To Market, To Market

Being back in my apartment means a desire for fresh fruit. This morning I found a vendor who sold me fresh pineapple for just 10 Baht. It made an excellent breakfast but I knew I wanted to go to the market in the evening to get something more exotic. The market sells everything... food prepared or unprepared, clothes, electronics, cutlery, footwear, religious items, toys, shower-heads... seriously anything. Mostly it sells food and clothes. The night markets near my apartment differ from the ones in Hua Hin in a few ways... first of all, they are in big vacant lots instead of narrow streets. Second, they are less of tourist traps and more functional. Third, they are way less expensive. I bought myself some dinner for 12 Baht and dessert for 10 Baht. Then I went in search of fruit. Fresh yellow mangoes were only 25 Baht a kilo. Langsat were 40 Baht a kilo at the cheapest booth. Good deals all around. My hands are still sticky and smell of the tangy Langsats despite my washing them. Tomorrow I will take a mango to B's for breakfast. She has a bigger menu now that school has started so I will be having lunch there if the cafeteria is not running yet. She also has peach iced tea now.





At school I finished my bulletin boards today and made an icebreaker worksheet that is designed like a celebrity interview from a Teen magazine, except the students get to be the stars. I thought about playing Human Knot but Thai people have a lot of etiquette around space-bubble issues so I thought maybe it would not be so wise. I thought I was meeting my students today but it turns out it was only Kindergarten start. Tomorrow my students will come. Many of the Kindergartens were bawling downstairs while I was working on the bulletin boards. And it was funny to watch them all in a line with their hands on the railing going down the stairs. That is a lot of stairs for such small children. Hopefully by the end of the week they will be settled into the school routine.


I realized in the market today I needed to learn a few more Thai phrases, so below are the words/phrases I will be working on this week:


I'm sorry = Ko-Thod-Ka (if female), Ko-Thod-Krab (if male)

How much? = An-Nee-Tao-Rai

1 Neung
2 Song
3 Saam
4 See
5 Haa
6 Hohk
7 Jet
8 Paet
9 Gaao
10 Sib
20 Yee Sib
30 Saam Sib
40 See Sib
50 Haa Sib
60 Hohk Sib
70 Jet Sib
80 Paet Sib
90 Gaao Sib
100 Neung Roy