Visiting a Day Care Center in Klong Toey

Today I got to tag along with Marita, a Norwegian girl working as a volunteer at a day care center in the slum area of Klong Toey district in Bangkok, as she went to work.

Above picture: Playing musical chairs, without the music; instead each of the kids take turn deciding what criteria needed to be filled in order to be the ones having to fight for chairs. Marita told me that this one time the teacher had requested that those without teeth had to fight for chairs (good-humoredly). Most of the kids have rotten teeth due to poor dental hygiene.

Below: Often I find that those demanding the least attention are the most interesting ones.

Listening to the teacher spreading propaganda
("walk properly when using the stairs, or else you'll trip and fall, and your head 'will' shatter,
then the police will come and we'll have to close this joint")

Walking in order
on the way to get the serving of milk of the day

Heavy drinker

Got milk?

Lazy slum cat

Preparing food for a Christmas party

Murial

Western kids bake cakes,
Thai kids make Som Tum

Marita

Thai people don't believe in making decisions on behalf of other beings
- so no, they don't feel like it would be better off 'shot dead'

Handing out Christmas presents to the people living in the slum:
A very much appreciated bag of rice

*Sniff, sniiiff*
Smelling kids' cheek - a sure sign of affection in Thailand

Above: This little lady came over to me and requested that I'd take her photo. Then she asked me if I was a 'foreigner', and I replied that my momma is Thai and that my dad is a foreigner.

Then she said that I 'totally looked like a Chinese person'.

I didn't know how to reply.

Then she requested a photo of her and "the teacher", and I was like "sure, where is he", and stood up and started to look around.

Then I understood that she was talking about me.

Sippin' coke from a plastic bag
I used to love that when I was in Thailand as a kid

Before I go home to Norway I hope to return to the day care center with a bunch of the photos that I took today to give to the kids.