Another day, a few more stories

On Sunday night we were invited to another one of Father Joe’s famous dinner parties. Although, Jodie and I weren’t really in the mood to go and mingle, we knew there would be a feast there for us to enjoy so of course we accepted. Outside it was pouring rain so we trekked through river and streams and finally made it to Father Joe’s looking a bit like wet dogs. Just like we have come to expect, there was a grand feast for us to enjoy. Lobster, fish, green beans, and other yummy Thai dishes were in full supply. After filling our tummy’s we did the usual mingling. We had an interesting conversation with a friend of Father Joe’s named Lee. He works for development organization in Laos and his focus is the development of technology in rural and poverty-stricken areas. We discussed the issue of technology vs. basic necessities. For example the lap-top per child program and the idea that every child should have access to a computer. This whole campaign is problematic because it doesn’t address the real issues related to poverty. Does it really seem that useful to hand over a piece of technology to a child who doesn’t even have access to clean water or food? It’s a valid argument to be considered that’s for sure.

This afternoon we arrived home and were locked out of soi 40. We spent about 15 minutes sitting on the step snacking on our food while contemplating our options of getting inside. Our main concern was the milk and the yogurt. We called Si Jie, she got in touch with the house parents and they informed her that there were boys in the house. We continued to ring the bell but after still no answer. Jodie walked around the back of the building and found the boys hanging out on the back deck where we do our laundry.
A few minutes later we joined Spicy and Bird and snacked on Doritos that we just bought at Carrefore. In exchange they helped us with our laundry.

While we were finishing up a load of laundry, Bird strutted by completely naked. Jodie and I a bit shocked left the deck and waited inside as a result of the awkward position we were suddenly in. A few minutes later Spicy strutted out wearing a tan pair of underwear. We were in the last stages of washing the laundry where we had to manually spin dry the clothing. The boys seemed not a bit concerned that these two girls were in very close proximity to them while they bathed. At one point, Spicy went behind a curtain and peed into the drain off the side of the deck. Bird is around 12 or 13 years old and chose to bathe himself sitting on a little stool. He lathered himself with soap, and sang like no was around. The funniest part was how they went about all of this, showing no concern that we were around.

Another classic moment here at soi 40 involved Galang ironing his kindergarten uniform. He was sitting cross leg on the floor hovering over the iron board which stands only a few inches of the ground. I watched him for a few minutes as he ironed with such precision. He worked slowly and seemed in no rush as though he had nothing better to be doing.

Soi 40 is bustling with excitement and energy as they return to school. The place is completely empty during the day and in the evening the boys are full of energy as they play and discuss the events of the day. While we are getting ready in the morning, their loud voices can be heard reciting their morning prayers. It reminds me of our first month here when we would be woken up daily by the voices of boys running around. Back to school means new haircuts, so all the boys are sporting new closely shaved crew cuts.

This next story may disgust some of you, specifically my mother. Today I saw lice in one of the girl’s hair. I was only one that noticed but I couldn’t take my eyes off her head as Si Jie and Jodie talked to her. I was thinking “I hope that lice doesn’t try to job over here” Later when I told Jodie about the lice spotting, her first reaction was shock and then she informed me that she came fully prepared with Lice shampoo.

When we first arrived we would often see a mother and child picking out each other’s lice with tweezers. It has became quite normal for us to see this here in the slums of Klong Toey but nevertheless today I was shocked and am now a bit paranoid.

I would like to take the time to thank Tiffany and Angela for sending me those lovely pictures of via email. My eyes welled up and I probably would have cried except that I was surrounded by crazy gamers. The atmosphere at our local internet café is similar to a busy arcade. While we attempt to catch up on emails and surf the web, sounds of gamers fill the air. Whether it is the sound of someone being kicked in the face, a machine gun or the annoying hip hop soundtrack that accompanies the game, the sounds at times are unbearable. Imagine a room filled with 25+ computers and 23 of them are playing video games with their volume cranked up to the loudest possible level. It is dirt cheap to surf the internet there so a will keep my complaints to a minimum.

Anyways, those are the stories I can think to tell you right now.

Sending love from Thailand,
Misty