Ban Puai, Thailand, Part 1 (9-3)

My flight from the Maldives to Bangkok was direct. I was excited when I found this flight, rather than flying to Colombo and then on to Bangkok on an overnight flight. Upon arrival in Bangkok, going through immigration was the quickest ever, much less crowded than when I’d arrived in July. Hardly anyone was at the airport at that time. It was good to have Pokpak meet me and take me to dinner and her apartment.

After spending the night with Pokpak, I took the bus to Ubon. The early bus is a First Class bus that has seats which recline with a raised footrest; so it was like a reclining chair. Really comfortable. Once we got to the region with rice fields, which were lush and green, I was feeling at home. They pull my heart like the fields in the Midwest did when I lived in Flagstaff.

I had a small problem when I arrived in Ubon. Pokpak had told me not to get off the bus at the first stop; so I didn’t. I also remembered this from previous trips that the city bus station is the second stop. However, upon reaching the second stop, I realized that it was the private company’s station out of town. When I explained in my very poor Thai that my friend was waiting at the station, they put me on another bus that would go there soon. Just as I was getting ready to use a pay phone to call Khun Yindee, since my SIM card didn’t work and I was unable to make calls or send messages, I saw her walking toward me. She had been working late and just returned to Ubon. We went to the pad Thai place in the mall that we both like. It was as delicious as always.

Thursday morning I was delivered to Khun Toy and Khun Dakom’s house, and they were really happy to see me. They now have a bed (moved from the porch of the cottage) in what used to be a dressing room and now is half a dressing room and half an altar room for Khun Toy. I don’t know if it’s always there or if it was moved in for me. I was always happy with the floor cushion, but the bed was also nice. Khun Toy had breakfast ready, which included somtom. They took me to Amnat Charoen to our favorite duck noodle soup place for lunch. 

On the way home, we stopped to bless—sprinkle water on—the new thresher purchased by Khun Suwit’s family.

That evening I joined Khun Toy at the wat for the daily—during the rainy season/Buddhist Lent—service that includes chanting, silent meditation, more chanting, and a talk by a monk. The women there greeted me with smiles. I always enjoyed being part of this group. I like going to the service, but not every day, and it is too long for me, as we sit on the floor and I’ve lost my ability to do that for extended times. I thought I was doing pretty well until, one time when I shifted my legs around, the abbot mentioned that the foreigner had trouble sitting for a long time. (I understood a few words and the gist.) Since we ended out not going every evening, I did better sitting than I did last year.

We always arrived about half an hour before the chanting began; so I walked around. I always liked the special area with trees and the old semas/village signs. When looking at the old tree with an old ribbon around it marking it as a special tree, I noticed that it is a bodhi tree. So I guess I had seen a bodhi tree in Thailand and didn’t know it.

Friday was the school’s retirement party for teachers only. So Friday morning I joined the teachers on the bus to Khong Chiam, as this party is always an overnight trip. All the teachers were very happy to see me, and I was very happy to see them again. Khun Teamjan was my partner for the trip, as Khun Dakom was along to be Khun Toy’s partner. Our first stop in Khong Chiam was the waterfall where the Gigantic Climber is. 

When I saw the Climber, I remembered being there before. 

Next we stopped at the waterfall in a hole, which I also remembered.

The resort we stayed at was really nice—duplex cabins, most of which have a view of the Mekong River. 

On the way to dinner we had fun taking photos with the teachers dressed in their special, matching outfits for the party. 

The dinner itself wasn’t anything special in my opinion. The only foods I could eat were fried fishball patties and deep fried omelet, as the other dishes were pork and/or were too spicy. I was seated with Khun Teamjan and the retired teachers along with Khun Ratree, the retiring teacher. Since she was one of the teachers who was always friendly to me even though we couldn’t communicate much, I was happy to be there for part of her retirement activities.

The party itself was great fun, as these events usually are. The teachers do have fun together. Small groups performed dances. There was karaoke, of course, during which teachers danced the Thai line dance and some dances with partners. I had a great time having fun with my friends and watching them have fun with each other.

Saturday morning we had an early breakfast and left. Khun Dakom, Khun Toy, Khun Suwit, Khun Teamjan, and I went in the car so we could stop to visit their friends who live nearby. There we had breakfast #2 an hour after breakfast #1. In the afternoon, I went to use Khun Teamjan’s Wi-Fi and print some documents. Her grandson, who is now eleven, was happy to see me and speak English with me. He goes to an English-medium school and does quite well. Since we have been friends since he was four, it’s nice that he still enjoys seeing me. Her granddaughter, who is in kindergarten, even said a few English words as she ran in and out to see me.

Sunday Khun Dakom and Khun Toy were going to the hospital for their check up and asked if I would go, too. Since I was going where there would be doctors. I decided to see if I could see one to complete the physician’s medical form I needed. Since I no longer have a hospital card, I had to pay for the lab work, a total of 1300 bahts/$27. A bonus of being in the hospital waiting room was that Khun Kasemsri was there with her mother and we had a good chat. It was good to have private time with her.

When we finished at the hospital, we stopped at Khun Somlan’s house for lunch. I was warmly greeted by his wife’s 96-year-old mother, Yai Dam, who remembers me. Part of lunch was a drink made with a fruit I hadn’t seen before Saturday when Khun Toy showed me a few growing at her house. I have no idea what it is. It still surprises me to see new-to-me fruits, as I have seen many new fruits in Asia.

I thought Monday morning was going to be the first time in a week that I could sleep past 6:00. But it turned out to be the day to give food to the monks in the morning. Khun Kasemsri had suggested that I join her and Khun Yindee at the radio station for their weekly school news broadcast; so I did. In the evening, Khun Samaporn took me to dinner. Her son, Fame, joined us. He’s eleven now, and I hadn’t seen him for four years; so it was really good to see him again as well as his mother. He always liked me even though we met only a few times. English is his favorite subject, and he speaks English well for a 5^th grader. As always, it was good to spend time with Khun Samaporn.

Tuesday we returned to the hospital to complete my physical, including a chest x-ray. We arrived at 9:00 and I had the x-ray. Then we waited over an hour to see the doctor to complete the forms. Next we went to radiology to get the report and have that form signed. After waiting for an hour, they closed for lunch. So we went out for lunch. When we returned, it took only 45 minutes to finish. All in all, everything took five hours.

Wednesday was supposed to be a day at home, but Yai Dam’s son had died on Tuesday; so we went to a wat in Ubon for the first part of the funeral. I had been to many funerals, but this was the first time I was there for the beginning. An ambulance delivered the body and it was put on display with one hand resting on a bunch of flowers. Guests were given a cup of water to pour on the hand as a blessing. Each guest was given a bag with a box of juice and some cakes. 

Family members and close friends wore t-shirts with the man’s picture. I learned later that these were sold as a fundraiser to help when he was in the hospital before. I enjoyed walking around the wat and seeing the Thai-style art again, especially after just being in Sri Lanka.

In the evening, Khun Toy and I made mok gnaw mai/steamed bamboo. As usual, my job was to rub the leaves in water until all the green is removed from the leaves to make the water in which the bamboo is cooked.

Thursday, my birthday, began early, as it is auspicious to give food to the monks in their bowls on your birthday. While we were there, Yai Dam called Khun Toy so she could wish me happy birthday. I was really touched that she did that. Before we left, Khun Ying brought me a bag of fish and sticky rice like she used to do sometimes. Khun Toy and I cooked all morning to prepare food for my special lunch party. The main food was duck. I cut the skin and meat into very small pieces for laab—cooked and seasoned diced meat. Then I prepared some of the vegetables for her to use in cooking. 

The teachers who had been invited to join us were unable to come because they had to go to a workshop, which was too bad. Khun Teamjan and Khun Suwit gave me a piece of yellow silk. The duck appeared in three dishes: the laab, fried pieces, and soup. Other dishes were the mok gnaw mai and a banana flower dish. Of course everything was delicious. It was also delicious for dinner. In the evening we returned to the wat for the daily chanting. So it was a nice birthday.