Thailand Letter
Dearest Family, September 18, 1998 Friday 6:10 p.m.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN RICK!!! I love you very much and I hope you have had a WONDERFUL day!!!
I feel as though I have just been given a gift - Ha!!! My Friday night students just called and said they would have to cancel because of the flooded streets. It took us two hours to get home from school this afternoon because of the rain and the flooded streets - it is sad to drive by so many streets and see the vendors trying to get their carts under shelter. The people were wading in water up to their knees but I have a free night and can write a real letter.
ANNIE - Thank you so much for your message. You mentioned the weekend market here - it is only open on Saturday and Sundays and since you arrived on a Saturday and left on a Sunday you missed it. It is a fun place to shop - things are cheaper there than anyplace in Thailand but you have to be careful what you buy because of the poor quality of some things. I am SO happy that Jessie LOVES school - I would like to hear about the party at Bear Lake for her ward - this always brings back so many memories for me. I am SO happy that Susanna LOVES school too - I wish she didn't have to work so hard - she is so conscientious though that she would work that hard no matter where she went to school.
CLAIRE - Thank you so much for your message too. I can just see little Katie painting your bench - I think it's great that you would let her do that because I can just imagine the mess and one that isn't easy to clean up. I didn't know that Brett was playing the xylophone - I thought he was playing the drums. He is a mighty talented young man to be able to compose his own music. I want to know how Michael enjoyed the homecoming dance - I'll bet he had fun. I agree that it is very wonderful to have a temple so close to where you live - I miss the temple more than anything else except my family.
PATRICE - Thank you so much for your message too. I remember how hard it rained in Little Rock but since I have been here for their rainy season this year I can honestly say that I have seen MONSOON RAINS that are unbelievable!!! I hope your garden is flourishing with all the rain. What are you painting in your home now? A house needs constant care doesn't it - but it is worth it. Roy - I'm proud of you for going to have lunch with Emily and Timothy - I LOVED doing that when I visited you and I remember how orderly the students were.
BOB - I wish you would have asked me to send you a map of Bangkok. I just bought a new one so I could find out where I will be living. It is just like the one Virginia and I used for the first seven months we were together - I have saved that one for a keepsake because it is well worn and such a memory. You are the only one who has mentioned Clinton - except for Aunt Carol and she says that Carol Ann is livid. I don't know what is the matter with me but I find myself being angry with Starr - I am very embarrassed about Clinton but for some reason I think Starr has done irreparable (sp?) damage to the entire country. Do what you can about an apartment - you know how I feel and I thank you very much!!!
They asked Helen and me to speak yesterday at the BIG CEREMONY and there were over 100 people there including many dignitaries. I told them that we were impressed with the Thai people because they remained very peaceful and happy in spite of their economic difficulties and that Americans were sad because their baht exchange was so bad. WELL - they asked a teacher who represented a certain district to speak after I talked and she went on to give a political speech and asked us to tell Pres. Clinton to please help the people of Thailand. I wanted to say he had bigger problems than that to solve but I didn't.
THIS HAS BEEN QUITE A WEEK!!! One I hope I will never forget. We taught on Monday but the teachers couldn't settle down - they just wanted to visit with us. Tuesday, we also taught and the day went better. At 3 o'clock they said they had reservations at a big restaurant - I had a student coming at 3:30 so I called to have Janet put a note on the door saying I wouldn't be home. The restaurant was very, very nice and they had a big ceremony and gave us gifts and then they gave little tributes to us. I didn't get home until 5:30 and my three students came at 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday - we went to school and they told us we would be finished at noon and then we would go to a restaurant for lunch. We were completely surprised when we got to the restaurant because all the dignitaries from that District were there. They ushered us to a head table and pointed at two beautiful salads and said "all for you". We sat there quite awhile waiting for others to be served and when they weren't we decided to eat the salads - that is SO funny to eat in front of about 50 people watching us!!! When we finished the salads they brought each of us a "steak" - the first steak I have had in Thailand and it wasn't very good. We finally figured out that they wanted to do what they thought would be the very best thing for us so we ate it. After we finished the steak they started bringing in Thai food and you just wouldn't believe all they had - even raw oysters, lobster, crab, shrimp etc. After we had eaten they had another ceremony where we presented certificates to all the teachers who had finished the 55 hour workshop. It was so funny because they served beer and wine with the dinner and one of the young men teachers who has been so shy and reserved and never spoken a word of English really put on an act when he came forward to receive his certificate. He started walking towards me like a soldier and when he got in front of me he saluted and then he grabbed me in a big bear hug - everyone was so surprised but we all went along with it and made it fun for him. Helen and I signed 120 certificates yesterday and Wednesday. They gave us beautiful little gold heart shaped pendants.
We have known for the last four months that Thursday, September 17th there would be a big ceremony for the closing of the English Project since it was started in June 1997. I have had a Thai silk suit for a year and I haven't worn it because I felt it was too formal but I decided that was the day to wear it and I was very happy I did. We got to the big school auditorium about 9 a.m. and it was filled with teachers and dignitaries from the districts that weren't represented on Wednesday. They had us sit in front of microphones at the head of this group - there were probably 150 there - they spoke in Thai and I'm sure they said some very nice things and then they had us speak and then they gave us gifts. They gave us some pretty Thai silk handbags, video tapes of our teaching and a nice melodium. I have had a melodium for about 4 months and Helen just bought one yesterday so we wish they had chosen something else but we have to really appreciate them because they cost too much money. I hope some of my grand- children will want to play a melodium. I bought one because it helps me with the tunes of some of the songs I teach.
We got home about 3 o'clock and then at 5 some of our teachers came to take us to dinner. THAT WAS AN EXPERIENCE. We went to a restaurant that cooks Thai food the way the King and Queen like it - at least that's what our teachers told us - Ha!!! It was delicious but in the middle of the dinner it started to rain and it rained so hard they had to sandbag the restaurant and even then we were sitting with our feet in the water. I took some pictures and I hope they turn out because I have never seen anything like that. Our teacher had a new Mercedes and it was in water up to the doors - one of the workers waded to it and brought it to where we could get in without getting soaked.
One of the BMA supervisors (Lek) has a sister who teaches at a special school and Lek asked some of us to teach in the morning. Lek has done many things for us and we couldn't say no. I am going to teach the song, "The Wheels On The Bus" with pictures for them to draw. I need to spend some time getting ready for my move. I go to school with Janet and Darlene on Friday - Helen has that day off. I hope I can catch up soon.
I gave you the wrong address for where I am going to live. The address I gave you is the address for the Real Estate Office that is handling the leasing. The language barrier is something that is very difficult to deal with. I think this is my new address: 34 PUANGSAP - khlongPRAPA DISTRICT - BANG SU, BANGKOK. I'm sure there is more to it than that and I will let you know. I took the lease to the lady today and she is going to see if the landlord will accept it - it is the lease written by the church for all the missionaries. I did find out that we pass the King and Queens' Palace on the way to the school so it is in that area. Bob - when I find out exactly where it is on the map I will let you know. I do know one of the streets where I will walk to catch the bus to go to school - Prathachuen.
Did I tell you that the Prince attended a dinner at the place next to our apartment? It was SO funny - we tried to have a driver bring us in to the gate and there were policemen all over - they told us it was security because the Prince was there. This is the place on the other side of our apartment that isn't the Chateau De Bangkok.
I guess the nicest thing that was said yesterday that we understood was when a teacher came up to speak and he said, "I thank God for sending us these teachers to help us learn English so we could teach it to our students in a better way". This from a Buddhist man - we are very happy that they feel we have helped them. I'm so glad we have been a part of this first part of the project - the next part will be quite different.
I had a letter from Marian Jeppsen today and she told me their life would be changed quite dramatically after Nov. 1st. Malcolm had received a telephone call from President Hinckley. She couldn't tell me what their new calling will be but I am betting it will be as a Temple President and probably in St. George where they are living because that President will be released the first of November. I had a wonderful letter from Ellen Mae and Mel telling me about the reunion of our High School class - 55th!!! I would have loved to be there.
This is much too long - it's for my journal so you don't have to read it. I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH. PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL. Grandma B