Free Rick!

Last week I got to the Law Building (Number Two) to teach a class and was flagged down by one of the department secretaries. She's very nice, I've spoken to her at our department parties, even danced with her a couple of times. No English though, hardly a word. She wanted to tell me something, but it was tough going.

The hard part for most Thais is slowing down and simplifying their language. We got through it though, I was to report to a certain building the next morning to get my picture taken for an ID card.

I was ecstatic at the prospect! I've never had one, it's three and a half years now, and I kind of wondered why. It helps on our extracurricular duties. I've never had one because no one ever bothered to tell me to go get one on the one day of the year that they take the pictures. It was a total accident that I ran into her, and God bless her courage in tackling the job of telling me about it.

So yesterday I stopped by the office and sure enough, there was my new ID card waiting for me (on a nice Ramkhamhaeng University lanyard too!). There was one little surprise.

"FREERICK CEELY"

I didn't know what to think at first, but I decided that I like it. It's distinctive, I may be the only person in the world with that name.