Almost
the end of October. Week 13 One grading period down: Random Thoughts
I will have to say, I never thought I would look
forward to the shower and bed in my new home but I am now eating my words. It is good to be home and I have some
wonderful new friends and memories from my vacation.
The week after a vacation is always hard (ironic
right? We should be revitalized, rested and ready to go). However, when the week after a vacation is
also the end of a grading period, it is extra stressful. I had procrastinated, so I had to work long
hours to get all the papers graded and will begin again tonight so that it does
not happen again.
I will back up a few days and talk about going to
my hair appointment. I show up at 4:15 and leave at 8:30. For over four hours I have four people
working on taming these wild locks. I
feel sorry for them but they do not seem to mind the work. The owner leaves about 6 with the coloring
done and all they have to do is blow dry and straighten. It was a task, but I was pleased with the
results. I share a taxi with two of the
young ladies and they said they hope I come back—they hope I come back! A miracle has just happened.
The week ends with the students organizing a Zombie Night and Capture the Flag Halloween
Party (No, they do not celebrate Halloween here, but who doesn’t like to dress
up in weird costumes?) They also try to
celebrate fall (the season) and there is definitely no fall; and I heard they
we have a Christmas program put on by the kids (????) It should be interesting seeing mostly
Buddhists kids singing songs about the coming of Christ.
Taxis: I am still closing my eyes for most of the
taxi ride especially as were try to cross intersections and as they zip through
traffic. At one point, I look at the
speedometer and it said 80! My we are
going fast- then I realize it is in kilometers and I calm down a bit. Generally, I am being carted around in small
Toyotas from the 1980’s. At times, I think the transmission is about to fall
out, yet as we all know about Toyotas- they “keep on keep’en” on. However, I am
frustrated that taxi drivers do not know the city well. Today, I go through six cabs before I find one
who might get me where I need to go. In the end, he did not get me where I
needed to go but rather in the general vicinity and then I had to ask several
people before I found my destination.
Goggle map quest has not gotten to this area, nor do they have GPS.
Someone needs to give them GPS!
Goals for November:
I have spent the last two months settling in and avoiding the rainy
season. I have mastered the primping- I
found my favorite place to go for manicures and pedicures and even had a
30-minute shampoo yesterday (for $3!!) that was like a full body massage. I
have a seamstress and know where to buy material and I have someone coming to
my house twice a month to give me a massage. So, this month my goal is to see
more of this city. Today, I went to church with two of the young ones from
school. The service was nice and similar
to my home church on Pflugerville. Loved it!
Next week, I am finally going to see the Swedagon
and I have a trip planned to participate in the light festival. I will also
include small trips during the week. I will take my camera so this month’s
blogs will probably be more pictures than writing. I will end with Things I do
Not Want to See:
1. The rat in Courtney’s bathroom.
I love a good story and Courtney did not disappoint. A nice relaxing shower turned in to a Bates
Motel moment for her. Trapping the beast, she does what every good farm raised
female would do- she calls in the male neighbors. They tag team at trapping the
beast in the pipe and as the rat is flushed out with water, a machete seals his
fate.
2. A nine year-old delivering take-out to our school:
Each day our school has a take out place for teachers to order lunch and it is
either delivered or one of the drivers goes and picks it up. Sometimes it is
just good to get a nice salad, rather than eat what is leftover from dinner.
Last week, a nine year old delivers from the local place around the corner and
my immediate response is, “Why is he not in school?“ Education is the great equalizer
and it is so important for these people to demand a quality education for all-
wealthy and poor.
3. What the man was doing in the
corner: I am walking home from chaperoning the student
council Zombie night, and out of the corner of my eye, I see a man squatting in
the corner, in the grass. Now, the
people over here tend to have no problem getting low to the ground and have an
amazing inner core. It is my hope he was
exercising.
4.
Flies:
Until now I have not noticed but there have not been any flies. They are starting to emerge- dang it!
5. The rat at the bar: We seem to have a theme going on here, but
last night I was celebrating a friend’s birthday and we are on our way to a
hip-hop concert when we stopped for a beer at an outside bar at the lake. I see
the person next to me jerk and my roommate tells me not to look. She is so
wise; I wish the gal next to me were so nonchalant with the creepy creatures
because either there were many or the same one made his rounds (Isn’t it
interesting how we never use the pronoun her/she for a rat?). Needless to say, my feet were off the floor
while I quickly finished my beer.
6. Pigeon sex.
Yes you heard it right- Pigeon sex. I
guess I should know that it happens, but that does not mean I want to see
it. Yet, I have an amorous couple of
birds outside my office window. I could have lived my whole life without being
witness to their love (I did not mean to watch- it just happened so quickly!).
That’s all for now.
Email me and let me know what you guys are up to. Trish
Random thoughts/ Random pictures
Nepal, I miss you!
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