Angela's Blog

Weaving

2008-07-19T02:28:00.000-07:00

One way that the ladies in the village make some extra money is through weaving. It takes weeks to make one roll of cloth. They have wooden looms and they line colored string up to make patterns. The villagers have a unique pattern that they make their skirts out of. They meticulously tie off white string to die it for the pattern. Then, they have to line it all up on the loom. It takes a long time to make one role of fabric with this pattern.

This lady is using string that the government gave her to weave. She will finish the roll of fabric, and the government will give her money for it. The amount of money she gets is determined by how well she weaves. She tries to make it without snags and to line everything up perfectly.

Preparing to Plant Rice

2008-07-11T00:47:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to plant rice is a lot of work. The levies to the fields have to be built back up from the year before. Brush and foliage needs to be hacked down with a hatchet. This way, when it rains, the fields will fill with water, making the ground soft. The farmers also have to plow the fields several times with a tractor that they push. In the past, farmers would use water buffalo to plow the fields. Today, some still do, but many are able to purchase a tractor. These guys were nice enough to allow us to get pictures of them getting ready for the rice/rainy season. One of them even let me try my hand at holding the tractor.

As the families prepare their fields for planting rice, they begin by throwing seed into one of their fields. This seed grows to be around 2 feet tall. Then, the family pulls up all the rice stalks and transplant them into another field. When the rice is growing, it is a beautiful shade of green that takes my breath away. I am amazed at the beauty of this land, especially during rice season.

Fishing for Frogs, etc.

2008-07-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

Food is an important part of the daily lives of the people I work among. Farming, shepherding, hunting, and gathering provides most of their food. Becca, Linda, and I were able to join a group of ladies hunting for food in some rice fields that had not been planted yet. The night before it rained a lot and many of the fields had standing water. The ladies had "fishing baskets" and would drag them through the water hoping to catch frogs and tad poles. They would then scoop their catch out of the large basket and deposit it into the small basket attached to their wastes. Frogs and tadpoles were not the only catch. They also would catch large bugs and lizards. These joined the frogs and tadpoles in the small basket to become dinner that night.

I was able to try my hand at fishing and managed to snag 3 or 4 frogs. I enjoyed spending time with these ladies and hope to do more in the future.

Young Monks

2008-04-25T08:39:00.001-07:00

While we were teaching at the English camp, a line of young monks walked by the school on the way to the temple. The boys were suppose to be in a meditative state and not pay attention to the things around them. They are not suppose to desire anything. It was obvious that they were trying very hard not to look at us. They wanted to participate, but they could not. Their was an older monk who was telling them not to look as they walked. It was so sad to me.

As a way to obtain merit, most men have spent at least a short time as a monk. This obtains merit for themselves as well as their families. Many of them do this as boys. This was a special time in this village for meditation, and so many of the school boys became monks for a time. This is also summer break for the school kids. My heart hurts for these people as I see so much devotion to something like this. Please remember them.

Mini English Camp

2008-04-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

Lindsey and Janna's team asked us to join them last Friday for a mini English camp. We went to one of the villages near where they live and held it at the village school. You'll notice that most of the participants are girls. That is because last Friday was a special day when many of the boys become monks for a little while. It was fun doing the camp. Their team had everything already ready and it was a learning experience for my team. We sang songs in English and it was my job to teach about the names of animals. The temperature was in the high 90's and so we were all stinky and tired when the day was over.

Songgran: Feasting on the Street

2008-04-18T05:09:00.000-07:00

After a day playing in the water, tables were set up on the streets and vendors set up shop. We began eating at around 4:30 and continued until about 9:00. I had a good time interacting with my neighbors and their friends. I also enjoyed trying a lot of new food. Some of it was really spicy. I think that this meal was my favorite part of Songgran.

Songgran: Riding in a Truck

2008-04-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

After we had thrown water at enough cars and trucks and people, we decided to take our own trip. There were a couple streets jammed packed with people. There were stages where people were doing the traditional dance. Sadly, there where places teenagers and college aged guys and girls were pole dancing with not much clothing on. I turned away when we went near those places, and when my friends tried to point it out to me, I told her that I did not like it. She was surprised and told everyone else later that day that I did not like that type of dancing.

When we were driving, a lot of people got a kick out of seeing a foreigner in the back of a truck. They would have powder or flour, and run up and put it on my cheeks and face. Sometimes, they would do it as a welcome gesture and blessing, and other times it was just to have fun. I got a little tired of being touched so much, and I had the last straw when a group of guys put shampoo in my hair and tried to wash it. I said, "No, I don't want you to do this." in the language, and they backed down. I had to assure the people that I was with that I was okay and that I was not upset. I finally made a joke that I would not have to shower that night, and they laughed.

I am thankful that I was able to spend this holiday with a family, and not with younger people. The family was not interested in getting drunk or being inappropriate. If I was with a younger friend, I probably would have been exposed to more awkward situations.

Songgran: Water Station

2008-04-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

Songgran takes place during the hottest time of the year. It is a great way to cool off. Traditionally, everyone will wear a brightly flowered shirt during the festival. However, this year a lot of teenagers wore all black after a call from the government for modesty among the youth. However, the flowered shirts are great because they are loose fitting and dry quickly.

Jom's family finished the water blessings, and then took me to a friend's business. They got out large buckets and filled them with water. Children of their friends joined us, and we were armed with small buckets and water guns. Trucks with their beds full of people would drive by. They would throw water at us and we would throw water at them. It was a lot of fun, and was also very tiring. Namjai, Jom's son, had a great time. He would throw water at the tires of cars because he was so short. He also managed to throw water at me quite a bit. In the past, he's been really shy of me, but he really opened up during the festival.

Songgran: Water Blessing

2008-04-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

My neighbors invited me to celebrate Song-gran with their family. This is a water festival that is celebrated in many of the Buddhist countries in this area. It is to induct the Buddhist New Year. It also has a root in animism. They believe that the more water that is thrown, the more rain they'll have in rainy season.

Before the fun began, we went around to many of their friends and they performed the ceremony, Rot Naam. This is a water blessing where water is poured over the head or hands, and a blessing is invoked. I observed and took pictures as the family did this. The wife's name is Gukgai (wearing a hat), the husband is Jom, and the son in Namjai. Please remember this family, and their mother, often.

Easter

2008-04-15T05:41:00.000-07:00

During Easter, our team went on a retreat to a neighboring country and stayed in a town on a river. As I thought of my past Easters, I missed the music and celebration of the Savior's resurrection with close friends and family. However, I was tremendously blessed by the friends with whom I celebrated. They have become like a brother and sister to me. We were able to read through the Easter story out loud to each other in a nation where most people have never heard it.

Taam Kwaan

2008-03-11T08:36:00.000-07:00

A little while ago I started going out to the local community college to study language with one of the teachers. I was invited to a ceremony for those graduating and, not really sure what it was, I went. I found out when I arrived that the ceremony was to Taam Kwaan. Kwaan is a word that means spirit or maybe soul. It's hard to translate. Anyway, they had a time of chanting to a statue of the Buddha. Then they chanted to a large flower arrangement that you can see on the table. Food was offered to the flowers including rice, eggs, chicken, desert, and beer. After the chanting was finished, people began tying strings around the wrists of the departing students.

As far as I understand, the strings are suppose to keep the soul from leaving the body.

Each student held an egg in his/her hand while the string was being tied. By the end of the ceremony, each student would have several strings around his/her wrist. I did not understand the symbolism of the egg, but when I asked, I learned that the cooked chicken was also important. I thought, "I could not imagine a public college having a ceremony like this in the States. It just shows how ingrained religion is in this culture.

Puppy Sitting

2008-03-09T07:16:00.000-07:00

As my team mates traveled, I took care of their dog, Ginger. She is a puppy and acted like one. I had to make sure that my house was chew proof. She managed to find a pair of flip-flops, though. However, I could not stay mad at her too long. She was too cute and excited about everything.

School Kids

2008-03-09T07:07:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of some young school children who are waiting for their time to perform on stage. They are wearing traditional outfits.

Mueay Thai Dance

2008-03-03T18:07:00.000-08:00

This is a dance of Mueay Thai Boxers. They performed this at the cultural show. It was fun to watch them play the drums.

Spiritism

2008-03-03T06:25:00.000-08:00

At the cultural show in February, there was a time when the tribal shamans called on the ancestors to guide them and to answer questions. They had people playing traditional instruments as part of the ceremony. The shaman would use the ability of a knife to balance on its tip to determine what type of answer they were receiving from the ancestors. I could not fully understand this ceremony because of language ability. I was saddened to learn that this practice is still very common among these people.

Cultural Parade

2008-03-02T06:02:00.000-08:00

On the second day of the cultural festival, the villagers put on a small parade to celebrate their move from their native land to the place they now reside. From what I understand, this moved occurred around 100 or 200 years ago. They carried drums and flags to represent the move. They rode in wagons and walked.

The big nets that the ladies are carrying are for fishing. They are a very common way of fishing here. Again, the people are wearing traditional clothing.

Young Girls Dance

2008-02-15T06:39:00.000-08:00

At the cultural show, these young girls performed a traditional dance in front the statue of one of their forefathers. They are actually worshiping this statue or the ancestor that the statue represents. The dance was very beautiful. I have a video of it, but am having trouble uploading it. If you look closely behind the girls, you can see the statue that they are dancing to.

Elderly Pay Tribute

2008-02-11T00:53:00.001-08:00

In front of a statue of their forefather, these elderly people lead the community in paying tribute to the man and asking for blessing. They have all donned traditional clothing for this event.

Flags and Flowers

2008-02-11T00:45:00.000-08:00

We went to a cultural show of a local people group. On the first day, we were able to listen to the monks chant as the people offered prayers to the Buddha. Then, there was a presentation done in front of a statue of a forefather that was a great leader among the people. These children walked in front of the statue with flowers and flags to lead the ceremony. They are in the traditional garb of their people group. The flags represent the communities that journeyed to this area a hundred or so years ago.

The Park

2008-02-10T05:34:00.000-08:00

On the day that Annette and I left to go back to Bangkok so that she could fly back to America, I took her to the park of my little town. Here, when you buy a glass bottle of Coke, they give it to you in a bag of ice and keep the bottle for recycling. It was a warm day at the park so I enjoyed a nice bag of Coke.

We were surprised to see a man fishing in the lake because it was really warm and the middle of the day.

During our time at the park, a group of children saw us walking and decided to practice their English. They yelled, "Hello!" and "How are you?" I think that they got more than they bargained for when we decided to walk over and talk to them. They really did not speak any more English than those phrases, so I got to practice my Thai. However, they could understand some of what Annette said. We got a picture with Annette and them. Then we went to sit at a table, and all the children followed us and sat with us. It was pretty fun to talk to them.

New Neighbors

2008-02-06T06:32:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of some of my new neighbors. The lady's name is Guk Gai and her husband is Jom. They have a son and live together with Guk Gai's mother. The man waving his hand is Lek. He and his wife, Oiy, are friends of the family. Guk Gai's mother has really taken me under her wing. She refers to me as her daughter and asks me to call her mother. I am able to share many meals with them and practice language. They also are very protective of me because I live alone. I feel very blessed to live next to them.

Moving

2008-02-06T06:07:00.000-08:00

Annette stayed busy when she was here by helping me move. I really do not know what I would have done without her help. Packing was a lot more enjoyable with her there and the place I moved to was really really dirty.

It took a whole day just to clean the bathroom! Without Annette's help, I would have been cleaning for at least a week. Lindsey, Janna, and Kim also came to help for a day. It was nice to see them since I had been living so far away before the move.

Sky Train

2008-02-06T02:33:00.000-08:00

While living in the city of 12 million, I relied on public transportation. I regularly rode in taxis, buses, and motorcycle taxis. However, my main form of transportation was the "sky train." This is basically an above ground electric train. I was always too shy to take a picture on the train because of all the other people that would be in the picture. However, Annette convinced me to play the "tourist card" and pretend to be a tourist. I was also really excited to get a picture of Annette and the M&M train. I think that it is the coolest of the sky trains, if you can call the sky train "cool." :-)

Monkey Temple

2008-02-06T02:06:00.000-08:00

Annette and I went to a temple or "wat" in Hua Hin that is nick-named the "Monkey Temple." Man, the place was crawling with monkeys. Annette and I climbed to the top of these stairs. While we were climbing, I carried a plastic bag with a bottle of water in it. Suddenly, a monkey came out of no where and grabbed the bag. I pulled one way and he pulled the other. The bag ripped and the bottle landed on the stairs on its side. The monkey grabbed it and unscrewed the lid. He then drank out of it as the water spilled all over the stairs. I bet he was disappointed that it was only water! I was a little frustrated with the monkey because he took my water!

There were monkeys everywhere! I thought it would be cool to see all the monkeys, but quickly realized that they're not as cute in real life as they are on television.

I think that the monkey next to the sign is the fattest monkey I've ever seen. He obviously is fed a lot (or steals a lot) by the tourists.

At the top of the stairs were several statues as well as a beautiful view of the ocean. However, that was the dirtiest Buddhist temple that I've visited.

Tuk Tuk

2008-02-06T01:27:00.000-08:00

On the way to the elephant farm and the temple, Annette and I rode in this Tuk-Tuk. It was fun to go up the mountain in the tuk-tuk. We were able lt see the ocean and we went by a fishing village. Oh! Did it stink! It smelled like fish. I couldn't imagine living there. However, once we got past the village, we were able to smell the fresh ocean air and the exhaust fumes of the tuk-tuk. :-)

Dance, Jennie, Dance!

2008-01-30T04:33:00.000-08:00

During our time at the elephant farm, Jennie, the baby elephant, danced for us. She was so cute! Annette took this video on her camera and watched it over and over again. I really enjoyed hearing Annette laugh every time she watched the video. It's amazing how much laughter can do to encourage someone. I realized that I did not get enough laughter in my life. Annette's laughter was just one of the blessings I received from her visit.

Annette and the Elephants

2008-01-28T05:18:00.001-08:00

During our time in Hua Hin, Annette and I went to an elephant farm and rode an elephant. We also saw an elephant show. It was really fun. I enjoyed practicing my language with the elephant trainer. Each elephant has his/her own trainer who takes care of it from a baby. Annette and I also enjoyed the coconut milk and pineapple that the farm provided.

Hua Hin: Eat and Relax

2008-01-27T06:13:00.000-08:00

Our time in Hua Hin consisted of eating and relaxing. Annette tried her first local food there. After I swallowed my shock at the price (prices were raised for tourists), I enjoyed letting her try different things. You'll have to ask her what her favorite thing was.

One night, we went to the market and she tried a very popular desert called roti. It consists of butter fried thin dough thats folded over bananas and topped with condensed milk and/or sugar. Not the healthiest thing to eat, but boy its good.

We also enjoyed a lot of relaxation at the beach and by the pool. It was nice.

More Travel for Annette

2008-01-27T06:03:00.000-08:00

The day after Annette arrived, I took the poor girl on another trip. We went to the beach at Hua Hin. We traveled by bus for about 2 1/2 hours. The bus station had a Mr. Donut, an Asian donut store. Annette and I REALLY REALLY enjoyed the donuts. The picture of Annette and me is taken on the bus. When we got to Hua Hin, we each got in a cart peddled by a man that took us to the hotel. Annette's guy was faster than mine, and so I only got a picture of the back of her head. We stayed in Hua Hin for 2 days and had a great time. It was the first vacation I've taken since I arrived. I couldn't think of a better person to spend it with.

Annette Arrives Bearing Gifts

2008-01-27T05:44:00.000-08:00

Annette came to visit me for 2 weeks in December. Her flight was delayed, and so after spending the night in Japan, she finally arrived with all smiles. She had a whole suitcase full of things from my friends and family back home. It was such a blessing to hear how everyone in Raleigh is doing and I really enjoyed the gifts. They included Christmas tree ornaments from my Sunday class and a Christmas stocking from my brother and sister-in-law. Other things that I really enjoyed included Clinique products, flax seed, cookie mix, queso dip, and Velveeta Macaroni and Cheese. Yum! I also got a bath robe and i-Tunes and Starbucks gift cards that went to very good use. Thank-you everyone! Ya'll are great!

My Yellow Shirt

2007-11-08T07:41:00.000-08:00

On the day I went to see the boats, I wore my yellow shirt to show respect to the king. This is a picture of me and Pimjai on a very famous tourist street with a lot of backpackers. I had never been to this road, and Pimjai thought I just HAD to see it. I really didn't want to because of its bad reputation. Oh well, I saw the road and took a picture. :-)

Boats

2007-11-08T07:07:00.000-08:00

The day after I got back to the big city, I got a call from an old language teacher that asked if I wanted to go to the King's Park. I sad yes, but we didn't go to the King's Park, we went to the river to see the "boats." It was neat. There were anywhere from 20-40 boats. All the rowers were chanting as they road. The tall white poles were used to keep time like a drum. They would be lifted and brought down on the ship's deck to make the beat.

There were lots of people there to see the show. They were all wearing yellow shirts in honor of the king. Some monks were standing on a bench to get better pictures. That is funny because monks are not suppose to have money to buy cameras. I guess someone gave it to them.

Roadside Diner

2007-11-08T06:46:00.000-08:00

On the way home from looking for houses we stopped at a roadside stand for grilled chicken, spicey papaya salad, and sticky rice. The dog sleeping under the table was there the whole time we ate, sleeping hard. They do not have the "No Pet" policy at outdoor restaurants (or indoor ones). :-) Besides, this wasn't a pet, it was a street dog.

The grilled chicken was delicious. We really, really enjoyed it. They stick the whole chicken on a stick to grill it. Yum.

Random

2007-11-08T06:39:00.000-08:00

When we were out looking for houses to rent, we stopped by the local grocery/department store. It's their version of Wal-mart Supercenter. Well, we started laughing when these cows came walking right through the parking lot. This is just another random thing here in Southeast Asia.

House Finding Trip

2007-11-07T05:02:00.000-08:00

Last weekend; Greg, Christi and I made a trip up to the area that we will move to next month. We only had 2-3 days to find places to rent, and really had to trust the Father to provide. Well, the Father is faithful. A national believer named Sunete went with us and a local teacher from the town also helped us. WIth their help, we were able to find good places to rent. This is a small, old townhouse where I will stay. The inside has been well maintained and I think that I will have great neighbors. Some kids were following us around the whole time. I hope that I can have an impact on the neighborhood.

This little girl stood right up next to me for a while and touched my arm if I was looking away. Our national friend said that she wanted to know what the skin of a foreigner felt like. :-)

Temple on the Mountain

2007-11-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

I saw this monk who has spent his life in the monkhood. I was sad to see him and wondered if he would ever hear about the Father, and if he heard, if he would listen.

Today, I was in the car and the radio was on. A national believer named Sunete who was with us said that we were listening to a Monk giving a sermon. He was telling the people that they need to give a lot of money to build more temples. Sunete said that she gives her mother food and money, but her mother just gives it to the monks. Sunete said that her mother sometimes doesn't eat in order to give the food to the Monks.

This is another example of people worshiping different types of idols. The monk is blessing the people by sprinkling holy water on them. My heart was heavy this day and I wonder what a person like me can do to make a difference. Then, I realized that it was up to me, but up to the Father.

Random

2007-10-31T01:16:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the little green sign. We were driving down the street in Chiang Mai and saw this sign. It says "THE MUSEUM OF INSECTS AND NATURAL WONDERS." It was so random. We laughed a lot. Okay, maybe it's not that funny, but it is an example of how random some things are here. I wonder who thought to combine a museum of insects with a museum of natural wonders.

The picture of the man behind the sign is of the king. He is very beloved and even adored here. He is turning 80 years old this year and has done a lot for this nation. People here are motivated to work hard because of the king's work ethic. Please lift him up as he has been sick the last couple weeks and in the hospital. His oldest daughter also is sick and has cancer.

Oay's Restaurant

2007-10-21T21:49:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been going to my friend, Oay's, restaurant to spend time with her and practice the language. Oay is very patient when it comes to practicing the langauge and I have enjoyed getting to know her. Her older sister, Tiwan, is one of my tutors and is a believer. However, Oay, her other sister, and her parents are not. The little girl in the picture is Momo, Tiwan's daugther. She is really sweet.

I have really enjoyed spending time in this restuarant. The food is really spicey and has a lot of curry in it. It doesn't taste like Indian curry at all. The restaurant does not have an enclosed front and so is open air. Oay has many regular customers and a meal is about $1.00. She doesn't let me pay, though. Oay works 6-7 days a week from 6-7am until 7-8pm. They close when they run out of food or when it gets late.

Please lift her and her family up.

Fun in the Mall

2007-10-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

I had some friends who came into town for visa issues. They live in another country, so it was really nice to see them. We went to a local mall and they had some art work up. It was a good photo opp. :)

Cooking Lessons

2007-10-11T08:07:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I had my first cooking lesson of the local food. I made Kay Jiaw and Grapaow Gai. My friend, Ning, took me shopping for the right ingredients and taught me how to cook the food. It turned out really good and afterwords we went out with some other girls to a movie. I had a lot of fun and have practiced making the dishes several times this week. I've experimented with them trying to make them without so much oil. It was also a good time to practice language.

The Kay Jiaw is really easy. You beat two eggs, add a tablespoon of soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of fish sauce, sliced onions, and, if you want, cooked minced pork. Then you pour some soy oil in a pan and heat it until it's really hot. Pour the egg in and flatten it out so it looks kind of like a pancake. Flip and cook thoroughly. Serve on top of rice.

September 13

2007-09-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

These are pictures of dinner on my birthday. We had already had a big party, so this was just a few friends who went out to dinner. I had "Mexican" food for dinner. It was good, but I haven't had real Mexican food in a year. It's amazing how good something is when it's close to something that you like. I enjoyed the dinner and laughed more than I had in a long time. It was really nice to laugh and laugh.

Another Goodbye

2007-09-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

Over the last few months, I have been meeting with Becky. David, her husband, and she have been working at a university here sharing truth with students as well as teaching English. She has been an encouragement to me and I have been blessed to have someone to share with and pr-y with. We have been reading the book, "Lies Women Believe And Truth That Sets Them Free" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I have been extremely challenged by this book and highly recommend it to my friends. It is an easy read with simple truths, but the reminder is needed and I have been challenged by every chapter I've read. This week Becky and David are going back to the U.S. for 6 months. I will miss the opportunity to be blessed by such a grace-filled lady, but know that she will be filled with joy in seeing her children and grandchildren. It is amazing to me what people here leave behind to serve the Father. Her love for her children and grandchildren is obvious, but she puts her love for the Father ahead of them. Even when things are hard. Please remember this sweat couple during their time in the U.S.

Language School

2007-09-23T07:07:00.000-07:00

This week is my last week of language at the school. After this week, I will have a private tutor at home and try to schedule friends to be conversation partners with me. This is a picture of Lindsey, Janna, and me with most of the teachers from our language school. It was Lindsey and Janna's last day there.

Early B-day

2007-09-22T21:44:00.000-07:00

We had to go to Malaysia the week before my birthday and Janna and Lindsey were moving the day after Lindsey's birthday. My birthday was September 13 and Lindsey's was September 14. With the month of September so busy, Janna decided to throw us a birthday party on September 1 at Hard Rock Cafe. She sent out invitations to a lot of people who live in the city we study language in. We had not had a chance to see many of them in a while, so it was great to see every one again. The party was fun and the food was good. It was nice to have some food that tastes American. A lot of the workers sang "Happy Birthday" and we got little teddy bears with Hard Rock Cafe t-shirts and an apple crisp desert. Yum!

Visa Run

2007-09-16T09:06:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago; Lindsey, Janna, and I had to go to Kuala Lumpur to get a new visa. It was our first time in this city. We only had two nights there, and part of the time was at the embassy of the country we live in. We were able to visit two malls. One was in these twin towers, which is something KL is famous for. We were very excited to eat at a Chili's in this mall. Yum. We went to the other mall because it has the world's largest Borders Bookstore. Wow! I could have spent all day in there! This mall also had a small amusement park inside, rollercoaster and all. Amazing. My favorite part of the trip was the chance we had to visit with some friends from school while there. How neat to see them again and hear them speak a language I don't know.

My Room/Apartment

2007-09-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, it has been a long time since I've updated this blog, but that will soon change. Julie, my sister-in-law, wanted to see what my apartment looks like, so here it is! I live in a one room (sort of loft style) apartment. In the kitchenette, I have some electric stove tops to cook on, but no oven. It's usually cheaper, though not healthier, to eat on the street. I have one chair to sit in (and some stools for the table). The bathroom is a wet bathroom. That means that when I take a shower, the sink and toilet get wet and the water goes out a drain in the floor under the sink. My toilet does not flush. The big blue bucket has a small scoop in it and I dump water down the toilet instead of flushing. I think that the apartment is cute. It feels like a dorm room (though larger than most dorm rooms). Oh yeah, I wanted to show you my old room-mate. I had two of these small lizards living with me for a couple months. They would run on the walls and sometimes startle me when I picked something off the floor. They no longer live with me, but that is a different story. Well, state tuned for some more blogs...

Skirts

2007-06-27T07:20:00.001-07:00

While traveling in the Northeast, Christi and I had skirts made by this lady. Initially, the skirts were too small and we felt bad that she had to redo them. Now, they fit okay. I was glad that we had the skirts made because we got so dirty and dusty, I ran out of clothes. I ended up wearing the skirt the last night there and on the ride back home.

Traveling Northeast Part 1

2007-06-27T06:43:00.001-07:00

Our first day in the Northeast was one of the best. We met with a national worker who has crossed ethnic lines to work among a poor people group. He and his wife welcomed us to the village and took us to a family's house who has changed because of his work. It was wonderful to be invited into their home. They lived in a wooden house on stilts and most of it did not have any walls. We met the husband and wife in their rice fields, then visited with them and their grandson and son-in-law. What a priviledge to be trusted enough to be invited into their home. We were excited to meet these people and call them brothers and sisters.

Traveling Northeast Part 2

2007-06-27T06:35:00.001-07:00

We stayed the third night at a guest house that had a lot of charm. We really enjoyed the plants that they had everywhere and thought that it was fairly clean. Breakfast was also very good there.

Traveling Northeast Part 3

2007-06-27T06:07:00.001-07:00

Early the third morning in the Northeast, we ate breakfast at the guesthouse we were staying at. Then, we caught a Tuk-tuk to take us to one of the local markets. Here, there were dozens of pick-up trucks converted to carry passengers. They had a roof and bench seats in the back. We found the one going to the village we wanted to stay the night at and climbed on.

The driver waited until the back was full before he left and three foreigners climbing onto the songtaw (passenger truck) caused a lot of interest on the nationals' part. They must have thought that we were hot and hungry, because three ice cream carts parked right behind the truck and the venders continually asked us if we wanted to buy ice cream. They were waving the cones around. It being around 9:00 am, we decided that it was too early for ice-cream, but they kept asking.

When I say that they wanted the back of the truck full, I mean full. We were packed on there. The nationals enjoyed talking to us and looking after us. They did not want us to get off at the wrong place. Christi sat her purse down briefly to rearrange her seating, but the young girl next to her got very concerned and picked up the purse and held it on her lap much of the way. The people were very fun and friendly and made the two hour ride very enjoyable.

The ride was also really dusty. The road was red dirt and by the time we arrived in the village, we had a layer of red dust all over. We were getting red dirt out of our ears for the next couple days.

Another great thing about the ride was the scenery. Rice fields, wooden houses on stilts, small villages, cows, water buffaloe, goats, chickens, and mountains made the country-side breathtaking. It felt as if we had gone back in time to a simpler life-style.

Traveling Northeast Part 4

2007-06-27T05:35:00.001-07:00

Greg, Christi, and I spent a night in a village with a family. The village was beautiful. It had a lake and mountains all around it. The sad part was how much trash there was. The people would just throw trash on the ground instead of in a garbage can.

We enjoyed our time there for the most part. The hardest thing was the heat. We all felt the affects of the heat that night and none of us slept well. The bathroom had a big container full of water and to clean up, one stood on the floor and used a small bucket to dump water on herself. The water would then drain out of a whole in the wall or down the toilet (squaty style). We all were so hot and dusty we washed of twice the day we got there.

I enjoyed the dinner with our host family the most. It was nice to spend time talking with them.

To The Market! May

2007-06-24T19:50:00.002-07:00

My friend, Phii Nit, took me to a market that she really enjoys visiting. We took a boat to get their and a van to get home. The boat took three hours and the van took 45 minutes. I really enjoyed spending the day with Phii Nit. She has been a blessing to me.

While at the market, I was able to taste some national deserts and try my hand at making some as well. The yellow stuff is egg yolk mixed with sugar and poured into hot oil. It fries it instantly and the nationals love it. I thought it was not that tasty but fun to make.

One area of the market contained bins of fish, frogs, turtles, and snakes that people can buy and cook. Appetizing!

The market had the most stray dogs in it that I've ever seen. The dog that found a cool, shaded place to sleep in the bathroom made me laugh.

Another thing that this market is known for is their potters. They have people who make various items out of clay, ranging from pots and candle holders to incense holders and idols for worship. I was struck by the fact that the same hands that make pots also make intricate idols representing various spirits/gods.

Lunch Served

2007-05-12T11:36:00.000-07:00

I like to buy one of my favorite meals off the streat. The lady here is making it for me. It is called is called Som Tom Thai and is a salad made out of shaved green papaya. The person has a mortar bowl with a pestal. She throws in some lime juice, sorgam, garlic cloves, tomatoes, salt, really spicey peppers, and crushes it all together with the pestal. She then adds the papaya, dried shrimp, and peanuts. I don't like the shrimp, so I get it without it. It is a really spicey salad with a great flavor. I often eat it with sticky rice.

The Neighborhood

2007-05-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

As I look out of the front of my building, I see the sky train station. Rainy season has begun and I am very thankful to live so close to the sky train. Our street also has many vendors who sell everything from chicken and rice, roasted bugs, and fruit. The bug guy would not let us take a picture. He had a plethora of species (grasshoppers, crickets, worms, etc). The chicken guy is nice. His chicken is hanging by their heads and as people order from him, he simply slices some meet off, cuts it up, and serves it with rice and a sweet and spicey sauce on the side. The fruit lady always tries to get us to buy fruit. I try to buy some from her at least once a week. There is nothing so convenient as walking out one's building and buying some delicous tropical fruit. However, sometimes it is overripe or their are bugs in the fruit. Gross! She has a variety of fruit that changes from day to day. Here there are oranges, mangostein, mangos, bananas, and some fruit that I don't know the names to. Yummy!

Sunday Group

2007-04-30T04:19:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday, I go to a fellowship with other family members. The small group is all in Thai. Sometimes, someone will tell me what is going on, but other times I think I have a vague notion. I can understand a portion of the words used, but that is just enough to get me into trouble. This is a copy of the bulletin with the songs we sing in it. I just wanted to let you get a look at the writing system. Believe it or not, I can read most of it.

After we study, we go to a meal, usually at a Thai food court. The man across from me is one of the group leaders. The man next to me is a brand new member. His name is Thaa (which means eye) and he became a brother 2-3 weeks ago. Please remember him to the father. The other white person is a college student here for a semester studying abroad.

Songkran Continues: Saturday-Monday April 14-16,07

2007-04-20T02:43:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken practically on the doorstep of our apartment complex. The venders on the street and the people who worked at our apartment had set up a water station right outside our building. They and their children would get anyone wet who walked by or who drove by on a motorcycle, bus, or in the back of a truck.

Some people would ride around in the backs of trucks with water guns and squirt pedestrians. I saw a bus that stopped in front of our apartment and a lady we know took a hose, stepped unto the bus, and sprayed the people down.
Basically, if we left our apartments, we would get wet. They also had a white paste that seemed to be made from flour that they would put on peoples' faces. I ended up with some on my cheack, ear, and in my hair on Saturday. :) This baby also ended up with flour in his hair.

The celebrations really got going at night. We could here people laughing and screaming until at least 2:00am. There were a couple of roads in the city that were the place to go if you wanted to really get involved and get dirty. We stopped at the sky train stop on one of the roads and looked down from the platform. There were thousands of people packed together. They were all sopping wet and caked in flower. Any car or motorcycle that tried to get by would get doused. They opened up the car doors and threw water in. It was shear chaos. We did not go down because we were looking for a restaurant and decided to eat somewhere else.

Celebration of Songkran: Friday Fun Day

2007-04-20T01:50:00.000-07:00

Songkran is the Thai New year. The celebration has something to do with a confusing folk legend about daughters who take turns carrying their father's head around the earth. It also has to do with predicting the year to come. If a lot of water is thrown on everyone, then they believe it will rain a lot and there will not be a droubt. This is a four day holiday, and the people here celebrate it by throwing water on everyone. We visited a Buddhist temple with the Headricks, who were in town just for a day. This post is meant to show how much fun we had during the celebration.

Gina and Richard Hendricks came in on Friday to encourage us. They were a true blessing and we had a lot of fun. We took a boat to the temple and then walked a couple of blocks. The children (and adults) really enjoyed getting Richard wet as we walked down the sidewalk. We all wore bright colored shirts because that is what many Thai people wear during Songkran. The sight of foreigners wearing the shirts that the nationals wear caused much smiling and laughter.

Richard really enjoyed taking pictures, even when when people were throwing water on him!

The Sad Part of the Celebrations

2007-04-18T09:28:00.001-07:00

The crazy celebration of Songkran (Thai New Year) was enjoyable. People threw water on us where ever we went. I will show more and talk more about that in another post (pictures are coming). However, tonight I just again want to reflect on the worship of idols. We went to the Grande Palace (or King's Palace) during the Songkran Holiday last weekend. Once again, I was struck by the beauty, the carvings, the gold, and the worship of idols.

The picture above represents the coming together of family during this holiday. Notice the father teaching his two sons how to worship and pray to the idols. Everyone goes to be with family in order to celebrate the New Year. It is a time when the families visit the wats (or temples) in order to pour perfumed water over the different statues (primarily of Buddha). It is a very difficult time for our fellow believers. They want to honor their families, but have a hard time knowing what is tradition and what has spiritual meaning.

There were actually two stone idols shaped as cows or calves. Talk about straight out of the O.T. If you look closely at this picture, you will see the stone calf that is being worshipped. It was gut wrenching. I hope that I never become immune to the offense to our Father that this is.

This picture portrays a lady pouring the perfumed water over a Buddha statue. I believe that it is a cleansing ritual.

Beauty or Ugly?

2007-04-04T03:22:00.000-07:00

My friend Mark came into town from Taiwan (in the red shirt). He and his wife are friends of mine from college, but I had not seen them in years. It was a good excuse to do some touristy stuff. The day was really really hot. I don't recommend being a tourist in April in this country.
This is the Grand Palace. Built in the 1700's, it use to be the residence of the king. Now, it is a place of worship. Don't let the beauty fool you. The Grand Palace is a place of idol worship. It broke my heart to see such beauty built in honor of the thing our Father hates. He can not abide to have anything worshiped except for himself. This is a beautiful, or ugly, monument of worship of the created instead of the creator. It made me sick to my stomach to hear the chanting and see people prostrating themself before a golden alter. Please remember the people of this nation and intercede on their behalf.

February: The Floating Market

2007-04-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

Some members of Lindsey and Janna's fellowship in the U.S. came to visit. It was a good excuse to do something touristy. We went to the floating market and then to an elephant farm. We paid to get on a boat, and then the driver took us to different booths on the markets edge. There were also people in shallow boats selling things such as fruit, lunch, flowers, and trinkets. I did not take these pictures. They are curtesy of one of our friends.

The last picture is of me petting a python. I think that Lindsey's face is priceless.

March: To the Beach!

2007-04-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

We are attending a community small group composed of mainly college students. They took us on a retreat to a rustic place on the beach. The room we slept in had bamboo walls that you could remove to allow the ocean breaze ti come through. There were lots and lots of mosquitos, and so we slept under mosqitoe nets. Some bug still managed to get me and I had red welts on my arm and legs.

Apart from the adventure of bugs, I had a really good time. I was able to practice my language skills (or lack of skill). There was also an immersion (Ba-sm) that really blessed me. It was so great to see two new believers being bapt-d by the one who led him/her to the Father.

I also really enjoyed the food. It was delicious and mainly made out of sea food. However, seafood curry is not something I had ever had before. It was fun to try new things.

Language School and Culture

2007-04-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

I am studying at a school for international students. There are students from all over the world. I have been in class with students from Korea, Japan, Australia, Finland, Malaysia, India, and Tiawan. I also have met students from England and Russia. The traditional greating is called the wai.

The people here wear yellow on Monday in honor of the king. They love the king because he has done so many humanitarian projects to help the country. Also, many seem to view him in an almost god-like status. The name for "king" is contains the name for "God." Please lift up the people here, that they would honor the king, but only worship the true King

February Visa Run

2007-04-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of problems with our education visa. We had to leave the country and fly to Malaysia to get a new visa. It was hard to stay at a place on the beach with nothing to do but relax for 2 days. It was a good time to recuperate after all getting sick during our two week trip to Chiang Mai.

January Travel for Southeastern Classes

2007-04-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, I was in class during the two weeks with students in Chiang Mai. However, I was able to go on a short elephant ride and see an elephant show while I was there. These were the only pictures I took during the whole two weeks. I'm on the elephant with Jessica. Our time in Chiang Mai consisted of classes all day with the evenings off most of the time. Many of us got sick, but managed to complete the classes for the credit we needed. The elephants were one of the highlights of the trip.

December Trip Northeast

2007-04-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

Greg, Chrisi, and I travel northeast to meet the people and get a feel of where we will eventually be living. The area is dry. A lot of people live inl villages with raised houses. Small cities are interspersed. The river is the border between two countries. This is my first trip out of the city of 12 million and was a breath of cool, fresh air!