Mary's Diary (Part 21)

Bangkok

On to Bangkok with the tangle. My daughter-in-law had bought shoes for the children on a previous visit to this city, without them being there. Nice shoes, yes, but nothing was the right size. Yes, who is going to buy shoes without the person in question with them? With success for all four bought new shoes.

Unfortunately I forgot my camera. Otherwise I could have taken some nice pictures. Sleeping men in a large shopping center, where we were. A man slumped in a chair, head tilted back and mouth wide open. A little way off on a bench a man was sleeping on his back. One arm hung down to the floor, the mouth also open. My grandchildren laughed a lot about it, so did I.

In the Asian bookshop I found three beautiful books. Snakes of Thailand, Venomous snakes of the world en Reptiles of Thailand. All three books with beautiful photos and a good description, a pleasure to look into.

When we came into the hall to go out again, behind the counter of a pill shop we saw a large billboard with a very white Thai lady holding up a pill. If you took that pill every day, you became white like her. You stand there with your beautiful brown grandchildren, looking at it. That was the most beautiful picture. Fortunately, they understand that you should never start taking those pills.

Difference in rain

When it rains in the Netherlands, I say: Hey, it's raining again. When it starts to rain here, I smell it before I see or hear it. Here I say: Ha, wonderful it's raining again.

Except just over a week ago. 10 o'clock in the morning, no dark sky, so I could go to the supermarket by bike. After about 1 km it started to rain and not much. After driving another 4 km through the rain, I arrived at the supermarket dripping. Still dripping I had to go to the toilet. Then get your soaking wet clothes off and on again.

Dripping done my shopping and cycled the 5 km home again in the pouring rain. In Thailand I'm never cold, but when I got to my house I was cold. Messages unloaded. Spent the rest of the day in my pajamas. And… it hasn't rained all day.

The Hangout

In the Netherlands you have hangouts for young people. My garden is becoming the hangout for the neighborhood cats. What a big surprise: the cat mother is back! She's just a lot shyer than before, which is a pity, but she's still alive. Unfortunately, she cannot tell me her adventure.

The three little ones, who are not so little anymore, still behave the same. One tomcat wants to be petted, the other tomcat and his sister are still blowing at me.

Then a gray with a white band comes to visit. This one is very cuddly and sweet towards the little ones. Then a slightly smaller gray one, this one is very shy. Then the big press, from the neighbors behind me. A dark brown with only one eye and one white with red spots, who is always looking for a fight with all the other cats. And it all eats.

Loom bands

At the school, all children are under the spell of the loom bands. You don't know what those are? These are colored rubber bands, which you can use to braid bracelets and make many other things. Someone has even made a dress out of it.

In the open-air canteen of the school, everyone is busy with this after lunch. Patterns are also exchanged. My grandchildren spend hours on it too. What an invention! And all the kids like it.

Recently there is a swimming teacher at the school, who comes to give swimming lessons every week. The children then go to the university grounds, where there is a beautiful swimming pool. Just a little while and they will all swim like the best.

The pond

A pond in the garden, that seemed like something. I had seen one in the garden of acquaintances; I wanted one like that too. Not too big, just enough room for a water plant and the guppies, which are now swimming in a tank that is too small.

My daughter-in-law found the pond at a plant outlet along the highway. She came to get me to look at it. Yes, that was it: beautiful blue inside and a shell border at the top. The pond was so heavy that you could not lift it with four men. So that wasn't a pond. We then went out to eat and then went home.

Two cultures

My daughter-in-law comes from a very small village near Surin. Her grandfather paid for her studies in Bangkok. So she lived there for years. She must have been on time during her studies. There isn't much left of it now.

I grew up in Amsterdam. Arriving on time was normal and keeping appointments was something you didn't even have to talk about. My daughter-in-law repeatedly arranges to meet me, and occasionally she is 'only' half an hour late. But she also manages to be hours late.

Similarly yesterday, we were going to have lunch. At 13:00 she would come. Then I already take into account that it will be 13:30. Call at 14:00 PM. Phone was not picked up. Finally, the tangle is there at 15:00.

There is smiling sorry called and we go to lunch. The children have been playing in the water all this time and are actually too tired to eat. I am no longer hungry and my daughter-in-law says with a smile that she is very hungry. I can't get used to it, yet it's hard to be mad at her.

romance

Over 70 and still attention from a man! It seems possible. At the supermarket I had already seen a non-Thai man a few times, who kept looking at me. Someone my age, or a little older, big hair with white hair and blue eyes and a nice face. The third time he approached me and asked in English if I would like to have a drink with him in the supermarket restaurant.

Nice, a drink is never gone. Iced tea with lemon, my favorite drink. We had a nice conversation about anything and everything. To my horror, I suddenly saw that we had been there for more than two hours. Would I like to have dinner with him sometime? Seemed fun, exchanged phone numbers, see what's coming.

Mary Berg

Maria's Diary (part 20) appeared on July 28, 2014.

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Submitted communication

'Exotic, bizarre and enigmatic Thailand': that's the name of the book that stg Thailandblog Charity is making this year. 43 bloggers wrote a story about the land of smiles especially for the book. The proceeds will go to a yet to be determined charity for the benefit of children and refugees. The book will be published in September. (Photo Carla the Good)

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