Had an absolute blast today. On the drive up we stopped at a cattle farm that has the highest quality beef in Thailand. It’s own by a Chinese family, who sent their kids to colleges around the world, the kids came back brainacks and had this brilliant idea to change the standard for beef in Thailand. They built this massive farm complete with stake houses, homemade ice cream stand, and all the gear required of a cowboy. Jack, Sue, and Nathan all got hamburgers for lunch. They were monster burgers and smelled sooo good. I had to remind myself that I had gone the last 10 months without meat and did I really want to break my new years resolution with only 2 months to go, on a burger? The answer was YES. But I resisted. If you drive from Bangkok to Nang Rong, this place is a must see stop. Sue claims they have the best burgers in Thailand and by smell alone I concur.
We got into Bangkok at 1:30ish and checked into the Bangkok Christian guest house. I had to smirk a bit at the memory of my last visit. We got up to our rooms and got situated. Jack and Sue prepared to leave for the hospital while Nathan and I armed ourselves for some sight seeing/ touristy things.
It’s been such a long day I’m trying to remember everything we did. I do know that we walked around Bangkok for 6ish hours without batting an eyelash. We took the sky train, which is amazing. It runs above the street, under the high way, and is a very common way of transportation. We went to the river and took a quick boat ride. I took a bunch of pictures which can be viewed on the flicker site. With, just in case you forgot, a link in the top left hand column. On the boat ride we saw a bunch of Wat’s and the most important one in Thailand, the Royal Wat which the King (is king supposed to be capitolized? My brain is mush at the moment.) uses. The Royal Wat is also home to the Emerald Buddha. History says that the Emerald Buddha was stolen many, many different times. So the Thai’s hid it in a cement-like casing. No one knew where it went, or what the cement Buddha really was until it was dropped and revealed to be the Emerald Buddha.
Nathan and I walked block after block of Bangkok, just chit chatting about this and that, looking at all the vendor stands that were being put up in preparation for the night market. Nathan also gave me a bit of a lesson on the red light district in Thailand, this was one of his focuses in Thailand, and one of the main reasons Jack decided to start the foundation. I was suddenly filled with pride for being apart of the foundation. The foundation is making a difference in their girls lives. Some of the things he told me that he heard first hand were frightening. I mean, I knew that this kind of stuff happened here as well as all over the world. But to know some one who has seen it, and to hear them talk about it. It’s… eye opening, and maddening at the same time.
I, who am in no way shape or form a violent person, wanted to scratch the Farang’s eyes out. Farang means westerner in Thai. Now, not all of the Farang are here for the wrong reason, but many, far too many of them are. It’s sickening. All I can think about are the girls in the foundation, May, Mint, Pa, Noi, the twins, Nat. What would happen to them if they had not been picked up by the government and given to the foundation? My heart breaks in to a million pieces for each girl who slips through the cracks, and there are a lot of girls. Girls who are not able to get away. Girls who live their whole life not knowing that there is so much better out there for them. Girls that don’t know they are worth more then dirt. Girls that don’t know they do have the right to say no. Why do we live in such a twisted world? Who in their right mind would EVER think it is ok to do this to a child?
Ok, moving away from this dark, dark topic before I go on a rampage. Deep breaths!
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^ me breathing
Nathan and I hopped on a subway and went to a gigantic mall. Remember the mall I told yall about in Korat, with the waterfall? This mall is ten times bigger. It was simply, huge. 6 stories high, zillions of shops. It was incredibly fun to walk around and do a bit of people watching. All kinds of people dressed in all kinds of wacky clothes. We met up with Jack and Sue. Sue has been given a green flag and we will be proceeding to India on the 8th, I’m so lost on what day it is (I do know that it is my sisters birthday, in Thailand at least. Happy birthday Lex, I love you!). We ate dinner and then took the sky train back to the guest house. Nathan was a little put out when he found out what an old lady I am. He wanted to go to the night market, it was nine o’clock and past my bedtime. He felt sure that I had lied about my age and was really 26 (boring old person) and not 21 (party hardy energizer bunny).
On the agenda tomorrow is the Royal Palace and the Emerald Buddha, looking forward to it!
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