Word from Thailand.

Recently I've had fairly regular but brief emails from my host family in Thailand. Today the message was that Max (wife/mother) is going back to work tomorrow. Poo, daughter, is out of a job because her company disbanded. She's a University graduate and was working in I.T. No word about Mai (husband/father). The emails are very brief and cryptic.
I also heard from Gai, the woman who fed the volunteer teachers three years ago. She said they were working on their house and she said "please help my family." I assume that help would be money. I've emailed her back to ask for clarification. Their livelihood was a tuk-tuk, the three wheeled taxis that are ubiquitous in Thailand. I asked in my email if the tuk-tuk is safe. If it is they have some hope of recovery once tourists return.
I'll bring as much money as I can to help these families get back on their feet. Should you be interested in more information on the recent flooding Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, has very good information about it www.wikipedia.com

Thanksgiving Day pics

Mai-Evy and Trygve have a mutual admiration thing!

Better News

Today I had a brief email from Poo, the daughter in my Thai host family, who says their house is now dry. Her emails are always brief and a bit cryptic but I assume that they're not back to work yet. I wonder how they survived this long and especially weeks marooned in the second story of their house?

Thais adjust to life in waist-deep floodwater

Thais adjust to life in waist-deep floodwater

News from Thailand

I'm now in email contact with the family with whom I stayed last year. Since I was there they have moved into the house they were building. The house is flooded but they are holed up on the second floor unable to go out. They do have food and they spend their days reading and watching TV. (I'm curious how they have electricity when the downstairs if flooded?) It seems that they have been isolated like this for at least three months. This means that none of them are working. They think the water will recede by Dec. 1.
They have invited me to stay with them again and I plan to do that. I'll leave here on Dec. 25, and spend January teaching in the same school...I hope. The school is currently flooded, it's on the banks of a canal, but I'm hoping it will be operational by the first week of January.
The United States pledged a paltry 10 million in aid. Grace University Lutheran, where I am a member is gathering funds to send with me. I'll distribute it to some families I know there. Another family sent me a brief email a few weeks ago that said "House flooded, no money, no food."

News from Thailand

The house in which I stayed two years ago, now flooded.

I've received some occasional emails from the family with whom I stayed last year including an invitation to stay with them again when I go back. While I was there they were in the process of building a house which they've since occupied. Fortunately is two story. They've been living in the upper story, and best as I can tell, unable to go out. Apparently they have electricity because they did send an email. A couple of weeks ago they said that they had not worked in three months. They also said they expect the water to subside by Dec. 1. The rains began in July but now have ended. The school where I teach is flooded and that was no surprise to me.


The U.S. announced 10 million in aid which I think is an appallingly stingy response! Losses in Thailand will many billion dollars. I'll bring what money I can for some direct aid. I'm really wondering what I'll find when I get there.

Pictures from the Domican Republic

Art for sale on the street.

Flowers in the market.

Vegetable market.

Our hotel showing our 2nd story balcony.

Conde street the pedestrian street that ran past our hotel.

Adios Santo Domingo

One meal to go and we will have succeeded in our goal of eating every meal outdoors while in the Dominican Republic. Last night was special under clear tropical skies we are one edge of a large plaza. The table was illuminated by soft candle light and we were serenaded by strolling guitarists. Families gathered on the plaza with children running to and fro.
Santo Domingo sleeps later than Bangkok which is a more frentic place.
The curmudgeonette´s natural friendliness gets her in trouble in the tourist shops. They take that friendliness as interest in their wares. This was particularly true when we visited the large market specializing in things for tourists. The walk around the market was most interesting because that is where the locals trade; fruits, vegtable, grains, flours, flowers, meat...the dressed chicken in the full noonday sun with caged chickens awaiting their turn.
Dominican cuisine is nothing special. It is basically meat and starch with little spice. The lack of spice shoots a hole in my theory that countries in hot climates use a lot of pepper, e.g., Thailand, India, Mexico, etc.
Now...home again.

Sunday in Santo Domingo

The curmudgeonette took us to mass at the Cathedral this morning. The 12:00 mass started at 12:15. I departed 30 minutes into the homily and decided to worship at my blog. She stayed on.
Tourist prices prevail in this colonial section of the city. Meal costs are similar to downtown Minneapolis.
Good or bad I can´t help comparing Santo Domingo with Bangkok. On a twenty block walk yesterday I passed 6 places to eat. In Bangkok that walk would have brought me by at least 200. Here there are virtually no street vendors. There are a few small motorcycles compared to 1000s in BKK. The weather is similar; pleasantly tropical with an occasional afternoon shower.

In the Dominican Republic

Christopher Columbus is big here in Santo Domingo. In fact his brother is credited as the city founder. There´s a huge staute of CC in the plaza next to our hotel which is in the colonial zone of the city. The 500 year old cathederal in on the other side of the plaza. Perhaps CC is big because none of the peaceful aboriginals lived to tell. They couldn´t stand up to European enslavement and disease.
The weather is pleasantly tropical and in the mutual comfort zone of the curmudgeon and curmudgeonette. That zone reaches from 75-85F. Below 75 the curmudgeon is cold and above 85 the curmudgeonette is hot. When we planned the trip we thought that there´d be 2 feet of snow in MN to escape. Too much global warming!
I wish I knew as much Spainish as I know Thai, which isn´t very much. There is enough tourist traffic so some know English but a little more Spanish would be helpful to me.
More another day.

Traveling!

The curmudgeonette and I are going to take a five trip, leaving Friday, to the Dominican Republic. Are we going to the beach? No. We tried that once south of Cancun, Mexico, and got so bored that we hopped a bus and went to Belize for a day.
We have reserved a hotel in the heart of the Colonial District of Santo Domingo, the city founded by Christopher Columbus' brother. We'll explore the city and skip the beach unless we make a day visit to one.
When we made our plans we thought we'd be escaping the cold and snow. As it turns out we have no snow and it's not very cold.
I'll try to blog from S.D....and Yes, I do plan to spend January in Thailand. I do wonder what I'll find after the floods. I did get word from the family with whom I stayed that the water is almost out of their house now. One friend is sending some $$ with me to give to someone who lost much in the flood.

What's in a name?

The diversity of first names of the 5th graders at Noble Academy fascinates me. Here is a large sample of names. Weewan, William, Michelle, Madelyn, Chimeng, Toubee, Aric, Victoria, Blia, Malaki, Cassidy, Usa, Joey, Jantheny, Newlife, Kenny, Mercedes, Linda, Klimisha, Romeo, Blessing, April, Kong, Yasminna, Ladani, Isha, Isabella... I wish I knew the stories behind the names.
Volunteering at the school is so much fun I should perhaps be paying for the opportunity!
PS Spellcheck didn't recognise 14 names.

Halloween Pics.

Here are a few pictures from Halloween.

Thailand flooding strands elephants in Ayutthaya

Thailand flooding strands elephants in Ayutthaya