Down Under Details

A few observations after a couple of weeks Down Under:
1. I am a flat white convert. It puts any other coffee drink to shame.
2. Fish and chips for lunch are scrumptious AND expensive: $25 - $30 a plate!
3. Anything tastes better with a scoop of ice cream added (just ask the Aussies).
4. Australians are so friendly, helpful, open, and caring ~ I finally asked one of them, "What's up with that?" She (a 78-year-old woman who has never stepped foot outside of the Brisbane area) told me that they "just tend to be relaxed and laid-back, and they grow up helping their friends and neighbors." Um. We could learn something here?
5. Kerb = curb
6. Nappies = diapers
7. My daughter, our designated driver, can negotiate the traffic roundabouts like she was born here.
8. Turkeys are plentiful and run wild here in Noosa, but if you ask the butcher for one for your Thanksgiving table, he looks at you like you are nuts.
9. I am so incredibly thankful to be with my family here in this tropical paradise. Or anywhere.

Culture Shock

We went to sleep on a nine-hour overnight British Airways flight from Bangkok and woke up in Sydney, Australia. Culture shock. We stumbled into the Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel at 7 a.m. Saturday local time. Oldest hotel in Sydney.

The young woman, Courtney, running the place was lovely~she took pity on us and set us up in our room right away, even though check-in is not officially until the afternoon. To enter the hotel, you enter the pub first. It was eerily quiet in the morning.

We fell into a deep sleep~ jet-lagged, getting-over-Bangkok~type sleep. When we woke up and stumbled downstairs in the early afternoon we were in shock. By the time we hit the landing on our third floor room it sounded like a raging party. It was just the pub gearing up for Saturday night~packed to the rafters with people drinking homemade brew with names like Nelson's Blood and Three Sheets. Nary a floor board could be seen. The crowd spilled out onto the sidewalk outside the hotel. Everyone was unfailingly polite though. Someone stopped Michael to ask him if he had ever been told he looks like Anthony Quinn. (Yes, he has.)

We could barely wind our way through the bodies to escape out the pub door, which explained why Courtney had showed us a side door exit early that morning, "just in case."

We've had a great couple of days exploring our neighborhood, The Rocks, and learning Aussie terms such as Flat White (coffee with milk prepared by pouring microfoam~steamed milk from the bottom of a pitcher~over espresso.) First morning I just stared at the waitress with my blurry-eyes when she asked, "Youwantaflatwhite?" Uh? Not only that they apparently put ice cream in and on just about everything: iced coffee has a big dollop of vanilla added along with the whipped cream, and pancakes come with a scoop on top. What, is everyone twelve? It sure does taste good though.

But seriously, I don't think I've ever been to a country where the people are so obviously friendly, open, and helpful.

Maybe it has something to do with the consumption of all the Nelson's Blood? We were determined to find out. So this evening where could you find us? That's right. "Our pub." Mike had an Admiral and I tasted Victory. To heck with the side door...

A little more about Bangkok

Goodbye

This is a picture of the homemade breakfast my student,"Uee," made and brought for me on our last day at Mercy. They are called Khanom Krok and are coconut pancakes. Yummy!

During our English class we had discussed what we eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Thais thought it was hilarious that I prefer cold cereal and milk for breakfast. Uee told me she would bring me a taste of what they prefer to eat in the morning. They are small coconut pancakes made in a large black pan with round cut-outs that the batter is poured into to make the shape. These were wonderful. (So was the thought behind it.)

Our last day at Mercy was bittersweet as always. Sweet because we adore the staff and children at Mercy, and bitter because we knew that it was goodbye. Probably for a long time.

Australia bound

The hellos are great fun, and the goodbyes are not.
We board a plane late this afternoon.

We've said our goodbyes at Mercy. We've done what we can.

Today we'll indulge in one last plate of yummy mouth-numbing Thai food~probably a strong curry, fried rice, or phad Thai, and then we're off for the airport and another long ride.

See you in the Down Under.

My Best Day

Today was my best day.














Things change. Galong works at an outdoor noodle shop near Soi 40 now.

John and I took a taxi this afternoon to visit and to buy a Pepsi from him.

I haven't seen him in almost two years, but he gave me a huge hug and then sat down on the restaurant bench and started peddling his legs in the air, showing me he remembered that the last time we were together John and I took him paddle-boating in the lake at Lumpini Park with some of the other Mercy kids. Be still my heart.

Without the benefit of a common language, or even much language at all in Galong's case~ because of his Down syndrome and early abandonment~still...the three of us sat and laughed and laughed today. Galong was gallant as the maitre d' and topped off our drinks with aplomb.
Oh, how I love this boy.

In the taxi on the way back to Mercy (where Galong still spends his nights), John remarked that Galong has two "tracks" ~ happy and helpful. Couldn't we all learn something from him?

Life at Mercy

Today begins my last week of classes with my students at Mercy. On Friday afternoon we fly to Sydney, Australia. The month here has flown by!

My English classes at Mercy have been such a blessing~as has my private daily Thai lesson by one of my students. She took it upon herself to do this and has taken it very seriously. In fact, this weekend, I had to memorize my colors for a test on Monday!

I call it my "Toddler Thai."

My beginning class is working on Conversational English. They want to feel more confident with their English, especially when asked to take visitors~usually English speakers~on a tour around the Mercy Centre. So one day we did just that. They took me on a mock tour of Mercy using only English! They really do have good language skills. They just need more confidence and practice.

We laugh a lot together.

My advanced class is reading the novel Little Women and analyzing it.

These folks are good! This class has settled into three women and one man from Mercy staff. I told them I would send them the DVD movie when they finish the book. I am trying to convince them to continue the "book club" when I leave. I bought the novel Anne of Green Gables for them next. These are two of my favorite books as a child...and both responsible for nurturing my love of reading.

Mike is working on several building proposals for the Mercy Centre. There are some critical repairs needed. He also is working on a foundation application to request grant money.

All in all~we are both happy and feeling very blessed to be here, even for this short time.

Random

Mike and I went to Tesco-Lotus (think: Costco) to buy colored pencils for the kindergarten teachers and an outfit for the new baby who arrived at Mercy this week. We also included some groceries for our apartment and in those~two beers (Chang!) for a rainy day.

The clerk took our two beers away as she was ringing up the rest of the stuff. She just said, "No." I puzzled: Could we actually look too young (ha!) or was she too young to sell them to us (maybe)?

Later that evening, we went out to dinner with our friend Tom and he explained that you can't buy beer during the day at Tesco EXCEPT 12 pm - 2 pm (it was 2:30 pm when we were in the store) or after 5pm.
Random.

Sister Joan

Mike and I walked with Sister Joan (seen here checking the back of her truck loaded with milk) Friday morning on her Milk Run. Above is a line of waiting recipients.
Reality. Check.

For more information, please watch this short video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr_9vF2Eb64



Here we are having a cup of coffee after the Milk Run with other volunteers that morning. (Sister Joan is on the left forefront.) These women are from New Zealand and Australia, expats, and they are devoted to helping Sister Joan.

Humbled

By Michael


The Mercy Center accepts all children in need. I've known that Mercy works with the courts and other agencies but had not given this much thought until now. Today I had a talk with Father Joe, and he told me they had taken in six kids in the last couple of days. The ages range from 6 months to 4 years old. All are HIV+. This, of course, requires special care and added expense, but Mercy takes all children who come.

I was again humbled by this place. We live such a privileged life and need to be reminded of the luck of our birth and to give thanks for places like Mercy that step up and take care of the children the rest of the world would give up on.