For my Valentine’s Day weekend I spent a day at home, the first time since Christmas, and on Sunday morning I went to Renu Nakhon to visit a family I met at my P.A.’s going away party last week. I kicked off Valentine’s Day by going over to the house of the family that cooks for me. Mah Nee taught me how to make roses out of soap, Elmer’s glue, tapioca starch, and a coloring (food coloring in a powder form). For those of you who know me I make roses out of Hershey kisses every year so I was thrilled to learn yet another craft that I can try to adopt and continue making each year. My chocolate roses are easy to make and take maybe a minute to make one but the roses Mah Nee makes take at least five minutes each because they are so delicate. We spent all day working on them. . . and since the stems are the same as the stems of the roses I make each year I was able to make a few of my traditional roses and share them with Mah Nee. (Thanks to the Hershey kisses Teddy sent me for Christmas) Once the project was complete I went to the Saturday market in my town with Naa Tak. While walking around I saw a woman selling squirrels, NO THANK YOU!!! Then for dinner I ate the traditional Thai omelet only tonight it had ant eggs in it. They aren’t bad, they are tiny and white, tasteless for the most part but when you bite into them they explode with a pop in your mouth.
Sunday I was picked up after church by Phee Pom, my new friend. It was also raining which is the first time since I think around the beginning of November and she told me it is because they mango trees have flowers this year, who know if that is true or not. We had a relaxing day at her house with her family. We rode bikes to the market and got food for lunch. Phee Pom is a high school Chemistry teacher and some of her students came over in the afternoon to cook fish. We then went to her school where students were preparing for Phu Thai day happening on Valentine’s Day. Phee Pom told me that in order to keep the students focused on their own culture on Valentine’s Day instead of the Westerner holiday the school puts on Phu Thai day every year in its place. The day celebrates and educates students on their own local culture. I think this is a great way to keep their local customs alive.
I finished off the day yet again with some ant eggs in an omelet then went to Tat Phanom where a huge Buddhist festival is going on for 7 days. It was neat to see the famous Temple all lit up at night (the town in known for its temple). I went to the festival with Phee Pom, her husband Phee Eit, their 2 kids Aom and Ice, a man John from Ohio who works at Pom’s school and has lived in Thailand for 3 years, his mother Sue who is visiting for 2 months , and his2 year old son Matthew. The festival is basically the equivalent of an American Fair.
Valentine’s Day I woke up to hearing Phee Pom’s students preparing fruit and drinks in the kitchen for Phu Thai day and Phee Pom knocking on my door and handing me my outfit for the day. All the female teachers at her school, along with me, wore the same traditional Thai outfit. I got downstairs and Phee Pom dolled me up with makeup (I cannot put makeup on myself beyond mascara) and her one of her students did my hair. Once we were all ready we went to school and began the day by standing in a line giving food to the monks as they walked through. The opening of the festival began with a prayer service by the monks then talking by the teachers explaining different parts of the local culture. I was invited up on stage with the teachers and for once in my Thai life I enjoyed all the attention I received all day even thought it meant taking pictures with random people and being called a Barbie doll all day. The festival continued on with dancing by students, a singing contest, students visiting each other’s booths to buy food and drink or sing karaoke and games to win giant stuffed animals or pillows.
The day was freezing, because of the rain the night before, unlike last week where it got into the 90’s.The quick change in weather temperatures made me freeze and for the first time in Thailand I was the cold one. Fortunately at lunch Phee Pom and I met Phee Eit for lunch and he gave me his jacket. Then we went home and I put on some layers under my dress to keep warm for the damp afternoon. In the afternoon I met some more women teachers and hung out talking with them which was a lot of fun. I also hung out with the students in Phee Pom’s homeroom class, their English is really good!
That night Phee Eit went into the back yard and killed a duck plucked it and prepared it for our dinner. They said that they used to have 21 ducks and are now down to 7. They only prepare their ducks for special occasions and having me over called for a special occasion. I was honored although seeing a duck being prepared from start to finish isn’t all that pleasant and I don’t even like to eat duck. I did try it since they went through all the work just for me and surprisingly I really enjoyed it! I just didn't eat the lungs or heart and left that to Phee Eit. (Can you see them cooking on the grill in the picture above?) John, Sue and Matthew also came over. Having my own peeps, one who is not a fellow volunteer, around is quite a special treat and refreshing. We all had a wonderful Valentine’s Day celebration.
Phee Eit burning some of the feathers off the duck Grilling the duck outside
Phee Eit brought me back Tuesday morning in time for school. I taught my two morning classes, we made Valentine’s Day cards, and then the teachers told me no school in the afternoon, who knows why, I think for them to get ready for their trip to Laos for the rest of the week for some meeting. So after 2 hours of teaching for the week I was back to enjoying another weekend. It has been refreshing to have so much time in my village and at my home the past two weeks and get to know more about the people I live around. I am really feeling at home here and enjoying the Thai people who take care of me.
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| Phee Pom, Phee Eit, Me |
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| Phee Pom, Ice, Aom, Phee Eit eating the duck feast |
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| Mah Nee and Me in Tat Phanom (for a second visit on Wednesday 2/16) |
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| Mah Nee, Paw Kit, Me looking over into Laos |
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| Tat Phanom festival and temple in the background |
Sunday I was picked up after church by Phee Pom, my new friend. It was also raining which is the first time since I think around the beginning of November and she told me it is because they mango trees have flowers this year, who know if that is true or not. We had a relaxing day at her house with her family. We rode bikes to the market and got food for lunch. Phee Pom is a high school Chemistry teacher and some of her students came over in the afternoon to cook fish. We then went to her school where students were preparing for Phu Thai day happening on Valentine’s Day. Phee Pom told me that in order to keep the students focused on their own culture on Valentine’s Day instead of the Westerner holiday the school puts on Phu Thai day every year in its place. The day celebrates and educates students on their own local culture. I think this is a great way to keep their local customs alive. 
Valentine’s Day I woke up to hearing Phee Pom’s students preparing fruit and drinks in the kitchen for Phu Thai day and Phee Pom knocking on my door and handing me my outfit for the day. All the female teachers at her school, along with me, wore the same traditional Thai outfit. I got downstairs and Phee Pom dolled me up with makeup (I cannot put makeup on myself beyond mascara) and her one of her students did my hair. Once we were all ready we went to school and began the day by standing in a line giving food to the monks as they walked through. The opening of the festival began with a prayer service by the monks then talking by the teachers explaining different parts of the local culture. I was invited up on stage with the teachers and for once in my Thai life I enjoyed all the attention I received all day even thought it meant taking pictures with random people and being called a Barbie doll all day. The festival continued on with dancing by students, a singing contest, students visiting each other’s booths to buy food and drink or sing karaoke and games to win giant stuffed animals or pillows. 
The day was freezing, because of the rain the night before, unlike last week where it got into the 90’s.The quick change in weather temperatures made me freeze and for the first time in Thailand I was the cold one. Fortunately at lunch Phee Pom and I met Phee Eit for lunch and he gave me his jacket. Then we went home and I put on some layers under my dress to keep warm for the damp afternoon. In the afternoon I met some more women teachers and hung out talking with them which was a lot of fun. I also hung out with the students in Phee Pom’s homeroom class, their English is really good!
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