Day 2 of practicing on real live people, and I think it's all starting to gel. I'm not so nervous and I'm starting to enjoy myself a little more. I'm still studying my books every night and spending a lot of time visualising - it helps me to memorise the extra techniques and treatment points for each type of symptom.
Today I treated a lady that has chronic knee problems and also strained her shoulder lifting something too heavy. I surprised myself completely by knowing exactly what to do and when to do it, and at the end of the treatment she felt much better. Result!
My thumbs hurt, and so does my knee, and I'm not the only one that's aching - Lynn, Malee and Olja all have assorted aches and pains as well. It makes me feel a little better knowing that even though I'm the oldest of us girls I'm not the only one suffering :-)
This morning I met the monk. No, I still don't know his name. Last night I went down Khao San Road to the Kodak shop to get a picture of me printed. I don't do that for just anybody you know, but he had asked for one in exchange for the photo I took of him yesterday. I gave him my photo this morning and he invited me back to his wat for coffee, which he made for me himself. He lives at Wat Mahathat on Thanon Maha Rat, which is next to the Silpakorn University. We sat in the courtyard of his soi and talked while I drank my coffee and he ate his breakfast.
I told him about Wat Pho and studying massage. He asked about my family and I showed him a picture of my husband Pete, and told him about Krystal. He was sad that I only had one child, and said that he wished I had two boys and two girls.
Other monks happened past, going about their normal business, but didn't seem too surprised to see me. I think he might have said something about me to some of them. I recognised a couple of them from the morning alms. I don't think it's too common for farang girls to hang out with 75 year old monks, drinking coffee, but it was fine with us, and I enjoyed my time with him very much. He has a cracking sense of humor, a gentle manner and way of speech, and the sense of peace I get from spending time with him lasts all day. All the weird, bad crap that constantly floats around in my head suddenly seems...unnecessary, and easy to dismiss. I missed Ruesi Dutton this morning, but it was worth it.
He wants to meet me again tomorrow morning, to give me a letter with his address on so I can write to him.
I've been telling Teacher Somphong about him as Somphong was a monk for a year, when he was young. He just smiles and says I am lucky. An unexpected benefit of visiting Thailand has been the relationships I have formed, several of which I believe will last my lifetime. I am very lucky!
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