Topsy-Turvy 3-Day Weekend Update

Earlier this week I told you my life is simple. I wasn’t lying – then. I’d have to reconsider such a statement for this weekend. Things have been, as Søren would say, quite topsy-turvy.

It started when one of the English teachers at Chitralada grabbed my shoulders, shook them, and said “Happy Holidays!”. Now, being the only male farang (foreigner), I feel kinda awkward around most of the Thai teachers – especially the women. I’m also acutely aware of the importance of avoiding any physicality with the female teachers. So when one of them grabbed me and hugged me and danced around in the common area at school I knew something had happened. By the time I’d processed her broken English I realized: 3-day weekend!

Thanks to political unrest and rioting in different parts of the city we got Friday off.

I mean, Americans take the day off for too much snow or dead presidents. Thais have holidays for political turmoil. But ya do whatcha gotta do for a little sabbath, right?

Circumstances aside, it meant a chance to catch up on laundry; also it’s a chance to kick back and rest up. So Thursday night a few of the other teachers and I decided to celebrate by grabbing taxis to a little Mexican food place called Coyote. To be honest, I wasn’t totally sure about going. I’ve been sick for almost a week. Courtney calls it the “Bangkok Blah”. I doubt that’s it’s official name, but it’s sounds about right. If I walk for more than 5 minutes I feel out of breath and I can only eat yogurt, water, and soup or I ‘spit-up’.So basically I have the body of an old man but the digestive tract of an 8 month-old. I For your sake, I won’t go into any more details. =)

Cayla looked up my symptoms up on WebMD and said I’ve got pancreatitis – thanks Cayla. I’m on the verge of death with a swollen pancreas… you’re too encouraging.

Anyway we made it to Coyote and had a good time, but on the way back my pancreatitis starts acting up and I vomit three times over the side of our skytrain exit! If I hadn’t felt so miserable I’m sure I’d have felt embarrassed. There were tons of people walking around, I look like a stupid foreigner with a hangover, and poor Cayla’s having to just stand there and pat my back.

Friday was a little more successful. We did laundry, I managed to keep my soup inside me, and Cayla and I had dinner with man from Hong Kong named Sam. He does agricultural ministry and Laos and we got to hear all about it over same amazing Arabic food. The guy’s incredible and we plan on visiting his farm sometime soon. Hopefully more on that later.

Love you all. Hope your weekend’s a little more chill than mine.

Salaam,

matt