How to Get Your Neighbor to Leave You Alone

Across the path from me lives one of the nosiest neighbors in the world. I really don’t like this woman, mostly because she always comes over and just stares at me or repeatedly says my name over and over. Maybe she’ll ask a question in Thai, but when I try to answer she interrupts me with something else. I’ve learned to just nod at her, or make excuses about how busy I am. She annoys me most when she comes over and asks if she can have my fruit – which really is not very “Thai” at all. If she was truly Thai she would be giving me fruit instead. I play the “I don’t know what you’re saying” card with her often, hoping she’ll give up and go back home.

A week ago my dog bit her. Have I mentioned that I love my dog? I was in the hammock with the dog lying underneath. She saw me there reading, so she had to come over and ask me a string of questions that I pretended not to understand. From her body language I think she was either asking if I had already ridden my bike, or if she could borrow my bike (once again, not very “Thai”). She started to stomp her feet, acting like she was peddling, right next to the dog. He flipped out (thinking she was trying to hurt me) and bit her. He is actually an amazing guard dog. She and I both sat there for a minute in shock. I asked if she wanted to go to the hospital and she got on her motorcycle. I followed on my bike and ended up sitting at the hospital in town for two and a half hours with this woman. She got pleasure out of telling everyone in the waiting room that the foreigner’s dog bit her, and then showing off her wound. I read a book, trying to avoid conversation. The bill for all seven of her shots ended up being around 70 dollars which is a lot considering I make around 200 dollars a month. I cussed out loud in the waiting room when I found out – somewhat accidentally, somewhat on purpose. Was it worth it to keep her away? Totally. I gave the dog extra food for dinner that night. I was so proud.

I found my community project already. I’ve been wanting to put on a series of teacher trainings, not strictly for English teachers, but more general “good practices” seminars. I went to the English Resource center in my province a week ago and decided to work with them to help their kids in conversational English in return for them funding my seminars and enlisting teachers in the area to participate. My first one is in August (I’ll be away from my site for most of July).

Random Info:

-Another volunteer got asked to go home. She was away from site and didn’t report it to PC. They found out through pictures on facebook that someone else posted. We’re supposed to inform them if we sleep somewhere else other than our house. It’s disheartening how easily they will let people go.

-The kids in my classes have American names. If you’re a friend or family in America, there is a Thai child who has your name.


-Yesterday I went over to my bike, pulled my helmet out of my front basket, and found a snake waiting for me. It was small, but still, it was a snake. I screamed. My friend Tina came over first and decided to take pictures. The nosy neighbor saw us and decided she needed to throw rocks at the snake. Two very different reactions.

-There were some political rallies that got out of hand in Bangkok this past weekend. I’m safe and unaffected so far. No worries.