Jumping in with Both Feet

March 24, 2011

Day one in the trenches began early. I’m super OCD when it comes to knowing where my stuff is, and I had packed it so long ago, that I had forgotten where things like toothpaste and pajamas had been stuffed, so I ended up unpacking til about 1am. Even so, I couldn’t sleep past 7am, I was so anxious to get to Taw Saeng (pronounced Tah Sang) and see everyone!

I tried to sleep til 8, but to no avail. I ended up reading for a bit, before starting to create some semblance of organization in my room and bathroom. Jaz leaves for work earlier than I needed to, so I was able to ask her a few getting around questions before she left for the day. Luckily, she knows a Tuk Tuk driver so she had arranged for him to pick me up at 10:30 to be at the Children’s Drop-In Center by 11:30am.

A bit of transport background: Thailand, or at least Chaig Mai, has a few ways to get around. Most people who live here long term own scooters (like Vespas) or motorcycles. Some more wealthy people have cars or trucks, but lots of people take public transportation. So, Tuk Tuks are motorized rickshaws, and they are all over the city, but they are more expensive than Song Thaews (pronounced song tow, but the ‘ow’ is like ‘ouch’). These are small red buses that have two long benches in the back that people sit on. Those are fitted with buzzers on the roof so you can buzz when you want out.

This system makes me so glad I have had experience getting around in cities like Beirut and Mumbai, because now I understand how the system works. Basically, Tuk Tuks and Song Thaews are like taxis, in that there is no set schedule or route. When you need one, you flag it down and ask if they are going to your area. If they are, you jump in. Sometimes the Song Thaews will tell you a price up from, but usually those cost 20 baht. This is equivalent to about 75 cents. Tuk Tuks are considerably more expensive, but still not much compared to your average NYC taxi. The Tuk Tuk from my house to Taw Saeng cost 80 baht. This is about $2.70 for a 20 minute drive.  Not bad, but it adds up if I had to do it both directions every day for the next year, especially when you consider that I am attempting to live on $500 a month including rent!

So, back to the story! Well, after a quick breakfast of toast and OJ, courtesy of my roomie, I went to sit in the back garden and read a book for a while. I met one of our neighbors whose townhouse also opens onto the garden. She’s Thai, so I didn’t really understand her name, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out soon when I see her around!

Finally, Yo, the Tuk Tuk driver, pulled up to the front gate. He was very nice and we chatted on the drive about what I was doing here, when I had been here before, etc. At first, it was a bit overwhelming driving from my part of town to Loi Kroh Road, where Taw Saeng is. (From now on, I’m just gonna call it TS so it’s easier!) But, when we got closer, I thought “Hey! I know that temple!” but then of course I thought, “Yeah, right, they all look alike.” As we drove further down that road, though I saw a few other things that I knew, and finally we arrived at the Tha Phae (Tah Pay) gate and I KNEW where we were, so I was right! I really did know that temple!

I was getting flooded with memories of my time here in November and was just so excited to get to TS and see everyone! Finally, we started down Loi Kroh road and I told Yo how far it was. We stopped in front of it, and I was so shocked! There was a whole new entrance with a door that locked and everything! When we were here in November, there was just a low gate that had wooden slats that were always getting broken from playing soccer on the patio. Now, there is plaster all the way up, big glass windows in front and around the top of the walls and a big glass door for an entrance. The interior was totally rearranged as well.

Where there used to be computers downstairs right when you walked in the door, and filing cabinets along the walls, now that stuff has moved up to the second floor so the downstairs is a big open space to play in. Right now, it’s summer break, so they are doing more of a summer camp for the kids, so they have crafts, computer classes, sewing, guitar lessons and of course, still English classes. It reminds me of our summer rec program in Prosser!

As soon as I walked through the door, I saw P’Bua (she does the cooking and keeps the place in order) just finishing up cleaning the floor. She was so excited to see me and gave me a big hug. Then I headed upstairs to find the rest of the people. On the second floor, I saw Dtom playing guitar (she’s one of the Thai teachers) so we chatted for a bit about guitar and stuff. I kept going past the 3^rd floor up to the offices, and saw Ning, (one of the first people involved with TS from 5 years ago) who was super excited to see me and Field (she does the English class curriculum) who was surprised but happy to see me too. I don’t think she realized I was coming in that day. J

We chatted for a bit and then headed downstairs where we did worship and devotionals. Rob and Judy showed up and couldn’t believe I actually made it there on the first day. I was like “I don’t believe it jet lag!” haha. I also met Inna, who is from Russia and is teaching Ahna’s middle school class.

After worship, Judy took me to lunch so I could pepper her with questions. On the way out, some of the kids were starting to arrive. One little girl we had played with a ton back in November was just getting there and when she saw me she just stopped on the steps and stared. Judy asked if she remembered me and she just looked at me like she was seeing a mirage. Finally, she smiled and just threw her arms around my legs in a big hug. So sweet!!

(This day will be continued in another post, but in the meantime, if you are planning to come to Thailand, here's a great resource with pretty pictures!)