Today they had set up for giving blood at school.  I had been asked by both Pat and Noi if I wanted to give blood.  I have never given blood before.  For much of my younger life, I didn’t weigh enough to give blood.  Then there were quite a few years where I was traveling a lot and couldn’t give blood because of where I had been.  Even though I’ve lost over 10 pounds since moving here, I still weigh enough and I figured teachers were going to keep asking me until I did so I guess it’s time to give blood.  About a half hour before I was planning to go to the meeting hall, 5 students showed up at my desk asking if I wanted to give blood.  I told them I was planning on it and they just hung out waiting.  Oh, so I’ll go now.  They escorted me to the meeting hall where they had it all set up for donating blood.  The students helped me fill out the form which was all in Thai.  I filled in information like my name, phone number and email address.  Then I checked a ton of boxes on the back.  I have no idea what I agreed to.  They did the blood type test and checked my blood pressure.  By the time I was taken to the cot, I had an audience.  Every student in the area came over to watch.  This was about 10 to 20 students.  Teachers were taking photos.  I was quite the celebrity for 20 minutes.  Students kept asking if I was ok.  One student told me he could be my inspiration.  After, my escorts carried my purse for me and went to the snack table with me.  Of course, the snack was cookies and some sugary drink that was supposed to be juice.  Then they put a bandaid on me and walked me back across school to my desk, asking me if I felt ok.  They even kept carrying my purse for me.  It was all very adorable and awkward all at the same time.  I haven’t checked, but I bet it’s on the school website by now – Teacher Rraine gives blood.

I felt light headed the rest of the day, but it didn’t get in the way of me teaching.  After my classes, Noi asked me to go to the school shop with her for yogurt.  She likes to have yogurt in the afternoons and bought me yogurt, ice cream, chips made from peas, and chips made from dried fish.  I didn’t eat the fish ones.  She told me a bunch of teachers were going to a temple tonight and wondered if I wanted to go.  I didn’t have a chance to answer since people were coming in and out of the store and we got interrupted.  On most occasions, I would love to go, but I was feeling so tired, I didn’t think I could pull it off.  After school I hurried home hoping she wouldn’t ask again since she is impossible to say no to.  I ate a snack and took a nap.  At some point I thought I heard a car honking and thought, she came to pick me up.  By the time I got up to check, there was no car.  I won’t know until tomorrow if it was her or not.  I didn’t nap long and have been just useless the rest of the evening.  I wanted to finish at least one lesson plan and grade worksheets tonight.  Oh well, I think I can still get it all done this weekend.  I wonder how long it will take to not feel tired and light headed.

I’m also posting a few pictures from Chiang Rai, only because I just figured out how to get them saved from Line.  One of the guys in my tour group sent them to me in Line.

(c) All rights reserved Kimberly Fiore