It was nice to go visit the village again, even though it was for a very short visit.
We didn't realize it was Mothers Day the next day, so everyone from Bangkok was heading home to visit. After waiting for four hours to get on a bus, we enjoyed the trip on a bus much more comfortable than the so-called VIP bus they loaded all of us tourists on to go to the South. Ah well. Tanapat met up at the station, and was suitably surprised at my change in hair color. It was fun to chat with him again, and Mindy then understood why I seemed to habitually speak slower to others, sometimes even to her by accident.
We went to my favorite place for dinner, and enjoyed fried tilapia, a spicy salad with tiny deep fried fish, and some other dishes. It was fabulous, and I was glad we got the chance to go there so Mindy could try some 'real' Thai food. It was late by the time we got in, so I showed Mindy the intricacies of the washroom, and then we fell asleep very quickly.
7am came too early, as we had to get up to go to school. The celebration for Mothers Day (also celebrating the Queen, it was her birthday as well) had up in an incredibly long assembly all day. Thai teachers really love to talk. We got a kick out of listening to some kids sing karaoke, and were rescued from our inability to understand what was going on by a nice Thai woman who was visiting from England where she has lived for 15 years. Mindy and I played Mom to some of the girls whose Moms were either deceased or had run off to the city. I didn't mind playing the part, though it was really distressing for me when they genuflected fully during part of the ceremony to us. I followed the example of some of the teachers and Moms who rubbed their backs lightly while Terasak gave a long speech, but I really, really didn't feel comfortable being bowed to in that way. Hopefully I didn't show any discomfort that anyone else saw, though I know Mindy felt the same way.
We went for dinner that night in Chiyaphum, and took entirely too long trying to find the spiciest thing we could take home as gifts for various people. It was fun and relaxing.
The next morning we had a fabulous breakfast- fried blag nin (tilapia), Tom Kha Gai (green curry with coconut milk, lemon grass, basil, and chicken), fried pork, and rice. We left around 9 and puttered around in Chiyaphum again, buying some Kow Laam, bananas, and giving Mindy the chance to see her first real outdoor market, complete with dead frogs, squirming catfish, chunks of meat, rocking turtles, and many things we hadn't seen before. After, we went to a store in Ban Kwow (the silk village) to pick up a few things.
Mindy and I rested a bit before going out to meet Parinteep and Kroo Kow (two teachers) to go for a walk around the village. By walk, I mean they drove us around in a car. We were then taken to a restaurant, though we protested because we were having dinner with Tanapat and Sisunne before catching the bus back to Bangkok. They were really disappointed, but at this point we had eaten so much at lunch and all the snacks of fried rice cakes and fruit people kept giving us, we would have exploded with more food.
It was more sad to say goodbye this time, because I don't know when I'll be back. I am going to try to be back next year, depending on the job I find and what vacation time I can wrangle. Tanapat gave Mindy a lovely amulet, and two to me for my Mom and Dad. Sisunne gave me a beautiful amulet as well.
We took a late bus back into Bangkok, and bedded down in my favorite place to stay, D'n'D Inn, where I dreamed about my next trip to Sompoi.
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