jesus had died a horrible death, so we wouldn't have to punished for all the wrong we have done, but then He had risen again so He could help us be friends with God! Join me in praying the children will remember this most important of stories and will want to know more about Jesus.
It seems that some of the little minds were thinking, Is that really it? Jesus is dead? At least I hope they were. These children follow a religion whose leader is dead, so maybe it didn't seem that strange to them for Jesus to die. But it was a particularly horrible death that He didn't deserve. The children quickly got caught up in the singing, seeming to give the story no further thought. Suddenly a loud crash in the back of the room near the tomb grabbed their attention. The tomb was open! I ran toward the children shouting, "Come look! The tomb is empty!" The children ran to look. I heard gasps and saw amazed expressions, as indeed the tomb was empty. "Where is Jesus? What happened to the body?"
I gathered the children to hear what had happened to Jesus, explaining that He had come alive! Ghosts and spirits are a daily part of religion here, so I made sure to explain that He was not a ghost. His disciples had been able to touch Him; He had eaten food. And then, He had never died again; Jesus had gone up to Heaven. One little boy's eyes widened when I said that He was still alive today with God. Jesus had died a horrible death, so we wouldn't have to punished for all the wrong we have done, but then He had risen again so He could help us be friends with God! Join me in praying the children will remember this most important of stories and will want to know more about Jesus.
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