A few weeks ago I walked the five blocks from my house to the neighborhood water purifier machine at soi 30, like i do every couple of days. It was refusing to take my 1 baht coins, so I set my wallet up on top of the machine and worked with both hands on wrestling the little coin accepter thing into submission. five minutes, several muttered curses and a bruised shoulder later (i was very thirsty and had no water at the house) I was eventually successful and left triumphantly with my water jug. and without my wallet.
It wasn't until the next morning when I went to pay the motorbike guy that discovered I was walletless and, of course, moneyless. I begged passing students for the 15 baht I owed the man, went to teach my first period, then borrowed money to race back to the machine to retrieve my wallet.
I arrived at soi 30 and was disappointed to find the top of the machine bare. Before trudging home I awkwardly stood there for a few minutes contemplating what to do, wondering if there was any way I could communicate my problem to one of my neighbors, trying to remember what had been in the wallet. credit card, debit card, passport copy, health insurance card, US driver's license, about 1000 baht...
I had my supervisor post a sign asking that whoever found it please return it to my house or her house or to the school. The sign stayed posted there for about three weeks until yesterday I saw a lady tearing it off the side of the machine. I figured after a few days that I wouldn't be getting it back since it was pretty obvious whose wallet it was - three different pictures of me, the lone white person in the neighborhood, in there - everyone knows where I live and still no sign of it. I had canceled the credit cards immediately, I would have needed to renew my Oregon driver's license pretty soon anyway and 1000 baht isn't a lot in the long run, so it's not a big deal, just a hassle.
On a happier tastier note, i gorged myself on some supremely satisfying fruit this afternoon.
i'd venture to say that this wasthe most delicious watermelon I've ever tasted
crisp, juicy, dense and sweet i ate it in one sitting. and the whole thing put me back just 17 baht.
I'm sad to be saying goodbye to watermelon season here. It's been so gooood! Tomatoes are in full swing though...just sent Millie off the school with a large bowl full of home grown tomatoes!
ReplyDeleteyou're killing me. What I wouldn't give for a plate of sliced tomatoes from the garden with s&p and some olive oil..
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