Bangkok, Thailand

02.16.2007 0 °F

I never thought the idea of staying in one place would excite me so much...

For the next month I'll be living in the city and teaching English at a women's house called Beginnings, aimed at women who are currently or have been previously involved in prostitution. The house was started by an American couple named Roy & Bonita, and is being helped run by a Thai woman named Ann (and her adorable 7 year-old daughter Bebe), who speaks very good English and is a delight to have as our housemom. There are English classes every morning for any women in the community who want to learn, but they also have the opportunity to live here as permanent residents and start a new way of life if they choose. Right now there are 3 residents, but also about 10 additional women of all ages who attend class. And it's only been a week, but I'm already getting such a kick out of them. Remember when I talked about the constant giggling I always encountered on the streets? Well, it's in my classroom as well. Apparently I am funny everywhere here.

Last weekend the women of the house (I'm going to call them the WOTH) and I traveled south to visit an orphanage in Pattaya, a city widely known for its sex industry. We took about 40 kids to a Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, taught them how to make Tiger balm, had an art project, and cooked up a huge BBQ with chicken skewers and prawns for them. The food was amazing for them, but I gotta admit, the kids were a bit more ecstatic to have a strange token blonde to play with and hang all over. The 3 women and I also went for a dip in the ocean (which I think they rarely get to do), and were obsessed with the game I started of standing up on an inner tube. Ah yes, the range of my talents.