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2 weeks helping out at the Christadelphian Thailand Learning Centre in Chiang Mai Read more
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  • Thailand (Chiang Mai)
    Day 1

    Departure and Arrival

    April 4 in Thailand ⋅ 🌙 32 °C

    Some months ago Loriene and I had agreed to go to Chiang Mai in Thailand to help with the valuable work that was taking place there.
    Sam and Abi McGeorge had particularly wanted us to go for these two weeks during April as there were some theological student who were enrolled to attend the Learning Centre. They assured us that, apart from anything else, our ‘grey hairs’ would be a most useful attribute.
    Possessing more than adequate amounts of that commodity, we packed our bags last night, caught the 7.30am train to the airport in Sydney for our flight to Chiang Mai via Bangkok.
    The flights were uneventful but the oppressive heat that greeted us as we walked up the air bridge at Bangkok gave us an inkling of the change of environment we were about to experience.
    In the meantime, a pleasant hour or so was spent in the Coral lounge at Bangkok, including a complimentary neck and shoulder massage while we waited for our connecting flight.
    There was only a slight delay to our flight to Chiang Mai and we were greeted by a smiling and bear-hugging Sam McGeorge at the gate :)
    Approximately 40 minutes later we arrived back at the TLC where we greeted Tim and Leah McGeorge (Sam’s brother and sister in law) as well as Abi.
    The only other commodities that we were requested bring (in addition to our grey hairs) were some unobtainable Aussie treats - Cadbury’s chocolate for Abi and Mint Slices for Sam.
    After a chat, laugh and cup of tea we retired to our perfectly comfortable accommodation, blasting out magnificent, cold air!    Read more

  • Thailand (Chiang Mai)
    Day 2

    Mad dogs and Englishmen….

    April 5 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    The aircon ran all night and it was cranked down so low we were at risk of frostbite as the new day dawned.
    Sam had worked his magic in the kitchen and cooked his staple rice and fried eggs for everyone. Morning Bible and life skills sessions proceeded and by late morning the temperature was really climbing. We took an opportunity to go grocery shopping at a Thai version of Costco called Makro. There were some interesting sights in the meat section where you just help yourself and bag up your own raw meat.
    After lunch, Abi continued her ‘barista’ course for all the students. This is one of the skills that might help them gain employment when they leave and Abi was very careful to teach them the Thai way of making coffee.
    Grounds are weighed precisely (14 grams single shot, 19 grams double shot), the tamping done in a very precise method and the duration of the water infusion had to be within strict time limits, indicating a proper espresso outcome with correct crema separation.
    She used the ‘show one, do one, teach one’ process which seemed to work well and tomorrow they will do the milk frothing process.
    The students here have generally very little formal education so training like this will help to give them job prospects other than the most menial types of employment which would otherwise be their likely pathway.
    By the time it reached 41 degrees outside in mid afternoon, the obvious way to spend some free time was for us to head down to the local soccer field for a 5 a side full-on game.
    The Thai boys displayed a lovely quality of being competitive but fair. They were especially good at including everyone and giving the young boys plenty of ball.
    At the end of the game I headed back to the air conditioned room and sat there in the icy blast for about 20 minutes before showering. As I sat there bringing my core temperature back to within normal physiological parameters, I couldn’t help but think that the words to Noel Coward’s famous song should be modified to include ‘Thais and Aussies’ along with Englishmen and rabid canines…..
    Tim and Leah’s boys had actually sent Loss in to check on me as they thought I might have collapsed as I was a couple of minutes late for dinner ….
    The evening session was run by the guys - ‘God as the Potter’ was the talk, followed by some hands-on clay modelling. They all seemed to enjoy it - but perhaps not as much as the girls’ enjoyment of the evening - who had nicked off after dinner with unseemly haste (before dishes were washed up I might add) for an appointment with some Thai masseuses.    Read more

  • Thailand (Chiang Mai)
    Day 3

    Recreation

    April 6 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C

    After an excellent night’s sleep with the aircon set to a more moderate 21 degrees we were also able to sleep in a little as the weekend program is much more relaxed than the weekday schedule.
    Breakfast was followed by the sighting of a green snake beside the water cooler station, but it disappeared into the undergrowth before we were able to determine whether it was a harmless tree snake or a venomous green viper.
    The morning’s recreational activity was to take all the group up to the Mae Sa waterfall national park (just a 7 minute drive away) which was an excellent way to beat the heat for a while and also to see the group bonding.
    (Sadly Sam had to take 3 of the students off to the bus terminal as they had been summonsed back to their village to help with farming duties due to illness leaving the farm understaffed).
    A short walk from the carpark led to a delightful waterfall and pool area where wading and/ or swimming was very pleasant.
    There are a series of 10 different falls but the upper ones required some strenuous walking which wasn’t particularly calling out to be conquered in the heat.
    Back to the TLC for lunch followed by a designated room inspection to ensure all rooms were being kept clean and tidy.
    This was Tim and Leah’s responsibility and Loss was nervous that they might inspect our room and give it a fail, leading to unknown consequences - but all rooms passed inspection and I was instructed to securely lock ours for the duration of the process as a precaution….
    Relieved to have sidestepped this hurdle the free afternoon was spent by some having a siesta, others doing a little more grocery shopping etc.
    After doing a little preparatory reading for the upcoming lessons to be given next week I decided to take the scooter and go for a bit of an exploratory ride up into the hills.
    Past the waterfalls, an elephant sanctuary, a Karen Long Neck village doubling as a tourist attraction - and lots of little roadside cafes with tables set up in the river where you can eat and drink with the water flowing around your legs.
    Whilst stopping to take this in I noticed a few mozzies circling my helmet which made me wonder about the possibility of the dining experience leading to a less-than-desirable outcome on the infectious diseases front.
    Back on the scooter before their proboscis’ had found their target and a pleasant ride back to the TLC in time for dinner. I was the subject of much teasing as, while everyone else enjoyed their rice based meals, Loss had specially prepared (not a pre-frozen lamb roast) but some pork steaks, roast potatoes and veggies. Much derision from some fronts, but young Harry McGeorge is now my new best friend as we shared the excess potatoes with him :)
    A games evening followed which was a great success as always.    Read more

  • Thailand (Chiang Mai)
    Day 4

    Breathing easy?

    April 7 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C

    We arrived at breakfast thinking we were seeing an apparition through the smoke haze which made navigation to the dining area a challenge.
    There was an extra car in the carpark area to the previous night.
    It turns out it was Bro Ebenezer’s new car that he had saved very hard for. Yesterday he caught the bus down to Bangkok (9 hours) and then drove it back to the TLC (another 9 hours), arriving back at about midnight.
    He’s more than happy for it to be used for the good of the Christadelphian community here which is very generous of him.
    Following breakfast was our Memorial meeting where Jake Kirkwood gave an exhortation based on the Good Samaritan. It was simple and to the point and very suitable for the audience who had to receive it via interpretation.
    The day got really hot again and was more humid than previous days which added to the discomfort. Iced coffee replaced flat whites at lunch.
    After lunch, many of us headed down to the local soccer field for our ‘Community Outreach’ activity, which consisted of cleaning up any rubbish around the park and equipment as a little way of giving back - after all we use it at no cost for soccer almost every afternoon.
    Some thunder was heard and just a few drops of rain fell, but not enough to clear the air of the heavy smoke.
    The die-hard soccer players did their thing again. The Aussies came back looking completely spent whereas the locals returned still wearing their hoodies and looking completely comfortable.
    The evening was also pretty relaxed with some board and card games organised which was useful to help get the inherently conservative Thais to loosen up a little and develop some social friendships. It seems to be working.
    Tomorrow marks the resumption of a full program of Bible study and life skills, with different sessions ranging from really basic Bible talks through to individual baptismal candidate sessions.    Read more

  • Thailand (Chiang Mai)
    Day 5

    Full tilt

    April 8 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 40 °C

    As expected, today was very full on.

    Back to back lessons all morning - starting with lessons through all the various streams. If you weren’t actually teaching you were busy prepping for the next session. While I was teaching various Bible students with Jake and Tim, Loss was busy with Abi and Leah teaching English and Life skills such as computers (!)

    Before we knew it lunch time had arrived. After lunch, some kitchen drainage problems had to be attended to which meant clearing blocked pipes and digging temporary trenches in the heat of a 41 degree day. This led to our wildlife encounter for today - a very large, angry scorpion which was disturbed during this process.

    Later in the afternoon, 3 of the Karen Long Neck villagers who have been regulars twice a week came for lessons.
    The ‘Long Necks’ are Burmese/ Myanmar people who have fled for political reasons, have created villages in northern Thailand - now they are mainly tourist curiosities and derive much of their income from entrance fees charged to western tourists. They remembered the Stone crew when we showed them photos :). While they were receiving their lessons at the TLC, a few of us went to their village and did a Sunday School activity with some of the children. It was a real eye opener to see such a culture and their living conditions. The children were very cute, and from what we could observe, the women were very much the workers.

    After evening Bible and the Karen Long Neck girls having been driven back to their village, it was time for the ‘Boys’ night off’!
    4 of us climbed aboard 2 scooters and we were off to central Chiang Mai for a sensational massage at Senses Garden for a fraction of the price you would One hour later we jumped on the scooters again for a late night dinner at ‘The Happy frog’.
    Dinner finished about 10.45pm , then scootered back to the TLC which marked the end of a very ‘full tilt’ day.    Read more

  • Thailand (Chiang Mai)
    1
    Day 6

    Do you want fries with that?

    April 9 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 38 °C

    The weather has been stuck on ‘repeat’ every day. But the dynamics of the group is progressing steadily which is so pleasing to see.
    The students have settled into their lessons and seem keen enough.
    Probably the most pleasing thing for me personally this morning was to have one-on-one instruction (well, with the help of Ebenezer and Sis Ang as tag-team interpreters) with Somchai who is keen for baptism.
    He has been diligent with his study and we are almost at the conclusion of his instruction notes - just dealing with ‘what happens after baptism questions’ now.
    Another session or two and we might have some pleasing news to share.
    Somchai and our grandchildren had a great time together when they were here a couple of months ago. Somchai and I were ‘chatting’ via Google translate at breakfast this morning and I was showing him some recent photos of Willow, Hugo and Luella. He looked at the pics on my screen, paused for a moment then typed in …. ‘I miss them’. 🥲
    The heat of the day after lunch was spent doing some prep work, with some of the group playing a card game facilitated by Jake and others pursuing similar non- strenuous activities.
    At 4.30 we loaded up those who were interested and headed in to the local markets for a bit of a wander.
    As is always the case in such markets, there were some unusual sights and smells. Some of the food on offer was delicious and incredibly cheap (eg a full sized mango smoothie for $1.25) but we passed on the unrefidgerated seafood and the fried chicken and pig intestines.
    Dinner was ‘takeaway’ satay chicken and rice from a local cafe - feeding 21 of us for the grand total of $29.
    The evening activity was centred on the David and Goliath story. A talk, video then constructing some fully functional slings of a Biblical design using some modern materials such as drinking straws and yarn.
    Let’s hope that the copious amounts of available blue metal in the carpark are not mistaken for ‘smooth stones!’
    However, Ebenezer seems quite keen to try his sling out as a new means of acquiring the pigeons he has been capturing and cooking up for himself(!). We have laid down strict rules about him using his own pots and pans etc - and not the general use utensils😳
    Finally, a little social time for everyone, and the interaction and friendliness among the group has continued really well.    Read more

  • Thailand (Chiang Mai)
    Day 7

    Stick(y)ing to the plan

    April 10 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    The program here at the learning centre is pretty full on and as part of keeping us all as fresh and motivated as possible, one full day off is scheduled once a week for each couple or individual. Today was our day.
    The forecast was for rain today so we decided to take 4 wheels rather than 2 as our mode of transport to do some exploring. As it turned out, not a drop fell until about 6pm when we were safely ensconced in our new second home - the Senses massage establishment back down in Chiang Mai.

    We left the TLC at 7.45am with our first destination being breakfast in an Airbus A330 which inexplicably is parked in the middle of a busy road intersection about 30 minutes drive north.
    As to how they got it there we have no clue, but is is decked out as a cafe inside and we were able to enjoy morning iced coffee in the luxury of business class(!) - for the princely sum of $6 each which included both entry fee and coffee :)
    Next stop was the incredible ‘sticky falls’ which are both beautiful and intriguing.
    The calcite that has formed on the rocks as the calcium rich water passes over them leaves a surface texture that is … well…. sticky. Not sticky as in gooey but more akin to walking on pumice stone which makes for incredible grip and an ability to walk up the waterfalls with excellent traction.
    Leah McGeorge had briefed us on the experience and had suggested to walk down the stairs and climb the falls (rather than the reverse). We took her advice and enjoyed it so much we repeated it a second time.
    As we left this major tourist attraction the crowds were just starting to arrive and the day was warming up so our timing was good.
    We were making good progress so we ventured further north about 1.5 hrs- not too far from the Myanmar border (close enough that we had to go through a police checkpoint and fortunately we had our passports with us). We arrived at another set of similarly ‘sticky falls’ (Sri Swangan falls) which were north of the next major city of Chiang Dao. These were perhaps even more attractive than the more heavily tourist visited ones that we had just left. It was very pleasant to be there during the midday heat and enjoy the cool of the shade and the proximity to water which always lowers the temperature.
    There was a cafe which was tantalisingly placed in the perfect location adjacent to these falls with signage that promised it was open and serving coffee and food. Alas, as we approached this promise of satiation for caffeine and calories we discovered this signage was false advertising as its doors were firmly bolted.
    Desperate for a lunchtime fix we headed back south and called in to the Lotus supermarket and got some snacks and iced coffee which ticked the required boxes.
    Next stop was the Chiang Dao limestone caves which were geologically ‘average’ but the actual caving experience was the most authentic we have ever done. A guide (who spoke almost no English) was mandatory as there were no lights for the majority or the route. Lighting was provided by an ancient kerosene Tilley lamp which our guide entrusted to no one except herself. Tiny crawl throughs were all part of the tour and when I hung back for a moment or two too long to take a photo I found myself crawling through these confined spaces in almost pitch blackness. This combined with large groups of bats flying about in the cave system meant that it was about as close to a 19th. Century caving expedition as we were ever likely to experience.
    It was now mid afternoon and time to start heading south. A phone call to ‘Senses’ in Chiang Mai secured us a 6.30pm booking for a massage, with a short stop for fuel and some more supplies from Makro enroute. After we left Senses we drove back to One Nimman shopping precinct to allow Loss to experience the ‘Western’ delights of the Happy Frog followed by post prandial coffee at ‘Graph’.
    A bit of a shopping browse at One Nimman and a half hour drive back to the TLC brought an excellent recharge day to an end.    Read more

  • Thailand (Chiang Mai)
    Day 8

    Breakdowns

    April 11 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

    Apologies to Jimmy Cliff and ‘Cool Runnings’ for plagiarising the lyrics of their song, but it immediately sprang to mind as we stepped out first thing this morning.
    “I can see clearly now, the (rain) smoke has gone….”
    Last night’s rain had cleared the skies and we could actually see blue sky with scatted clouds! It put a spring in everyone’s step because the constant heat, haze and brown/grey skies is definitively enervating when there is no let up day after day.
    Today’s sessions proceeded uneventfully.
    I was dealing with Noah’s flood first up. As far as I could ascertain only one of my group of 11 students had previously ever even heard of the story of Noah and the flood, let alone knew anything about it. Loss was teaching Barista skills with the boys.

    Then there was a rare planetary alignment whereby both of us both had a free 1 hour window just before lunch today - so we dashed off down the hill via a 10 minute scooter ride to ‘Tiger Kingdom’.
    We were not looking for a full ‘pat the tiger and tug its tail while being photographed’ experience - we were just curious to have a quick peek. Once again Leah McGeorge had provided us with some local knowledge - no need to pay for full entry - just go to the cafe and order a drink and sit at the far end - and the tigers will be right there. Brilliant.
    Sam had generously offered for us to take his scooter but I felt bad about this so took the somewhat unloved and rarely-ridden BEC Honda 125. No functional battery on this bad boy meant kick starting was the required method but it reassuringly purred into life on the second attempt.
    Down the hill we went, strolled in to Tiger Kingdom, declined their offer to purchase entrance tickets and said we were just wishing to go to the restaurant please.
    “No problem sir, this way please” was the ever-polite response from the young Thai lady.
    We ordered our drinks and had a great view of the tigers putting on a display for the tourists who paid to get inside the cage with them.
    The tigers were obviously very used to having tourists up close and there were no observed casualties in the 20 minutes we were there.
    It was now time to return to be back for lunch. We helmeted up, turned on the ignition and flipped the pedal into position for the kick start. It didn’t start on the first kick, or the second . . .or the 25th.
    A local driver who was waiting for his tourists to return from the touch-a-tiger experience came over and tried to help. Google translate was invoked again . . .he rang a mechanic mate of his for advice…. tools were brought into play . . .we were trying everything but after a while he gave up also.
    Another 20 or so kicks would get it to fire ever so briefly but it just wouldn’t keep running.
    I reluctantly called Sam McGeorge.
    I now fully realised that my insistence on not taking the scooter he had offered was now causing us all an inconvenience - not to mention a vigorous aerobic workout in the heat of the day jumping on that kick start pedal with increasing frustration and intensity.
    The ever affable and unflustered Sam answered and said he’d be down in a few minutes and see what he could do.
    I turned back to the bike, straddled it again with little hope or enthusiasm. Another 10 or 15 kicks - and then of course the engine spluttered to life just as Sam was pulling in to the Tiger Kingdom carpark.
    I was relieved, but also soaked in sweat from the one-legged star jumps I’d been performing for the last 20 minutes.
    The engine would die at slow idle but we were now able to restart it at will, so with Sam holding the throttle open a little to keep it running while I donned my helmet, I unceremoniously dropped it into gear with some revs on it and launched off back to the TLC. Loss drove back with Sam in air conditioned comfort but the 10 minute ride was just sufficient to dry my clothing back to something resembling normal.

    The Honda scooter will now become the vehicle of last choice until it gets a service.

    We just had time to gulp down a little lunch before Sis Ang arrived to facilitate interpreter duties for Somchai’s baptism preparation. Our planned one hour session became a solid 4 hour marathon with no one wanting to give it away until we had gone through ALL the questions. Somchai is a loveable, gentle character and his sincerity is unquestionable. He has come from a background of zero Bible knowledge.
    In my opinion he has sufficient knowledge and desire for baptism but he feels he’s not quite ready yet. His words - “ I am a baby … I don’t know enough….”. We explained the dilemma of the situation to him and I am confident he will choose baptism - but perhaps not this week or next.

    While this was happening, Loss was busy trying to cook a slice for supper tonight. The plan was for Loss’ famous apricot slice with shredded coconut on top - except she couldn’t procure any apricots nor shredded coconut in ‘the land of coconuts. ’
    She’s been assembling the other ingredients for days but the coconut was unprocurable.
    Google suggested using a real coconut and making your own, so that’s what she did. She bought a drinking coconut, Sam chopped it open with the machete , she then scooped out all the flesh and dried it with paper towels.
    Grating was not working as it was too rubbery for this, so it was painstakingly chopped fine with a knife, dried again with more paper towels then laid out on an oven tray.
    This was then placed into the oven - and burned to an unusable state.

    We had leftover rice for supper instead.

    Tonight after dinner a few games were played before everyone headed down to the local soccer field for a bit of a game under the lights. Some other locals were down there training and before long a 5-a-side game was underway. ‘Our’ boys acquitted themselves very well with considerable skills, but they were not really a match for the local team all decked out in real soccer gear (!). We’re now thinking we might send them down there each night because they all came back exhausted and were off to bed by about 8.30pm!
    Meanwhile, Sam has just received a call from Sis Ang with another motor scooter breakdown problem. She left for home just after dinner but called Sam a few minutes later saying ‘her bike is broken’. Sam to the rescue again!
    Sam’s departing words as he rode off were reminiscent of the words of Titus Oates on Robert Falcon Scott’s ill-fated Antarctic expedition - ‘I’m just going outside and may be some time.’
    The TLC is for the moment quiet. Chores are done, students all off in their rooms and Sam is out trying to find an after hours scooter mechanic to get Sis. Ang’s bike running again. Loss has just sat down upstairs to play some tunes on the keyboard. This was pleasant and soothing - except that Ebenezer’s prize cock-fighting roosters are not enjoying it and have started crowing their heads off in protest.

    So all in all, just another typical day at the Thailand Learning Centre :)    Read more

  • Thailand (Chiang Mai)
    Day 9

    Wet and Dry

    April 12 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 33 °C

    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

  • Thailand (Chiang Mai)
    Day 10

    Fresh Meat

    April 13 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    It was a slower start to the day, as it often is on a Saturday.

    Devotion, breakfast then a a short break before our major activity of the morning.

    When we visited the Long Neck village for Sunday school last Monday, Tim pointed out to me how rickety their classroom tables and bench seats were. The room we used for the Sunday School activity is all they have as a school room and general community ‘hall’ and it had been decided to build them some replacement tables and benches. This was our community outreach program for today.

    Timber and hardware had been purchased, hand saws had to be used instead of power saws with the only power tool being a cordless drill.
    The students all got into it and under the supervision of Tim and Sam who both have skills and expertise in such matters, the tables and bench seats started to take shape in relatively short order.
    Some students cut and drilled, some inscribed the bench tops as a gift from the TLC. Clear coat was applied and everyone was justifiably pleased with their efforts. A little more work was required to complete them later in the afternoon so that they will be ready to take to the village - probably on Monday.

    Lunch was ‘takeaway’ again and was absolutely delicious. Pork and rice and a few veges doesn’t sound very exotic but the flavour was sensational.
    The afternoon was essentially free, but this being the main start of the Songkran festival everyone was keen to participate.
    Plastic water pistols and buckets were purchased as well as a 3m inflatable swimming pool just for the occasion. It was decided to take the scooters out for a few laps up and down the main street to experience the water festival up close and personal.
    I was a little apprehensive about the reliability of my nemesis - the Honda 125, but figured that Sam and Abi would be out on their scooters and would be able to rescue me if it broke down.
    The scooter enticingly started first kick.
    We all took turns at doubling passengers (teachers, kids and students) up and down the road for about a kilometre each way and sometimes when you would approach a group they would look at us and excitedly call to each other ‘Farang’ (which previously I thought meant ‘foreigner’ but now I realise simply means ‘fresh meat’) as they rearmed themselves with copious amounts of water with which to douse us.

    This was all great fun and my ride was made even more exciting by not knowing when the Honda’s engine would quit without notice. This it did - and completely without warning - several times during our rides but I was able to cajole it back to life with a combination of gentle, reassuring words whispered into its ignition switch while stomping on the kick starter in a manner that obviously let it know who was boss.

    Another afternoon storm rolled through just before dinner. This has been a regular occurrence over the last few days and I suspect it is a prelude to the impending wet season.

    This evening was a games evening using Kahoot. It was clear that none of the students had ever played this before but once they got started, they really got into it.
    The questions were a mix of general knowledge and Bible knowledge which was an excellent reinforcement to the lessons they have been doing.

    The only thing they just couldn’t grasp was the concept of using ‘The Lifeline’.    Read more

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