mickan in world

This is a recollection of some events that occured during this past week. It will talk about two accidents. Sensitive readers please stop reading when i say now.

Now.

Accident number one:
This accident really was kind of compulsory. It is the one thing that happens to every single traveller to set foot in South East Asia. Jossan you probably already know what I am talking about. This accident leaves a trace of band-aid ankles and the smell of anticeptics follow in it's victims' footsteps as loyal as a dog.

Of course I am talking about the motorbike burn. Burning your ankle on the pipping hot exhautionpipe (or what it's called) and get a nice oval, runny wound.
This injury is so common people who have it just nod sympathetically to eachother, saying:
"Mororbike?"
"Mmm..."
Nevertheless it hurts the same.
This happened to me Sunday.

Accident number two:
Never trust Lao ladders.
I was helping out building the mudbrick house and Onkeaw asked me to do a bit of the roof. I looked at the ladder. Before I climbed up I specifically remember thinking: "That doesn't look safe." It took five minutes before the thing broke. I hit two steps and cut myslef on two rusty needles. Then I hit the ground.
This accident wasn't all bad though; I got the day off work (it is all volunteery but my concience gave me the day off), also I got to call my mum and third I learned a new word tetanus (stelkramp) and I also learned I have 30 years of protection against it. Sweet.

So blood. But at least I got some attention and sympathy and a good story to take home with me. Stay with me for that story.

Houa's (the girl I'm teching to read and write in the mornings) dad is the village witchdoctor, or shaman if you prefer. I new this from before, since he offered my friend Deon some treatment for his motorbikeburn earlier. So I tried to hide my burn when I went up to Houa's on Monday. No use. He saw it and he wouldn't budge until he let me treat it. So I said okay. Pleased; he spat out his cigarette, bent down, started singing in H'mong and then he spat in my wound three times. After this little performance he stod up and coughed very loudly. I went home and cleaned my wound four times.

Besides this it has been a very good week. I am really enjoying my time at the farm especially the time I spend with my friends up in Phoudindaeng village. I spend a lot of time with the girls up there chatting and sewing and it really feel like the people start to recognise and accept me being there. It is a lot of Sabaidee and Soughdi and smiles and they are all so wonderful people. The teaching has also improved dramatically eventhough I feel Iearn so much more than I teach. The things I learn here is for life and I am truly grateful.

A typical good day was yesterday (Friday). I got up at seven and went for a walk before it got to hot. I did my laundry in the buckets by the river and then I had a lovely fruit salad with some people who are staying at the farm. Chatting away. At 10 I went for a class with Houa and then I spent two hours sewing with the girls in the village. I had lunch at the farm and the spent an hour reading and naping in the shadow. After this Cameron and I sat down and planned class before heading up to the school and conducting a very enjoyable class. Dinner I had with Mr. Thi and the family and the workers on the farm; always delicious Lao food and then I taught English to the girls who work in the kitchen before going to bed. The perfect day at the farm. Now you know what I'm up to these days.

Right now I'm in Nong Khai, Thailand for a Visa run. It is nice to get a break from the farm and see something new too. I will be back on the farm Tuesday.

Love you and miss you and it is nice to hear it's spring back home...

By the way, Jossan; ja sjutton va uppat man var den dar kvallen! Sa himla roligt vi hade. Just det.. Andrew kommer och halsar pa pa farmen nasta vecka, ska bli kul att se honom igen.. Puss