Dec. 11, 05

This morning, I woke up around noon to the song of a gecko outside my window. After showering, dressing, and taking a handful of vtamins and herbal supplements, I was off to the Phetchamnung, "the first diamond," to have breakfast. The propietor is an old woman with wrinkled but vital skin, still full of fight. She's an important ally of mine because she had an English menu made for me and also serves the best food in the area of the school where I teach. When I arrived here, I was feeling quite down and her rowdy, cheerful manner helped me.
Afterwards, i tried to go to the office to prepare lessons but it was locked and the lights were off.
So, I decided to go to teh temple to hear the head monk preach, something I haven't done till now. When I entered, there was a joyous stir and a man hustled to grab a chair for me. In provincial Thailand, a white foreigner is the center of attention wherever she goes. Everyone wants to talk to him and the concept of privacy is not highly developed here.
Anyway, the monk was not preaching yet so I was ushered to the back where a colossal amount of food was laid out for me, ranging from a tasty dish of marinated pork with sauteed onions + red and yellow tomatoes to a plate of repulsively dried fish.
After eating till I was full, i sat down and soon the monk was preaching. During the whole sermon, it is expected that attendees keep their hands together and raised in reverence and I followed this practice with slightly gritted teeth. As an honorest guest, I was allowed the privellege of giving the monk his beverages, which were coconut milk and tea.
One of my fellow attendees was a short old woman with very brown, healthy skin. Most of her teeth are missing but she still manages a bright smile. A blessed soul shines through her brown eyes.
The head monk is a robust man with a healthy chubbiness and a pleasant but restrained smile; His arms are thick and muscular. Interestingly, he wore glasses in to the temple but didn't wear them as he preached, all the while consulting his, or the Buddha's, notes. Generally, I sense good energy from him.