Blog 15 - Death and Taxes

It has not been a particularly happy week for us in Nong Khai. We had the dreaded news that one of the boys at the orphanage died over the weekend, he drowned in a nearby river. Therefore, there is not a lot I can say in a blog globally known for dry wit and droll sarcasm. His nickname was “Boy” and he was 8 years old, it was a real shame. We’ve spent the week at the orphanage making objects to his memory, a board full of pictures and decorations, a box filled with good wishes and hand drawn pictures. The box will be burnt at his funeral, a sort of Asian tradition. They often burn the possessions of the deceased, similar to the way the Chinese burn money and gifts for their ancestors.

The funeral is Sunday, and will be a harrowing experience in the least. The orphanage was in shock, for obvious reasons. But also the boys feared ghosts haunting them, I think they’re scared they might be lured to a fate similar to Boy’s. We taught them “Farang Magic” of clapping your hands and shouting “I’m strong, go away” to banish the ghosts, which seems to have helped. The mood has not been helped by the unseasonably bad weather for mid-March Thailand. All week it’s been raining and cold, I found myself spending most days with a T-shirt under my button-down, and had to wear gloves when typing so my fingers didn’t seize up. There were thunder storms on Monday and Tuesday, followed by relentless drizzle for most of the week. It was miserable and cold, and a far cry from the mid-30s temperature I’d gotten used to. It was the first time I’d spent a night wrapped in a blanket and with the windows shut. The weather broke on Friday afternoon, and right now it’s back to sun and warmth.

If I can make a break from the dreary subject matter, it’s been a good day so far. I met a Thai woman, the owner of a local shop, one that sells very high quality gifts for the tourist with some scratch knocking around. Carved statuettes, local wines, handmade clothes and the like. But also some wonderful t-shirts, which I intend to treat myself to once I’ve got cash to hand. The woman approached me and asked where I was from, I replied England, with one hand on my heart and humming the national anthem under my breath. She then told me of her son and daughter studying at the London School of Economics. Which was surprising, to say the least. She dragged out some photo albums of her in Piccadilly Circus, St. Paul’s and Regent Street with some youngish Thais. Honestly, I was gobsmacked. She then showed me pictures of her in Bath, standing on the roundabout next to the weir, at the cathedral, in the Bath Roman Houses, at the museum. We began talking about London and Bath, how impressed I was about her children making LSE and mentioned that I was teaching in nearby schools and orphanages. Now it was her turn to act surprised, and immediately bought me a coffee. So, I sat down, with hot black coffee and chatted about uni life and how beautiful London is. Her son is doing Social Politics, I think the daughter is as well, I said I’m doing Psychology, and we talked about her son’s interest in that too. I left after a while, I hadn’t got enough spare Baht to splash out on gifts just yet. I promised I’d be back, and that we can talk some more when I return. Sometimes, Thailand just knocks you on your arse.

The rest of the day was spent with Pookie, we’re preparing sticky rice for tomorrow, and I picked up a bamboo steamer, and Matthias also got a steaming tin, kind of like a saucepan with raised edges. Tomorrow morning, at some ungodly hour, we do sticky rice with coconut milk the proper Thai way, over a gas stove at 6 in the morning. I want to bring my steamer back, so I formulated a cunning plan.

Pictured - A puzzle!

Solved! "No officer, it's my traditional Nong Khai hat"

Cunning as a fox whose just been appointed professor of cunning at Oxford University, as one of the greatest living Brits once said.