The Perfect Not Perfect Bai Teo*

[*Thai phrase meaning ‘out for fun’ or ‘an outing’]

Our first concern is the weather forecast.  Can you even operate a Waterpark if there are thunderstorms forecast for basically the whole day?  Suradet and Yupa don’t seem concerned.  They are relying more on their ‘feel’ for how the sky looks than the weatherap.  Okay.  I’ve learned to trust their instincts, so we’re still on.

Next is the confusion about opening time and when we should leave.  Originally, we would have spent most of the morning in the water and ended up going out for lunch.  But a double check of the website and we’re now on for eating an early lunch here and spending the afternoon. 

I admit that already I’m feeling like this isn’t going at all how I imagined.  I’m glad, actually, for the morning to recoup from a jet-lag-hanging-on bad night’s sleep, and I end up getting in another hour after breakfast.  First naps, if you will.  But there’s a delay in the excitement build-up. 

Here I pause for a recap.  This is ‘the outing’ Ken and I have planned for while we are here.  And all the other plans had come together so nicely.  People had helped toward the costs of taking a family of 23 (by the time you include the adults) out for the day.  Even here in Thailand, that adds up.

 

We were also considering this something of our anniversary party.  The ‘event’ that would mark the astonishing connection between all that God has written into the story of our marriage, and the beautiful love-work of New Family Foundation.

Plus, there’s the kids themselves, eager to get going since an outing like this doesn’t happen very often at all. 

But eventually, we are off.  It’s just a short ride into Sankampeng, about 20 minutes, and enthusiasm is running high.  We arrive and step out to an intense sun – so much for the weather forecast – and make our way to line up.  A tad overwhelmed by the bigness of the entranceway, both Bee-Mai and Goon, come alongside to take my hand.  As we walk I realize I am having two intense responses.  One is this truly lovely Gramma moment.  And the other is a desperate hope that once inside we’ll be able to find some shade!!!

 

There’s a measuring board and we figure out our categories and organize ourselves accordingly.  Then wait a just a bit for our turn.

 

Okay no.  Only swimsuits are allowed, and none of us have one.  They’ll sell us one for 450 baht a piece (that’s $18 CDN x 23).  None of the information was on the website.  So, um.  Not in the budget and highly impractical given how often they’ll actually be used.  After a bit of conversation between the adults, and an explanation to the children, we decide this is not our destination after all.

 

It’s starting to feel like our day in unravelling a bit. 

I’m fairly used to ‘going with the flow’ while here in Thailand.  Lots of times thing don’t happen the way you think they will.  When I was here for three months, it once took an entre day to get a haircut.

But today is about the kids.  What now?  We’re all primed for an adventure, and it’s hot enough to really, really want to get wet.

 

Here we pause for another observation.  The kids are taking it in stride.  Yes, you can see the disappointment on their faces.  But there is not one single bit of whining, not one tear.  Nothing but a patient waiting for the adults to figure this out.

 

Which we do.  Or so we think.

 New plan (what’s this, plan D by now?).  We’ll head further into Chiang Mai and check out a place called The Grand Canyon.  Lots to do in the water there, apparently.   Pile everyone back in the vehicles and of we go for another 45 minute drive to the new place.

While we’re driving, it starts to rain.  Hard.  Ooookaaaay.

But when we arrive, the rain subsides and things look promising,  at first.  Entry fee is reasonable, especially considering anyone 8 and under gets in free.  That’s seven of us!  The ticket stubs are also good for discounts on drinks later, if we like.  Not sure about that yet, but we’ll see.

And in we go.

The place is massive.  A human-made Grand Canyon sort of deal that, we find out very soon, has activities more suited for young adults that children, zip line and cliff diving among them.  But over there, way down there, is an inflatable kiddie pool with a built-in slide.  And just a little further, complete with life jackets and other equipment, you can go kayaking, take out a paddle boat, or just jump in the water and float around on a tube.

None of it is as new and polished as the waterpark would have been.  The bamboo bridge between two sections is kinda rickety.  And standing on the one platform, you can’t mind that you’ll get your feet wet.  But it suits us in our wide range of ages just fine.  And, well, we can get wet.

Now, the little side note here is what’s also happening at the park that day.  A group party (later on a poster I’ll see it called a ‘day rave’) has booked the place, not exclusively, but they are playing loud boom-box music and, well partying in ways young adults party when it’s hot and there’s water.  All of them farangs (foreigners), non of them inhibited.   And that’s all I’ll say about that.  Except that I loved how confidently our group just went ahead and took their turns and got out in the boats and played on the floating platforms.  At least we had the entire kiddie pool to ourselves.  And who knows.  Maybe we had a tempering effect on the activities?

 

The water fun is only interrupted by appetites.  Bee-Mai comes to ask me “Gin cao?”  Can we eat now?  And we discover that the hostess to the restaurant on the premises is favourable to our work, the fact that we are a charitable foundation, and gives us a discount on all the food we end up eating, including the ice cream at the end.

Throughout the day, Ken and I mostly just watch.  You need several pairs of eyes on things when you have that many kids playing in the water.  But even more, it was just the deep and sweet satisfaction of seeing our kids making a memory.  I am especially conscious of a few of our newer kids whose stories are more difficult.  To see them abandon themselves to joy…..you just can put a price on that.

So was it a good day?

Absolutely.

Largely because we kept adjusting as we went, and kept our attitudes positive.  Yes.  That.  I need to keep remembering that.

But mostly because the kids really did have fun, and we made a pretty awesome memory together.

We cannot say enough how grateful we are for those who helped make this day happen.