Monday, September 11, 2006
ahh well it's been much longer than I had planned. I just got home from my COC ie Cultural Orientation Camp where I got to see all the other AFSers again except for the ones who are home now. Anyway back to finishing that first story before I get to some more. So as we were finishing up the walk and almost back to camp we stopped at this place where you could either walk around and continue on the trail or you could cross the river on these small cement and wooden poles that were stuck into the mud. Well I you can guess what I choose. Two of my friends started to follow one of the guides but then quickly stopped and turned around, I figured that they were just scared so I said "Okay I'll go first" I started on the first and then the second and it was much harder than it looked. The pilings were not too close together and well I have big feet so it was hard to balance. Then I got to the 4 or 5 piling and I started to put my weight on it when it started to wobble. I managed not to fall and got steady. Then I looked at the next one and it was no longer made of cement but actually a log and not a complete one it had half rotted away. Well I was half way over already and I didn't want to freak out and look like an idiot so I decided to keep going. A few more logs and I was almost there. Then I realized one that no one was following me and I remember why I had never gone close to the river area before it had 4 CROCODILES!! Well some of you know my history there, but for the rest of you I'll just say they are the one animal I am terrified of I can't even really watch them on TV. So then I kept thinking oh shit what if I see a crocodile what if I fall in the water Shit! All this going through my head as I'm trying to balance on these small pilings that are half rotted. So I make it to the almost very end. I'm standing on the last piling looking at the cement push out that I need to get to. There are our 2 guides standing there and a bunch of my friends on the other side watching. I go to take the step onto the cement and I realize it is an even bigger step than I thought. I decided the best thing I can do is to just go for it. Well this next part all happened very very quickly. I took the step and I made it with one foot but I was still off balance and falling and falling off the cement into the water just as I almost fell off the cement my guide grabbed my hand than the other guide grabbed me and they kept me out of the water. with there help I managed to stay dry but I also managed to through my thigh right into the cement corner. Well realizing what had happened I quickly got up brush myself off responded to the"Sabi (okay comfortable)Sabi?" and turned to my friends and said "Hey well at least I tried" I felt fine just a little scrapped on my hands but well I didn't fall in the water. Later that day I tried to sit down and jumped up with a quick JEB (sore/hurt) I gave myself a big bruise but well like I said at least I tried. The next day I went back to look at where I had fallen and to take some photos, that's when I realized if I had fallen in the water it would have been bad. The water wasn't deep but well there was a lot of scrap metal and junk right in the area I would have landed it. But I guess it was all just another experience.
Speaking of different experiences. The night after my accident we had to do performances. The class performances were all funny, but the most unforgettable performance was done my all our guides. It started will all the lights going out and then just one light coming on and flashing and club music blasting in the back then our guides came into view. 3 guys in tiny tight skirts, boots, and tank tops with fake boobs and then they started to dance. And I mean dance. It was quite hilarious though I don't think any of the Thais found it too funny. They were all so embarrassed and so quiet. Well it kept getting weirder and soon there was a motorbike driven by a guy in bright pink spandex pants who then drove around with another guide carrying a huge umbrella. The skit then started and it was very very odd. It's hard to really explain how this all happened but then some guides pretended to hit on the ones in skirts, then another guy came in in multicolor spandex pants and was pretending to be a teacher and it ended with more crazy dancing, and it seemed like the guys in skirts had forgotten that they were now wearing skirts and so they went crazy. It was a mix of being hilarious and horrifying and I'm still not sure which one won out.
All that now is very much in the past. On Wednesday I went to Phet's school and taught a lesson and helped out as much as I could. I headed home around and then my friends Eve came with another AFSer Natalie who also lives in her province to the south of me. We walked around town and did a little shopping in some of the stores that I know. Then we headed back home and ate dinner with my family. It was so nice to see Eve again and to catch up on how she has been doing. Eve is one of the Americans that came at the same time as me back in July. We were all excited for the next day when we would get to camp and were all already to be at camp already so the evening went by pretty slowly. We stayed in my room and finally went to sleep. Thursday we left at 6 to go start on the trip to Pratuab Khriri Khan. Around 8 we arrived at Maren's house in Chumpon where she and Belinda another AFSer from Germany were waiting. Maren has been having a tough time with her family so it was nice to see her and for her to excited and happy. The trip took in total about 4 1/2 hours and we got in earlier than I had thought. The whole time though we all just wanted to be at the hotel, we were ready to see all of our friends.
Speaking of different experiences. The night after my accident we had to do performances. The class performances were all funny, but the most unforgettable performance was done my all our guides. It started will all the lights going out and then just one light coming on and flashing and club music blasting in the back then our guides came into view. 3 guys in tiny tight skirts, boots, and tank tops with fake boobs and then they started to dance. And I mean dance. It was quite hilarious though I don't think any of the Thais found it too funny. They were all so embarrassed and so quiet. Well it kept getting weirder and soon there was a motorbike driven by a guy in bright pink spandex pants who then drove around with another guide carrying a huge umbrella. The skit then started and it was very very odd. It's hard to really explain how this all happened but then some guides pretended to hit on the ones in skirts, then another guy came in in multicolor spandex pants and was pretending to be a teacher and it ended with more crazy dancing, and it seemed like the guys in skirts had forgotten that they were now wearing skirts and so they went crazy. It was a mix of being hilarious and horrifying and I'm still not sure which one won out.
All that now is very much in the past. On Wednesday I went to Phet's school and taught a lesson and helped out as much as I could. I headed home around and then my friends Eve came with another AFSer Natalie who also lives in her province to the south of me. We walked around town and did a little shopping in some of the stores that I know. Then we headed back home and ate dinner with my family. It was so nice to see Eve again and to catch up on how she has been doing. Eve is one of the Americans that came at the same time as me back in July. We were all excited for the next day when we would get to camp and were all already to be at camp already so the evening went by pretty slowly. We stayed in my room and finally went to sleep. Thursday we left at 6 to go start on the trip to Pratuab Khriri Khan. Around 8 we arrived at Maren's house in Chumpon where she and Belinda another AFSer from Germany were waiting. Maren has been having a tough time with her family so it was nice to see her and for her to excited and happy. The trip took in total about 4 1/2 hours and we got in earlier than I had thought. The whole time though we all just wanted to be at the hotel, we were ready to see all of our friends.
