Last weekend we were invited to dinner by our new friend, Ann, at the vegetarian restaurant. We had a lovely evening, with the chance to put our fledgling language skills into action amid much fun and laughter.
Our teacher, Waraya, took us to visit a local Buddhist temple on Wednesday. It is quite an unusual temple, with huge sculptures representing scenes of heaven and hell. The hell scenes are incredibly gruesome, showing the horrendous punishments for committing different wrongdoings. I did take some pictures, but have decided not to share them here!
Instead, here is Waraya attempting to throw a coin into the belly-button of a huge Buddha. Given my usual total lack of hand-eye coordination, I was astounded when my 5 baht coin went in first time!
There was also a series of sculptures representing different Thai proverbs. This one, with a toad being carried along by four servants, illustrates how, when people get to a high position they often forget their lowly beginnings. (I am sure there is a similar sort of saying in English, but I can't think of it at the moment.)
We said goodbye to Waraya today. She has been a fantastic teacher, not only helping us start to get to grips with the language and culture, but also being so understanding and supportive of our situation as newly arrived volunteers. Thank you, Waraya! I am sure we will keep in touch.
We have also said goodbye to the wonderful, friendly staff at our regular lunch place. If nothing else, we have learned how to order a range of dishes with a certain degree of proficiency!
Now the adventures really begin!
Sounds as if you have already had a huge adventure in your first month and packed in an amazing amount. What fantastic memories you'll have! I know you're working hard but it sounds incredibly rewarding... And you haven't even started on your real mission yet. Don't forget to pace yourself:-)x
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