Thailand Letter
(This was received as a paper letter and Bob scanned it and emailed it to the family)
July 23, 1997
Bangkok, Thailand
Dearest Family,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RON TODAY, TO JIMMY ON FRIDAY AND TO RICK LAST WEDNESDAY. I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE REALLY HAPPY BIRTHDAYS. It's hard for me to believe that I have an 18-year-old grandson who will be leaving for his mission before I get home. When I think about how fast those I 8 years have gone by then I know that 18 months will go by even faster. Bob Mellors - how is the little family of quails? That is SO neat!!!
BARJI -THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WONDERFUL LETTER AND THOSE PICTURES. I was SO thrilled o find them in the mailbox Virginia and I were just leaving our little apartment when I found them so I read your letter on the way to the bus and shared the pictures with her. She hasn't had any mail from home yet and I feel bad for her. She didn't bring any family pictures with her so I haven't put mine on a little poster board like I had planned -1 just get them out and look at them in private. I find that hard to believe.
It is now 4:30 in the morning and I am wide-awake. I hope the computer noise won't awaken Virginia - I stayed in bed as along as I could. We don't have any curtains on our windows so I am a little nervous - it is pitch black outside. Pretty soon the food vendors and the monks will start walking by our place. 'The clothing teacher at Sai Mai school is making us some curtains so we will have them soon. She is the one who made my dress and is now making a slip to wear with it because the material is too thin.
We have a meeting with the Governor of Bangkok this afternoon. We will teach this morning and then our group of teachers will meet with him. That should be interesting!!! I believe it has something to do with getting our visas renewed - Virginia and I don't have to worry about that for another month but the others have to have theirs renewed. I can understand why they are so particular about visas - there are already too many people in Bangkok - 8 million!!!
I told you in my last letter that we were going to venture out to do some shopping. WELL - we left our apartment about noon and took two buses to the "Big C" - that is a shopping center comparable to some we have in Utah only not nearly as nice. They have a huge food court but they only serve Thai food and we were dying for something American. We ended up at Kentucky Fried Chicken and it was good!!! We shopped and just took our time and left to come back to the apartment about 7:30 - WE DIDN'T GET HOME UNTIL MIDNIGHT!!! That is a night I will never forget. We forgot to take our maps with us and we couldn't find the right bus. We took three buses and went around and around and no one could tell us which one to take. We ended up in the "bus barn" one time because it was so late and they were not going to run anymore. We finally ended up taking two taxis - the last one said he would only take us if we would pay him 100 Bahts - which is about $5 - we were more than happy to do that.
I wish you could see some of the buses we take. Yesterday we took one that should have held about 20 people at the very most and there were about 50 on it. It only costs 3 Bahts to take us to the market and they fill them as full as they possibly can. I want to cry when we venture out of our little place and go past some of the most poverty stricken places I have ever seen. There are little children and dogs all around so I know people must live there. There are women in front of these little shacks cooking food to sell. Yesterday when some little children got on the bus with us I told Virginia I wish I had brought clothing for them. They are very happy people though and I know they don't even have fans in their shacks.
Church on Sunday was fun. The Elder missionaries who have been sent to Thailand from Cambodia were there and they are anxious to go back to Cambodia - they don't want to have to learn another language and I don't blame them. The plan is for them to stay in Thailand for awhile longer. The members served us a Thai lunch that was good and then Virginia taught an English lesson. We had about ten in the class and they are very eager to learn. We are told to teach them from the Book of Mormon. I am very impressed with the members - the Branch President speaks pretty good English and two sisters sat by Virginia and I and interpreted the talks that were being given. The two young Lady Missionaries from California bore their testimonies and I couldn't believe how fluent they are in Thai.
I am having a very difficult time trying to pronounce the Thai Schools we teach in. Let me give you the names of the ones we have been to: RITTYAWANNALAI, THAIMYOMSONOKRA, SAI MAI, WATNONOYAI, ORNGOEN, PORNPRARUONG, AND BANBUAMON. Today we go to WATRADNFYOMTUM and the rest of the week: PRACHAPIBAN, WATTRAIRATTANARAM and BANKLONOBUA. Virginia does much better than I do.
We have had a four day holiday and it has really been welcome - Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. They have been celebrating some kind of Buddha birthday and we think many people left town because the stores haven't been as crowded as usual. We have finally bought our washing machine, two fans, a radio (we can only get Thai news and music), a lamp, some seat cushions, place mats and other things to make our place a little more like home.
I shampoo my hair in a bucket. I don't need to - I could shampoo it with the shower but there isn't much water pressure and it is easier in a bucket. I had my shampoo on the floor along with a bottle of bleach (like Clorox) and I grabbed the bleach bottle and poured it on my head instead of the shampoo. I realized what I had done and got it off quickly but it was funny!!!
One of the teachers came by to visit last night. She brought three of her little neighbor friends and we were SO happy to have them come but it was difficult to talk to them - they couldn't understand a word we said. One of the little boys could say "yes" so everything I said to him he answered "yes". We are going to teach a neighbor young man starting this Thursday. Our Director, Marc Hall, has brought us al I kinds of teaching materials - this computer, a copying machine, a white chalkboard and more paper. This computer isn't nearly as complete as the one at home - I have tried to access some news and I have finally realized that we can't do that unless we get on Internet. Did any of you see Chris & Wayne - I hope they had fun!!!
What a wonderful experience I am having!!! People are amazed when we can finally make them understand that we are going to be here for 18 months. I am glad I live in America!!!
She also wrote:
I saw an elephant on the sidewalk at the mall on Saturday!! I was so surprised!!! No roaches yet.
I miss you so much!! Did you have fun at Lake Powell. I'm glad you're home. John did you get your home rented? How are your dogs? Woolleys and Roy Mellors hope you're fine. (small gotcha for not having received any mail from you yet) How is Bev?
I love you-Grandma B XXOO