Bangkla/Chachoengsao: THAILAND PHOTOPALOOZA! – Tae, Temples, and Trees

I have always enjoyed photography. I even took a photojournalism class in high school, I hated the teacher so I changed classes without learning anything but the desire was still there. I have never spent money on a digital camera and always used hand-me-downs. Last month I had the opportunity to purchase a used camera from a family friend in Houston. My Pentax ist DS with a 300 x zoom lens (the lens originally was separate from the camera but I bought them together as a package) is a great camera for someone beginning photography. Thailand is my first chance to put my new toy to the test and I love the results.

Thursday I get up at 5:00am, shower, read with my grandfather, and leave the apartment early so I can take pictures around the hospital property. After the others arrive and we participate in our morning worship and skype calls home, I again take to photographing my experience in Thailand. With a desire for adventure I ask Weechai if there is a map of Bangkla somewhere I can look at. After a difficult conversation where the words “mayor” and “municipal office” come up several times I give up and resign to taking pictures of Thai Country Trim. When I return to the hospital office Gai introduces me to a man close to my age, he is dressed nice, and holding a map and several copies of what looks like a tour book. The man is introduced as Tae. Tae is a tour guide for the city of Bangkla. He understands English and tough he has difficulty speaking he manages to offers to take me around the province of Chachoengsao. While I accept his offer I am uncertain, at the time, what I am agreeing to and think that he is offering to take me to meet the mayor.

With Gai as the driver and Tae as my personal guide we leave Bangkla (to my surprise) and drive to the capitol city of the Chachoengsao province… Chachoengsao. It takes me some time, and clarification by my grandfather, before I understand that the name of the capitol city in any give province is also the name of the province. Not long after arriving in Chachoengsao I am told to look out of the window to my left. Since arriving in Thailand I have seen many Buddhist temples, each time I point one out my grandfather he is quick to inform me that that particular Buddhist temple is not that big of a deal because there are many more like it all throughout Thailand. As I look out my window I see an enormous structure much larger than any temple I have seen thus far. Tae and I get out of the car while Gai parks. We remove our shoes and begin exploring the Wat Sothon temple. Several hundred people stand in line to purchase orchids or to pray inside the temple. I snap away picture after picture of the structure, the statues, and the people inside. As Tae attempts to explain to me the significance of the certain things in the temple I understand little and we both laugh at our lack of communication.

By the time we leave the temple it is time for lunch and we head to a small roadside café. On the way we stop to pick up two types of thai dessert kanom jaok and sticky rice. Kanom jaok is a mixture of coconut meat, flour and sugar that is placed in between two palm type leaves and cooked over a fire (I am not sure it is necessary to inform you that it tastes delicious since everything tastes delicious). At the café Gai offers to order for me and I accept. When our food arrives I am told my dish is tom yum with noodles and pork.

After lunch we stop at a roadside stand to purchase mangoes. It is difficult to find mangoes this time of year because they are out of season, so we jump at the chance to purchase some. At the stand we are told that the mangoes are not yet ripe and that we will need to wait until Saturday to eat them. We then drive to the 100 year market. The old market seems to be something out of a dream or a movie. As my camera clicks I notice there are not many merchants open and I am told that on Saturdays and Sundays all of the merchants are open and the market is busy.

On the short drive back to Bangkla we stop to see the golden temple that is being constructed (its not real gold). Every time I start taking pictures I feel Tae tugging on my sleeve and pointing something else out for me to take a picture of. When he wants to tell me about a historical fact or the purpose of any given object he asks Gai but instead of translating Gai helps him with his English so that he can tell me himself. After several tries I usually understand what he is trying to say.

On the back side of the Golden temple and across the river is a The Victory Statue of King Taksin the Great. Tae explains to me that the statue is built in honor of a great victory that took place on the spot over two hundred years before. The Thai people answered the call of King Taksin and rallied to fight the enemy (I am a little uncertain who the enemy was). In honor of the fight a pagoda was built (the spire looking thing) and the statue place inside of it.

Our final stop on the tour is at the Bat Tree. The Bat Tree is really a group of trees that surround a Buddhist temple. The trees have become home to hundreds of fruit bats. While my guide feels the necessity to point out every bat in each tree, I use my zoom lens to try to get the best shot possible. After searching the grounds and photographing many bats, the temple, and statues, we find a place to rest and enjoy coconut milk. The coconuts are boiled in water then place in a fire to give the milk and meat a sweet taste. While I enjoy the treat I find the temperature of the drink a little odd, thinking to myself it would be better cold. After drinking the milk I am shown how to take the top from my coconut and scrape out the meat. While I apply my new skill with great success, Tae gets frustrated when his top is too large to fit inside the coconut. We all laugh as he abandons the top method and uses his fingers to gain access to his snack. As we drop Tae off at his office, the municipal building where the mayor works, we make plans to try to meet up before I return to the states and say goodbye. By the end of the day I have taken over five hundred pictures.

Siracha: Somporn, Dessert, and Church

My Granny (my mom’s mom) has an…energetic personality. She is a passionate woman who loves Jesus and is not ashamed of that love. It is possibly because of her passion for Jesus and her love for her family that she has made such an impact on my life. I have never met anyone who looks or acts as she does…until Wednesday night. My grandfather tells John Mark and I that we will be going to Siracha to visit Weechai’s sister Sompron, a woman who worked in the hospital with my grandfather for many years (I believe she is a nurse but am not positive about the assessment). Weechai picks us up to go to Siracha and we make the hour and a half journey to an obvious church building, the large cross and stain glass windows give it away. Soon after getting out of the truck and before entering the building I see a small woman, who at first glance looks like my Granny. When my grandfather hugs her and introduces me I learn that the woman is Somporn. I am also introduced to her husband. When it is made known that I am Robin’s son they tell me, in quite good English, that they knew my mother when she was very small.

The most striking thing about Somporn is not that she looks like my Granny, but that she acts like her as well. John Mark is also quick to make the observation and comments that he thinks, “Granny is secretly part Thai.” As we walk into the church, that she seems to be one of the main leaders of, I am reminded of Faith Chapel, a church my Granny (and Grandfather) help plant and grow. At Faith Chapel Granny’s presence was always known. When we tell our grandfather of our observations of Granny's similarities to Somporn he laughs in his own classic manner and says, “I never really thought about it before, but I guess you’re right.”

We sit down with the several dozen church members in attendance and enjoy a one of the best church meals I have ever been privileged to eat. I am seated next to a man a little older than I am named Tee. Tee drives a taxi in Bangkok, leads worship for the church, and speaks excellent English; he acts as my translator. On our menu for the evening is spicy ground meat, rice, banana flowers, bamboo soup, spring rolls, sweet noodles I nickname “rose noodles,” and fried pork won tons. After eating the multiple helpings forced in front of me I push my bowl away and inform them I will eat no more for if I do I m burst. Then a smaller bowl is placed in front of me and I am told it is dessert. After asking everyone I think will be able to tell me what the name of the dessert is I draw a blank and decided to sample the substance. The dessert looks like green peas covered in butter. The consistency of the treat is that of caviar and potatoes in milk. The taste is delicious. The dessert is made up of some fruit who’s edible portion is a small green bead of gel, tapioca, or at least what I assume is tapioca, and warm coconut milk. After two and a half portions of the wonderful dessert I fear I may throw up if I eat any more.

After the dishes are cleared away the group sits down for the church service. I am surprised at how charismatic the worship is and marvel at the full band made up of young teenagers. I sing along with a few of the songs I know, that have been translated into Thai. For the songs I do not know I mumble the word “watermelon” under my breath as worshipful as possible. After the worship Somporn leads us in prayer for many different issues, she translates for us so we know what to pray for. After the congregational prayer time we break into small groups and pray for each other. In our group is my grandfather, John Mark, Weechai, and myself, along with Tee and the man who will be delivering the sermon, he is a tractor salesman in Chonburi. Following our prayer time, Tee sits to my left and translates the sermon for me. After a bit more singing the service has lasted for two hours and it is nine o’clock, my bedtime the night before. Before we conclude Somporn gives Maw (Dr.) Willis an opportunity to share; he exceeds his three-minute time limit by ten minutes but the group is eager to hear his words. Following his testimony I am given a chance to address the congregation. I take the opportunity to thank the group for the wonderful food and for the blessing they have showered upon me during the night. I conclude by encouraging them to continue to love Jesus with all they are. Soon after the service we climb in the cab of Weechai’s truck and begin the drive back. Without even attempting to fight it, I succumb to my heavy eyelids and sleep my way back to Bangkla.

Bangkla: Wristwatch, and Rambutan

One of the first stories told by my gradfather on our trip is that of our uncle, Paul. On a return trip to Thailand he and Paul had come to work in the clinic; on the way home Paul stopped and bought a “Rolex” from a street vendor, against his father’s better wishes. When boarding the plane, Paul is asked asked the time, he looks at his wrist and finds his watch has stopped working. With my cell phone out of commission for the trip and my fossil needing a new battery back in Abilene, I have the need for a cheap watch. After withstanding ridicule from my grandfather who is certain I will get swindled by a street vendor, a fact he cannot seem to stop laughing about, John Mark and I leave the hospital compound and begin searching for a watch in the market. After walking for twenty minutes with little success we find a shop selling watches. After searching the inventory of the shop and seeing that there are no Rolexes for sale I buy a cheap, 300 baht ($9), digital watch that has an alarm. I chose the specific watch because it is relatively cheap and is one of the only watches that will fit around my large American wrist.

After leaving the watch store we are wondering around the market looking at the many interesting things being sold when we happen into (as if you can walk through the market without running into one) a fruit stand. Out of the many different fruits displayed in front of me one specific fruit catches my eyes, Rambutan. When talking to my sister about her experience in Thaild she said that both her and her husband, Kyle, liked the fruit that looked like a strawberry covered in spikes; the Rambutan fits the description so I ask the woman, who speaks no English, if I can have “nit noi.” The woman retrieves a bag and begins putting handfuls of Rambutan into the bag. I begin to worry that I accidentally asked for her entire stock and that it will cost me more money than I am willing to pay for the nit noi of fruit I am expecting. As she continues to pile Rambutan into the bag I try to communicate that I don’t want anymore and what she has placed in the bag is plenty, but due to our communication barrier I look like an idiot waving my arms in the air. When she finally finishes, I ask her how much she expects me to pay her for the small feast of fruit she has placed in the bag. “One hundred,” is her reply. After calculating the price in my head I hand her the 100 baht ($3), take my kilo of fruit, and we walk back to our apartment...the fruit is delicious.

Bangkla: Morning Chapel, Work, and Piki Nu

While it is still dark outside I look at the clock for the third time at 5:00am and decide to get up. After reading and writing for a bit (nit noi) both my grandfather and cousin and make their way downstairs. While Granddaddy and I read John Mark makes breakfast. We eat toast and I enjoy some of the mongkut Gift brought us (they taste even better cold). After breakfast we head to the hospital and participate in the morning worship service with Weechai and several of the hospital staff. Without understanding what is being sung or said I thoroughly enjoy our morning worship. Before starting work one of the nurses in the pharmacy finds a white lab coat for Granddaddy to wear, she finds one that fits John Mark and says she has one that will fit me, but I politely decline and tell her that I am not good at medicine. With a little time to kill, my Grandfather familiarizes himself with the prescribed drugs available at the hospital, John Mark browses the medical books and magazines, and I take time to learn the phrase, “ka ty roop noi,” (to my readers who speak Thai, I apologize for my poor transliteration). The phrase means, “Can I take your picture?”

By 9:30 Dr. Jirachat has arrived and he and Granddaddy begin seeing patients. With John Mark attentively listening to each word said by our grandfather, even those spoken in Thai, I observe and see a grandson learning the trade of his grandfather. After addressing and examining a patient our Grandfather turns to explain what the problem is and what the best course of action would be. Often John Mark is able to apply his education and perceive the prescribed medication or treatment before our grandfather explains it. Gai, the nurse working with Granddaddy, speaks excellent English and is great conversations. She finds a few patients in other rooms for me to take pictures of. After photographing several of the patients treated by my grandfather I excuse myself from the crowded room and settle down in an office that has been designated for us. I spend the remainder of the morning writing and wondering around searching for things to take pictures of.

At lunch we make the short walk directly behind the hospital to Dr. Jirachat’s house; his wife has prepared lunch for all the people who helped them move into their new home; even though we were not members of the moving party we are invited. Our meal consists of ground meat with herbs and spices, chicken, and a sweet salad made of fruits, and vegetables that I am unfamiliar with. Soon after I boast about my ability to eat spicy food, I take a bite of my salad and what looks like a red green bean. What I mistake for a harmless vegetable in a sweet salad is actually a piki nu pepper. The only way I know to describe a piki nu pepper is to take a jalapeño, soak it overnight in gasoline, light it on fire, and then pour battery acid on top of the entire spicy flame drenched concoction. After being humbled by the pepper conceived in hell I quickly accept water and join in with the others laughing at my folly. After lunch we take time to rest, before going back to the hospital for the afternoon.

Bangkla: Dinner and Thai Country Trim

After taking time to rest, Weechai picks us up and takes us to dinner near one of the Buddhist Temples. The restaurant is named after a specific tree, which I cannot pronounce. All of the tables are set up outside and the décor is several different pieces of furniture and art made from the establishment’s namesake tree. We settle into a table on a deck suspended over the canal, which runs next to the river. Weechai orders our food and we sit and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the water, boats, and unique restaurant we are privileged to eat at. Our food arrives, shrimp curry, shrimp and vegetables in a brown sauce, seafood soup, fried fish and green onions in a brown sauce, and of course rice. We help ourselves to a delicious meal, I never knew curry to taste as good, but the fish is by far my favorite. We sit and enjoy a delicious meal in a wonderful setting. When we are done eating we throw our food over the railing into the river and watch the fish consume what we did not eat. As the sun sets, we enjoy each other’s company; once again stories begin to be told.

When conversation turns to the hospital and what use to be the inpatient treatment facility, I am told about Thai Country Trim. After the hospital closed it became the location of a ministry that began soon after my grandparents left Bangkla. Thai Country Trim began as a way form women with certain skills to earn money through creating products, such as Christmas ornaments, and selling them in the US and England. While the women are work they are told about Jesus. I am told that, today, the ministry has grown and expanded to influence many women in Bangkla and has lead to similar ministries being started in other countries. With no light left in the sky we make our way to Weechai’s truck and drive back to the apartment. Still feeling the jet lag, we call it an early night and go to bed.

Bangkla: The Drive, The Hospital, and Home for the Next Two Weeks

One of my favorite things about my grandfather (though some family members don’t share my enthusiasm) is that he is a storyteller. With eighty years of life behind him, he has much to share with anyone who will listen. I don’t get much time to sit and listen to his stories but on our drive from Bangkok to Bangkla I am privileged to have the opportunity. As we drive west of the city I listen as he tells stories to Dui and then turns and translates the same story to me in the back seat. While listening I hear about how Thailand was when he first moved here and many of the changes that have taken place in the multiple decades since, with a short break to tell a story about his father, a Rice University track star and schoolteacher. When we arrived in Bangkla we go directly to the hospital a place of many stories of it's own.

I can’t articulate in words the significance and seeing the Hospital for the first time, it is considered hallowed ground on my mother’s side of the family (the equivalent of Bamalot on Dad’s). It is a place I have spent twenty-four years hearing about from my mother, aunts, and grandparents. What really is simply a clinic now, was once a hospital that my grandfather helped build. A place he and his family have served in off and on for the past fifty years. As we drive to the front of the building I immediately reach for my camera, wanting to document what I am seeing. We walk inside and meet many people whose names and faces will take a bit of time sorting out. As I hear my grandfather speak to many people in Thai, with the

smile of a six-year-old on his face, I hear the names Joel and Robin often in the conversation. More than once this is followed up with being told that I look like my mother. As I snap away pictures of the hospital and the people inside my grandfather participates in multiple conversations, taking breaks to explain to John Mark and I what is being said.

Behind the hospital is a row of townhouse type apartments, one of which has been set-aside for us to stay in over the next two weeks. The accommodation is older but I find myself partial to it. On the bottom floor is a living area and the kitchen. Upstairs are two bedrooms and a bathroom. John Mark and I put our stuff in the room with two twin beds and Granddaddy puts his things in the larger room that has a full size bed. While we are unloading our luggage from Dui’s van the woman living in the apartment to our right comes out to great us. She is older and I quickly find out that she was one of the cooks for my Mom’s family when she was growing up. We say goodbye to Dui, who is going to Singapore for a preaching conference, and make plans to contact Gift over skype. We make plans for dinner and decide to let the jet lag win the battle and take a few hours to rest in our home for the next two weeks.