I arrived home at about eight in the evening on Thursday, 07 December. All flights were on time, and the entire trip was without problems except for the internet. The Thai government has been a military dictatorship style for the last four years, and they have a military unit that controls the internet..speed, etc. Google, which we all use is required to have its servers in Thailand so the brass can sensor what is said about the military and the government. Twice, while on the internet, I was asked in a drop down message, "Google Thailand would like to know your location. Release, (and) or Block." Both times, I blocked it. Since second time, was unable to get on internet, with my computer. I went to an internet cafe...so called, but not a cafe, just computers for rent. I went on and had no problems. When I tried to get my emails, Google detected another computer, and asked me to confirm it was me; they , while I on line were going to send phone message to Canada, at my cost , to give a code, so I could get online. I shut down. When I got home, there was an email from Google, giving the I.P. number of the computer I had used, and stated that, "Someone tried to get into my email".
I had the final dental work done in Bangkok. My total bill for four fillings, two being major, and the other work was 152 Canadian dollars; Quote here was over two thousand....no wonder many hundreds go to Portugal, etc for this work.
My Thai family consists of the granny of the kids, who had three sons and one daughter. Each of these also had four children, plus cousins and etc. They are very strong Buddhist in faith.
The kids that I do things with are two of the youngest of the daughter, just mentioned....they are 11 and 13. Two others 17 and 19 are in other cities. The grandfather of these kids has never been mentioned to me....until this trip. When I was at So Phisai, I stayed in a cabin, as noted in an earlier blog. This was about two kilometers from the main family home and cost me twelve dollars Canadian a day. So Phisai is about ten thousand, in my estimate. A small town. I was the only non Asian there for a week. One day, I asked the boy's mother why they were now calling me "Poppa Don". Before, it was "Uncle Don". She said that she would explain tomorrow. The next day, she picked me up and told me that "Today, I will introduce you to a monk". She had picked up some food, and we went the two kilometers to a small temple, where four monks lived, each in their own small cabin. I was introduced, and we did the hand together wie motions..never touching hands. The one monk ate the food, which must be done before 1100 A.M. We sat with him, no one speaking. After his lunch, he said a blessing to her, and we went back to town for lunch in a small cafe. There, she (Rose), said to me; "The monk you just met was my father...seven or eight years ago, he gave my mother the farm, house and everything, and became a monk....this the boys do not know".
The kids are taking English at school, so they now know, in English, family positions and relationships. Since the square for grampa was vacant, they put me there.
I will do another page tomorrow, if time allows, and will talk more about monks then.
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