Tuesday, February 2

Nit brought me halfway to meet Sirirat this morning. In the parking lot, she dropped me off at, we met up with Nid- a musian and Ajah Kis who we carpooled with to a prison about an hour away where Sirirat works with the prisoners on a regular basis. They were happy to see her when we arrived. Sirirat told me thta most of the prisoners were Buddhist but some were Christian and more became Christian every time she went. I was going to see conversion at work.

The prison was actually suprisingly beautiful if you irgnored the high walls, barbed wire, and bars surrounding the entire facility. One of the prisoners was a painter and had painted murals on many of the walls in the prison and prisoners with too much free time on their hands had sculpted incredibly colorful gardens.

We set up by soem picnic table under a pavillion. About 30 men caem over to meet us. Nid sang some songs, Sirirat nad Ajah Kis alternated preaching important Christian somethings and Sirirat baptized about 5 men. One man was being released the next day on good behavior and Sirirat seemed to attribute that to him becoming a Christian. She presented him with a pair of cheap flip flops like they were the holy sacrament and he recieved them as if they were. He didn't have any shoes and would need some when he was released. He stood up to sing the next song with his eyes closed, flip flops in hand and arms waving around to the music as if he was a gospel singer in New Orleans. After it was over I had a crowd of happy prisoners come up to me and shake my hand, laughing nervously. "Hello!" and "America!" were the only English phrases they knew and they used them over and over again. As we walked over to the women's side of the facility to repeat the same bible camp bussiness, everyone we passed reached out to touch my hands. I felt like a really awkward famous movie star that had just figured out people were actually watching her films. One of the women told Sirirat that she had had a dream the night before that we would come. Another woman carried a small child, maybe one year old, who was fairly cross eyed and coudln't seem to figure out what to make of me. He looked like he was going to cry but instead just stared. Sirirat took a photo of me on her camera with the women that has come over to talk to me. "Jenny and prison friends!" though I was sure I would be glad to have th ephoto later to remember them by, I hated her right then for ruinging the moment of connection and turning me into an instant tourist.

While I was eating dinner with Pen that night, a student came over to interview me for her English class. Furthering my awkward famous feeling. She was older than the students I had been teaching and I hadn't met her before. She had clearly practiced all her questions and tape recorded the whole conversation (probably so she could decode it later). She asked me what my favorite food was, if I played a sport, and if I had a pet. I told her I used to have a dog and a turtle but didn't have a pet now. She didn't know what a turtle was so I drew her a picture of one.
" What is your pet's name?" she asked.
I told her Bruce Wayne.
"what is this meaning" she wanted to know.
"Its Batman's real name I informed her.
" Ah Batman!"
She knew Batman but I'm fairly certain that she didn't understand the connection between the words "batman" "Bruce Wayne" and "turtle"
She moved on. When she was finished she gave me a scarf and thanked me about 20 times I asked her if she had made it and she said yes and then no. I'm still not sure if she actually did or not.

In the evening I tutored Nit in English again.

Before bed I asked Pen if she had any mouse traps. She didn't understand. I drew her a picture. Nothing.
"rat in my room" I told her, drwing a picture of a rat. I charaded the ray dying dramatically by choking myself to death.
"ray? Oh!" (lightbulb flashing on) "Kewwwwl rat!"
She took my hand and pulled me over to the cabinet where we had a box of rat poison. The label was entirely in Thai but the title was repeated in english. Large red letters read RAT KILLER. She used her finger to follow along and read slowly "Raaaat kewwwwler!" Smile. I nodded enthusistically. She put some of it on a plate and I showed her where the rat had been sneaking in, crinkling bags nearby and putting my hand to my eyes to dramatically search for the invisible rat. she laughed. "OK! Today, rat kewwwwl!" She smiled "see you tomorrow!"

I stayed awake most of the night guiltily listening to my rodent roomate eat to his death. I had only ever caught mice before and put them outside. The idea of intentionally killing one sort of really bothered me. But rats here carry nasty diseases and this one was an escape artist. I sighed and put my headphones in to silence my screaming consience so I could sleep. Murderer.