Jungle Dance

Happy Day

I made my way back to the orphanage this morning. When I arrived most of the kids were were working on the farm, so I was greeted by all the dogs. At least they were happy to see me. haha! Joke! When all the kids saw me they were hugging me and asking me about my trip. It was a nice litte homecoming.

I met with Che today and he told me my teaching schedule. After breakfast I will teach English to  Ruta, a 15 year old (I think) girl. Then later I will teach May, and after lunch I will teach Dtoi and Opor. I had my first classes today and I wasn't prepared. But they went well I think. I have never taught English before though and I hope I am capable of doing this. It's a bit harder teaching older people just because the little songs and games you play with kids are not really practical. So if anyone has any ideas or good online sources for teaching English, please let me know!

Not much happened today other than playing badminton and soccer, teaching and reading. But it has been a very good day. I feel a lot more calm and happy. I feel more sure of myself now.

Dinner was kind of late today, and so we finished up a little after 7. Most of the kids go to bed around 8 so we had time to just play and hangout. Someone grabbed a set of drums from who knows where and started playing. Before I knew it we were all singing and dancing with the drums. A thunder storm rolled in and the lightning and booming from the storm set the perfect stage. It was marvelous. I have always wanted to participate in some sort of jungle dance, and boy did I do that tonight! It was utter bliss.

I was also talking with May and some of the kids. She showed me picture of herself, and she told me in very broken English how she used to be pretty but then she came to this orphanage and has no makeup or hair products and isn't pretty. Of course I told her over and over that she is beautiful, with clear skin and perfect hair. I was trying to say how I am not pretty in the jungle as I am hot and sweaty, always red in the face, with frizzy hair. But they assured me time and time again that they think I am so beautiful with my "pink" skin and brown hair. It really is just a human condition I guess to not really be happy with what you have and to want what you can't have. Just some food for thought.

Tomorrow is a big day for the kids. They have been saving money so we are going to the city to watch a movie. Guess what movie? Yep, The Avengers! haha I have no idea if it will be in Thai or English, so we'll see how that one goes :) After the movie theater we are going to have lunch in the city and then use the rest of the money to buy some trees and plants for the farm. So I'm pretty excited for that.

One quick note that I feel like I need to share. I don't have a mosquito net or screens in my room right now, which is a problem with malaria and dengue which is rampant up here. I have a net that is coming up tomorrow morning, which means this is the last night exposed. And tonight a big storm rolled in tonight, fending off all mosquitoes. Coincidence? Not a chance. So again, thank you everyone for all of your prayers. They are being heard.

But the storm doesn't fend off the harmless, but scary-looking beetles that are everywhere! So it's time for me to turn into Rambo again!

Peace out.