Weekend in Mukdahan

Mukdahan, Thailand has approximately 67 million people.    This country borders Laos and the Mekong River runs through Mukdahan, a city of 40,800.   Thailand has a king but he is not a ruling authority and serves the people much as the Queen of England oversee Britain.   The country’s main religion or philosophy of life is Buddhism but it is not a religion that changes people’s lives in a significant way.   Neither is it a conflict with the Christian beliefs of others.   Although we do not see Catholic or denominational church buildings, we see many Buddhist temples.    Early in the morning (although we have not seen it in Mukdahan) monks are out walking in the streets begging for alms from the people.   They are given food and money and often sell the food and then buy whatever they wish.   They travel free of cost so many are on buses and in airports, going wherever they choose.    Shrines are often seen along the streets and in yards and plates of food are put out for the gods.    

The lifestyle in Mukdahan, a small city, is easy-going.   The people are not unkind or threatening to foreigners.   They practically ignore strangers but a few peasants stare at us, maybe never having seen an American before.

Yesterday, we went to Robinson, the largest mall here.    After enjoying pizza and ice cream, we went to buy a few things in the mall grocery.  

This is the mall where we saw the mini-zoo last week.    We heard Christmas music (in English) played throughout the mall and Christmas decorations, including large decorated trees were everywhere. 

Never, in America or any other country, have we seen such a beautiful display of food in this upscale market.   Many types of whole fresh fish, including sushi and tuna trays were on ice displayed in a very appealing way.     Fresh cuts of meat are also unwrapped and on beds of ice to put in bags with tongs yourself to be weighed and priced.   Fruits and vegetables were as beautiful as pictures…trimmed, washed and beautifully displayed.    The bakery would be my favorite place to work as every kind of bread and delectable treats are fresh daily.     The aisles are marked with both Thai and English and things are nearly on shelves.   There are so many brands of everything, it is very difficult to choose when you cannot read the labels.  

The best part of not begin able to read labels is not to know the calories or fat content.   We did get “low fat” milk and yogurt but other products are a mystery as to the ingredients and nutritional values.

We took a taxi back to our rented room.   Ron took a picture of the water control plant which is at the corner of our street so taxi drivers know to go there and then we can direct them to our apartment house down the street.

Ron needed a hard hat and some rubber boots for the job site’s work on Monday as they start digging the trenches for the house footings and foundation.     This morning, we walked to a store called Global, about a mile from our room, across a busy street.   The traffic is divided so we can go half-way across and wait in a wide media until the traffic in the other direction is clear so it was not hard to get across.

Global is a large building supply such as Lowe’s or Home Depot.   There are numerous young workers, including girls all through the store ready to help you.    There are building materials and supplies but also everything needed for a home, constructing, remodeling or updating.  There are household appliances of all types, dishes, towels, and supplies. Including furniture.    The store was extremely clean, well- stocked and attractively arranged.    

Ron is amazed that everyone wants to help us.   I reminded him that we are old and foreigners.   They know we need help!    Ron used his phone to say what he needed and the voice and written translation comes back clearly.    There was one item none of the clerks knew so they took us to the front desk and one of the ladies, perhaps a supervisor, took over and found a picture of the item on her phone but they don’t stock that construction item.    It is a cone to measure the concrete somehow so it’s probably not even used here at all.   This young lady spoke good English.   She had Ron complete an application for a card so he can get discounts on future purchases.    She walked us out of the store as a checker at the door checked the invoice against the items in the bag, but more thoroughly than you see a Walmart greeter.

We stopped on our way back at a small store along the street and bought a green tea, Pepsi and ice cream bars.   

Things are cheap here and the cost of living is also.    We pay $6 a day for our room but our landlady just brought us our utility bill for 13 days and it totaled a little over $4 per day, making our room total about $10 per day.    Most of the rooms in our building must be rented during the week by people who work here and return home to the countryside on weekends.    The parking lot is practically deserted on weekends.

In the Philippines, you can see older American men with a young Filipino wife and young children.    Ronald and Gigi have a joke about this saying, “How nice for the grandfather to take his grandchild to the mall.”    We saw several grandfathers at the mall yesterday with their Thai “grandchildren.”     These are retired men who have ditch a first older wife and married a young Thai wife for a laid-back inexpensive second life. 

We usually don’t check the weather because it is the same every day.  This is what they refer to as winter but it feels like summer to us.   It is in the 60’s at night and 80 to low 90’s during the day.  I did check it today and we have several cooler days next week.    We have not had any rain as the monsoon season has ended.

King will join us tomorrow in our room for the Sunday worship service.  Last week we attended the service at the safe house but we didn’t understand a word.   Two hours is a long wait when all we could do was read our Bibles.   King does not yet know enough Thai to understand the services so we will meet with him for the next three months and help uplift him spiritually.    He was not able to worship while in China so this time spent with Ron may be very good for King.  

At the safe house, everyone stays for lunch after the services.  I will have sandwiches, salad and fruit for us here in the room.    It may not be as good to King but he’ll survive sharing a simple meal with us.

Ronald and Gigi will attend services at Brown Street church of Christ in Waxahachie this Sunday.   Leigh Ann will continue to visit churches in the Clearwater, FL area to decide where she wants to place full-time membership.    We are so blessed to know our children are faithful and in services on Sunday.  

Wishing everyone a blessed weekend.