A Tale Of Two Families

    Housed with five other teachers nine years ago when I first taught in Thailand a local woman, Gai, brought us food and taught us a bit of Thai.  Gai and her husband had a Tuk Tuk (taxi) business. Her husband and the Tuk Tuk are gone now but I've maintained relationship with the family.  It's her girls, Mai and Perwaa, we've been keeping in school by providing financial support.
   Wednesday, Gai, Perwaa, Poy, the former foster daughter now returning, and three boys who provided motorbike transport, and I had dinner at the night market.  Dinner for seven cost $10, though, I learned afterwards that the boys ordered fried rice because it was the cheapest item on the menu and didn't want me to pay too much.  :)
    Poy left Gai's a couple of years ago after refusing to help Gai.  She's been essentially homeless since.  Now she's asking to return to Gai's house and is promising to cooperate, she's 17.  When the Tuk Tuk business faltered Gai took a job at the Floating Market, a major tourist attraction.  At the market additional to her job Gai installed a small stand that sells trinkets and provides some additional income.  Poy can manage that stand.  Poy has medical issues from drinking drain cleaner in a suicide attempt when she was living with her family who were addicted to meth. Both of her parents are dead.
   In my second year of teaching my housing was a tiny house, which I shared with another American, in the family compound of the Krasin family.  Their daughter, Pear, was in junior high when I lived there.  She was keen to learn English so she and I bonded as she practiced her English.  I've visited the family every time I'm in Ayutthaya and Pear and I keep up contact via Facebook.
   Pear is now a junior at a university in Chaing Rai, in the far north of Thailand.  All classes at the university are conducted in English.  She's home for the weekend so last night Pear, her parents, Met, Poo and I (Met's husband was at work) went to dinner at a medium scale restaurant.   The two families, the one with home I live, and Pear's families get along very well.  Pear will graduate in February 2018, and I'm hoping I can attend the ceremony.   Dinner for six at this restaurant was $33.

Gai, Perwaa, Al and Mai.

Dinner here with Pear's family.

Pear with her parents.

With Pear.