Peanut Butter and Ketchup

Dear All,
There is another American in our building who teaches English at the college in Chiang Rai, he's been here for a year already and has a pretty good time laughing at our confusion and misunderstandings. We told him this morning as we rode the elevator together, we have nothing to do at school, there all taking tests and have nothing for us to do and yet they still want us there- all the time. He says it's the same for him, that they just feel better with you around- your ever presentness; we're turning into sort of gods here and it's very scary territory. I mean, this is a Christian school for heaven sake!
Today is our blue polo day and I can't remember what the blue is for but everyone is in it. Except the kids, the kids wear red skirts and white blouses if you're a girl and blue shorts and white shirts if you're a guy. Unless it's Thursday when they wear the "school outfit" which is much akin to girl scouts for the girls and ROTC for the guys. Very strange.
Erika and I are both working hard not explode in either indignation, frusteration or insanity. We, neither of us, are uniform people and we are certainly not monarchy people. In fact we are everything, it seems, the Thai people are not.
We have managed to slip out of our flat and into the free world a couple of times without being caught by the school or one of it's employees. Once we went down to the Hilltribe Museum here in town and explored it's "wall of opium" and all the displays about the different tribes that have mostly come in from southern China and Burma. Really quite a fascinating place and, we learned from Milou a teacher here from the Philipines, run by a Philipino man who married a Thai woman. Strange place this. We also went out and got a cheeseburger and fries and eggs and bacon at the Chiang Rai Coffee Co. it's a wonderful place that has real coffee and American food, we couldn't help ourselves we got a banana split and everything!
We've only been gone not even two weeks and already we're craving milk, ketchup and peanut butter. This sort of thing has never really happened to us and certainly never to this extent but this trip is unlike any we've ever taken and certainly more stressful than any our other travels.
I have to sign off, there are only two computers that truly work in the library out of the six that are available and others are waiting.
Love to all, Kristen Rose

Not Teaching

Dear all,
I wrote a long and in depth letter yesterday and then the computer ate it!
So this won't be as long or as in depth simply because I don't trust computers at the moment and don't want to waist my time in case it disappears again.
We didn't end up leaving Sirirat's on Saturday afternoon, in fact we didn't leave until late afternoon on Sunday. After Sirirat had us help her write her speech to give to a meeting of some one hundred western women in Bangkok on Monday about her ministry and work up here she said there was no time to take us home. We told her we had to go home as we had medication we needed to take and things we wanted to do on Sunday and she promised to have us home by one the next day but we knew that was a lie since she had church at 10.30 and then home worship at her house and lunch for all of the church members as they were celebrating an addition to their house. We were right. We didn't end up leaving her house until after three and then getting home until nearly four. It was trying.
We're not really sure why she brings us home. We're more like decoration than anything else, no one can reallly talk to us and it doesn't seem like many of them really want to. But we often hear them talking about us, we can tell because we've quickly learned the word "Falang" or foreigner and can pick it out of most conversations around us. It's still enjoyable going home with her as we get to see all of the kids from the orphanage and they have begun to be rather attached to us and we do get to see and do a lot of things we wouldn't be able to if we weren't with Sirirat. Some things we would really rather not do but a lot of interesting things too. Like visiting the border of Burma and going to the Tesco Lotus here (a store disturbingly like walmart) and seeing the private collection of the man who was made artist of the year last year and who Sirirat knows quite well. (Apparently he believes the toilet is the heart of the home and has a disturbing number of them housed in seperate buildings with full size windows so you can see both in and out of your private bathroom. Weird to say the least.)
Another news item is that I will not be teaching next term.
I told Sirirat and Sonboom (the director of the school who's english is sketchy at best) that I would try it these two weeks before their month long break to see if it was something I would be interested in but as they had given me no warning and in fact had told me quite clearly that I would not be able to teach I was in no way prepared.
The truth is I like children, one or two, sometimes even three or four at a time and can put up with them quite well and be quite clever in what to do with them and how to keep them occupied. But that's on my good days and in my own language, here I would be pared with a couple of very different teachers and then trying to manage thirty to thirty five kids at a time every single day!
So we're going back to the original plan of me living off of Erika's wages as I write and paint and work to keep her sane and our lives somewhat organized and planned. Really I'll have a full time job of my own as Erika's job is getting more and more complicated as they tell us, bit by bit, all that is really required. Apparently Sirirat just doesn't give out all of the information.
Case in point; we asked Sirirat very plainly if there was any sort of dress code at the school and she said, very plainly, that all we needed was skirts. Now that we're here though we're told we're supposed to wear yellow on Monday and Tuesday, blue on Friday and "professional dress" on Wednesday and Thursday, we've told them that is not completely possible as we didn't pack any of that and they took care of the shirts right away by going out and buying her two bright yellow polo shirts with the flag emblem on the breast pocket and a blue one of the same design for Friday. Bright yellow! Flag emblem! Our very spirits cry out against this, but we're told it's quite a priveledge as they are celebrating the Kings sixtieth year on the throne. We don't really care but you say that and we'd probably die.
I have to be getting off, Erika needs the computer as the one she's working on has cut her off. Love to you all, Kristen Rose

Eating and Teaching

Dear All,
First I want to appoligize to anyone who might not have gotten my previous messages because I had some technical difficulties and forgot about you. If you want to get caught up by looking at my blog at wherekristensgoing.blogspot.com
I taught for the first time on Thursday and it was surreal. There a bunch of first and second graders- out of control first and second graders who don't wear their shoes in the classroom and run around yelling in Thai! Not even joking! The teachers don't really know what to do with me in the classroom so they had me go over the alphabet with them, that's pretty much all I did! All day! Read the alphabet and have kids laugh at me in Thai.
On the other hand we've dined only once at our own expence because these people are so friendly and always want to feed us and take us somewhere. They may think we're incapable of fending for ourselves but we've decided to ignore this (one teacher told me- after catching me out exploring the streets by myself- that there was nowhere in Chiang Rai that they couldn't show us!!!).
Yesterday (we have Fridays off!) we were relaxing in our flat watching, ironically, The Beach when we were interupted and taken away for the weekend by Sirirat to spend time with her family and the kids at the orphanage. It does make you feel a lot like you have no control over your own life when you're unexpectantly kidnapped from your home and don't know when you will next see it again. Don't worry, we're going back tonight and were only a little put out, they're so sweet and relaxed you just can't argue with them much.
So we attended the church dedication today and were completely bored out of our skulls. I'm pretty sure that all of the Thai people were bored too but they at least could understand and sing along. It was over two hours of talking- a sermon one can only guess- and comissioning of a new pastor etc.
The children from the orphanage are all getting really attached to us, there's one who's name is Pui who I call Peter Pan- she's absolutely adorable and loves me to pieces! A little girl named Ow is attached to Erika at the hand. The poor kids have a very interesting existance and you can't help feeling sorry for them.
Tomorrow we are going to try and find the international church in Chiang Rain and visit the Coffee Company they have here that has English newspapers and real coffee that doesn't come out of a foil pouch- Nescafe is very popular here.
I have to run, it's time for dinner- once again we're being fed.
Love to you all, Kristen Rose

Military coups and Playing House

Dear All,
First off, just in case any of you don't stay up to date on the news, I want to let you know that there has been a military coup in Thailand. Apparently it doesn't affect us much being in the north of Thailand and not being in Bangkok where all the action seems to be.
We just found out this morning, we had gotten up and ready for school but when we arrived we were told that school was closed for the day because it was a holiday. Well, that didn't make any sense, if it was a holiday they would have known yesterday and wouldn't have said "see you tomorrow" so often yesterday. But having the day off we went walking and got some breakfast before returning to our new flat and turning on our tv where we get the BBC and Australian news channels. Sure enough the military that has taken over is calling today a holiday.
So we watched part of a crummy American movie before setting out for lunch and an internet cafe. On our way out we ran into two fellow teachers who took us out to lunch and then brought us back to the school and the library here that has English newspapers, books and computers so we're set up for all of our errands.
Yesterday we were able to change flats and moved out of our crummy one of yesterday and into a posh- newly renovated one on the eleventh floor. It was great to finally unpack and move into someplace and we are starting to feel at home, it's like we're playing house!
I got all psyched up for teaching today (something I didn't think I would be doing but apparently they are setting me up with first and second graders) and then nothing so I have to do this all over again tomorrow. I have a couple of words for the military and what they are doing to my mental health but I don't think they would listen.
I have to go, it's raining and we want to get home. Love to you all, Kristen Rose

Chiang Rai School

Dear all-
Boy howdy! So far things have been very confusing to say the least.
We spent the weekend with Sirirat and her family in a city outside of Chiang Rai and everything was slow and easy going, we got to meet the kids in the orphanage and all of her church members and just take it easy. Lelax as she says.
Yesterday she drove us up to Chiang Rai where we saw the school for the first time and met a ton of people, including the director of the school and the school board. Then we were introduced in front of a large meeting of all of the teachers and staff of the school and given bouquets. Keep in mind only a handful of them speak english and they only speak a handful of it. It was very interesting and I was already sort of falling apart due to exhaustion and overload so Erika did all of the talking, thank goodness.
We were told we would have a lot of options of where to stay but ended up only looking at one building, it's only two blocks from the school and has great security. We looked at two condos and decided on one that we have since regretted. It's not clean and hasn't been used in quite some time and the locks are fishy and we had to kill a cockroach last night, so we've decided to switch to a newer renovated room in the same building- a room we turned down at first because it's only a studio and we don't have a seperate bedroom but we're willing to give that up for something a little more comfortable.
Today we got to the school at seven thirty and one of the teachers took us over to the cafeteria where we gave in our coupons for rice soup- we will never lack for carbohidrates here! When we returned to the office we thought we would be told who we were teaching with or at least who we would be observing and where that would be. Instead we've sat and had coffee and used their computers and waited. Apparently they don't really know what to do with us at the moment.
They only have two weeks until their month long break so we're supposed to be taking it easy and getting used to everything right now. Lelaxing as it were. So we are and we're talking to Nai- Sirirat's sister who works in the school office and is working to improve her English and reading some Thai-English dictionaries.
The rainy season has started (at least we're praying it has- it's early but it rains every night and most mornings and most afternoons), but we like the rain, it's not as hot when it's raining.
Thank you for all of your prayers and please keep them up as we're still struggeling to understand and get on our feet.
I love you all and hope everything is going well on the other side of the earth, keep in touch, Kristen Rose

Off to Thailand!

Dear All,
In case you haven't caught up with me this summer or I have neglected catching up with you this is just a note to let you all know that tomorrow my older sister Erika and I are leaving the country to go to Chiang Rai Thailand!
Erika will be teaching English to Thai kids in kindergarten through sixth grade at a Christian school there. And I will be there to keep her company and keep house! We're planning on weekend trips around the country and into neighboring countries and then at the end of our nine month stay we have a couple of weeks when Erika will not be teaching and we're hoping to get out and tour south east Asia thoroughly.
Packing for a nine month stay is one of the hardest things I've ever done and if we've actually managed it I'm impressed beyond belief! If we've missed anything or overlooked something important than we have our family here to mail us packages and bits of home.
We would both appreciate your prayers as we prepare to leave our family and friends for such a long time and face celebrating holidays and milestones without them. It's not going to be easy and we aren't looking forward to that bit of the trip.
My next update will be from Thailand, God willing. Love you all and hopefully we'll see you again in nine months! Kristen Rose

"The urge to travel is like the impulse to laugh: You can't teach it, and you can't take it away." -Bruce Northam, Globetrotter Dogma