These are all disconnected, but so are our lives; so here it is.
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After retuning from the hospital Monday night, we had to call our bank. We have had some difficulties recently. It only became funny when I heard Stephen say over the phone, “No, we don’t live in Providence Pak. We live in the province of Tak. It’s a province. Like a state.”
Apparently they sent us new cards in June, so they probably aren’t going to arrive to us. That also might explain the recent fraudulent charges that will require having additional cards sent to us.
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Yim, who recently joined my work with Social Development, has been coming with me to training every day. She speaks Thai, Karen, and English spectacularly, with enough Burmese on the side.
But I can’t for the life of me understand her when she says “vote.” It sounds just like “wood” to me and leads to many miscommunications.
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About a month ago, I lost my cell phone. I left it in the motorbike basket outside of our house, but found it missing when I went back for it that night.
I was pretty certain the kids had taken it, but it took some time to sort it all out. In the end, there was a huge community gathering about it in the middle of the street, where the parents hashed out which kid had given it to whom. In the end and some very round about way, it was at the migrant school the kids go to down the street, and it was returned!
However, just today I was glancing through photos and discovered a whole host of pictures the kids–and perhaps adults–had taken with it while they had it. Hilarious.
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I heard the most hilarious story in Karen today. My teacher was telling us about old wives tales in Karen and Burmese culture, and this is the best one yet.
Apparently, if your child stutters at a young age (which was acted out to me in a shockingly politically incorrect manner), you can do this:
Grill a pig’s vagina. (Yes, this is the first step.)
Have your child sit in a chair, feed it to them,
and while they are eating it, push them over onto the floor.
They must actually fall to the floor, surprised.
And they will get up able to speak clearly.
However, I should warn you that my teacher witnessed this being done to her nephew as a child and it only helped him a little. (!)