Thank You in Many Ways

This year isn't easy for me with the many changes in school.  It is not even made better with one challenging student in class.  However, there are times when I wanted to give up and then a small but needed token of appreciation comes in.

I received an e-mail from a former student's mum and asking me whether I will be open with the idea of letting her child and a friend come to my class to help for the day.  And since they were students of mine in SY 2007-2008, I readily accepted the offer.  I remembered the students as outstanding when they were in my class, four years old at that time, so I have no doubts that they will be equally outstanding this time around and they were!

Here's a thank you note from them.

an art work done in my class during SY 2007-2008 

a thank you card from the family

a thank you note made by the girls that day

Also, a student of mine in my present class wanted some mangoes from our garden but they were really small so I promised him some as soon as the mangoes in my garden are ripe enough for picking.  So I gave him some after mu fruit picking session one Sunday afternoon.  

He handed me a note the next day and I can see from the effort alone, he gave his all. 

the rainbow heart made by David

great effort for writing and colouring each letter 

Short messages but greatly appreciated.  

A Haunting Tale

"This place is haunted."

"Just what do you mean by that?"

"On the second floor of this building and in one of the rooms, an older woman shows herself on the mirror combing her hair.  Sometimes, she is there, sometimes not."

"Must be your imagination." 

"There is even a story of karaoke machine being shut off when some people are singing.  Sometimes, the volume lowers itself as they sing."

"Scary eh?"

"Yes!"

"Is there a story behind it?"

"We heard that the older woman died in this building, on the second floor some years ago."

"It must be her spirit."

"A weary one, I supposed."

Three years ago, the older woman succumbed to her illness from a stroke and failed to wake up.  She fainted in the bathroom and was found some minutes after.  The hospital medics were able to revive her but she failed to fight when she reached the hospital.  She was then pronounced dead.

The news of her departure reached me from the succeeding calls I received that fateful morning.  Her demise was a blow to my plans of taking her to the country where I am stationed.  The new car I bought became a hearse instead of our ride to new places.  I was stunned, downhearted and gave in to resignation.

That was three years ago but her spirit still lingers in the building where we once stayed.  May the prayers and merit making on a regular basis that I will do for my mum make her rest in peace.  

Kanchanaburi's Prasat Muang Sing Historical Park

A bit late of a post but worth mentioning.  One of the most important finds in Kanchanaburi along the Kwai Noi basin is an ancient city site named Muang Sing.

The entire site was initially renovated in 1974 and was opened to the public in 1987.  The remaining structure found in the middle of this 640 rai of land is the Prasat Muang Sing.

Remnants of the Wall

Other lesser monuments can be found which are estimated to be built around the 13th century.  

Me, the entrance and the Radiating Bodhisatva Avalokitesavara

A short walk is a platform that used to be part of the three lesser monuments.

Part of the Historical Park

And found along the vicinity are some of the stone sculptures, awesome! The important discoveries made near the ancient city remains include prehistoric human skeletons together with metal tools, vessels and ornaments; brick bases of the Dvaravati period architecture; and the laterite ruins of the 13th century. (source: thai-tour.com)

Pedestal of Idols

The fascinating walls where I get to take a photo of, no people!

The Back Entrance

Featured in my blog posts would always a part and parcel of any huge park, trees!

Trees galore!

Finally, the one that really impressed me, the toilets!

Restrooms 

Kanchanaburi's Prasat Muang Sing Historical Park has become a proud cultural heritage site, serving as an educational source as well as an interesting tourist attraction in the region.  

Amazing Thailand!

Lights Galore at Bua Quan Temple

I am no professional photographer but I do love taking photos of things that fascinate and interest me.  On my previous walk at a nearby temple, there was an ongoing fair to attract well wishers and Buddhist revelers to visit and pay homage as well as to offer monetary contribution to the temple.  The money is being raised to further build more religious shrines and places of worship. 

It was the lights that lined the entire street that attracted me to stop and walk inside.  The sprawling area was beautifully lighted with gigantic displays of lighted art. Take a walk with me. 

By the way, I heard that the rental for the generators amounted to 5 million baht, that's 147K in US dollars.  Quite extravagant eh!

Cloud Series

There are many children's books about clouds and it doesn't really interest me until I was perusing the photographs I had taken for the last four years. Though I like shooting nature and landscapes, the clouds that became part of those landscapes also give stories of their own.  It reminds me of books such as It Looked Like Spilt Milk or The Cloud Book that I used to read in class.   

Batangas, Philippines

Chonburi, Thailand

Tagaytay, Philippines

Clouds are like people.  They come in different shapes and sizes yet they are all made of tiny droplets of water or ice crystals.  Clouds are identified by where they are found in the sky making names for themselves as high clouds, middle clouds and fog.  They also get their names because of their shapes.

Tagaytay, Philippines

Mekong, Laos

Batangas, Philippines

Just like clouds, our names are true to ourselves and become our trademarks. That we shouldn't be named or called because of our size or shape, nor by the status we hold in life.  We are all alike though different in many aspects.  Even with all the disparities, we are all flesh and blood, and tiny droplets in this big universe of ours. 

Cloud Series

There are many children's books about clouds and it doesn't really interest me until I was perusing the photographs I had taken for the last four years. Though I like shooting nature and landscapes, the clouds that became part of those landscapes also give stories of their own.  It reminds me of books such as It Looked Like Spilt Milk or The Cloud Book that I used to read in class.   

Batangas, Philippines

Chonburi, Thailand

Tagaytay, Philippines

Clouds are like people.  They come in different shapes and sizes yet they are all made of tiny droplets of water or ice crystals.  Clouds are identified by where they are found in the sky making names for themselves as high clouds, middle clouds and fog.  They also get their names because of their shapes.

Tagaytay, Philippines

Mekong, Laos

Batangas, Philippines

Just like clouds, our names are true to ourselves and become our trademarks. That we shouldn't be named or called because of our size or shape, nor by the status we hold in life.  We are all alike though different in many aspects.  Even with all the disparities, we are all flesh and blood, and tiny droplets in this big universe of ours. 

The Bird Saga Continues...

Remember the saga of the birds in my attic, now let me start again by saying, "WT!!!"  Is it happening again?  What is wrong this time?"

I usually go home late because I have many things to tend to.  So in one unusual day I came in earlier, I walked around the garden and looked up to see whether the hole is open again.  There are still a lot of pigeons lurking but I do not see anything peculiar so I dismissed it.

But still, there is something amiss.  It was the smell of a dead rat.  I am familiar with that smell as I lived in an old house when I was young and we had plenty of terminated rodents from my shooting spree.  Yup!  I was an avid fan of the air rifle and I spend late nights waiting and hunting for them but I am digressing. 

I looked under the bed, over the dressers, and in corners rarely visited by my vacuum cleaner.  There was none!  OMG!  It must be coming from the attic. When once a playground of homeless pigeons, I thought that one had been missed and left there to die.  Pitiful bird but pitiful tenant.  The smell is killing me!

Mind you, the room is used as my dressing room so all my clothes are in there. And when I say clothes, I mean a heap full!  Not that I am collecting, but I never throw anything away even if the shirt is old, worn, and tattered.  I have an issue, got it! Ok, I am away from my topic again. 

So with my nosey nose, I pretended to be a dog and sniffed all corners, sides, and locations.  It wasn't visually appealing so no photographs.  It wasn't under my suitcases, nor in the corners of the room, and unsure whether it was coming from above.  I thought heaven smells good so in my logic, it isn't from above but from below.

Now here comes stupidity, or mere miscalculation.  Whenever I open the door, the pungent smell is so heavy that I had left the windows opened, which was never opened for ten years. Crash! Ka-blag! Nah, it didn't fall. Off topic!

Sorry, the smell my friends is coming from the door for in between is...

a GECKO!  Poor creature,  Grandpa Jonathan is now either into herpetology, roadkill or doorkill to be exact or into pressing them to make bookmarks, want one?