Chatuchak, begging, and changes at the Park

Last night I saw the AIDS show on CNN. During the night I kept thinking about what I saw, the show was powerful, moving, and depressing. Yesterday we went to Chatuchak Market with Nuck, Nick, and Aoy. We picked up Jit from the hospital. There were people "begging" at the market. When we crossed the bridge there was a man with a large swollen leg, in the market there was a man crawling on the ground pushing a cup for donations. When I was in Thailand in 2001 at the, Bopae market, I saw the same thing. There were women with tiny babies asking for donations. Other people with different deformities or tragedies were asking for money. It is sort of overwhelming. Usually there is such a rush of sights, sounds and impressions that what I am seeing does not register until after I have passed. Some impressions do not sink home until the middle of the night when I reflect upon what I have experience. Anyway all the impressions from yesterday were jumbled together in a restless night.

Yesterday I finished another step by step lesson for my presentation. I created an exercise to install the Google Toolbar, the Google Desktop and the Blog This button on the Google Toolbar. I just found out tomorrow is Father's Day so I will not go to work at STOU on Monday. In the United States Father's Day is in June not November.

Jit's uncle came over with his two daughters and his son to look at the road, there is some decision that he needs to make. It was good to see them. I really like their family, after experiencing a funeral for six days you get close to people. I am not sure of the issues, or what was decided, about the road, but it was good to see them.

At the Chatuchak Market we went exploring, since we were with Nuck, Nick, and Aoy we did a lot of looking at clothes. There were music performers at the market, and it was packed, but fun. I got a CD from the world PINN Champion, they were playing at the market and it sounded like blues guitar, or Malawi African music. PINN is a northeaster Thai insturment. I also got a fake North Face backpack, after I got home and looked at the pack in detail I regretted the purchase, it was cheap, but the quality and details were very poor.

On the way home Jit took a Taxi to the hospital and I went with Nick, Nuck and Aoy on the subway to the Queen Sirikit center. On the subway many people were sleeping, one person was nodding off standing up. There is not much to do on the subway except watch people. There was a man, maybe from the middle east, who was really crowding the women he was with. It looks like her space was being invaded. Another man from France, that is what his accent sounded like, was trying to hold hands and hug the women that he was with, but I could tell that it made her uncomfortable, he was insistent. I have only ridden a subway for a few times in London and, unless you are reading or sleeping, it is sort of awkward. The only thing to look at is each other.

It looks like Jit will be at the hospital for a few more days. I walked around the park this morning, it was beautiful. The promotion has started, something about Green Prapaeng, and there are plastic kayaks and paddle boats for people to rent and also tents. I went and ate with Nay and Noy, they are opening a food shop over by park headquarters. I did not see a Monitor Lizard. I am a little worried about how the Lizards will handle all the commotion. It sounds like some people are going to really promote the park as a tourism destination.

They installed a low metal gate by the bridge between our community and the park, the idea is to stop motorcycle traffic. People are just using a different path to get into and out of the village.

Nuck came over and taught me five more Thai letters of the alphabet.

Today or tomorrow I will try to get some film developed and to get the pictures from Sports Day to give to the community. Since Jit is at the hospital, and tomorrow is Father's Day I should concentrate and get some work done. I hope I will....