My Journal - August 23, 1993

August 21, 1993 – One Month!

August 23, 1993

Home Stay – first day, ahhh! So far I am loving it, except my Kuhn Pa is over at the Bahn Ajaan (teachers house), hopefully getting some patience pointers. I have a “mom & dad” and one dog, “Ton”. They have two sons, age 23 & 26 The young one is. really cute. Neung (son #1) is a foreman for Honda Motorcars in Bangkok. Song  (son #2) is a construction worker in Suphanburi he builds apartment buildings. Son #1 was ordained as a Monk in February (until April). I am staying in a very nice house and they speak about 10 words of English. The river Chao Praya is about 50 feet away and my Kuhn Pa is the village headman and has some kind of government job, he is in charge of a Wat.I think it is the same one we were supposed to go to school at. They are fixing, remodeling, or building a lot, so the Peace Corps decided to have our class at a quieter location.

Lisa, David, and Paul live very, very close together and Brigid is across a field from me.

A very large frog just hopped by! I am sitting on the balcony and it is raining.  Kuhn Pa just got back, Kuhn May is fixing him dinner and they are laughing, either I am very lucky or they are laughing at me. Kuhn Pa laughs uproariously ever since I told him the Ajaans don’t like me to rely on my little Thai phrase book. Every time I pick it up, he slaps the back of his hand and says I should remember. In Thai of course! It really is great, Ton (the dog) only speaks Thai, no matter what I say or what tone I use, he ignores me. Only one day and I am already catching some of the words Kuhn May uses all the time. “non, by non” go lie down, “Ton chalb len, wing wing” He loves to run and play, “gup puen” with friends.