My life in Thailand is rough, eh? In all truth, I came to Thailand to get out of my comfort zone, but I'll be the first to admit that I feel quite at home. I must attribute much of my happiness to my caretaker teacher, Sommai. From the first day he was a vigilant protector. As is typical of Thai people, he is extremely sensitive to our needs. (On Friday, a seven-year-old brought me a chair when she saw me kneeling by the desk of another student. When can I brag that my 15-year-old, American students are that considerate!) When we are eating, I can feel Sommai watching as I eat my food, and it is not uncommon for him to put a few more pieces of meat on my plate if he thinks I haven't had enough.

Although his watchfulness can sometimes be too much, he makes it feel familial with his humor. It's no wonder that Thai folk are known to smile often--they have a fabulous sense of humor! By the second day he was teasing me like an uncle would. On Monday, when I got up 15 minutes later than usual, he looked up at me and said, "Good afternoon!" When we pass a hose that is shooting water up in the air, he'll smile at us devilishly and say, "Look! Geyser!" Sometimes I don't even realize that he is joking until later. One time I asked Sommai what the green pots on the side of the road were. He told me that people use them to boil chickens. I didn't even question his statement until I started seeing the green pots were full of trash. . . I guess he thought my question was pretty silly and gave me an equally ridiculous answer.

Kara and I wondered for the first week whether this single, 47-year-old man was seeing anyone, and at this point we don't think it's a possibility. He spends all of his time at school or with us! I felt badly for him at first--how can he really be satisfied when his life is entirely devoted to school (where, even he admits, he is simply a disciplinary figure for the TV-watching students) and the myriad volunteers who ask him silly questions about Thailand. But, after three weeks of living with him, I think he is a happy man. In the morning, he is always doing little household chores while whistling or even singing outloud. It's such a heart-warming sound to hear. He lives a quite simple life, and he takes a great deal of joy from it. . . a lot more joy than many people who are overloaded with people, things, and responisibilities.

I came to Thailand to try to help the people in a 3rd world country, but who am I to teach these people how to live? They are happy! What more could they want; what more can I give them? I almost feel like I am tainting their lives by bringing in my iPod, laptop, and digital camera. I almost want to keep them a secret, hide them away. They don't need these things, these desires to clutter up their lives.