Life in the Marketplace

Last night I could not go on the water-taxis because the person who was taking us had his turn with the jet-lag fever. Instead I went to Carrefour, the department store to get laundry soap, a little trash can, and some sandals. In order to get to Carrefour I had to cross the Petkasem Road, the busy highway in front of the apartment complex with 3 lane traffic in each direction. Now by North American standards this might not seem hard... but once you see how these people drive you would understand. I kept to the sidewalk until I came to the footbridge over the road. I must point out that during this 10 minute walk to the footbridge I almost got ran over by a car that decided to drive on the sidewalk. Motorcycle traffic on the sidewalk is common and possibly legal but cars not so much.
In Carrefour I got a taste for what it would be like for an immigrant in Canada. I felt completely disoriented. I could not tell laundry detergent from fabric softener. I walked around aimlessly and almost bumped into a few people.
On the way home from Carrefour I stopped at the outdoor market for dinner. I saw a woman frying fish on a grill so I bought a bag of fish and mixed vegetables. One of the vegetables was a white, round root that tasted rather starchy. It was interesting. The fish was very spicy because it was mixed with chili peppers. I also bought a package I speculated was rice but it turned out to be raw meat mixed with onions. I think it is either pork or dog, but no way of knowing since I can't read Thai. Finally, I bought the rambutans that turned out to be quite tasty... just as well because I have to eat the whole bag before going to Hua Hin tonight.
Hua Hin is famous because it is the site of one of the King's favorite beach houses. It is not the most spectacular beach in Thailand but it is one of the safest. We spend 5 days there over the Coronation Day weekend as there is also a Buddhist holiday this weekend.
What you don't know is that the apartments where I live are smack dab in the middle of a market. Also there is the morning market and the night market. In the morning I can buy coffee, fresh fruit, and waffles. In the evening I can buy meat skewers, and slushees, and fried plaintain. (Among other things.)
Here are a few pictures of the classrooms in the school. It is truly amazing!