Thailand Letter
October 3, 1997
Bangkok, Thailand
Dearest Family,
We got home from our trip to Sukhothai last night about 10:30 and I was SO happy to have a message and picture from you Bob - thank you SO much and also for your short message and picture today!!! I wouldn't be writing again so soon except that I have lost the news access number you sent to me. I have tried to keep my letters trashed so I wouldn't get in trouble - Ha!!! And, I guess I trashed that number - I thought I had written it down but I can't find it. If you have time Bob - would you please send it to me again? We were able to get on the news today and it gave the headlines of news in the United States and maybe we will be able to get some news of the conference - I doubt it but at least we could try.
I LOVE the pictures - I can't tell you how lonesome I get for all of you!!! The one of Laura practicing the piano while reading the comics is a classic and also the one of her cheerleading team at the University of Utah. WHAT EXCITING LIVES MY GRANDCHILDREN ARE LIVING!!! I am SO proud of all of you. I hope I have a message soon telling me that little Sarah is all better - that has been a real ordeal for her. MICHAEL - You keep up your piano even though you think you don't like it - missionaries who can play the piano are such a help in the mission field!!! You have to get over that little hump and then you will enjoy it - it just takes perseverance. I expect any day to hear that you have your own car - I can tell your Dad is getting soft - Ha!!!
You just wouldn't believe all that I saw in the last couple days. Sukhothai is in the northern part of Thailand and it took us 6 hours by bus to get there. We rode through some absolutely gorgeous country - we passed miles and miles of rice paddies with water buffalo all around. We would pass quite lovely homes that looked like estates and right next to them would be tin shacks. Our "driver" picked us up at 4:45 Wednesday morning and it was just pouring down. He took us to the Mission Office where a huge chartered bus was waiting for us. There were 30 on the bus - the BMA lady in charge was named "Lek" and she is just darling. She had a man entertainer with her and four other women who just catered to our every need. A couple in our group had copies of "old" songs and we sang and sang for 6 hours. The man entertainer sang a lot of Thailand songs - I think they are very mournful and he didn't have nearly as good a voice as Sherm Johansen, one of the American teachers. They kept bringing us bottles of water and treats and then we stopped for a very elaborate and delicious lunch at Hotel Pitsanulok. We stopped all along the way to look at historical sights. We arrived in Sukhothai about one o'clock and got registered in a very nice hotel. I was absolutely ecstatic to have a hot bath - even though it was hot I just wanted to "soak" - it has been three months since I have had a bath and I NEVER have hot water even for the shower - Ha!!!
We visited the historical park which has the remains of a 700 year old city. It is called "The World Heritage Historical Part at Sukhothai" The huge pillars which look like they were made from volcanic rock are still standing and the park is maintained beautifully. We visited many old relic places and in one of them we saw the skeleton of a body that was 700 years old which had been uncovered when they dug for the museum - you could still see the teeth. They didn't know if it were a man or a woman but all the bones of the rib cage and legs were there. It was "eery"!!! It continues to amaze me to see the ceremonial way of the Thailand people and it hasn't changed a whole lot. There are Buddhas every place you look. At one of the places there were 39 huge cement elephants holding up a monument that had places for Buddhas all around it. There was also a live elephant at the park and we fed him bananas and corn.
We saw the HUGE BUDDHA that everyone talks about. It is 700 years old and is quite dirty and covered with moss. There was a place where you could squeeze through and get in back of his head and we were on our way to do that when someone said there was a "biting lizard" there so we turned around and came back. Everything is in very good shape for how old it is - the people living in Sukhothai are SO proud of their heritage and they take good care of it.
That night we dressed for dinner and it was just fabulous - rice and EVERYTHING!!! Lek entertained for us - she dressed in a Thai costume and had a partner and did Thai dancing. Then they came to all the "old" people and we danced also - it was fun!!!
Thursday morning we went to Sri Satchanalai which is another historical park. I couldn't believe all the ancient cement buildings - the city was encircled by a cement wall 700 years ago and much of the wall still remains. The park is just beautiful but it was SO hot and we walked, and we walked.
THEN - we went to the "Sathom Old Textile Museum Hadd Sieo Village" where they had the most gorgeous Thai silk. I couldn't buy any because I had to save my money to pay the rent and they wouldn't take Visa or any other credit card. I did buy a cotton Thai woven jacket that is too big but it is a souvenir and it was cheap - Ha!!!
THEN - we went to the "Supaporn Exculsive Handmade Gold" store AND they did take Visa. We watched them make gold necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, etc. It was just WONDERFUL and even though I said I didn't need to buy anything more I just couldn't resist. I had decided that if I could find some gold earrings I liked I would try to buy them - WELL - they had them and they also had the necklace to match. JOHN - I charged $438 on my Visa card!!! I hope you all don't think I have "gone over the edge"!!! I keep telling myself that this jewelry is a good investment but I promise I won't buy anymore. One of the teachers on the bus with us told me that her Aunt had just paid $8,000 for an emerald ring. She also told me that emeralds were quite fragile and I would need to be careful with it so I guess it is just for dressy occasions - it really is beautiful though and so are the gold earring and necklace.
This money thing is crazy. I wrote out a check for $500 the 10th of October and I still don't have my money and the man in charge told me it could be another two or three weeks. I went to an ATM at a bank this morning - I took the little bus from Sai Mai all by myself and found this bank and it worked just great. I withdrew 4,000 Bahts so that will be enough until I hope I get my money. There isn't anything you can do about it - everyone is in the same boat. The banks just clamped down on giving the Americans their money until they had the money from America. I also charged so more things on my Visa this morning John - about $120 worth. I hope you can work all this out - I APPRECIATE YOU SO much!
The Mission President and his wife and two little children went with us. The children had a difficult time on the bus but everyone tried to help them - the girl is 3 and the little boy is 6. Sister Goodman bought a lot of silk!!!
Bob - when you access the map of Bangkok see if you can find Phahon Yothin Road. We live in the northeast part of Bangkok. See if you can find the Don Muang International Airport because that is the general area of where we live. That road is one of the main roads that goes through Bangkok from North to South and we live East of that - we take a little "Soi" (lane) called "Soi Phahon Yothin" and then turn East on Sai Mai Road to Teptip Village.
It is just pouring down right now. It started about an hour ago and sounds like it isn't going to let up for a long, long time. I'll be thinking about you all during this weekend - we have a Teachers Seminar on Sunday Afternoon and maybe someone will have news about the conference.
Roy & Patrice - I kept thinking about Chan as we drove through so many little villages on our trip. I can just imagine her living in one of them with her parents. I hope to get better acquainted with the country so I can know more about where she lives.
I had a cute letter from Del & Phyllis Holmgren today - their daughter has just bought a home across the street from where I used to live in Brigham City - it's really a small world isn't it? Beverly & Doug Jenkins' daughter lives in Lehi in that housing development by the farm - (Ann knows them).
This is too long of an e-mail letter - I can't write short ones. I would probably write more but I have to get ready to teach English to some neighbors who will be here in a few minutes. I'll bet you're glad - Ha!!!
I love you all so very, very much. PLEASE BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO and Thanks SO much for all your support. Grandma B
(written later that day)
Dearest Family,
JEANNIE - I RECEIVED YOUR MESSAGE!!! I was SO relieved to find a letter from the Weinerts on the computer a few minutes ago - I couldn't believe that Jeannie was replying to the letter I wrote last night. Sarah - way to go!!! I have worried about Sarah and her mouth surgery and I'm SO glad she is doing so well. It is hard to imagine her little mouth looking like it had two golf balls in it. Ricky - #1 on your golf team - that is SUPER!!! I will be looking for the pictures of the Homecoming Dance. Your "Women at the Well" sounded like it was a professional program - I would have loved to see it. Mary Ann - you are a very talented gal - Keep up the Good Work!!! New York sounds fabulous!!!
Julianna - I really studied last night before going to sleep and one of the suggestions I learned to help these people with their pronunciation is to use "Prepared Texts" to have them read aloud. That way we can discern their problem areas. WELL - it came to me that a perfect way to do that is to have them read the books you have sent. I will be able to use them not only for pronunciation but also for comprehension and intonation skills, etc. I AM THRILLED - in fact, I got so excited thinking about it I couldn't sleep.. How can I ever thank you enough for your thoughtfulness? I LOVE the Big Book also and can hardly wait to show that to the children - that has SO many possibilities and these people are so affectionate that the "Love" lesson will really appeal to them.
We have this next week free for preparation. All the Bangkok schools are out in October and most of the teachers have the month off but we will teach English Workshops the rest of the month. I am glad - I don't like to have this much time in our apartment.
I love you all so very, very much!!! PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL AND HAVE LOTS OF FUN WHEN YOU GET TOGETHER FOR CONFERENCE!!! Grandma B