Loriene Dennes

A full teaching program for our last morning of this week’s schedule meant for a busy start to the day. Creating slides and video clips for presentations is a time consuming task by utilising Google translate and then cutting and pasting to make the slides bilingual.

Before we knew it lunch time was upon us and I was preparing for another session of baptism questions with Somchai immediately after lunch. However, no interpreter was available so we had to cancel this session.
Loss had no further commitments until 4.30pm so we took this unexpected opportunity to scooter 15 minutes up the hill to the Queen Sirikit Botanic gardens. This time I needed no convincing to take Sam’s scooter when he offered it.

On departure, we were soaked within a minute or two. Not because of a storm - that would come later.
We were aware that this weekend is the festival of Songkran which is a celebration of the Thai new year and we had actually organised our weekend activities around this. A big part of this festival involves soaking people with water. Hoses, water pistols and buckets are all used in abundance and if you are out and about, you are fair game.
Officially the Songkran festival doesn’t start until tomorrow so we thought nothing of riding along the roads enroute to the Botanic gardens. However, we quickly discovered that celebrations had started early. It also seemed that the locals took extra delight in (a) soaking anyone who was riding a scooter and (b) even more delight if the persons on the scooters were ‘Farang’. This is a Thai word which in general refers to any foreigners but specifically finds its focus on Caucasian people.

Riding along on a small motor scooter, it was pretty hard for Loss and I to disguise the fact that we ticked all the boxes. We had only just turned on to the main road and ridden a matter of 20 meters or so when from the kerbside a group of young people smiling with delight had spotted us. If you are not decelerating enough for their liking, one of the group walks right out into your path to force you to be a slow moving target. Moving along past the group at barely more than walking pace, buckets of water were gleefully launched in our direction - and they faithfully found their target :)

Instantly soaked by this first barrage, we gave in to the fun and time after time as we moved up the road we slowed down, gestured for them to come forward and smilingly received their aquatic ammunition. We were soon becoming experts on the water that was being thrown over us. We noted casually that some was cold and refreshing; some was warm - hopefully only due to having been sitting in the bucket in full sunshine for a while; some was clean; some was decidedly muddy in colour.

It was all great fun and was delightfully cooling for us as we continued up to the Queen Sirikit gardens. By the time we arrived at the entrance we were almost completely dry - but this state of being would not last too long.

There was a storm brewing up to our north. We could see the dark clouds rolling in as we ventured along the treetop walkway. We finished this and headed up to the next section and sat and enjoyed an iced Thai tea at the cafe. Now the thunder was rolling through the valley as well. As we explored the various ‘hot houses’ (which were actually cooler in temperature than outside!) a few drops of rain could be heard on the roof.
Before we had time to extract ourselves it was bucketing down. We waited 10 minutes or so and the rain intensified and then plateaued but showed no sign of letting up. The irony was not lost on us that this took place while we were in the ‘Arid plant’ arboretum and we sat and contemplated our options. A quick consultation of the local weather radar map which also gives a predictive rainfall for the next three hours showed no respite from the rain we were now experiencing.

Loss needed to be back for duties by 4.30pm - and there was no way in the world that I was going to call Sam again to request help to get home. There was nothing for it but to head out into the deluge.

By the time we had gotten to the scooter and donned our soggy helmets we were absolutely soaked. We started it up and turned to descend for our return to the TLC and before we had even rounded the first hairpin bend the rain abruptly ceased. Now we were soaking wet but riding in dry conditions.

Thank you, ‘Accuweather’ website 🤔

We proceeded down the hill carefully on the wet roads and before too long we were almost dry again with the help of the evaporative effect of the heat and wind on our clothes. However, by the time we entered the suburban area again, we discovered that Songkran festivities had intensified.

In WW1, the troops in the trenches had to ‘go over the top’ in waves knowing they would be met by a barrage of enemy fire. Here on the northern outskirts of Chiang Mai we received a friendly, watery version of this from the local Thais, as group after group delighted in finding this couple of Farangs who were seemingly just begging to be targeted.

By the time we got back to the safety of the TLC - where it had barely rained at all - we were the subject of considerable mirth from our colleagues here.

About an hour before dinner I suddenly remembered that I was rostered for wash up duty for that meal. A slight sense of panic gripped me as I feverishly checked the schedule, hoping that I had been mistaken - surely someone else’s name would be there alongside mine but alas, no matter how many times I stared at the list and how many different angles I viewed the sheet of paper it was my name and my name only that appeared.
Coupled with this fear was the extra realisation that tonight the Long Neck girls would be staying for dinner after their session this afternoon! A vision of mountains of unwashed dishes and utensils danced before my eyes and I started sweating at the thought. Nor could I possibly ask for or expect assistance from Loss as it was the girls’ night out again tonight and this time they had booked an extra long massage and foot spa.

There was only one thing for it.

I grabbed the keys of the ‘Mighty’ -an ancient Toyota workhorse that is the most decrepit but much loved vehicle in the fleet - and made the short trip up to Lotus supermarket. My relief was palpable when I found the items I dearly hoped would be there, neatly stacked on a shelf - disposable paper plates :)

It was interesting to note the dynamics of the group when the Long Neck girls arrive. These girls are clearly at the top of the pecking order. When the bell is rung calling everyone to dinner, the Long Neck girls confidently stroll in and seat themselves at the table where all the teachers would normally sit.
We had to find some seating in the back stalls.
When the prayer for the meal has concluded, the regular students all hang back and don’t line up until the Long Neck girls all have helped themselves to the food. The whole thing is really quite amusing to observe.

Dinner is now done and the wash up is completed in record time thanks to my clandestine trip to Lotus.
The Long Neck girls have been driven back to their village and the evening session is in full swing on the floor just above me.
I now have the luxury of quietly typing this blog up in the cool of the evening while listening to the Thai dialogue of the story of King David drifting down the stairs. . . .Read more