Turkey Day without the Turkey

No turkey, but you know, I never cared for turkey that much anyway, so its ok. Now the first Thanksgiving included Native Americans and English colonists around a table. Our Thai Thanksgiving included American missionaries, Thais, and Filipinos around a table. We combined mashed potatoes and green bean casserole with papaya salad and sticky rice with mango. I was still satisfyingly stuffed and very thankful.

A small pang of homesickness happened only that morning after talking to the whole family. I ran into a fellow American Thai language learner at language school who sympathized and made me feel better.

And just to let you know, you can smuggle a turkey into Thailand from America. I heard the rumor that my team leader's daughter's friend's mother did it! And since it takes three days to defrost, it can handle the 24 plane ride!

Novice Monk Book Review

As I ride the bus to language school each morning, I don't only see adult monks walking around receiving their daily alms, but I see boys. Wishing to learn more about their lives, I found this book. The author, a Buddhist monk from London living in Thailand, shares the lives of twelve novice monks.

All of these boys mentioned in this book, began their lives as novice monks because they were from poor farming families in the North with little money. Very sad and horrifying pasts led them in desperation to their only choice, to become a novice monk. Many others also got in it because it made their parents happy and gave their parents merit with the spirits if they were novice monks.

Peter, the author, has seen so many novices have to ordain as monks when they reach the ordination decision age of twenty because otherwise there's no choice for them. He does not want the monks to make this decision out of desperation but because they desire to live this life. He began a foundation to raise money for boys so they could disrobe as novice monks and pursue education beyond their normal means. Interesting how poverty leads many girls in this country into prostitution and boys into monkhood.

Am I a Stalker?

"To learn a language, you must make a million mistakes."
-my language acquisition trainer in NYC

The Thai language has a word for "look" and a word for "watch." It took a while to learn the difference. At the beginning, I thought there was only one word for all uses of your eyeballs, which I was sadly mistaken. Here's one of my first attempts at using my new vocabulary:

Since I use the same transportation everyday, I start seeing some of the same people. One day, I noticed this guy on the skytrain that I'd been seeing many times. I attempted to say to him, "I see you everyday!" He looked at me strangely and chuckled. Thankfully mostly ignoring me and going on with his business. Then I started thinking, oops! I used the wrong word. I think I actually told him, "I've been watching you everyday!" Aah! I'm a stalker!

May the 999,999 mistakes continue until I learn the language. Thanks to God, I passed my second Thai class last Friday. Tuesday I begin to learn to read and write in Thai. Woohoo! To be literate, that would be amazing.

A Reason to Wake up in the Morning

I went to the night market a couple nights ago to search out an alarm clock. The night market rocks. Billions of stands are out selling everything. Shirts are displayed with English writing that makes no sense. I love that. Used shoes for only a dollar! You can even go behind a curtain and get a tattoo or lay down in the open for a foot massage.

We found alarm clocks in one shop, with a little girl being the salesperson. Buying it quickly, I realized once home that I had no clue how to use it. My roommate tried to explain it to me but decided she was too tired to speak in English and passed me off to my other roommate.

Now I am daily woken up by a blare to the tune of "It's a Small World." Who would have thunk? I have yet to find the volume button.

Some Inspiration

"I sought to hear the voice of God
so I climbed to the upmost steeple,
but God said, 'Go back down again,
I dwell among the people.'"
-Anonymous

Given a poetry book at the age of 13 possibly, I memorized this poem. Its amazing how God can speak to us at such young ages. Yet the poem holds a good message for all of us. To truly know God, serve God, hear God, be more like Him, we need to "feed His sheep", "love our neighbor", be in the world as Jesus came to the world for us.

As I dwell here, I pray to dwell among the people and hear the voice of God there.

What is Thanksgiving?

Yesterday I asked my Thai teacher if we'd have school on Thanksgiving, just in case. For some in my head, since its a Christian school, they should celebrate Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving isn't a Christian holiday. And just because they're Christian doesn't mean they celebrate American holidays, but anyway...

My friend beside me asked me what Thanksgiving is. Have you ever thought about how to describe it? Well, some people discovered America and came over to live there. They ran out of food in the middle of winter and these people already living there (he doesn't know Native Americans or Indians so...) had to give them food. So they were thankful. Now we celebrate by giving thanks, eating a huge amount of food, and watching football?

No school off and turkey here is SO expensive. I was trying to brainstorm ways to smuggle a turkey on a plane from America because part of the team is going to the MTW Global Conference this week in GA. The best one was pretending I'm pregnant and holding the bird under my shirt for 24 hours? :)

The Mosquite Racket

Yes, friends, its what you always dreamed of but didn't know existed. The mosquito zapper fashioned to look like a tennis racquet. Plug it in, charge it up. Flip the switch, hold the button, and zap those guys right before they take your blood. At the beginning, I did feel merciless, but not anymore. Not after sweet they think I am.

I was introduced to this amazing creation by my American roommate, Dana, who was here. Our kitchen has no barrier to the outside forces, ok, just the bugs. So, while Dana washed the dishes, I hovered around her with the racquet and took out about thirteen mosquitos. Just a small "zap" and life is a safer place.

Celebrity to Someone

Another class field trip sent me off to talk to strangers at a nearby park with my Thai Language class. My two friends, a missionary woman and the monk, and I were walking and looking for someone to interview when a tourist asks to take a picture of us with her husband. Bewildered, we posed for someone else's camera. I guess some people think its fun to have a picture of two random white girls and a Taiwanese monk with their husband? Made us laugh definitely.

Life as a Guinea Pig

Where do guinea pigs find their feelings of productivity and security in life? The only thing to do in those cages is eat and run on the wheel. No matter how much Mr. Guinea runs on the wheel, he's gone nowhere. Full-time language learning is much like running on that wheel. Though I've been running for about 32 days, comparing myself to those off the wheel in "ministry", I've done nothing so far.

I have struggled with not feeling a sense of productivity while in language school. Looking at it in a more positive light, it is good to be stripped of the occupations and positions that made me feel success so I know that my only sense of identity should be in Christ's death on the cross. My God loves me and that is why I should live each day here out of that love, securely. If God wants me on that wheel, then I desire to run happily.

News today is that I'll be on the wheel until about mid-February. In order to have my mind around the writing system here, I'll need to take two writing modules. The first begins in two weeks, and the other after Christmas. Pray for me as I run on the wheel, that I might delight in the Lord, my position presently, and the beauty of language.

a good laugh for the neighbors

The other day I took my first motorcyle taxi alone to the really beautiful King's Park near my house. I had a good time jogging around and then hailed a taxi for the way home. I thought of all the right words to say for "turn right", "Through the intersection", "Yes, I am from America." Then we approached my house and I tried to say to "stop here on the left." Then we passed my house. Then we did a u-turn in the middle of the road. Finally, he figured out what I was throwing my arm at towards the right and stopped at my apartment.

My neighbor next door with the front door restaurant and the fruit stand guy across the street got a real laugh from watching me pass them, turn around, and come back. I tried to tell my neighbor what happened. Then she screamed across the street to tell the fruit stand guy. We all laughed. Then I realized I was still standing in the middle of the street and about to be run over by motorcycle taxi! :)

I Feel the Need, the Need for Speed!

I confess, I love public transportation. I love riding in a Taxi weaving between traffic going really fast. I think Thai drivers have amazing skills and will tell them as soon as I learn how. Also, I love city buses. In between stops, they go so fast its like you're a kid again riding a school bus. It hits a bump and all the kids in the back hit the ceiling. Yep, small silent giggles come from my seat when we go fast on the bus. And lastly, motorcycle taxis. Special love for the ability they have to weave in traffic. Yes Mom, I know they're dangerous. But lets just appreciate how fun it is for a minute.

I do miss my car though. My family takes this really curvy 2-lane road on the way to the beach where we can pass cars and fly. I miss doing that myself. But I can freely withdraw that desire here. I don't want to drive. I do not have the skills. But I will admire and appreciate the skills God gave others.

Disclaimer: These driving abilities only happen in countries other than the US, Canada, and Western Europe. Do not try to attempt these stunts yourself. Just come visit me, I'll show you how its done.

The Eternal Summer

What's the weather like here? Hot. I think that's why people don't use that as a part of regular conversation like in the US (or maybe I just can't understand them if they are talking about it). But at the same time, they do say we're approaching the cold season. Right...the cold season. At the doctor the other day, he said I might have had the flu, because of the season change. Season change, right. Whatever. But I am liking the lack of rain, my flip flops don't splash oil mud on to all my clothes.

Friends are asking what to send me for Christmas? Christmas? But its summer? And my teacher friends just sent our their first report cards? Nine weeks already? Wow. I seriously missed a whole leaf change-over? Are these two years going to feel like one big short-term summer mission trip? I wonder if they'll play "White Christmas" here?