First Full Day

We arrived in Bangkok late last night and we were greeted by Nitaya and CJ. Nitaya is the volunteer coordinator at Mercy and CJ is a fellow volunteer. CJ has been volunteering at Mercy Centre for the past 4 months and we will be working along side for the next 4 months. The residence that we are staying, houses the boys of the orphanage. When we arrived late last night they were sound asleep, and we were guided to our room, past their sleeping corridors and passed their little lockers where there small uniforms hung. Minutes before our alarm was supposed to go off I could hear the sounds of the boys. Breakfast for them is at 5:30 and then they are off to schools in the neighborhood. Unfortunately we didn’t get to meet the boys yet but hopefully we will get a chance later on tonight. There are approximately 70 boys, along with 6 house parents that reside here at the orphanage. The orphanage is about a 5 minute car drive from the Mercy Centre so our morning started with a interesting ride on the back of truck. The Thai name escapes right now but a quick and affordable means of transportation here in Bangkok, we literally sit on the back of a truck with other passengers. There are railings that line the sides and a cover over the top, which kind of reminds me of modern wagon ride. The cost of this trip is 5 baht (35 baht = 1 Canadian dollar).

When we arrived at Mercy centre, CJ and Nitaya gave us a tour of the building, and we ate our first Thai breakfast, which includes rice soup which they refer to as porridge, salty eggs, and some green slimy leaves, Interesting and not that appetizing in all honesty. Lunch turned out to be much better, which included fried rice, cucumbers and (non-salty) eggs. (side note to tiffany, they eat limes with a lot of their meals, you add to rice for flavor)

CJ also introduced us to the two young girls that we are going to be working with for the next four months. Their names are Dew and Bong, and they have both applied for a Mercy Centre scholarships and our job will be to prepare them for them for higher education. Jodie and I will be working with the 2 hrs a day and if today is any indicator, we are going to have a blast working with them. They are fun loving, eager to learn Thai girls who have already made our trip here worthwhile.

So as the afternoon progressed, Jodie and I decided to venture home since we had a few hours of free time before the party tonight. I’m not sure that we used our brains at this point because we decided to head home, with vague memories of directions from our morning truck ride. We assumed this walk to be about 20 minutes, and so we confidently decided to start our trek back to the orphanage. About 10 minutes into the walk, we decided that we should stop and ask for instructions. We proceed to ask for help in English, and looks of confusion are accompanied with a Thai reply which we cannot understand. This scenario is continued to be replayed approximately four times throughout our adventure and our destination failed to be reached. So, exhausted and bewildered we decided to take the long trek back to the centre. CJ then assisted us in flagging two motorcycles for which we rode back to the orphanage. The motorcycle ride was accelerating and fun. The drivers here are crazy and sitting on the back, as one swerve’s in and around stalled traffic is a wee bit scary.

Oh, I forgot to mention the living situation. In our bathroom, you will find a large garbage can filled with water, and a small hose that has little to no pressure. No shower nozzle is present so the process of showering includes dumping cold water over oneself with a bucket. Oh my goodness, my shock this morning as I experienced it for the first time. What a humbling experience, and one that I’m sure I will get use to, but friends, be grateful for your luxurious warm shower the next time you take one. The rumor is true, Thai people don’t use toilet paper, and instead expect you to hose yourself off. Thank goodness, we have good supply of toilet paper. Our room is really big though and we have a massive king sized bed with air conditioning, so this girl really doesn’t have that much to complain about.

In the evening we were invited to a party hosted by Father Joe. It was a night filled with music and laughter. A musical group named The Burns, an Irish folk group from the US, along with a Philippians choir performed for the guests, and then the night turned into a sing-along. Songs included Hey Jude, Dancing Queen, and other classic 60’s pop. Seeing Father Joe along with some fellow guests “shakin’ it” pretty much made my life.

Jodie also has a website if you want to check that out.
http://axe.acadiau/~067097w
There are a couple of pics posted there from today

Misty