While my landlord's son used my shower....(Part II)

I awoke on Sunday with the same hopes of having a productive day that I had, had the day before. I went for a run then I set to work on my papers and made a fairly significant dent before lunch time came around. I went out to the cafeteria on the corner of my soi (tiny strett) and got some kao pad gai (literally "rice fried chicken") to go.

I had just started eating when there was a familiar knock on the door. I opened it to find Tom and Oom, her older son at the door with a tray of food. They had come to join me while I ate my lunch. We spread out some newspapers on the floor and Tom proceeded to tell me about the food she had brought up. While she repeated the names of the food a couple of times, sometimes Thai words just slip in one ear and out the other. I do know how to describe them in English though. One item was a flat, crunchy rice cake. She told me in her fabulous part English, part Thai, part miming way that she usually talks to me that it was sticky rice with sugar mashed up then spread out and cooked until crispy. The rice cakes were delicious. There was also a stew almost of ground pork, morning glory (a green, crunchy veggie), chilies, and some fabulous spices. She had bought some som tum and explained the differences between the kind we had made on Saturday and the kind she had just bought. She had some fried rice for herself and she brought up some fried eggs for us to share. We ate well.

After lunch she asked me, as the three of us found comfortable positions on my bed, if I wanted to learn how to cook Thai food. This was my moment. I have been trying to find the right time to be able to ask for some cooking lessons. I guess I some how did a good job of conveying this desire because she asked me instead of me having to ask her. I was so happy to know that more cooking lessons would be coming.

Fat and happy Oom began to play with my computer and Tom laid down with my pillow to take a nap. I popped in my new copy of Mulan and Oom and I watched it together in Thai as I slowly continued grading. We sat like that for nearly two hours until Tom got up to go find Oi.

They returned as the movie was ending, towels and fresh clothes in hand. I knew what they were planning, but I still have yet to figure out why. Occasionally my landlord or her sons will shower in my bathroom. I don't really know why, but it certainly makes me wonder. I have no problem with it whatsoever, but it is a little curious. The boys took their turns showering and made sure to take full advantage of the spray hose attached to my toilet. They love that hose. They like spraying it all around my bathroom, filling up the my bucket and my toilet. What little boy wouldn't love this? What fun...until they spray my new roll of toilet paper until its thoroughly drenched. Ah I guess there had to be some down side.

As the showers were ending, I had to rush off to meet a friend. I felt perfectly comfortable leaving the three of them in my personal apartment to finish up their showers and leave when they wanted. I've found true comfort with my little Thai family that lives across the driveway. They make my home away from home complete.