On the bus from Lom Sak to Khon Kaen the day before visiting Tor in Chiang Yun. It was a loud karaoke style Thai music video playing, which was mercifully turned off half way through the 4 hour trip.
The unexpected beflowering welcome...
Meeting Tor for the first time.
Upstairs in the church building for a welcoming performance and greeting... From left: Tor's grandfather, Tor, me and Daeng who translated for me all day.
Young girls doing a Thai dance just for me!
Sadjit welcoming me to Chiang Yun church
An impromptu speech about how great it was to be there and to meet Tor and thank you for the wonderful welcome and things like that...
Gifts!
The entire welcoming committee
The Thai dancers and teacher
A little taste of the upcoming New Year water festival. Water and jasmine flowers are poured into our hands while being blessed for the new year.
Lots of water and lots of blessings...
Tor's grandfather
Tor putting powder on my face. This was one of the photos that the church took on their camera. It's a great shot, especially with Tor smiling...
Lots of wet laps...
Now I really feel Thai! (not to mention tall)
Two powdered faces...
The Chiang Yun church building
A board with all the Compassion children supported by Chiang Yun church
And there's me and Tor...
We sat down for a 'chat' and fortunately I was able to whip out this little album of family pics I put together to give to Tor - he seemed quite stoked with it and the smile was captured on my camera nicely by Daeng.
Time for me to give presents. At the front of Tor's house, from left: me, Tor's father, Tor and his sister Peung, Daeng, (Sadjit's husband behind him) and Tor's grandfather.
Tor having a peek at the little Aussie pack I gave him and Peung.
Tor's grandfather is giving me 2 pieces of cloth made by his late wife. One is pure silk. It was probably one of his most valuable possessions. What a generous gift!
Tor's family and cousin (centre) in their house
Taking Tor, Peung and their grandfather out to lunch. It was so spicy I had tears pouring out my eyes and nose while no one else so much as made the slightest sniffle including the children.
At the snake show...
The 'snake fight'...
Time for an ice-cream
Everyone riding in the back of the ute - for the 1 hour drive...
Back at Tor's house. His cousins live in the house on the right.
Just before I said my goodbyes to Tor and his family.
Later, Daeng took me on his motorbike to see the local town market and the local public school where Tor and Peung go.
Riding in the back of the ute, eating sweet, juicy mangos... It was only a half hour drive back to Khon Kaen but the sun was setting, casting a pink hue over the rice paddies, and the wind was cool in our faces. It was an incredible experience.
Thai style hot pot. A great way to end an amazing day.
The next day I flew to Phnom Penh via Bangkok.
