The elephant was still being led through the streets in the morning as we went to breakfast, squealing it's little squeaks as it crossed through the traffic. Danielle had to get to a seamstress by 8, who was going to make her a sarrong to wear at the temple herbal sauna, she charged her all of $2 for the work. The workshop was a cute family shop, with aged and trusty black and gold singer sewing machines.
We went to Daves Canadian for breakfast. Danielle likes how he is so friendly but completely indifferent to his customers, there's a real feel of a Canadian cabin to the place. We also went back for lunch and this time Dave told us his life story, of how he came to Mae Sot after buying his way out of a contract in a factory firm, which had moved its offices to Singapore. He hated Singapore because of how expensive it was. A clause in his leaving the company meant that he couldn't work for anyone else for three years, so after coming to Mae Sot to see his brother in law, he decided to run a restaurant for those three years because he liked the place, and now, 11 years later he is still here, becoming a celebrity of travel guide books and the restaurant of choice of NGO's, even serving the police as interpreter for the foreigners who get into drunken fights. "With thais or amongst themselves" we asked, noticing how there seems to be an absence of drinking culture among the Thais, and of blood on the streets on saturday mornings, which is so familiar at home. "Sometimes just by themselves", Dave replied, as some of them just ended up breaking furniture and refuse to pay, so Dave has to go visit them and ask "So do you want me to bring you some macaroni or are we going to see how we're going to pay for this table?" He said the town was a lot rougher three years ago, but things are much better now.
We had a new years party at the european run Thai organisation, Danielle had to bring a gift, as on new years you give gifts. She got one from a store around the corner from us which has year round free gift wrapping outside, so when ever you feel like giving a gift you can just go to the store, danielle got me a toast towel and I got her a hello kitty handbag. At the party there was barbarque food and a noodles stand and a whole bunch of soda, it was very family oriented. When we arrived Danielle had to hand in her gift to which she was given a number, 77, which in Thai is jet sip jet - of the little Thai we know we fortunately know numbers, because when gift time came around they read the numbers out only in Thai (as apart from one other westerner, everyone was Thai or Burmese). When the number was called out, by the enthusiastic MC who somehow brought the crowd to fits of laughter over the most mundane thing, she had to go up on the stage. Then they called out another number and someone else came on the stage, so the two could exchange gifts. Danielle got a tea cup and saucer set, while the old man got Danielles pink love heart photo frame with clock.
Danielle also got some other gifts as well as a soft toy for Abacus, but as we left the severly G rated event, we saw an old burmese lady pushing her cart of possesions down the street and Danielle gave her the extra gifts, she seemed really appreciative.
Danielle was going to another new years party at her friends, we didn't want to push it with abacus, so I was to take her home. We walked to get a motorcycle taxi for danielle, they're the guys on the main street wearing purple vests. The guy we found didn't speak a word of english and had an open can of beer in the carry basket on the front of his bike, with a straw in it. But she got to the party safely, where there was plenty of traditional food and a bon fire that they dowsed in petrol and lit with sky rockets. It sounded fun.
It wasn't Thai new year, but they still celebrate it as though it is, which gives them two new years eves in one year. Their new years is in april and it is currently the year 2552, marked by the birth of buddha.
Our New Years wish was as it is every night, to get a good nights sleep, so we turned down the offers of guest house room parties for the hope of some good sleep. But it wasn't abacus who woke us up, it was the warzone sound of megaton strength fireworks, that seemed to be exploding right over head, lighting the windows in explosions of light. They were relentless - but of all ironies - abacus slept through it. She slept for two four hour sessions, which was awesome. But she still woke up at 6, yelling at us to get up.
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