where cider meets condensed milk: Christmas fools, a snowbaby, and a hobbit

where cider meets condensed milk

Sunday, January 22, 2006

Christmas fools, a snowbaby, and a hobbit

A few belated Christmas pictures from the orphanage:

"Twas the Night Before Christmas" in action! Caspian Spice Dan as Santa; Eric and Richard Left-eye Shelley as Ma and Pa; Chris, Kathy, Emma, and I as reindeer.

For the past few years, the kids at the orphanage have drawn designs for Christmas cards, which were then printed and sold by JETs across Japan. This year, about 235,000 baht (about 70 man en, or $7000 US) was raised on card sales, which covers operating costs of the home for almost a month. Richard L (on the mike) collected it and brought it to Thailand, and Clay made a big check with the total, a la Ed McMahon. (Yes, Mr/Mrs/Miss Baan Unrak, you may have already won TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND BAHT!!!)

Karaoke fools on Christmas day-- we were handed a microphone and told to sing Christmas carols while the kids lined up for treats. Just like at school, Anglophonability overrides tone deafness. And really, after the December ambush of "Rachel sensei, please sing 'We are the World'... alone... without the CD'" at junior high, Jingle Bells didn't seem so difficult. I can't sing well, never have been able to, and I do believe I was "selected" to play xylophone instead of joining the altos in my 4th grade chorus club. But, the power of karaoke turns anyone into a star. After going through our short list of upbeat carols, microphone still in hand and a helpless audience of 300 kids, I was hit by a strange desire to sing Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie's masterpiece, aka The Corniest and Most Condescending Song Ever Written, the way my students would. ("...we are za wolllld, we are za chil-dennn... we are za ones who make a bli-taa day so let's starto gi-bing...")

Group photo on the river Kwai.

Our last picture together, in the beloved cafe-- (back) Washerwoman Hong, Rachelangelo, Annie Banani, Leader Richard, Richard Left-eye Shelley, Caspian Spice, Clay Pigeon, Int'l Man ofMystery Eric, (front) Chris Chringle, One-track Elisabeth, Happy Kathy, January/February/March April, Hollywood Kristin, Emma Dilemma.

And while I'm thinking about Christmas, two of the best presents I received. Adam and Ashley brought a snowbaby poster for me from Thailand! A snowbaby all to myself! Wow!

And all the way from Walla Walla, Jen was thoughtful enough to steal this from an Olin Hall bulletin board for me-- hobbit love, yo! What's the significance of the title? Stud Dance? Disco Stu's comeback? Students that dance rather than spell? Sudan with an extra T (and C E)? Oh, nostalgia...how this brought me back to the Master 'n' Commander days. Nothing says Whittie like a pretentious hobbit. And did I mention it's been signed by Russell Crowe?

posted by Raychaa @ 7:58 PM

1 comments:

At 2:00 PM, Anonymous said…

hey irn,
the seahawks are headed to the super bowl!!! in case anyone cared, or it didn't make the news over in ok-ken!