Thai cooking school and more

After a severe bout of food poisoning, and being cared for by Sue, Siraj, and Nine and Stella at The Green Tulip House, I persevered and bounced back to life. I went through a spell of emotional frustration within this culture by being viewed as a walking ATM machine because I'm a pharang(white person), and that infuriated me! I was tired of Thai people trying to rip me off and then I was yelled at for being an American by an unusually spiteful old Thai man. However, I have finally reconnected with my peace and empathy within. Everyday I am confronted by circumstances that I know are meant to teach me something, and I meet people who are guides or teachers. It is important to be open to the experience. Perhaps this is a Buddhist way of thinking. This is not an easy culture to navigate, but it is a good starting point because it is forcing me to tear down the layers of my old self, and create a foundation for the empowered grateful woman I asked god for guidance to become.

Yesterday Sue, Siraj, and I enrolled in Thai cooking school. :) Since I had been too sick to eat for the last 2 days I was understandably famished! We were picked up at 9 a.m. by a taxi and escorted to a typical Thai market. Our teacher: Pot, showed us how they make coconut milk, educated us on herbs and veggies, and then allowed us to explore the market for a while.
We finally arrived to a lovely home that had an amazing cooking station outside in the shade, but we all first sat inside a gorgeous and spacious room where we ate fruit, drank tea, and each chose 6 dishes that we wanted to learn how to make. Then we all went outside to our station and learned how to cook. Our day was filled with laughs, pictures, delicious food, and making new friends: Kinjit(Ethiopia, but lives in France) and Sylvie(Spanish-Belgium, but lives in Egypt). I learned to make: pad thai, tom Yum soup, Cashew and chicken, papaya salad, green curry, and pumpkin in coconut milk. YUM! The course ended around 4:30 p.m.

After we digested all our scrumptious food we thought it would be a great idea to check out the local yoga studio. When we finally arrived there by tuk tuk the class was completely full! As I turned to leave with Kinjit and Sue I saw a giant sign posted on the coffee table in the middle of the room. It read: Franscesca in ICU is in desperate need of type A- blood.
Ok, I must go.
That is my blood type,
and I know for a fact that only around 6 % of the world have that blood type. It is ultra rare, because it is an extreme ango-saxon blood type. I approached the counter and asked if she was still in ICU because that is my blood type, and I'm very wiling to help. Everyone swarmed around me and asked me to please go, so I did. Sue was able to squeeze into the class, so Kinjit and I took a tuk tuk to Ram Hospital. It took a bit of effort within to find out how to donate blood to Franscesa, but I did. The nurses asked me if I wanted to meet her, and I was surprised because of all the times I've donated my blood in the states I never had the opportunity to see who the receiver was/is. I went into ICU room 12, introduced myself, told her the story, and asked what happened. She was doped up, and told me it was a motorcycle accident. When I looked down I saw one of her legs had been amputated. :( I assured her I would give her the blood she needed, and that she would be okay. She thanked me. In my heart and soul I feel that no thanks is necessary, because this is a human duty. She needed something I had, and I was happy to give. Kinjit and I went downstairs to the lab where I was poked with an over sized sterile needle by an adorable Thai woman in a lavender uniform, who wore a matching headband, and eyeshadow. All is good. :)

Today at Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep Rajvoraviharam: Sylvie, Sue, and I were blessed by Buddhist monks for luck and happiness. I was given a blessed jade amulet. We also had the opportunity to witness 2 monks being ordained.