Saturday, July 29, 2006
The Welcome Wagon Just Keeps Coming!
Most places i've been too, things get more mundane the longer I stay there. I've been introduced to most food/people/activities and I usually get used to those weird and wacky things that were so crazy at the begining. NOT in Wiang Sa. Here's just a short list of the weird and random stuff that keeps being introduced to me.
- Daily outdoor aerobics for all the fat people in Wiang Sa. In front of one of the government buildings, what I could only describe as spandex-clad Thai soccer moms, gather at 6pm each night to do Sweatin' with the Oldies for a good hour. Miranda and I have promised to go back at least twice a week. I don't know what is a better workout, the laughing or the aerobics.
- The ladyboy volleyball team. Well its not all ladyboys, but the ones on the team sure overshadow the others. First, the grade 6 team (boys and girls) could for sure beat the varsity team I played for at the University of Cape Town... they're amazing. Second, the ladyboys are great players. Mostly setters, but still have great height to play the net. But when they do something good or bad it's their reaction that is priceless.
- The tour de france seems to have made a detour through Wiang Sa too, as there is this man who is decked out in full-body spandex and state of the art biking gear who goes past us at warp speed everyday at dinner. This is weird especially in a town where nothing moves faster than the grass grows. But everyday there he is whizzing by all aerodynamically.
- Shortages. Now i'm used to the electricity being shut down at random periods of the day, but when we didn't have water for 5 days...not cool. And at school we ran out of paper. There was no bug spray at TESCOS either. Not to mention Miranda and I have watched every english VCD that Lotus has to rent.
- The small birds that fly into my window repeatedy every morning between 6am - 9am. I can see once thinking they can fly through (although its really dirty) but they fly full-speed into it over and over and over again making the most annoying cling-CLUNK sound. After each hit I pray that it's broken its neck, but there it comes again.
- THE FOOD. Everyday its something new put in front of us. My recent favourite was the 'sun dried bananas' that were black, oozing some pus stuff, and tasted like pure mold. Sickest things i've eaten in Thailand hands down. We had some great mini-crepes that were folded like tacos with what I think is marshmallow creme and sugar on it, but there is no such thing in Thailand... so I don't want to know what it really is. Other meals this week have included: Seafood wonton soup, Thai spa-ghett-tee that looks like XLong KD noodles (so hard to eat b/c of the long hole in the middle) and is covered in a garlic oil sauce, and a drink in a bag that tasted like that McDonalds orange drink concentrate mixed with ice. I'm not complaining since I end up loving 70% of what I am given to taste, but that other 30% doesn't go down easy!
- Lizards in my toaster. There is this one lizard (one of the pale ceiling dwelling ones) Who loves to live on/in/under my toaster. So everymorning I have to pick it up and shake it to get him out. Even though i'm expecting him there, it still gives me a little fright when he scuttles out! Miranda and I tried a control-burn the other day to teach him that the toaster is not a safe refuge. (Don't worry he ran away once it got hot) But he still came back the next day!!! So weird.
ps. check out my webshots albums link on the right for pictures from when Christine, Megan and Heather came to teach at Sriwiangsawittayakarn.
- Daily outdoor aerobics for all the fat people in Wiang Sa. In front of one of the government buildings, what I could only describe as spandex-clad Thai soccer moms, gather at 6pm each night to do Sweatin' with the Oldies for a good hour. Miranda and I have promised to go back at least twice a week. I don't know what is a better workout, the laughing or the aerobics.
- The ladyboy volleyball team. Well its not all ladyboys, but the ones on the team sure overshadow the others. First, the grade 6 team (boys and girls) could for sure beat the varsity team I played for at the University of Cape Town... they're amazing. Second, the ladyboys are great players. Mostly setters, but still have great height to play the net. But when they do something good or bad it's their reaction that is priceless.
- The tour de france seems to have made a detour through Wiang Sa too, as there is this man who is decked out in full-body spandex and state of the art biking gear who goes past us at warp speed everyday at dinner. This is weird especially in a town where nothing moves faster than the grass grows. But everyday there he is whizzing by all aerodynamically.
- Shortages. Now i'm used to the electricity being shut down at random periods of the day, but when we didn't have water for 5 days...not cool. And at school we ran out of paper. There was no bug spray at TESCOS either. Not to mention Miranda and I have watched every english VCD that Lotus has to rent.
- The small birds that fly into my window repeatedy every morning between 6am - 9am. I can see once thinking they can fly through (although its really dirty) but they fly full-speed into it over and over and over again making the most annoying cling-CLUNK sound. After each hit I pray that it's broken its neck, but there it comes again.
- THE FOOD. Everyday its something new put in front of us. My recent favourite was the 'sun dried bananas' that were black, oozing some pus stuff, and tasted like pure mold. Sickest things i've eaten in Thailand hands down. We had some great mini-crepes that were folded like tacos with what I think is marshmallow creme and sugar on it, but there is no such thing in Thailand... so I don't want to know what it really is. Other meals this week have included: Seafood wonton soup, Thai spa-ghett-tee that looks like XLong KD noodles (so hard to eat b/c of the long hole in the middle) and is covered in a garlic oil sauce, and a drink in a bag that tasted like that McDonalds orange drink concentrate mixed with ice. I'm not complaining since I end up loving 70% of what I am given to taste, but that other 30% doesn't go down easy!
- Lizards in my toaster. There is this one lizard (one of the pale ceiling dwelling ones) Who loves to live on/in/under my toaster. So everymorning I have to pick it up and shake it to get him out. Even though i'm expecting him there, it still gives me a little fright when he scuttles out! Miranda and I tried a control-burn the other day to teach him that the toaster is not a safe refuge. (Don't worry he ran away once it got hot) But he still came back the next day!!! So weird.
ps. check out my webshots albums link on the right for pictures from when Christine, Megan and Heather came to teach at Sriwiangsawittayakarn.
# posted by Laura Davies : 2:59 PM
