Tuesday, March 06, 2007
6th March. The funeral guest, the doctor and the treatment.
What started today as a little photographic project turned into a mini adventure for me.
But first I must look back to breakfast - just as they all seem to do in soap operas, we ate breakfast in the cafe, Leelawaddi. A leelawaddi, by the way, is a flower.
I really enjoyed my pineapple fried rice with dried pork, which frankly looked like bits of frayed string and some chinese sausage, rather like salami.
Jamie drove there on the motor bike and went on to work and Jessica of course went in to school.
When Mam, John and I got back home, Mam wanted to get on with a pile of washing and John very obligingly fell sleep.
I decided to take a walk down their little road as far as the main road and see what I could see that interested me - flowers, bird cages, trees and the general scene.
There was a sleeping old lady - she always lies under the shade of a big tree and dozes the day away.
Out side one house and spread several houses round it has been a long awning and tables and chairs. A funeral has been taking place - this is the 9th day.
I quietly took a picture of some monks intoning prayers and continued on my way.
At the end of the road I took pictures of the slightly shabby gateway to this 'village'. It is called Chalekeree and this word combines the word for mountain which is behind the house and the lake at the end, by the main road. The lake is really a remnant of the old tin mining days.
On the way back the monks were at table, enjoying some food and my camera was at the ready. A man suggested I move closer - and I did.
Then he took me to look at the coffin, covered in decoration and flowers in a downstairs room of the house, with a big photograph of the deceased.
At this point we were joined by a woman, the daughter of the departed man. The daughter can speak English and she was glad to fill me in with lots of details. Her father had been 87 and in a coma of some sort for about 18 months. I think she agreed with me that although it is very sad for her it is perhaps happy for her father.
As we talked she beckoned me to sit down and she brought me a drink - iced tea, and was begging me to stay and eat with them. I explained hat I didn't want to say no to her but also wanted to say yes to my daughter in law who had food for me. I had some water melon.
We talked some more about life, death and the universe and then I continued on my way.
I felt thrilled to have been involved with this event in a small way.
The actual cremation takes place at Kathu temple tomorrow.
Mam had already explained that funerals normally last several days and people come from far and wide to pay their respects and eat and drink. There have been hundreds of people here during the last week - each one makes a financial contribution to the family.
Tonight there will be monks there again and I guess everybody who can be there.
When I got back home I read in the garden for a while.
Then it was time to go out.
Our first stop was the Phuket Hospital - this is modern private hospital, which Jamie prefers the family to use after Mam's rough treatment at the state hospital in Chumphon giving birth to Jessica.
We were there for John to have an innoculation.
My goodness it was a fantastic hospital, the best I have seen - well the bits I saw.
The entrance was grand and very clean and seemed very organised. The childrens out patients was beautiful - and very clean. The lady doctor was kindly - though John yelled like mad for a moment as the needle went in. The doctor gave him an orangy vitamin C tablet (Jessica often demands these too) and a little banana.
The biggest difference between our hospitals and this one was sitting and waiting for a cashier to be free to pay the bill.
Then we went to Tescos to eat - upstairs where it is cheap and noisy. I made a mistake when I went to one of the kiosks for I chose the chicken without seeing that in the picture it came with chips and not rice.
We had a short stroll amongst the shops and stall outside the main Tescos shop - this after all is like a French hypermarket, and I bought a couple of wooden trifles to take home.
Life has started to get a bit difficult for me today - the bladder problems have flared up, so I am constantly thinking I need to wee and when I do it hurts like mad.
It hurts to stand and then it hurts when I sit down.
At least it is a reminder of just why I must pack my case tomorrow and prepare to depart - apart from being with Bill of course.
My treatment begins in 10 days.
I have offered the theory that it gets bad after being on my feet a lot - and yesterday we were a couple of hours playing mini golf and today I was also out for a couple of hours walking.
I have hardly been on my feet since being here before that.
Anyway we picked Jessica up from school and drove home. Mam began to cook and then had to pop to Tescos for coconut milk, leaving me to sort out their squabbles playing whilst bathing in the old baby bath.
This evening we will stay at home. Jamie wants to list old phone cards on EBay.
Well, tomorrow is the last day. I have some shopping to do.
But first I must look back to breakfast - just as they all seem to do in soap operas, we ate breakfast in the cafe, Leelawaddi. A leelawaddi, by the way, is a flower.
I really enjoyed my pineapple fried rice with dried pork, which frankly looked like bits of frayed string and some chinese sausage, rather like salami.
Jamie drove there on the motor bike and went on to work and Jessica of course went in to school.
When Mam, John and I got back home, Mam wanted to get on with a pile of washing and John very obligingly fell sleep.
I decided to take a walk down their little road as far as the main road and see what I could see that interested me - flowers, bird cages, trees and the general scene.
There was a sleeping old lady - she always lies under the shade of a big tree and dozes the day away.
Out side one house and spread several houses round it has been a long awning and tables and chairs. A funeral has been taking place - this is the 9th day.
I quietly took a picture of some monks intoning prayers and continued on my way.
At the end of the road I took pictures of the slightly shabby gateway to this 'village'. It is called Chalekeree and this word combines the word for mountain which is behind the house and the lake at the end, by the main road. The lake is really a remnant of the old tin mining days.
On the way back the monks were at table, enjoying some food and my camera was at the ready. A man suggested I move closer - and I did.
Then he took me to look at the coffin, covered in decoration and flowers in a downstairs room of the house, with a big photograph of the deceased.
At this point we were joined by a woman, the daughter of the departed man. The daughter can speak English and she was glad to fill me in with lots of details. Her father had been 87 and in a coma of some sort for about 18 months. I think she agreed with me that although it is very sad for her it is perhaps happy for her father.
As we talked she beckoned me to sit down and she brought me a drink - iced tea, and was begging me to stay and eat with them. I explained hat I didn't want to say no to her but also wanted to say yes to my daughter in law who had food for me. I had some water melon.
We talked some more about life, death and the universe and then I continued on my way.
I felt thrilled to have been involved with this event in a small way.
The actual cremation takes place at Kathu temple tomorrow.
Mam had already explained that funerals normally last several days and people come from far and wide to pay their respects and eat and drink. There have been hundreds of people here during the last week - each one makes a financial contribution to the family.
Tonight there will be monks there again and I guess everybody who can be there.
When I got back home I read in the garden for a while.
Then it was time to go out.
Our first stop was the Phuket Hospital - this is modern private hospital, which Jamie prefers the family to use after Mam's rough treatment at the state hospital in Chumphon giving birth to Jessica.
We were there for John to have an innoculation.
My goodness it was a fantastic hospital, the best I have seen - well the bits I saw.
The entrance was grand and very clean and seemed very organised. The childrens out patients was beautiful - and very clean. The lady doctor was kindly - though John yelled like mad for a moment as the needle went in. The doctor gave him an orangy vitamin C tablet (Jessica often demands these too) and a little banana.
The biggest difference between our hospitals and this one was sitting and waiting for a cashier to be free to pay the bill.
Then we went to Tescos to eat - upstairs where it is cheap and noisy. I made a mistake when I went to one of the kiosks for I chose the chicken without seeing that in the picture it came with chips and not rice.
We had a short stroll amongst the shops and stall outside the main Tescos shop - this after all is like a French hypermarket, and I bought a couple of wooden trifles to take home.
Life has started to get a bit difficult for me today - the bladder problems have flared up, so I am constantly thinking I need to wee and when I do it hurts like mad.
It hurts to stand and then it hurts when I sit down.
At least it is a reminder of just why I must pack my case tomorrow and prepare to depart - apart from being with Bill of course.
My treatment begins in 10 days.
I have offered the theory that it gets bad after being on my feet a lot - and yesterday we were a couple of hours playing mini golf and today I was also out for a couple of hours walking.
I have hardly been on my feet since being here before that.
Anyway we picked Jessica up from school and drove home. Mam began to cook and then had to pop to Tescos for coconut milk, leaving me to sort out their squabbles playing whilst bathing in the old baby bath.
This evening we will stay at home. Jamie wants to list old phone cards on EBay.
Well, tomorrow is the last day. I have some shopping to do.
