Massage, Work and Liesure

Beautiful Orchids at Horizon Village

Reviewing plans for Grace changes

I finally got my much longed for Thai massage.  On Thursday morning I went with Rhoda to the international playgroup.  This group has been going for about 5 or 6 yrs and was organized by Rhoda when they arrived here and she was in need of fellowship with other moms and also as a way to reach out to the international community that lives in this area who are not brothers or sisters.  There are also many women who come to Chiang Mai to have babies (who are serving in other countries) and are here for a couple months with no friends so the play group has served a lot of different purposes.  It was fun to go with Rhoda and meet some of the other women involved and talk to some in more depth about where they are in their lives now.  There were about 15 little ones and all of them got along amazingly well.  While we were at playgroup Roger stayed home and looked over drawings for the school providing input and designs for some additions at Grace.   It sounds amazingly simple but I am sure there was way more involved than that :)

Collage of Orchids

So after lunch Rhoda ran me to a nearby massage place I went last time I was here and I was not disappointed in the massage at all!  I have heard different stories about Thai massages but this place does a great job…mostly pressure on muscles and a lot of stretching of muscles…all of which I was desperate for…to much sleeping in airplanes had really tightened this old body.  So I walked out feeling like a new person after an hour massage and hour long facial (that was nice but nothing too impressive).  The 2 hours cost about $9!!  I hope to go back a couple more times before I leave…for the massage part …skip the facial.

Dressing up Thai school with a coat of paint

On Friday we went to join some of the 9^th graders from Grace clean up a new school as an outreach work.  It was work day for all the school following spiritual emphasis week and the grades did various things around the area.  Steve was in charge of this group so that is why we joined them.  A couple has started a school that has the goal of providing a good Word Book based education in English and Thai to the Thai community.  The school is in its second year and growing slowly.  The building they are in was a Thai school that closed and they are renting the facility.  

Ben at Work

The students cleaned the grounds and did painting and also organized the library of donated books.  They are writing the whole curriculum and their supplies are very lacking but things are going well.  Roger painted the office entry way and I helped in the library.  One thing I noticed was that there were 2 large Buddha spirit houses on the property that is a very common sight in Thailand.  The landlord refused to let them remove them so after much interceding they are focusing on these things being a reminder of the spiritual battle they are in daily and that they truly live in a Buddhist community and are there to be a light in the community.  At the entry way to the school they put up a cross in an obvious spot which I thot was cool!!

Elephant at Horizon Village

Most evenings while the kids are getting ready for bed Roger and I have been walking the neighborhood.  We aim for 45 minutes of walking.  The weather has been so since we have been here.  I thought it would be terribly hot as it was other times I have been here but it is “spring”…end of winter and the days have been warm but low humidity and the nights cool off quite a bit.  One morning it was even 59 degrees when we got up…the other night Rhoda was cuddled in a blanket and saying she was freezing…it was about 72 then…I guess its all relative and what you are used to.  We are enjoying it and it makes going for a walk a lot easier when it’s pleasant out.

Horizon Village Garden

Emily trying to stretch herself at Horizon Village

Today is Saturday….we spent the morning at a place called Horizon Village.  It’s a nice resort that you can pay a small fee to go in and visit.  The gardens were beautiful and they have the best playground I have seen …maybe ever…also a petting zoo area…the girls had their bikes and Ben his two legs and the stroller and the rest of us got a work out walking the grounds.  Unfortunately the restaurant was closed so we went back into town to a sandwich shop and had a nice lunch there before heading home.  

Ben, Hannah and Emily on the Playground

About 2 minutes from home Roger lost the fight to keep Ben awake and he konked out exhausted from all the playing and running around…so did Emily….it was a fun morning…tonight Steve, Rhoda, Roger and I are double dating…dinner and night market…it will be fun to have time together for the four of us…I will tell more about it later…