Day 2

4/8
I overestimated my memory span so I only jotted down very little for the first couple of days. We decided to spend today re-painting Aunty Chat's place, and doing an overall spring cleaning. If I'm not mistaken, it used to be a church (that was why it was at the shop lots). We managed relaxedly with only one roll paint brush, a mini brush and two scrapers. The girls mainly dusted and swept while the boys scraped and painted. Because everything is better with music, I was so glad that Frank brought his mini speakers. That was when I found out that Jo can't whistle, I feel so sad for her. I love to whistle!

Anyway by later afternoon, we got hungry (we ate congee for breakfast) and adventurous. We first visited the lovely 711, where I got a magi cup for lunch (my gastric was still bad) and the boys tried a hawker stall outside. Frank ate so much pork&chicken that it was scary. So we wanted to walk to this mall called Tops which was the nearest. Which really wasn't that near at all, cause oh you know men with directions, never admitting whenever they are lost (or that it IS very far). The walking there was fine and enjoyable really, tried some street food and sight seeing. And also learning that most of the ladies in Thailand don't shave their legs.. forgive my observant eye. By the time we got to Tops, we found out that no one actually needed to buy anything that any other shops couldn't provide. We just wanted to go to a mall. Because it is big, air conditioned, efficient. Because everybody just likes going to a mall right? When we were done 'shopping', Jo wanted to take the cab back, I wanted to take the motor taxi back, but the boys again insisted that it wasn't that far after all but it was only far because we got lost. So for the sake of some bahts we walked back. It was still far by the way and we were exhausted. The king's car passed by us when we were about to reach, and we quickly stopped our tracks when everyone else stood still.

That evening we followed Aunty Chat and her family to a Messianic Service. I left out the name of the hotel we were in, and the name of the speaker. I remember that he was white and he reminded me of Colonel Sanders (don't google him up). People danced during worship and although I had no idea of the lyrics, Jo and I were very encouraged to see this elderly woman in front of us really doing her thang. After service, this very nice lady pastor treated us to Wan Tan Mee which was damn good! I thought I was gonna share one with Jo but I had to have one for myself. Aunty Chat's husband (we never got around to his name, we called him pastor), ate his with huge spoons of sugar! By this time, I noticed that every shop provides sugar & chilli flakes.

Oh by the way, there was this dead lizard in Aunty Chat's kitchen which stayed there for the next couple of days. Sorry, I've got 'dead lizard' in my journal.

Sam

They call us we

Tomorrow is my brother’s birthday. If I remember right, the last gift I bought for him was 2 packets of Ayamas cheese sausages, wrapped in newspaper when he was about 9. The year before that, I bought Mars, Snickers & Kit Kat, taped but unwrapped. Shit, that’s almost 10 years ago. I must have bought him something in between… Last year for my 19th birthday, he gave me a two thousand pieces puzzle. I was incredulous and I refused to accept his joke. It was a joke I found out much later on, but the Paramore tickets inside of it wasn’t. This I must tell you that I cried. He skipped school the week before, took a bus after my dad was out of sight and went to Central to get on a bus for KL. He did all of this in his school uniform, I wondered how many unpleasant frowns he had to ignore. Mind you, he has never been to The Gardens or whatever it is called, but he managed. After purchasing the ticket, he had TGI and took a bus back to Central, then to school. Waited for my dad, and resumed all things mundane. No one would have guessed that he just left the state and got back within 5 hours in his school uniform on a Monday.
Anyway, I got him a gift this time. It’s not Ayamas but it’s Farmcow! Oh, he loves his hot dogs. Back to sentiments, I was shopping for my best friend actually; she told me she liked the checkered shirts from Brands Outlet. He was helping me to find sizes when I suddenly thought of his horrible wardrobe. I don’t think he has bad taste, just bad clothes. I meant bad as in torn, bleached, with holes. So he tried on the men sizes and he looked really good! I told him to get the tighter ones to accentuate his arms and chest.. He said he wants it wrapped and to maybe not buy it yet since his birthday is only the next week, he wants to be ‘surprised’. After saying that, he walked away and pretended not to look.
Right now, I am just waiting for his clothes to be washed. He has seen the wrapping paper that I bought for my nephew, assuming that I’d use the same one to wrap his ‘surprise’. Which I am, but I am going to wrap something else in it. His boxers. See why I am only going to wait for them to be washed.. Actually I thought using the dirty ones would be way cooler, I went to his laundry basket but I couldn’t do it. Okay I know it’s gross, but I can’t think of anything else funnier! Haha, I can’t wait to see the look on his face! I am going to ask him to open them after dinner. I’ll give him his real present after that, of course also wrapped.
Take that!
26th July
Ps/ in the end, I used two of his dirty boxers instead. Don’t ask me how it was.