Pizza Pals

Last week was full of food and friends at Mahathai! Our mercy ministry team just recently talked about what we wanted to do more in the next three months. One goal was to spend more time with people longer. We often visit quickly, but don't sit and talk to just one family very long. Since then, in just one week, I've been hanging with three different families. Sometimes we have to wait on God, and sometimes he's just waiting for us to ask!

Tuesday, I invited my gang of women around my age to make pizza with me at Dave's house. We can't make it at my house because I don't have an oven. The women's names almost all start with "B". Bong, Beau, Bang, Bee, and Daw. Daw decided she'll change her name to "Bess" so she could fit in better.

We made 8 pizzas of various sizes! Lots of toppings including squid, shrimp, and spicy pork were included. The last pizza shown above had everything we had left on it. The garbage pizza! Praise God for the fun times we had together.

A Tale of a Bike and a Car

Yesterday, I got a call from my friend whose brother had just got in a small accident when he supposedly ran into a guy's car with his bike. Yet, due to her more limited Thai abilities, it was difficult to talk to the owner of the car. The owner of the car wanted them to pay him $50 for the damage. We have to be careful about that, because he might have been being swindled since he was a Westerner. Kieow and I decided to head over there to help settle the problem. A witness at the scene said there wasn't damage at all, and told my friend to "Run!" when the owner of the car wasn't looking. Isn't that crazy advice! From that and my later experience, I learned how accidents are handled in Thailand...

We got there and Kieow proceeded to argue for a whole hour about whose fault the accident was. I, personally, didn't think my friend hit the guy's car at all. After a long while with no resolution, we threatened the guy with having to go to the police station with us to settle. He said ok, but come to find out, that was the perfect thing to do. Shortly after, he said "Nevermind" and let the whole matter go. He didn't want to spend any more time on nothing.

So in accidents in Thailand, the thing to do is either run fast or argue an exhorbitant period of time and then threaten to go to the police station. Good lesson.

Collision in a Bus

Sitting next to the window on Bus 46, dazily staring out the window I was. Hot day but the wind was blowing strong as we drive down Bangna-Trad Road. After a long day, I'm headed to the mall for some research time at Starbucks. Up ahead, I see the Central Mall approaching. Someone has already pushed the button with a "Beep!" signaling the bus driver to stop at the next bridge. I wake up from my half-consciousness to stand in the line by the bus door while the bus is still moving. The bus brakes and I am propelled forward with into the lady in front of me. I say "Ka Tort" and try to back up. I forgot to hold on. No one stares at me and everyone is quiet. Don't we love Asia? I can't believe I was so dazed I forgot to hold on! When I got to Starbucks, I shared the story with a couple friends there and laughed hysterically.

This story really was hilarious in my head, but now as I write in on my blog, its not so funny. Sorry for that.

Speaking in 3rd Person

In the Thai language, if talking to good friends, you can speak in third person. For example, if I'm telling my neighbors were I'm going, instead of saying, "I'm going to the market," I say "Melanie is going to the market." Wierd, huh? I was corrected for not speaking in the 3rd person this morning by one of my many friends that call themselves my teachers. So, I have a new resolution to speak in 3rd person more often. Did I mention how warped I'm going to be when I head back to America?

American Visitors!

A favorite treat of mine is hanging out with visitors who come through. Being in Thailand, we actually get quite a few. We have a great airport hub to stop through on the way to our neighboring countries. Our hospitals and beaches are great places to be healed from pains and worries of mission service as well.

Today we received a short-term team from iLEAD training program in Puerto Rico. This group studies for a seminary degree there as well as searches for God's calling for their life in missions or in secular work. MTW missionaries there, a couple friends of mine, teach them as well as many others. So I met friends of friends.

Five of the guys went with me to teach kids club at Mahathai. After being in Thailand for almost a year and a half, I was amazed at how much taller American guys are! For once, I felt short! As we went around Mahathai herding kids up for the club, many stared with saucers as eyeballs at the tall American guys. The team also shared a testimony and song with the kids. The kids loved it! It's a special privilege for them to see and hear from other Christians besides us. And especially for the boys to hear from men who believe in Jesus. So, I'm on a high after having fun visitors. Between using my translating skills and getting to speak so much in English--my head's still spinning.

My Friends, Bird and Dance

Yesterday, we headed over to visit at Mahathai again. In hopes to deepen our friendshps there, Tang and I decided to stick with visiting one family each time we go. Usually, we wander around visiting everyone and never any really long conversations.

We went over to Nok's convenience store on one of the corners and sat with her and her friends (her name means "Bird" in English). Nok is struggling with cancer and her friend, Dance, sitting there is struggling with the recent death of her father to cancer. Dance spends most of her evenings drinking beer at Nok's shop to be "less serious" and be "more fun." We often talk about life and get into spiritual conversations. Usually, it starts when I invite them to prayer meetings we have there on Wednesdays. She said she'll attend once she stops drinking, because she knows God wants people to do good things and he'll bless them. Tang and I try to encourage her in how Jesus came for us because none of us are perfect enough to be accepted by God ourselves. We cannot do enough right ourselves. Of course being under the influence of alcohol, Dance didn't care to think deeper, but I was thankful for our time together. Please pray for her and Nok. We're headed over to eat with them on Sunday. I'm making spaghetti!

Thai Movie Dubbing

At the movie rental shops, there are lots of American movies dubbed in Thai. As I've come to notice though, they use the same people in all the movies for the voices. So, Russell Crowe and Sean Connery have the same voice! Crazy, funny, but definitely interesting.