Tour Guide, Not!

When I went to Palawan two years ago, I never thought I will act as a translator when I ended up with a group of Taiwanese people. It was an emergency and the guide couldn't explain to them what to do. He looked at me and said, "Your last name is Chinese, isn't it?" "Yes and so?" And there you go.

Last week, I had the chance to meet friends of my cousin and she gave my name to help her friend find things for her in Thailand. I did, not because I owe my cousin something, but because I am a good- hearted person. (insert lightning and thunderstorm) What I didn't know was that I am going to tour not one, or two, or three people around, but 19. 

NINETEEN! I screamed at my cousin when I was chatting to her through the phone. There goes my kind hearted persona down the drain. Their biggest concern was transportation and they do not like to be separated from one another. The only solution to that was a bus but where do I find a bus, a free one to help them out?

Anyway, highway, to cut the story short. We needed three vans to pick them up at the airport to the hotel. Done! I scouted the hotel before they came here to see whether there was a market, food stalls, convenience stores, and the like. All set! So when I met them at the hotel to bring them to the Night Market, I was the boy scout guide with arms flailing around, pointing here, pointing there!

My student was kind enough to lend me her van so I was able to subtract six people from the group. There were 14 of us left and the only transportation aside from a cab was the Subaru pickup that can only ride 10 people, ten skinny people. I asked the driver if all of us can get in and surely we pushed each other, sat on top of each other, and left the terminal at a turtle pace. 

The Subaru pickup is similar to this but the door is at the side.

Slow, slower, slowest, and I do feel the Subaru truck was saying, "What did I do wrong?" While inside, it was a fiesta of photo flashes, selfies, groupies and the like. It was the funniest ride ever! And when they started to introduce themselves to me in those awkward positions, it was hilarious and I didn't remember any of their names.

These nineteen people are part of a church mission and along with the generosity of the members based in Taiwan, they collected numerous material and monetary donations to give to Bamboo School in Kanchanaburi. They went there to do a week of service and will be back this weekend. 

While I am having a difficult time dealing with people around me at this time, these young people who volunteered their time and effort to be with children gave me something to look forward to. They were nice, well-mannered and filled with positivities. So I said to myself, "God is good. ."